It’s a double Arsenal blog here today as I’m handing over to Geoff to manage the weekend’s build up. Enjoy!
Sorry, I’m really struggling to get as excited as everyone else about yet another 16 year old in our ranks. Barcelona have come out and said they find it immoral that we’re poaching youngsters from them and I find it hard to disagree. Fair enough they nab 8 year olds from round the world, but let’s be honest, it’s not quite the same taking a ripened youth player as soon as you’re legally able to flash a big bag of money at them.
I know people will point to them trying to nab Afobe and Aneke, but honestly, does anyone think they truly thought they’d get those two?
‘Senor, would you like to join our youth set up?’
‘Err, what language do you speak over there?’
‘Spanish’
‘Mate, do one’
I love being English and ignorant, the national fear of a new language is something we should be thankful of with our youth players.
We can point to their failed pursuit of Cesc but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what they do to destabilise our players, they’ve still got to pay £60million to prise them away. They paid us a load of money for an ageing Overmars and Petit, they took Hleb of our hands and they gave Thierry a good couple of years. We don’t do badly out of them.
As Arsenal fans we get bent out of shape about a lot of things, but the main gripe we’ve had over the last ten years has been that Chelsea and City have bought success (the latter are close). I’m not sure how we can be so smug about what we do with the kids? Aaron Ramsey isn’t wearing an Arsenal shirt because of his love for Arsenal, he’s wearing an Arsenal shirt because we offered him 4 times what United did.
We’re the Real Madrid of the under 21′s.
If you base your success on grooming young mercenaries, it’s very hard to complain when the big karmic cycle comes full circle and bites you in the Arse-nal. I’m not saying don’t sign these player, I’m just saying that whichever way you look at it, the way we go about it is wrong.
Still, football is a dog eat dog world… except we’re eating puppies.
Anyway, it looks very likely that Arsenal will be embarking on a tour of Asia, Japan is the destination we believe. Who told you first? Yep, it was us. I guess Japan works out nicely, it appeases the bank balance, it gives those crazy Japs something to scream about other than that David Beckham Brylcreem advert that must be getting old and it means Arsene Wenger can sink a few Kirin’s with his old Sumo wrestling buddies.
I had no news on the Cesc injury yesterday, Pam wasn’t playing ball. It didn’t matter though, Arsenal.com ruled him out for Sunday but they reckon he’ll be ready for Barcelona. I did wonder last night whether it worth risking him… why?Well…
1) The Premiership & the Champions League are a higher priority
2) If he lasts 20 minutes in the final, that gives Birmingham a huge boost
Theo is obviously out now and there are the long termers in Vermaelen and Fabianski who won’t be available.
Sunday is going to be interesting, who now slots in alongside Song and Wilsherre?
Nasri: The obvious candidate to play in the middle is the in form Frenchman. He believes his best centre but all the evidence points to the contrary. I think he disappointed there last year in the Champions League and I feel his pace and power is more beneficial outwide.
Arshavin: The curve ball choice would be the Russian. His tight control, ability to pick out a pass, have a shot or dribble past people makes him a contender, the trouble is, does he have the engine or mental attitude for a final?
Rosicky: He keeps the ball ticking with his intricate passing, he works tirelessly but when it comes down to the crunch, is he the man to deliver the killer pass? Will he ever have a shot on goal?
Diaby: On his day, he is a central midfield destroyer. His long rangy legs can pull a ball out of a huddle of men, his mazy runs are hard to track and he has a great finish when he fancies it. Trouble is, for every great game, there are generally 3 bad ones. He’s been injured and for me, he doesn’t merit a start. That’s never stopped Arsene before though!
Those are the 4 choices, knowing my luck, he’ll probably opt for Denilson! Get voting and stop it from happening, Arsene Wenger’s selection depends on you!
