Gunners Pass Stiffest Test Yet
Jul 30th, 2008 by 'holic
The big guns came back. Arsenal fielded six players returning from competitive summer fixtures, whilst Stuttgart started with six who had seen recent action in the Intertoto Cup.
Not surprisingly the pairing of Gallas and Djourou looked like strangers. Give them another game or two, because we don’t have that many options at centre-half. The full-backs, now approaching full match-fitness, and the midfield quartet were solid. Adebayor and van Persie need games.
We should have turned round ahead, but dear old Jens was given an opportunity to pluck Robin’s weak chip from the air, and then made an impressive reaction save from Theo. Inside the hour we were penalised when the experienced Basturk shot through the legs of Gallas and even the Germans were surprised to be in the lead.
It looked a tough call for the visitors, who had already introduced the youthful Fabianski, Bendtner, and Vela, for Almunia, Adebayor, and van Persie at half-time. Bendtner fed in Vela who rounded Lehmann for a clinical finish, and that was the signal for another couple of teenagers, Ramsey and Wilshere, to be unleashed.
The young Gunners took over. Bendtner played a one-two with Vela and easily held off Boulahrouz to put the Gunners ahead. The best was yet to come when Clichy refused to give up a left-wing attack and chipped the perfect ball for Wilshere to chest down and finish superbly.
Now I’m sure if we had lost there would have been much fury unleashed, more at the depth of the squad and the youthful look in the absence of experienced signings. Hopefully the performance of the younger players tonight will have settled some nerves. That experience may not be appearing in midfield, after the earlier confirmation that we have signed Portugal under-21 international Amaury Bischoff from Werder Bremen.
We may not yet have a quartet that stands out as a starting line-up in two weeks time, but the options are numerous. Only Fabregas is nailed on for a start, and Nasri is likely to be on the left, but the right-hand side selection has been made more difficult by the emergence of Wilshere to challenge Walcott and Eboue. Even van Persie and Ramsey are options.
Alongside Fabregas we could see Ramsey, Denilson, Diaby, Coquelain, Bischoff, or after tonight the controversial Eboue. After the Olympics Alex Song will enter the equation. On the left Vela, Walcott, Traore and Ramsey appear options and of course we still await the return of Rosicky and Eduardo. I think Wenger will settle for that.
The experience question won’t go away. Now I have convinced myself that we won’t be splashing out on an old head to block the development of the wealth of young talent we have in the middle of the park I am hoping we will add a battle-hardened centre-half.
We saw tonight that Djourou is in the mould of a Toure or a Gallas, or indeed a Hoyte, a supporting act if you will. Senderos is the only dominant defender we have and is too dependent on being given a run of games to build his confidence. Nordveit looks like he will get there but is not yet ready. I don’t know who is available, but I cannot believe we are not in discussions with at least one option in this area.
I’m getting ahead of myself, perhaps. We have two weeks and five more games before the serious business starts with a Champions League qualifier. After that the transfer window is open for another two and a half weeks. We have five competitive fixtures (three Premiership and two Champions League) in August which should shape the first half of the season. It’s getting closer and after tonight I am really looking forward to it.
We might just be in better shape already than we think?
75 Responses to “Gunners Pass Stiffest Test Yet”
I can see this squad shaping up well for the new season. Denillson looks more confident on the ball and I was impressed with Vela. Even Eboue showed a bit of promise. All in all a good run out against good opposition.
Kir Royale please, ‘holic
Get a fucking grip. It was a poxy challenge as you would no doubt have pionted out had we lost. Arsene has come up well short in the transfer market and all the spin you and your kind put on it wont alter the fact that when the serious stuff starts this team will be well short. The trouble with you nerdy bastards posting shit endlessly is that you havent a clue of Arsenal pre Wenger, you guys make me laugh, you probably never kicked a fucking ball in your lives yet somehow you think youre experts. Face it, Wengers past it, 4 years past it to be more accurate.
Regardless of all the nonsense written and spoken by our press friend’s Arsene’s teams always seem to delight with their brand of football.
