Time for Heroes

July 3, 2011

Just a short post today as we seem to be no further along with our new signings and if you believe the anti-Arsenal/Arsenal in crisis talk in the media we’re about to lose the bulk of our experience too.

There will be a group of players that we are familiar with and we need to get behind them from the start of the season.

We need them to be heroes next season as we missed having any from February onwards last season.

It’s time for the fans to have a few players who stand up consistently week in week out. We need a name to sing. We need a player or two we can rely on not just on the pitch but off the pitch too. A player who shows unwavering commitment to the club and his teammates.

A player who wants to play for Arsenal.

It also looks like we need a new skipper, who should it be?

So friends, who will be our heroes and if Cesc goes or stays who should be our Captain Marvel?

Inspired by Gooner in Exile

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

What now for Project Youth?

June 22, 2011

Written by Gooner in Exile

Some time ago I wrote an article slightly jokingly about the vines that Arsene had planted and how we were now seeing them produce some wonderful fruits. A few months on and with another trophyless season under the belt there is a serious question to be asked.

I am not talking about the current squad, they are mostly at an age where they should be delivering on the Premier League stage week in week out (except for Little Jack and Rambo who are still learning their trade).

I am concerned mainly with the youngsters out on loan or kicking their heels in the reserves last season the remnants of the FA Youth Cup winning side of 2008-09.

The players starting both legs were as follows:

  • James Shea
  • Craig Eastmond
  • Thomas Cruise
  • Kyle Bartley
  • Luke Ayling
  • Henri Lansbury
  • Francis Coquelin
  • Gilles Sunu
  • Jack Wilshere
  • Jay Emmanuel – Thomas

Emmanuel Frimpong started the first leg but was replaced by Sanchez Watt after an early injury. Sanchez Watt started the second game.

Of that group of players at least seven impressed me enough to think they may have a future at the club…..Bartley, Wilshere, Lansbury, Coquelin, Sunu, JET, and Watt. I didn’t get to see enough of Frimpong due to his injury. All are 20 except Wilshere and Frimpong both 19.

Only Wilshere so far has forced himself into a regular starting berth, Watt spent the end of last season on loan at Leeds, Emmanuel-Thomas at Cardiff, Lansbury at Norwich, Bartley at Sheffield United and Rangers whilst Sunu and Coquelin were at L’Orient. Frimpong had to make do with a season on the treatment table as a result of the knee injury picked up in pre season.

On top of these lads there are now another bunch of youngsters pushing though, headed up by Afobe, Aneke, Murphy and Henderson.

The majority of these lads have a love of Arsenal they have been raised here since young, the club is in their blood, the lack of this is one of the most common complaints about the current squad. A Tweet from Frimpong recently proclaimed

“I will never leave Arsenal even if I get released I will beg on both knees to stay they gonna have to escort me.”

Additionally they have all been brought up on the Wengerball philosophy, the kind of ball control and ability to pass so absent from the recent England Under 21’s they could slot in to most positions on the pitch if required.

However if Wenger fields these players I am sure the same detractors would also complain that they are not experienced enough.

The other thing you frequently hear is we don’t have enough winners, well this lot have done it:

Three questions remain:

Are these boys good enough for senior level?

Will Wenger give them a chance?

Will the fans accept it if he does?

If as expected we see some of the squad players moved on this year we should expect the vacated positions to be filled by these youngsters, they must be given a chance to play (Carling Cup and possibly the FA Cup). They need Premier League experience too how many of our players who have been loaned to lower league sides have actually improved as a result?

In turn when they are on the pitch they must be fully supported by all in the ground, no groans, no moans, these are young lads they are our future, they are The Arsenal.

For those who didn’t see it here are the first leg highlights of that teams success.

http://bcove.me/1s1cljpq

“The catalyst the playmaker once again Jack Wilshere” thats a phrase we will hear for many more years I am certain, but what about the rest, what do we do with so many youngsters?

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

What was Djourou doing?

June 5, 2011

How funny was that, watching England scrape a 2-2 draw against the Swiss yesterday? Dreadful defending by England to give away two free kicks (Scott Parker and Frank Lampard obliged) that were neatly converted when the England centre-backs failed to do their jobs and allowed Switzerland two goals inside 35 minutes. Joe Hart gets a special mention for showing his ‘flappy’ skills.

