We’ll Never Beat The Irish, Or The Brazilians
May 29th, 2013 by 'holic
Well that was a strange evening. I have spoken before of my growing disenchantment with international football, to the extent that rarely do I bother to watch England games any more. I am guessing tonight would be the third or fourth time I have watched them in the last year.
This was a little different though. Ireland provided the opposition for one of my best nights at Wembley following the national side back in 1976. I got locked in a small bar at Baker Street post-match, and if memory serves me right I was the only Englishman in a sea of green. The craic was most definitely had.
I am of a generation of Arsenal supporters enriched by watching a selection of some of Ireland’s best (and worst!) players in the red and white from the sixties to the eighties, so surprisingly found myself looking forward to the match this evening. I should have known better really, shouldn’t I?
As in 1976, or indeed as in most meetings between the two countries it seems, the match ended 1-1. Both sides tried to play with a tempo that gave the lie to the friendly tag, but the lack of real creativity on both sides made the experience a tad tedious. Theo and the Ox had the best chances to win it for England, and both flickered brightly on occasion but fell short in the end product department. Before anyone says it yes, Walcott and Rooney did combine well on the night but please don’t waste your time making any more of it than that.
Elsewhere there was quite a contribution from Lukas Podolski to Germany’s 4-2 win against Ecuador. In seven seconds, then sixteen minutes he was gifted goals by dreadful defending. Good. The boost to his confidence is welcome. Those who belittle his contribution in his first full season in England have missed the similar travails that befell some players that went on to become legends in this country, at Arsenal and elsewhere.
No doubt on Sunday I will tune in to watch the 2013 version of the greatest national team I ever saw (of course it was Brazil 1970!) play England. Thankfully thereafter we can concentrate on a summer of cricket, golf, music, beer, the occasional bit of nostalgia, and a veritable feast of transfer speculation…
…and guest posts?
Again, huge thanks to Take a Bow Son for his superb recollection of that night in May 1989. The response in the drinks and on Twitter has been amazing. How can we top that, I thought. Then I arrived home tonight to find another contribution from one of our number in my mailbox. It is a great read, and it will be published on Friday evening. Who wrote it? You will have to wait and see, for that may give away the nature of the post.
All I will say at this stage is that TaBS and Bergkamp the Man have competition.
186 Responses to “We’ll Never Beat The Irish, Or The Brazilians”
Cut this off then ! π
Heh! π
It will be just like watching Brazil….. π
Holic,
do you know whether Poldolski has an injury, and what is planned for the summer ?
Rumours were of possible surgery and ankle knack, and he has been looking uncomfortable for some time.
That was fast ‘ Holic. I am late as usual, and I apologize for pasting this from the previous drinks.
Fabulous story tabs, with all ingredients of a good narration, that was a joy to read. Thanks.
Anyone else noted Seamus Coleman performance this evening? He has all what we need to challenge the Corporal in case Sagna leaves this summer, me thinks. Young, fast, decent cross, can dribble opponent, lacks experience in defense sometimes but recovers well. Only problem is that he may just signed a new long deal with Everton, as far as I remember.
I didn’t even know that there was a game on tonight, so resigned am I already to no real football for weeks.
The close season is bad enough, but what is the deal with having to wait until mid July before the Ashes kicks off in earnest? That means that England will only be about 2 down in the series when the football starts up again…. π
Now now Dr z π
No Trev, is the honest truth, but I may in a couple of weeks.
Not that I could share it with you anyway π
Actually H, I think it will be the other way around.
An inexperienced Aussie side up against that England bowling attack in English bowling conditions?
Carnage.
Trev, I’m as confused as you are on Podolski.
hope you enjoy my guest post on friday ‘holics
its a rip roaring romp through my first communion day
π
Evening Trev
re Poldi,
AW is on record from an interview a few weeks back that he rested Poldi regularly in the 2nd half of the season becuase in his words,
‘he didn’t have the stamina to compete physically for the whole 90mins.’
He said Poldi was playing in one of the hardest positions to play on the pitch.
Left side,up and down the field for 90 mins week in week out exhausted him,so he used him sparingly after Christmas.
How many times when we were defending did we see Poldi playing as an extra full back.
He also mentioned Germans were used to the mid winter break which Poldi didn’t have the luxury of here.
Poldi of course was used to playing as a central striker in Germany,so he wasn’t running box to box all afternoon.
Differnet for Per,because he is only patrolling a section of the pitch in defense,and making the odd foray forward for our mainly completely fucking useless corners and free kicks.
Nowhere in AW’s comments on Poldi did he mention injury.
It just appers to be,playing in a postionhe was not used to, and lacking the endurance for a 50 odd game season in the quickest league in Europe.
AW added he would be all the better for the experience,and would be a much more durable player next season.
Which is a big plus for us,as he wasn’t too shabby in the scoring dept this season.
Cheers
The Sweeper.
cba,
You promised…
π
Good to see you Clive.
Hope all is well.
Nice post ‘H. Have to agree with you re the “attractions” of tonight’s International fare.
Holic, you’re very welcome, and thanks again for giving me the platform. I will look forward to Mr Mystery on friday!
Dr Z – Fancy England, but you write the Aussies off at your peril. Hope we tonk ’em, but the only time that I can remember them being uncompetitive was when they showed up after most of their side had been decimated by Packer.
Clive – Good stuff. Hope it was merely fatigue rather than anything more serious.
Clive,
Thanks for that. I managed to miss that explanation from AW.
It was a mystery as sometimes he seemed quite unencumbered when running, and at others he seemed to struggle to move much at all.
During one attack against ManUre at home he actually walked all the way from the half way line into the oppostion penalty area.
If it was just tiredness then that’s good news. A fully fit Podolski will be a fine player.
cba,
Did you catch my little missive towards the end of the last drinks ?
sorry trev
i did miss your missive
but it’s a miss ive rectified
.
it’s beautiful
Just seemed like Arseblogger’s normal weather we were travelling through, and as you’re from those parts……
Trying to provoke you into action, to be honest. π
π
Evening all. I have not bothered to watch any of England game. I am a massive patriot but I really can’t be arsed watching any team captained by cashley.
Having decided to venture out for the evening I returned to see on Sky the TH14 interview. What a legend. The sooner he is back and involved at the club the beter. Top top top Gunner legend.
Clive. Good to see you back fella. I hope all is well in the land of the sweeper.
I must say that I am looking forward to my trip to the grove on Saturday with my little rock chick. Anyone else attending????
Ttg on the end of the last post on TV5 and Sagna.
Here here sir! In complete agreement.
THat might be a first.
A round on me!
