Arsene And Mathieu On The Final Countdown
May 28th, 2015 by 'holic
There’s a lot to get through this morning, courtesy of being one of the fortunate invitees to Arsenal’s Cup Final media day. A handful of bloggers have been invited to ‘observe’ proceedings in the last couple of seasons. There were three survivors from last year on hand to guide Dave Seager, author of the wonderful ‘Geordie Armstrong on the wing’, popular Arsenal historian Andy Kelly, and Gunners Town columnist Darren Berry, through the day.
Arsene was fashionably ten minutes late and polite as ever. First up was the subject of injuries and he had to reveal that not only would Danny Welbeck not be fit for the Cup Final, but he would also not be available for England’s upcoming fixtures. That drew the query about whether Olivier Giroud or Theo Walcott would start, and indeed did he know what his team would be, and not surprisingly the boss avoided the direct answer.
” I will not tell you anything today, and I just think it is important that we focus as a squad on winning the trophy.”
There followed a similar line of enquiry about the goalkeeper’s before the first attempt to draw the boss on the potential availability of Karim Benzema. That drew the expected reminder that we are focused on the Cup Final and “not in transfer mode”. If that was a polite put-down he was more brusque when asked somewhat tactlessly and mischievously about Jose Mourinho’s recent comments. A sign perhaps of the nervous tension he must be feeling ahead of another big day on Saturday.
The breaking news from Zurich proved irresistible, and Arsene avoided a snap judgement as the story was still unfolding.
“You want justice to be done and as well not to convict too quickly the people who have been taken away by the police. There’s an enquiry, sometimes I think we are too quick to convict people who have not been proven guilty.”
Then at last the inquisitors returned to the subject of Aston Villa and the FA Cup Final. Arsene singled out Christian Benteke, Jack Grealish, and his opposite number, Tim Sherwood, for praise, as well as emphasising his awareness of the task facing us.
“If you analyse their individual quality, they are a strong team. They had a great semi-final and of course they are a quality Premier League team who have a lot of strengths. They are a strong opponent.”
The presser concluded with an amusing exchange with a Chilean cameraman/reporter who followed up the obligatory Alexis Sanchez question with a very guarded attempt to draw some comment on the rumours linking Arturo Vidal to the Gunners. It ensured everyone went to watch the start of the morning training session with a smile on their face.
The Gunners training session gets underway
After training it was the turn of Mathieu Flamini to be the first player to be interviewed. Relaxed and confident, he impressed I must say. A recurring theme was that he feels that we have been able to build on last season and are therefore better prepared for what lies ahead on Saturday rather than perhaps we were last season.
“This team now has more experience. We won the FA Cup last year, so for us to go another year to Wembley and to have the possibility to win it again, of course, it’s a lot of pleasure. Hopefully we will win it for the fans, and for him (Arsene Wenger) too.”
Quizzed on the depth at the club and how difficult it is to make the squad Mathieu is honest. He has to be as injury has limited his opportunities in the second half of the season.
“I think it’s part of the game. Obviously you want to play in the top teams. There is a big effect with a lot of quality but you have to fight to find your place. It’s a part of the game. You have to accept the competition and I believe it makes you better.”
Mathieu waxed lyrical about Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey, and of his latest rival for a start in front of the back four, Francis Coquelin.
“We all knew Francis was a great player, and I’m really pleased for him because he had the chance to prove it. I’m not surprised because I have got the chance to play with him every day.”
Mathieu confirmed that he has one more year at the club and is happy to remain. His experience and attitude may make him a desirable squad member but that could well depend on who comes in when the window opens. In his two spells at the club though few could argue with his desire and workrate. Surely nobody would begrudge him that third FA Cup winners medal on Saturday.
Cheers, ‘holics.
68 Responses to “Arsene And Mathieu On The Final Countdown”
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First?
Sounds a great day out, ‘Holic.