Paulie are you talking about the free flowing attacking football that arsenal was renowned for in the days of george graham…? you’re way off, wenger is ensuring the stability of this club for years to come and the performances of vela, nasri and wilshire have shown once again, that arsene has discovered more footballing gems. arsene’s reign has seen this club become one the most attractive footballing teams in the world, give him the respect he deserves
Thanks for taking the time to get to know me Paulie. I have been watching Arsenal home and away for most of my fifty plus years, and got paid to play football. So, forgive me if I think I am as entitled to an opinion as the next man. I am watching the best football I have ever seen under Wenger, and lame brains like you will not dissuade me from that view.
Like last season, experience will cost us the big games and our ability to keep up steam for the entire season.
Without a good signing in defence and holding midfield, we won’t even challenge.
I hope that y’all prove me wrong.
I agree with Paulie. Ive been one of Wengers staunchest supporters in the past but after his lies again this summer Ive come to the conclusion its time for him to go. Enoughs enough. Its not about buying bargain basement duds and moulding them into Barcelona and Madrid players and making the board a huge profit to go along with the obscene money they charge us for tickets. Lets not forget that Arsene is the man whos always telling us that he wont pay big money yet he has made himself the highest paid manager in the premier league. Something just does not add up there. I think Arsene might be about to be found out shortly judging by the amount of anger towards him these days on various websites. I think i speak for the vast majority when I say thanks for the memories Arsene but time to go now.
As i said somewhere else i believe we should play toure in CM ahead of gallas(but interchanging with him) and senderos,with senderos challenging the balls over the top and gallas and toure mopping up. i know that senderos is not much loved but i believe that to win the league we need to beat all the minnows (including the spurtz)and senderos only has problems with the likes of drogba and torres,who won’t?.so,without buying anyone our best defensive 5 would be sagna,gallas,toure,senderos and clichy.
Sweet Jesus, has someone forgotten lights out at the Cuckoo’s Nest?
Where do you fucking idiots come from? This time last year you were spouting the same old shit. ‘Wenger must go, We’ll never finish top four, too many kids’ What happened.
Fuck off the lot of you, and Paulie, if only you knew, you fucking clown.
well said mate. i think arsenal’s youngsters are proving their worth. If we continue to play like this we definately ought to get some silverware this season..
What happened? Ill tell you what happened, when the pressure came on we shit ourselves and we won fuck all in case you forgot. Theres no prizes for third place you dumb fuck
It must be Mong O’Clock!
Nice work, ‘holic.
If you want prizes fuck off and watch the Generation Game, wankstain. I watch great football, and seven trophies and a Champions League Final in a decade will do me. We are ARSENAL you pillock. Who are you? Scared to say. Tottmong.
Adebayor was awful , if we give Bendtner a run in the first 11 we’ll have a better chance at success this season.
Comical , Top Cat and Paulie – what a bunch of losers.
Hey Top Cat, Wengers not exempt from criticism, however until people accept / realise the underlying complexities at the club mean he is working within a tight budget & there will not be any major money spent He won’t rock the boat.
All this rubbish suggesting we had ΓΒ£70m is just that, utter shite.
I too feel we are light of experience & when the going will get tough, could struggle again. Young players need guidance, and not that shown by Gallas last year. Many fans have conflicting views of the state or reasons why the great 2004 side was dismantled so quickly & now the current policy of the club not buying bigger players to blend with the promising younger players, & we might be in danger of becoming a feeder club etc. The board’s silence & mixed messages or lack of them has created some unrest. This is a very big season for the board & Wenger.
yeah paulie – go fuck yourself on roman abramovich’s pole you useless piece of wank. you’ll be feeling really stupid when we shock the world again. wenger has build a system where the players are interchangeable. you could pretty much plug anyone with the basic attributes that wenger demands in there and we would be too good for 95% of the teams out there. how many managers out there can do that? come on you gunners! is going to be ajax of the seventies mark II!!!
‘holic is certainly one of the best and oldest (sorry ’bout that) gooners blogging at this time.
