Madrid aren’t after Vela yet, but be prepared for it! Carlos Vela has landed and the talent that he has brought with him must have exceeded his baggage allowance at the airport!
Tonight was once again a superb event and I am jealous of everyone who attended because it really was an exhibition match. Yes… I was even jealous of yesterdays prize winner Ronald (Many thanks to Alan for donating the tickets)!
What Ronald... Le Grove is the best Arsenal website around? Cheers!
I get more excited about watching the kids in the Carling Cup than I ever do over a game versus one of the lower league teams in the Premeirship. It seems even the older players do as well! Cesc, Eboue, Adebayor were all in the stands… and interestingly… so was Keown? What was he doing there, eh? If he was just there to watch the game… surely he’d be sitting in Bergkamps box? Not with the players!
I’m not one to start a rumour… but I’d definitely say he is coming back to Arsenal… without ever really committing to the statement of course.
The kids were on fire tonight… and what is frightening about them is that they seem to play the game even quicker than their slightly older counterparts. Everyone is comfortable on the ball, everyone knows there job and everyone of them believes they will be good enough for the first team one day.
So… this is how the team lined up.
Fabianski
Hoyte Song Djourou Gibbs
Wilshere Randall Ramsey Merida
Simpson Vela
I’m just going to get straight into the player ratings… for a game like last nights, I think those who didn’t catch it will be more interested in the unknown players and how they performed.
Player Ratings
Fabianski: To start with he was trying too hard to show his worth. He made a hash of a few balls into the box, but you have to put that down inexperience. He did make a super save at the near post from Koumas to settle the his nerves. and later on he came out well to deny Zaki a shooting opportunity. My opinion on Fabianski is that he is not ready to takeover from Almunia yet… but what he will offer when he is ready, is the ability to make the impossible save possible. Right at the end De ridder fired a shot in, he parried it… Zaki fired the ball back at him and he miraculously tipped it onto the bar. It was an amazing save and one I doubt Almunia would have made. He is a work in progress, but once complete… he’ll be something else. 7
Hoyte: I don’t really have too much to tell you on this young full back. He is quick and solid, but he rarely stood out. Which must mean he did a good job, becuase I don’t remember him doing anything badly? He is similar to his brother… more of a defender than a show boater… which is a good thing! 7
Song: Played well considering he was out of position again. He made a particularly good interception just inside the half way line to prevent a 3v2 attack by Wigan. A clean sheet is impressive in a young team and he must be given credit for that. He isn’t ever going to be a great centre back… but he is an option. 7.5
JD: I thought he had a great game. He was good in the air, composed on the ball and even good with his hands at one point. Hey… if it’s good enough for Maradona, it’s good enough for our JD! Wenger, you have to give him a chance next time Silvestre gets injured! 8
Gibbs: He lacks experience in defence, but going forward the boy is a dream… he looked superb with the ball at his feet and he reminded me of a young, uncorrupted Cashley. One for the future I feel… maybe at the expense of Traore? 7.5
Wilshere: Plays the game like Hleb on Speed. He dances around players like a seasoned pro… he’ll recieve the ball on an angle, jink left, jink right, poke a pass out wide, play a long ball… you just have no idea what he is going to do! He also uses his limited body weight to great effect. Last night he picked up MoM… His assist was a beautiful through ball to Jay simpson who poked it past an in form, slightly injured Kirkland. What made the ball special was that he threaded it through about 7 Wigan players! The question on the lips of every gooner will be, how long can Wenger keep him on a leash for? 9
Randall: I am a big fan of this boys talent. He always manages to give himself time on the ball, which is the sign of a good player… my only reservations about him are whether he has the attitude to match the talent. I wish he’d play the sensible ball as his first option instead of mucking about with the tricks and flicks. He could be good if he wakes up and reads a few stories about why David Bentley plays for Spurs. 7
Ramsey: Smashed a fantastic freekick in the first half that was well saved by Kirkland and he worked his socks off. He also started the move for the Vela -> Simpson goal. I wrote him off at the start of the year, but the more I watch him the more I think he is only a season away from being a contender. He is as big as Flamini already and just as tenacious… he is also a lot more creative and I hate to say it… but if anyone is going to become the super player (Paddy, Pires, Henry mould) we so desire… it is this boy. 8
Merida: He is clearly a very tidy little player, but he is as quiet as a door mouse most games! He did hit a rasping shot in the second half that forced a great save from Kirkland… I just wish he’d do a little more and show us that he merits the Cesc comparisons. 7
Simpson: His first contribution was hitting the bar early on. He looked pretty good on the ball, if not a bit awkward but the important thing is that he kept the Wigan defence busy with his hard work and perseverance… Then his break came… he latched onto a Wilshere through ball and poked it into the bottom right corner. His second came after Carlos did all the hard work and played him in… Simpson still had to finish it, which he did with cool composure. He isn’t Carlos Vela or Thierry Henry, but too many people were writing him off last night which I thought was unfair. Isn’t it great to have an English forward in the team who can hit the net when called upon? He might not be ready for the first team… but give it a year and you never know what you might have on your hands! 8
Vela: He was involved in everything attack wise tonight, he was shooting, creating and defending from the front. The lad is special… and he showed that when he was played through on goal in the second half… he waited and waited… then he played the right pass to an open Simpson. Superb play. Then JD played Vela in, he knocked the ball in front of himself, then arrogantly chipped Kirkland! What a nerve, what a talent… what a goal! Carlos is knocking on the first team door and the noise he is making is getting harder and harder to ignore. We have a superstar in waiting… so forget your David Villa’s and your Sammy Eto’o's … we might not need them! 9
In conclusion, another great performance by the kids… another quarter final… another reason to be pleased this week!
So… who did you rate? Let us know in the comments!
P.S. I have Man City away tickets, Villa at home tickets and Kiev at home… e-mail if you are interested!
Le Grove is now smart phone compatible!
Pedro
Geoff
yes
hey!
2
OUR KIDS KICKED THE MANC’S ASSSSSSS
I was 2 frnachise :p..just logged in
morning rico and all
how good was Ramsey’s barnstorming run with the stepover routine in the 2nd half where he ended putting the throughball onto gibbs’ boot…that was class!
happy to see Merida get a run and play well also!
Aw man 6th
Well done to the young MEN. Simpson lookin like a young ian wright . Like the commentators said he doesnt play like a typical Wenger arsenal striker but i like him and his run and kick it in style reminds me of wrighty and what a striker should do
vela
jack
ramsey
JD
GIBBS
these five will break into the first team soon, wow with the potential of gibbs whats the boss going to to with traore and yes please sign carlos vela to a new deal now along with little jack when he’s 17 because there will be no shortages of enquirys for both of these ,lets hope we get to keep them for a few years .
Evo i loved the fact that it wasn’t Eboue doin those stepovers. Ramsey does look the part tho! Fab n gerrard combo i think!
I will rate Vela at 10.
The young guns have emulated the zeal and passion of OBAMA and will go on to win the Carling Cup.
THE NEVER GIVE UP ATTITUDE TAUGHT BY LE PROF INSPIRES THEM TO GO ON AND ON…
This is a nice post and surely Keown must be coming back to Arsenal as the defensive training coach.
Good day to you all Le-groovers out there………………
Ramsey has the best step overs I’ve seen from an Arsenal player..Ever! (I’ve only been a fan since 2000 so please let me know if there was anyone before that
)
i love our whole club and every single player, but its so much more refreshing to see players shoot from outside the box – a la Vela!
other than that u summed it up..a brilliant team performance and the standouts for me were : Rambo, Jack and Vela
anyone know which exact games RVP will be suspended from?
Kenya… Dunno about the obama comparison being appropriate but yeah but i think they showed a real hunger and enthuesiasm which our first team might have lacked when playing a ‘wigan’
morning all…
the senior strikers must be shitting!!!
morning evo.. one more game that is villa
I actually mentioned it ystdy that the game would hardly be a struggle. When u have got sm1 like Vela upfront that can finish that impressively then there is lil to worry about. They played in a very unpredicatable fashion cos their passing was fast and crisp. The problem the first team are currently having is that they play too cautiously hence are very predictable. They pass it lazily then Sagna or Clichy whips in a poor cross for the big man. We are more dangerous when we keep the ball on the floor. Its nice to have a plan B with the crosses though
Ramsey was pulling the strings yesterday, and JW was just doing his own thing. All of this against a Prem side with so much experience. AW says these are the best group of young guns he has ever had and that is saying something.
NEWS FLASH : Ro-sick-y has booked a two month holiday in a German rehab centre after having an operation this week.
mornin choy. thanks for the info. hopefully the radar is back when he starts again!
Did anyone notice Eboue with glassses?
Evo Van Persie is available after Saturday Villa @ home
xeeez.. it sure was good to see the senior players supporting the younger ones!
I hope the performance last night will keep them on their toes!.. cause boy they were rampant!
Morning All
What a fantastic performance from the WHOLE team.
I thought the best thing last night was the Mexican Wave for Vela. Well done to all the Gooners fortunate enough to be at THOF
LJW – such a natural; let the seniors play the higher teams and the juniors play the lower teams: that way, well win everything
good morning fellas what a performance by the kids…
Pedro just want to say one thing people who were whining about David villa and other players…just shut your mouths now and never talk about any of that shit..we don’t need any one if needed vela is there to be next Arsenal great…
and how does that chap might be feeling now who said we should get Zaki he is proven…he could nt prove himself against the kids..
i feel Arsenal fans are becoming like Scouse fans always looking and whining about players of other teams…
xeeez yes I did, Eboue is a clown on and off the pitch which is why many players in the team like him.
yea choy it sure was great to see the senior players!
and the Mexican wave thingy was awesome..
Well done to our crowd
You really made us proud
kanu jnr and toure were rejoycing when vela scored, they looked bloody happy i must say!
Where is your Vela rating Pedro?
It may not be fashionable at the moment, but you have to say that when it comes to shaping and moulding young players, Arsene knows
good review and ratings Pedro – but that was the marks out of ten rating for Carlos ?
If Kirkland were not injury prone he would now be a top 4 keeper. He is that good.
fabianski will take over from Alluminium in 18 months.
Rico
yes thankfully a pointless debate ,that for once i wasn’t involved in
but the vela Vs dudu debate would be a more interesting topic ..
or even is nasri as good as TH14 .. over the long haul …
but simpson V bends is a little bit pointless .
and i s’pose if there has to be a favorite its Nik B because he is already in the 1st team
and this years experience for him will only accelerate his growth and over all experience .
But take nothing away from simpson, last night he didnt miss his chances and finished with a class that ade would give his left @@@@@@@ for
hi guys.
firstly just wanted to say I was wrong as I thought we would lose.
I was surprised with what I saw, better than the high standard I remember.
It was interesting to hear people say that this team could not do this week in week out. I kind of understand where they are coming from. Most of these players had not played for 10 days, and were fresh and prepared for Wigan.
The game plan was spot on.
Two point about the players. The Simpson first goal was the one that caught my eye. When the ball was played to him, I gave him no chance to reach the ball, but he did, and not only that he scored. To me that was amazing.
Song has had some stick on here lately, but he played well and he looks a better CB than he is a CM.
Re Villa only Vela or Djrouou could start for AFC out of the team last night.
Lets hope we draw Stoke away in the CC to give the boys a real phyiscal challenge.
Wow now if only the first team showed the same hunger and pace we will be a sure bet for the title. JD is a lot better than Kolo pre season does play a big role. Hopefully wenger will get the team selection right he does lose the plot after a good run of results. Ramsey was my man of the match or JW not too sure but the welsh mans step over was something else. Cant wait for the weekend
Well Evo Toure must have been happy..
As for kanu jnr I think all his actions are meant fer the Cameras!
That game was a joy to watch. Vela, Wilshere and Rambo were definately the best players for us. I thought Merida was quiet but showed some good touches and passes.
On a side note, I didnt see Wilshere smile once (unlike Vela), he looked pissed off when he was taken off then after the final whistle he still looked shitty.
It was also great to see the first teamer’s supporting the kids. They looked like they enjoyed the show as well. Oh yeah, nice glasses Eboue.
Rookie good point. Why have Villa when u’ve got Eduardo? He is a as deadly a finisher. Vela??? Pure class.
I forgot in the excitement Chary!
did any one see eboue video Dancing in the parking…..
and adebayor singing while coming to the dressing room…
I gave him a 9.
I was surprised Wilshere got man of the match? I thought Vela had more polished game!
these videos are hilarious
Mark C – it was bloody joyful to see Simpson score that first goal. the pass was top draw and the strength and pace by simpson to get past the last defender was glorius!
these games are strange..u don’t have any pressure to win while watching and then the kids come out and perform in such a way..I love it!
Franchise… The passing was not that crisp because there were a lot of moments when the ball was just kicked anywhere when wigan were pressing hard. A lot of forced passes not gettin thru. This only paid off in the 2nd half when the passes were still risky but a lot better timed and less rushed. The first team do not do this there is an emphasis on ball retention so the more risky creative passes are only really attempted by Cesc.
Whos Vela? ive never heard of him? what times the game on tonight
AR – shitty could be viewed as nerves perhaps?
How the fuck did Song get 7.5??? I was there and I gave him a 1. You said he was played out of position, why, we have loads of young centre backs.
I’d like to see Vela play vs Villa if his hamstring is okay.
A good news…. Rosicky should be back in 6 to 8 eeks…
i think the dream draw in the semi
man utd
i gots a feeling we can finish off there reserve team no problems
get liverpool or tottenham, show them how it is done
rookie- need to write off sicknote in case he never gets back. anything after that is a bonus. he’s 28 now
Song deserves 6, JD looked better than him. JD had a handball, but Song let De Ridder dribble past him, and Gavin was wrong footed because of Song’s intent to tackle, and this led to the Fabianski double save. I think Fabianski, Vela, and JD deserves a run out. And JW should play ahead of Theo WAlcott, young Jack knows what he is doing, and his close control/vision/feint-turn is too hot for words
wenger did say about fran merida
he is more clinical in the final third and yesterday showed it, in the final third he was coming alive
Morning Pedro/Geoff and Le Grovers,
Its seems that debate I had last night struck a nerve with a few Grovers so I apologize for it.
However, for me the argument wasn’t about Simpson V Bedntner. I was just defending Nicklas Bendtner.
The only time I mentioned Simpson was when I asked the question “You have only Bendtner and Simpson available for the Chelsea match, who would you go with?”
I was just defending Nicklas Bendtner from being called shite.
Anyway, I’m sorry if I pissed anyone off.
Rookie. That is back in training. I would be surprised to see him play this season.
Can’t agree with Geoff. Song deserved his 7.5. He had a fine game,
And anyone still think Palacios is good enough for us ??
And except for 1 corner, Fabianski’s intent to come for the crosses BENEFITED us greatly! Al would piss in his pants. Sure, he did come out for that Carrick boot vs United, but it’s a rarity to see Al going for crosses the way Fab did. Fab has confidence, command and commitment to boot with.
THaatAG u can never see a game where all the passes are completed. The thing is when u playing a team with 10 men behind the ball and u pass the ball at a slow tempo u dont make them work hard enough. Arsenal’s team in the unbeaten run used to wear teams out with their passes in the first half.
good post.
i thought i saw cesc, kolo, eboue, dudu & ade at the stands… i wonder if these bunch of lads are impressing the senior players last night.
when is the next CC draw? will we get a home game again?
Wrighty, You were the V.O.R. (The Voice of Reason), in a really silly discussion.
any one ant to see the whole match????? i have a torrent which you can download…
Wenger – 10???
I have already seen enough of Ramsey and Wilshere to feel confident that they will become regular first teamers sooner than later.their vision is remarkable,and i would rate them both ahead of theo at their respective age.I disagree about randall.For a slightly built player he gets stuck in and breaks a lot of moves up,though his passing i agree needs improving.i haven’t seen much of Simpson,but he is so young and already a prolific goalscorer and as i stated earlier,Ian Wright didn’t come to the fore until his mid twenties,i wouldn’t write him off yet.he may not have the attributes of nicci,but to me he is more direct and not a mood merchant.Agreed about fabianski,yet only 24 needs to step up his positioning for crosses,and i still think we need atop class keeper.
for the first time in years we have 4/5 players who could make the grade and 3/4 are british.vela,Randall,Wilshere,Gibbs and simpson or randall.
I’d like to see Bendy-Vela vs Villa. If Vela could come unfazed against bullies like Bramble, I’m pretty sure he could handle Curtis Davies.
Rookie – he just had another op
Pedro – MOTM should have been Rambo I think, the guy was pulling strings and fighting for the ball all night
choy stoke away
we were a joy to watch except that is for Song!
im happy for Merida, i want to see him do well and equally as good as the other lads.
