Morning all.
Typical isn’t it, we’ve had little to no rain over the last week or two and now the fourth test of the Ashes is due to start today, it’s raining. As the old saying goes, rain before seven, fine before eleven, so I hope that’s the case today.
Yesterday on here, we looked back at all the French players Arsenal have signed over the years and who we’d love to sign today if we could. I’m sure we’d all love Henry, Pires Petit and others too but I got the impression that one man came out on top and that’s Patrick Vieira. He is everything, or rather he was everything back in his day, our current midfield lacks. He had an edge to him which gave us the battles with Roy Keane, his presence alone put fear into opponents but he also had an ugly side to like spitting at Ruddock which I’d never condone but that was him. Take it or leave it. He had power in those long legs of his, pace too and the ability and intelligence to break down an opposition attack then turn it into one of our own. He was seriously good, I’d even go as far to say he was one of, if not the best ever in his position.
He was a true leader, a guy who wasn’t afraid to go head to head with anyone. Literally in some cases, especially Roy Keane. I don’t know about you guys but I loved that era. When Tony Adams retired, there was only one natural successor so when Arsene Wenger made Vieira captain, it was no shock.
Not many Spaniards have made the move to North London, certainly not in comparison to French players but that’s understandable as Arsene Wenger probably had a slight bias towards his fellow countrymen which I suppose was understandable but looking back, perhaps a bit shortsighted.
Jose Antonio Reyes
Cesc Fabregas
Manuel Almunia
Fran Merida
Ignasi Miquel
Mikel Arteta
Santi Cazorla
Nacho Monreal
Hector Bellerin
Lucas Perez
Denis Suarez & Dani Ceballos
So, same as yesterday, which player or players would you sign all over again for today’s team? This time I’ll try and answer my own question correctly rather than choose every player I liked back in their day!
Tough one eh?
See you in the comments…
Morning all and thanks Rico.
I also go with Antonio Banderas, Julio Iglesias ( played for Real Madrid Castilla so better than Almunia, so is Manuel from Fawty Towers, but he`s from Barcalona !) and his son Enrique…………..
I’ve no idea what you’re on about Lc… lol
Niether do I, Rico and I`m the first to hear it ! 😆
Morning Rico. Cesc stands out for me. If he had real pace he would have been world-class. Ceballos can do that job though.
Lots of good players there. Reyes, when he first arrived, was electric.
Morning Adam. For today’s squad, I’d probably choose Ceballos or Cazorla and Reyes.
Not Almunia though which I know will surprise you…… 😝
I do think Arsene Wenger was shortsighted though when it came to signing young players from overseas. I can’t think of many bar Cesc who really excelled over a long period of time.
His better signings were the mature ones, over twenty.
I don’t include the last five or six years of his tenure by the way.. lol
Don’t remind me Rico.
I know Adam, whatever did our scouts see in him?
Morning all.
Cesc should have been an Arsenal legend, but ended up another spoilt arse bastard imo.
What a player!
Arteta is, IMO, one of the most underrated players we’ve had at the club.
He was played out of his preferred position, yet the win/loss ratio when he played was sensational and he was there at our club’s low point in the Wenger era.
Reyes-could have ended up amongst our best ever players.
Cesc , Cazorla,Reyes stand out . Cesc for the control ,Cazorla for the flair and Reyes to use his pace and scoring ability albeit with Pepe and Martinelli we might be covered
I never really warmed to Arteta Scott. Decent player but he’ll never go down in the history books. Not mine anyway.
Reyes and Pepe on the wings with Auba and Lacazette in a two up front format. I’d take that right now with a Paddy/Petit style midfield…
Rico, most fans didn’t rate Arteta but the statistics show we were much better when he played than when he didn’t.
That was a tough period for the club and he was very good.
I’d love to see him managing us at some point:m.
Stats Scott? You know what I think of them.. lol
I’m not saying he was poor, just not my kind of player really. He did what he did but nothing special imo.
I know stats can be deceiving, but equally, they can show us things we don’t recognise, Rico.
As we did so often, we bought a player and tried to make him something else.
Eyes are the most true Scott, imo anyway.
Cazorla continues to play and spread perfume. He had an almost incurable injury, long standing still and even at his age, it is a treat to see him play.
Fabregas was excellent but had a rapid rise and an even bigger fall.
