Daily Bits and Bobs

Alexis Sanchez Must Start! Will Abou Diaby?

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

First up, Happy Birthday to Kieran Gibbs and Kenny Sansom – one is 25 today, the other 56…..

Not long to go now before the big match, the first North London Derby of the season and our boys can’t wait. Even Alexis Sanchez is chomping at the bit.

Alexis and Jack played 90 minutes the other day and they’re usually on second-day recovery.

But today Alexis really wanted to train and people had to tell him to take it easy.

That just sums up how much everyone wants to be around the squad and training, and I think he knew we had a massive game coming up this weekend and, as a new boy, it’s good that he does know that.

Obviously everyone else that’s been here and been involved in a north London derby knows how big it is, so that just proves the intensity goes up in training and everyone just wants to be around and pushing for a start.

This will be the first NLD for a few of our players, Alexis Sanchez of course, Calum Chambers, Danny Welbeck and Joel Campbell if he features. It might even be Abou Diaby’s… (Take’s tongue out of cheek)

Seriously though, Arsene Wenger may just be tempted to start with the big Frenchman in his new deep lying midfield role. He played just over an hour on Tuesday and will have had four days to rest so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he does.

Most of those players know what a derby is all about but I don’t think Chambers and Campbell will have been involved in any match like tomorrows. I’m not even convinced that the Manchester or Barca battles are as intense or as hostile as a North London one is.

But I bet they’ve all been told in no uncertain terms just what tomorrow means to the club, the history, the bragging rights and the most important, the fans!

They’ll know it’s a must win game!

I personally think this fixture has come at a good time for us. We had good win at Villa Park last weekend. A game in which Mesut Ozil was finally played centrally, scoring one and setting up the other for Danny Welbeck to get his first for us this season. In fact he had a field day and his body language looked so different.

Yes we lost in the week but most of the players involved in that match, won’t be starting tomorrow. In fact  I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see pretty much the same side which beat Aston Villa.

But Alexis Sanchez simply must be in it. He was made for fixtures like this….

That’s it for today, Go Europe!

 

rico

110 thoughts on “Alexis Sanchez Must Start! Will Abou Diaby?”

  1. Sukky says:

    Great post,
    Alexie will definitely start but A̶̲̥̅♍ not sure about abou,Wenger will start with our captain tomorrow.Flamini will spend a lot of time on †̥ђƺ bench †̥ђis season,he offers nothing expect injuries to abou and mikel,he will definitely sit on †̥ђƺ bench all season.Ox or campell should start too,alexie on †̥ђƺ left,ox or campell on †̥ђƺ right with mesut in †̥ђƺ hole behind Danny boy,that should be interesting.

  3. rico says:

    Ox is another must surely, agree re Arteta, AW will no doubt start with him. Jack, Santi?? Perhaps both will start on the bench…

    No idea with AW…

  4. rogerbij says:

    Thanks for the read Rico. Im pretty comfortable with our firepower vs Spurs. Its the teams like Chelsea Im worried about. Last week I picked 2-0 vs Villa. This week Im going for the same scoreline. I think we will be up for it, and if we are then I have no fears.

  10. Bt62 Gooner says:

    Bloody hell, just read the post again and find i share the day with Kieran and Kenny!!!!..
    Same age as KIeran, who would have thought…lol.

  11. rico says:

    Asked if he regretted not signing a defensive midfielder, Wenger replied: “Not at all.

    “Abou Diaby is a natural resource that I have because he’s a top-quality player. If you look to find better quality players than Diaby on the market you will have big problems.

    “He has not played for one-and-a-half years and I tried to find a solution that suits him and us.

    “What’s happening is that he’s not at his best at the moment because he needs competition.

    “He has not got that change of pace and the power in his challenges that are his strengths, but if I can maintain him without any injuries he will come back and it could be a very satisfying solution for him and us.”

    😮

  12. Bt62 Gooner says:

    Good post Rico, I see spud boss calling for an aggressive display tomorrow. bring it on, 3pts and a couple of tinys sent off, i’ll take that all day long…..

  16. George says:

    nice post!

    We have to smash the spuds- nothing else matters

    The side should be:

    chez

    chambers mert kos gibbs

    sanchez arteta rambo ox

    ozil

    welbeck

    Subs : ospina
    Wilshere
    Flamini
    Campbell
    Bellerin
    Rosicky
    Diaby

    Would not have Podolski nowhere near our first team till he pulls his finger out. His performance against Southampton was pathetic. THats me being kind. Best left peg in the world and he can run, just chose not to .

    Akpom, Hayden and Le coq did themselves no harm and were ok. Our young striker is maybe a season away so I’d keep him away for this game and play him later on in the seaon against an easier opponent.

  17. Adam says:

    I read those quotes from Wenger about defenders. Words fail me. What a steaming pile of crap when he himself said we would replace Vermaelen. Sad when he lies so often to the fans. How can any Arsenal supporter have any faith in him when he is so duplicitous. The fans are surely entitled to more than this rubbish. Tell the truth or say nothing.

