Today the FA staff should return to their posh leather seats, sit drinking posh fizzy water in the way that only they do and one of their first jobs should be to review our match ‘lowlights’ from the Birmingham game.
Arsene Wenger hasn’t had too much to say about the incident and I don’t blame him either, the last time he spoke out, it came back to bite him on the Arse’nal.
However, this incident isn’t about a ‘mistimed’ tackle’ or a debate about whether he ‘went for the ball’ or ‘was there malice’ – no, this is about reviewing a deliberate stamp to the leg of Bacary Sagna while he lay spread eagled on the turf.
Lee Bowyer could face six games out, he’s a baddie, he’s been there before and no doubt he’ll go there again and in my opinion he shouldn’t even be allowed the privilege to play the game we all love to follow.
Unsurprisingly, Alex McLeish has little to say and he won’t do until he finds out if his midfielder gets charged, let alone sentenced!
When asked about the incident, he said:
It is pending. There is nothing I can say. It is not appropriate for me to comment on it when nothing has been done by the FA and the referee is looking at it again.
I’ve seen the incident but I can’t comment on it. It is inappropriate. It is all hypothetical.
We need to wait and see what the verdict is.
This morning though he has turned the tables, suggesting a Nasri tackle on Carr should be reviewed too…. Right!!
Anyway, enough of that…..
Our old boy Dennis Bergkamp has been named manager of the Ajax youth team, replacing Frank de Boer who has stepped up to the senior team. Since obtaining his coaching badges with the Dutch FA, Wenger assured him that there will always be a place for him at his old club and Bergkamp hasn’t ruled out a possible return one day.
I wouldn’t rule out working for Arsenal, I really love this club and the country and I love working here. I would advise everyone to work in England, as a player or a coach, it just breathes football. It is fantastic for the game.
I want to work and train a team in England. Not as a head coach but instead as a member of staff, where I could work specifically with the strikers.
Being a coach means you have to work 24 hours a day and that does not suit me. You have to watch matches at home, travel to see other teams, prepare training – it is something that I am not ready to do.
That was said back in 2009, hopefully by the time Arsene Wenger retires he’ll be ready to sit alongside Steve Bould. The beauty and the beast of football. I wouldn’t even care which one was manager 😉
The best news around though is the return of Aaron ‘Rambo’ Ramsey. His loan spell at Nottingham Forest is up and the Welshman is heading back for an assessment of his fitness before returning to action with the first team.
You can just hear Wenger now can’t you – ‘Having Aaron back will be just like a new signing’ 🙂
Do we care? No, it will just be great to have our midfielder fit, ready and able to play again. No doubt there will be a few teething problems as he returns so let’s not expect too much too soon.
I’ll leave you with something from a real ‘new signing’ – it’s our new boy Ryo Miyaichi who has vowed to set the Premier League on fire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM0mke0rn5s
Wonder what year that will be in…..
Have a good day all, City tomorrow….
how I love to be first! 🙂
DB isn’t ready to come to arsenal yet, let him win the CL with Ajax first, prove his worth, than come to us! 😀
Has anyone read that Wellington Silva would be loaned out? And Are there news regarding Velas loan move to Bolton? I would love that!
Morning…
Hi DK, spot on, he’s on a similar path as Bouldy, by the time DB is ready, Wenger will be on the verge of leaving 🙂
morning rico!
Wellington has to go on loan, haven’t heard where to yet, no news re vela yet either…
Wenger will never leave us! My prediction is: He’s gonna stay here until he’s 88 and Denilson’s and Diaby’s children are playing for us, and he’s still gonna pick them first, even though they are as crap as their fathers 😛
Just kidding :P, I would love Vela to go to a premiership club, look what happened to Wilshere! 🙂
DK, you are on form this morning 🙂
I can see wenger staying longer than his current contract though, maybe he is waiting for DB 😉
Morning all.DK you’re on fire!
Morning Rico, and ArsenalDK, 🙂
It’s amazing isn’t it how McLeish (and other managers in truth) like to deflect attention from their miscreants by pointing at others. Pathetic!
I wonder if the Wellington deal might fold now as waiting 3 years for his elegibility would not have been something AW would have figured on.
Morning all.
Although Dennis coming back would be nice, I personally believe that keown would be a much more suitable coach for this team.
Interesting thought on Diaby and Denilsons kids….wonder who they’d take after…,.!!
It looks like silva is out of tomorrow’s game according to the guardian.balotelli is also struggling to be fit.
Morning KT, RA and Rocastle
I can’t see Wellington getting the boot RA, he’ll just be another Vela situation…
Rocastle, HNY to you, I think DB together with a defender like Bould or even Keown would be a good move, DB still loves the club and loves England….
Take the Silver out of City KT and thats good news, they certainly aren’t gold without him 😉
Balotelli and Lardy are doubts too….
RA, talking of stupid mangers, see red nose has ‘stoked’ the fire ahead of their match tonight…
KT, I thought you would be swooning over Ronaldo this morning, 29 goals in 29 games…..