Wrighty – good job on Bendtner mate, i like him so thanks for defending him!
great double save by Fabianski at the end!
choy I would prefer us to play away in the next round.
Provide a challenge for the boys.
As posted before. Stoke Away would be a great draw. A real test.
Yeah thats true but i felt the passing was a lot more direct ant purposefull last night. The first half they were trying too hard and gave away a lot of possession. Second half was more relaxed and thats when the crisp fast passing started to pay off.
yes he had a routine operation and after that arsene said that they have removed most of the extra shit in the tendon and he will be back in 6 to 8 weeks….
Cheers Raddy.
I offered the virtual handshake to just draw the line on it.
Should have been talking about the match really, I guess I just wanted to defend Nicklas.
I agree. Stoke away. (or MU at home)
Forgive my ignorance, but did we really get Vela for just £125,000?
Thats what football365 has reported.
I think it’s time to start playing Ramsey and Wilshere
geez you guys want stoke away? heheheh
Thanks Evo.
That save from Fabianski at the end! PHEW!
Any links to the goals?
Vela- RVP- Ade- Walcott
I have been going on about this attack for some time and I think last night probably showed what I meant. The speed of this attack would take us back to the heady days of Henry, Pires and Wiltord. The flaw in the plan is off course where do we put Nasri who obviously should be playing.
Last night was one of those special moments when you get a warm inner glow and the feeling of how great it is to be an Arsenal supporter.
this is good stuff…
Wigan boss Steve Bruce was also glowing in his praise of Arsenal’s youngsters.
He said: “They were frightening on the night. The age of them. Arsene says it is the best crop of youngsters he’s had and when you think of the young players they have had in the past, that is some compliment.
“They gave us a torrid evening. We’ve gone out of the cup with a whimper really. They created more chances against us than any other team this season. “We’ve had our backsides kicked by a very good, young Arsenal team.”
Wenger also believes 16-year-old Jack Wilshere can form a formidable midfield partnership with Cesc Fabregas.
He said: “Cesc and Jack could play well together. They have the same good potential. They are both players of character and they are not frightened of going into the challenge.
“Jack takes the ball no matter where, it’s all natural to him.
“He’s a different type of player – more of a dribbler, whereas Cesc is more of a passer.”
Wrighty… fair play to you for sticking up for Nik.
Arsenal fans are too quick to write off good players sometimes.
Wrighty, with my failing eyesight I cannot quite see your avatar.
Is it Jens L or John Jensen (highly unlikely – though I really was there when he scored !!).?
Pedro,
Check your e-mail matey!
It was interesting comparing the Sheffield United game and last night’s: Ramsey and Wilshire made a huge leap forward.
Wrighty don’t give it a second thought mate!
Morning All, top post and i would give them all 10, turned up, great attitude, great performance, great result, and against a premiership first team. They looked as if they had been playing together for years. And if they improve, wow what a future our club has…
yes AR we got him for 125000… and it can rise upto 550000 if he plays 50 first team matches…
Ha ha Raddy its John Jensen mate.
I’ve heard that Nikki B looks up to Johnny Jensen as a hero!
choy – the draw is Saturday on the Soccer programme, Sky Sports 1 & News i think, lunchtime ish
Theo better get a grip over his ball control/first touch, or he would lose his place to Wilshere. Simple as that, really.
If Armand Troare had been on the left in place of Merida (who I thought had a quiet night), we would have had even more threat …. awesome……….. and he is only 19 !!
Wrighty7 the longer u on here u wld come to understand certain bloggers hard stance on certain issues. Well as for others who appear every now and then its harder to understand this so its best to ignore shitty comments.
Cheers Geoff and Pedro.
I just didn’t wanna cause any grief on the site. I’ve forgotten about it now!
I think its time to start playing vela, who is very clinical in front of goal. And to think he is only our 5th choice striker!!!!!!
Wrighty – how could one of those guys write off Simpson on the basis he is ‘thick’??
morning rico.. thank you
Bloody good game. Vela’s goal kind of gives me a hard-on.
Does anyone has links to the game please.
lol michael!!!
Its hard to ignore though lol
OK if you want to compare players how about Vela v Walcott.
Both are the same age.
Both scored international goals.
Who will BECOME the better player for Arsenal?
Rico,
EErrrr, I fink dat sum persons rite of fotballors quit easilly in now time.
Nice post…
Our young players were so good. They played great entertaining football. I must say our senior players might be jealous of them.
Ok how about we face chelsea at stamford bridge?
A real test for our young players.
Mark – I think they will both be awesome, but I dont know right now who will become the better player
Wrighty
mark c.. errr.. the answer i think is pretty simple!
There is a stand at Brondby FC named after him …… The Faxe Stand !! (actually that is a fib – Faxe is the beer that Johnny famously was addicted to – hence Johnny ‘Faxe’ Jensen.
He is a commentator on Danish TV, and always does the Arsenal games. He is still a committed Gooner, and is rightly NB’s hero (as a pleyer rather than a legendary drinker – I hope!!)
Ha ha,
Nah seriously Rico, it doesn’t matter if a footballer is thick, most are.
Playing football is an instinct to footballers, its comes natural to them.
Have you all heard the good news that the dippers are in the poo poo and may have to sell players
Tee Hee
rookie,mate i don’t want to dampen your hopes about rosicky,he has had treatment 3 times in england,a further two ops in his homeland and now he is in germany with a third consultant and further operation.he is also about 28 and though i loved him when he joined us,he has a problem which he was born with which only came to light after the initial injury.
glad somene else agrees with me about theo,he has to look over his shoulder.
last night was a great night for football and arsenal,and yet one or two still want to nick pit just enjoy the moment.
mascherano please then… eh?
its a crazy base of an arguement – hey ho, glad i got out before it got really daft, you did well….
So can we snap up Xabi?
choy – what not Pennant
Raddy,
I remember his goal. I can’t remember what year it was, maybe 1993? I’d have been 11.
QPR, curled in the top corner. Didn’t we lose 1-3 though?
Masherano and Torres please. And Agger
our counter attacking by these kids is even more joyful to watch than the seniors…the pace is amazing.. seniors are lacking pace in the counter attacks right now…
They’d never sell to their main rivals……………..
I think it was the biggest case of match fixing i have ever seen,yet no one comments about it until today.It as blatently obvious that the rules were bent and the wrong person got sent off.scandolous.
Cheers Rico,
I guess people just have different opinions on all things Arsenal!
Spot On Wrighty. The place went mental – and there were T-Shirts printed to commemorate the event !!
id prefer traore to stay where he is for the minute and play every pompey game. Merida needs more time also, maybe he needs a loan too
Wrighty perhaps you should have a Bendtner avitar and Pedro can get a Song one as he gave him such a high score.
i didn’t know vela was that fast!!!!! he is almost as fast as theo!!!!
Quality stuff Raddy……
Speaking of maybe signing Agger. I’D LOVE IT!
Only so I could sing………
AGGGGGGGGGGGGGER DO DO DO,
You all know the rest!
rico why pennant when we have the pass master?!
Kelsey – which game ?
Clichy and Fab on 4 yellows.
If they get it against Villa, they miss City away game.
If they get against city, they miss chelsea game.
They’re gonna get booked towards the end of the Villa game……………….
I have Bendtner’s hero as my avatar Geoff. He’ll be pleased for me!
I thought that Pedro’s score on Song was a bit low to be honest, I’d have give him 10/10
He should play Ramsey or Wilshere in the chav game, they both have that ability to do what you don’t expect.
i think ramsey can fill in for cesc!
Pedro only did it to wind me up, no one could have given him 7.5 unless they weren’t there and read Wenger’s post match interview or something.
just listened to Steve BRuce’s press conference, i did like him a bit as a manager, but he spoke total horse shit to the press after the game!
I just hope watching the kids serves as a toe up the arse for the grown up team.
That’s understandable Pedro – I sort of guessed we could infer he got near enough full marks from the write up. Pressure on the first team players after a performance like that from the second string is good too – maybe that’ll stop lacksadaisical performances against the so called lesser teams.
Anyway, don’t get me started on Song, I’m off for a bit.
i think Arsene should ask cesc and clichy to pick up a card in villa game….
That Pedro is a scallywag aint he Geoff!
If Clichy is out for City/Chelsea game, I expect Silvestre to provide cover. I’d not risk Gibbs. I’d hope Djourou to play alongside Gallas, but no, stubborn Arsene would play Gallas-Toure again.
Wrighty sometimes he can be a little rascal, that’s for sure.
Adams has been searching for a replacement for Joe Jordan, who left Portsmouth to join former boss Harry Redknapp at Tottenham last week.
Former Arsenal team-mate Martin Keown rejected an offer to join Adams’ backroom staff, but Metgod said he had no hesitation in linking up with the former Arsenal and England captain.
In this unpredictable world of football I tend to care less about players staying or leaving. I just believe Arsene responsibilty is to have a team that would challenge until May every year for the premiership. Any thing else is a bonus. 1 CL trophy is due though. We deserve it as fans of one of the richest clubs in the world. And for those of us (not me anyway) who pay to fill up the emirates stadium. Its inevitable that some would have to go. The thought of who it would be is quite scary. One to think about is Clichy, Traore, Gibbs. Does Arsene keep Clichy and Traore and ignore the local British lad or does he let traore leave and keep clichy and gibbs? Traore in LM is an option though
top top night last night, great atmosphere in there as well!!!
i reckon keown will be with us full time for the start of next season
franchise.. traore has never played at LB whilst at pompey.. so it’s only clichy and gibbs.. now considering the fact that clichy is still so young gibbs would primarily serve as back up. Will he be patient enough? that is the question.
So choices for next round are:
Derby
Man Scum
Stoke
Watford
Chelsea v Burnley
Sunderland v Blackburn
Tottenham v Liverpool
Im betting we will get either – Man Scum or Chelsea, sunderland,blacburn, spuds or pool depending on who gets thru?
we definitely will not get any of the other teams!
Raddy THE X FACTOR at least someone fell for it
i hope whoever it was that said we should sign zaki watched closely last night… i didnt even see him in the 1st half
Actually both Keown and Parlour always sit in the area behind Arsenal’s dugout.
choy – pennant, just teasing, another idiot who couldnt accept he once had talent, now he is ruined – hey ho…..
brucey says this morning that wigan were totally out played and their bums were kicked by a great team of youngsters, who were frightening… How right you are Brucey…
Choy u never know. Djourou played in the middle for Bimingham last season. Arsene still sees him as a CB though.
Home v Watford or Derby would be just fine
a lot of grovers have been keeping tabs on vela, my mate ken in particular, like i said last week imagine dudu and vela playin together in jan oh my god!
Catch you all later – be good
In two years we might actually be the first team to win the Quadruple. You know Arsenal have a thing with breaking records. YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST
chris trouble is vela,dudu and rvp are all left footed.
Morning all – that was one of the best games i’ve seen live – EVER!
when i got back – i watched clips of arsenal goals on you tube foe about two hours!
Really makes you appreciate what a great team we support when we have youngsters like these guys coming through!
Kelsey I dont think it matters what foot a striker uses. I think dudu, vela and rvp are our best finishers in that order and they are all left footed and can play as wide players. Its left to Arsene to tie them all up into long term contracts (if they mean anything these days) and give them enough games in a season as we challenge on four fronts
Im sure vela was about 2.5 mil… he was very sought after
I think this team can go for the FA Cup as well!
i love the left footers – something about them, they have an extra 10th of skill it seems sometimes?
Clichy will be sold soon, anyone approaching middle age (24) is sold or leaves on a free.
This was the problem I said we would have with our youth policy, at some point they’ll want to play, but the person they’re replacing is still only 21, so what happens then eh?
anybody…link for yesterday match’s torrent!
Its nice to watch this team young team in carling cup but most of us would rather see our first team win games in the prem. 38 games of tears, joy, sorrow, happiness, depression etc. The League gets me buzzing
evo… its harder to defend against a left-footer because its not as common… most defenders usually think ‘put him on his left and ive got him’, its harder with a lefty cos it takes more thinking.
ramsey should have got MOTM for me
vela was bought for 125000 pounds and it could rise to 550000 if he plays 50 first team matches for us…
Geoff u just over reacting there. Arsene have 99% of the time kept his star players until he has drained every thing of worth from them. Flamini’s situation was an exception last season he wasnt wanted has one good season then chooses to leave. If Arsene rated Flam in the same way he did with Cesc he would have tied him down to a 10 year contract in 2005.
here is the link for match torrent
http://www.mininova.org/tor/2001325
geoff it just becomes an eternal roundabout with no real progression but more money to the board.and every year will get harder.theo hasn’t been tied down yet.juventus are eyeing up jack and so it goes on.we have to be bought out to compete or at least get a wedge from kroenke.
Franchise Flamini was the oldest of his young crop, Clichy is the next phase and then Cesc and Bentner etc, etc.
I know u are going to mention Anelka, Edu, Petit, Overmars etc. Bar Edu we made a fortune from selling those players who wished to leave anyway. Its not about money I agree (another point I know u wld make) but after selling those three we didnt do too bad in the next five seasons that followed
clichy to leave?
Are you having a laugh.
He signed a new contract recently.
he wont leave any people are saying he should be captain.
He is a product of our Carling Cup team, just like Denilson, Diaby, Almunia, RVP etc.
i hope last night’s result acts as a catalyst for the senior side to perform and sets our season rolling.
just can’t wait for the little geniuses to take on the bpl.
oh what a feeling to be a gooner!
goeff, im hoping that because we’ve had these kids from such a young age that they’ll have a different mentality in stalled in them and to what we’re used to… yes they will wanna play but hopefully we are the only ones they wanna play for… gibbs could a top class winger for us not just a left back… same as traore so i dunno how we fit them all in along with nas, rosicky, and clichy although im looking forward to people actually competing for a starting place!!
If I worry about any players leaving not Theo and Jack especially to a foreign club. How many English players have crossed the border to play abroad in the last 7 years. I only know three Becks, Owen and Kazim Kazim (lol)
steve macmananamanaman!
rookie.. where u got that from??
Although FIFA regulations prevent the inter-continental transfers of under-18s, Guadalajara insist Arsenal paid a substantial sum for Vela. “Arsenal have already paid the full transfer fee,” said president Jorge Vergara. “I don’t have the exact figure, but it is close to $3million [£1.5m]. He was a player we were looking to be a big part of our future and there was no way we were going to let him go for free.
“We expected him to stay for two or three years and then leave as the big star he was going to be, but in the end it was his decision and there was nothing we could do about it. I hope he won’t regret leaving the club at such an early age.”
http://www.worldsoccer.com/news/carlos_vela_news_107291.html
Jamie he left b4 2000….. 7 years I said
What a game, I was in Block 31 row 20 so the view was perfect. I thought Ramsey & Wiltshere was class and there was lots of skill & entertainment aside for the team’s great perforamce. Also how good was the atmosphere? The best I’ve witnessed perhaps at the Emirates since the great highbury years. Such a great crowd & everyone was well up for it. Bring on the next round…………
Everything depends on the wage structure which the club would continue to keep at 40% of Revenue. The other hard part is giving the players enough games in the season
Bloody know-it-all!!!
bid time for me.
rejoyce once again in the win!
catch you all soon!
robbie keane (irish i know but prem based) went to inter
“Just stick..” – what is the “bpl” please ?.
Mark C I was being ironic. Tom the thing is we need 2 world class players in every position, how do you keep them happy?
Woodgate, Collimore..
barclays premier league?
geoff you cant have 2 world class players in every position.
You need a blend. of experience, youth, speed, power and strength.
We have got 40 pros on our books so we are not short of bodies!!!
Franchise – and the most english of them all – Hargreaves!
That not what I meant, what I’m saying is where does Jack play? In Walcott’s position, in Cesc’s, then what about Ramsey and Diaby and so on, there’s a lot of good players that won’t be playing much.
Games Geoff Games…… Thx Avenell. The funny part is the speed with which they return to the Premiership.
fuck what a match, i was dumbfounded at the third goal. What a player, him and dudu up front, defenders would be crying for their moms.
When Vela knocked the ball into space and was running for it, I had glimpses of sheffield match audacious chip, and i thought, please I cannot bear another goal of the season so soon….. and fuck, he didnt even think twice, he has got walcott’s pace and henry’s finishing ability, what a combination of skills.
Baring Vela I thought Ramsey was a 10 last night, even if he gave the ball away cheaply a few times.
And Simpson is the perfect emodiment of English grit, I think he deserves to get his chances.
Awesome match, so do we get to see the juniors avenge for senior’ draw against spuds??
i hope.
Oh right, Just stick, I usually think of it as being called epl or premier league.My mistake.