One of my favourite centrebacks, Johan Djourou, then brings down Jack Wilshere – surely the future of Arsenal and England in the penalty area, and Lampard converts the penalty to make the score 1-2 at half time.

Soon after the re-start Ashley Young brought the scores back level to 2-2.

Our Big Johan wasn’t finished yet though, he earned a yellow card for bringing down Theo Walcott and some say it should have been his 2nd after felling Jack for the penalty. So this guy does know how to be ruthless, he knows that Jack and Theo are real threats and he was willing to snuff them out and take one for the team. He knows they are threats because he sees them in training all week. Or did he take the safe option?

What would we have said if Jack had put Johan’s knee out or Johan had put Theo’s ankle out? It’s a very real risk this International football.

But still, it was very nice to see that Jack really is the future of football in this country, I hope Capello can use him to influence Englands progression to the European Championships. I wouldn’t want him to be part of  two failing teams – now that really wouldn’t be good for the soul.

Written by peachesgooner

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Looking at Jack Wilshere’s U21 Call-Up From All Angles

May 5, 2011

“I will never say no to my country.”

So Jack Wilshere has vowed.

We all know the story by now. The European U21 Championship takes place this summer. Stuart Pearce has included Wilshere in his provisional 40-man squad for the trip to Denmark in June, there is absolutely no doubt he will make the squad and the starting XI. As you all know (in case my username isn’t a giveaway) I am Irish so I come at this 100% from an Arsenal point of view and want Jack to rest up and play the tourney on his Xbox this summer. However, I respect that the majority here are English, and while a lot, if not all, would put club over country in this case, that you want your country to do as well as possible, and having Wilshere in the squad will do that. Instead of rambling on, I will set out the arguments each side has for Jack going or staying.

Arsene Wenger — Arsenal

Jack Wilshere is 19 years old and has had his first full season as a senior starter under his belt. He has played 52 (FIFTY TWO!!) times for his club and country already this season. That would take the wind out of the best of seasoned players, never mind a young man who is barely old enough not to be called a teenager. During this time, he has taken on massive responsibility in our midfield. Personally, I can’t remember why he came into the squad, was it an injury? Was it because he did so well at Bolton? Was it tactical? All I know is he came in and played like he has been a senior for years. Playing against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta, and with the likes of Fabregas and Rooney (for England) hasn’t daunted him. He demands the ball, and he is not shy in trying to win it.

So Wenger has one question to ask himself when pondering Jack’s trip to Denmark; “What will he learn?” The answer is “nothing.” He already has all the technical ability, he won’t learn from those around him or those he is up against. He is already considered a main player for Arsenal so will not upgrade his responsibility chart. All Wenger cares about is Arsenal, and Wilshere’s trip to Denmark is nothing but a headache to him.

Stuart Pearce — England 

Just as Wenger’s considerations are all about Arsenal, so Stuart Pearce’s are all about England’s U21. He is not managing them to be friends with club managers, he is there to get the best out of who he can select, and Jack Wilshere is the best he can select. Pearce’s argument is very easy to see, yes he realizes that Jack has played a lot this season, but he also realizes that Jack is one of the best young talents in world football right now and not taking him would be madness. If Wilshere is tired after the tournament its not Pearce’s problem but Wenger’s, of course it could also be Capello’s problem. What is good for the England U21s might not be good for the Senior squad. What good will an exhausted Jack Wilshere be to you in Poland and the Ukraine next year?

Jack Wilshere

There is no doubting this is a fine young man we have on our hands at Arsenal. There was some stories early last season that he was getting a bit big for his boots, a few months at Bolton sorted that out (one of Wenger’s best loan decisions in my opinion) and you know he will always give a 100% for whoever he plays for, and he wants to play for England. Following his Twitter, Jack takes huge pride in being English, and unlike some other players who will claim man flu to get out of an international game, Jack will play whenever and wherever needed.

He sees the tournament in Denmark as a major one and one where he can lead his country. He is playing as well these last few weeks as he had been at the start so obviously he doesn’t feel tired, however its how he feels after the tournament that matters. It would be very sad that a young man who wants to do right by his country could set his career back a bit next season by getting exhausted and perhaps dropped by Wenger for the first few games.

