Category: Arsenal

What does Silvestre mean for Arsenal

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Transfers5 Comments

Mikael Silvestre signed for Arsenal from Man Utd in the shock signing of the season yesterday. Reportedly the fee was around GBP 750 000, which I think is worthwhile for an experienced defender.

Silvestre is 31, he plays at left back and in central defence, and he is a good addition to the squad.

I still think that the one midfielder Wenger wanted is on his way, Silvestre was just a good bit of buisness he spotted.

It is worrying that Man Utd sold him to us, as maybe that means they don’t see us a title rivals, but if it turns out that he provides good cover, or even breaks into the first team and plays alongside Gallas, it will be a shrewd bit of business on Wenger’s part.

Last season we bemoaned the lack of experience and strength in depth, especially in defence and if Silvestre can clear that up then I will be very happy.

We shouldn’t have any animosity towards him, he may have played 9 years for the Mancs but he is an Arsenal player now. I hope that he provides a new aspect to our game.

FC Twente 0-2 Arsenal: Video Highlights

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Champions League

Arsenal won 2-0 last night against Steve McLaren’s team in the Champions League qualifier 1st leg. We didn’t play fantastically, but a young team managed to get a result, which is good. 2-0 is a good away win, and puts us in a great position.

Here are the highlights:

Middlesbrough bid for Hoyte, FC Twente squad released

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Champions League, Transfers

Middlesbrough have bidded for Justin Hoyte according to their chairman Steve Gibson.

“We have submitted a bid and that’s with Arsenal,”

“We are waiting for Arsenal to respond.

“We have a fantastic relationship with Arsenal. They are good people there and we would never fall out with them.

“But we have given it our best offer and we hope that it happens. If it doesn’t we move on.”

So it looks like Hoyte could be on his way. I think he will leave, his chance in the squad is limited and he probably will never be an Arsenal regular.

Also the squad for the FC Twente game has been released. We play tomorrow in Holland, with a young squad. Wenger explained:

“Kolo has a hip muscle problem. Cesc has a hamstring problem, he will be out for the next two games.

“Abou Diaby (thigh) will be out for a while, we knew that. Philippe Senderos has a scan on his hamstring. He did that today whereas Fabregas did his hamstring yesterday.

“Samir Nasri (knee/thigh) should be OK for Saturday and so should Kolo Toure”.

“Aaron Ramsey has a good chance to start”.

It looks like the younger players will get their chance, click here for the squad.

Arsenal Transfer Round-up: Wenger’s busy, Hoyte, Inler and Giovinco

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Transfers1 Comment

To read the latest Arsenal news, click here.

Just a quick post to let you know whats happening in the transfer market.

Wenger says he’s looking for a player but he’s been busy with the Amsterdam Tournament and preparing for the CL Qualifier:

“At the moment, I am not close to concluding any transfer deal, because I am too busy here,”

“Maybe next week something can happen, but for now we have to focus on the Champions League and forget about transfers because it is a big target for us.”

“I do not rule out anybody completely at the moment. If we were in advanced negotiations with anybody else I would say no, so everything is possible right now.”

That’s fair enough I would rather see us in the Champions League than a player signed. He isn’t ruling anyone out, so it looks like we could see a new face coming in.

We’ve mainly been linked to Inler and also now a young midfielder called Anthony Annan, he’s a 22 year old playing for Ghana with Essien.

Wenger has hinted that he is open for offers for Justin Hoyte, I wouldn’t be suprised to see him leave, he hasn’t got much of a chance with Sagna and Eboue in front of him for the right-back slot.

“At the moment, he is with us and we have had no formal offer from anybody,”

“There is interest here and there, but nothing concrete.”

Wenger might loan out younger players he says:

“I may let one or two go on loan because they need to play,”

“It is part of their education. It is not especially to get Premiership experience, but to play in the first team every week with that pressure. Then, when we feel they are ready to integrate in the first team, they come back.”

We’ve also been linked by the unreliable Italian press to 21 year old Sebastian Giovinco of Juventus, he’s a young midfielder currently playing at the Olympics.