Hargreaves never stayed or played in England He came through Bayern’s youth set up. I believe u already know that Jamie
geoff… i dunno mate, rotation is the basic answer, and using the squad well in all 4 comps, to be fair its about time we had worries about having too many good players rather than not enough! traore’s looked good at portsmouth on the wing so maybe wenger see’s him there next competing with nasri and rosicky when back… including theo would give us 4 very good wingers next year… not to mention the pass master!!
if theo moves up front there will be serious congestion there as well!!
Wilshere and Ramsey were absolutely incredible. It can’t be long until they are forcing their way into the first team! JD and Song were rock solid at the back, in fact the entire defense played really well but certain tackles that JD, Song and even Gibbs were incredible. I am so happy that I got to go!!!
stand up if you’re ARSENAL!!!
Always been my problem – Never read the bloody question properly!!!
do i get marks for thinking along the right lines…..
Hi Geoff,
I see where you are coming from, but you dont know what is around the corner.
Arsenal will play around 55 – 60 games this season.
A player may play 40 – 45 games in a season, so there is plenty of scope for a squad.
Players will get injured suspended, or have a drop in form.
Having a decent squad of players will mean that competition for starting places is high, and we will have a decent bench.
My view regarding the players you mentioned is that Fabregas will leave in the next 3 years, and we will have a midfield of Ramsey and Wishire.
I am not sure where Walcott will play as I think Vela is better than him.
Geoff also having good players is always an asset to the club financially. Tottenham tried the same with Comolli but failed woefully. They now have a bunch of worthless players as a liability. Cesc for £35mill 2011? Any takers
Like the opening line of ‘We are the World’ There comes a time when you heed a certain call…….
I agree with you both, all I worried about is keeping them all happy.
Good result last night, keeps the momentum going.
I really like Ramsey. He could be the bargain of the year. Would like to see him played more in the first team. We now have plenty of midfield players who have a good shot on them – Nasri, Ramsey, Cesc (when in the mood)
When will AW let VELA loose on the premiership ? Far better prospect than RVP and more clinical.
Still worried about our defending however. We give up way too many chances. This has to be sorted out.
If Cesc stays for 3 more years we wont stand in his way and ask silly money for him.
We wont give him away free, but it wont be a world record – Just like Henry to Barca.
I know Geoff most of them look cute and humble and you cant help but hope they succeed and end up as Arsenal legends. The cute and humble bit means Song is excluded unfortunately. That might excite u Geoff
Do you think Gallas would want to leave if the captaincy was taken off him?
I just can’t decide who our best CBs are – problem is you can’t really drop Gallas while he has the arm band!!
Mark C it depends on whether Cesc is on form when and if we choose to sell. In three years he would still be 24 fucking hell still 24. Wow
Gallas to me is the best. He scores a lot of Goals too for a CB. Probably one of the highest scoring in the Prem in the last two seasons (Maybe Lescott). He hates too loose which is good but he should learn to reduce his tantrums. He sometimes reminds me of me. Sore looser
Does anyone know if Cesc was at the match last night ? I know Adebarndoor, Kolo and Pass master were there.
When Ian Rush went to Italy to play he said something like..
“It’s like playing in a foreign country”
I think Wenger will asses Galla’s attitude over the remainder of the season and then decide if he should continue as captain.
i agree that gallas should always be our first choice CB – and against Manure he showed what a motivvational captain he can be – i just need to see more of the same to be convinced we shouldn’t give it to clichy or cesc!
Avenell are u serious? Classic
I would go with Gallas & Djourou (the young and the old)
Gallas for all his faults, is a winner, is good in the tackle and scores goals. Reasonable positional sense.
Djourou is strong and probably our best defender in the air. We need height and muscle. He will learn from Gallas.
I would also like AW to give Kolo a run sitting in front of the back 4 – aka YAYA. This would enthuse Cesc to get forward and start scoring goals again. A few goals will bring him back to life.
chary.. cesc was there to mate.
we should keep cesc forever… he could and should become the next arsenal legend… a real icon for us throughout world football. we all agree this team only needs a bit of tweaking to get in on track and if we’re competing then what more can we do? the longer he stays the more chance there is of him staying forever as he will get more and more settled and more and more comfortable in london…
[...] Keown comes home? / Madrid will be after Vela! / Kids on fire! [...]
After this season I see Gallas and Silvestre being at Arsenal for only 1 more season. They wld both probably return to France like they mostly do i.e. the French players in the Prem
Chary, he was there.
I assume David Platt has been mentioned as one of the english players who went abroad (to Sampdoria).
I like Gallas, he’s our best defender at the moment.
I would go Gallas Djourou or Silvestre Djourou or Kolo Djourou, getting my drift?
I’m off now Grovers, have a nice day!
That’s good Pedro – Cesc needs every bit of feel good vibes from Arsenal to convince him to stay. He got little of that from the transfer window with his best mates being shipped out.
i think i saw cesc as well as dudu, chary last night
If Arsene signs a midfield player in January we are going to have a quiet summer filled with speculations about players leaving
lol fuck
read this.. what a twat
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1919802.ece
nasri was there as well i think last night
Sneaky Pedro…… never far away eh?
choy… what a cunt he is… fucking uncle fester look-a-like
that is pure jealousy, they dont play youth players cos they dont fucking have any!!!
franchise… same as most summers then???
Cesc was in the tunnel before the game with Diaby and Nasri…
Nasri in his baseball hat looked younger than the players in the team we had out..
what a tosser he is choy,
except when we loose then we will agree.
poxy chelsea have the numbers to say such shit
Heh, anyone see the mascot that stepped out ? I thought who the fucks he, never seen him play before..
At least this summer we signed Coq, Bisch, Rambo, Vela back
last season Sagna, Eduardo etc
I would be happy if no one left but we signed Alonso
Franchise……..This is the Ian Rush quote when he lived in Turin….
“It’s like living in a foreign country”
leaves I meant i.e. next summer **
what a night, grovers.. i am now confused – are our reserves actually the first team ?
when the match ended i said two silent prayers – one for whoever made me a football nut and the other for a friend who on a fateful night early in the last decade introduced me to the Arsenal way.
Vela, Wilshere, Ramsey – it just keeps getting better with these boys – they’re as ready as they can get. Never seen Randall earlier .. thought he was a little subdued.
Simpson – he holds potential .. we always lacked a compact, solid striker like Anelka.. Ade is a different type – too gangly and with that notorious first touch. Sim seems to be easy on the ball and able to shoot from anywhere and more importantly is not afraid to shoot !
uncle fester lookalike – lol!
even if chelsea did have any good youngsters – what chance have they got of breaking in when they splash out 30 mill on a single player most transfer windows!
They must be so envious of the guys at arsenal!
chris and evo.. sure is a twat … hints of jealousy perhaps?
anyway who the fuck cares…
Do you guys reckon vela is going to start on saturday? Do you guys think he just wanted to come off so that he could put himself up for contention for a place on sat?
choy for weeks i have been screaming at the tv to bring vela on which he did with 30 mins left teh other day but did very little and i was gutted for the guy, i’d say he will do a theo and blood him slowly
A-T I dont think we can keep Cesc forever because 1) he is a Catalan and playing for Barca is a dream. 2) They will unsettle him every summer as they did with other players. If I was AW I would sell Cesc in 2011 for big bucks not the way he did PV04 and TH14
I would go with the same team that stuffed Mancs. Vela from the bench. Villa are going to pack the midfield with 5 i would want us to match it Cesc, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri and Walcott playing triangles here and there. They’ve got Friedel in goal he seems to make a lot of good saves against us in his blackburn days but it didnt stop him from conceeding a few though especially from Van Persie.
The two world class players in each position is obviously the ideal but unless you have the seemingly unlimited budget of Chelsea and are able to pay players wages that they know they would never get else where: the result being that players will sit on the bench for the best part of the season without complaining, then I am not sure that goal is attainable.
The Arsenal formula is obviously to have one world class player in every position and have a younger, potentially world class player as an understudy. The Adebayor/ Bentner situation high lights this better than any other. Bentner is happy playing second fiddle to Adebayor at the moment because he has faith in the Arsenal system that he will get his chance the theory being that this leads to the harmony of team spirit that Wenger is always emphasising.
Seb pointed out above that when it comes to shaping and moulding players Arsene knows. Seb as you know I don’t think that has been in doubt; the question that seems to me that has always been the main bone of contention on this site is can Wenger turn all that talent into trophies?
Vela will get the treatment now form the Stokes of the world.. he has to be careful but he’s mexican and can take care of himself.. hopefully
credit to Wigan for actually playing football at the Emirates..
Let’s hope we get Chelsea in the next round and we tear them a new Arsehole (stolen from Geoff
) . Then twat face can learn respect..
Chelsea and Respect in the same sentance? Cole?
I agree InsideAl. Cesc loyalty to Arsenal all depends on Wenger. If Wenger leaves Cesc would leave b4 u can say…….
The irony of that Ray Wilkins comment is that Chelsea do have a youth team they beat ours recently; the difference is that they know they will never get a chance to play in the first team where as we know that ours will and they will flourish.
Drogba was in that reserve team, if you mean about three weeks ago London!!
However Cesc is not a greedy cunt and I dont think money would be a motivating factor for him to leave. Its not worth worrying about yet. Arsene’s valuation of him would be in the £30mil plus regions that should put off the likes of Madrid and Barca his only likely destinations.
It was The Special One who said that arsene was looking over the fence and eyeing his neighbour’s wife ( or somethin like that) when Arsene aired his worries over the inflated talent pool of big buck superstars at Chelsea.
Nice to have one from their camp doin the same now to us and we didn’t have to spend billions to get this talent ! what a loser.
CREDIT CRUNCH!!!!!!!
wow the blogs attitude has certainly changed since beating united.
Wilkins has always hated our youth policy. He was covering our Amsterdam tournament games and he wasn’t impressed by any of it.
I think his opinion is valid and makes alot of sense but I think it’s fairly obvious we’re using the competition to gives experience to the youngsters.
We are not robots Col Mustard we have emotions and are desperate to win a trophy
Colnel… if our attitude stayed the same, it wouldn’t be a very interesting read would it?
We report what we feel at the time. Opinions change with games… that’s football and that is pretty much how every blog out there operates.
The core Le Grove value is telling it how it is…
Colonel Mustard
seeing the team play well has a tendency too do that my cluedo character of choice ..
Chelsea do have a very good youth team themselves and looked a class above us in the game we played against them.
With that in mind, the credibilty of Wilkins point is strengthened. After all, Chelsea’s reserves could probably do a similar thing to us and beat a few prem teams.
You wouldn’t read a blog that had the same enthusiasm or negativity regardless of the result would you?
Paulinho I disagree with his point. Its just pure jealousy. Arsene put a good enough team to win the game what is disrespectful about that. We’ve made three semis in a row in the CC and one final. We dont have the biggest first team squad what is wrong with that????
the big issue is although we played 2 good games in a row , we used 2 totally different teams to do it in!
my question is can we beat the easy teams … ?
when we arent playing out of our skins to prove critics wrong !!
the key word here has to be consistency
Avenell
I forget Drogba was playing. But my point is that I bet those chelsea players were jealous as they must have known that they are very unlikely to get the same opportunities as our youth team will get.
Franchise
i don’t know if you can term it jealousy .. but Arsenals youth is definitively better known
than any other batch of young players in the EPL ..
i think its the notoriety issue ! V’s Talent ..
Hes basically saying my batch of players are better but no one knows them !
Franchise
I don’t think it’s jealousy at all. He just has a old-fashioned view of the competition. He was also probably gettng sick of being told how great the Arsenal youngsters were when the Chelsea reserve team beat our reserves a couple of months ago very easily.
Let’s face it, the only players that are going to make it out Wilshere, Ramsay, Vela. The rest will be disband and most will never be heard of again.
Ethan I think the problems have been discussed thoroughly on le-grove over the last 7 days. We find it hard playing when a team stick 10 behind the ball. The first team do anyway. Our most creative CM player is playing too deep cos we do not have the personnel to play a 4-4-2 against these ’10 behind the ball teams’. We need to take more risks, pass faster and crisper. Make the opposing teams work their socks off in the first 20 mins then go for the kill. If u have watched recent games we just pass the ball sluggishly (no pace to our unless theo makes a run) then Sagna and Clichy whip in woeful crosses. Our play was too predictive.
Chelsea have a player called Miroslav Stoch who looked as good as Wilshere in that reserve game. If a youngster gets into the Chelsea, you know they are absolutely top draw.
It’s hard to compare though as our ‘reserves’ are often bought in for big money and have floated around the first team for years. For instance, I count Song and Djorou as first teamers now.
Hello ewveryone.
Just one quick question to You Franchise. You are talking about Xavi Alonso as CDM, and that You would love to see him at Arsenal. I respect Your opinion. But is he someone who can help us. Yest he knows Premier League but is he defensive enough? Is he strong enough. Is he something we do not have?I would go for Cana. Just my humble opinion.
London… i get your point .. but losing 2-3 to a team with one of the best strikers in the world ain’t bad..
If we had of had Bendtner, Walcott, Nasri, Cesc and Denilson playing last night would that in Wilkins eyes shown more respect?
Because the average age would have still been 19.. perhaps 20..
Paulinho. Fabianski will also do it. Trust me!!
chelsea reserves are shit and when they beat us they had Dogba playing in the reserves side so not really young is it?????
paulinho do you support chelsea i don’t think ray’s comments can be justified even if their reserves were better than us…
if your players even knowing they are good enough to beat a premiership team does not get played then are you doing justice with them(this is to reply that chelski reserves are better than us and we beat a premier league team against which their senior team could only get a draw)
Maciak. Maybe Fabianski. I don’t really care about goalkeepers though
I think the biggest skill re-discovery from yesterday’s game was our ability to thread balls forward from midfield – The Incisive Defense Splitting pass . Our first team had lost it somewhere on the way – even Cesc struggling sometimes. The boys were passing as if they had x-ray vision.
What do u expect me to think guys? A team that have scored 9 goals in two CC games and conceded none. Disrespectful?????? If they beat us in the Reserves it could have been as a result of many factors. You cant compare a Reserve Match to a CC game watched by millions in the world. They are not on the same stage. By the way I watched the reserve match there was no Djourou, Ramsey, Song, Vela. The point is the team Arsene put out was good enough to get something out of the game
Changing the subject, just a quick query, is there any Red members here that haven’t received their complementary pack? Still haven’t got mine!!
paulinho it is utter jealousy when we beat sheffield terry opened his mouth that only arsenal does not have good kids we also do…then if you do why don’t you give them a chance????
Maciek I have watched Alonso for 3years in the league. He is IMO a more defensive Cesc he is a very good anchor man, passer of the ball. Cana is an explosive defensive midfielder he wld add smtin to the team but I just think Alonso is the man
Well, You should care about them Paulinho because a top draw keeper can win You many matches. Vide- Seaman, Lehman, Jennings or even Van Der Saar.
It’s nice to see Chelsea putting out strong anti-Arsenal propaganda, they want to give people the idea that Arsenal disrespect the competition. I’m glad they’re doing it because it means that they see us as a major threat. And we are. Only Obi Mikel and Kalou can be classed as “youth” players in their team, so it’s easy to fire a cheap shot.
After seeing the quality of our young team against a battle hardened Premier League side, it’s plain to see that we have the foundations of a winning team.
Something like this has never been done at top level football, the closest thing to it is the Manyoo side with a young Beckham.
The thing that impresses me most is, when I was watching last night it was clearly Arsenal football, virtually indistinguishable from our first team style.
Wenger sees these lads in training every day and we finally got a chance to see how good these youth are when put to the test. This was Wigan’s strongest team. I’m really pleased with the way things have turned out and I am full of confidence that this team will win trophies. This youth academy system will attract the best players in the world, if you’re one of the best players in the world, there is no better team to play for. It’s tough being a gooner, but also great because there are plenty of trials and tribulations, and the best response that Arsenal can give is to be at the bleeding edge of youth development and prove that we create stars, we get the most talented youths and bring it out of them, time and time again.
So far we’re on two wins on the spin…I believe there’s enough talent to win back the lost points and maybe win the title, but even if we don’t, if we play the best football in the league from now until the end of the season, and we still don’t win, next year season we’ll just continue where we left off.
maicek… im with you… alonso would be a luxery, but he’s not really what we need…. we need a tackler and intimidator someone who goes out and gives out hard strong tackles when people like cesc or nasri get clattered like flamini did… letting everyone know straight away ‘if u kick him ill kick you… but twice as fucking hard’… it would soon stop all the bully boy tactics
chelsea are jealous because as mourinho left we have got all the media attention especially our kids….and who will want to put that ray shit wilkins on the paper anyways…who the hell are you just a first team coach..go fuck yourself
Chelsea beat Wigan.