Hopefully it doesn’t come to this. I  fully expect Jack to be in Denmark in June and in the starting XI, and while I wish England’s U21s all the best, I won’t hide my happiness if they get knocked out early and Jack is on the beach having a nice rest for the remainder of the summer.

Written by Irishgunner

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Posted by criochnaithe

How many Spurs players would get in Arsenal’s First X1?

April 21, 2011
Sorry all, Rasp and I are really busy today, we haven’t been offered a match report but BigRaddy wrote this before he went away so it would be churlish not to use it for discussion today following last night’s thrilling 3-3 at the lane.

We had some fun recently with a post discussing how many Man Utd players would fit into our team playing in the same formation as Mr Wenger employs.

Today I will do the same with Tottenham Hotspur :-

Szczesny v Gomez.

We missed our young Pole during his injury, his influence over the defence in such a short time is profound. He bosses the area in a way we have missed since Mad Jens and Seamo. Gomez is flaky, there is no other word for him. He can be excellent – a fine shot stopper and dominates at set pieces but he is prone to regular lapses of judgement. Given that our lad has so far only made one glaring error (and I blame Koscielny for that), it’s the Pole in Goal.

Sagna v Corluka.

Sagna has returned to the reliability he showed a couple of seasons ago and IMO is the best RB in the country. Corluka is a fine player, has good ball skills, a decent engine and can cover at CB, but he is not as good as Sagna.

Clichy v Assou Ekotto

Gael has his critics but remains an excellent full back. Ekotto has a loyal fanbase amongst Spurs fans and has been very good whenever I have seen him. Clichy is the better attacking player and apart from his weekly lapses in concentration is the better tackler.

Centre Backs

It is hard to establish just who are Spurs first choice CB’s. Woodgate and King are fine defenders, in fact The Master (TH14) has said that King is the best defender he played against. But they are permanently injured. This leaves Gallas, Dawson and Kaboul and for the sake of discussion I will drop Kaboul.

Is Gallas as good as Djourou? In his prime certainly, but one must ask why Mr Wenger chose to sell him to our local rivals; obviously because he believes he has better replacements, and a fit JD is a wonderful CB.

Dawson v Koscielny is not so clearly defined. IMO Dawson is the best English CB, I would have liked to see him in an Arsenal shirt, but Kos has the makings of a great player and an Arsenal legend. In his first season he has made silly mistakes but which player hasn’t? Koscielny gets the shirt because he is  better at passing and driving forward the team.

Midfield.

Again it is difficult to decide upon Spurs first choice midfield. Like us they have a glut of quality players but unlike us they have no set go to 4  players. I will choose Modric, Huddlestone, Van de Vaart and Bale. Probably more attacking than Harry would choose as he often plays 2 DM’s (he has Palacios, Huddlestone, Krancjar, Jenas, Pienaar and Sandro to choose from!)

Song v Huddlestone

Easy choice really. Song is amongst the finest young DM’s in world football. He has improved so rapidly over the past 2 years that we noticeably miss him when he is injured. He has a fantastic first touch, good engine, is a decent tackler and is good aerially. Song’s main fault is that he can get too adventurous and in trying to get back to defend makes rash tackles – he has picked up numerous yellow cards this season without making one really dirty tackle. Huddlestone, according to my Spurs mad nephew, is an integral part of both Spurs and England’s future. He too has made huge strides in his career; capable of playing an accurate and intuitive long pass and assisting defensively, he is one to watch – but he is just not as good as Song, and nor are any of Spurs other DM’s

Fabregas v Modric.

We all know the answer to this! Cesc is a genius; the best creative MF in the PL and a World Cup winner. Modric has had a fantastic season and it would be no exaggeration to say that I am sure Mr Wenger would have liked to sign him; phenomenal energy, a perceptive passer, excellent ball control and a player who knows no fear. But sadly not in Fab’s league.

Wilshere v Van der Vaart.

When playing this parlour game there are inevitably clashes that don’t really gel, and this is one of them. VdV doesn’t play the same game as JW. However, if one had to choose a player for our team I would certainly take the reliability of Wilshere. He turns up every game and gives his all whereas VdV goes missing which I guess is why Real sold him so cheaply.

