By Tony Attwood
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sustained suspected ligament damage to his right knee in the England draw with Ecuador. After a season hampered so seriously by injuries that Arsenal, the club that pays his wages, hardly got to see him, Alex has now been injured in what is laughingly called “a friendly.”
Alex will have a full examination today to find out how seriously the injury is. Hodgson, the manager, said, “His knee buckled under the challenge as the player turned into him. He’ll have a scan tomorrow, I’d imagine. When we’ve had the scan, we’ll know more…. My hope is that Oxlade-Chamberlain will not be seriously injured. He did ever so well and looked really sharp. It would be an enormous blow if we were to lose him, so I’d prefer to concentrate on the satisfaction and positivity I can take from the game.”
Jack Wilshere was also in trouble several times in the same game, although this is primarily put down as “cramp”. Hodgson noted, “Jack Wilshere had been on the receiving end a few minutes earlier from a challenge from an Ecuadorian player and did not react.”
Meanwhile, I think we’ll all remember how Robin van Persie’s career was repeatedly interrupted by injuries he gained in matches for the Netherlands. Although obviously it is no longer an issue for Arsenal, he too got injured yesterday, with a groin injury at the Netherlands beat Wales, and was taken off at half-time, although it is said not to be serious.
Ramsey wasn’t playing in the Netherlands v Wales game, and should have a really good rest before the new season, when he’ll be very much needed, as some players will not be ready for the new season when it starts, either through injury or tiredness.
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal
I notice from the stats that Wilshere was the most fouled player in the England team last night. Well that’s a big surprise isn’t it!
Mick
It’s not so surprising really when you consider that Jack likes to keep the ball a bit longer than most and take opponents on. His one & two touch stuff is great, but when he decides to beat a player with the ball is when the tackles go in & down he goes.
but the fact that Jack was the most fouled is also revealing – its not just when he plays for us…
The problem with knee injuries is that most of the time it is or a very serious injury resulting in being out for 6 months or more or nothing at all. But the nothing at all ‘injuries’ may lead to more serious injuries later on.
So I’m preparing myself mentally to not seeing the Ox again this calender year. That way it can only be better when the news will hit us.
Fick Fufa and their internationals 🙁
I noted on the other article that you asked me a question about the rules. Now I must admit that from the matches that have been played so far I haven’t seen anything at all.
Now I am willing to look at incidents and I am willing to explain the rules but do keep in mind that the chance of me having seen something are around 0% to 1% on a possible 100. So if you could give me links to images about any incident I would be happy to have a look at them. But I will not look at the matches unless there really is completely nothing else to see on my TV. I rather sit next to my wife and watch a complete house makeover programme or a cooking programme than looking at the crooked world cup of crooked Fufa. (My wife thinks I am sick in my head… but Fufa has driven me away from football apart from Arsenal and my local team and my own refereeing)
Well done Sepp. My wife likes you. 😉
Yes Walter. He does seem to be knee guy doesn’t he, but to be fair last season’s injury was in a domestic game against Villa. I love the internationals you know, and can’t wait till next Friday. Your team’s one of the sides everyone’s looking forward to seeing. Come on, get with it!
I fking hate those internationals.
Look at Hodgeson, picking players mainly based on what agencies/clubs they’re with.
Wot has shown how he will use Arsplayers. They’ll play in the difficult qualies and when they get hacked, they’ll remain on the pitch until they’re fully broken.
Last WC = zero Arsplayers. GOOD!
Get the Arsenal players OUT OF THAT SQUAD.
NOW!
Ox played really well last night until injured. He has developed into a class player with a lot more to come provided he can avoid the on field thugs.
Lets hope he is not too badly injured, although the incident did not look too good.
@oldgroover
If you enjoy internationals – fair enough; but the reason most of us on this site detest internationals is mainly that our players head off in good condition & too often come back wrecked – and Arsenal suffer for weeks or months.
@Tony/Walter
The site seems very slow at times this morning – are we under attack again?
bjtgooner, I noticed the same thing today.
