So I wasn’t on my own in thinking that there was something seriously wrong with football commentaries on TV.
Two things come out of the comments made about the game against Roma: one was the fact that TV commentators regularly urge footballers to be more violent, and the other was the wholesale negativity directed against Arsenal by ex-Arsenal players.
I concur competely, with the single exception of Charlie Nicholas, who I once sat next to at Highbury when he was coming back from injury (which has nothing to do with anything but it is one of my rare claims to fame so I thought I would throw it in).
Charlie never cracks jokes on Sky’s saturday afternoon programme but he is resolute in his insight into Arsenal, and unless I’ve missed something (because I don’t see Sky’s saturday programme that often – obviously) I think I ought to make him Hon President of Untold Arsenal.
Any thoughts on that?
Now about this bunch of time wasting hooligans tomorrow, I do hope someone has told Arshavin what he is going to be up against Perhaps we might turn to the Lancashire Telegraph for an insight into thinking tup norf. They said today…
“A bumper away following will be roaring Rovers at Arsenal tomorrow as they look to take advantage of any weary legs among the Londoners.
“A gruelling extra time and penalty shoot out in Italy will undoubtedly have left some of Wenger’s men tired ahead of their Premier League return but Warnock [apparently a Roverian player] believes not too much can be read into their extra exertions.
“They have a couple of injuries and have had a tough game with Roma so anything can happen.
“They will be tired but they are a class team and are near the top of the league because they are very fit boys. Their ability will take care of that as well.”
So now you know.
As to the club – they were formed 11 years before Woolwich Arsenal, and are one of only three teams to be in the first year of the Football League and the EPL. So how about that!
They were managed by the Ince, and are now managed by the Slug. If ever there was a management made for a club it is the Slug (still to carry out his threat to sue the BBC because of their revelations about the extremely strange doings of his Son the Agent during his Notlob Days) and the Blackburn.
Ah yes and let us not forget that before the Ince was the Ooze. Ozze, Ince, Slug – what a trio of talentless managers. Surely the all time record.
But just in case you think that was not enough to mark the club down as the ultimate in degredation and dispair, they also had the Soooness (Souness) as manager at one time. How desparate and low can you go?
So, they will waste time, foul rotationally, and play for a 0-0. I think we need Theo to sort that lot out.
Last, last, last thing, I was reading a bloggy thing from someone on some site and it said that most Arsenal supporters agree we need a defensive midfielder, and then went on to review who we should buy in the summer. Perhaps most people do agree with this, but my worry is keeping everyone happy. I think Diaby has shown amazing moments of class in recent games – an ability to turn and shield the ball that is quite extraordinary.
So I add him to my midfielders with influence list, which now includes Theo, Rosicky, Nasri, Denilson, Arshavin, Cesc. And Eboue, who I still think is a much better defender than midfielder (but what do I know, I just write stuff, unlike the Lord Wenger who has A Plan) but who might well come through in the end. That list is six strong (and I have a feeling I missed something because I have already had a few of the red wines, it being friday night and all), and by my calculation you can only play four at a time.
Do we really need any more. If we do how about Vela, Bendtner, Bischoff, Merida…
That’s the problem with Arsenal. Too many bloody midfielders.
Thank God Its Friday.
(c) some guy with a bottle of red wine and a ticket to tomorrow’s game against a Slug like creature who has done more to destroy the good name of football than the entire Tottenham management structure of the last ten years.
2009
So I guess you’re going to the game tomorrow at Ems. Hope it is an enjoyable game, despite gunners’ heavy legs and 11 thugs-disguised-as-footballers on the pitch.
As for Charlie Nicholas, I just love him.
At the start of the season, almost all pundits, ex-gunners or not, were casting a gloomy look at the gunners’ season. But he didn’t give in to the negativity and tried to explain why he thought the season was to be ours. In the age in which cynicism is seen as the sign of intelligence and optimisim is the sign of weakness, he sticks by us through thick and thin and looks forward to the great future of the club without any doubt. I’m grateful.
Yep, and you missed out Wilshere by the way, a talented lad, goes by the name of Jack. Oh, and a Welshman too, Ramsey’s his name and one more, Coquelin looks like a winner too.
About two years ago, I thought that Fabregas, Denilson and Diaby would emerge as one of the great all time mid-fields at the Grove. Diaby has me a bit worried now. I wish he’d make himself available and go looking for the ball, like Cesc and Denilson do. Also, Cesc is a great ball winner in defence, but is that where he should be playing? Do we need a tiger (I hate to say it, but, like Diarra) in mid-field? Our front flair players just don’t defend forward.
