By Tony “all I want is a semi-decent coffee” Attwood
Arsenal supporters arrived at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday desperate to welcome a man who has already done it all in English football, but left talking about a summer signing whose career has only just started.
But that’s academics for you.
However back to the game and The Telegraph recorded the event thus: “it was Jeff Reine-Adelaide, a 17-year-old arrival from the Lens academy, who unexpectedly shone against Wolfsburg in what was Arsenal’s fourth straight win and second minor trophy of the summer.”
Unexpectedly? Well, not really if you look back at what has been said about the lad of late. We also knew that Jeff won’t be going on loan because Mr W wants to see how fast he can make him progress here but the Telegraph got rather excited in telling us.
However immediately the Telegraph spots a weakness in Arsenal’s thinking for they suggest that without a loan, “Reine-Adelaide’s opportunities may realistically be limited to the domestic cup competitions once Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck are again available…”
Yep, maybe, but also if we get another slaughtering by kick-em-up-the-whatsits teams, with their allies, the refs, we will need every player we can lay our hands on. Besides why loan a player who is quick, can pass exactly, and can treat the ball like his mate?
What Mr Wenger actually said is, “He needs to work with us for a year. He needs to be in and out, play with the Under-21s and to develop. There’s fantastic potential there and he will stay with us.
“We have had a good opportunity to watch him. In some situations he has the game of a 17-year-old but, on the other hand, he has shown great potential as well. Physically he is very advanced and I’m sure he has learned a lot from these two days.”
Theo has signed, or will soon sign, so the Karim Benzema issue is not pressing despite the over-extended blogettas. Maybe, maybe not. Except that Mr Wenger did say of Theo…
“I think in his ideal he would love to play with a strong guy next to him. A player who is physically very strong, and him playing off him. But we have so many offensive players it is difficult to combine all this together.
“Theo is not what you call the aggressive striker. He’s the mobile striker. The striker who lives from the speed and quality of his movement. But he turns up in the right space in the box. You can’t give that to players. He understands well, he anticipates quickly and linked with his speed of execution it makes him always very dangerous.”
Arsenal fans will be worried that there is no cover in the event of an injury to Gunnersaurus.
We are now in our new situation in which we are going to play with an interchanging front line. Theo in the middle, Alexis in the middle, anyone else fancy a shot in the middle, Giroud in the middle…
But it only works because we have players who can put brilliant passes through the middle and split a whole team into bits: Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere to name but a few.
Indeed it is bizarre how excited the press got about midfield last year, and now they are saying there will be trouble this year because we have TOO MANY midfielders.
But of course there is more to Arsenal than the team. For there is the coffee, and the Ems Tourney is always the first chance to see what outrage has been perpetrated upon the long suffering fans this season.
The old coffee machines with all those confusing buttons (like white coffee, black coffee, cappuccino etc) and there is now one push button object out of which comes something.
I actually do welcome a coffee – usually at half time – and quite how I am going to cope this coming season I have no idea, because whatever else there might be in the East Upper there is certainly nothing remotely like coffee. I mean I am not fussy, but £2.10 for a carton of repulsive dishwater is getting a bit pricey.
Why coffee is such a problem for Arsenal I have no idea. Just as I had no idea why it was never possible to train the staff to realise what the buttons on the coffee machine actually did. But I’m not in catering, so I guess I don’t get the nuances.
Ah well, that seems to be the way it goes. No coffee, but a rather good team. I suppose given the choice I’d have it this way around.
The books
Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
I noticed the poll on the club site and was a bit surprised that Haydens name wasn’t on there. I would have thought the chance to have a player on the bench who could come on when we need to see out a game and cover DM or CB and be mobile enough to cover as a FB as well would appeal to AWs liking of flexible players. Not exactly a headliner but a necessary team player like Coquelin.
Jeff Reine-Adelaide
Elegant is how I would describe him.
He has balance and grace aligned with a beautiful touch. A game and a bit, and all of that shone through.
He glided past defenders and rode challenges wonderfully well.
If he has enough strength to hold his own in the heat of battle, in the middle of winter, in the potteries then we really will have a star on our hands. Anyway I’m sure young Mr Coquelin will look after him 🙂
Reading back I have to check I’m not going a bit ott, but rarely have I seen so much promise from someone so young.
Okay it was only a friendly, but Wofsberg where taking the match pretty seriously and they are no mugs.
Anyway, my money is firmly on 17 Year Old Mr Adelaide to make a really big impression this season.
Of course that doesn’t mean it won’t be any of the others mentioned because they have all impressed, including Hayden.
What a mouth watering prospect they all add up to.