Internationals have become a waste of time for me. All it does is raise the price of players who perform well, and returns knackered players to their clubs.
Plus the amount of money spent in the host country, money that could be put to much better use.
In the unlikely event that the WC eventually does take place in Qatar and the (also unlikely) event that England qualify, where would the preparations and acclimatisation take place?
Sahara desert or Death Valley?
The sooner that FIFA is wound up, the better.
bjtgooner
That sounds a bit like me a couple of times a week when I head off in good condition (to my local club) & come back wrecked. I only suffer next day though, but it’s always worth it.
@Mick/Walter
As you may know from previous posts I very rarely read the papers due to the utter crap inside, but this morning I did as I was stuck in a hospital waiting room for half an hour and you wont believe why.
It was my first physio session following:
‘Left knee, Partial Medial Menisectomy and Chondral Stabilization’
@Walter:
One of the reasons I take the kind of abuse jack and Aaron get so seriously is because of this. All this ‘It’s a mans game’ ‘It’s tough up North’ Shit, gets right on my tits.
It’s potential fucking career ending and has NO PLCE in the game. But hey, they may just me.
Anyway, when I first got this injury, some 35 years ago, I was out for 4 years. 2 years waiting for an op (that’s what it was like in the seventies) and 2 more years until it stabilised enough to play. Never to the same level, but enough to play. But now it’s come back to haunt me.
Knee injuries are very bad news, so lets keep our fingers crossed for Alex.
@Mick
Again, just one read of the shit in the papers and I’m instantly reminded of why I try to avoid them and wish I had today.
I read the Mail and the Times so I cant remember exactly what was said where, but this is some of the crap.
On Jack:
And this is just shameful journalism.
I think it’s become increasingly obvious to anyone with half an eye that Jack gets persistently fouled every time he takes to the pitch. It is indisputable. Therefore denial just makes you look a twat.
But of course it wouldn’t do to suggest he gets targeted, or indeed to suggest that the Referees habitually allow it to happen game after game would it. So there must be some other reason. And that is?
Of course, how stupid of me, IT’S JACKS OWN FAULT FOR NOT GETTING OUT OF THE WAY !!
Can you fucking believe it.
As for his performance:
Not done enough. 5 in the mail (who laughingly gave Rooney 8 and MOTM). 6 in the Times.
Fucking joke. AT LEAST as good as Rooney. As for Rooney MOTM, can that be for real?
The Ox.
Generaly pretty positive but one of the reporters said he thought “he played well in patches”
I my opinion The Ox was by quite some distance MOTM.
What do I know !!
Every time I make the stupid mistake of reading a paper I find them talking the same complete and utter bollocks.
Typo: They may just me, should Read: That may just be me.
AAA is hitting the Arsenal History Site now.
Gord
How sad.
What an immense backhanded compliment of everything Tony, Walter and Co. do here.
If it wasn’t a threat to there scandalous agenda they wouldn’t be bothered.
Seems they are extremely bothered.
Keep up the good work lads and may those cowardly bastards rot in hell.
The Ox…………..looked like a lateral ligament tear, and/or cartilage damage.
Normally either or both can heal without problems, the more difficult injury is that of the cruciates inside the knee, it did not look like that one again!!!
Get him back to Arsenal for treatment, and out of the WC.
jambug
I’m with you all the way mate regarding the despicable media. Rooney was only outdone by Lampard for the crappiest England midfield/attacking player award as far as I could see. Ox stood out followed by Barclay.
And if I hear one more ‘expert’ try to justify a red card challenge like Sterlings by saying maybe a yellow because ‘there was no intent’ I will go mad. Latest culprit, Lee Dixon last night. Shouldn’t a professional footballer turned pundit know the sodding rules (oops sorry, Laws), intent doesn’t come into it.
Latest, but unofficial, news on the Ox is that he may be OK for the Paraguay match…ie about 3 weeks.
On another FIFU tack, Platini has come out saying that Qatar should NOT get the World Cup in 2022.
One big problem. How would the vestal virgins at FIFU return the bribes that they never received??
