Diaby is latest to mention the title as Arsenal prepare to host West Ham

On January 30, 2009January 12, 2011 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Injuries5 Comments

This is a guest post by sports writer Thomas Rooney

Arsenal’s players and management team seem to be taking it in turns to promote the team’s title chances this season. They may well sit eight points off top spot, but they seem determined to let everyone know that they are not giving up hope.

The latest to have his say on proceedings is Abou Diaby. The midfielder appears to be very defiant as he insists that he and his team-mates will ‘not let up until the end of the season’. This means that they will do all they can to ‘get points in every game’, so that if the top teams do suffer a dip in form – Arsenal are ready to pounce.

It seems that the general consensus was that the point achieved at Everton in midweek was not enough for the Gunners, even though they only just managed this thanks to a late Robin van Persie strike.

Diaby sees this differently though and has claimed that it was ‘very important’ to get a point at Goodison Park. He also believes that considering the way Arsenal played that night, a draw was ‘good for us’. Overall, he admits that Everton were the better team.

As for the man who rescued a point for Arsenal on Tuesday night, Diaby has nothing but praise for his Dutch team-mate. He says that van Persie – who has now netted 13 times this season – has an ‘unbelievable first touch’ and that his presence in the team makes a ‘big difference’.

Diaby himself has been involved in the last few games and will be hoping to keep this run going for the rest of the season. The Frenchman is beginning to establish himself in the team and looks set to eclipse the amount of appearances he made in the last campaign before long. There is no doubt that he will want to have a big say on how Arsenal fair in the final 15 games of the season.

The 22-year-old will almost certainly be involved this weekend as Arsenal face West Ham at the Emirates. It will be the first of two successive Premier League London derbies for the Gunners as they face Tottenham at White Hart Lane next weekend.

As much as the fans may be looking towards the Spurs game though, the team must remain focused for this clash against Gianfranco Zola’s men. They have been very impressive of late and find themselves third in the form table.

Their performance against Hull on Tuesday night was a very assured one and they definitely have enough attacking talent to cause Arsenal’s defence some problems. The in-form Carlton Cole, David Di Michele and Mark Noble are the ones to watch.

It is also worth pointing out that this fixture sees the battle of the undefeated as Arsenal haven’t lost in nine games and West Ham haven’t tasted defeat in seven matches. It should make for an entertaining game of football.

As far as team news is concerned, well Arsene Wenger is going to have to do without Mikael Silvestre who has suffered an injury set back and will be missing for at least two or three weeks. Other than that, there appear to be no fresh injury worries.

In fact, the team may well be the same as the one that started at Goodison Park as Arsenal look to claim a valuable win that would see them progress over the 950 points mark for the Premier League.

By Thomas Rooney

A point saved I believe.

On January 28, 2009 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal7 Comments

Well. What a poor performance from Arsenal today. We really struggled to break through Everton’s tight defence and I reckon we spent most of the second half putting long balls over the top…Going nowhere.

Cahill made it 1-0 to Everton and to behonest I thought that was the end of the game. They were defending so well.

I’m sure that’s how everyone was feeling until in the 93rd minute up pops RVP and slots a great goal home to make it 1-1.

Most definitely a point saved, playing the way we were I think that’s a good result really.

Cardiff City 0 – 0 Arsenal Highlights: Replay at the Emirates

On January 26, 2009September 4, 2010 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, FA Cup, Video

FA Cup 4th Rnd. Cardiff City 0 – 0 Arsenal: Highlights here

Arsenal went to Ninian Park with a reasonably strong line up yesterday and came away with a draw from a match that we could have won.

I missed the first 20 minutes, but it seemed to be a reasonably even first half. Cardiff spurred on by their fans at Ninian Park, and trying their best to close Arsenal down. They had some good chances but I don’t think they ever looked like winning.

After half time Arsenal came out with renewed vigour and we dominated possession and chances as Cardiff tired.

There were good performances from Gibbs and Song, but Ramsey looked off colour on his return to his old club.

In the end after having many good chances to score the game ended 0-0. Bendtner, RVP and Adebayor all had good opportunities, and I thought we were good going forward, it’s just a pity we couldn’t finish Cardiff off.

Wenger said after the game:

“We could do without the replay, 100%, but let’s not complain because we play football.

“It’s one more game to play. If that’s the price we have to pay to stay in the hat, we’re happy to do it.

“We are short at the moment and cannot rotate much. I could rest a few players in this game but not as many as I had wanted.”

Hopefully we can do the job on 3rd Feb at home now.

Hull City 1 – 3 Arsenal Highlights

On January 19, 2009April 8, 2010 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Video

Hull City 1 – 3 Arsenal: Adebayor 30, Cousin 65, Nasri 82, Bendtner 86.

