Sixy

Ok, anyone who predicted that would happen is clearly mental!

I’m a bit pushed for time this morning so wont do a full review of the game as well all know what happened and have probably seen it. If you’ve not then allow me to point you to the Arsenalist who can enlighten you.

Thoughts from the game. It was a bit retro 2004 wasn’t, especially the 4th goal. The way we moved the ball upfield with quick passing and movement was superb and has been sorely missed the last few seasons. Was anyone else a bit scared by Bendtner’s effectiveness on the wing? I was. Other surprises were basically Song and Denilson. Song just won everything, Denilson wasn’t far behind him, plus some of his distribution was fantastic, a totally different player from last season. And as for that goal, wow!

I thought RvP and Arshavin were pretty quiet apart from setting up Cesc’s first and Eduardo’s goals respectively, however if they can have a quiet game and we still notch 6 goals that can only be a good thing! Plus we can add Theo, Nasri and Walcott and hopefully some potential signings to the mix over the next few weeks and months.

Vermaelen looks like a tower of power, granted one of those towers where the first two floors are underground, but a tower none the less. There was one moment, with Jo running at him, he literally just stopped and the ball arrived at his feet before he looked up and set Arshavin away on another attack down the wing. The guy has a top footballing mind to go with some obvious strong defensive capabilities. Oh, and he can also nail a header! Think this guy is going to be a fan favourite pretty damn quickly.

Ok, Everton were pretty poor, their biggest mistake being that they let us get the ball down and play rather than getting in amongst us, although you could probably argue not tracking Vermaelen and Gallas from the 2 free-kicks was also pretty big on the mistake scale too, but lets not take anything away (yeah, Alan Hanson, just get over Anfield ‘89 ok!) we did play exceptionally well.

However, it’s important to keep our feet on the ground, one swallow does not make a summer (although I’ve seen films that might disprove that!) Lets see if we can keep this going during the run at the end of the month and into September before we start talk of being legitimate contenders.

Anyway, closer on the horizon are Celtic tomorrow night at Parkhead, who will have no-doubt learnt a few things from watching us at the weekend. But more on that tomorrow.

Hoşça kalın (that’s goodbye in Turkish y’know!)

Technorati Tags: Everton,Celtic,Vermaelen,Cesc,Eduardo,Song,Bendtner,RvP,Arshavin

It begins…

Yes, after much waiting and the infinite joy of a summer of transfer speculation the season gets underway tomorrow…………………….and predictably we already have some injury problems! What, it wouldn’t be the same if we actually started a season with a full squad would it?

So, we have:

Walcott: Out (back)

Djourou: Out 1 month (knee)

Fabianski: Out (knee)

Nasri: Out 3 weeks+ (broken leg)

Rosicky: Out 2 weeks (Hamstring Rosicky)

But don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll be like new signings when they return!

So not ideal for Everton tomorrow, and leaving us pretty damn thin at CB for a month, that is assuming that we don’t make a move for Brede Hangeland, who has said he’s only focused on Fulham but would consider a bid in we made one (if that's not a come and get me I don't know what is!). Offensively there isn’t too much of a concern as we’ve got quite a few options up there.

So yeah, I’m guessing the lineup will probably be something like Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Song, Fabregas Denilson, Arshavin, RvP and Bendtner (going for size rather than the pace of Eduardo). That way Wenger can switch between the mooted 4-3-3 he’s employing this season or the 4-5-1 that Wenger tends to employ in Europe. Everton have a few injury concerns themselves, as well as the giant, green, money-infested vulture of Manchester “The Project” City circling over Joleon Lescott as a bit of a distraction.

Anyway, fingers crossed we start the season with bang and get a win under our belts early doors.

COME ON YOU REDS!

Technorati Tags: Everton,Injures

Vieira, Hangeland, atmosphere, not long now…..

A few snippets of news about at the moment.

Looking like the Vieira story was all Wengerbluff as Sky Sports are currently believing that he’s going to stay at Inter, however I always question it when people “Understand from their sources.” Who are these sources? Are they real? Do they have tentacles with dildos on the end*? Who knows….

Brede Hangeland says he’s in no rush to leave Fulham. I’ll take that as a “come and get me” plea then!

REDaction are placing 57,000 red and white scarves in the ground for the Pompey game in a bid to improve atmosphere. I know its a bit fake and the idea of having scarves in August is a bit mental, but we at least its a start. Lots of people say “our atmosphere is sh*te” and it is, but when someone tries something that’s also branded as sh*te. This may not be the best idea, but at least its a start. They have also revealed designs to “Arsenalise” the exterior of the Grove with a series of images depicting former legends.

Personally I like it, and the retro-soviet style will make Arshavin feel at home, although I can understand it not being everyone’s cup of tea.

Speaking of tea……

*Apologies, Leanne is away so I have no morals……

Technorati Tags: Vieira,REDaction,Hangeland

An afterthought

You lucky people you, 3 posts in one day!