Nasri v Bale.

Both fine players. Both at the start of their careers. Both up for Player of the Year. They have different skill sets which work very well for their teams. Bale could add what we lack on the left of our attack – pace, but Nasri is a better ball player and can beat a player by looking at him. Nasri scores more goals. Bale is the better defender.  I was going to give the shirt to the least ugly player but they are equal in this area as well. I will take a rain-check ….

Walcott v Lennon

Lennon – ugly, no final ball, phenomenal pace. Theo . good looking, developing tactical awareness, even faster. Capello prefers Theo, so do I.

RvP v Defoe/Crouch/Pav.

Robin is better than all of them. True, Crouch is better in the air. Other than that the Dutchman has it all and would prove it if he could stay fit for a season.

Manager:

Wenger v Redknapp.

Credit where credit is due. Harry has done a wonderful job at Spurs. Taking a team that was threatened with relegation to the Champions League in such a short space of time is a great achievement. Had it not been for economic reasons Redknapp would be England Manager and I am sure that if wants it  he will be after the Euro’s. But check out the Trophy Cabinet. Harry –  1 x FA Cup. Mr Wenger  – 4 x FAC. 3 xPL . French League and Cup, Japanese League and Cup.   Mr Wenger OBE voted World Manager of the Decade.  Mr. Redknapp  – Zip.

So the team looks like this:

Szczesny

Sagna   Djourou  Koscielny  Clichy

Song   Fabregas  Wilshere   Nasri

Walcott  Van Persie

Managed by Mr Arsene Wenger OBE

Why no Bale? Because he is so prone to injury, and he is a throwback.

Why no Spurs players?  Check out the table since 94/5

And this site is called Arsenal Arsenal not Dear Mr. Levy ……

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Posted by Erik the Red

Why has this Arsenal team no Leaders?

April 14, 2011

This post was written prior to Rocky’s excellent post in which he covered similar areas and concerns about the fragility of the team  – think of it as synchronicity.

A refrain we hear over and over again from within and without the Hallowed Halls is that this Arsenal team lack Leaders. We are told that none of the current crop have the ability to push the team forward in times of crisis and as such we need to buy  some “steel.” It has been said that this lack of Leadership is the fundamental reason for our not being top of the table in a year where MU have faltered. How could this happen?

Firstly, it is important to look at the team and see whether this assumption is true. We currently have 5 Captain’s of their International teams. Yes… 5! Almost certainly a record and one that is rarely, if ever mentioned. Rosicky has been Czech Captain for the past 5 years and led them in the Euro Championship. Arshavin has been the Russian Cpt. for over 2 years, Vermælen has been Belgium Cpt since 2009. Both Nasri and Ramsey have been honoured with their national Captaincy this season.

So, 5 National Captain’s and it is highly likely that Cesc will captain Spain at some point in his career, as Wilshere will captain England. Surely, there are leaders amongst them?

Should Fabregas be Club Captain? Does he have the “cojones” to lead the club? In my opinion he is the natural leader of the side, and I would refute the argument that he is not Captain material. Following in the footsteps of two of the finest Captain’s in Arsenal’s history – in Adams and Vieira he has grown up with two fantastic role models – he has seen at first hand how to lead a side, and I believe is growing into the role. It must be recalled that he is still only 23, yet he is the player all the others look to, and for me he does the job well.

Perhaps Leadership on the pitch has nothing to do with Captaincy, perhaps Captaincy is just recognition of the value of the player to the team. In Italy the captain is the oldest player in the team. Often the Captain is chosen purely upon his popularity in the dressing room, but in England the Captain is meant to be the heart and soul of the team and at Arsenal this has to be Cesc.

So how can we not have pitch leaders? Is it as the pundits say, a lack of British grit? Should we sign Joey Barton or Kevin Nolan both of whom have the British never-say-die mentality in spades? OK, not Barton, but how about Scott Parker? Would his attitude have made a difference?

We talk of needing “winners” in the team, and are fed the fable that without experienced winners we cannot move forward as a team (what have Parker or Cahill ever won)? I think we are being misled by the talk of Arsenal lacking “winners”. All our players have grown up in winning teams, through schoolboy to youth and reserve team level they have represented winning teams. Every one of our players is a proven International – surely they know how to win a game or two. Or am I wrong, is winning English Silverware the only way to create a “winning mentality”? And is this winning mentality a requirement for pitch Leadership?