A strong Arsenal responded well against Hull City this weekend, as we saw the side go 1-0 up, only to concede a customary goal after half time. I always thought it looked likely we would concede, but what was good to see was the response.

With Bendtner and RVP playing well we took the initiative and instead of conceding again we defended well and RVP set Nasri up for the second and then Bendtner for the third to make it 3-1. Bendtner could have even added a fourth when his header hit the post.

Arsenal are putting a good run together at the moment, and if it continues then we will see a return in confidence. That away game was the first in a long time where we really took the game by the scruff of the neck and forced a result when it could havbe gone the way that the Villa game, and so many others went.

We need results like this, and the fact that Bendtner played well will only increase his effectiveness as confidence grows. RVP meanwhile is having his best ever season at Arsenal, and he will be key in the coming months.

Click here for the highlights.

Wenger tips Adebayor for successful 2009 ahead of trip to Hull City

On January 16, 2009January 12, 2011 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal4 Comments

This is a guest post by sports writer Thomas Rooney

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor scored 30 goals in all competitions during a season where he looked like becoming one of the best forwards in the world. As we move into the second half of the current campaign though, Adebayor has only found the net 11 times.

As a result of this, some have questioned whether his goal scoring exploits were a one-off. Others have suggested that regardless of the amount of goals he has scored, Adebayor has quite simply not been the player he was last season.

Arsene Wenger is prepared to admit that Adebayor hasn’t hit the heights he is capable of in recent months, but is confident that the striker is moving ever closer to his best form. The Arsenal boss says that the player is ‘working very hard’ to improve his game and the fact that his form has dropped a little is irrelevant because this ‘happens sometimes’.

Wenger also highlighted the way Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal scoring record this season has differed significantly to last time out. Ronaldo netted an incredible 44 goals last term, but has only netted nine times to date this season. Therefore, Adebayor is not alone in failing to be as good as last year.

The Arsenal man still has plenty of time to reach 20 goals this season though and that is a decent return. As Wenger says, it isn’t always about the goals Adebayor scores anyway. Sometimes the way he ‘contributes to the team’ by assisting other players is equally as valuable as a goal.

This weekend sees Arsenal travel to Hull City in a match that Adebayor will be keen to find the back of the net in. It would certainly repay Wenger for publically backing him.

As for Arsenal’s chances in the game itself, well it is a game they should win. However, we have been here before haven’t we? Back in September, Hull travelled to the Emirates as significant underdogs, but managed to snatch all three points. It was a result that received much criticism and there is no doubt revenge should be on the Arsenal players minds this weekend.

One thing that needs to be mentioned is that Hull City were flying when they visited Arsenal in September. They were in the top three places in the Premier League and beating almost everyone they came across. This isn’t the case anymore. In fact, they have only won once in their last 14 matches.

Therefore, their confidence won’t be as high as it would have been in September. Arsenal need to capitalise on this by stamping their authority on the game from the beginning. In reality, Arsenal’s superior ability should be enough to win the match, but if needed the motivation of revenge should ensure the three points. It won’t be easy though!

In terms of team news, William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre will be unavailable for Wenger and Alexandra Song will face a late fitness test as Arsenal look to extend their seven match unbeaten run with a professional victory at the KC stadium.

By Thomas Rooney

Don’t expect signings this window from Arsenal

On January 15, 2009April 8, 2010 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Transfers36 Comments

Every Arsenal fan is expectant of transfer signings this window, Arshavin is the favourite to sign on, and we might get him, but Wenger is keeping a lid on things at the moment, just in case we can’t negotiate a price for him. He commented today:

“We are nowhere at the moment…That means we are not close to signing anybody. We know what we want to do, we are not close to signing today. We are in negotiations, yes, but we want to respect our principles.
“I am very hopeful that something can be done in a few days because we are half-way to the end. So it will be days, but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.

This basically means don’t get your hopes up because Wenger will happily stick with our current squad if he can’t get the right price. Zenit have been overpricing him, in the summer Barca weren’t able to sign him, and moneybags Tottenham weren’t either, due to Zenit’s overzealous pricing regime. The fact that he is going on strike, and can buy himself out of his contract pretty soon could make the difference this time around, but don’t count on it.

“We want to concentrate on what we are doing and what we have here and how we can improve with the players we have.

“I am not a big fan of the window. I feel one of the aspects to judge a manager is to let him start with a team and let him see how far he goes with that team – or you open completely for the whole season.

“England had the right system because it was open till April and that was quite good. Now it’s cut in two and I’m not a big fan of it.

“We have a few options available, but we are no closer. But I believe we have a strong team and we want to do the maximum with the team we have.