Evening/morning H’
I am fighting fit,others in my circle as you know,are not.
But hope springs eternal.
Hope all well with you.
Trev/Tabs,
I think Poldi is the first German recruit to the EPL,who has been asked to play a role/position outside his comfort zone.
I can only think of Ballack at Chelsea in a forward midfield role,our mad ex keeper and Per,who have joined in the past few years.
So the difficulty in adjusting has not been highlighted before.
Hi Steve,
Have thoroughly enjoyed reading your ‘straight from the Ground’
reports over the final weeks of the season,albeit they are posted when you get home.!!
Along with Tabs/Zico and a few others you haven’t been afraid to go against the flow,and question the quality of our performances and our current squad.
Let’s hope with the right recruitment in the summer,you will have something to get excited about next season.
Cheers
The Sweeper.
HUGHES OUT!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22710396
I’m surprised they know how to use writing utensils up there π
Tabs, from the last post: I think ManU escaped censure from the Tevez deal because they made the ruling after that transfer saga and ruled that existing deals would be allowed to continue (or something like that). Could be the bags of money that passed hands as well like 8ball said too!
Good work by Poldi against Ecuador. Trying to put himself in the shop window for Juventus I guess? heh
@ 14
Thought I’d experiment with Ollie’s reverse jinxing π
Heh Dr Z, here’s hoping. π
Here’s one for the Cricket aficionados. Without looking them up, name the England players who signed for Packer. I only managed 4 of them, but there are six of them in total.
Canons – But that explanation doesn’t work does it? If the ruling only came in after Man Utd signed Tevez, why were West Ham punished? Am I being stupid? Probably.
There obviously was a difference in the two deals. Man Utd wouldn’t have been that stupid would they?
Still leaning heavily towards 8Ball’s theory though π
So in other good news, it’s Sparky to manage Stoke.
Thank you, football gods, for not letting someone likeable take the job. I can now relax in the knowledge that the mantle of ‘biggest team of knuckle-dragging cunts managed by one of the world’s biggest cunts’ is safe in its place for another season!
Roll on 13-14.
“Coates [Stoke’s chairman] said he would like the club to move in a different direction, suggesting he would like to alter perceptions after becoming known as a physical team under Pulis.”
So he hired Sparky.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Heh Camberwell π
Listed his contributors to the Arsecast and puts holic last, which is then followed by a list of drinks and … Babycham is last in the list, implying the guvnor wears pink slippers… Say it ain’t so, ‘h.
As far as Mark Hughes goes
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/stoke-city-fan-stages-hughes-protest-even-appointed-204624063.html
Packer cricketers were Greig, Knott, Amiss, Snow, Underwood and Woolmer.
I loved Knott and Deadly and was gutted.
@30 Blimey, clean sweep. Well done. I had forgotten Snow and Woolmer.
Re the Ashes for those interested – absolutely nobody in Oz, not even the most rabid anti-Pom journos, are giving the Aussies any chance whatsoever. In the local idiom, that could be a worry. Nah – surely not?
H loves his Babycham at breakfast. Great poured over his Coco-pops.
Noosa,
Do the rabid anti-pom journos ever get anything right?
If yes they would never make a living over here π
You’re being unfair to journos, Zico.
I’m sure I saw a headline in one of the tabloids a year or two back that said “Sun expected to rise in East tomorrow”. They got that one right.
Afternoon all.
I didn’t see anything of last nights game, followed it sporadically on live text, didn’t seem like I missed much.
From previous;
Tabs, I never really understood how Man U and Kia Jaberwocky got away with that deal either. Wet Spam got fined, Man U then basicaly got a player on loan. The rules changed and Citeh had tp pay 30mill for him, but not to Manure. #shadyshit
Re captain’s armband; Only one choice for me, Arteta, even if he doesn’t play every game. Let the BFG deputise with LJW as vice/back up if needs be.
Good afternoon Clive, sir.
You make some good points about Poldi, I agree that it’s always difficult for players from foriegn shores to adapt to the rigours of the PL, although the Bundesliga is not exactly, what I’d call, a static league. It’s not quite the tempo of the PL but it’s still pretty much blood and thunder end to end stuff. Yes unlike us they indeed have the winter stop and we do play more games on average, but Poldi’s problems can’t just be put down to stamina.
He was cleary in discomfort, even to the point of limping, it was reported that he was having shots just to be able to play through the pain barrier, due to an ankle injury that may or may not require surgery (*depending on what you read) in the close seaaon.
*Google “Podolski ankle injury” for a list of articles.
At the tail end of the season he also picked up a calf strain that kept him out of the team, this was seen as a minor niggle, especialy when compared to the ongoing problem of the ankle. The calf healed reasonable quickly allowing him to feature in the remaining fixtures, but anyone who has watched Poldi over the years can clearly see that something is not right and although I’d like to, I can’t put it down to just fatigue.
Here’s hoping that he can cure what ever it is that’s not allowing him to be 100%, because as I’ve previously said, a Poldi firing on all cylinders will be one helluva playa’.
All v strange H2H. There may be a perfectly plausible explanation as to why ManU were “onside” and West Ham weren’t, but I’ve never seen it, or at least if I have seen it, I’ve never understood it.
Don’t think there’d be too many dissenters from your Captaincy solution.
As for Poldi, I certainly thought he was injured until Clive popped up with an alternative theory. I must admit I find it strange that he played International football last night if he needs an op. Wouldn’t any op be carried out as soon as the domestic season ends in order to give them as much time as possible to be fit for next season?
Friday? Don’t detract people from watching the French Cup final, ‘holic!
It depends what and where you read about it, Tabs.
Some say that it (the ankle) may require surgery, some say it’s a minor niggle, all very strange indeed. But again, his last injury, a calf strain, was gone and that’s why he declared himself “fit” for international duty.
I hope he doesn’t do a “Wilshere” by ignoring what seems (to me anyway) to be a problem.
How far will you go……………….
http://thesunshineroom.com/2013/05/30/bullshit-rodeo/
Curiouser and curiouser about Podolski; if there is an injury, then how do you or how can you play for virtually an entire friendly match (subbed out in second half stoppage time) when there are six substitutions available, when there’s a 4-0 lead within 30 minutes?
If fatigue is an issue, then how do you or how can you play under a blazing sun at 30 degree plus temperature and 90% humidity for virtually a full match?
Just asking…..
Bayonne Jean: the pace of that game was probably far less than that of a Premier League game.
And the ankle injury is no myth, Poldi himself has written about it on his Twitter account.