Recently I have read that Wilshere is a natural pitch leader. As far as I can tell what this means is that he gives everything in every game – is this Leadership?  Is it a player shouting at others to keep them focussed in the manner of Roy Keane?  Is it the sight of Cesc clenching his fists and rousing the crowd?  Or comforting a player when they have seriously screwed up?  Or a player running 50 yards to help out the defence in the last 5 minutes?

What is clear is that there is much talk about our lack of it in the current side.

What do you think?

p.s. Yesterday saw the premature passing of Danny Fiszman at the age of 66. If we lacked leadership on the pitch we certainly haven’t off-pitch. Danny took a middle sized football business and accompanied by David Dein established Arsenal as one of the most financially successful football clubs in the world. A North London lad and an Arsenal fan throughout his life Danny made his first fortune in diamond trading, and was then asked by his friend Dein to join him at Arsenal. Alongside Arsene Wenger they created the modern Arsenal, funding the new stadium, the re-development of Highbury and the surrounding areas. Arsenal are acknowledged as the financial model for football clubs throughout the world and this alongside the stadium is his legacy.  That Danny’s final act was to ensure that his beloved Arsenal was in safe  hands is proof of his devotion.

His was a successful life both in business and at leisure. We at AA wish his family long life.

Written by BigRaddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Have we ANY chance of winning at Bloomfield Rd?

April 10, 2011

This will be a positive post, so those of a cup half empty disposition, look away.

Firstly, we are on a long unbeaten run in the PL extending to almost four months. During that time we have conceded just 10 goals. Taking out the madness at St. James, we have conceded 6 in 12 PL games – hardly the stats of a dodgy defence.

Secondly, we have the best away record in the PL, amassing 26 points and losing only twice (MU & Chelsea).

Thirdly, this season we have beaten the PL Champions, the Champions of Spain (who are supposedly the best team of all time), and beaten a CL quarter finalist 5-1 (Shaktar).

We have done this despite a constantly full medical centre and without the services of our strongest CB. Which other team has suffered as we have? Down to our 3rd choice GK, 3rd choice DM, 4th choice CB.

Furthermore, we have a young player who had he continued his early season form would be a shoe-in for PL player of the Year, and we have an almost guaranteed winner of the Young Player of the Year.

Has all this good work been totally destroyed by the past few weeks very average performances? Some would say so, however at season’s start, had anyone offered me the position we are in early April, I would have taken it immediately. What is overlooked is that most Arsenal “fans” were predicting us failing to achieve Top 4 and that Spurs would be top North London club under the “genius of Harry.” In fact, most predicted a 6th place behind Liverpool. Sure the last month has been painful and in retrospect the B’ham CC game was a precursor for a difficult spell, but a true assessment of the season can only be made on May 23rd.

Onto today’s fixture. Everyone likes Blackpool (well, at least the football club!). The manager, the style of football, Charlie Adam, the David & Goliath theme etc etc. Well just for today, I say “Sod them”, we need the 3 points. Let them get the points they need to avoid relegation elsewhere because we are desperate for a confidence boosting win. A flukey 1-0 will do it, as long as it is accompanied by our usual 60+% possession.

Our injuries are as usual a major factor. This would be a good game for Theo to regain form and he awaits a fitness test. Song, Diaby, and Denilson are definitely out and there is a question mark over Sagna. Could Eboue get his final start in an Arsenal shirt (I hope it is final 🙂 )?

Could we repeat our home demolition of Blackpool? I doubt it, Blackpool lost a player early at the Grove and we were in a fine run of form. We can expect B’pool to fight all the way and with the return of their top scorer DJ Campbell will not be easy opposition, we will have to go toe to toe with them and hope Cesc and Nasri can create the chances to win all 3 points.

My team:

I really hope that should we not be winning at half-time, AW makes an early substitution. It worked at WBA, yet he didn’t repeat it with Blackburn which left us with only 10 minutes of all out attack. Chamakh and Bendtner should be on early if we are struggling.