Joe@63 in the previous drinks: (Reposting, as this fell below the chevrons.) There will be ramifications from the U.S. investigation int Fifa, no doubt. I only fear that they will not fall on Blatter who will position himself as the champion of corruption-fighting. He will be able to win the election to stay on as president. He has the necessary votes in his pocket. His two biggest risks are first, that Fifa’s commercial backers desert the World Cup. If that happens he will find others outside the Western multinational corporations. Hand on heart: will you boycott watching the next World Cup, or support your national association in not sending your national team to play in it (and will they be able to afford not to)? The second risk is that someone among the arrested sings — and can produce the evidence — that Blatter’s is personally on the take so he faces criminal charges somewhere. That could happen but his fingerprint’s have been noticeably absent throughout. I find the whole prospect depressingly dismal.
lucky dog. what I’d give, etc. I will just have to make do with a legends tour this summer; hopefully I can see the cup in the trophy case.
flamini does impress; ever since his CL days at left back. a valuable squad player yes indeedy.
Great report on a lovely day out. Until tomorrow! 🙂
[…] and Arsene’s answers. However, these can be seen and heard on the Arsenal website as well as Goonerholic and Gunnerstown. Communications director Mark Gonnella tried to call a halt to proceedings but, as […]
Morning Ned
remiss of me not to compliment you on a great guest post.
cheers
The Sweeper
Can anyone believe we have all but one player fit for the F.A Cup?
Win or lose (lose?), can we compete for the title next season?
Yes, if we can play consistently and tactically throughout the season.
Anything less and we will fall short!
Back to Wembley!
Sounds like a good day H.
Saturday cannot arrive fast enough…
Tough day then H?!
Great stuff… and sounds like pleasant company too!
Clive@6: Many thanks. Much appreciated.
Sounds like a nice day out Guvna. Not surprised you were cream-crackered last night.
It’s time to focus on Saturday now. Let’s break that record.
Holic
Thank you for this enjoyable guest post. It’s good that the club allow people who really care about the club to get involved in this way.
I’ve back drunk and just have a couple of comments.
There is no way Blatter can survive this although he will try with Swiss stoicism to do so. Remember the Swiss have a hugely respectable brand acquired at the same time as being the biggest money launderers on earth. So someone brought up in that culture would have double standards but when the FBI get involved the house of cards are bound to come down eventually.
UEFA will see a chance to seize more power and they have all the big football clubs within their aegis. A breakaway by the likes of Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Holland , France and Portugal would leave any future World Cup looking a bit sick.
I think we will see FIFA topple in its present form , the next two World Cups will be reallocated( we might put our hands up for 2018) Blatter will have to resign and much tighter governance , acceptable to TV companies and big, corporate sponsors will drive the new agenda. The game is up Sepp you duplicitous old bastard
Now what was the lady wearing? And when….?
Sounds like you had a great day ‘h
Good piece Guv’nor, and Ned too in the last bar.
I’m unsure what to think about the current goings on at FIFA. I don’t for one moment condone financial mismanagement, money laundering etc. and, if it has been going on – as seems very likely – and it can be proven, I will rejoice to see the book thrown at those responsible. However, I am concerned at what is likely to follow…
Firstly, I don’t think it’s by any means certain that Blatter will be forced out of office as a result. I haven’t followed FIFA politics particularly closely so have not formed any first-hand opinions. If he is as malign an influence as most on here believe, I don’t find the prospect of a wounded Blatter at the helm of FIFA is a particularly attractive one.
I also know nothing about Prince Ali bin al-Hussain so am unable to come to any view as to whether or not he is likely to do a better job with the organisation.
Ttg’s analysis @11 above seems sound, but appears to lead to further increased influence for the TV companies and big, corporate sponsors and general feeling in the bar tends to be unsympathetic towards them.
Complicated, this real life, isn’t it?
Finally, whatever she was wearing, why was she wearing it?
COYG
This is of course assuming she was wearing Something. Or Anything at all. 🙂
The 1926 video was amazing and thank you so much for that.
This final feels strange, as if it is an after thought to the season. No i am looking forward to it as much as i do to all our games but when compared to last year’s final, this seems to be a pale shadow. The answer is obvious as to why, last time was after 9 years, this time just an year and may it be every year like this.
FIFA and the dirt associated with it is never ending. The commercialization of the beautiful game has made it more business and less sport and where there is money, there are eager grabbers.
I do not care about FIFA, i care about my Arsenal. So finals and Wembley beckons and as much as i am worried about Villa, i am confident with what we have to get the job done. Score first boys and then lets see what they are truly made of. Get your shooting boots on Giroud/Theo whoever starts and Alexis end a great season on a high. Come on you Gunners, time to create history.
trev the punmeister
i hope
retained the services of an agent
for the fifa media blatterfest
.
hack puns are shit in the main
an injection of gooduns
woulda been cracker
and lucrative too dr bones
and
cheers ‘hol
great day out indeed
(hides envious rising green hue)
any more pics?