Sometimes I get the feeling that Russian cunt Uzmanov is paying opposition fans to come onto Arsenal websites to pose as gooners, with instructed to slag off the club, Wenger, the players, and eventually other gooners. They all sound the same too, it’s weird.
Anyway here’s their witty “repertoire” of palsy wind ups:
1. “Rose coloured specs”
2. “You must be new supporters you don’t know jack” et. al
3. “Wenger must go” ad naseum
4. “Sell the club to compete with Chelsea!!”
5. “Why can’t we buy__(insert overpriced over-rated player here)”
Is it me or do these child-like idiots sound exactly like Spurs and Chelsea supporters?
I am probably just paranoid.
Offensively, we are set with youngsters and all. I think we need a bit of strengthening defensively down the middle, and that’s really it. Ideally, this would mean an experienced DM, a no-nonsense CB that complement Gallas or Toure, and an experienced backup GK. I am having trouble figuring out if a DM or CB is more important though, as Gallas and Toure looked the part before the ANC last year.
Guys, thank you, but can we now concentrate on the football.
Just for the record Paulie, Top Cat and Comical are one person, posting from the same ip. Let it go. I have. He’s just on a wind-up.
Mondo, I prefer ‘more experienced’. Oldest indeed π
From Top Cat: “I think i speak for the vast majority when I say thanks for the memories Arsene but time to go now.”
Hahahahahahahahahahahah
lol lol lol
You sir speak for the vast majority of idiot fans who don’t know what they’re talking about. It’s your own brain that doesn’t add up.
Get real man!
I almost pissed myself laughing when these idiots accussed Holic of “not having a clue pre-Wenger” ….. GH is the oldest bastard around blogosphere, and fortunately for us …. with age comes wisdom.
Keep up the good work mucker, these arseholes don’t know they’re born!
Cheers ‘holic, your “experience” actually makes me feel young at 36! heh.
I’ve got to say, I’m relieved Arsenal football is finally back. The internet does my head in.
BTW Rocky7 thanks for the Rocky filterΓ’βΒ’ You’re a star.
That was you wasn’t it?
Not me Mondo … that was another Rocky over at Arseblog … I am of Vital Arsenal fame π
I have neither the technological or common sense to be able to produce something as brilliant as that … lol
arsene today made 7m quid (enough to buy sagna with some left over or eduardo plus 500 grand) from the spuds in the bentley (a guy who was never going to be good enough for us) transfer, and some people have the gall to question him. get fucking real! wenger IS arsenal and he is putting a vision into place. just wait and see. this is a team that only finished 4 points off the top of the league last season and were robbed of a CL champs league place by dodgy refereeing last season. i can’t wait for the season to start. we are going to blow the moneybags sky sports darlings away!!!!!
andypandy – forget the money we just made on the Bentley transfer …… Wenger made a profit on Pascal Cygan …. the dude a is a fucking genius!!!! Lol
Rocky7 – couldn’t agree more. sadly there are some real plonkers on these forums that just don’t get how amazing it is what AW is doing. I became a gooner thank to LB7 in 1979 and had to put up with almost 20 years of shit afterwards (despite some enjoyable times playing crap football and winning under GG) before this guy came along and revealed what football really should be. if there is only one thing to thank the orange one for it’s having the foresight to see what AW was all about when everyone else was going arsene who? if we don’t win something big with this squad it will be a crime against humanity…. gooner4life!
well said, an exciting time to be a gooner, just a shame a few people have the ability to type without having brains
Agreed. Wenger is a visionary ….. indeed look at the patience he has shown in getting Carlos Vela to Arsenal where many managers couldnt be bothered with the hassle …. and without wanting to get ahead of myself ….. Vela looks like the dogs bollocks.
If you look at the Annual Report from 2006/2007, you’ll see that (1) the Board do not make dividends off the profits and (2) there is not really that much cash to spend! All this talk about our money making the Board rich is only true to the extent that the Board members’ share values appreciate as the overall value of the club continues to rise. But that is definitely deserved and to their credit!
