Author: jamesgillesp

Emmanuel Adebayor: Legend, or one season wonder? Comparing Henry’s stats

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Data9 Comments

In Emmanuel Adebayor’s first two full seasons at Arsenal he has caused about as much controversy as anything else. Opinion is divided over his qualities as a player and personality. In light of criticism of his play I thought I’d take a look at his statistics in comparison with the sacred Thierry Henry after his first two seasons at the club:

Henry (All competitions):

  • 1999-00 – Apps: 48, Goals: 26, Assists: 9
  • 2000-01 – Apps: 53, Goals: 22, Assists: 3

Henry scored 0.54 goals per game in 1999-00, and 0.42 per game the following season. These were only his first two seasons at the club, and the rate of roughly a goal every other game is impressive for a player reconverting to the strikers role.

In comparison Adebayor, joined Arsenal in January 2006, but he only played 13 games so these stats count from his first full season at the club in 2006-07.

  • 2006-07 – Apps: 44, Goals: 12, Assists: 4
  • 2007-08 –  Apps: 54, Goals: 30, Assists: 5

Adebayor scored 0.27 goals per game in his first season, playing approximately the same number of games as Thierry. The team was performing worse in the league at the time, eventually finishing fourth, compared to second place in 1999-00. In his second season Adebayor became a 30-goal striker, taking 0.56 goals per game, the video below shows all 30.

We can see from the stats that Adebayor, playing as second striker last season was not as effective as Henry in his first full season. Emmanuel played with Henry in 2006-07, and scored just 12 in comparison with Henry’s 26 in 1999-2000. 2007-08 has seen a marked different in the goalscoring. His 0.56 goals per game ratio is better than either of Henry’s first two seasons, although only marginally.

There are differences in the approach for 2007-08, the most marked change being Adebayor playing as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation, and has done better in terms of goals and assists. This is part of what drove the club to a title challenge during the season.

Remember that Adebayor wasn’t as experienced as Henry when he joined the club, having only played for three seasons in the first team at AS Monaco. Whereas Henry had already spent some years in Italy at Juventus, and played for the French national team, albeit on the left wing, before joining Arsenal in 1999.

The performance from 07-08 looks promising on Adebayor’s part, although it is unlikely he can ever scale the heights which Theirry Henry managed.

Statistics don’t tell the whole story, the league has changed drastically in the seven years between these seasons, and generally has become more defensive in tactical outlook. Arsenal’s formation is also different, and having a single striker may increase the opportunities for that player’s goal-scoring.

Henry is ultimately the best player Arsenal ever had, but the data shows that Adebayor’s contribution is not unimpressive.  Although not as fast as Henry, or as technically gifted, he has dogged determinism, and passes the ball well.

They are different players, and so ultimately comparison is difficult. What is clear is that Adebayor has potential, it remains to be seen if he can really use this and develop into a top quality striker. If Adebayor maintains a high workrate then Arsene is right to believe in him.

Update: Arsenal Column has an excellent piece with stats on Adebayor as he departs to Man City in the summer of 2009.

Adebayor stops the rumour over Milan

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers11 Comments

As expected Adebayor has come out and rubbished the rumours which were circling about him going to Milan.

“I am very happy here. Reports which suggest I have threatened to quit are rubbish,”

“I love the club and the fans.

“We have a great set of players here with a fantastic team spirit.

“We have had a good season, but next year we want to go one better by winning a trophy.”

Hill-Wood slams greed while Sagna signs on like a good boy

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers2 Comments

Arsenal have rewarded Bacary Sagna with a new contract until 2014. The news came out a few days ago but we now know the length of the deal.

“I love Arsenal, they are a great club. The manager is also very good and next season we will be fighting for all the trophies.”

Sagna is definitely the best right-back in the Premiership and was our top signing last summer. In typical Wenger style, he arrived with little furore and proceeded to play amzingly all season.

The fact that we have renewed his contract after just one season at the club is good, it means we can hold onto a top player, but it also reveals the state of the transfer system at the moment.