+
.
“The game is up sepp
you duplicitous old bastard”
.
chuckle of the day
thunder T
.
🙂
I’ll work on it, cba. 😉
Sounds like a good day, Holic,
but that conversation with Arsene reminds me of a bit of Only Fools and Horses –
Grandad, “Here, where have you been, Delboy ?”.
Delboy, “Oh, here and there, Grandad”,
Grandad, “Well, what were you doing?”,
Delboy, “Oh, just ducking and diving”,
Grandad, “Ducking and diving for what?”,
Delboy, “Oh, this and that”,
Grandad, “See, Rodney, I told you we’d get it out of him eventually”.
*retains chiseller lawyer*
*trev’s agent receives 25% finders fee “request”*
20
🙂
back in donegal from not donegal
.
the big toblerones were still a pound in the pound shop
.
nowt changes
.
root and branch and oul big blatterblossom sortin out
clearly hasn’t reached
cut price confectionary
.
sneaky swiss so an SOS
Sound’s like a great experience H’, cheers for sharing.
Great guest post from Ned again, top notch, but it’s what we’ve all come to expect from his overworked monks, highly appreaciated none the less.
Congrats 8Ball on the Your ropey League, second again for H2HFC, might have to sack myself. 😉
Thanks H2H. 🙂
This fellow must have arms like windmills, even if they are not Netherlandish ones.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32903391
Here’s hoping he comes for a high ball and knocks Crouch out with his stiffest punch.
howdy h2h
yer another one
of the ‘holics
whose back stories
would be sturdy chapters
in the goonerholic Opus
.
mind you there’s quite a few
others too
all ages
don’t like keepin sayin it
cos i’m sure ‘holic has enough on his plate
but
i’m wondering could anyone collate
cos
let’s face it
ye have fuckin hilarious informed and engaging feckers here
.
a real tangible holdy-onto book would be brilliant
.
.
sometime in the future
.
let’s get to saturday cba
ya spanner
.
sorry ‘hol
whenever the drugs run out all one has to do is read CBA´s posts…. trippy 🙂
Me write a book?
I can barely get out a paragraph. 🙂
catalan
i refer you to the lucky feckin
dr goodness
from the proud kingdom
who is attending on Saturday
.
he may have some clinky dinks
and
sqwooshy dooshs
iffin yer hanging
add to a collaboration of holics h2h
that’s the collective noun
🙂
Nice report, ‘Hols.
Getting a bit nerveous…or perhaps it is just an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato.
Bah, humbug.
BMBD
I tried my best
to make sense
26
i
maybe not
.
😉
31
eat some sweets
have a smile
http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=S9dF5xuJBbM
Dr Goodness. 🙄
Heh, what Trade Descriptions Act?
The clinky dinks and sqwooshy doos are on me!
cba, THE wordsmith in this saloon. 😎
Dr Goodness!
Now there’s a surprise. 🙂
I suppose you do have the occasional Aspirin in the Happy Train?
BBC error message says “This media is not available in your territory.”
What right do they have to know what my territory is, anyway? In the good old days I could pirate any old internet video I wanted because I lived in the hinterlands of the footballing world. Now the corporate greedsters have declared there are not hinterlands of the footballing world so moving to the North Pole would probably be useless. 🙁
Well, cba, just one very simple headline so far (no time yet, mind) –
FIFA O-Blatter-ated !
There’ll be trouble if I see that in tomorrow’s papers. 🙁
One expected in a few days when the full extent of the corruption becomes, ahem, “known” to Blatter –
Blatter To Desert Qatar.
Or, when Qatar eventually has it’s World Cup taken away –
It’s Sandemonium !
On reorganising the 2018 World Cup when that is taken away from Russia –
Russia to Put-in a Good Word For England.
Not holding my breath on that one ‘cos Russia probably has a very good word for England. 😉
Anyone looking for two tickets for Wembley on Saturday?
http://www.thefa.com/news/the-fa-cup/2015/may/fa-cup-tickets-in-space
What are the chances that they will get stuck in a tree or a roof guttering?
First they give half the tickets to people who don`t support AFC or AVFC and then they take the pee with the last couple of remaining unallocated tickets.
