Morning all.
I got it wrong about Jack, he wasn’t due in for training on the day after his Cafe Paris night out and according to Le Boss, the media got it wrong too. They’ve blown it all out of proportion says the manager but on the flip side, both he and Jack have had a little chat, and that will be kept between the two of them. Arsene has defended our Englishman by saying he works hard, very hard and he has a great footballing brain. Injuries could be the only thing preventing Jack from being a great player. Ok Arsene, we get the point.
Anyway, Wilshere is having a run out for the under 21’s tomorrow night, as are Rosicky and Gnabry and both Ramsey and Flamini could be available for selection for the Saturday lunchtime kick-off.
Life at Arsenal has started pretty well for Mohammed Elneny. Not only did he score the goal which was voted best of March, he’s earned the player of the month award too. Both on the official club site.
Thrilled with his goal, but disappointed with the result in Barcelona:
I was very happy with it. However, I wasn’t happy with the result of the game as we didn’t qualify for the next round.
It is something that you can’t describe afterwards – but I was very happy to score against Barcelona in the Nou Camp – it was a very beautiful feeling.
I hope to score more goals in the future, hopefully to help the team to win the league title this year.
I think he’s been superb and having been criticised by a few early on, his performances of late have no doubt changed a few peoples mind about the cheap Egyptian midfielder! Whilst we rave about players performing at other clubs like Leicester who were snapped up on the cheap, perhaps we should credit Arsene Wenger who seems to have snapped up another gem. My major gripe is why on earth wasn’t he signed back in the summer because I truly believe Arsenal would be sitting in a better place in the league had he of been.
Elneny and Coquelin have formed a good partnership which has seen our performances improve, just has the return of Danny Welbeck who has been selected ahead of Giroud and of course the emergence of Iwobi who has dumped Walcott on the bench. Both Walcott and Campbell came on late in the game last weekend and combined well to nab a good fourth goal but by then, Watford were all but on their knees having been run ragged all game.
Santi Cazorla, another player the team has seriously missed as since his injury, the level of performance has dropped considerably but as he nears a return to first team action, I think he’ll find it hard to get his starting place back, as will Aaron Ramsey because Elneny has shown what a disciplined box to box midfielder should be doing. Perhaps the Welshman will have watched on and learned…..
Another player experiencing an unusual life on the bench is Per Mertesacker, he has had to watch Gabriel grow in confidence alongside Laurent Koscielny and unless injury occurs I can’t see him playing much part in our run-in, not with so few games to go. No doubt Per will have a long hard think about his future in the summer as he’s not getting any younger and he’s certainly not getting any quicker.
Three players who may very well boost the first team squad next season have been confirmed after Arsene Wenger told the Arsenal Weekly podcast:
We have many players with big quality.
The guys that are with me now like Chris Willock who is very impressive, Jeff Reine-Adelaide is with us on a daily basis, Reiss Nelson is with us also.
We have a few players, and behind the team is a core of six or seven players, I won’t name them all now, but are a guarantee for the future of Arsenal Football Club.
The Academy finally looks like it might be working…..
Finally, back to Alex Iwobi. He’s expected to miss the 2016/17 pre-season as he’ll be off to Rio with the Nigerian international squad trying to win Olympic Gold. He may not be alone though as Arsenal have a few young players who represent their country. All countries are largely represented by players under the age of 23 (born on or after 1 January 1993) but each can select a maximum of three over aged players.
Let’s hope they don’t select any of ours….
Interesting…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3526902/GRAHAM-POLL-Premier-League-let-poor-refereeing-clearly-wrong-done.html
Morning Rico and all. The whole refereeing debate is a never-ending saga of self interest and incompetence. The PGMOL hasn’t been fit for purpose for a long time. But, having watched the shocking display by the bloke who handled the youth game the other evening it is hardly surprising really. He missed so much that it was pathetic. Shirt pulling and wrestling opponents to the ground in the box seems to have become accepted these days throughout the game. Tearing someone’s shirt of their back is now considered fine.
Morning Adam. Someone speaking about it publicly has been long overdue but it doesn’t only seem to be in this country. How Suarez stayed on the pitch the other night beggars belief.
Poll may just have opened a large can of worms… Good.
I really hope AW also has plans for Jon Total who is surely playing himself back into contention and is now THE best player for loan club Birmingham!