So people should be thankful that Wenger is a visionary, an incredible footballing mind, and a shrewd businessman. Because of Wenger’s management skills and faithful service to AFC, the club will be in tremendous shape when that unfortunate day comes and he calls it quits on his career.
People who talk about firing Wenger have very little appreciation for everything the man does and how finely he balances the needs and wants of the present vs future, and the club vs players vs fans!
Paulie, You are a fcuking MORON… I doubt people like you have ever watched a game not to mention kicking a ball… Wenger is a blessing and Arsenal are the most fortunate club in this world., You probably is working for Russian Fat and Dein Orange. I believe for anything u do in life. You came out of ur mom’s womb with all the experience in the world. Your skull is filled with shit. Probably biologists to classify you as a new species.. You genetically and behaviourly challenged moron..
i don’t care what others say but i think bendtner is ready to take adebayor’s place. carlos vela and wilshere are good enough to provide direct backup for some first team players. i say i should sell adebayor, take the money and get ourself a defensive midfielder and a defender. look how many goals we have conceded so far. no clean sheet so far.
when big ade slipped over in the first few minutes you could hear laughter all round N5,but it wasnt so bad to see him back in the team afterall,nice game overall…..dont listen to paulie,he jealous coz liverpool signed robbie ‘big name’ keane
I started watching the gunners in 1945 when they where using the spuds ground as their homeground. because highbury had been bombed and taken over by the goverment. my family have followed the team since they came to highbury. so when i say that we believe that the 12 years since wenger came has given the arsenal supporters the best football ever seen in london. i think we could be right and do not forget which team has had the longest run in top level football in england. lowere divisions that’s were we go for cup ties. so come on you reds. from an old clock ender.
guys like paulie dont realise,the emirates stadium is actually arsenes stadium,bruce rioch just about stabilised us after the george graham era,arsene put us on the world map,we even got fans in kazakstan thanks to our sexy football
imagine not giving these young players a chance,they deserve it, to buy older players just because they have played more games is rediculous,how many players outside the top four have won anything anyway? and are they good enough to play for us? our style, i say lets do it our way an when we win something it will be more glorious than buying
Great Write-up mate, here are my player ratings:
Almunia – Very solid outing, you could see that he was trying to be more vocal, and had a fantastic save in the first half from a shot that looked like it hit the side netting straight but on closer inspection was a great save. 7.5
Sagna – Solid as you like at the back, had some great forays up front. Showed tenacity and bottle. Faded somewhat in the second half and was replaced because of what looked like an injury, hopefully nothing too serious. 7
Gallas – Great to see him back with the armbad, got a little nervous when ArsenalTV made it it seem like he was going to be stripped off the captaincy in favour of Almunia(?!). Anyway not bad for his first game back, showed his class but not much of an understanding with Djourou. 6.5
Djourou – Not a bad performance, was hoping to see him in the DM position he keeps talking about. Anyway Made a few fouls at the back that resulted in him picking up a yellow card. Slightly off the pace and not much of an understanding with Gallas, but I guess that can be forgiven considering its only their first game back of pre-season. 5.5
Clichy – Future legend in the making! Was a great attacking outlet even though he was caught upfront a few times early in the game. Tenacious, looks in great shape – showed magnificent determination to set up Wilshere just doesn’t give up! Deserved to get the goal he was trying hard so to get, Someday soon Gael! 8
Nasri – Showed real class, great setpiece delivery from freekicks and corners, great balance and dribbling ability, his pace was great too. It’ll take him a little time to hit top form but Arsene does know what he’s doing and he’s found a little gem here! 7.5
Eboue – Seemed quite anonymous for much of the first half which is understandable considering I don’t think he’s ever played in central midfield. No major errors though. 5.5
Denilson – slowly getting into the groove of things, has had a lot of minutes this preseason. He still hasn’t hit the heights of his break-out season the season before last but I’ve every reason to believe he will. Good distribution. 6.5