Sweet.FA
The Qatar organising committee could be forced into a –
World Cup Sheik Up.
Blatter Held To (Swiss Bank) Account.
One for The Sun –
“Blatter’s Mum says – He Even Had To Be Induced at Birth”
I`ve been fairly low key about the final up to now.But the cup final fever is starting to bite now.
Lovely vid to get you in the mood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xalUDPjKI3o&feature=youtu.be
It looks like Sepp Blatter is really cba
can`t
be
arrested
cba@26: backstories = previous?
ttg@12: Blatter will be Fifa’s saviour. He is already setting out that stall. It is all so depressing.
It is important to understand that Blatter doesn’t crave money. Fifa already legitimately gives him enough of that through pensions and expenses. He craves power. He is happy for the people below him to line their pockets because his protection of them is a source of his unchallengable authority. As we know all power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Ned,
In psychology narcissists are measured on a scale of 1 to 9 – i.e. from little or no tendency through to the dangerous psychopaths – the ones you read about who hammer their own parents to death when their lies and delusions of power, stardom or grandeur are about to be exposed for what they really are.
I’m not suggesting for a moment that Blatter is a potential murderer but it would be interesting to see where he sits on that scale, such is his thirst for power and his absolute refusal to admit to any responsibility for anything untoward that happens within his organisation – anything that would expose him for the crook everyone believes him to be.
(I think that’s carefully worded enough. If any of our resident lawyers disagree, I will stand automatically corrected.)
Evening punsters and funsters. I will apologise for tomorrow now. You will need eye ointment because the post in the morning is a bit of a monster. You won’t be able to spare your ears either if you listen to the Arsecast, to which I have also contributed, somewhat absent-mindedly at one point.
Well, it will keep your mind off the Cup Final.
What?
Oh! 😉
My favourite types of arsecasts are the ones from the people you respect most Holic 🙂
Veedon Fleece Z: two words that make the hair stand in the back of my neck!
Team for Villa: Woj, Bellerin, Per, Kos, Nacho, Coq, Rambo, Caz, Ozil, Sanchez & Giroud. If I had to make one change I’d play Oxlade on the wing, Sanchez up front and put Ollie on the bench.
Blatter the devil we all know. And the headline when he loses to Prince Ali … “Swiss rolled!”
Öskar
Team I’d like to see for the Cup…
Ospina
Debuchy Mertesacker Koscielny Monreal
Ramsey Wilshire
Walcott Özil Sanchez
Giroud
Team I expect to see…
Ospina
Bellerin Mertesacker Koscielny Monreal
Coquelin
Ramsey Cazorla Özil Sanchez
Giroud
Öskar
Well, that team would be a great way to hand a crushing disappointment to Bellerin who has done such a superb job standing in for Debuchy for most of the season.
And a bit daft to leave out Coquelin in favour of the Ramsey-Wilshere partnership that has proved itsself defensively inept so many times already.
Cazorla, despite a slight drop in form recently, has forged a close and very effective partnership with Coquelin. If Ramsey plays, it has to be centrally. It seems whenever he is fit he does play but at the moment he might be an either/or with Jack.
After the West Brom game, I could see Theo starting up front and Giroud starting on the bench.
That would leave you with –
Ospina
Bellerin Mertesacker Koscielny Monreal
Coquelin Cazorla
Wilshere Ozil Sanchez
Walcott
The Ox to sub for Jack
Ramsey to sub for Cazorla
Might be around 70 minutes at a wild guess …… 😉
I have to say I am with Oskar’s expected team, though not through preference.
I would start the Pole in the goal.
🙁
i notice on Oskars team that he has picked himself to play slightly in front of Giroud and that we also have an extra man. Cunning, Oskar,cunning.
Lets hope the match officials dont spot it.
To be fair,they dont spot much,so we may well get away with it.
There is no room for sentimentality in football, Trev. Debuchy is our #1 RB and should play, if fully fit. Obviously he won’t be match fit, but it’s a judgement for those much closer to the training ground than we are.
As for Le Coq, not playing him would be an even greater injustice, but while we finally have two senior players fully fit, who can both play from deep, and who are both more technically gifted than Coq, I believe we should play them with the emphasis on outscoring the opposition. This would mean the FBs being less adventurous, another reason for Debuchy.
And I don’t get the Theo orOG view, they belong together, Theo on the wing, OG at CF. They are our best striking combo, given Alexis is more of a lone raider.