Here is my take on Poldi’s injury:
Poldi was nursing an ankle injury at the start of this year but with playing more from 2nd half of Jan till Feb-end (Gerv going for AfCon) and no winter break, fatigue set in which flared up the ankle injury. Coz of which Poldi was rarely used in March and early April. At that time, there was a talk of him having a surgery at the end of the season. But guess if healed during that phase and him playing continuously at the end of the season proved it was indeed healed..
Not a bad theory IndainGoonr. I hope you’re right.
Was talking with a guy during the CL final. German, from Cologne. Helluva good guy. (insisted in buying liters of Kolsch the whole time, which made for most excellent match viewing.)
Has seen a lot of Poldi. Said many things as the beer flowed, but one point he made that made some sense was that environment and managing important for a guy like him. (Poldi, not my buddy!)
Example – the whole Bayern Munich flameout. But IF Arsenal can keep him happy and focused, he’s a bang-on 20 goal a year striker. Surely the gaffer understands this and was taking extra care. Dunno.
I’ve sat back and read all the stuff about Cesc over the last few weeks, biting my tongue and biding my time.
Firstly, I’m very much of the opinion that he totaly fucked us over, I’ll probably get shot down for this, but I think his betrayal was even worse then that of RvP’s…… Hold on…. Before you start hurling rocks at me, I’ll try to explain.
What Rvp did was cuntish in the extreame, that statement was beyond reproach, a fatal misjudgement of public opinion, but agree with it or not (for the record I did not) at least he had the balls to come out and say what was on his (read his agents) mind. It was a damn shame it transpired as it did, but hey if you’re going to make a break, then make it a clean one, that statement insured that there was no turning back, done and dusted, he’s outta here bye bye.
That he went to Manure was a kick in the balls, but it was either them or the oily cunts, both as dispicable as each other. If he had went to the Blue side the fallout would have been just as bad, let’s not kid ourselves that it would of been easier to take. Him joining them would have just confirmed to their fans that we were nothing more then their feeder club and they would have now been setting their sites on Santi and Jack. RvP is now person non grata, the ultimate boo boy and object of our ire, rightly so, that’s the way it goes, but, for me anyway, Cesc has had a free pass.
Yes the circumstances were different in that Cesc was going home………… BOLLOX. Cesc was home, he grew up at Arsenal, I know what it’s like to move away from family and friends at an early age, I did it too. I know everyone is different but I see this as my home now, not London. O.K, that’s irrelevent, but this is not;
RvP was in the last year of his contract, one more year and we would of lost him for nothing anyway.
Cesc, had just the year before, signed a long term deal, we had absolutly no reason to sell what was at the time our best player and captain. He engenired the move away, plain and simple he abandoned us, he abandoned Wenger.
Arsene had built that side around him, and why shouldn’t he, afteral we had just tied him down to a very lucrative five year deal. But his head had been turned. Even before he signed the extension there were noises coming from the Catalan club, did Cesc once try to quash these rumours? Did he fuck.
Summer came and with it the WC, that baldy cunt Reina and those spunkjunkies from Barca; Prique and Poo Hole pulled that shitrag of a shirt over him in the celebrations. Did cesc put up a fight? Did he then come out condeming them of unfair mishandling by trying to force said garment on him? Once again, did he fuck!
After that, speculation was rife that he was on his way out. Every day a new story would appear, “Barca DNA”, “Cesc a prisoner” and other such crap filled the tabloids fueled by anyone and anything that had ever been in the vicinity of the Nou Cunt. But what of Cesc, surely as captain of our team he will come out publicly and dispell such notions as ridiculous……………… Again, nothing.
Still, he can let his performances on the pitch do the talking, right? I’ve read a few accounts from peaple praising him for always giving his all………………… Realy?
Any other season I would have agreed 100%, but not that final one. I felt he was hiding behind injuries and when he did play it seemed to me his head and heart just wasn’t in it anymore, not surprising really considering the circus going on concerning his future, but still unforgivable as captain of our club. Say what you want about the Skunk, but his final season, even though he probably knew he was leaving, was exceptional and he led us by example, carried us over the line even.
When Cesc left us he told us he “loved us”, sounds a lot like “I’ll always be a gooner” to me. Cesc never bad mouthed the club since he left, but to my knowledge neither has the dutch bloke. RvP was a good striker (for a year) Cesc was the foundation on which the whole team was to be built. Rvp was an almost 30 year old on the final year of his contract looking for one last big pay day with the hope of a medal, Cesc was a 24 year old that we had nutured from a teenager to a world beater. We were able to negioate, a semi decent (not good enough for me) price for RvP but due to the self orchestrated one club auction we got absolute peanuts for Cesc, we were fucking robbed due to his cunting DNA.
So tell me now, which was the biggest betrayal?
Would I take Cesc back?
Yeah, I’d welcome him back, like I welcome all new players to our club, that’s what a supporters supposed to do, right? Even though I don’t think he’s the player he was a few years before his departure, that whole pre move saga and the move itself seem to have taken a lot out of him, he’s not even close to the level he was in 2009/10.
This next bit may cause futher distress so those of you with a whole lotta love for Cesc maybe better stop reading…. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if he left Barca, where, let’s be honest he’s floped big time, and joined Manure. Why wouldn’t he? Out of “loyalty” to Arsenal? Per—lease, don’t make me laugh.
Loyalty in football is in it’s death throws, it’s like an alien entity to most in the game as it is, add to that the greed of agents into the mix and loyalty just becomes a word for hacks and poets. Most of the time the whole concept is just our own insecurities transfered onto “our” players. Surely they wouldn’t leave us? Not after all we did for them? They love the club as much as we do? Ha Ha we are just kidding ourselves, I know I’ve done it in the past too, not any more though. Fool me once, etc, etc.
Ofcourse not all can be tared with the same brush, but the quicker we all accept the fact that to them the game is a paycheck and to us a passion, the better off we will all be.
*runs to hide from incoming projectiles*
H2H,
I’m 100% with you..
H2h @ 46. Me too; perhaps not quite so extreme, but there was a bad taste in my mouth somewhere and you’ve help me remember where it was.
Well done H2H for speaking the truth
Half-century. (barring cull)
There’s one bit where I disagree with you, H2H: ‘he’s flopped big time at BarΓ§a’. I think he went too early, but if he waits a season or two max, he’ll be good there.
An insurance post, Ollie?
H2H – Robin is a cunt.
Disappointed as I was with the whole saga, I don’t think I would ever say that about Cesc.
Unless he signs for the Mancs, that is. π
Maybe Ollie, maybe not, that ofcourse remains to be seen.
I agree entirely that he went too early, with detriment to his own career and development.
They leave us prematurily = cunt.
That goes without saying Z’.
H2H – well said.