HNY!
it’s no coincedence that we got to the champions league final with a makeshift back four while keown was draughted (?) in. I think Jens still holds the record for clean sheets run from then?!
Think I’ve mentioned this before bit a few years ago I was chatting to Alan Smith at a local game and he said AW will not teach defending techniques. He believes a pool of 8-10 international defenders should be able to deal with situations….
Thanks everybody! I’we got nothing better to do i guess :). I’m just so fired op for the game tomorrow, i would love for us to stuff City, especially as it is shown on danish tv!
Is it definite that Silva isn’t playing? I hope balotteli plays though, let little jack give him a couple of tackles, after that he can say: “Now you know who Jack Wilshere is!” anyone believe the Mertesacker rumors?
I never know why wenger didn’t keep keown on board, wish he would come back and sort our unit out, sagna is a rock as has JD been but the other three…..
Wenger needs to wake up to defending….
DK, i’d forgotton about the jack/balotelli thing, lets hope he plays then 😉
the Mertesacker rumour seems to be gathering pace, i read one report suggesting we have put an £8.5M in… how much truth is in that is anyones guess….
Rocastle – Happy New Year 😉
i’ve read that we’ve put in £1,5M less than they demanded… Sounds like the negotiations have Wenger written all over them 😉
Rico CR7 is very impressive indeed but Di maria has been critical to madrid.on sunday barça looked average without messi.they looked so toothless upfront.
DK, that’s exactly my thought too, maybe there is some truth in it 😉
But Pedro was pretty good for Barca KT… 😉
We’ll never buy mertsacker.we play a high line and he is very slow.he has excellent positioning therefore doesn’t need to tackle alot.i’ve never seen him collect a yellow card.
Rico Pedro for does for them what theo is doing for us.direct running and clinical finishing.leave the tiki taka to messi/iniesta/xavi.Thiago Alcantara is also a hugely promising player which makes me wonder why they want cesc.there are also rumours that they want nasri too which i think is utter crap.
You never know KT, his height is just what we need for the hoof teams…
I don’t watch them KT so I can’t really comment, i just saw Pedro’s goal on SS… I saw the nasri rumour, best wenger gets on and sorts his contract out….
off for a short while, dentist 🙁
Rico, I reckon you’ll be back at about ‘tooth hurty’ haha. I’m so funny.
i woudn’t be surprised if we see Manu Adebayor tomorrow with Balotelli and Silva struggling to be fit.
Hleb still winging about how he regerets leaving Arsenal;he needs to stop now and concentrate on his football for his club.
That ship has sailed and he should forget about coming back and move on.
No room for Hleb in the squad, he should gladly join the list of Arsenal Players who moved to regret.
Hleb
Manu Adebayor
Viera
Reyes
Flamini
Even Ashley Cole (his life has not being the party he would have expected since leaving Arsenal) Wenger wouldn’t have allowed him to live the life he is living now.
He is the most hated footballer in the Premier League, so sad.
Rocastle 😉
Boo…. any news signings to report…..
SD, tough on them, eh……
I have not once ounce of sadness for any of them, maybe slightly Reyes as he wasn’t made welcome by AFC or the PL sides……
Balotelli has now definately been ruled out for the match….
Poor Jack, he’ll miss him…
Well he will hear about him this time around.
I read this morning about Ferguson praising Stoke and their manager about the way they play and having a dig at Arsene Wenger at the same time.
Isn’t it too early to be playing mind games already?
Praising your next opponent and having a dig at your rival in the league table!
I smell fear in Fergie’s actions 🙂
Bowyer got a three match ban…
New man at the FA, same old weak sentencing….
I saw that too SD, mentioned it earlier 😉 Fergie is just trying to get Pulis on side before their fixture tonight, hope it bites him on his butt 😉
Fergie is seeing us as contenders this time around.Aw and Fergie being all warm fuzzy was sickening!lets go back to them hurling insults at each other before we smash them at the Ems.
KT, he certainly seems to be looking over his shoulder and rightly so, there are plenty of teams that can pip them this season and we are definately one of them. Our game at the Emirates will be crucial for us to win…
Hope it bites him.
They might be without Evra, any update on that?
We have had the luxury of fielding the same team that beat Chelsea 3 games in a row by Wednesday.
Well there might be wisdom in Wenger resting 8players against Wigan after all.
I hope Man City pays for fielding strong sides in their last 3 games tomorrow.
Evra? You mean the rumours he might be off SD?