But it’s all only opinion and I don’t expect you to agree. 😉 Just so long as we win, and we can celebrate after, okay?
Best wishes to your daughter and your knee. May they both provide all the happiness and support your future could wish for.
Öskar
Well spotted Failage!
I was in fact offered a trial for Wimbledon in my youth (they were Isthmian League champions at the time), but recurring Achilles problems denied me fame and fortune sadly. 🙁
Öskar
Koscielny corner.
I’m in it, by the way, but there is a lot of company. Check out the second link to see who Mr. Hudson thinks is Arsenal’s player of the year.
http://www.thefa.com/news/the-fa-cup/2015/may/laurent-koscielny-arsenal-fa-cup-final-preview
http://arsenalfantv.com/chris-hudsons-season-review-whos-player-of-year-how-does-he-rate-this-season/
Possibly the low point of the season for me was during the international break after we already had about half the players injured and the French national team announced that Koscielny had a “chronic” achilles injury and there were speculative stories that Koscielny was on the verge of being Arsenal’s Ledley King, playing one week and sitting the next. Fortunately he came back and played in almost every game for the remainder of the season.
Anticipating a cracker of a match which we’ll triumph eventually.. of course!
Who plays is anyone’s guess.. but i suspect Sczesny will play.. would be out of character for Arsene if he was not selected. (But if he wasn’t then I’ll conclude that Cech is on the way here…!)
On another note, hope Europe pulls out of the WC if the current debacle in FIFA is allowed to continue… goes to show that democracy at times is just mob rule (unless of course your side wins!), drastic steps will have to be undertaken at times to affect effective change in an inherently unsustainable system…!
Up The Arse!
😀
My preferred team for tomorrow:
Ospina (Woj the better keeper but madness not to have played him v WBA – but I think Woj will start)
Bellerin-BFG-Kos-Monreal
Coq
Cazorla-Özil
Ramsey-Theo-Alexis
Ramsey over Wilshere because he offers more protection for Bellerin and because Jack probably isn’t ready to play 90 minutes, let alone a potential 120. You can’t start a player you know aren’t capable of playing at least 90 minutes when it is a final (well, perhaps if that player was Messi), that would effectively mean wasting one of your subs.
Nerves are starting to build but not in the same excruciating way they did last year. A loss then would probably have been pretty much a disaster, and while it would be really painful to lose tomorrow there is not the same “now or never” feeling. Losing last year’s final would most likely have had a massively negative impact on the whole club so much less pressure on us this year. But I also feel that Villa are a much, much better team than Hull were at the time so this game, at least to me, feels much more open than the Hull game was expected to be. Don’t get me wrong, we are still clear favourites but Hull didn’t have anything even close to the attacking talents that Villa have in players like Benteke, Graelish and Delph.
Right, time to try and get some work done!
cheers trev
🙂
undisputed champ
my puns are all shite 😉
Holic
Re tomorrow’s team the two contentious areas are goal and striker.
I think he will play Ches but he might pull a surprise and play Walcott. I would . Nacho and Bellerin will be the full backs who MUST stop crosses coming in to Benteke. BFG gas a big job to do there. Cow has to stop Grealish playing.
Cow could try to stop Grealish playing and stamp on his Moovement but maybe Coq is a better choice. BFG could use gas on Benteke to make him drowsy but just jumping with him will help.
Who likes iPads?
Have another go. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Sorry chaps, but I have a suspicion we won`t win this one. The best chance we will have is if Walcott starts, but we all know Arsene will prefer Giroud, although IMO he looks ever so slightly knackered, and has not been getting to balls in the box he would have put away earlier this season. Ramsey will probably start ahead of Wilshere, leaving him and Walcott to come on as late impact subs. The Ox might just figure if we are really desperate, and he is suposed to be back in training.
Goalkeeping wise, I have heard that Bob Wilson thinks Szczesny will play, and If last season`s final is a yardstick, that`s what he will do, especially as his future in now uncertain. But I agree with those who think that Arsene should have played him in at least one of our last two league games, and for this reason, I would go with Ospina. I don`t think he`s a world- beater, and would like a top man to come in this summer, but Ospina hasn`t made any major howlers, and has generally looked secure, so I would play him ahead of Szczesny who would be coming in cold, and may or not have some confidence issues.