Finally, a bit of finance for you…
Due to all the factors laid out to you a couple of weeks ago… lack of player sales, the property boom finishing, 17 lavish contracts drawn up and weak commercial deals I can reveal via the AST that Arsenal are expected to announce a small interim loss next week. Now, this isn’t anything to work yourself into a panic over and it doesn’t mean that we’ll do the same in 6 months time. It just means the first half of the year has been more of a struggle as most of our cash will be about in the second half of the year.
Anyway, you heard it here first. A big thanks to Tim Payton and the AST for keeping us all informed! For the full details, read AST report.
Pedro
Cesc and Theo miss the Carling Cup final but fear not, Diaby has made himself available
I have to say it does amuse me that a top player like Ramsey and a swash buckling prospect like Lansbury can’t get near the team and in Ramsey’s case needs weeks and weeks of comeback games.
Yet Diaby, the most injured player in Arsenal’s history gets back in the minute he deems himself fit, what gives? I have always rated him highly, he is a player that has immense skill and is a big lad, but he became a marmite because he infuriates in equal measure, for instance, he was man of the match against Newcastle, then he stupidly gets sent off and costs us a win, then goes to France and tells the world he will succeed Vieira, then he gets a thigh strain, and our sources say it’s in his head. Yet the minute he declares himself fit, he’s straight in, me I would sooner have a player that is fit and raring to go, I think Lansbury and Ramsey should get their chance.
I feel so sorry for Cesc and we will miss him big time, I expect Robin to lead out the team but Cesc should be, it’s his team and his time, I have to say this recurring Hamstring is becoming a worry, how do you cure that? Is it something that will always flare up like a groin strain or can it be fixed?
What happened to Vermaelen, every time Wenger mentions him it’s 3 weeks? Is he coming back this season Arsene?
Finally I would like Arsene to sort out Nasri’s contract, it’s all very well bragging that Eboue has just extended his contract but we don’t care, get Nasri tied down and brag about that, that’s what we all want.
Cesc, he should be leading out this team on Sunday, Cesc if you are reading this, you and Theo will be missed big time, let’s get in the other two finals to make up for it!
Have a great days grovers, countdown begins.
Geoff
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indeed pavel well said
rohan i wasnt copying you then mate
you were quicker of the triger
Beat you to it, you bindipper hahahha
oops
just dropping by…
pawel,
‘Wojtek’ is probably much easier for non-Polish speakers, I use it in all correspondence at work and all that
zeus,
I agree with your lineup…
come on!
Pawel – of course its hard.
Wooooookaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh
Where is Jag?
Whats happened to him?
jag is probably at home watching the 2nd half of the game at st james park
lovin every minute
Jag is raugaj
He’s just spelled his name backwards!
I dont think jag,BBK actually exist,it,s some sort of plan by Geoff and Pedro to get the comments up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITLUW2YJ4jc&feature=related
AA23 instead of B52! Zeus, 3 nil to the Arsenal
Sheer class
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K72XpSvrds4
Dial Square says:
February 25, 2011 at 20:03
I dont think jag,BBK actually exist,it,s some sort of plan by Geoff and Pedro to get the comments up.
Haha. That could easily be true!
Aaaargh. Am I the only one ridiculously nervous about Sunday? I just think there is so much pressure riding on this game. The psychological damage if we don’t win a trophy despite being up against such a supposedly weak opposition would be catastrophic in my opinion…
I think we’ve all got so used to seeing these players with looks of disappointment on their faces in big games I’m finding it hard to picture the opposite for some reason!
Aldo—
losing on Sunday will psychologically shatter us. The silverware is on a platter… beat Birmingham and pick it up. If we bottle this we don’t deserve anything. With CL, FA cup and league games coming up it could all unravel in a few weeks. Having said that….. we will win the Carling cup, slam United in the FA Cup (
assuming we beat Leyton)…. shit on Barca and do the fucking quadruple.
I don’t know what to feel about Sunday because I don’t know what team will show up.
Will it be the “this is important, so make them look like fools team” or the “this should be a walkover, let’s not show up team.”
or the worst version.. the Newcastle half n half with a dash of a slanted ref.
All the pressure will be on us. Birmingham aren’t expected to win, nor will they be expected to play fairly.