Walcott – One of the best players in the first half, learning to use his pace to good effect, looks sharp and in great shape. Unlucky not to score with Lehman making a great save. Good intelligent running and link-up play, I think he’ll hit the ground running come West Brom. 8
Adebayor – Looked rusty for his first game back. Looked clumsy and his first touch wasn’t great, but he started last season the same way and 30 goals later….! Anyway his passing and link-up play was decent but hopefully he gets his sharpness back quickly or Bendtner will be replacing him in the starting XI! 5.5
Van Persie – Such a top class player, and you can tell whenever he plays no matter how out of shape or form he’s in. Some great runs, dribbling and magnificent through ball for a Walcott chance in the first half. I’m praying he stays fit! 7.5
SUBS
Fabianksi – Looked very solid, had more to do than Almunia did in the first half. Came out and acted as a sweeper very well on a few occasions when he was needed. You can tell he’ll become a keeper with a great presence. Not too much he could do about the goal and great instinctive save very late on in the game. 7.5
Bendtner – Picked up right where he left off against Bergenland! His first touch is back, confidence clearly flowing, great reverse through-ball for Vela for the first goal and showed magnificent strength, awareness and finishing to hold of Bouhlarouz and sidefoot a half-volley past Lehman for the second goal. Watch out Adebayor, he’s coming for your spot! 9
Vela – Also picked up right where he left of against Bergenland, great instinctive player and his goal was just that, pure instinct and great awareness to knock the ball away from Lehman and smash it in off the crossbar. His assist for Bendtner’s goal was great as well, reminiscent of Fabregas’ assist for Guiza in the Euro’s! Quite the partnership he’s forming with Bendtner, and we’re beginning to see why there was so much hype around our Mexican warrior! 9
Wilshere – It’s getting harder and harder to keep this player under wraps and not too hype him too much! Early on you could tell he was playing with a little fatigue as he had only played 48hrs previously at only 16. A few passes and decisions were just a shade off, but you can tell this player has real class. Good link up play, attempted a few of his trademark reverse passes, and a great left-footed half volley finish for his goal, though it did help that he was completely unmarked! I just pray he isn’t snapped up before he signs his first professional contract at 17! 8.5
Ramsey – The passes he made when he came on were magnificent. 100% inch-perfect passes almost like I’ve never seen before. Helped the team play some great possession football and really helped spread the play late on. 8
Lansbury / Simpson / G Hoyte / J Hoyte – Helped see the game out but not enough time to assign a rating.
Paulie needs to change her diet.
A well written comment on the game with Stutgart. This is another impressive Wenger collection of players. He is without a doubt the best in the Premiership and likely the world! Noone does it like our manager with such skill and aplomb. He is the consumate Manager who is still able even with such a meager outlay of cash.
Excellent report ‘Holic – and I agree with your general summary. As for Paulie and his pathetic ilk – we are dealing here with inadequates whose entire self-esteem derives from the performance of the team each week. Football is merely a vehicle to compensate for the emptiness of their pointless lives – they don’t actually love the team or the sport. A pity their few brain cells are unable to appreciate Wenger’s astonishing accomplishment in creating a competitive team year in year out on less than a quarter of the resources available to other top teams (or even the Sp*ds).
I was thrilled watching the likes of Wilshire, Ramsey, Nasri and Vela last night; I’m not sure the team has enough depth to win major silverware but we are in for some sparkling football again this season. Roll on the start of the season.
Morning ‘holic.
A Bloody Mary please….
Oh, and can I have the mong magnet back before you wear it out?
Fear not… the doom mongers time is almost up. The season is about to start for real and they will have no choice but to grudgingly agree that the team is doing well as the season unfolds. I for one thing this squad is fully capable of challenging for honours and winning them… any further buy is a bonus not a necessity…
‘Holic well written pice.
Morning ‘Holic, nice restraint in face of absolute mongness.
Good performance last night, albeit a friendly. Bendtner’s looking sharp – what chance him starting the season and showing Ade a thing or two?
Oh, and pint please.
Comical, Top Cat and Paulie, you are utter twats.