Not sure I agree that Fab is a flop at BarceLoanUs.
Second leading scorer; third in assists; and not even a regular starter.
He’s merely a scape goat for all those lovely barca fans – read there -“fuck-heads extraordinaire”.
Xavi and that diving, whinning, cheating little smurfshit Iniesta aren’t getting any younger. Barca would be very foolish to sell Fab now. Doubt they will. (read there – desperately hope not, at least not to any epl club.)
Bring back David Dein as Chairman!!!!!!
(tries to distract mob from H2H’s insulting of our Prince)
Sadly true, H2H. Players are temporary, fans are permanent, to mangle the old cliche. We all understand that the sport became a business more than a game long ago. Yet I wish players behaved in a more businesslike way in one particular respect, honoring their contracts. Too many don’t consider what they sign even to be worth the paper they are written on. Sign a long-term deal then tear it up to bugger off a year later for a bigger pay check. No. Play out your contract; then choose to stay or go. That is a different matter. You’ve given to the club what you said you would, and most fans would consider that a fair exchange, even if you chose to go to ply your trade elsewhere be it a rain-drenched or sun-drenched city.
Re Cesc’s possible return, the only question to ask is, would he make our team stronger or not. The rest is just emotion that will drain the bar dry.
I agree Ned, but due to the Bosman ruling, it’s neither practical or workable from a business point of view.
Clubs literaly start to brick it when their star investments/assets (because thats what players are) come towards one year before their cotract expires, because that means they can walk away for nothing, a lose scenario.
The other problem is rewarding potential of said asset, as we have seen with the likes of Bendtner, Denilson etc, only for that investment to turn out to be bad and then you can’t ged rid of, a lose scenario.
That’s two lose scenarios without even taking into accont the chance of long term injuries (the Diaby Factor) It’s a tightrope you’re walking with every player you sign.
Respect to H2H.
Don’t agree with a lot of that, but the man makes a good argument.
I do think you’re letting Van Persie off the hook though. If it was just medals he could’ve demanded to go to Juve. An Arsenal player – any Arsenal player – signing for Utd is the cardinal fucking sin in my book. There’s very little that tops that. Van Persie would have known as much and he went there nonetheless, because they offered him a fortune. He was bought and paid for. He doesn’t win points with me for slagging the club publicly rather than in private.
Cesc, whatever his behaviour in that final season (and I fully agree that he allowed Barca to disrespect the club) went to the club he supported as a boy. He’d always said he’d go there one day – he was crystal on that point – it just came a lot sooner than we all hoped (and perhaps than was best for him).
Anyway, I’ve said my piece on Fabregas previously, so I won’t bang on about it again, I just wanted to make sure we’re all clear than Van Persie is an uber-Cnut.
Good post, N7!
(I agree with it more than with your Fabregas post – I think, can’t remember if I’ve read it or just the reactions to it π )
Cesc, behaved like an utter c*nt.
Robin is a c*nt.
Simple enough?
I can’t think about RVP anymore. I end up behaving like a red indian after a few bottles of whisky even thinking about him.
I’d have Cesc back in a heartbeat.
And if you want controversial, like Holic on this evenings live Arsecast – I’d pop down to Anfield and put whatever money it costs on the table for Suarez.
9 months suspension for Leonardo then. May be a good excuse for QSG to get rid of him?
Certainly will put paid to the (rather bizarre) idea that he would take over from Ancelotti.
He really is a twat.
QSG also have a suspended 3 points-deduction sentence hanging over them.
H2H. Spot on re Cesc . I have been saying it since he left and have been slaughtered for it. In my opinion Cesc has a lot to answer for. He was handed an 8 year contract. Why? Who in football ever gets an 8 year contract????? My opinion is that he will have had a long old chat with Arsene. Arsene will have told him that things would be tight for a few years but that Cesc was the linchpin of what we were trying to build. My belief is that Cesc more than knew about the recent austerity. He was the captain, the leader and the talisman. That was why he was given such a contract. Then, when it got a bit tough all of a sudden he was “homesick.” The Barca DNA kicked in and the rest is history.
Cesc let us down massively in my opinion. He was given special treatment in repayment for his loyalty. Then he didn’t like it anymore.
For all those that have nothing but hatred for RVP just ask yourself this. If Cesc had stayed would RVP have followed suit???? I actually think he would have.
The thought of RVP and Cesc lining up for the mancs makes me vomit. If it happens then my distrust in the board and the way we are run will have plummeted to new depths.
Why? Who in football ever gets an 8 year contract?????
Alan Pardew, Steve! π
And I agree with you, except for the last sentence.
Replace ‘board’ by ‘footballers’ and remove ‘the way we are run’ and I’m with you π
Clive. Thank you for your thoughts and comments. Nice to have you back. Your posts are always an excellent read. I am glad you are well and wish those close to you all the very best. Please pass on my best wishes to GT when you are next in touch.
Fair play, Steve T. I feel Cesc ‘behaved’ himself in a more respectable manner around his transition than RVP, but I appreciate your points. I also particularly agree that had Cesc stayed, RVP might have as well, and our team would be in an even stronger position going into this summer (not to speak of last year’s…). Cheers.
I still would LOVE to see Cesc back, have to say. Love to.
What I will gladly concede is that if Cesc goes to Utd he will be, in my book, pretty much the worst human being who ever lived. Several notches below Van Persie.
Steve – I think that if the Cesc\Utd thing were to happen it would ignite a fan shitstorm that would rage all season and probably jeopardise the stability of our campaign. It is the LAST thing we need this summer after the two that have gone before.
Thankfully, I don’t think there’s any prospect of it happening (touch wood).
PiK. I think Cesc let us down really badly. I would not want him back at all. I am probably in a minority of one when it comes to my views on RVP. Personally I would welcome him back long before I welcome Cesc back.
I’d expect him to come back to us if he returned to England. If he goes anywhere else in England, I hope his career goes down the sewer.
If Cesc goes to ManU I will be in full denial mode. I will pretend it is not Cesc but an evil clone put there by a conglomerate of daleks, Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz and Piers Morgan.
Re: Cesc, I think he would only come back much later in his career (if at all). But frankly, I’ve said it and I’ll say it again, I think he’d be a fool to leave now.
Lars knows! Don’t see any need to beat the club with that stick.
N7. Do you not think that Moyes/Fergie have not thought that Cesc is an ideal man to replace Paul Scholes???? Do you not think that the idea of teaming up with RVP again may be slightly attractive???
He has let us down massively.
If he stays then RVP stays. Add to those two the likes of Santi, Poldi and Ollie G and all of a sudden we are challengers again.