Blackpool is best known as a holiday destination. I have been a few times (conferences!) and left shell-shocked. What is less known is that it is the birthplace of my fave bands at different times in my life. Starting with Graham Nash OBE of The Hollies and later the brilliant C,S & N, onto Maddy Prior of Steelye Span and Roy Harper, followed by Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, then Robert Smith and The Cure, Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys and more recently Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand. Not too Metally, but for a small town, Blackpool has a fine musical heritage.

I made the fundamental mistake of predicting a win last weekend, I promise never to do so again.

COYRRG

Written by BigRaddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

How many Man Utd players would get into Arsenal’s First Team?

March 31, 2011

I spend much time discussing football with fans of other teams. Inevitably we play the “but he would never play in our team “game, and this could be the first of “How many Arsenal players would get in  ……… first team”?

Let us look at the current leaders of the PL,  Man Utd, taking what I believe to be Mr Wenger’s first choice 11 v Aaron’s view of the SAF’s first choice.

Note Well. This team is set-up in Arsenal’s formation , not the Man Utd 4-4-2 !

 

Van de Saar v Szczesny.

Not as obvious as one might think. Van de Saar has huge experience and has been a superb keeper. Had AW signed him 5 years ago we could well well won a title or two, but at 40 y.o. his powers are fading and retirement beckons. Whereas our new GK is but a slip of a lad and has a glittering future ahead – he dominates the area, is a fine shot-stopper and is learning quickly.  Experience v Youth?  It has to be the Pole.

Sagna v Rafael.

Rafael looks major find. Comfortable on the ball, can cross, likes to attack, and can tackle but he has already shown a questionable temperament and has clearly studied tapes of Dani Alves’s cheating  techniques. Sagna is quite simply the best right back in the PL. I would like to see his crossing improve but in every other area he is superb.

Centre Backs.

Man Utd are truly blessed in this area. Ferdinand and Vidic combine footballing skills and strength. They are both on-field leaders and the rock around which MU function. Arsenal’s first choice CB pairing is unclear, who are they? TV/JD? TV/Kos? Kos/JD?  The JD/Kos pairing seems stable and they combine well but neither is at the level of either of MU’s CB’s

Clichy v Evra.

I love Gael, I detest Evra, but my feelings are not based around their footballing ability.  Sadly, Evra is a fine footballer, a winner and very consistent. Gael, as we all know, has lapses, I think he is a better attacking force than Evra but Evra is more solid. I am afraid Evra gets the shirt.

Song v  Carrick

No contest here. When Carrick was at West Ham he looked as though he could develop into the new Bryan Robson – it didn’t happen, whether through lack of ability or injury, we will never know. Either way, he hasn’t the control or vision of Song who at the tender age of 23 is already one of the most influential players in the PL.

Fletcher v Wilshere.

Jack’s progress is nothing short of astonishing. At the age of 19 to be the central figure in the England team indicates a truly great player in the making, but Fletcher is the key player in a dull yet effective MU midfield. A terrier and a man who doesn’t accept losing – just the type of player we are lacking at Arsenal. So it is with heavy heart that I take Fletcher, because I believe that with him in the team we would already have won the PL, though I fully accept this is a controversial decision!

Nani v Theo

Another tough one. Nani has all the tricks, has pace and a fine shot. He also has a very questionable attitude and dreadful hair. Theo has better hair, more pace, less attitude and could be a future Arsenal great. However Nani has 9 goals and 16 assists and is the most effective player in the PL this season, whereas despite having his best season to date Theo has 7 goals, 6 assists. Shame on me but it has to be Nani

Rooney v Fabregas

This is difficult because they do not play the same roles as MU normally set up as 4-4-2-. If one assumes that Rooney is MU’s playmaker then we have to pit him against our own playmaker,  I could duck the issue and say it depends upon the opposition or shift Rooney out left to be compared with Nasri, but a direct comparison it has to be. Let’s look at this season’s stats – Cesc: 31 apps,  9 goals. 13 assists. Rooney: 29 apps, 9 gls, and 11 assists (?). On these stats Cesc is more slightly effective though both are the talisman of their sides. When either of them plays at the top of their form, their teams win. I love Cesc and this is an Arsenal site so Cesc gets it.

RvP v Hernandez/ Berbs.