Just in case I am doing some practicing to fill in for Gunnersaurus if he would get injured…
It’s not just the coffee, Tony. I went to four different counters before I could get a hot chocolate. And when my son and his girl friend went off on the same quest twenty minutes later, there weren’t any there either.
Still, a great event and an enjoyable victory.
Tony/coffee
You do go dancing, but do you go camping? There are people that go camping, that also enjoy good coffee. Apparently both REI and MEC sell various “drip coffee” makers for camping (MEC also has an espresso maker, but you need an approximation to a stove for that).
The one that looks closest to your needs (manufacturers website I believe) is:
http://www.gsioutdoors.com/30-fl-oz-javadrip-blue.html
It is somewhat insulated. They have a larger (50 oz) version, an ultralight and a collapsible one as well. It looks like it only comes in blue. Shatter resistant, and bisphenol-A free.
But would the stewards let you in, with an empty coffee cup, a filter and some ground coffee?
Jambug, Much as I really like ‘Jeff’, I really can’t see him getting any game or bench time this season, other than TinPot Cup and the odd ‘dead rubber’ CL game. He’s 17 and plays in positions where we’re really strong. Give him 2 years and he’ll be a 1st team regular but not yet. It’s a similar situation for the others but slightly fewer 1st team players in their way for Hayden and Akpom, but they’ll still only get more game-time if we get injuries.
Gord, I though you were going to suggest this stuff; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Coffee
Anday Mack
You’re probably right, but it does sound like Wenger has big plans for him already.
Quote: “He needs to work with us for a year. He needs to be in and out, play with the Under-21s and to develop. There’s fantastic potential there and he will stay with us.”
‘In and out’. Does that mean in and out of the team? The Squad? The toilet? Who knows?
I suppose we’ll have to wait and see .
Can anybody say where Tomas Rosicky is? He wasn’t in the squad at Members’ Day today.
Adelaide to me looked like Diaby…….first glance.
Hope he develops into what we all see he could.
Pat, I think TR7 is still injured.
Jambug, I think ‘in and out’ refers to training with the 1st team.
Remember the hot air from the loud few saying ‘buying kids for the 1st team’ etc when Bielik joined.
AW won’t directly say ‘he won’t play in the 1st team’ in case of injuries or if the player is really special and we have a ‘dead rubber’ where he plays them, he’d look a right twonk.
They’re still kids and we are at a level now where we can’t risk playing them yet.
They’ll still be kids at 19 but hopefully physically and mentally strong enough at that age.
Vavel is reporting that Rosicky and Welbeck are still injured, and won’t play on the weekend at Wembley.
But, they are the medja, so they could be wrong.
—
Andy Mack
I don’t think I had ever seen Camp Coffee. Somehow I don’t think that is what Tony is looking for.
@Jambug
July 28, 2015 at 4:45 pm
If you are OTT then I am too 🙂 coz thats how I see this young guy!
OT: Abou Diaby
A few days ago, I posted a link to the West Brom website, that Abou Diaby was being considered and had a medical. And then I gather, Olympique Marseille got interested, and now there is news that Abou Diaby may not be going to West Brom, but rather going to Marseille.
Anyone read French? This is the Olympique Marseille website.
https://www.om.net/actualites/184546/accord-de-principe-pour-abou-diaby
Tony
“Arsenal fans will be worried that there is no cover in the event of an injury to Gunnersaurus.”
To be fair Gunnersaurus looked quite good when he took a turn in goal. I have no doubt Cech will be perfectly capable cover.
Given his size, lack of pace, and very short legs, it does seem to be his ideal position.
Unfortunately there was still the issue of him banging his head on the cross bar, but that could be easily addressed if only he would learn to duck whenever he picks the ball out of the back of the net.
Gunnersaurus, yet another positive from pre season.
Yes! Ooooooooooooooooooooooospina is back. Gnabry is back, Alexis is packing his stuff from the beach, Welbeck’s still having a word with Shad but why is ROSICKY?
Jambug, If he ever needs to stand in as GK he’ll borrow cechs hat!
@Gord
Accord de principe…agreement in principle…ca veut dire…rien (which means…nothing)
i can’t claim the credit for the Akpom song, it was a collaboration with Curtis & Charlie
As for the coffee crisis Tony I think we need to get you on the board – I’m sure Mr G and Lord ‘arris have excellent coffee
the campaign starts here!
Andy Mack
Why didn’t I think of that? Problem solved 🙂
blacksheep63
While you’re at it please make sure that organic herbal teas are part of the Emirates experience in the future. I have never had a cup of coffee in my life and am fed up with being discriminated against by caffeine addicts!
Ancient Gooner, if you’ve never tasted coffee before then you may like the stuff they’re now selling as coffee!!!!!!