All in my humble opinion of course.
True Ollie, leaving Barca now would be a rather daft decision, to be honest. And particularly leaving them for ManU where there is far less guarantee of success now that Rednose is gone.
Cesc and Moyes also have a bit of antagonistic history. Moyes wasn’t too happy about Cesc getting Arteta sent off at Goodison Park in 07/08 and there was also a rather public spat between them when we beat Everton 2-1 at home the other season (10/11 I think?) when Moyes went off on a bit of a rant about Cesc at the press conference after the game.
I don’t see Cesc leaving Barca this year either. However, that does not alter my opinion of the poor little homesick young man.
Don’t fall for the big smokescreen boys and girls.
N7 @61 – agreed.
Ollie @70,
Make you spot on there.
Personally, I was a lone voice, as far as I remember, in championing the unrealistic idea of keeping RvP for his final year, and in the reserves if necessitated by his “playing up”. He could then have taken his chances on being offered a bumper contract after a year out of the limelight and approaching 30 years of age.
However, it wasn’t my Β£25 million at stake, and Β£30 million for Cesc.
It was the players who put the club in an impossible position in both cases in different ways, and it seems a bit simplistic to blame the board.
And while Cesc did let us down in his final year, I’m prepared to have a bit of sympathy for a lad who was still only 23, and had been away from his home country for seven years, since the age of 16.
I also moved to Germany for an unspecified period at the age of 19 and, however much I wanted that to work, and however much I liked that country, it never quite feels like home, especially when things aren’t working out quite as you had hoped.
The Barca DNA thing was not Cesc’s fault despite the fact he didn’t speak out directly against it. Returning home for international matches and being amongst multi trophy winning friends, and all in his native language, must have been a fairly irresistible package for a 23 year old.
I don’t like the fact that he signed an 8 year deal just before deciding that he had to leave but, ultimately that would have worked to Arsenal’s advantage.
I’m not trying to paint Cesc whiter than white – just trying to see things from his perspective. And I do believe he was grateful to Arsenal and Arsene Wenger as he has had only good things to say since he left.
Damning with faint praise ?
Possibly. But I will give him the benefit of the doubt because he was a world class player for us and I would have him back tomorrow.
And If he goes to ManUre, I take all of that back and hope he never wins another game again.
Exacta-fookin’- mundo Steve, I knew you’d get it.
N7, thank for the great responce, I respect your views to and on this one we may just have to agree to disagree, however, I’m not letting RvP off lightly, not at all, he still deserves distain, I just can’t understand why Cesc gets off the hook so easy.
He was like that piece in Jenga that once removed brings the whole tower down, yes he was that important, we knew it, Arsene knew and you can bet your balls that he knew it too. He signed the contract and then he buggered off leaving us up shit creak, paddleless. Like Steve T alludes to, that may of been the start of the domino effect that saw us lose others, I mean if you can’t keep a guy that’s on a long term contract, then why should one coming up to his last year stay? The best player leaves, why shouldn’t the other good ones follow?
Cesc not going to one of the Manc clubs is just wishful thinking on our parts, yep, it’s now being reported that Citeh are interested too. I know, I know, silly season. But what’s stopping him if the right offer comes in? Loyalty? Fuck that, he proved his loyalty when he walked out two years ago and Barca seem more then willing to let him go if the “right offer” comes in. If Citeh really want him, they can make that kind of offer.
I will say though, that like Ollie and Trev, I can’t pin any of this on the board.
Lars, I don’t think a minor incident like that would detere Moyes from signing a world class player, that’s just clutching at straws. (we all do it π )
Didn’t Vermaelen(?) and van Persie almost come to blows in a friendly. When TV joined us they became good friends.
Trev. Don’t fall for the homesick garbage. With the money Cesc earns he could afford to charter his own plane to return to Barca whenever he wanted. The fact is if he left the ground at the same time as the guvnor the chances are that he would be in Catalonia faster than holic would be in Swindon. He could have spent as much time with his family as he wanted. My opinion is that it all got a little too tough. The grass was greener on the other side and then conveniently he became homesick.
Steve @ 80
I’ve no doubt Utd would like him, but I don’t think he’ll want to give up on Barca yet. I think he’ll want another year.
Plus, given the alleged details of his contract of sale (first refusal/50% sell on) we’d be at the head of the line if he were to go. We’d only need to offer just over half the Utd fee.
I think he’ll still be at Barca next term, and Xavi will play less.
Btw – doesn’t seem fair to blame him for Van Persie leaving. I think the Dutchman was motivated more by money than anything else (last big payday). He turned down the chance to go to a team who’d just won Serie A unbeaten so he could go earn twice the wedge with a team who’d finished second in the prem. He needs to own that decision.
am enjoying todays poldi drinks
arthur coldies
same
tis a font of knowledge this thinkin
‘hol
makes a man
smile
while
sinking
below
bellow
oooh
Wayne Rooney spotted in an Arsenal shirt;
http://media1.sulia.com/static/user_images/12/2013-05-30/3731dd21-7e74-4051-9ff0-30777c2642e7
Gooners, eh ?!
We finally have a summer when there is no real prospect of our top players being hijacked, and we could sit back and enjoy the Spuds squirming at the possibility of losing Gary Bale, and what do we do ?
Torture ourselves over the possibility of Cesc moving to Manchester.
Come on fellas – chill. π
H2H: no, Moyes would probably not hesitate – but would Cesc want to play for him? Hopefully not π
H2H. π
Steve T @88,
That’s because Holic usually returns to Swindon via Bristol. π
Plays a long ball upfield and fecks off to bed for a few hours’ kip…
Juventus offered us 10p for RvP, that’s all they could afford after his wage demands. There is no way we were going to sell him there.
BANG !!!!!
Shoots early …. as usual … and hopes for the best …. as usual. π
H2H – He could have demanded to go there. The same way he demanded to leave. The decision was ultimately his – he knew what it would mean to join Utd and he did it anyway. Indefensible.
am behind
easy !
cescy stuff now
must read
most read
evenin all
and thanks for writin it
A goal in off the arse of ..
Can’t be arsed.
What a guy !
I’m not defending him.
Just trying to say what’s good for the goose should be good for the other cunt too.
N7. I don’t blame Cesc for RVP leaving. I just think that it was the catalyst.
Trev@92. We don’t have any left?????
Trev@95. Very fair point.
π
N7.
But, he could of indeed demanded to go there, but Juve would still have had to cough up the fee that Arsenal wanted and if one of the Mancs were willing to pay 20mil plus, then it was always end of story.
Unlike the Cesc transfer when Barca had our balls in the wringer as they were the only club Cesc wanted to go to. No bidding war = no market value. They both screwed us.