I kind of hope that the injury is bad enough for Ox to come home but then “miracle healing” By mid July and he is fine with start of season.
Today one customer said he hoped Belgium to win, I was “No, we need Vermaelen back sooner, so hope they get out early” (same goes with all our players).
I don’t care national teams I just want Arsenal players rested at home during summer.
Mick
I know this intent thing drives me up the wall as well.
A tale for the apologists:
DIXONS young son was riding his bike outside his house when a car comes roaring round the corner. WHACK !!!!!
6 months later
DRIVER
“I’m sorry your Honour, I know I was driving recklessly when I hit the young lad and realise he is lucky not to have lost his leg, but can I assure you ‘your honour’ that there was ABSOLUTELY NO INTENT on my part to hurt him”
JUDGE
“But you was doing 50 in a 40 and you knew there could be kids about”
DRIVER
“That is true ‘your honour’ but honestly I didn’t intend to hurt the lad.
JUDGE
“well as long as you didn’t intend to do it that’s okay and you can go, but be a bit more careful next time”
DRIVER
“Thank you ‘your Honour’, I will”
HOW DOES THAT SOUND TO YOU LEE?
GOOD ENOUGH FUCKING EXCUSE ??……..OR NOT MAYBE ???
@ Jambug I understand your point but in fact your example is wrong.
Criminal offenses usually comprise of 2 elements: physical (actus reus) and mental (mens rea).
Mens rea can be roughly divided into 3: absolute, negligent, intentional.
Say you drive your car and it is superbly maintained, but somehow your back tail light breaks down after 5 minutes. When a cop stops you, you are guilty even if you had that light checked just before you started your car (hence you were not negligent). That’s ABSOLUTE.
Theft, for instance, requires intent: to take a possession from its rightful owner, with the INTENTION of not giving it back.
Other offences suffice with negligence and/or carelessness. Car accidents belong here.
So the important matter is how society chose to define offences. Since 1997 the only offence that requires intent in football is a handball (Walter correct me if I’m wrong). The other offences either require absolute responsibility or carelessness.
As opposed to motor vehicle offences, which would always require carelessness (almost no driver INTENDS to have an accident) – I could imagine that strong fouls in football would be intent-based offences, such as dangerous tackles. I mean – I’m not saying it’s 100% clear but it’s totally open to debate [actually – an interesting one: what’s worse – a clearly dangerous, potentially leg breaking, malicious tackle that somehow ended with no adverse effect, or a clumsy careless foul that ended someone’s career?]. So in that sense, the change made in 1997 is not 100% natural in my opinion, and could lead to confusion.
Anyway a point for thought.
Shocking to see Arsenal players injured again for England – we most certainly have an issue with the frailty of players but who the hell knows why.
Throw in the fact that Jack Wilshere seems to have a serious injury every time he is touched and I do not hold out much hope that we’ll not be in another injury crisis next year. Makes the decision to pass on Fabregas and allow him to join Chelsea even more confusing.
jayramfootball
So you didn’t see the replay where Alex was kicked then 16 stone rolled on his leg, twisting his ankle, and ‘opening’ his knee.
I’ll do it to you and see how ‘frail’ you are shall I.
And of course you failed to notice that Jack, yet again, was the most fouled player (that’s usually the one that gets kicked the most by the way) on the pitch.
But of course like our friends in the media you think it’s all our own fault.
TommieGun
There was (presumably) no intent when Ryan ‘he’s not that kind of player’ Shawcross recklessly broke Ramsey’s leg. I wonder what the outcome would have been had Aaron sued Shawcross. The consequences for Ramsey and Arsenal were immense given the level of performance his game has now progressed to.
i think jack needs to change his game a little to protect himself more. He needs to release the ball far quicker, looking and knowing where he is going to go before he receives the ball. i think he could watch pirlo’s game in this regard.
its all well and good that he has the ability to take players on but i think he needs to choose those moments wisely and in general play let the ball do the work a bit more. pass and move, pass and move ought to protect him more then constantly shielding the ball and picking up little knocks.