Arsenal 1-1 Sevilla: Amsterdam Tournament Video Highlights

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal2 Comments

Arsenal 1-1 Sevilla

Arsenal Line-Up

Fabianski

Hoyte  Senderos  Djourou  Gibbs

Wilshere  Ramsey  Randall  Thomas

Bendtner  Vela
Arsenal won the Amsterdam Tournament last night after a 1-1 draw with Sevilla. Wenger rested key players ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League Qualifier against FC Twente.

Carlos Vela scored Arsenal’s goal in the 4th minute after a lovely run down the left wing, holding off the defender to slot the ball underneath the keeper.

Sevilla dominated the young Arsenal side for most of the match, but only managed to score 9 minutes from the end with a Javier Chevanton strike.

That left the score at 1-1, but Arsenal went on to win the tounrnament for the third time.

Ajax 2-3 Arsenal: Video Highlights Amsterdam Tournament

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal4 Comments

StumbleUpon Toolbar

Ajax 2-3 Arsenal (2-0 H/T)

Click below to watch the goals:

Luis Suarez 34′
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 36′
Emmanuel Adebayor 66′
Nicklas Bendtner 73′
Emmanuel Adebayor 83′

Arsenal Line-up

Almunia

Sagna Toure Gallas(c) Clichy

Eboue Fabregas Denilson Walcott
(Wilshere) (Ramsey) (Bendtner)

Adebayor van Persie

Arsenal continued their winning ways today with a stunning comeback from two goals down at the Amsterdam Arena.

Ajax opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a beautiful Luis Suarez half volley, after Kolo had tried to head clear in vain.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made it two in two minutes for Ajax, with his strike after a quick free-kick.

Second half

Eboue crossed perfectly for Emmanuel Adebayor to head home Arsenal’s first goal.

Bendtner popped up to get the equaliser in the 73rd minute after Ade had intercepted a backpass.

Arsenal finished the Dutchmen off in the 83rd minute with a burst into the box from Denilson who cut back for Adebayor to get the winner, and his second.

A decent performance from the Gunners, although they will have to sharpen up (especially the defence!) for when we face FC Twente in our first competitive match on Wed 13th Aug.

Sevilla and Jose Mourinho’s Inter drew nil-nil in the other match of the Tournament, we play Sevilla tomorrow at 6pm (BST) as the Amsterdam Tournament continues.

Gallas is Captain + Theo + Amsterdam Tournament

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Afternoon all,

First up, Walcott has been telling us about how his first choice number was 8 this season, but his good mate Vic the kit man told him that was Nasri’s so he had to go for 14. It’s just a number to him though!

“Thierry was my idol. He looked after me when I was first here. It was brilliant to train with him every day and watch what he did. He was the best striker I have ever seen. So I suppose it’s like Ade having No 25 because Kanu had that.

“But as I say for me it is just a number.”

Also Wenger backed Gallas to be captain again this season at the Amsterdam Tournament press conference.

See what you think of the comments, it sounds as though Gallas is a bit of a stop gap captain really, Wenger is just giving him another season, and is going to see how it turns out. I think he’s waiting for Cesc to mature a little.

“William will be captain again”, “Kolo Toure will be his assistant.”

“He got a lot of criticism after what happened at Birmingham last season but until then everybody said he was a fantastic captain.

“He acknowledges that he made some mistakes and he has learned from it. Remember William was not the most gifted player when he was a young boy. He is where he is because he has a good evaluation of his own performance. That is what makes the big players. If you speak to a big player after a game they can always assess what they have done right and wrong. Therefore he has analysed himself what happened last season.

“But William is an important player in the team, plays in a position where it is easier to be captain and as well some players who could be captain are still young.

“He deserves another go to show his commitment and then we will see where we stand at the end of the season.”

It sounds like Wenger thinks he’s not the best player for the job. Interesting that he says he wasn’t the best player when he was younger.

But I think it’s fair that Gallas has this season to prove himself. He did alright last season, just a few problems, like the Birmingham game. As always – if the team are doing well everyone is happy, but Gallas becomes a scapegoat when we fail.

I think that he is a decent choice for captain, but he isn’t the long term option, and Wenger’s comments highlight that.