Emphasis is on the “we are no closer” here. Negotiations for Arshavin are stalling at the moment as everyone knows, and Wenger doesn’t like the January window at all, so I wouldn’t be suprised if we don’t sign anyone. Wenger goes on to make a good point:

“We are open and don’t forget we have Rosicky, Fabregas, Walcott, all creative and offensive players who will come back at some stage, and that will be like being in the transfer market.

“Eduardo has recovered very well as well, and like a new signing. He is two to three weeks away.”

So we may see a new face at Arsenal by the 2nd of Feb, but if not we have great players returning from injury. I think if all of them come back earlier than expected then we will have a storng side, but I’m still hoping that we will find a way to sign Arshavin to add some strength to the midfield.

More likely the only new face we will see is DB10 as a coach. He got his qualifications for coaching and he has said that he won’t rule out a return to Arsenal as he ‘loves the club’.

Note: If this post makes you angry you may also enjoy this post.

Wenger’s European heartbreak: Two European Campaigns with AS Monaco

On January 15, 2009December 8, 2010 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Champions League, History, Video4 Comments

Arsene Wenger is a fantastic manager, and he has a great record at Arsenal, but one constant in his career is underachieving in European competition. This doesn’t sit well with Wenger, and I can see why, he clearly deserves a European trophy and he has come close on several occasions, not least in 2006 when we were 10 minutes away from winning the Champions League.

This article is a bit of Wenger history. It’s interesting to try to look at some of the more distant past to understand what Wenger has been through in his career, and why he is the man he is today.

His first major managerial post was at AS Monaco from 1987 – 1995. He won Ligue 1 in 1987/88, his first season, got his first taste of the European Cup the following year, reaching the Quarter Finals, but losing to Galatasaray 2-1 on aggregate, the team who were to beat Wenger’s Arsenal in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final.

The matchday programme, from Estadio de Luz, Porto — The CWC 1992 Final programme

Wenger then won the French Cup in 1991. This led to his first European final the following season in the 1991/1992 Cup Winner’s Cup. His Monaco side played well beating teams such as Swansea City, Feyenoord and AS Roma, who we are facing in this season’s Champions League. Monaco faced Werder Bremen in the Final.

The Final was marred by news of the collapse of a temporary stand in Bastia’s French Cup semifinal with Marseille which left 13 dead and hundreds injured.

Otto Rehhagel, who later led Greece to their 2004 European Championship win, was the Bremen manager, and his side won by 2 goals, even though Monaco dominated possession. Wenger had players such as Petit, Djourkaeff, Thuram and George Weah in his side that day.

Wenger went on to a UEFA Cup Final with Arsenal against Galatasary in 2000, which we lost on penalties (I was crying) and a Champions League Final against Barcelona in 2006, which could have been so different.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that Wenger has had a great career, but until he puts his name on a European trophy he will not feel like he has achieved his potential. He has had the chances and come close, and this must be frustrating, I’m sure he still remembers these times.

Wenger is a competitive guy, and this season he will want to put right his awful record in European finals and bring the Champions League to Arsenal.

References:

UEFA CWC 1992 Final Page

European Cup 1988/1988 Campaign

Cup Winner’s Cup Campaign 1991/1992 Wikipedia

Sidebar image from N. Macca, under Creative Commons Licence

Diaby fights Ben Arfa: Video Post

On January 14, 2009January 14, 2009 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Video29 Comments

In 2002 French director Bruno Sevaistre filmed “A la Clairefontaine”, a documentary series following France’s top young talents during their time at the highly acclaimed French national academy; Clairefontaine. The documentary caught this great moment between a very young Hatem Ben Arfa and Abou Diaby.

Very interesting stuff, I think this gives evidence as to why there are rumours of Diaby disliking Ben Arfa. It’s pretty funny, seeing them having to hold Diaby back from tiny Ben Arfa.

Read more about the documentary on the IMDB page.

View more videos in the Video Post Archive.

Thanks to Tim of Liverpool Talk for the link!

Jay Simpson scores for West Brom: Loan Update

On January 14, 2009April 8, 2010 By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Carling Cup, FA Cup, Video14 Comments

Jay Simpson scored West Brom’s first goal last night against Peterborough in the FA Cup 3rd Round replay, which helped them to a 2 – 0 win.

He scored on 17 minutes,and was was replaced by Craig Beattie in the 71st minute, but great to see him get his first Baggies goal.
Jay has got me quite excited this season, his goal in the Carling Cup against Wigan was sublime, and the experience he will get with West Brom is invaluble. He is performing well for them and the more goals and games he gets the better!

Next season I think he could be challenging for a place in the Arsenal first team.

What are your opinions?

Update: Watch the highlights here, at ITV. (Thanks to Dosboss for the link)