I think we and by we I mean fans at large are being fed a lot of garbage at present. Firstly you can totally disregard anything you read about transfers that emanates from the Star or Express and the Metro. Secondly most of the websites like Caught Offside ,football fan cast and so on are just recycling stuff that appears first elsewhere. Because a lot of sites proclaim something around the same time it means that they have all seized on a rumour simultaneously not that it is true. I certainly don’t think Fabregas will leave Barca this year and I don’t expect Rooney to leave Man U.
Regarding the rumours concerning us I was told some time ago by a decent source that Joveric is a goer. I’m now told it isn’t by the same person- and never was! The only ones concerning us at present that I think have any legs are the rumours about Ashley Williams which I think is highly likely and the link to Capoue who I think is a Wenger type of signing. I’m not confident we are even in for Higuain and its mostly agent’s talk and I don’t think there is any likelihood that we are chasing Nani or Cesar .
I may be proved wrong of course but there is a thirst for any rumours by lazy journalists and agents play up all sorts of claims that are highly unlikely.
I think that most of the deals will involve new managers signing players they used to work with . it would not surprise me to see Fellaini go to United, Isco to Citeh and I expect Mourinho to make a major splash when he arrives at the bus stop because that’s his style. Expect a bid or Ronaldo or Cavani delivered in his vulgar way.
I don’t see Wenger changing his spots too much and while we might break our transfer record I don’t think we will make anything like a Β£30 million signing because Wenger just doesn’t do that.
H2H. I’m coming over to your bar. Solidarity brother…
There’ll be a pint of my finest waiting for you mate.
H2H again spot on. The mancs made us an offer for RVP. We accepted it. We didn’t have to. However, we made a business decision and decided to accept their offer. Don’t blame RVP for that. Perhaps people should ask why that money was not immediately reinvested in his replacement???
Forget Juve, H2H.
It was always ManUre for RvP.
Remember Tabs was told in March that his house was already being built/finished there.
I’m not the one saying he could of went there, Trev.
I know that was never going to happen.
what about me h2h
i’ll bring me own glass and behave
That is the important question Steve.
Some would say the replacements had already been sourced in Poldi and Giroud.
They might also say that they were hardly of the same quality.
Then they might ask, “Well, who was ?”
Steve – I agree. The club should never have sold him to Utd. But ultimately, he chose Utd just as much as we did. No player is sold to a club he refuses to go to and it’s not coincidence that van Persie ended up with the side that offered him the highest wage.
The point I’m arguing against here is the canard that he left primarily for trophies. He had a choice of three clubs, two of them were national champions, the third offered the most cash. Guess where he went?
I agree that it’s scandalous that the fee was not reinvested.
Behave, cba?
Can’t be having that. π
Beautiful goal, cba!
Indeed H2H, looks like it was N7 who said he could have demanded to go there.
I guess he could, but he would probably have had to wait a year until his contract had expired.
TTG
That all sounds a little worrying.
My instincts (and I am far from “ITK”) are that Cesc will stay, the fat bastard will stay in Manchester and Jovetic will be a gooner. I think what going on with fiorentina at the moment is a little tap dance over money, but they ultimately can’t afford him to go to Juve and they’ll crack in the end.
Hope we steer clear of Williams.
So cba has banged one in
Right off N7’s pass,
But did he even celebrate ?
No sir, he can’t be arsed. π
#114
h2h
i am a pillar of virtue
people from the next parish talk about my pillar
oooh smallballs
i’m stealing yer thunder
Has your pillar not been eroded by the sea, cba ?
One last time gents, just to clarify my point.
Fuck VanQuisling for leaving, fuck him twice for joining those scummy manc cunts…………
I just don’t get the Cesc love in, like he did nothing to deserve any ire.
So it seems that it won’t be like watching Brazil after all….. π
N7. I don’t doubt for one second that money was a factor. I am positive it was. In fairness, at 29 it was his last big contract so can you blame him? But I will pose this scenario. Keep Cesc and tell him to knuckle down. Get shot of the likes of Park, Arshavin and Chamakh and in doing so save approximately Β£200k a week in wages. Take that Β£200k and offer RVP a Β£125k pay rise???????
The result? Cesc is still an Arsenal player. RVP would still be an Arsenal player and we would be Β£75k a week better off.
Just an idea.
cheers ollie
i can’t take all the credit
but
mmmmm
?
no
it was a team effort
feckin team bastards
I think he did deserve some ire H2H.
But he went to his home club – a long known wish – and his relative immaturity allows him a bit more tolerance.
Just my own view, of course. Maybe I’m being too kind.
Heh, Steve T for manager !!!
Hey zico, what won’t ?
Steve
Who knows.
But Utd pay Van Persie nearly 300k a week. Arsenal were never going to off a 4 year 200k per week deal to a 29 year old with an injury history longer than Rooney’s takeaway order, and nor should they have on our current budget.
I agree that we should have told Fabregas he was staying. We buckled too easily.
Can I blame Van Persie for taking the cash? Yeah, I can. Money isn’t the most important thing in life, particularly when you’re already stinking rich. Integrity is what it’s all about.
eroded by the sea trev
how crude
crudites are not gonna win you any fans round here
two scotch eggs and a battered sausage is more the meetin
.
jeez smallballs
where are you ?
take a load off me here
.
ooohh !
π
And I will never believe that trophies were his primary motivation. Every money grabbing dick plays the “ambition” card when they move club these days.
Balague reports that Fabregas is not leaving Farca this summer. So chill, guys.
Inclined to agree with H2H on the relative cuntitude of CF4 and RvP10.
Trev. He left his home club at 16 because the grass was greener.
*feels the need for brain swarfega*
*suspects none exists*
and if it does there isn’t enough
oy vey
Vodka, cba @133
N7,
Integrity is what it should be all about.
Unfortunately, it plainly isn’t.
N7. Be brutally honest. Could we have offered RVP the opportunity to win a prem league winners medal???? With the continued policy of selling off our best players I would suggest that the answer is a big fat no.
I’m not absolving Cesc of any fault here, Steve.
But he was 16 when he made his choice.
How many of us wanted the same things at 23 that we would have chosen at 16 ?
Steve T @123: I would have intuitively argued taking the same stance with CF4 and believe our inability to hold him to his contract cemented the image of us as a selling club. However there have been numerous reports of him threatening to ‘go on strike’ and the pundits all say you cannot hold onto an unhappy player because it poisons the dressing room.
I think we were held over a barrel by Cesc, as we were again with RvP and the club had no option because of its financial restrictions.