With players like Hleb being linked away from the club with this Webster Clause and others like Flamini leaving, it seems that we are putting in a concerted effort to keep the team together and happy in their contracts. I have no problem with this, but it does show that the club is a bit more wary of loyalty issues now.

Peter Hill-Wood made comments about the same issue, speaking harshly about the lack of loyalty which is present in football these days:

“Nowadays, a lot of people sign four-year contracts and you heave a sigh of relief. Six months later they come marching in saying they want double the wages.
“The only answer is to tell them they are on that contract and that’s it. Unless you do that, the game will become chaotic and descend into anarchy.

“I think there are very few people who have really got the tradition of the club at heart. You can name them on one hand. Actually I can’t name them on one hand and that’s a great pity.”

“In the old days money was not the big driving force. Nobody was greedy. People didn’t come marching in for pay rises, be they executives, senior managers, players, whatever. People weren’t motivated by the money. They liked the job, they liked the club and they wanted to go to work in the morning. Everyone has become much more materialistic.

“I think that is one of the reasons why Arsene [Wenger] signs younger players. OK, they will probably walk out in five years but at least he has the opportunity to mould them. But some of the so-called stars have got their own ideas about what should happen and don’t always agree with what we think.”

“We are going to go on this way. We are not going to be diverted. We are not going to spend £100 million,”

This is apparent in players like Flamini and possibly Hleb. I am all for sticking to our guns and doing things the way we have been doing them. Arsenal as a club know that we are not like the Chelseas of this world and we don’t have to spend oceans of money to be the best in the league.

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Wenger thinks we can win it all next season!

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Wenger has been quoted in the Daily Express. saying he thinks Arsenal can win silverware next season

“I think we can win everything. We are very, very close,”

“Now that the Champions League final has become an FA Cup final the team who is very strong in England has a good chance to win the European Cup. The Premier League title goes down to one game, won or lost.”

“I believe overall quality, going forward, we were the best team in the League. However, Arsenal conceded 10 more goals than the others and that made the difference.

“It’s very difficult to take a perspective in what people expected from us at the start of the season, and the fact we are disappointed for not winning the championship.

“We have done beyond expectation, but, as well, we are disappointed beyond expectation as we have not won the championship. But we feel we are very, very close.”

I’ve said before on this blog that we were amazing going forward this season, it was just defensive frailties that let us down. That was what cost us everything in the end.

Wenger should look at signing someone to bolster the defence before he goes for players like Nasri or Ben Arfa, as tantalising as Gooners do find them.

Wenger remphasizes what Pat Rice said a few days ago, last season we exceeded expectations and next season we will be back better and stronger.

Gallas, Fabregas, Walcott and Almunia show off new Arsenal kit in leaked picture

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal14 Comments

Arsenal Kit 08/09

Arsenal players Gallas, Cesc, Theo and Almunia are modelling the new home kit in this leaked picture from The Other Football, a Florida-based blog.

The picture was sent in by a reader, it seems to confirm rumours of the 08/09 kit designs which were leaked earlier this year.

I like it, but it does seems a bit similar to the 00/01 and 01/02 home kit. I would have preferred all white sleeves, but Nike probably wanted to vary the design a little.

The goalkeeper kit looks a bit odd!

What do you think now we have actually seen it on the players?

Update:

I think Arsenal.com are about to announce the kit lanch, check this link, at the time of writing only the headline has been written, possibly a publishing error!

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Lehmann is now a Stuttgart player

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers2 Comments

Jens Lehmann, 38, the crazy old ‘keeper has left Arsenal for VfB Stuttgart on a free.

We all knew this transfer was coming. Lehmann has been out of the team for most of this season and is ageing. Wenger allowed him a farewell 20 minutes at the Grove where he got a standing ovation in the last home game of the season against Everton. That was his last apperance in an Arsenal shirt.

Hopefully Lehmann will be fondly remembered for his antics whilst at Arsenal. He was almost ever present in the unbeaten season of the Invincibles, and played a large part in some of our more recent successes under Wenger.