Something my old man mentioned to me regarding a Wenger quote.

"Usually the transfer market only speeds up from August 26 up to midnight on August 31 – and especially in the last two hours."

9:30pm on August 26th is the time we’ll know if we’re in the group phases of the CL or not. It’s at that point we’ll know if we’ve got the ludicrous money from Europe’s top table, or if we’re £30mil down.

So you’ve got to ask, if we stumble against Celtic, is the money available for transfers and from the sale of Kolo, Greedybollocks and potentially Senderos going to fill that gap?

Food for thought.

Technorati Tags: CL qualifier,Celtic

Celtic

 

Anyone shocked? Course not……

Technorati Tags: CL Qualifier,Celtic

Rosicky, Vieira and the CL qualifying draw

Anyone remember when this used to be the qualifier, and has now been “Americanised” into the ‘Champions League Playoff!’ Pffffft.

Anywho, we find out who stands in our way of making the group stages of the CL at sometime after 11am today, once the tools at UEFA have finished poncing about with opening ceremonies and rimming eachother. We can face one of the following:

Fiorentina

Athletico Madrid

Celtic

Anderlecht

FC Timisoara

Personally I’d prefer Anderlecht as they’re easier than Fiorentina, Athletico Madrid and Celtic and not an unknown quantity like Timisoara so we won’t underestimate them. However I expect we’ll get Celtic and probably f**k it up and wind up getting knocked out of the Europa League by Fulham. God I miss the times when we could be pretty much guarantee we’d get someone like the champions of the Isle of Wight and know we’d make the group stages! I’ve got a bad feeling about this, I can feels it me me’s loins, I tells ye!

In other news, Thomas Rosicky’s period of fitness has ended at the 3 weeks mark with a hamstring injury. Not a surprise considering Eduardo had a similar problem after a lengthy period out. The club think it’ll be 6 weeks until he’s fit again, we’ll see!

In transfer news, Wenger confirmed that he’s thinking of maybe bringing in one offensive and one defensive player, and that he’s keen on Fulham’s Brede Hangeland but the club haven’t been in contact. He also said any deal to bring Patrick Vieira back isn’t on the cards at the moment. It’s good to know that Wenger realises we’re a bit short of experience and quality at the back and I would welcome those two in with open arms frankly.

Anyway, a spot of breakfast and a meeting before the draw. Fingers crossed!

Technorati Tags: CL qualifier,Hangeland,Vieira,Rosicky

The hit of the whole fruit

 

Plenty to write about at the moment, which makes a pleasant change!

First off, Emirates Cup. The first game wasn’t really much to write home about. We looked comfortable but not overly threatening and it was only after Arshavin put us one up with 8 left on the clock that the game got exciting. However the entertainment did increase significantly at half time with the midget footballing genius that is Jack Wilshire, more on him later. Anyhoo, Athletico beat our offside trap with worrying ease to equalise just minutes later, before Arshavin scored from a ludicrous angle shortly after that to win us the game.

The next day was Rangers, who were dismantled with brutal ease, Wilshire finishing off a nice passing move inside 2 minutes, and Eduardo applying a good finish after 8 mins. Wilshire made it 3 towards the end with a nice left footed volley as we re-gained the Emirates Cup.

Since then it’s all been about the boy Wilshire, who got man of the match in both games yet somehow didn’t get player of the tournament (AA did, got to be a sponsor thing I guess). Responses have ranged from the red-tops calling for Jack the lad to be in the England squad for the next qualifiers, to Wenger saying that he wants to protect him and use his sparingly. Wenger obviously speaking more sense than the tabloids, as well as Wilshire played at the weekend, had they been competitive games there wouldn’t be a hope in hell the Rangers players would have given him as long on the ball as they did! Still, the future looks bright.

Arseblog and Gunnerblog announced that Senderos to Everton was a done deal, confirmed this morning, by the Swiss FA, that talks had begun but so far nothing from either club or the player, who incidentally is training at the members day even as I write this. In fact Sky Sports News are now reporting that Everton have confirmed talks are taking place with us for Senderos. The rumour elsewhere is that this will be part of a 3 way transfer (kinky) of Big Phil going to Everton, which will then see Lescott leaving them for Citeh who in turn will sell us Micah Richards. Probably all b****cks but I’d take Senderos out and Richards in!

Marouane Chamakh isn’t a happy bunny, saying that his current employers Bordeaux are blocking his dream move to Arsenal, this after Wenger saying he won’t improve on the alleged £6 million offer that has been rejected.

The Vieira thing has gone quiet, although he’s been dropped from the French national side after Domenech stated that he needs to play regularly. Le Boss has said he wants all his transfer business to be concluded by the time we play Valencia on Saturday

So, here’s hoping to a busy end of the week!

Technorati Tags: Pre Season 2009,Rangers,Athletico Madrid,Emirates Cup,Valencia,Vieira,Senderos,Everton,Chamakh,Richards.