I asked my MU mad friend Aaron who would be SAF’s first 11, and he chose Hernandez ahead of Berbatov. I would pick RvP ahead of either of them. Simply put, our Dutch striker is World Class, a player who can score both the spectacular and elementary goals.

Nasri v Valencia

Valencia is a fine player and I expect him to have a major impact on the PL next season, but Nasri is at another level. That Samir became France’s new National Captain last weekend is evidence of his rising stature and reliability. A fine player and with Valencia only just returning from injury, the obvious choice.

So a team of:

Quite how this team would function would be the managers concern though he would have a fantastic bench should the team not perform.

Clearly MU’s defensive steel added to Arsenal’s greater ball control would be a frightening prospect for any opposition and I would expect this side to win the PL, but they would be unlikely to go through a season unbeaten – only a truly great side could do that …. 😉

Finally, today is the 10th anniversary of Rocky’s untimely death. We all loved Rocky, he was a Gooner through and through, a hero to all who watched his development through the youth teams and into the wonderful player he became. My favourite memory of him was his goal at the Lane in the League Cup Semi-Final – one of the most exciting moments of my life. Gone but never forgotten.

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Posted by Erik the Red

The future is so bright…….Jack’n’Aaron both strut their tekkers…..

March 27, 2011

Written by Harry

As 69,000 and a couple of blow up sheep packed into the Millennium stadium, to watch a home nations clash, something that has sadly been missing from the annual footy calendar, it was however just seen as a mere sideshow to the main event for many gooners…..

As GIE pointed out yesterday, watching Jack and Aaron go head to head was that added ingredient that made watching an England match worthwhile, perhaps even more interesting than John Terry’s love life for a change…..I must admit as much as I am proud to be English, at times I have found it hard to watch them play, often more painful than sitting on a whoopee cushion full of nails…

On to our two boys, I am not sure Jack looks quite as good in an England shirt, perhaps it was a bit over stretched from Frank Lampard normally wearing it…………

Aaron looked the part as the new Welsh Captain, the youngest in their history, lining up in the tunnel. Aaron understandably looked very nervy and as the play got underway, his nerves were certainly unsettling our welsh maestro…..But a game of this intensity can only help Aaron get his sharpness back..

Jack settled very easily and as England dominated early doors, he just seemed to glide around the pitch as if he was dancing on ice. His movement and positioning just seems so second nature, he makes the side tick as he moves through the gears more effortlessly than Jordan’s knickers come down. Tenacious in the tackle, strong on the ball, his maturity is only blighted by his occasional reaction to certain situations where he feels he didn’t get a decision from the referee……but in some ways that’s his desire to win which sets him apart…..

As the game developed  Wales were still predominantly on the back foot under immense pressure from England, Aaron’s Captains armband was weighing heavy as he tried too hard to affect Wales play. You could see the frustration etched on his face. It just seemed that everything he tried didn’t come off, with some missed passes and losing possession under pressure on a more than a few occasions……

Jack really seemed to be the lynchpin as he continued to probe, always open for a pass, at every opportunity he took the ball and moved it on quickly, often getting a kick for his troubles, his vision saw him set Bent free on more than one occasion with subtle and sublime passes, the only thing Jack lacks for me is a more selfish streak when the goal was in range, because he really has a powerful shot when unleashed.

Although Ramsey will probably want to forget the first half, his presence throughout the 2nd half saw him become more influential as Wales made a more of a fist of it, but in truth they never really looked like getting back into as England stood firm.  Aaron looked calm on the ball and controlled in possession but just lacked that bit of sharpness which would have aided Wales more.

Overall I though the game was disappointing and became a bit flat after England went two up, perhaps caught in two minds as to go for the throat or hold what they had……A welsh goal in the last 20mins would have made the match interesting, but Ramsey and Bellamy couldn’t get a shot on target…

An unbiased opinion from me saw Wilshere get England MotM (ahead of Young) and I gave him a solid 8 for both halves, he was withdrawn on 81mins…..

Ramsey gets a 6 overall, 5 for the 1st half, but a much improved 7 for his endeavours in the 2nd half, where for me he was Wales best player in last 30mins…..

The experience both our young stars will get from games like this can only be good for Arsenal, next season I really think these two will help fully establish Arsenal as a dominant team in the Premiership. Both have great individual talent and confidence to dominate and control games, adding that little bit of difference when needed, a drive and determination to succeed.