  21. Bt62 Gooner says:

    Thanks Rico, today nothing really planned, perhaps a nice meal and a few drinks, heading out Saturday night for a proper celebration. LOTS of drink and a rock night with live bands, then back home for more of the same…lol Just need Arsenal to deliver the perfect present, funny the bar running the rock night is owned by a gooner….An omen perhaps….

  25. snaparse says:

    nice read Rico……the NLD derby is always very exciting I always look forward to it every year……..if arsene is really serious about playing diaby as our deep lying playmaker (which I doubt) then I’m seriously hoping he doesn’t….. diaby is a good player when he is not injured but how often is that? plus he was/has never been a defensive midfielder plus he always wasn’t the most disciplined ala arteta so I can’t see it working IMO…..can’t wait for tomorrow coyg

  27. snaparse says:

    Adam I won’t really take Wenger seriously he would say anything to defend his lack of activity in the transfer market

  28. George says:

    diaby will get killed in the NLD.I expect them to come to ours and kick lumps out of us and the ref let the spuds off. Im going for a narrow 2-1 win with their goal coming from a set piece. I also we will have a man sent off. Likely ot be someone gentle as well like Merts

  29. Adam says:

    Rico. It’s a sad state of affairs that will probably never be sorted. Once you purposely breach the fan’s trust and lie to them it chips away at their support bit by bit. It’s easy to lose them but much harder to win them back. Apart from the happy clappers of course.

  30. Bt62 Gooner says:

    George, can’t believe you went for the set piece…lol….was thinking about Merts last night and it wasn’t a pretty scenario..

  32. Sukky says:

    At emirate,†̥ђƺ spud are nothing but a trash,they won’t stretch us,they won’t trouble us but they will surely kick us.What can they do?they can’t score.A̶̲̥̅♍ going for a clean sheet and a goal or two from our new signings.

  33. rico says:

    Thanks snaparse..

    Very damaging Adam, not only in the case of the fans, but what message does it send out about the clubs ambitions…

  34. rico says:

    Adam, certainly won’t be sorted out all the time AW is manager and he’s allowed to behave in such a fashion. For an intelligent man, he can be an absolute plank sometimes… Actually, most times..

  36. Adam says:

    Rico. I was eating in a Thai restaurant and I could hear a chap and his wife on the next table talking about Arsenal. I struck up a chat with him and I asked him about players and Wenger. He just looked at me and said that he used to be a huge fan of Wenger but these days he just supported the club. It was an interesting distinction.

  37. Bt62 Gooner says:

    Cheers Adam, chillin today, come 5:30pm Saturday anything goes….lol….i think you would enjoy the night time revelling…

  40. Bt62 Gooner says:

    Adam, for years i think that people have found it hard to differentiate between the two, especially after the AW early years of success. The recent years of repeated mistakes in the TWs , on the pitch and the excuses, have made it more easier to separate the two, for many..

  42. rico says:

    Adam isn’t that similar to what we have all been through? Having once had nothing but admiration for Wenger, I now find him more and more annoying every time he opens his mouth…

    And don’t get me started on transfers…. 😉

  44. Bt62 Gooner says:

    Rico, true there may still be many, but having seen teenagers interviewed who can see the mistakes, i think that number will continue to dwindle in the coming years.

  46. Adam says:

    Because of the warmth and affection I feel for him, there is always a small part of me that feels oddly disloyal when I criticise him and when he spouts his now-traditional horse shit, I feel embarrassed for him too. Strange, but true.

  48. BrainwashedKev says:

    Many Happy Returns BT…

    Don’t hold back on the celebrations mate. 😀

    Arsene and the truth, nows there’s a contradiction…
    He talks shit to the journos, who in turn report the same shit to us.
    Shows what the club think of it’s supporters…
    Shows what Arsene thinks of the supporters…

    Funny how when they need us or Arsene needs our support they appeal to our life-long devotion to the cause…

    The rest of the time we’re told to push off or as that old crank Peter Hill-Wood memorably said in closing an AGM “Thank you for your interest in our club”…
    Fecking old shit-bag!

  49. Bt62 Gooner says:

    Adam, i get what your saying, when discussing AW with friends and fellow gooners, i stress, i take no pleasure in my views towards AW but i trust what my eyes see, as for the horse shit, stopped listening years ago, embarrassing to say the least.

  50. rico says:

    Adam, I get that.