But there are a few key players for us now who will step up in my opinion.
RVP will be undaunted as always and will shoot on sight. The closer we get to scoring, the more confidence builds within the team.
JD will have to keep calm at the back, and i’m sure that our recent defensive displays will have done wonders for everyone’s confidence. As Wenger once said, the more people tell us we’re shit defensively, the truer it becomes… He didn’t put it like that but you know what i mean.
Nasri is Mr fucking unstoppable this season, and i’m certain that if things look tight, he will be able to come up with some magic or some quick feet and pull something from his arse
Arshavin, just has to be brimming with confidence at the moment, after ll the slatings he took, he has managed to turn things around and is again looking like the player we all know he is.
These boys will be the key men.. well all 11 will be important obviously. Don’t get anxious and don’t make silly fouls, as the ref will be just dying to tip the game in Brum’s favour.
Then we have Szczesny at the back, who will undoubtedly make some crucial saves just when we need him (god that feels good to say)
I can see a LJW goal winning us the game… God that would be totally amazing!
remember I told you first
My biggest worry is that Birmingham are WAY better than their table position. The guy above talking about this being offered on a plate to us sums up the potential complacency.
In particular, is no one else really worried that Oba Martins is available for them? I think he’s a pretty top quality player and could cause us problems.
That said, I do think we’ll be fired up. Every interview the players have given has shown an undeniable hunger to get this trophy drought of our backs…
Btw, how frickin awesome does it feel to think that Chezzer could conceivably be our keeper for the next 20 years!
Its not going to be easy.
But I expect RVP and Arsh, the two senior players to really step it up.
Arsh, especially! He won’t want to leave England without at least winning something.
Albo,
Let me tell you, thats a facking relief, one less position to worry about!
Cautiously confident.
Finally getting this monkey off our shoulder will do wonders going forward.
Cesc may be disappointed, but imagine the burning fire this will light underneath him. That will to succeed on the pitch, jealousy of seeing the like of RVP and Nasri taking part in a gae such as this………He is gonna play out of his skin for the rest of the season.
Mike Dean was the referee for the 2-2 draw between these sides in 2008, best remembered for the leg break suffered by Eduardo da Silva
Not counting my chickens just yet, we have been in quite a finals before and faced heartacke, I hope our time has finally arrived
Dave
Good shout on the chicken thing.
Just read a piece from David Villa. He is certain, 100% CERTAIN, that barca will do us in the 2nd leg.
Apparently they dominated in EVERY RESPECT in the 1st leag and was far superior but for the result.
Hopefully they have counted too early.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO2-ecRKsN0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UkAYrORJq4
Interesting interview, usual stupid questions fended off with great eloquence by Arsene.
They have Oba Goal, speadster, we are missing Walcott, tricky i say, by no means an easy day at Weburlee.
couldnt be happier cesc is out on sunday, he said he would stay till he lifts a cup as captain and this is an easy way out.
but i lets not tak e brum lightly
o000hh to be…
………… a goonah
hahaha Wenger you legend.
Reporter: Who is the one in the dressing room apart from you who will give a Churchillian speech in the dressing room if needed at halftime?
Wenger: Churchill.
Legend
On another front, Ryo is doing extremely well!! He will be a top top player for the Arsenal!
whose this churchill??
can he do over head kicks?
He has a short backlift and more importantly great focus and mental strength not to mention very flexible hips
sounds sexy
I can feel a RvP brace and a Clichy (Winterburn esque) wondergoal on Sunday seeing us through in an epic 3-0 victory.
sagna would make a good hero on sunday!
rvp has a lot of pent up shit
it is a 50/50 game tho
nasri signs new 5 yr 26 million euro deal legend!!!
http://www.cleansheetsallround.co.uk/2011/02/nasri-agrees-new-five-year-arsenal-deal-worth-100000-a-week
is nasri really a 100k player
it’s the sun, i don’t trust them
Our gossips are just as boring as our club’s website, don’t trust any rumors until they are on .com