Both are leaders in their style of play and the confidence they have to play football, is what will see them become more influential as their careers develop, without doubt Arsene has two of the most talented youngsters in Europe within his grasp……

Both have room for improvement and they are not there yet, but I feel there can only be exciting times ahead at the Emirates with these two, I just hope we keep them both for the next 10-15years…………….

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Rambo vs Jacko

March 26, 2011

Written by Gooner in Exile

Not an ex commando out for revenge going mano-a-mano with a chirpy painter and decorator from south London, nor is he taking on a resurrected white gloved moonwalker.

It is instead a reason to watch an International involving England for the first time in as long as I can remember. I have revelled in many moments over the years of watching International football, normally when the team still played the English game. Italia 90 and Euro 96 spring to mind as great England teams neither of which contained many players from the Arsenal side. I have given up more recently as our approach to International football has become more cumbersome and quite frankly boring to watch.

Today, hopefully, we get to see two young skilful ball players go head to head in the centre of midfield, and more importantly they are our young players, and they are the future of the Arsenal central midfield.

A year separates the two in age but their progression through International ranks has been very similar, Ramsey started in the U17’s at 15, and during the next three years played 15 times at that level, he subsequently played another 12 times for the U21’s before stepping up to full international duty. He has 11 full caps and given that he is only 20 and spent the last year in rehabilitation that is an impressive record. It would be more impressive if the Wales squad was not full of Championship footballers, only three in today’s squad play in the Premier League.

Wilshere has always played above his age group at International level, at 14 starting two games for the U16’s before at 15 starting with the U17‘s and going on to make 10 appearances, subsequently he has played once for the U19’s and 7 times for the U21’s. He now finds himself thrust into the senior side, having made his debut at 18, and his full debut at 19. This has been achieved despite the availability of many players with far more experience and to this extent you could argue that Jack’s achievement has been more impressive.

Ramsey has scored 6 goals during his brief international career two in each of the juinor ranks and two for the seniors, Wilshere so far has mustered just the one goal for the U17’s.

Ramsey has also received the honour of captaining his country, a big ask for someone of his age, but I would hope evidence of a maturity beyond those years. Unfortunately a neanderthal centre back playing for a pillock manager for a team in the midlands has deprived us from seeing this from Rambo.

Gary Speed clearly sees something similar in our Welsh prodigy “He leads by example on and off the pitch and I think everyone looks up to him as well” he went on to say “I made the decision because I thought it was best for the team and Welsh football going forward. There have been young captains in the past. I think Cesc was very young when he got captain of Arsenal, Tony Adams was also very young. Once I had stopped worrying about other factors – what people outside the team think – it was a no-brainer in the end.”

So what of young Jack and what of his chance of captaining England one day, in his press conference Capello was asked about Wilshere’s likelihood to follow in Ramsey’s footsteps and become captain of his country, he answered “It will not be my problem. But I think he is a really good player, to be a captain you need to be a leader and I think Wilshere will be captain in a really short time.” This is something I think most of us assume him to be capable of having seen his impressively mature and hard running performances for the Arsenal this season.

So what can we expect International responsibilities to do for our youngsters. I think the relative qualities of the two players is pretty much self evident, both are good passers of the ball, Jack is probably the better dribbler, but Ramsey appears to have the eye for goal. But who will benefit most or be harmed most from representing their country.

Rambo probably has the easier time of it on International Duty, as captain amongst a team of average players, he is the shining beacon, he is the one others will look to to take the team forward. Also given the low expectation on the Welsh team he is unlikely to suffer the same media criticisms that Jack can expect if he is ever to become the scapegoat for the English tabloid press gang, thankfully Capello is bearing the brunt of their current venting.

Unfortunately for Jack he will have to play amongst the egos of the England team the players who continue to try the same things that haven’t worked for them for the last 10 years. Against Denmark Wilshere struggled to convince teammates to pass the ball to feet, or to give him the ball when he had Danes in close attention, it will be interesting to see how Ramsey is treated differently by his Welsh teammates.

Whatever the result tomorrow it will be an education for us to see the emergence of two future Arsenal stars at International level.

But please……..don’t tackle each other!

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