I have been saying for years these guys in black cannot be trusted. The Fox shd have sent off and Saints given a penalty. To rub salt into the cut /wound,Morgan scores minutes later.
Al long as the ref head stays ,you can bet your house the ref swill be the ones who decide who wins the epl.
I suspect Toral will be in his plans, could be an interesting summer transfer window imo.
Morning again, It does look like a lot of first teamers are getting the proverbial kick up the backside and been left to contemplate their very average seasons from the bench, hopefully now with further acquisitions to the squad, certain players will now know that giving 70%, 80% will and should not be accepted anymore.
A few reports suggesting Zelalem is favourite to be promoted to the first team next season, he,s an exciting player who I am looking forward to seeing his progression.
Wolfgang, and look at the way some of our matches have been handled. Three points lost against the Chavs because Dean didn’t send off Costa but then gladly sent off Gabriel. The offside Ramsey goal which wasn’t offside, there been many others too.
Yes Arsenal have played badly in 2016 but had the officials done their job properly, the league table would look a lot different imo.
Can’t see it Rico. Poll himself was one of the worst refs I have ever seen and he seems to have made himself something of a pariah by accepting a few quid from the papers to criticise referees who, we know, are a precious bunch lead by a very dodgy character in Old Mother Riley. It is getting worse though. And from our players too. I would have thought that stricter officiating at youth level would be desirable but apparently not.
Everyone makes mistakes but when you make as many as Atkinson, Clattenberg, Dean etc, with zero accountability compounded by a conspiracy of silence too, then football has a problem. If players are accountable, then referees must be too.
What it need is a prominent journalist (preferably a non-alcoholic with no skeletons in the closet) to highlight what is happening on a weekly basis on the back pages. This would need to be sensible and balanced but supported by an in-depth investigation into Riley and his own bias. I think the results would shake English football to the core and that is why the powers that be would never countenance such a situation. It’s all to comfortable for these pigs with their snouts in the trough which is something we see throughout society, hence the revelations from Panama.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Rangers try and sign him Dublin…
Toral has succeeded Bentner then! Not great to share a similar stat with the Danish Kong! Got to hope Toral doesn’t go the same way!
He should be back in contention when he returns to fold. He has scored one or two real crackers for his loan club though.
Can’t see any player following Bendtners example these days Wavy..
Catch up in hour or so….
If Mr. Wenger can get two Quality players in DM and a forward my guess is he can promote some of the young lads. We need one more strong fella and then going forward we are not as fragile. Elneny, Coq, and Gab add some quickness to our spine and ofcos Kos the Boss was always there to make us strong and fast. I am mainly interested by next season and the future as I feel Mr. Wenger can build a strong squad if he wants and it will not even cost him 60 mill maybe
The FA refereeing is a shocker. I can point tolwo goals we conceded from Ozil being fouled alone. The referees seem to have a soft spot for LCFC and don’t want to ruin their fairytale.
Regardless of who is fit I hope the manager chooses on merit. Can we unearth another cheap defender?
The only pundits i heard saying that the ref’s will also be a factor in Leicester winning the league was the ones on PLTV – kick off
Hi all, HH crashed for me this afternoon… Judging by the comments, it did for everyone… 😉
Sorry Adam, I missed your earlier comment. Two card Poll was awful but at least he’s spoken out and imo, that can only be good. Perhaps someone will delve deeper…
Either that, or Untold will push their views further…. Lol
Football is fixed is quite illuminating.
http://footballisfixed.blogspot.co.uk/
Isn’t it just….
The refs shocking decisions should not be a surprise to anyone. If the governing body – FIFA – is as corrupted as it is, why shouldn’t refs decide championships? (smh). And its not just in EPL. Its all over: Spain, Italy, France and Germany… especially when the so call big teams are playing the smaller teams. It’s really hard to watch. Dublin, re: Zalalem, unless he gets the protection from the refs, he’s like 2 season away from playing in the EPL. He’s very skilled but not strong or physical at all. We get SPL here in NYC and Rangers are always on. But then again, I can see Wenger playing him on the wing.
I doubt they are Obi, we see the mistakes week after week, and that’s just watching Arsenal. Every club suffers because of those incompetent idiots…
So true Rico, ask Ronald Koeman. He said they costed him 4 games and a possibly European Football.
Same for West Ham Obi…
Would Leicester be top? I’m not sure..
Catch up tomorrow..
Night guys..
New post up.