The point is only Jack Wilshere is a player that the youth crowd at Arsenal can feel proud of. Nutured since age nine.
The rest have been cherry-picked at age 16-17 with a view to competing for a first team spot straight away. Alot of those players last night have been in the first team squad this season so it’s not that a big a deal.
I will say as well, the players of Sheffield and Wigan just don’t care about the carling cup. These teams continually get knocked out of this competition by lower league sides like Crewe.
The carlin cup is a competitition. Chelsea want to win it and I admire their first team players wanting to play in it. If they play us, they will beat us and probably win the thing again.
Our attitude towards the competition is a bit rich considering we’ve won f-all in years. And with this team we have we definately won’t win the competition so while the games are very enjoyable for us, I don’t expect people like Wilkins to go weak at the knees over us and shower us with compliments.
sparrow… i didnt get mine but e-mailed em, got a reply!!!!! they said it will be sent out very very soon… some computer fuck up
Rookie, they want to win the carling cup. What’s wrong with that?
It’s nice we give youngsters a chance but they want win the competition. Wenger doesn’t care if we win it, Chelsea do. If it was a youth cup they would use the youngsters.
You dont neccesarily need a Mascherano, Makalele type DM It has never been Arsene’s thing. Viera was a very combative midfielder but not neccessarily a DM So was Petit. Gilberto was just happy to break the play in a very timid fashion. Edu had a sweet left foot and tempo to his game was always looking to go forward (I used to call him perpetual motion) Flamini had the balance and energy to run for thousands of miles a game covering every grass blade on the pitch. Arsene has never signed a Cana like midfield player.
paulinho igan and sheffield pass the chance to win carling cup?????that’s bit odd..because as far as i know that is their only hope of a trophy and ticket to europe…
if all the other players were picked from here and there where did gibbs, hoyte, randhal simpson and lansbury come?????
Paulinho u are not being real here. Can u tell me where we cherry picked Gibbs, Randall, Hoyte, Ogogo from. You are not making sense here like Ray Wilkins didnt.
so paulinho you just said that they have good reserves…so what now they think their reserves are not good enough to win the cup….
Simpson has been at Arsenal since he was 9 too and he was born in Spudland…
At least a couple of our youngsters turned Chelsea down, because they get better chances and football education at Arsenal..
And don’t forget we have more players out on loan!!!!
Armand Traore
Phillipe Senderos
James Dunne
Kerrea Gilbert
Håvard Nordtveit (sort of)
Vincent van den Berg
Nacer Barazite
Wilkins can go fuck himself. I dont think this side can win the competetion but it is not disrespectful to play them. Why are they on our books if we are not going to play them?
Finally, who gives a fuck what Wilkins has to say? it means nothing to me, all it shows -like finest said- is that they see us as competitors.
Just to finish off – Go Fuck your self you TWAT
franchise… with our style of play i think we need a mascherano type more than most… when we go forward it usually includes the 2 strikers, 3/4 midfielders, and the full backs… that only leaves the 2 cb’s and maybe one midfielder… thats not enough to stop a proper counter attack, we dont need another gilberto to sit in front of the back 4 we need another flamini type.. energy combined with tough tackling and aggression
Its not War guys its football. How many ppl can Cana kick into intimidation? What would he do when we have possession kick his own teammates to loose the ball. Would Cana have made Kolo to defend better aginst Stoke by kicking him?????? Name 5 kickers that Arsenal have signed. Actually one. How many ppl do u tthink Flamini intimidated last season???? Opposition players worry about the skillful players rather than kickers. Why sign Cana then we could have got Savage or Tugay for free.
ray wilkins was just trying to get on the news may be because he knew if you want to be in the news just talk against Arsene or Arsenal in the present circumstances…
None I meant ** Arsene has never signed a kicker
A-Tom you are absolutely right. We need one reliable guy to sit in front of the defence so that our more creative players dont have to track back all the time.
Cheers Tom, just mailed them now, slow buggera!
we need someone to protect the skillfull players like flam did… he wasnt a kicker but he was tough and strong in the tackle… he was basically hleb and cesc’s minder… thats what we need again… someone like cana or mascherano players who will run and play but get stuck in when we need them to… alonso isnt that kind of player.
Franchise, Arsenal Tom. Thanks for Your responses. Franchise- for me Cana is the second coming of Vieira. He is just the type of a player who can scare You, who can destroy opposition. When You see our player is tackled behind and harmed You can’t see Gallas protesting and arguing with the referee. Cana can be someone, who can scare and make our team feel respected and untochable. One thing is sure- Denilson is not an option. I would love to see Xavi- but for me he isn’t defensive and hardworking enough. So I will go for Cana, but I respect Your opinion. And I must trust Your judgement on Alonso case.
Fantastic Result. Fantastic Performance.
IMO, and I have been watching the youths and reserves closely for a few years now, the following players have a BIg future at Arsenal…in the very near future.
VELA -No need to explain why, he is world class already
RAMSEY – looks like a mix of Cesc and (dare I say it?) Gerrard. Top notch.
WILSHERE – This kid is gonna be an absolute star, no doubt
MERIDA – Not his best game, but is gonna be world class, huge potential
GIBBS – Looks so comfortable when attacking, and defending is not bad either.
SIMPSON – this guy has too many critics. Look closer and you will see a dedicated, hard working team player, with good control and technique and a thunderous finish
What do you think people?
GUNNERS FOR LIFE!!!!
Franchise- I am not a big fan of Cana, but I think people here labelling him as a kicker is wrong. He is a good DM who usually has a never die attitude which some may interpret as a kicker. He can also score.
Almost forgot about G.Hoyte….he has been growing and developing into a fine defender, and I think he will definately make the grade for the 1st team soon.
Forget Wilkins comments he wa probably being wound up about the lack of youth that has come through the Chelsea ranks and how they don’t give it half as much chance as Arsenal do.
That’s all he was just having a little dig back and the reporters got what they wanted.
Their reserve team played well against us, they were nowhere near a class above, but it was an open game and end to end stuff they could’ve just as easily lost, difference is they’ve got a World Class squad they’ve brought in and many of their youth team are hand picked aswell.
Instead of choosing to give youth a chance they’ve simply invested heavily in the youth system aswell, having the World Class squad in the first place means instead of giving games to the kids they can just wait for the best of the crop to rise above the rest and force his way into the first team.
Players like Miroslav Stoch are just brought in from other clubs, he’s 19 already and hasn’t played a single game for Chelsea’s first team anywhere.
The only players worth bothering about Franchise are Ramsay, Wilshere, and Vela. The rest are going to have a good career hopefully and maybe one of them will make it as understudy here but that will be it.
You’ll see in a couple of years that hardly any of them will be here. Just like Sidwell, Aliadiere, Bentley. It’s the same old cylce again and again again.
Its the referees job to protect the skillful players. I dont remeber Flamini being the stand up guy for Fabregas last season. Flamini was just a part of a well oiled midfield we had. Hleb and rosicky won a lot of tackles last season breaking up plays endlessly without being tough in the tackle. And by the way I wouldnt say Flamini is exactly the tough tackling type he is or was just very good in reading the game and ending threats before they fully developed. Alonso could easily slot in and do that job. That is what he does at L’Pool
I can understand other teams getting irked at the pressure on them to play their youngsters. That’s why people like Wilkins make little snide comments. It’s almost as if Arsenal have set the agenda and the other clubs should follow.
Maybe they want to win the trophy and win thw quadruple How dare they!
Arsenal have based their whole policy around youth for the last five years. If they weren’t beating teams like Wigan in the carling cup I would be worried.
The other difference at Chelsea is if they don’t win a couple of trophies..
Wilkins is down the job Centre or doing the Tango adverts..
I also think Gibbs may be kept for a while to see how he develops & as a possible replacement for Traore.
Unfortunately a few of the players who could be damm good squad players will be let go for the benefit of their careers & we’ll get decent money for some of them.
The problem for those players is that the schooling & skill they have will be wasted when they join the majoritity of dross at other clubs.
Inside I agree with ur point. Like most positions as an anchor midfield player u need to use your head mostly. When ppl go on about how we need to sign tough players to intimidate their opponets it just freaks me out. Mikel plays the anchor role for Chelsea he is not exactly a tough tackling midfield player and he does a very good job IMO
Paulinho – Exactly, that’s all they are snide little comments because Chelsea get such bad press, it’s their own fault really though, the amount of money they spend they should be able to go for the quadruple every season, likewise with their youth setup.
When other teams, who can’t afford to go down the same route as them able to produce the sort of performances our youth team has then you’re bound to get them feeling a little envious.
Another thing I would like too see in Midfield at the moment is a bit more height to counter the Stoke City type teams..
Yaya perhaps? Or Djourou against the more direct teams…
alonso cant do what flamini did… flamini used to run 8miles or km a game or somthing crazy like that… alonso doesnt and wouldnt get near that… alonso to me is just a better denilson.
flamini was top class last year, tracking runs, tackling, hustling all the time, whatever flamini was we need another and thats not alonso… thats my point
RE: WILKINS
A sideway schnidey comment from a sideways overrated ex player.
Maybe Flamini will be back in the summer. He isn’t playing much at AC Milan.
Football is not a Lab Atom. You cant clone players ev1 has their own style. Diaby next Viera??? New Henry bla bla bla. If u’ve watched Pool over the last few seasons then you would understand why Alonso gets me excited. Alonso and Gerrard played mostly together in the middle for Pool in 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons and they conceded the least goals in the league on both occassions. Alonso must have been doing a lot right as he was their anchor man. I believed that we would have been on top of the table if we had him and Cesc in the middle.
Franchise- ok I understand and respect Your view. But at Liverpool he is playing alongside Gerrard, who is a different player than Fabregas. I saw Alonso- Fab partnership at Euro 2008 and I was impressed. But I think it was more down to Senna.
Also add to the fact that he has three years experience in the Premiership? Manchester won the title in 2007 with a Scholes and Carrick midfield partnership for most of the season. Stop over rating the usefulness of a tough tackling midfield player. Balance is the key
franchise… mascherano does all the graft in the middle for them, if he was such a good anchor player then he woudlnt have been for sale… i like alonso as a player and id have him as arsenal but we play so slowly compared to last year and we need someone to set a fast tempo by hustling the opposition and making them play the ball under pressure and fuck up… nobody does that now, and neither does alonso at liverpool, he’d be a great addition but i see him as more of a luxery player for us
eh eh Maciek Would you say Senna is a tough tackling midfielder? Does he run 8km a game like Flamini did last season?
Arsenal Tom
When was Macherano for sale?
I’m with You Arsenal Tom. I like Alonso and he would be a good addition to our squad, but I don’t think he can solve all our problems. I don’t know if Cana can do it, but he impresses me everytime I watch him. He was playing against Pools in the CL and he was just immense and impressive. One more thing. 2 days ago we were talking about Raul Albiol. Can he do a job for us as a midfielder? Do You know Luisao from Benfica- he want to quit them and join bigger club. He is 1.93 m and is playing as a CD.
Or maybe Alonso+ Albiol in january? What do You think?
Up until last January I think London?
Mascherano moved in Jan 2007 before he was there Alonso was the man and when he they signed Masch Gerrard was used mostly as a winger or a 2nd striker. Alonso was up for sale because Benitez wanted a left footed central midfield player Barry to be exact. And if Benitez didnt rate him he would have collected the £10 mil or 13 mil offer Arsene made. As for why we play so slow its a combination of several things.
The Fabregas/Flamini axis was flawed. Flamini wasn’t skillful enough offensively and not strong enough defensively. We were up against Liverpool but couldn’t hold on, we were up against Man U but couldn’t hold on, the list goes on.
Pedro I think he moved in January 2007 window after being on the bench for West Ham
Thanks Pedro
I hadn’t realised that.
I know about the West ham move I just didn’t realise that Liverpool had seriously put him on the market.
And as for Senna- maybe he isn’t a Flamini type of player but- I thought he was everywere on the pitch at Euro 2008. He was jus great. Maybe it’s all dawn to his pitch intelligence. I think, that Veloso is very similar to Flamini. But I don’t want him at Arsenal. But on the other side, he can also play as a defender. But I think, he is overrated and to expensive.
I think Wenger would wait until the summer if he wishes to sign Alonso still. L’Pool wont be too keen to sell in Jan unless they really have finacial problems as reported in the press recently. Apparently, Hicks and Gillette need to raise £350 mill in the next couple of months
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/simpson-the-man-who-made-me-an-arsenal-fan
Adebayoor gave shooting advice to Simpson before the game. good thing he did not listen
Franchise
I accept that Alonso is a realistic posibility but who would your absolute ideal be?
London….He was on loan to Liverpool, until he signed properly last February…
Agree London.
Flamini was extremely flawed. People talk about him giving Fabregas the freedom to bomb on but in the second half of the season Flamini went forward just as much as Fabregas and often vacated the central midfield.
I wanted a new central midfielder even when Flamini was here.
Liverpool didn’t put him on the market… they just didn’t buy him. Kind of like the situation with Tevez. ManU just have him on loan from MSI (MCI… MFI?).
thats a tough one London. If I kep my radar in the premiership then it would be errrrrrrrrrrrrrr either one of Essien, Mascherano or Alonso
Adebayor knows that he can afford giving advice to Simpson. If he did it to Vela he would be laughed out of the dressing room!
“Listen Carlos, when I was your age they called me barn door. Aim for the barn door and who knows, you might score”.
I haven’t read through all the comments (so many) but, I do think that Jay (Simpson) reminds me a bit of Wrighty. I watched him during the pre-season and I thought he looked good then, and I am sure he will continue his progress really well under Wenger’s watchful eye and hopefully 1 for the future. The game itself was very entertaining and so enjoyable to watch the young boys run around cleary enjoying themselves. I do like Kieran Gibbs and agree he’s like a young Ashley; as for Vela (brilliant) Ramsey a big big star -sonner than later-Witshire well, everyone else (media) have already said it, Mark Randall-again talent, so much hope for the future. I spotted Ade/Cesc/Toure and Keown enjoyung the game with big smiles on their faces, giving each other ‘high fives’ when Vela scored. Now looking forward to Saturday v Aston Villa.
I think the key to last seasons ‘Midfield Success’ was balance. Hleb, Rosicky, Fabregas complimented each other. If I remember correctly sometimes we over elaborated our play and I used to scream shoot at the screen
Anyone see Jacks early challenge on valencia? Sent him flying! He has the strength to tackle or with hold plays whilst in possesion. It would be nice to see him introduced into a prem game where its tight, he can produce the chances.
Immense match to watch last night.
Merida had a good but quiet game, he rarely lost the ball, also was one of the main midfielders linking up the play last night.
I’ve found today people are slightly doubting his ability.
Same with song made many important interception and good distribution.
London Mascherano would be my guy
Or Kompany from Man. City as CDM.Or re-sign Diarra( don’t hit me-ehehhe).
Offensive midfield Franchise: when any two of those three were playing we were in for a treat, when all three were playing the opposision wouldn’t even touch the ball.
Merida lacks running power and physical presence but he has a left foot like a wand.
He epitomises the saying ‘letting the ball do the work’.
I think there is niche for him in our squad. We don’t have a left-footed midfielder who is steady and keeps his position. Out of the ‘big three’, I think he has the biggest chance to make it.
Song was more solid than Djourou last night, how on earth Djourou deserved an 8 I’ll never know! Both had dodgy moments, Djourou gave away what should have been a penalty with a ludicrous hand ball too, and Song was slightly superior last night but neither were exceptional. Other than that I agree with all the ratings.
As said last night though, Simpson won’t make it, he just doesn’t have the intelligence or decision making unfortunately, just like Agbonlahor won’t ever make it at a top 4 club, though we’ll still enjoy his goals in the league cup this season, and hopefully get a few mil when we sell up! Randall likewise though for his attitude rather than intelligence, he has alot of talent but he’ll be off in the summer and lets hope we can get some money for him as well!
Paulinho agree completely regarding Flamini, he was never a long term solution, but there isn’t really anyone available at the moment who would do the job. Mascherano would be brilliant but obviously we’d never be able to get him. Yaya maybe but he also likes to get forward, though in my opinion he is the only available possiblity, and that’s only a possibly available. Senna is not available in the slightest even though he’d be fantastic. Denilson is very good though and doing a brilliant job at the moment, it’s just the overal physicality of our midfield as a whole we lack, and the DM would be the obvious place to stick in some power
Maciek Kompany is nowhere near good enough on the ball, he’s essentially a defender playing as a DM. Diarra is a complete turd and we’re better off without him, he’s too much of a dick.