Reyes idem but it was always very irregular.
Most others still play.
As for Arteta, that’s what our midfield needed now.
Apart: very careful with the group stage for the Europa League. It is the hardest of all in my opinion.
Hi Rico
I believe Cazorla’s injury really cost Arsenal. They have never been the same since losing him. Not including this season as we haven’t seen enough yet. imho.
Reg, I’d add Rosicky as well.
They were two midfielders who collected the ball and had us going forward immediately.
We always looked better when they were on the pitch.
Manuel Almunia looked impressive with his blond hair…
Kev, you’d look better 🙂
So does Brudder!
Bloody Lee!!
How’s things mate?
Hi Reg. agree on Santi. He was a huge miss..
Morning all.
Morning Rico. Looks like this test match might descend into tedium at the moment.
What’s happening Adam-raining again??
Not yet Scott.
Later.
Lovely 🙂
It could come down to a last test shootout.
It’s like England vs Steve Smith and 10 dustbins…
And the dustbins are winning…
That will be 5 Mustafi`s and 5 Xhaka`s then !
Hi Scott,
I agree on Rosicky. I loved it when he took the ball from Danny Rose and scored single handedly.
One hell of a player, Reg.
You look at him, Diaby, RVP, Cesc, Nasri etc etc and the last decade or so could’ve been so very different for the club.
Still, some damn good memories to be had.
Yes. it’s Sod’s Law If anything can go wrong – it will”
And it did, Reg lol
Morning all.
Fabregas & Cazorla for me.People forget how sensational Fabregas was, pretty much straightaway,I remember a Champions League game at Juventus,he totally bossed the game,aged about 18, incredible stuff.
Shame how things turned out,with Santi too, different reasons.
I must admit,I liked Monreal, for his no nonsense,hard work ethic.The best Wenger late era signing in my opinion.
I have high hopes for Ceballos but he’s only played 2 Arsenal games so too early to say.
God the international break is boring,2 more to come this year.
At least I will be in Australia for the next one.
Talking of Australia,if they get some play later, conditions won’t be easy,cloudy,damp,lights on..
Where in Oz are you heading, Limey?
Arsenal’s Europa League squad:
A-List: 1. Bernd Leno, 2. Hector Bellerin, 3. Kieran Tierney, 5. Sokratis, 8. Dani Ceballos, 9. Alexandre Lacazette, 10. Mesut Ozil, 11. Lucas Torreira, 14. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 15. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 16. Rob Holding, 19. Nicolas Pepe, 20. Shkodran Mustafi, 21. Calum Chambers, 23. David Luiz, 26. Emiliano Martinez, 27. Konstantinos Mavropanos, 29. Matteo Guendouzi, 31. Sead Kolasinac, 33. Matt Macey, 34. Granit Xhaka, 35. Gabriel Martinelli, 63. James Hillson, 74. Joel Lopez
B-List: 24. Reiss Nelson, 28. Joe Willock, 32. Emile Smith Rowe, 38. Folarin Balogun, 40. Tolaji Bola, 41. Robbie Burton, 42. Harry Clarke, 43. Trae Coyle, 45. Tyreece John-Jules, 47. Jordan McEneff, 48. Mark McGuinness, 49. Zech Medley, 52. James Olayinka, 53. Joseph Olowu, 54. Tobi Omole, 57. Matt Smith, 59. Zak Swanson, 61. Nathan Tormey, 69. Ben Cottrell, 76. Arthur Okonkwo, 77. Bukayo Saka.
Bundaberg Queensland,I’m flying to Brisbane.
Scott,
I’m going to see my son and grandchildren,if the cricket turns out the way it looks, I’m expecting a bit of stick from the locals.
Limey,
You’ll be right lol
Bundaberg-lovely weather up there!!
Cheers Scott, I can’t wait.
That squad list says a few things to me:
we are short of experience,
we are short of players full stop.
Arsenal’s wages bill must have gone down by a lot.
Also Emery surely will have to start using younger players, at least from the bench. That decision to bring on Mikhitarayan on in the NLD was just bizarre, forget about him being moved on the next day.
Now is the time to give Martinelli, Saka and the rest a chance.
Less is more!
Tonight England U21 have beaten Turky U21 by 3-2
Scorers Eddie Nketiah 2 Reiss Nelson 1
Back together again
Morning all.
New post up now