In the tournament we’ve got Ajax and Sevilla, both teams we have faced in the Champions League. We kick off against Ajax at 8.15pm tonight, and Sevilla tomorrow at 6.

Enjoy the game Gooners!

Arsene: “We need a defensive midfielder”

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Transfers13 Comments

After the sale of Flamini and Gilberto this summer, Wenger is still searching for a replacement to play the defensive midfield role which these two have in the past.

We have options at the club already, most notably Diaby, who has played the role during pre-season. I have blogged before about Diaby and I think he has talent, but he doesn’t seem to be able to fulfil his potential.

There are other players in the squad, such as Song, who can play in central midfield, but Diaby is the only real option which makes sense.

The problem for me is that last year the squad did not have the strength and depth which is appropriate for title challengers. We have now let two first teamers go, and no-one has replaced them.

Wenger wants to bring in another midfielder, who is more experienced, and this makes the most sense, after Members’ Day he said:

“If we have everybody on board and nobody injured then [OK] but maybe we could do to take one more experienced player.”

This is true – we could manage this season with our current squad if no-one gets injured and use Diaby in central midfield. He is a good player and we have a strong first team. But there is not enough cover for Diaby, and it would be too easy for that to go wrong.

If we really are challenging next year the best option is, as Wenger says, to bring in an experienced player, and then Diaby would be used as back up. That would be the perfect outcome – but if we can’t find the right guy then we may go ahead with a weakened squad.

So keep looking Arsene, I just hope you find the right guy before time runs out!

Huddersfield 1 – 2 Arsenal: Video Highlights and Trophy Celebrations

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal

Huddersfield 1 – 2 Arsenal (0 – 0 H/T)

Goals: Michael Flynn (75), Sanchez Watt (79), Nacer Barazite (87)

Arsenal played Huddersfield earlier this evening at the Galpharm, coming from behind to win 2-1.

The game was part of Huddersfield’s Centenary celebrations, and was dedicated to Herbert Chapman, a manager who achieved great success with both Huddersfield and Arsenal throughout the 1920s and 1930s. After the game Arsenal lifted the first Herbert Chapman Trophy.

The line up was a young one, Wenger taking no risks with the upcoming Champions League qualifier against FC Twente on the 13th August:

Fabianski

J.Hoyte G. Hoyte Djourou (c) Gibbs

Lansbury Randall Ramsey Wilshere

Walcott Vela

Trophy Celebrations

Arsenal’s youngsters got a run out here and came away with a decent win. Ramsey looked very good in the centre of the park as did Randall, who is surely one to watch for the future.

Half-time Substitutions

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas ->Gavin Hoyte
Emmanuel Frimpong -> Aaron Ramsey
Jay Simpson -> Carlos Vela
Nacer Barazite -> Theo Walcott
Sanchez Watt -> Jack Wilshere
Vito Mannone -> Lukasz Fabianski

65th Minute Substitutions

Havard Nordtveit ->Henri Lansbury
Kyle Bartley -> Johan Djourou
Rui Fonte -> Justin Hoyte

Wenger on Rosicky and Eduardo

On By jamesgillespIn Arsenal, Injuries1 Comment

According to Arsene Tomas Rosicky should be back in September and Eduardo in November. Tomas has struggled with injuries since joining Arsenal and I feel his creativity was sorely missed last season. Meanwhile, Eduardo was unlucky to get the nasty injury at Birmingham, just as he was starting to score goals reguarly.

Rosicky has been out of action since Jan 26, and has been reguarly injured while Eduardo got a fractured leg and open dislocation to his ankle in late February.

They took part in Members’ Day yesterday and afterwards Wenger commented:

“The situation is positive for both players,”

“We believe Tomas could be available in September and Eduardo maybe in November.

“Also it was good for them to be back in this kind of atmosphere. The players enjoy a day like that.”

Both of these players are crucial to Wenger’s squad and the plan for the season ahead. If they and Robin Van Persie had been available last season then we would have had a much better chance of silverware.

Remember that we spent many games watching Eboue on the wing and Ade up front on his own. With Rosicky, Eduardo and RVP in the line up the team looks very balanced. You can see how Wenger has built a great team, but it cannot perform when key parts are missing.