Paulinho are you saying merida has more of a chance of making it than Wilshere and Ramsey?! Those two are miles ahead of him, they’re on the verge of the first team now, it’s more or less a foregone conclusion they’re making it. Merida is a bit iffy, he has incredible talent, but hasn’t quite developed as we would have hoped. He still could make it, possibly as a replacement or back up for Cesc, as he does a much better job centrally. He seems to be lacking confidence to a certain extent, doesn’t get involved as much. Wilshere and Ramsey are just another level, and don’t have to mention Vela seeing as he’s already an established Mexico international
A… JD got an assist and kept a clean sheet. I thought he was solid.
If Paulinho has gone for lunch or something I will say it for him “Outside the top three” they being Ramsey, Wilshire and Vela.
A, I said outside of the ‘big three’ he has the best chance. The big three is Ramsay, Wilshere, Vela.
Thanks A.
Franchise- I will repeat my question- what do You think of Albiol as a CDM. What do You guys think of Luisao from Benfica. He is 1.93 m and he is a CD- he would be good. Maybe Mertesacker from Werder. I stil think we do need CD+CDM. Just my thought.
well done london
He was solid, but he had nervy moments, and should have given away a penalty with a really stupid handball, and made a few mistakes. Yeah he did get an assist, but I’d say he was on par with Song overall, only because of his assist as defensively song was superior, and both of them were only good, not exceptional, like so many others!
Ah i read it as out of the top three, not outside the top three, apologies. In that case, Fabianski apart I’d agree
I actually said out of the big three. My bad
I don’t rate Albiol as a DM, again because of his ability on the ball, but he’d be a decent centre back. Bringing in defenders from countries like portugal is very dodgy, as the style of football is very different. Mertesacker would be good but I think Wenger said he wasn’t available, as with all the decent centre backs at the moment. Arsenal can’t really play with a CD+CDM because in general, most CD aren’t as good on the ball, and even players who in most teams are seen as good on the ball, like Gilberto, was borderline whether good enough on the ball to play for us with our unique style of play.
A… do you watch a lot of European football?
Hola,
this may be old news to some, but I never realised we sniffed after Messi a few years ago?
“Spanish scout – Francis Cagigao
Cagigao is a former youth player at Arsenal and Barcelona but while he never quite made it as a first-teamer he has become a valuable asset as a scout. Cagigao is the man who identified Cesc Fabregas as a player worth chasing and he recommended Lionel Messi to Arsenal with work permit issues preventing a move for the Argentine at the time. “
ah ok, i wasn’t being smug in writing that’s what i read it as, i hadn’t re-read it just assumed i’d read it wrong, but either way, get what you mean now, and I agree fab apart. Merida does have so much talent, but really hasn’t developed over the last year or two. Compare him to other players who also starred in the last youth world cup, Bojan, and Kroos, both are at a much higher level now whereas Merida has stood pretty still unfortunately
A-thank You very much! What do You think about D. Wheater from Boro?
Yeah a fair bit Pedro, why?
Pierre we kinda tried to steal Messi when we got Cesc, but other than those work permit issues stated Messi and his family decided to stay at Barca. If it was just work permit issues we would have done what we did with Vela. Just imagine how good we’d be with Messi though, crazy. He’s so much better than any other player in the world at the moment
Nah Wheater has the height and aerial ability, but other than that he’s very very average. He’ll never be good enough to be a top 4 or international player. I’d love for us to put in a big(ish) money bid for Lucio, he’s one player who I really think would make a massive difference
Maciek I dont know too much about Albiol as for the Benfica guy only seen him once I think….
A, isn’t Lucio a “past it” player. Or Richard Dunne. Yes, he is playing badly at the moment, but it’s due to a new style and maybe partly because of Hughes. It’s a shame that Woodgate end up at spurs. He would be great for us.
Thanks Franchise.
A you are a bit full of yourself aren’t you.having an opinion is one thing and we will all have different opinions on certain players,but unless i read you wrong you seem to be a bit of a guru on here.Simpson has been at the club 9 years and considering everything,playing in front of 60000 people and a live t.v. audience i thought he had a good game,and as skandi said he reminds me of wrighty,who came to the fore in his mid twenties.Will Bedntner make it,you or i don’t know,personally one could argue either way,though i will reserve my judgement.
Intelligence what do you mean by that.?
I don’t disagree with some of your comments,it’s just the way you express them.
Lucio is only 30, I wouldn’t say he’s past it! Dunne is good, and that’s when he’s at his best, but even then not amazing, and I don’t think it’s City’s style of play that is resulting in Dunne’s lack of form, he’s had personal problems at times throughout his career that have made him go in and out of form.
Watching last night’s match again, Wilshere’s pass really was incredible, and it actually was meant for Simpson, rather than Vela.
how on earth am i full of myself by offering an opinion?! Wrighty, how ever much I love him, wouldn’t be signed by Arsenal now, he wouldn’t be good enough. The premier league has moved on, it used to be below the spanish and italian leagues, now it’s the best league in the world and has the best players in the world. The likes of wrighty and andy cole wouldn’t be signed by or make it at teams right at the top anymore.
Bendtner already has made it. Footballing intelligence is reading of the game, decision making, composure, ability to see a pass.
I apologise for the way in which I express my opinions, I don’t mean to come across as arrogant, I certainly don’t think of myself or my opinions as “better” than anyone elses, I just think and express myself in a black and white bullet point type way, no offence meant
And finally A- what do You think about- Lorik Cana as a CDM. I really rate him and I would love to see him wearing a red and white shirt.
The problems we are currently having would be somewhat irrelevant and cause less panic if Arsene has picked a consistent 11, not played players out of position and not made those horrendous subs against spuds. I wouldnt worry too much about our defence if he picks in form players of which Toure is not one. In the middle I would play 5 in a 4-5-1 or play a 4-4-1-1 with a striker in the hole. Thats the only way we can get the best out of Cesc, Diaby, Ramsey and Denilson at the mo
Only watched him in a few matches Maciek, and he’s looked useful but not blown me away, but I havn’t really seen enough of him to make a valid judgement
The argument over Bendtner and Simpson last night ended in both players getting slagged off, which is a shame after the last two perfomances!!!
We had one of our best nights football ever, and if anyone read some of the comments on here last night it was as if we had of lost a major final… Shame..
Franchise where would Ramsey fit in in those formations? However brilliant he is, and however much talent he has I can’t see him playing regularly for the first team just yet, don’t see how Arsene would fit him in
of course BUTCH said chelsea wan’t to win the cc-they have to justify their outlay of near on 400 million quid spent to win everything in site-considering there dozens of trophies behind THE ARSENAL historically- they’ll try and buy everthing they can lay their grubby hands on in order to say they have a history-nuff said
If Wrighty played in front of a decent midfield like last years and hopefully this years he would score 35 goals in a season..
Go back and look at some of his goals he was f**cking magic!!
Writing off any 19-20 year old player seems a bit ridiculous to me… Flamini was written off when he was 23 and look what happened. Freddie was terrible until he hit 24…
Plenty of players peak late in their careers… just as kids peak at different ages at school.
Anyone who plays an instrument will understand… you struggle and struggle to understand what you are doing, then suddenly it all clicks!
A great example of a late peaker… Luca Toni… who was he up until a couple of years ago?
A struggling no one… then everything clicked and now he is one of the most feared strikers in the world.
King gooner- chelsea will alwayes be behind Arsenal, because they are just a mediocre club. No matter how muach they will spend, and how many they will win, they will always be considered as a “just chelsea”. You can’t buy hiostory. And football didn’t start in 2003 whe Abramovitch arrived.
He was absolute magic, I loved him to bits! It does feel like blasphemy to say it but football has moved on, players who are just goalscorers like wrighty was don’t play at the same level now. It’s happened subtlely but the prem is so much better than it used to be. Wrighty was one of the best strikers in the prem, yet wasn’t even an england regular, nowadays england’s best players are only as good as alot of other players in the prem.
Didier Drogba…
A… Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard would be world class in any league in the world.
The same with Ashley cole and Rio Ferdinand.
pedro we signed freddie at 21, and he scored against utd almost immediately! Flamini did a job, albeit a very good one, but was never a long term solution for our central midfield, Wenger even said he wouldn’t have got a run in the team last season if Diaby and Denilson weren’t injured when Gilberto was unavailable. Simpson could become a good or even very good premiership player, but he is just left completely and utterly lacking when it comes to intelligence, and arsenal under wenger are a football team where you simply cannot play regularly without it. Adebayor has loads more than simpson but is still borderline, and that’s why Wenger tried to offload him in the summer if he could find someone who’d pay silly money.
I’d love to be proved wrong, but I don’t think Simpson will ever play a single minute in the first team in a real competition. We currently have five strikers at a level Simpson will be very unlikely to ever get to, in VP, Ade, Vela, Eduardo, Bendtner, and theo will eventually be a forward too.
A in response to ur last comment addressed to me I would play any of those 3 in the middle and be happy with it thats where Ramsey fits in. I think Ramsey is ready to play Prem football.
skandi – i am with you on Simpson, i see a bit of Ian Wright in him, and he could just turn out to be a fine good old fasioned centre forward.
As for ‘Ray ‘Butch’ Wilkins, I always thought Butch meant a big chunky man with muscles, not some old has been trying to still squeeze into his latest shell suit!! he is such a numpty…..
I know when we signed him, but his best form wasn’t until the 2001 season.
I don’t think Wenger tried to offload Ade in the summer… I just think he had a £35million price tag in his head because A) he wouldn’t get that fee B) If he did, he could sign anyone in the world to replace him.
Football intelligence can be learnt… Adebayor was one of the worst strikers I’d ever seen don an Arsenal shirt when he signed… only now is he starting to understand how to play.
I’m not saying Simpson will be a world beater… just not to write him off yet.
Ok. Thanks for all Your responses guys. Till tomorrow.
That is true pedro, Lampard apart because I don’t rate him, the other three though, Rooney and Joe Cole too. The equivalent of wrighty in terms of modern day England and the Premiership though is Defoe, he’ll always score goals in the premiership, and borderline england, but the teams at the top have so much money now that they won’t settle for anything under the top strikers in europe, and wrighty was brilliant but wouldn’t make the grade in the modern day IMO
It used to be the case that the top teams, Arsenal and Utd had English strikers, we had wrighty, kevin campbell, alan smith etc, Utd had sheringham, andy cole. Those sorts of standard players are now the crouches and defoes of this world, they’d be very hard pushed to get signed or get in the teams of the top 4, with players like torres, drogba, vp, berbatov, tevez. If in the past the top prem teams had had the money to attract the likes of brazilian ronaldo, del piero etc, andy cole and wrighty wouldn’t have got a look in
… and if it was a question of Nik or Simpson… at the moment, it would be Nik. He is older and has a lot more to offer in terms of team play etc…
rico… he’s uncle fester
franchise who would you drop from midfield though to fit in ramsey? Denilson has to play as he’s our only midfielder with any sort of defensive inclination. Theo right, Nasri left, cesc and diaby central attacking, who would he come in for? I desperately want him in the team too, but just don’t see how he could fit in.
later maciek
A – You have got to be pretty intelliegent to be in the right place to score, he got two good goals, hit the bar – he is a striker, he did a really good job last night, as did they all, and the Wigan defence are not that bad, and Kirkland, well he was on fire, so, we beat him three times, he must have something
Since Simpson(19) was the only change in for Bendtner(20), shouldnt the team have been younger. Last night on sky they said the team was just a little older than against Sheff Utd. Was there more than one change that i didnt recognise or was it sky hetting something else wrong?
Tom, I just checked a few pictures, as i couldnt recall fester, you are spot on
Please don’t tell me Wrighty wouldn’t fit into todays game,
and he played in front of Steven Hughes, Morrow, Jenson check out his Vela esq goals..
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4p6MC3Rk_s
Pedro how much older is Nik to Simpson.
I thought they were both 19
The dark side has returned….AND HOW CAN YOU GIVE SONG A 7???
He should have got a 9!!! hahaha….
Seriously tho…that last sliding tackle in the 91st minute kept our clean sheet in-tact….he was solid!
i wouldn’t say that rico, the only way as a forward you could have not been in the right place for the second goal is if you were picking daisies, I would have scored that! the first goal was very nice though. He is a good forward, and will be a good forward in the premiership, but to play in a top team you need more than that now. He has great power, pace, and good technique. Very powerful shot too, so he’ll be a good forward, but not “arsenal good” unfortunately, he’ll never be good enough to challenge our current 5 (6 if you include theo) forwards.
just seen fabianskis save again, so depressing he decided to pull off save of the season and cost me £70
A… goal scorers get games. I think Wrighty would be knocking on the door of top 4 teams for definite.
The game has moved on… and in this Era… so would Wrighty’s skill set.
Pedro – Nik and Simpson would work well, both so different, and Nik does like to do a lot of work on and off the ball –
1 year Avenell… but Nik has an extra year at a championship club and a year on the fringes of the first team.
A its just discipline and teamwork. Ramsey has shown enough ability to convince me that he can play anywhere in midfield. Wenger actually said it when we signed him. If we press teams when we not in possession like we did a lot last season we would be fine. I think. I think Diaby can anchor the midfield. Quite risky cos he loves to dribble and if he looses possession often in our own half then we would get punished for it
hahaha…im glad to see you Gooners are carrying on in the Simpson V Bentner debate…
Hit the bar..and scored 2 goals against an On Fire keeper….I’ll shit you a mud pile…if Bentner gets anywhere CLOSE TO THAT!
A- you say nicci has made it.made what.he plays for his country so does senderos.in my eyes he hasn’t made it at arsenal yet,he is a moody sod,but who knows he is only 20.don’t be too quick to discount players.nicci might make it,but i bet you by the summer either he or ade will be off.
pedro none of the top 4 have goalscorers as such, neither do the top spanish teams. in italy they still do have some though. we’ll see, its silly debating the future, i think simpson will be sold without stepping foot on the sacred imirates turf in a proper game, I might be wrong though
Goal scorers win games too, and Wrighty had a lot more to his game then some used to credit him with, pace, skill, great first touch and knew where the goal was… mme, reminds of some up and coming forward we have in our youth side…..
So A in your estimate…Bentner is “Arsenal Good” and Simpson is not???
Im back!!! Please believe…all you haters that were ganging up on me last night…because i was speaking the truth about Bentner and his pathetic-ism…
THE DIFFERENCE IS SIMPSON WAS “THERE” and SCORED!
BENTNER WAS “THERE” for UNITED GAME AND DID NOT SCORE!
THAT 7 yard Header outwide..My old granny couldve scored that!
Afternoon David – now you got to be nice today, unlike last night, i am with you on Simpson, and not 100% convinced on Nik, BUT we must remember how young is still is, and the fact he is still not being given a good run in the side, so you be nice about Nik, even if its only out of respect of others views
Bendtner has made it in the sense that he’s the star of his country, and he’s a regular in the arsenal squad. I agree he hasn’t made it yet in terms of getting anywhere near to fulfilling his potential, but the fact that he’s trusted in starting games for us shows that he’s made it to a certain extent. Though I’d consider Senderos to have made it too, he just went off the rails and made a few mistakes though, everyone has blips!
I agree that either he or ade could well go in the summer, though I also wonder where eduardo will fit in when he returns if vela continues his development in the same way.
Guys two days is too much for a lame debate
Pedro.. Your response to me at 3.17 mate, was a response to ?
Senderos and Nik do play for their countries and Phil is the Swiss captain(i think) or at least stand-by captain. People have grown to dislike Phil at club level because he makes mistakes. IMO his mistakes are down to lack on belief in him by others and no run in the side. He is highly rated in Switzerland but not at club level. Its all about confidence for him.
Bendtner, as we all know, is anything but lacking in confidence but despite his age he does well. He has been plaing for the team for his last few games. Sacrificing his own game for the better of the team and thats admirable, especially for a young striker.
David, it’s not very constructive to just call a player pathetic because he missed a header… against the European Champions/Premier league winners.
How about the Ronaldo and Rooney misses… does that make them pathetic?
You’ll eat your words on Nik, I assure you.
The age gap between Simpson and Nik, Avenell.
A – If Nik gets stronger, and starts to get himself a few goals, do you think he would be allowed to leave. I really hope he gets a run, gets a chance to show how good everyone (almost
) thinks he is – I think this season is a massive year for al
A
Oh mate, looks like I’ve picked a great time to be back!
Pedro…I hope so my friend…I hope so…I hope i do eat my words…
But Bentner is a consistent misfire….he’s like Ade on crack…i do hope i am wrong…for our-sakes in the next game!
U really feel Bentner can get a hatrick? Simpson was close to it! Just one shot off the bar close…u know in your heart im speaking the truth!