Although very, very, very temperamental, and generally mental, Lehmann has been a good player for the club. Some dodgy moments aside we should remember him as an eccentric keeper who brought us a period of success.

He said this:

“The talks with the leaders of VfB Stuttgart were very pleasant from the beginning,” he told Stuttgart’s official website.I look forward to Vfb and the Bundesliga and I want to play my part in a successful 2008/2009 season.”

Are Arsenal in for Ramsey?

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers1 Comment

Man Utd have had a bid accepted for Aaron Ramsey of Cardiff. The 17 year old is highly rated and Man Utd are leading the race for his signature. Are Arsenal also in the running?

Another top Premiership club has had a bid accepted by Cardiff, they stated:

“We can confirm that on 3 June the club has received formal bids from three top Premier League teams for Aaron Ramsey… Aaron has been given permission to speak to two of these teams.

The BBC says it’s Arsenal. I can believe that, but I think this guy is Man Utd bound.

Pat Rice puts rumours to bed and looks forward!

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers

Right a bit of Pat Rice news here. Pat has denied the speculation that he was considering leaving the club.

A few weeks ago Gooner Talk posted up an article stating that sources close to the club said Pat’s wife was ill and he was considering leaving Arsenal.

That day the comments rained in and Stephen Rice, Pat’s son, even commented that the rumours were untrue. Gooner Chris came forward and did the right thing, apologising for the rumour.

Today Pat Rice spoke on Arsenal.com:

“To put the record straight, there is absolutely no truth in the rumours that have been going about,”

“The first rumour on a website claimed that I was leaving because my wife is in ill health. That is completely and utterly a lie. I’m really surprised and disappointed that someone would say something like that when it’s not true.

“As far as I am concerned, my role this summer is no different to how it has been since Arsène came here in 1996.

“Until he tells me something different, I will still be in my normal role as his assistant and we will be looking forward to doing pre-season as per normal.”

Pat also looked forward to the season ahead:

“If you got back to the close season the so-called pundits were writing us off,”

“One pundit – who I remember is an ex-player – said we would be lucky if we finish in the top eight! That goes to show you just how good the side is.

“I believe that the experience and the disappointments we endured throughout last season will make sure we come back even stronger and even more committed.”

This the same thing we have heard quite reguarly from the club this season. At the time I couldn’t understand why people were going so crazy and were so pessimistic about the season coming up. I was nervous but most of the people saying we wouldn’t finish in the top 4 were just talking up the hype.

This team is strong, but to be honest I am more nervous about the season ahead than last because we achieved so much good last season, it will be even more disappointing to not win anything this season again.

We have a great side, but it lacks depth, and with key players leaving Wenger needs to make the right moves to keep the team strong.

Nasri – Will Arsenal ever sign him?

On By jamesgillespIn Transfers26 Comments

Last week Wenger said that there was a good chance Nasri would be an Arsenal player before the Euros kick off.

We still have a week to see if that is actually the case. I’d like to point out that no matter how much speculation there is, until its a done deal its not a done deal, no amount of hype will make this fact.

Basically everyone is bored on the football front and every tiny quote is analysed in detail in the hope that we can glean a minute detail of information.

So after all the talk we have another quote from Le Boss, talking on French radio RMC:

“Nasri, he interests me, I hope I will do it after the Euros.

“It is more complicated now because the wage differences [between the French and the English league] are not as big as they used to be.

“Just watch [Karim] Benzema. He is 20 and recently signed a new deal.“It is very difficult [to transfer players from the French league] but England is considered one of the two top leagues and the best players want to play against the best players.”

What we know – Arsene is interested in Nasri and would like to sign him.

What we can guess – Arsenal have been talking to the player and are currently negotiating a deal.

What we hope – That Nasri signs up.

I wouldn’t be too hopeful of signing him anytime soon. Really I’d prefer it if we just heard nothing until it actually happened.

Translated quote: Setanta Sports