Silva and Balotelli definitely out.
morning all…sd, look at pulis’ record against man united – stoke have lost every fixture against them since they have returned to the premier league. i think they have only scored one or two goals against them total. why wouldn’t red nose praise pulis – the latter does as he is told and, erm,…”cooperates” when playing united.
tonight will be an opportunity for united to fatten their goal difference. no question about them winning or not.
ra, if you pop back on, disappointing end to the season, 10-6 gets us nothing. only ourselves to blame, we were unable to take care of business in two the last three weeks, and sunday’s laboured win was too little too late. unfortunately, very few changes can be anticipated. tc will return and steve tisch is talking about extending his current contract – and probably most of his coaches as well. jacobs hit the ny reporters with an expletive-laced tirade as he cleaned his locker out.
june 6th, plax will be released from the clink and will be eligible for reinstatement. reese suggested that nyg would be interested in brining him back. tuck came right out and said he is all for it…
Stoke will let in 4 or more goals tonight.Berbatov will score if thats the case.when they are drawing and they need a goal he disappears.
hi oliver, i think stoke could get something from tonight, i really do… fergie may be complacent and rest a few, we all know what happens then…
hi rico – i don’t. frankly, i think they will put up token effort at old trafford. i can see united scoring a few quick ones and racking it up, or labouring and getting a late goal for a 1-0 win. either way, i do not expect stoke to pose much of a threat.
i don’t think united have quality in depth, but i cannot see red nose getting complacent in any way. he called in one favor from pulis by having him recall the stoke players from preston, and will call in another tonight…
ha ha, bet you 1p its a draw oliver 😉
you’re on…
It’s quite amazing though oliver that Fergie could be so childish over the loans at Preston, he should just accept his son is a poor manager….
i think it is even more telling that darren ferguson has nothing to do with stoke city, yet pulis simultaneously recalled his players. that is yet another reason to make me think he (and stoke) will cooperate in every way tonight…
i didn’t realise he had until you mentioned it, all a bit cloak and dagger and very daft, surprised the FA haven’t had something to say about it…
Fergie Rules the FA Rico, we all know that over here, that was why i had to painfully support Chelsea to win the league last year.
I couldn’t stand Man uTd winning the league again, all their fixtures favoured them, all the referees favoured them; unending injury time minutes, a record 7minutes injury time last season remember ?(no major injuries in the match)
All the referees are in his pockets and some few managers as well,
Alladyce, Steve Bruce(especially),Pulis and Wolves manager. and some other gutless few that deliberately field a weakened team whenever they play Manure because they never fancied their chances of winning anyways.
Did you see the last game against Westbrom – Garry neville’s tackle, that was a penalty and a red card but the refree couldn’t give both and can’t give either without the other therefore gave none , game continues. The Red card would have killed Manure utd.Refree in the pocket.
I go with Oliver with this one, i think Stoke will make Kenwine Jones to play alone today and that will be it – no goals from Stoke.
I wasn’t surprised Fergie recalled his players from Preston, Fergie is that Sad a times.
If that is true, it’s a sad state of affairs SD but the big decisions do tend to go their way…
I saw the Neville tackle and it was clear cut red card…
I don’t think all refs are in red noses pocket and you would think with a man city man at the head of the fa now, maybe things will change…
If Arsène Wenger buys anyone in January, it will be a centre back.
Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference, the Arsenal manager ruled out buying a striker, midfielder and goalkeeper. And he will only consider acquiring a defender if Thomas Vermaelen suffers a set back in his rehabilitiation.
The Belgian has been out since late August with an Achilles injury and is due back at the end of this month. If that is delayed then Wenger may go back into the market. Otherwise, he will keep his cheque-book closed.
“In the offensive department, [a new signing] is completely excluded,” said the Frenchman. “In midfield, completely excluded. Don’t forget we have a big squad with Diaby injured, Lansbury and Ramsey is coming back too. He played a full game with Nottingham Forest yesterday.
“With the goalkeepers, I stand as firm as ever.
“At the back, it just depends on Vermaelen. I am just waiting to know more about him, and then at the end of January we will have to make a decision.”
Well Wenger is a realist and i admire him for that.
We only need a CB for now.
Back to FA , the new FA chairman will have to dance to the tune of those that elected him and most of them are Man Utd fans ex-players, ex-officials etc.
To stop Man Utd you need more than luck, you need to beat them properly , you need to score the penalty when given to you against them.
BAsically.
SD, but ‘wait until the end of January’ – surely he should act earlier than that if TV is not on the mend….
Don’t mention that penalty miss, wonder how much he got paid….
Jack wants Wenger to ‘hijack’ the Beckham to Totts deal…..
Hahahahaaha
Liverpool want Lardybayor from Citeh……
Just in quickly… McLeish’s self-righteous outrage is revolting. Please. Thuggery with impunity equals Bowyer. But just deserts, at last. 🙂
I don’t suppose it will be the case, but I’m hoping for an open game tomorrow. Shame Balotelli’s introduction to Jack has to be postponed to another time. 😉
and rico, the new signings bit would be funny if it weren’t so true. 😉 That said, can’t wait to see Rambo well and truly recovered.
Have a good one, all.
As it’s so quiet, i’m off for the day…
Til tomorrow all….
Hi and bye agag 😉
NEW POST
I can’t see the new post 😕
http://1rico.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/manchester-city-are-in-town-and-in-good-form-but-then-so-are-we/