The header miss was also too high for him, the only way in which bendtner could have scored it would have been to magically grow an extra two inches instantly!!
I agree on all of that Stu, though it’s only at arsenal and in england Senderos isn’t rated, throughout Europe he’s still rated very highly at club level, which is why Milan came in for him!
playing as a front man on your own against Man U, and playing in a front 2 against Wigan is like chalk and cheese.
Bendtner had an amazing game on Saturday. He caused the Man U defence all sorts of problems, and he won long balls in the air against the best defence in the Prem.
He got himself into great positions, and he had great chances. You have to be in it to win it, and Bendtner was.
Simpson, was amazing last night, and as I have mentioned, the first goal he scored was sublime. He has not chance or getting infront of the 2 Wigan defenders, but he did, and not only that took his chance. That was amazing.
So both of them are great. Lots of potential, but they cant stop and take stock, they need to keep improving, and learning to really make it.
Woops – dont know what happened there….
year for all our strikers – barr Vela and Dudu, as they are not regulars at the moment, but Nik RvP and Ade need goals, otherwise they are not doing the job they get paid for – imho
Sorry Pedro I didn’t know I asked..
I was sticking up for both last night, As I have today..
Yeah everyone DAVID IS RIGHT HE HAS NEVER BE WRONG lets move on pleaaaaaase
David, I know that I am right on Bendtner… and I’ve seen a lot of great strikers over the years.
Nik is going to be very good. He has a great touch, he is selfless and when his confidence is up… he will score for fun. I think he is our record reserve team scorer… so we know he has it within him.
It will come… he is just a bit low at the moment but like Stu said, he is sacrificing his game for the team and if he is not doing that, he is playing with Ade.
that header it all came down to technique he was “there” and misjudged the speed at which the ball was coming and was way too slow in coming up to head it right…he was there..i mean nasri put the ball right on his head…and HE MISSED!
Ok Rico…i hear you bro…i’ll play nice today…
Who to win tonight then Spuds or Dippers ???
I absolutely hate both!!
i agree rico, i’d love for bendtner to step it up the next few games and ade to struggle to get back in the side when hes fit again, then we can get rid of ade in the summer. I do worry about how well bendtner gets on with the rest of the team still though, the way cesc and nasri were throwing their arms in the air at the end when he was choosing to shoot, though i’m sure it was mainly down to exhaustion!
David… Andy Gray loves to stick the knife into Arsenal at every opp… and even he said it was height.
Unless you are talking about jumping technique?
im torn as to whether i want spuds to win, then we can put them in their place, or whether i’d rather not playy them, as them chelsea apart, i think they’d put up more of a fight against our kids than anyone
Does the squad still “dis-like” Bendtner following his “argument” with Ade? Didint Ade throw the headbutt?…so why do they favour the thug?
David I wasn’t part of the simpson.bedntner debate last night,as i was focusing on the players who played last night,just to make that clear.I am argueing that one cannot categorically state that either of them will make it at arsenal.what is make it i asked.well the answer as a striker is to consistently score goals season after season.
i was one who advocated the selling of ade but wenger/the board gave in and gave him about 150% increase in wages and now we have a no win solution with him.loyalty,he like others doesn’t know what the word means,he is only interested in himself and his comments after one season comparing himself to TH took the biscuit. I personally don’t like him,never will because of his antics in the summer,but that’s just my own opinion.
Gibbs was Marcelo class going forward, but he was just as bad as I would be in defence ^^
Im sick of hearing this “playing on your own against united”
The boy dropped deep to join the midfield way too many times…even the announcers started complaining that he need to stay up from so people can find him the ball…what you have to realize is my argument is that Bentner is wasteful both infront of goal…and when he has the ball at his feet he gives it away uselessly…I dnt see that much in him except for the fact that he has a vision for a great pass…and while i agree that is important…he needs to stop giving away the ball cheaply and become a danger to the opposition and not to us!
I hear you Pedro…I’ll play nice and give him time…i do feel honestly that Simpson has shown me more character as a forward than Bentner ever did…In ONE GAME!
A – i saw his i/v on AFC.com a whil back, he comes across as a bit of a loner, says he doesnt watch any footie when he is away from training etc etc, which is strange. I sometimes wonder if it goes back to that Ade thing.. But Ade is another one, he is so far up himself its crazy, he doesnt seem to join in when others score etc –
Against Manure, everyone was celebrating – like it used to be, and the same last night – something is not quite right i fear
A – i saw his i/v on AFC.com a whil back, he comes across as a bit of a loner, says he doesnt watch any footie when he is away from training etc etc, which is strange. I sometimes wonder if it goes back to that Ade thing.. But Ade is another one, he is so far up himself its crazy, he doesnt seem to join in when others score etc –
Against Manure, everyone was celebrating – like it used to be, and the same last night – something is not quite right i feel
it wasn’t just that argument, there was previous between them, bendtner was always saying ade is shit and he should be starting ahead of him, though they did seem to sort things out between them towards the end of the season, when either of them scored the other hugged him etc whereas before when bend scored everyone else just turned away. Bendtner is known to be incredibly arrogant though
“A” – that is quite a summary dismissal of someone lacking football intelligence at the age of 19 and it’s an interesting viewpoint you have there.
If it was someone ten years older then I would say that it’s too late to instill any footballing intelligence.
Stu – I dont think the players dis-like Bendtner.
He seems popular, and I am sure a lot of the younger players look up to him – not just height!!!
i think my computer is on the blink, oh no!!
david are you trying to say that simpson is better than bendtner?
i think arsen is the best judge of that,thats why we are here writing on a blog and he’s the manger.
of course bendtner is the better player.
David, how did you think Bendtner did against Sheffield United when he made 2 goals and scored 2 goals?
Was that poor?
kelsey….Adebayor is our top scorer…and while i agree with you that we shouldve sold him 200 times over when teams where offering 35million…there’s nothing we can do bout it and stick with him to score…if he gets anywhere close to where he was last season…we should have a great year…so no more gloom and doom talk from me….
I think we should give Simpson a try!
Is Bendtner the new Song or is Simpson the new Eboue? Why slate players that have both been involved in two back 2 back victories. where is the sense in comparing a player that has started a few games and another that started his first? there is no point arguing. I though Reyes would outlive Song in an Arsenal shirt. It didnt happen
rico i think we agree with one another.would you care for a chocolate biscuit with your tea
i dunno chary, footballing intelligence is something that can be developed to an extent, but in my opinion a massive amount of it is innate, and you either have it or you don’t. There has to be a general understanding to build on, and it’s just lacking from what I’ve seen from simpson. If it was just last night then I’d say it would be something that could be to do with the step up, but he looks below average in terms of intelligence in the reserves, and I think that’s just too low a starting point.
Then again ade has developed to become better than i would ever have thought was possible so you never know
They both have bags of potential, and have different strengths and weaknesses. Lets just leave it at that and move to a different subject. Any ideas??
mark c thats a very good point!
I rate Simpson more than I rate Bentner…i dont have to be right or wrong about it…its just my opinion based on what ive seen since last season…
Honestly…im having a hard time forgiving him for that monumental cock-up stopping that goal against liverpool in the champions league last season…ive never seen anything like that before…thats really whey i dnt rate him.
Why is there such a big debate between our 4th and 6th strikers in the pecking order?
i can tell you that in reserves simpson runs around like a headless chicken from what i have seen,
also in reserve’s i think rui fonte has been better than jay but who does wenger choose?
at the end of the day arsen is a better judge than us.
Seen Wenger’s comments regarding Rosicky? Appears the operation story isn’t a set back, it’s a good thing. He said he expects him back playing in 6-8 weeks, that’s ahead of schedule
Hi Rico – I don’t see anything wrong with a footballer not wanting to watch any when he’#s not training or playing. You have to have “downtime” from your main work activity to keep you fresh so that when you come back to it you can see things afresh. This prevents you getting stale and blasé about your knowledge and awareness of the game. Of course as people are different this approach may not work for everyone, some choose to immerse themselves in their work every waking minute and it’s equally valid for such an individual.
To be honest I don’t care what our players do in their free time or if they have slightly anti social characteristics as long as they bust a gut for the team when they’re on the pitch.
Personally I can sympathise with being a bit of a loner and not fitting in, we tend to castigate outsiders for no reason at times.
Plus I think you’re harsh on Nik because you have a personal dislike of him
(in the way I had for Denilson a few weeks back).
a it pains me to say it,
but i think this could be the end of thomas playing days at arsenal.
even if he does get fit,can we really see him getting back to his best?
i hope he can.
There is always the chance that Jay is too good for the reserves and therefore performs better in bigger games(ie the 1st team).
Mascherano was pathetically hopeless for WHU and is now one of Pools better players and now the Argentina captain. Its a small chance but stranger things have happened like!
FHM Reporter: What do you like to do with your spare time.
Nik B: Drink beer and shag birds.
A man after my own heart. I’d be his friend if I was an Arsenal player.
Rosisky just had surgery again?
i agree no.1, but I would put wenger’s choice of simpson rather than fonte down to their differing physicality. With Vela being our other forward Fonte couldn’t really have partnered him with how small and relatively weak our strikeforce would have been. Simpson is much stronger and more powerful, so much better foil for Vela. Fonte has actually outscored Simpson in the reserves this year, and he also drops deep alot linking play. I’m not sure he’ll ever make it either though, he has the technical ability, and intelligence, but just is a bit slow and small. If you could combine simpson’s physical attributes with Fonte’s mental ones you’d have one hell of a player!!
Pedro – he would be good laugh on a night out; let’s hear it for the free danish spirit !
well said A!
no no.1! rosicky is still one of the best attacking midfielders in europe, and he’ll be back to his best, or even better, like robocop
stu at westham they hardly gave him a game,
and also he had a adaptation period at west ham.
where by at liverpool he knew the demands and what it was like to live in england.
so he was more mentally perpaired for it.
i still think nikki need’s a proper run of games to be judged,also he is only 20 so he has time on his hands.
kelsey – yes please, chocolate coated hobnobs
Afternoon chary, please dont think i hate little Nik
i was a strange i/v though, he seemed totally disinterested in answering any of the questions, he just didnt come across happy, but i promise i am not holding that against him 
David… it was all planned… they took away scar tissue
I thought Fonte was only on loan with us, from Sporting or Some Portugese team?
And whatever happened with Lupoli? He looked to have real potential. Now he is on loan at Norwich from Fiorentina!! Whats going on there!! WIERD!
A lol,
I hope your right!
I am slightly worried about the up and down effect of Arsenal this season….i hope we can get some consistency….we are on a high right now…and even tho Villa are not a shite team…they are on a loosing streak at the moment and would be hungry for some points….and Nikki B…is leading our attack…
*heavy sigh*
chary/pedro – i take the hint !
Damn straight Chary!
He’d be buying the beers though…
I tried to look up what this surgery Thomas had yeterday routine collective surgery or something.
All I could find was a lot of people who have replacement knee joints have it done, it helps to knit the tendons and muscle tissue to the bone.
And it relives soreness around the joint,
I don’t think this is a major setback for Thomas who should come back stronger than he ever was!! I hope..
regarding all of these youth and reserve players, I believe we have too many.
this means that some players in the U16 or U18 might swap, and play in both teams and even the reserves.
We have a group of 17 – 21′s who need to be seen as reserves, not for the Prem team, but for the reserve league.
There is Fonte
Simpson
Barazite
Freeman
Sunu
Murphy
All of these players are under 21, strikers, and part of the reserves, some of them will have to go.
J Sanderson is the man to talk to about the reserve and youth players….
No1 Goon….Bit harsh on Jay there….if Simpson ran around like a headless chicken, he wouldnt be anywhere near the reserves, or in the CC team. He is a team player, a good finisher and, as you saw with Vela, can link well with others. Both of his goals were very well taken yesterday and the fact is that he makes good runs and will only get better with experience. Jay Simpson will develop into a 1st team, quality striker at Arsenal. Mark my words! I have seen him play many games over the last 3 years and he gets better and better…and will continue to do so.
Better than Nikki B? Debatable….but I think he will be.
SSN had an interview with Brady but i missed it. Any1 see it?
Stu – re Lupoli, he was in the same age group team as Bendtner.
He did not fulfil his potential.
Between them, they were scoring 2 goals a game, so they were a great partnership, but Lupoli, did not progress as well, and as quickly as Bendtner, who is 3rd choice striker at AFC, and an international Striker.
Hey rico – what do you do in your spare time –
Pop to Homebase for chicken wire !!!! Surely not a womans job!!
catch you all later
mark c sunu murphy and freeman are still youth players, simpson and fonte are the reserve strikeforce, though murphy and sunu have come on a few times recently. Barazite is on loan at Derby so isn’t an issue for the time being, though I think maybe just till january, but probably be extended till the end of the season. freeman, sunu, and barazite also play on the wing a fair bit
Laters Rico… I like chickens.
It comes back to the nationality debate. English vs Danish. Both countries have different attitudes to football and thus the players have different attitudes to how they believe they should play etc.
Apart from that they are different in other ways too. Simpson is a willing runner, a neat finisher and hassler, whereas Nik prefers the ball at his feet and likes to be involved with play. So its impossible to compare the two where their games are totally different. The only reason Nik might make it at Arsenal and Simpson might not is down to the manager and the players he likes. Bendtner is more in the mould of a Wenger type player imo.
Arsene knows eh?
Whatever makes you happy Steaky.
It’s ok Rico – you’re allowed not to like Nik, it’s a free country !
well said stu. The only time Wenger has bought a Simpson type player is Wiltord, and he was an established French international. I think Simpson could play in the prem, he could score a lot of goals in the prem, but doesn’t resemble the type of player Wenger has ever brought in.
Wiltord was certainly an odd signing… he was extremely prolific in France? What happened in England! Also quite awkward on the ball… now he can’t get a club!
haha!
He was underrated for us though, he did a good job, willing runner etc, and scored important goals, Utd comes to mind!
So….Simpson ir Bendtner?
Simpson definately gets my vote!
Wiltord 176 (49)
Not bad… but not great for the dough.
If simpson turns out to be a Wiltord…i hope he plays first team football then…that boy did like to score against the Mancs!
Simpson done well in our double year!!
Pedro, how old is Wiltord now?
When he left AFC he went to Lyon, and he won the title there for a couple of years.
He was good competition for Freddie.
He was expensive, but he did a good job for us.
Perhaps Simpson could play on the wing for us, we are short of bodies there at the moment, just Nasri and Walcott.
Pedro 34 he must be past his best
i posted this yesterday.
On Tuesday afternoon, Arsenal Football Club released the following statement:
“Tomas Rosicky yesterday underwent routine revision surgery in Germany. The operation went as planned and Tomas will now spend at least a few weeks convalescing in Germany. Thereafter he will follow a tailored rehabilitation progamme devised by our medical team.”
Everyone at Arsenal Football Club would like to wish Tomas the best of luck with his recovery.
he had an op in london,then two further ops in his home land,then a third specialist was brought in when he returned to london,and now the above.he was born with an abnormality in one are of his thigh which wasn,t apparent until the first major injury,so things i am afraid do not look good for a player i greatly admire and is nearly 28.
very funny article
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/arsenal/3446832/Arsenal-Premier-League-XI-v-Arsenal-Carling-Cup-XI-is-too-close-to-call-Football.html
I thought Simpson was originally a winger? He definitely played for Millwall out wide…
A goal scoring winger…. that would be nice!
Anyone hear how Ben Arfa is doing?
Wenger on Simpson:
“Jay had a great pre-season with me,” revealed Wenger. “But when the season started he didn’t play because of the competition we had with the strikers. We had Vela, Bendtner, Van Persie and Adebayor and he didn’t get games.
“But he showed against Wigan he has character, he is physically strong, and he was player of the year when he went out on loan to Millwall so he has shown he is a good player.”
Oh that Simpson, I thought you mean’t his dad Peter!!
Or was it Bart?
pedro… your right he played right wing for millwall and scored 10 goals i think… he rant he channels very well last night and is a strong lad for his age
41 games, 6 goals for millwall on wiki…
kelsey where did you hear he was born with an abnormality? All i’ve read is that he got a freak injury because he got a kick right in between the tendon and the bone, which resulted in the tendon detaching itself and that wasn’t discovered till the injury, and put right. Wenger said today the operation removed lots of scar tissue, and now everything is fine, gonne be playing in 6-8 weeks….
a couple of pointers…
not a bad game yesterday but not fantastic either..
1. Randall will never make it at Arsenal and should be let go..he actually are a walking disaster waiting to happen,ruined our frst half,slightly better in the second..
2.Djourou does not have a mind for the game and will never be good enough.