Fuck em. They’ve let us down. Let’s strengthen the squad we have and we will compete again.
Steve
Possibly not.
But the other two suitors (both national champions) clearly could have. And yet he went here the money was.
We could have offered him 200k a week, per your suggestion. Are you positive he’d have stayed if Utd had indicated their willingness to sling 300k per week his way? I’m not.
trev i wanted michelle pfeiffer at 16 and at 3 times that age i still do
So that’s why you really want the swarfega, cba. π
Trev. Millions move away from home for work reasons. He could have gone back to visit family whenever he wanted.
no
she can stay
its the stains i have caused this evening
jeez
d’you see
tabs is a fecker
he should be takin the slack
i normally take the slackers
i give up
He also had a Spanish girlfriend (fiance) at the time, Steve.
Maybe she was demanding to live in Spain. I don’t know of course. But such things are powerful considerations, especially at a young age.
Something must have happened, to have signed such a long deal and then demanded to go so soon after.
Something changed in his behaviour and attitude towards the club. I’m not condoning it, just trying to understand it.
Maybe I should give up.
zactly steve T
why are footballers treated with kid gloves
is it a man’s game played by daisies ?
i left home ages ago in me teens
didn’t do me any harm
π
As I said this morning on the arses:
His boyish dreams of playing regularly for Pep’s Farca are in ruins.
He has become the toyboy for a middle aged woman going through an ugly divorce.
He warms the bench at the Camp more often than he plays.
He is quite likely to end up landing ‘on the bounce’ in the arms of Shrek and RvP with the added consolation of a fat pay-check.
But…according to Balague….not this summer.
Agree with all that, bath.
And will hope on hope that you are wrong about the last bit.
147
wha ?
these are the pretentious semi-deluded ramblings of a failed intellectual
what were you thinking ?
i could never countenance such
π
*pfffffffttt*
*flounces off to change into his midnight cravat*
it’s the teal coloured one this evening
goes with my cold dead eyes
and my varicose veins
Pffft indeed,
Teal is for people who can’t spell ‘turquoise’
π
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQRbeunfbDE
oh yeah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hvrn5RU6Q8
now !
behave young trevor
and listen to charlie
not a phrase you’d use for the prospective MARCHER is it ?
the ears would be the last port of call
Heh,
Is that Mohair Sam, or Nohair Sam i’m wonderin’. π
put your stick down and stop tryin to poke the lunatics in the asylum
‘holic …
Suarez??!!?? Really?
I was watching it on my phone today and listening through my car speakers while my daughter held the wheel so I was not fully in tune with the ‘hangout’ so I only hope that that last part was a joke.
Regardless, always fine to hear your sage words and get to see you stay on the stool!
Cheers!
England won’t have to beat Brazil;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22725420
I for one never fully trusted Cesc when he was an Arsenal player.
If a woman leaves her boyfriend for you why be surprised when she leaves you for another man later on?
He was in that clique of young players (Flamini, Hleb etc) who all were ready to follow the money. And don’t forget, foreign players get taxed a lot of money in England so he most probably is earning a lot more than he got at Arsenal after tax.
I would not be surprised to see him at ManU in the future.
And lets face it, if our board could sell RVP to ManU knowing full well what kind of message it would send to the fans, what makes you think they won’t just pocket the money if he wants to go to ManU?
The contract deal is first-refusal and 50% of the money if he were to go somewhere else…
That being said, I would still have him back because he would strengthen the team, but not as captain and only if he will give us 100%.
If RVP doesn’t wanted to be coached by Moyes and Phil Neville, I’d have him back too π
H2H@60: running contracts to term would mean they get fully depreciated, i.e. they become worth zero on the books. Transfer fees go away for everyone as every player is out of contract. Competition for players is then on the basis of wages. Might not be so good for us or any club that relies on making a profit in the transfer market, but it would be feasible, if not, I have to agree with you, very likely.
On the Arteta as captain question: if we are serious about bringing in a top quality DM, would that open up a repeat of the Vermaelen captaincy situation if Arteta was made captain?
Arteta used to be more of an attacking player at Everton so maybe he can swap in and out with either Jack or Aaron?
Maybe the club captain doesn’t always have to play? Someone else could be captain for the day depending on who’s starting probably…
I never understood all the fuss about Fab4. For mine he was a decent sort of player but never as good as the hype would have, and the notion of ‘building a team around him’ was simply part of that hype. Even just looking at Spaniards I’d put Silva, Mata, Iniesta and several others ahead of Cesc. And considering there was only one other club he wanted to play for I thought we did an excellent deal getting as much as we did. Even more excellent now my opinion of him has been borne out by the lack of success he’s had since.
I don’t see why we’d want him back frankly. The rapidly maturing Jack will fill Cesc’s boots to overflowing next season, imo.
Oskar
Oh, we’re back to just like watching Brazil again….
According to the Beeb, The Jornal do Brasil reported at the time that visitors “needed patience to deal with the many problems” at the venue, arising from the rush to complete it.
It highlighted uneven flooring with small gaps and holes, flooding in the VIP area and a dysfunctional lift, and said some staff had tried to prevent journalists taking pictures of the affected areas.
Rio’s state prosecutors say there are dangerous materials at the venue, including rocks, pieces of metal and pavement, and that these could pose a threat to the public.
“The stadium is not yet safe to hold a full house of paying public,” said South American football writer Tim Vickery, who is based in Rio.
Hope the stadium is truly safe for fans…
SC, hello, and don’t worry.
I did have my tongue in my cheek, and we wouldn’t make a move for anybody with his baggage…
…but he is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League who would get much better service with us than he has been used to at redscunts.
CoR
Fabregas is reported to have taken a pay cut to move to Barcelona.
I think that some very fair charges have been made against him in the bar this last week or so, but I honestly don’t think that move was primarily motivated by money.
If it had been, I’m sure City would have offered him a fortune. There was only ever one place he was going.
Likewise, I don’t think he moved to Arsenal for the cash, any more than any other player currently on our books. He moved because he wanted first team football and we could deliver it quickly.
Whatever else he might be, I don’t think Fabregas is a money grabber.
Apart from the PL bit, that’s what we said about CHamakh π
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ljungberg-takes-on-ambassadorial-role
Him, and PirΓ¨s I think (I believe BeInSport commentators hinted at something for PirΓ¨s with Arsenal the other day, I wasn’t paying much attention but I thought I heard the word ambassador too)
Prepare to love Fabregas once again, because it is happening π
Afternoon.
I have berated Cesc for what I believed he did wrong, I would however not accuse him of being “in it for the cash”.
He was also, at the peak of his powers, an amazing talent, and imho, ahead of LJW as a player.