From what I saw of the match Ox was quality. The Everton lad played well and was head & shoulders above Rooney & Lampard. The latter 2 need to be rested in an OAP home.
As regards intent in football, it is the best excuse for a corrupt official to pick on a target. The handball has to be deliberate or it isn’t a handball. Yet you will hear commentators say that was deliberate and should get a card. Cards for handball should only be shown when there is a goal scoring chance impacted.
Jack holds on to the ball and takes on too many players putting himself in line for a kicking. Skill gets stopped by kicks!!!
John L
‘i think jack needs to change his game a little to protect himself more.’
Or alternately we could ask the refs to do their frigging jobs properly and do some protecting for us.
I know, lets sell all our skillful players and buy a team of Joey Bartons, that will solve the problem, then we can watch our very own Stoke every week.
Jack very often gets ‘kicked’ from behind after he has got away from an opponent, nothing to do with pass and move.
jayramfootball wrote:
“Makes the decision to pass on Fabregas and allow him to join Chelsea even more confusing.”
What are you talking about? Where are you getting your information from? Who told you that Arsenal is not buying Fabregas and Chelsea are? Can you enlighten the rest of us by providing a link to your source?
I am amazed that a thread on our players getting kicked resulting in injuries would end up with inane rumour-based outrage like this. If you want Arsenal to buy Fabregas, say so. I don’t know if it will happen or not but you have the right to that desire and expression of it. But you are not entitled to make stuff up or express outrage based on the stuff that other people have made up.
I hate internationals for all the reasons that have been stated on this thread but I love our players and I want them to achieve their dreams. I hope that our players do well with their countries at the World cup. I am desperately hoping that they all return in good condition and not overused by their national team managers.
Having said all that, I still fucking hate internationals.
Jack gets kicked around the park.
The Ox gets splattered.
Not only is it Jack and Alex’s own fault but Wenger gets it in the ear for not buying Cesc.
No agenda ridden bullshit there then !
Its time Jack realised his skill must be reined in when there are too many players and doped officials trying to hurt him. He must pass quickly and only take on players that cannot injure him. He has to assume that everyone he dodges wants to break his legs.
It is my belief that most Asian kids in the UK stop playing football because of the rough foul tackle that is referred to as robust. Their attitude is why get hurt when we can do something else. Football in UK has not encouraged kids to develop skills because of the robust tackle.
Yes Mick, that is one of the most hated remark made by commentators(when i do listen to them),
“there was no intent”.
How the hell do they know there was no intent i wonder?
@ Bootoomee
I too read it somewhere that AW decided that now is not the time for Cesc to return to Arsenal. But as with all these speculations, (although i love reading them) i do not take them as gold.
As another who hates the internationals , I hope that the Arsenal players come back safe and healthy ( earlier the better !) and be better prepared for next season .
Bravery or foolishness ? A lighter take …
The Meaning of Bravery.
A British SAS squad and an American Marines squad are together in the middle of a city. The commanding officers of each group are discussing the merits of SAS vs Marines: these officers have reputations for being the strongest, toughest and most feared men in the whole of the armed forces.
The American squad leader turns to the British officer and says, “My Marines are so much braver than your SAS.”
“I doubt that very much,” says the SAS officer.
“They are much braver,” says the American. “Watch this.”
The American squad leader turns to one of his Marines and shouts, “SERGEANT!! Climb to the very top of that building and jump off.”
“SIR, YES SIR,” shouts the sergeant. The sergeant runs inside the building, runs to top and without a second’s thought, jumps off the top of the building and smashes into the ground. He survives but is very badly injured and gets taken away on a stretcher. The American leader turns to the SAS officer and says, “Now that’s bravery.”
“Yeah? Well watch this,” says the British officer. He turns to his men and bellows at the top of his voice, “YOU, PRIVATE, CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THAT BUILDING AND JUMP OFF.”
The private looks at the officer and says, “Sir, GO SCREW YOURSELF, Sir.”
The Officer turns around to the American and says, “You see? THAT’S bravery.”
Apparently Sony is calling for an investigation as to how Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27751265