3. Rosicky out….to make way for another player..he will never be back—-
other than that im willing to let Simpson have another year…and Wilshere..OMG…thats one hell of a player….
well have a great evenin all..
Tom
He wasn’t that great in League one, everyone was shocked when he won the player of the year award, and league one is a pretty pants standard. I couldn’t ever see him playing as a winger at a higher level, his attributes don’t suit wing play. it would be like when andy johnson plays on the wing!
rosicky developed an uneven muscle balance in his legs i think… it wasnt a birth thing… something to do with the way he runs or moves
anyone want to discuss Keown joining the AFC coaches?
Lets hope Wenger would listen to what he has to say…
I am all for |Keown rejoining the coaching staff but just because he was at the game near the bench doesnt really mean anything but heres hoping it means he is back.!!
I’m sure the injury itself (and maybe the muscular imbalance) was said to be because he got a kick in a freak place which detached something or other from something else, though i do remember the imbalance talk.
This was said by the Czech team doctor last year!!!
Tomas has an imbalance of his muscle structure,”
“In my opinion, this plays a big role in his injuries. Some of his muscles work more and are more developed whereas others are not.
“The problem is in the coordination of muscles which Tomas uses. Muscles on the rear side of his thigh are enormously strained, it is a matter from his childhood.”
Arsenal will win 3 trophies this year.
Carling Cup.
FA Cup.
Champions League.
What odds on this???
on keown….
he said he wasnt ready at the mo and he might be ready for next season….
to me thats says he’ll be with us for next year (i hope), if he wasnt interested in coaching with us or looking closely at the players he could have his pick of the boxes and seats anywhere he wanted
there we go, contradictory stories to an extent, muscular imbalance – “Tomas has an imbalance of his muscle structure,” Kolar told MF Dnes.
“In my opinion, this plays a big role in his injuries. Some of his muscles work more and are more developed whereas others are not.
“The problem is in the coordination of muscles which Tomas uses. Muscles on the rear side of his thigh are enormously strained, it is a matter from his childhood.”
arsenal.com and wenger said injury was due to a freak kick at the specific point where the tendon connected to the bone which disconnected the tendon – ”
He had a re-attached tendon that was loose in his hamstring, and that demands a lot of time to re-coordinate the movements of the hamstring. That makes it very difficult to predict exactly one week more or less how much time it will take.
“But I am optimistic that before Christmas you will see him in a good shape.”
I don’t know why this new operation is making people pessimistic, I’m lead to believe as described on arsenal.com when you have surgery of the type rosicky did, it is a routine operation, because scar tissue develops and just needs to be removed, I don’t think it’s actually a set back in the slightest, it was a story released designed to be good news, saying “not long to go now”!
Can I have the Kiev tickets at home. Thanks.
ha same story avenell. This story really was just released to reassure us things were going just as planned as we hadn’t heard anything for a while
Yeah Rosicky had muscle imbalances that put strain on certain parts of his body more than others like avenell’s quotes say, they tried to work with these injuries, the only way to correct them is to spend 6 months out and re-learn all movements to strengthen the deficient areas of muscle.
When he got injured against Newcastle, they were going to to do that but the tackle that injured him had seperated the tendon from the bone which was hard to diagnose as it’s extremely rare I think, so they went on with correcting the muscle imbalances without realising the injury he really had so that set him back another few months.
Once they worked it out, they had to operate on the leg, give that time to heal and then start again with the correction of the imbalances.
Does that make sense ? LoL
Just want to comment about Ian Wright.
Someone wrote earlier that God8 wouldn’t get into this Arsenal line-up. Nor any of the Top 4.
What a load of cobblers ! Wrighty was a far better striker than Ade. He was more skilfull, more aware, just as quick, and an infinitely better finisher.
He would be absolutely brilliant in this side.
If one were to compare him to anyone in our current teams, it would be Vela. They play a similar game, and if Vela has the same impact at THOF as Wright,, then we are in for a very rosy future.
Is there no way they’ve worked on the imbalances whilst he’s been out?! otherwise why would wenger say he’ll be back in 6-8 weeks if he’ll need 6 months to sort the imbalances?? He’s been out for so long he probably needs to learn how to run again, just get him started running the right way and he’ll be fine!!
I fear that if the imbalances need to be sorted, maybe he’ll come back in January when Wenger said, but so as not to over strain him he’ll play once a week max, similar to the way spurs wrap king in cotton wool?
I feel sorry for Thomas though, he didn’t ask to be injured like Eduardo didn’t, but some are writing him off and saying we should out him….
BiG R I posted some of his goals at 3.15 and I thought they were Vela esq..
I said it Raddy, and I still think that. Wrighty was a much better striker than Ade, but Ade is in the team for his massive power and physicality, his running etc. Any of the current strikers in the top 4 would walk into the england team. The premiership is now the best league in the world, with the best players in the world, back in wrighty’s time it was a second rate league, and although he was and is an absolute legend for us. and the premiership, in modern day I don’t think he had enough to make it. Impossible to say for sure as his game could have changed massively but the fact that he wasn’t even a regular in the england team makes me think he would have been found a bit short, however much it hurts to say that!
tomstoned
i agree randall just doesn’t look arsenal does he .. im sure he will eventually be playing for stoke or hull , maybe if he’s lucky pompy .. but i just cannot see him having enough class to match it with the current crop …
these guys should go out on loan to a div 1 team or championship team just for wenger to advance there development .gauge them and cull them as needed … .
because i cant see him getting a go ahead of jack or ramsey , merida etc..
the list is too long to name .. not even including the 1st team .. who really aren’t much older than him age wise . (average age 20 ish ) there is a good pool of players for arsenal to pick from
but nothing beats experience and often an outside influence ..
I think they have ben working on it, the major surgery was ages ago, this one like they say was to clear up scar tissue and was revisionist.
Like when they do exploratorive surgery because you can’t always assess the problem without surgery.
This was all probably just part of the process.
ethan i reckon randall could be middlebrough standard but yeah not arsenal. Noone who has anything about them should or would be loaned to league one, the standard is pants and it’s so full of thugs, with very few teams actually playing football. I agree about championship, if we were out of the league cup I could see us sending a load of kids to good championship teams, those who wont be breaking into the first team just yet like simpson, randall, merida, gibbs etc
Also Wrighty never had a profesional club until he was nearly 22, If he had been trained in our youth system today he would have been one of the best in the world..
That’d be good keyser, so what you’re saying is when Rosicky returns at xmas he’ll be running properly, and therefore quicker, stronger, and better than he ever was before, result!!
A I don’t keep every report about rosicky but we all have an element of trurth in what his problem is,however for the last year wenger has ben saying he will be back in a few weeks.I thought we had the best medical team in the PL and i am surprised this wasn’t diagnosed earlier.Anyway let’s wish him well but i doubt we will see him in action this season.
A. We can disagree !!
As to England, we had Shearer, and he would certainly get into this Arsenal team ! And we had a succession of the worst managers ever to be in charge of ANY National team…. Taylor, Keegan, Robson, Hoddle. They didn’t have a clue how to use Wright.
A – LoL I don’t know for sure, but hopefully he can start proper training then.
The problem he had was supposed to be very rare to be fair.
Kelsey. Maybe that was one of the reasons for the departure of Gary Lewin.
Keyser, yeah, it was all part of the process, nothing to see here, go back to bed, there’s nothing to worry about, your house is secure
Yeah exactly, no-one’s hidden any bodies, he’s not missing a leg, he hasn’t been blown into outer space, he’s still around, we’ll see Rosicky again, the house has good foundations it’s not falling down however miserable some of the people living in it are.
How can it be part of the process if Wenger said he would be back in september?
true…
A
you know a lot of lesser divisions are getting in imports etc.. there standard is lifting .. maybe its the ruski’s influence from chevski , but everyone is looking for EPL big bucks ..
But i take your point randall to championship .. but i was generalizing .. the main issue is
send him out on loan , let him play ( have another club pay his wages more importantly)and if he sinks or swims time would tell …
He wont get any time when there are so many better players ahead of him in the 1st team and
i think wenger sometimes gives these kids too much time …
if you are going to do the youth thing , then dont hold on to them too long if they dont shine like the rest
Heh, Paulinho is that what you wanted to argue about ?!
Because it’s not as simple as saying here’s a pill that’ll fix your leg go walk it off, it takes time to heal and then you won’t know how well it’s doing by just looking at it will you ?!
You have to walk on it, you hope it’ll be fine, but you can’t be sure that it will.
Ethan, both Randall and Gibbs were sent out on loan last year. Neither was good enough to command a place.
maybe ramsey can show RVP how to control those free kicks. When the lad does get them they are beautiful but it just needs to happen more.
Fact one: Wenger said Rosicky would be back in September
Fact two- In early November Rosicky has surgery.
Taking those two things into consideration, I would say the surgery wasn’t part of the process outlined back in Spring. I think they were anticipating Rosicky actually playing football by now.
…..so something has gone tits up.
Wenger said he hopes he will be and could be back for September..
Things dont always work out the way you plan them. Just get over it. We have all accepted he will be out for a long while. Theres nothing we can do about it.
September 2009
Maybe, but hopefully not ?!
..meaning he’s back before that.. Heh..
Wenger also said RVP would be out for two weeks last January, he played 2 games and because he wasn’t ready, we never saw him for the rest of the season..
But he still came back!!!
If Dr Wenger only gives you 3 months to live…
You will live another 50 yrs, it’s just the way he is..
paulinho something went tits up back in august/september, we knew that, the czech doctor said that, but since then the only comeback date we’ve been given was by the czech doc in october and he said around xmas time, following this operation the return date is still exactly the same, so it would indicate nothing has changed since the sept setback
Lets Face it people the Sooner Ramsey Pairs Up with Cesc in the midfield the sooner life will be better for us…He needs to be involved at the top level Asap and i dont think he’s ready but he definately will be soon!
And Bischoff could be a good stand in for Cesc when he’s having an off game…and i like what i saw enough in Fran that he could replace Nasri on the left…and Jacky can play nicely on the right….i dnt understand why Arsene isnt playing these boys already
I saw a picture of rosicky in the spanish press on crutches,with completely grey hair
fuck the £ is getting weaker under 1.50 to the $ and under 1.20 to the euro. all time low in euro land.
avenell nice one
To be honest…i cant stop watching Vela’s goal…its just absurb…its the kind of stuff thats even in a video game…its difficult to do.
And what about Ramsey’s free kick? that in itself almost about brought a tear to my eye..
David they aren’t viable options for an entire 50-60 games season, whereas the first team players can handle that. He has kept faith in the first team, and it paid off last Saturday. You can’t just rotate players constantly, even Benitez has realised that to an extent, you have to show your main men that you trust them to do a job, then they will reward you when they have the quality that ours do.
Someone said earlier that we have paid big money for a lot of our 16/17yo players, well that is missing the point, the way they play is 100% Arsenal, and you can’t buy that anywhere. Great players can look distinctly average in a bad system, look at Cashley, he looked poor under Mourinho, but under Scolari he is approaching the form he has with us. Our young players looked incredible last night because Arsenal have taught them all how to play the beautiful game properly, and the entire coaching setup at London Colney should get the credit for that.
*the form he HAD with us – god forbid I could still think of Cashley as an Arsenal player!
who would you rather win out of the Spuds and Liverpool? i would rather the spuds so we can beat them in the Next round or the semis or even better the FINAL.!!
i want revenge
i go with the spuds,don’t think the pool are too bothered about the CC.Ideally it should piss down make the pitch muddy and hardly playable,go to extrat ime,have 3 men sent off on each side and go to 20-19 penalty shoot out.Is that ok raif.
Perfect kelsey
Pairing Cesc might be a great long term idea… but I don’t think that would work in the Prem this year… he is too young and probably quite naive.
Let him develop, then launch a ready Ramsey on the Premiership.
yes i agree but i wonder how well they play together…im sure they play well together during training but since Wenger bought Ramsey for the Flamini role they should be having games together to get the boy started early on experience 1 or 2 nvr hurt
Hey guys, a few points I’d like to make.
A….”he wasnt that great in league 1″…Did you SEE Jay play? Do you realise the award he won and who it was voted by? League 1, pants standard? Check yourself.
Tombstoned…how many times have you seen Djourou play? Last night was another clean sheet with him in the team…check how many there are previous to this game…you should be pleasantly surprised.
Rosisky out? He will be back in 6-8 weeks and you wont be saying that when he is.
No.1 gooon…yes, wenger is a better judge than us! obviously!
David… they are going to be immense.
He could be our very own Stevie G… I hope anyway! But… for the moment, Denilson is showing some form… and I’d rather persevere with him after his United performance.
At least Rosicky has 2 real challengers for his place.
Does Theo go in the middle when he comes back… because there will be Theo and Jack to compete with.
will Rosicky ever get fit?
yup raif.. spuds any day.. let them just bring it!!!
Hello choy.
Jack will run rings round Modric and Bentley all day
Liverpool field an all eleven non english team tonight,,can you hear me mr wenger
kelsey
i think you should be asking if the likes of Sky and the papers Hear you mate.
yes raif you are right,i wonder if sky will make an issue of it.exactly not a word.
took the words right out of my mouth man.
they wont even butter a eye lid. fucking hypocrites
you know jack wilshere,bless him looks like that midget bloke in some films,especially with his 50′s long shorts.
kelsey
got any Films u can name so i can have a look lol
Jack Wilshere could play in the England team lol. He’s better than fuckin Downing lol.
Mike, since moving from London to nearby Peterborough when I was a teenager I’ve had a great deal of interest in posh watching alot of games and they’ve become something of a second team for me. He was good last season according to reports but everyone was very surprised when he got the award. It’s very very rare that anyone who is any good get loaned out to league 1 or league 2, the only players in recent years have been defoe, who broke goalscoring records, and milner, who was just incredible, I saw him play against posh at swindon and he was another level, unplayable in the same way messi is. There is currently not a single player in league 1 who could make it for a decent premiership team, let alone arsenal. Jay Simpson was good in league 1 last season, but not another level, like those who actually make it generally are. Granted I didn’t see him but people certainly weren’t raving about him, Milwall liked him, but didn’t think he was a wonderplayer, and generally rated him as a championship player, they didn’t think he’d make it in the prem, you can see that from opinions on their forums.
He has improved massively since last season, and even the start of this season though.
Regarding Djourou last night he did well at best, he looked dodgy at times against a very lacklustre wigan side, and should have given away a horrific penalty if the ref had seen it, which would have meant we didn’t keep a clean sheet purely because of him! He’s a good player, but trying to praise him as some sort of defensive saviour on last night’s performance is ridiculous!
David Wenger didn’t buy Ramsey for the flamini role, very different styles of play, Ramsey is more attacking than Cesc! Tht’s what troubles me, I don’t see how Ramsey and Cesc can fit in the same team, unless we play one up top, and then Diaby doesn’t fit in anywhere
no raif,not good with names,he just reminds me of someone who i think was in the bond film with a circus act and a bomb in the human torpedo gun.
i think theo has a permanent place in the squad now…he is way too good and every game he gets better…i think once he is now learning to make decisions and not get caught between two minds…and he has stopped over running himself with the ball….he is definately going to be sensational…i dont know that we can play theo and jack in the same position but what we can do is play theo as a striker and put jack in that spot eventually…
lol no worries mate.. ill take ur word for it
how long do you think it will take Jack to break into the England Set up?
I agree David, I think theo will eventually become a striker so Wilshere can move in at right mid. When Rosicky is back, I think two of him, Nasri, and Theo will start, rotating depending on the opposition whether Wenger feels we need playmakers or to play more direct
raif, he’ll make his debut in the summer, be making sub appearances for us by the end of the season, he’ll get a debut in the summer when Capello tries out younguns, he was watching last night too, bet he can’t wait till he’s a bit older!!
Wenger categorizes Ramsey as “raw talent” in other words you can mold or shape him into any form you want…the thing i admire alot about Wenger is that he takes a defensive player (eboue) and makes him play and attacking role…and then he takes an attack minded player (gibbs) and makes him play a defensive role..and in the end they become “complete” players…Pedro said that he may become our own Steven G…I hope so…or our very own Franky L. Whichever both Cesc and Ramsey can share the midfield defensive responsibilities equally and whichever one of them decides to move forward with the ball will cause havoc!
I think Jack Wilshere could break in as early as this summer if he gets the games. He rarely flatters to deceive, and always looks capable of changing a game in a moment. He should really be in the U21 squad now, I don’t know what Stuart Pearce is playing at, he’s still trying to convince Theo to come back to the U21s lol. It should be Jack though, he could be a revelation. As far as England, I would like to see him there even though I’m a neutral when it comes to internationals, but the reality is he probably won’t even be looked at unfortunately, and John Peacock will still be calling him up.