Have you just turned into a BarΓ§a fan, Lurky? π
Where would Cesc for in the team if he came back? If AW continues to play 4-2-3-1/4-3-3, you’ve got Arteta, Ramsey, Jack, the Ox, Santi, Rosicky, the Coq, any wonder DM we might buy and something I’ve never seen only heard of, a Diaby, competing for midfield places along with any of the well-regarded youngsters like Gnarby and Eisfeld pushing up from below. Only two ways I can see that playing out are Arteta/new DM – Jack, Theo – Cesc – Santi, Giroud/new striker or Arteta – new DM/Ramsey, Theo – Jack – Santi, Giroud/Cesc. Perhaps AW has some abandoned master plan for the midfield to be built round Cesc and Jack that he can dig out again.
False 9 surely, Ned;)
No, me neither.
If you could get the rotation right and a goal scoring machine ahead of it, a midfield spine of Arteta, Jack, Cesc and Santi is none too shabby.
That was my no 2 line up, Ollie. AW could introduce the 4-6-0 formation…
I think you’re missing the point, Ned. The idea, surely, is for Arsenal to recruit an enormous squad comprising ALL the talent there is in the Universe. We’d pick 25 of them at random and register them with the PL as our squad, then loan the rest to various teams around the Premier League so as to prevent any of them being able to turn out a decent side against us. We’d be able to pay all the wages to these Intergalacticos by what we save having fired Gazidis et al because they were unable to bring in sufficient in sponsorship for us to be able to afford them and the players. Bwahahahaha. All this “trying to do things ‘the Arsenal way'” is just so much baloney and if getting Cesc back is what’s needed to persuade the loyal fans that the The Powers That Be have, at last realised this, then so be it. Bwahahahaha.
Nurse? Nurse!
NBN @ 172
That’s a very good question.
For what it’s worth, I think there are only two positions that Cesc can play: second or third man in a three man midfield (i.e. he’s not a DM).
I’d imagine that in most games he’d play as the attacking midfielder. Despite all the talent you mention, I think this season demonstrated that we don’t really have anyone in the squad just now who can properly play that role for a run of games. Jack is a couple of seasons off (and doesn’t need any more pressure than is already heaped on him), Santi is a cracking player but I don’t think he reliably picks the killer pass, Wigan game aside, and he can drift in and out of matches, Rosicky can’t play a long run of games, Gnabry is a winger, Eisfeld is (I think) a deeper lying midfielder and it’s yet to be seen whether he’s capable of playing in the first team.
So, per the above, I think the answer is that we’d see three from Arteta/new DM(?)/Ramsey/Wilshere/Rosicky/Fabregas and Cazorla (who can also play on either wing). Doesn’t sound too problematic to me – it would certainly take the heat of Wilshere and allow him to develop a little more slowly + avoid being run into the ground.
The three questions I think his return really would pose would be:
(i) is the midfield big enough? We’ve all felt not at certain points this season, and if Cesc was to be our only central midfield signing we might still be a little prone to getting bullied;
(ii) where is the Ox going to play. I think the lad needs (and will get) game time next season, but it’s hard to see where; and
(iii) will we be able to continue our progression from a ball-playing tiki-taka outfit to a team with a tight defence that hit on the break? Is Cesc really suited to that kind of set up or would Arsene be tempted to revert to the old system.
All academic as I’m convinced it won’t happen, but there you go.
I love Jack, don’t get me wrong now. He’s got the sort of spine that’s been missing for some time. And he’s very good on the ball. And he’s have a go from outside the box.
But be honest — from an offensive, creative standpoint, he’s barely fit to lace Cesc Fabregas’ boots.
Go head … I’ll take the heat.
And for the record, once more – the odds of a Fabregas transfer are slim in my opinion.
SAF – dispicable red nosed bully that he was – had power, gravitas and persuasion the way few did in world footbal.
David Moyes is a sniveling adolescent in comparison. Its highly doubtful to me that w/o SAF at the helm, the yanited will be able to engineer such a feat.
Touches wood, rubs rabbit’s foot, wait …
…. Sacrifices chicken. And sends secretary for a large Starbucks and a pint of Jameson.
Oxon: report to High Table at All Soul’s immediately and take liberal doses of port, or perhaps you already have…
So, Oxon finally gets it !
And this Bwahahahaha you keep mentioning – is he any good ?
Presumably we will lose him to the African Nations Cup every other year ?
Homer, I have to agree with you on Wilshere. In fact I’ll be slaughtered for this but I have to say I haven’t really seen him consistently show up as the talisman a lot of people make him out to be.
Of course he’s had the statutory year out with injury, which doesn’t help your development – but wasn’t that last season? Again I may be very much mistaken but I can’t really remember him ‘doing much’ in any games this season…although that may be because I didn’t manage to watch too many games.
I’m quite happy to be put straight on this because I feel like I have a skewed perception of him through not seeing him enough, but in my mind he seems to still be in his ‘promising’ phase rather than the ‘delivering’ part.
Anyone care to shed light on this?
N7, certainly no harm in having two creative midfielders for those days when one or the other is off-form, injured, suspended.
Also there is no question you need quality squad depth. If we were to have deep runs in all four competitions we’d end up playing approaching 60 games. Do the arithmetic and it comes out to at least 38 games each for 17 players. Arteta played 43 last season, Santi more than 50 and we all saw how knackered they were at the end.
It’s Feelgood time >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Jack / Santi / Fabregas.
Three very similar players imo.
Jack could potentially be the best of the lot but needs time. Playing him, when fit, in every game is clearly not working.
If he can find his fitness and his pre-injury form, we have a true star who played Barcelona’s midfield off the park last time around.
Santi and Jack have struggled to fit together thus far and, while Santi can play on the wing, he has drifted out of games doing so when Jack has been in the side.
Fabregas we know all about – a less physical version of the fit Jack Wilshere, for me.
They are all dribblers who would ultimately be most effective in attacking positions.
Can we accommodate three of them in the same team ? Probably not.
Would any of them be happy constantly rotating ? Certainly not.
And we have Oxlade-Chamberlain to come into the side as well. I do think he will play a lot more next year, if for no other reason than that he is always selected for England. I think that AW must have told Roy Hodgson that he intends to play him a lot more, otherwise it would seem a strange decision to select a young reserve for the national side.
My own feeling is that Hodgson is hoping eventually to get Jack, Theo and The Ox playing together for “new England” and expects them to be doing so at club level by next season.
Makes a move for Cesc very unlikely for me, but it would be interesting nonetheless.
And if Balague says it won’t happen, you can bet the deal is done and dusted. π