We played a decent team last night infront of a 55,000 capacity crowd and outplayed them. In the 30 years since I first went to Highbury I can honestly say I’ve never been so excited about a season. This group of players is special. I will be adding to my 5-1 investment at Paddy Power very shortly.
Added to that lot up the road just wasting 17m on Bentley which is hillarious, giving us a 5-7m kickback I cant stop smiling. I would imagine the three aforementioned would have liked us to buy Bentley. Mind you, maybe we should have put a bid in as they would have probably gone to 20m.
Not that I really give a shit but the Spuds must be doing a Leeds, I just cannot fathom the amounts they spend year on year and will they do any better than 7th this year? Can’t see it myself.
Enough on that crowd.
Good work ‘Holic
Disappointed for Jackster again.
Let’s go for Dunne from Citeh.
What? No sub-editing Ollie?
Ollies gone to bed.
Afternoon H.
“Comicalprick”. You may not have noticed that the demise of our season was when our 2 main stikers were injured in Jan/Feb respectively. It was our lack of stikers options that cost us. Nothing else.
Ohmygawd. He’s awake! Afternoon Ollie
Problem is Edmund, we NEED to win something this year, otherwise I can see Mr Fabregas and several more wanting to part company next June.
This season, Wengers going to do a Keegan, but only better.
Our formation will be 1-0-6-4.
Based upon the assumption that we will outscore every other team we play against, who needs defence?
You’re on your own son π
Nice work ‘holic.
*relaxes at the bar*
Go do some work nelly, you cunt!
Afternoon.
Can I have a babycham please barman?
Now you are having a giraffe, Mark π
Of course
It was for nelly, but he was a bit embarrassed to ask.
Heh.
Pint for me please ‘holic, and a trough of water for the goats and Llamas. They’re parched on a humid day like this!
Ignore Paulie — he spouts his ignorant idiocy on a lot of blogs, it’s always the same stuff, and it’s hilarious. He makes bizarre claims like Arsenal were a MASSIVE MASSIVE club (his actual words) before Wenger and that Wenger was successful only because he used players who were already at Arsenal when he came on board — when you point out names like Henry, Vieira, Pires, Ljunberg, Overmars, etc. he doesn’t respond. He’s on some kind of hysterical anti-Wenger crusade all over the Arsenal blogs — frankly I think he’s an Uzbek Orange plant.
Our two new jerseys this year are the cats pajamas.I think i am going to get vela on the back of the away shirt when i get it.It will be great to see the team on saturday – it should pretty much be the team which will start against west brom.Could someone help me out here is it still true that RVP and Ade never scored in the same match – if so are you worried that they aren’t the right partnership for us?
Blimey, ‘holic.
What an earth has been going on here?
All very humbling KTb. I had a visit from a mong posting under seperate identities and all sorts of decent people I don’t know (and one or two I do) have restored some sanity to the place.
Thanks all. Makes it all worthwhile.
I hate it when people post under different identities
No-one likes a run on the bar.
Heh
*puts another song on the juke box*
*click*
*clunk*
*whirrrrr*
Baby, ooh baby
I love to call you baby
Baby, oh oh baby
I love for you to call me baby
When you squeeze me real tight
You make wrong things right
And I can’t stop loving you
And I won’t stop calling you…
nice one nord du wilt.. You got your iPhone yet? My one makes Reading your blog at work totally do-able π
Snail, Ollie, Avennel,
Three of my favourite people. You’ll never believe this, but I have come home from a days golf pissed a carrot. I know, and me, who doesn’t normally imbibe.
Ave, I am so jealous. They won’t give me one unless I pay up my current contract. What marvellous customer service that is, eh? I cannot believe O2 are throwing away money like that.
Anybody from O2 reading? I want an iphone, now, and I am prepared to promote you.
Again.
Read it and weep you IE using cunts.
*is dismayed at not being amongst ‘holic’s favourite people*
I’m surprised too, KT. But then ‘holic was pissed…
KT, I was greeting those active since my last post. You are indeed extremely high on the list of my preferred people in KT π
Test in IE7.
If anybody is reading this in another version of IE can you just leave a comment to let me know. Thanks.