A..
i agree. Capello will be rubbing his hands together with a big smile on his face.
also on another not when our new legion of kids come of age. and most of them english i may add. watch the Media Be creaming our arses with happy praises.
hypocrites
Gerrard yeah, “Franky L”?! what he’s gonna become fat and overrated?! Lampard doesn’t have anything like the technical ability to play for arsenal, that’s the most horrific thought ever! Both Cesc and Ramsey are too attacking to play centrally together unfortunately, It’s easy enough to turn a winger into a full back, not an attacking midfielder into a defensive midfielder. I think ultimately in a couple of seasons Ramsey will replace Cesc when he goes to Barca having won everything at the Emirates, until then they’ll only play together in a 5 man midfield or if Ramsey get stuck out wide roaming around hleb-like.
Oh Dear, what have I started (I’ve just read back some of the comments re my; ”Jay (Simpson) reminds me of Wrighty” – funnily enough I have only now looke o n the Arsenal Web site, and there is Jay refering to the Arsenal legend that is Ian Wright; spooky or what; anyways, rico1, I totally agree I alaso HATE Liverpool and Tottenham (plus Chelsea) Liverpool because of last year when that ugly mug Kuyt denied dragging down Hleb in the 6yard box at the Emirates (CL) and then Babel ‘throwing’himself into the 6 yard box at the KOP to earn a penalty – cheeting b**tards; so, I don’t care who wins tonight, I just want Arsenal to win everything this year (I know it’s not going to happen BUT….) I would LOVE IT if we wond teh PL and CL (and maybe CP with ‘da boys)
It is going to be unbelievable football the potentials are limitless…if Theo plays the striking role and Jack finds him with those passes…with Theo’s pace…and Jacks power on the shot…there is no telling how the goals will come they juss keep flowing on so our right midfield is set!
Lampard Scores goals…say what you want about him. He knows how to put the ball at the back of the net. And i certainly want Ramsey to do that at will.
Raddy – you are just so right baout Wtight
Lampard will never get into our team. maybe the Carling Cup games maybe. and thats a Big Maybe
even ‘about’
ramsey is cesc’s replacement
HELLO RAIF
HELLOOOO RICO.
choy – evening
The thought of our team in a couple of years really is mouthwatering.
Nasri, Cesc, Diaby, Denilson, Ramsey, Wilshere all fighting for midfield places, VP, Bendtner, Vela, Theo all fighting to be forwards (we’ll have sold Ade)
Fabianski in goal, Sagna and Clichy continuing to improve. We just need a couple of Cesc like centre back signings and we’re set!! maybe that miguel will be amazing, or even big phil returning from Milan having found his early form for us!!
how are u tonight Rico
bloody hell, the cat just stepped all over the lap top posting my comment before I had finished, so I didn’t have time to do a ‘spell check’ or to finish what I wanted to say…. basically I suppose I was saying that I do really have a big heart for Arsenal!
Skandi
I also HATE liverpool with a passion. Those cheating bastards are still cheating…wasnt it Gerrald that got a penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw last CL game?
And we shouldve beat them last season 3million times over if not for Bentners…ok..let me not go there again…but can someone tell me liverpools tactics? The way they play has not technicality in it whatsoever.
lampard scores goals if he plays in an ugly team of thugs with the team built around him! he’d be pants at arsenal, I’d never want him near the club!!
heelo rico.. whats cooking for dinner?
i am good raif thank you, and you ?
i refuse to believe Cesc is going anywhere…and im positive we can play Cesc and Ramsey together…somehow…
choy – i have had it, home made pizza, salad, and stuff, and now i am searching for CHOCOLATE…………….
Hows things ?
David – are you being nice still
David
liverpool are the luckiest team in on the planet. Steve-fucking-G trips and gets Pen without fail.
half of the Cups or Results in the Knock out competitions they have won over the last few years have been very lucky.
maybe its still sour grapes on my part with the FA CUP final and the CL game of last season. and every other game they have been lucky enough to win
rico
im well thanks just finished a lovely Chinese with the missus yummy.
raif – you lucky thing, hope you cooked it ? Just bought some rice wine and stuff to try my own, but, no doubt it will be pants!!
lol…im tryin rico!
spuds almost scored…
Liverpool are the luckiest team…it is true….how many “come back” games have they had this season??
What pisses me off is that Benitez talks nonesense like he didnt even watch the match and see that his team was lucky as hell…he be saying stupid nonsense like “we shouldve scored many more goals”
rico
actully the Chinese man cooked it for us haha.
my cooking wouldnt be that great,
to be fair the last match between liverpool and spurs liverpool were the most unlucky team i’ve ever seen and spurs the luckiest, how on earth did spurs win that match?! It really is a shit match isn’t it, compared to our wonder kids yesterday its just a joke
so much work
oh well drogba is finding form at the right time isn’t he?
spuds winning, pretty crap goal, pavlachenko easy finish. I was just thinking how crap pav has been since signing for spurs, thought he could be the next rebrov. he still could be, very good player in the euros though i was very upset when he went to them
little tip for everyone, when jump starting a car, make sure you don’t connect + to – and – to +, results in lost of smoke and melted rubber.
spurs 2 up, frazer campbell another crap goal, keeper and dossena horrible mix up ran into each other, campbell ran through and kinda nearly missed complete open goal
looks like spuds vs arse is looking good
lol this is embarrassing.
3-0, campbell again, liverpool defending is absolutely appalling. I’d much rather have had liverpool in the next round, hopefully get spurs in the final.
lol pool.. will be going out.. !
Another video coming out tomorrow to help pay for the spuds new stadium
rico i made you a cup of tea and biscuits about 5 hours ago,but you went out,so i drank it myself
liverpool need an English backbone….
football is a cruel game…3 goals in 6 minutes..tisk tisk…with liverpools luck they might win this game…u never know.
you forget who they’re playing against david, spurs have been the luckiest team the world has ever seen since redknapp took over, against us then liverpool at the weekend, i’ve never seen anything like it before! Even if liverpool come back there’ll be an invisible forcfield in front of gomes goal that’ll direct every shot onto the inside of the post, then the bar, then straight into the keepers arms. and any wild shot from spurs will deflect 3 times before going in, or hitting the post then rolling straight out to one of their players
The great Torres looks s**t they need the premierships best, Adebayor!!
I hate watching football on TV from SHL, camera is too high up on the shelf!!!!
Game on you Spuds!!
I hope we get the scum in the next round and spank them, its fucking crazy that the scouse are playing so badly!! There just giving the bastards more confidence!!!
raif – you cheat
chot
sorry – choy, another mispell
rico
burnley have made it 1-1 against the chavs
burnley have made it 1-1 against the chavs
4-2 spuds that gomez is the worst keeper i have ever seen
rico have you dumped me
Gomes is really fecking up my dream team. Hope he’s okay the clumsy old bugger.
lol.. paulinho.. you have gomes in your fantasy team?
Yeah, the sun one. He’s messing up what is a very good team, Bent, Nasri, Ronaldo, Lampard, Gerrard er…Alves.
This will give redknapp the perfect opportunity to banish him from the first team.
I told you, spurs are so ridiculously lucky at the moment, it’s incredible! how was that not a penalty?! the football gods are smiling on spurs to an unheard of extent at the moment, it worries me if we were to draw them
kelsey – how could you think such a thing, i am still sharing hobnobs in my mind
Oh well, spuds are through, actually, i think i hate the dippers more than the spuds, and trust me, thats a lot!!
sleep time calls me, so best get my hot chocolate and head off
Be safe all, and sleep with one eye open
Night night
WILKINS what’s the score WILKINS, WILKINS what’s the score??
YOUR SHIT….. AAARRRGGGGHHHH….
haha….i hope they go out on pens!
Burnley down to 10 men C’MON!!!!!
i really hope wilkins has put his foot in mouth! disrespect my ass!
whats happening anyone?
As far as I know, Burnley are winning the shootout
sky sports “live commentary” is a bit slow!
chelsea out!!! take that wilkins
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chelsea out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Burnley have beaten chelsea on penalties 5-4
Chelsea lost on pens – ha ha ha
Chelsea are out…ha ha ha
well they cant “respect” the cup anymore can they wilkins you mug!!
LMFAO, YESS
SHouldnt talk shit, Wilkins, thats karma baby!
hmmm.. who’s having the last laugh now?
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1919802.ece
Serves them right….What an Idiot that Wilkins is. No more Drogba to haunt us lads…
Come on you gunners….After what i saw the kids do last night, there’s a great chance we could win the cup this year….
it would appear that Wilkins and his chavs didnt give Burnley the respect they deserved! Get your own house in order first shit lips!
Wilkins !!! here is a song for you….
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XIHXnDdfOgw
Ha….Avenell, that is hillarious
He’s a wanker, he’s a wanker….! LMAO
“It’s all about winning trophies when you’re a big club.
“The fact we’ve won the Carling Cup twice in the last four years and Arsenal have won none justifies our policy,
“You enter a competition to win the competition. Why go into it if you’re not concerned whether you win it?
“Playing a young or weakened team undermines the value of the competition.
“And we have not and will not do that. We want to win it, big time.”
Chelsea are a strange bunch this year.
paulinho they are beatable at stamford bridge
They’ve actually been pretty shit at Stamford Bridge for a while now, something that’s been lost with the hype about their unbeaten record.
Draw an awful lot of games there, stretching back to last season.
Hope we kick their Chav buts when we go there….
a beautiful week just got even better, learn from this Wilkins you tool of the russian mafia
I must say that Wilkins looks a prize dickhead this evening doesn’t he? When I read his lame-brained opinions this morning I couldn’t really work out why he had bothered to open his mouth. And slagging Ince off doesn’t seem too clever either. But that’s the Chelsea way isn’t it? You speak from a position of strength and financial security rather like looking down on the poor relations before kicking them in the head. He’s a class act old Uncle Fester eh? Sitting next to Kenyon, their two ashen faced shiny headed bonces shimmering under the floodlights, trying to work out what spin they can put on this defeat or how they can justify Drogba throwing a coin into the crowd. Yes Ray, it’s all about respecting the competition isn’t it?
Carew looks like his going to miss saturdays game too…..
Tonight like last night I celebrate…
great story … good mind provoking stuff
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2008/11/could_wenger_shape_new_england.html
wilkins the tosser must be wishing he kept his trap shut now!
near full strength side losing at home…lets hope the wheels are startin to fall off, drogba threw a coin back into the crowd, so hopefully he’ll be suspended vs the arse in a few weeks…but then blunderos wont be playin so cant be too bad…
DeeOz
it could have the opposite effect too ..
like us when we were down we bounced back !
i think this is fucking bad timing for us playing them soon !
given the result last night ..
it is funny thou
but i just hope they dont come back stronger for it !
well theyre bad run had been on for while now…’pool, roma and now burnley lol! – and two of them at home…
im actually looking fwd to the game…as we gooners know, any team that tries to attack arsenal 99% of the time end up losing, and scolari aint gona defend…he’s brazilian, he’ll think ‘i’ll show this arsene how to play real attacking football’…and he’ll get done…
bring them the fuk on…cant fkn wait, we just gota stay clear of injuries over the nx few wks
“If I’m angry it is with me. If my players make mistakes it is because I don’t give good lessons. Burnley deserved it, they took better penalties.”
Phil scolari after the loss….
I can safely say they are not goint to win anything this year.
As I am aN Arsenal fan, the winning game of the kids is made me very happy,but I would say that how far could they able to go to win mre. that winning was great from the top class players, but how is it will be the game with good preparing the defend to the kids,is it will still win?
What a Wanker!
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1919802.ece
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1919802.ece
Hey pedro/geoff does this comment section have some Kind of Moderation on?
anyways…
Ray Wilkins= W A N K E R !
Xeeez
its a touchy subject , i think even arsenal fans who want the club to do well would agree with part of this statement . But i do think the youth team have a part to play ! and why not if your good enough?
but i agree that wengers lines shouldn’t be so cast iron . I wonder what team wenger would field against a full strength chelski ? I think if our club does keep disrespect the C.C we will never win it!
And as a fan i would dearly like to add it too a trophy cabinet that hasn’t been opened for 3 years !
I believe he should play his 2nd team when he has a realistic chance of winning .. No one can forget the game last season that knocked us out of it , and whilst we can be bullish now ..
most of us know its a matter of when will we be knocked out ?!
So it is a lack of respect for the cup that gives us none or little hope of ever getting it ..
ikon you sure about that mate?
Not that I wouldn’t love it if they didn’t…..just feel they have a squad able enough to compete on the remaining 3 cups…………..
Well ethangunner I agree it is debateable but if it gives our kids a run out then why not? maybe its different for others fans but I would prefer our youth team having a run out as they are doing and go out to someone big. We like it or not Wenger always keeps a thin squad and going into 4 competitions for the same set of players will be asking too much…
anyways no doubt it was stupid of the Chelsea # 2 to speak about Arsenal’s policies.. And I hope Drogba gets a ban for throwing a coin at the burnley fans last nite!
and about last season I think it was mistake mixing Cesc, Bac and other senior players with the youngsters at the lane..I know it hurt a lot but there you have it.. Spurs opened their trophy cabinet and their coach is gone..who cares if you win the CC or not! I know most English fans may respect the trophy but I don’t see anyone putting any worth to it.. Ray Wilkins was just having a swipe at Arsenal. spurs can play their best team coz they are not playing UCL. Even pool and Unite play their fringe players. So I believe its not just Arsenal. The only issue is that all our Fringe players are 5 year old
xeeez
i think last season it just wasnt our night with spurs (plus some bad subs again ) .. but wenger did show a keen attitude by mixing in a bit of experience(on the bench).. and he brings these footballers all the same philosophies on the training ground , so they can play together .
i dont think mixing in some experience is a bad idea .. He just entered the experience into the game a little too late for it to have a bearing on the game ,also i do agree to play the B team when there is a chance of victory SURE . why not ..
But all silverware should be treated with respect .. especially since its been a long time inbetween drinks for us !
yea I see your point!
morning all
Ray Wilkins should be feeling like a total arse just now! haha
any got any links for the chavs penalty shoot out, i want to have a laugh!
I’m watching it now Evo
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb4TkbB1dg8
taken by a Chavscum on his phone, so you can hear their groans of dismay
yeah just watched that chav one now seb – wankers they are the chavs!
bah he stops it after they miss their second, what a twat
ethan good morning/evening.you said in part of your comments
also i do agree to play the B team when there is a chance of victory SURE . why not ..
in refering to the CC,wenger has said that we can’t challenge on all 4 fronts with this squad and uses the CC to to see how the reserves perform,and this season they surely haven’t let us down.not one player who played against wigan was a regular first team player and i enjoyed it immensely.
on the other hand our so called first team lose to fulham,hull and stoke yet an understrength team beat united.
If we progress wenger will not change his principles even if it meant not winning the CC.I also would like to see us win some silverware but he will keep faith with these boys.
just saw the cC highlights on foxsports
That’s my point, we have a squad, use it, I remember when we won the double with 16 or so players, we have plenty, it’s time we won something.
If the Mancs draw the spuds it will be great, it won’t happen though, we always get the bad luck so if that’s the case, I hope we draw the Spuds at home.
kelsey
i think if the trophies there for the taking then play your best team ..
the youth got us up to the quarter finals last season .. but wenger needs to
make a judgment call on his timing ..
Also its a bit hard to tell who is 1st team and 2nd anymore ..
if vela- ramsey- johan – fab2 and jack etc can play then why not stop to including gallas
and cesc etc when the time calls for it to ensure the best chance of progression ..
thats all i mean ! .. and not sub them on at the 70 minute mark when your already 4 goals down.
Id like to secure the C.C this season … after all even if we win little else , at least we can boast of glory to some degree .. it would be a step in the right direction ..
geoff,what do you mean.
Me too…..We need to unleash Jack and Vela on the Spuds……..
we always draw premiership teams and the others always draw the lower league teams, its just the way it is
What do you mean, what do I mean?
derby at home or burnley at home but our luck it will be man u,spurs or stoke away.
the draw is on saturday.
geoff,not being funny who were you responding to 8.56
You Kelsey!
We shouldn’t fear the spuds………..these boys can handle it……….I say bring on shite hart whatever…………..
Yea I want spuds at the emirates!
Or away…..we’re definatley drawing the mancs or the wannabes………..
NEW POST!
whats all this deserves a run in the Premier League 4 Arsenal no1no matter how well they play gets a run if the guy in already is doing a good job only way in is if your better or the 1 in front of u gets injured
I think it would be more beneficial in the long run to let the “young ens” play the final if we made it and lose than to take the chance away from them with first 11 & win