    Bt, yes, and they’ll probably hope we stutter for a while so they can say ‘I told you to be careful what you wish for’…. lol

  52. rico says:

    I would think more of AW if he didn’t come out with things like ‘if you go looking for a player who is better than Diaby you are in trouble’…

    Why say something which is so so stupid as that…

  56. snaparse says:

    Lol Rico with that kind of statement I get why people are becoming to turn on Wenger even an injured Lionel messi is replaceable ……I think he is just trying to justify his action in not buying a defensive midfielder

  61. botafoguense says:

    Sorry if this pedantic, but we signed Alexis from barca, who has El Clasico with Real Madrid but their equivalent of a derby is with Espanyol. That said EL Clasico is far bigger and i’d argue just as intense and definitely more important to its respective league as the NLD. Maybe because irs because he has this experience that he’s so psyched for the match. And couldn’t you say the same about the Manchester derby? At least in recent years its become pretty exhilerating. Sorry, just keepin it real! (No pun intended)

    And by the way, i cant wait for this game 😀

  62. potter says:

    botafoguense :- Most Catalan’s would consider Real Madrid as their derby grudge match . Being an Arsenal supporter I find the NLD not so much a football derby as a grudge match that has to be endured . My legs get heaver as I get nearer the ground , I get nervous and need a couple before I can face it. I know that it is the same in Spain for El Classico , but the difference in England is the attitude that exists in North London it’s not rivalry it’s pure hatred.

  63. botafoguense says:

    Yeah na i know, was just a bit confused about the atletico reference above. I’ve never been to London so couldnt possibly get the full gravity of the NLD apart from what i see online. I know a lot of cules and madristas though and they can be a pretty odious and down right irrational bunch when it comes to their rivals. Not to mention atleti supporters towards their rivals.

    Sorry for typing mistakes, my fat fingers have trouble with these tiny tiny blackberry keys.

  66. rico says:

    botafoguense – you win today’s prize for spotting my deliberate error…

    Only kidding, whatever made me write Madrid I’ll never know, will put it right now… Thanks..

  73. Wavy says:

    ……..lurrrrrvvvvvvv………fab!
    Kev, you truly are a ‘child’ of the sixties, but do you remember any of it? Tears at the end of the league cup? Billy Wright (tosser). Vic Groves? Middle Earth? Free concerts in Hyde Park? Ah, I remember eet well! Well some of it….!
    The Arsenal were an ok team after sacking Wright, then in ’68 they turned the corner! They were successful and sometimes good to watch.
    Last memory NLD at Highbury a midweek match 67.000+ crowd finished 4-4 Arsenal were trailing 2-4 with 10 minutes to go 2 late goals, which I didnt see cos I’d left the ground to catch the last Greenline home. What a game. I never have seen the last two goals either! Sad but true!

    A Win tomorrow would be breathtakingly brilliant!

    COYRRGS

  75. BrainwashedKev says:

    Wow Wavy, luv the Gravatar…

    The sixties are all a bit of a blur mate…

    I bet that Fred is gonna have a psychedelic Gravatar…

  86. HunGooner says:

    I had a chat with a couple of spurs fans in the office today, and they said they would take a 2:0 defeat if it is offered now! They seem even lower on confidence than I am right now:)

  87. BrainwashedKev says:

    Adam/Wavy lmao reading your comments.

    Was that Wath that made a brief appearance?!
    Thought he’d moved to North Korea…

    Night All

  88. scottfromoz says:

    Hi guys.
    Sitting at Honolulu airport awaiting our flight home.
    I miss the mighty Sydney Swans in our AFL as we will be midair at the time.
    Still, I arrive in time to see the NLD.
    A must win game….as they always are….but more than bragging rights on the table, as we need every single point available til Xmas, and hope Arsene forgets his opinion on the january TW.
    Anway, “cheer, cheer the red and the white”, follow by “We love you arsenal, we do”.

  92. Lee says:

    Belated birthday wishes BT……spank that shower of shit up the road will be a good start to the evening! Then blow the froth off a few and get the papers rustling!
    FOYS
    FOYS
    FOYS
    Morning all btw!

  93. potter says:

    I have a day trip to London today Rico , apart from raising a glass to celebrate BT’s birthday , I can’t think why. Perhaps when I wake up from my daze of shock from Micky Quinn praising Arsenal for their ability to stay near the top whilst paying off the stadium, I will remember.

  96. Lee says:

    Apparently on the 61st minute the Arsenal fans will applaud today….something to do with the last time spxrs won the league!!!!

  101. Lee says:

    Ffs there will be some pissed supporters at this game! I’m still shocked it’s been allowed to be a 5:30pm kick off!
    FOYS!

  103. Lee says:

    I wonder if the police force have any special plans to control Mrs Adam? Theoretically she could have five hours at the crease, ironing fizz out like it was water!

  104. rico says:

    AW re Kroenke taking the money…

    I don’t think there should be concern because we only do what is legal at the club. You should ask that question to the board.

    Our profits did sink and are not as big as it was [in] the years before because we spent a lot of money.

    It is good to have a little cushion in case we need to buy when the right players come up [and] if we need to strengthen the squad, we’ll do it.

    But I think that in the past two years, we have invested a lot of money and we will continue to do so with the money that is available.

  108. Adam says:

    Why doesn’t he just mind his own business. If asked about Spurs new ground, just say, “That is their business, not ours”. As for his moral judgements on Lampard? Please. The press know he loves the sound of his own pronouncements and he gets suckered in every time. I like him better when he has lot his voice I think.

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