I still think the boss likes Inler, but Udinese are struggling in Serie A. If Inler’s so good, how can that be? I’m really happy with the current squad. Now if they could all stay fit or just ONE season….
We need a defensive minded midfielder (note: not a defensive midfielder) in the summer. Wenger acknowledged that last summer during pre-season by saying “we could use one more body in there”. That means that he’s not doubting the potential of Denilson, Song and Diaby (or Ramsey) but that we will need another quality player in the squad simply for rotational purposes. Forget the whole “we need a new Paddy”-thing, we’re fine without that.
Would we be above Villa in the table right now if Wenger would’ve bought one of the few targets he had in mind? I don’t know, probably though. We are still fighting for the FA Cup, the CL and 4th spot and against Blackburn player fatigue is a very real concern. You’d be reluctant to start Song-Denilson in central midfield for obvious reasons, Diaby played 90 minutes against Burnley & 120 minutes+penalties in Italy recently and with his injury record would you play him now too? Ramsey would get crushed to death. If only we would’ve had, let’s say, Alonso right now. Or a lesser known player, I’d be perfectly happy with a Wenger-esque signing in midfield right about now. On top of that we are due playing 2 FA Cup-games in quick succession, Man U, Liverpool and Chelsea, the quarter finals of the CL and even more if we overcome that, plenty of difficult away trips in the PL (such as Newcastle) and so forth. That’s been the key to Uniteds success this season – how many options do they have for every position? Loads.
As it is now we have Cesc, Denilson, Song, Diaby and Ramsey who are central midfielders. Nasri (and Rosicky) CAN play there, but they’re a little more of #10’s and not a midfielder in a 4-4-2 system, especially not in a league like the EPL. Arshavin has never played there, so hopefully I can dispell that myth here. So, that leaves 5 options for central midfield. Diaby is very injury prone, Song and Ramsey are still developing and cannot be trusted for any longer period of time just yet and Denilson, eventhough he’s been a rock this season, is not half the passer that Cesc is. So to me it’s obvious that we need 1 more quality player in the middle of the park for next season if we are to survive the occasional injury to a key player or two and the hectic run-in of the season.
We don’t need a centre half (buying a defender doesn’t mean your defensive record will improve, that’s just stupid), we definitely don’t need wingers or strikes unless someone leaves, but we do need a central midfielder. Not because what we have isn’t good enough – if it’s good enough for Wenger it’s good enough for me – but for rotational purposes.
I really can’t see Arsene buying another midfielder now. Unless a few leave it would be surplus to equirements. Why waste the experience that they have all so painfully and manfully gained this season.
In fact, despite the bleatings of the Champ. Manager fans, it is hard to see where Arsene will invest this summer. If Ade leaves, perhaps. The same for Willy. Really though, if we have the same squad next year, a bit older and wiser and much more experienced, where is there room for further stengthening?
I must say aqqe’s got a point. With the run in that we potentially have we could have done with a bit of experience for some back-up. But still, denilson has been far better than we could have expected for such a young player, diaby has shone (in patches, admittedly counterbalanced by games of “whatever the opposite of shining is”… dullness? gloom?) SOng has reminded us of what Wenger sees in him… and Cesc will be back. And rosicky (heh heh – lets not go overboard on that happening anytime soon)
I know its an oft-repeated mantra, but as consolbob says if we do have the same squad next year (and i cant see any of the key players (cesc, rvp, kolo, theo etc) going – i think they’ll feel they have something to prove) we’ll have a very handy team where youth and talent is also already experienced.
I think the danger with young gifted players getting an early run (and success) is that they start to believe they’re invincible and wil never experience disapointment – although this season hasnt been the greatest, who’s to say that going through it hasnt provided protection against that kind of complacency?
Look at Giovanni Dos Santos – thought he had the world at his feet at Barca, success after success – shipped off to the spuds cos of his party lifestyle (apparently doesnt think he needs to work hard to be good?) and now out on loan to Ipswich Town!! Him and Vela were the two stand out stars of the Mexico u-17 squad that won the world championship – look at their subsequent developments:
Vela – slow steady, grounded, experiencing both success and failure, champions league
Dos Santos – Speedy, meteoric, successful, “too much too soon”, spurs and Ispwich!
I know its not been an ideal season so far, but lets look on the positives! We’re going to have some well experienced, wise headed and still young players. Arsene knows…