We all take the news that’s reported in the papers with a pinch of salt and no doubt this needs to be treated the same way but suggestion is that Patrick Vieira could be making a return to Arsenal. Paddy, as he’s more fondly know to Arsenal fans has already hinted that he will hang up his football boots at the end of this current season and will retire.
With the rumours rife about Pat Rice retiring in the summer when his contract is up, Wenger will be on the lookout for a new side kick and suggestion is that Paddy will be that man.
A bottle of sauce said: “Patrick feels he is nearing the end of his playing days and still has huge affection for Arsenal and Arsene. “A coaching role would be ideal for all concerned – but a lot depends on what Pat Rice decides come the summer.”
Oh those days.......
Now I know Paddy served us well, very well and he showed a bit of attitude in the middle of the park in most games he played for us, he showed no fear when we played the likes of Manchester United and that rubbed off onto the rest of the players too. He and Roy Keane had one of the greatest midfield battles in football during his years with Arsenal, invariably Paddy came out on top just like Arsenal did back then too. With him in our side we won three Premier League titles, one unbeaten – and four FA Cups.
Not bad, eh?
Is he really the right man to take over from Pat ‘Arsenal’ Rice? Would he be able to pass his attitude, fight and winning mentality on to this current squad, or would he just become another cardboard cut out who sits alongside Wenger with little input?
Personally, I’d rather Steve Bould took over from Pat Rice should he retire but I wouldn’t mind Paddy involved in showing the team the way in another capacity.
On to the news we all knew would break, it’s yet to be confirmed by AFC.com as I type but Thomas Vermaelen has confirmed to Belgian website Sporza.be that he needs surgery on his persistent Achilles problem and has tentatively set a return date for March.
March? I doubt it very much, in fact I would suggest that’s him out for the season, unless of course we reach the FA Cup Final or Champions League Final. 😉
Not much else in the news about our fine club other than Theo reckons we are now back in the right frame of mind to push on in out challenge for silverware. Let’s hope he’s right as we cannot afford any more silly blips.
Next up Leeds on Wednesday, I can’t wait either…..
morning!
anyone heard the rumors that we are planning a cooperation with feyenoord?
Vieira would be a great presence at the club! 🙂
Morning all – good article from Young Guns – hope we find another RvP…
http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2011/01/arsenal-agree-feyenoord-partnership/
Morning DK – just been reading that at YG’s 🙂
Paddy could even fill in when Song is out, he’s only 35 i think 😉
funny, i read the feyenoord article at a danish site this morning, before it came up at YG!
Haha, paddy would be a great back up, especially against man utd 😀
But hasn’t Wenger stated that Rice is 90 % sure of staying?
DK, Wenger always says that to make sure the person knows they are wanted. Rice’s contract is up at the end of the season and it’s strongly suspected he will retire…
He said the same about Flamini, Lardy and Hleb – we know what happened to them 😉
Morning People Pat Rice will be staying
yeah, good point rico. a speaking about Flamini, isn’t he a bench warmer at Milan? I would love to se him back, he could do a great job for us i think 😀
Erick, is that just a theory?
DK Aw will do the most for him to stay me think
Morning Erick, you sound confident 😉
Flamini is where he deserves to be, money doesn’t always get you what you want – he should have stayed put but i wouldn’t want him back….
I wish we had kept Diarra
Diarra has talent, no doubt, but he was way too selfish and unpatient.. So I don’t have sympathy for him. As for the flamster, wasn’t it something like, we didn’t do enough to keep him? Or have I misunderstood something?
I am Rico Aw is like my old man so attached to people around him Flamini played yesterday and was poor Diara is warming the bench for the second game in a raw for Madrid they were held 1 all by Almeria
DK yes reFlamini we waited for his contract to run out
DK, I think he just wanted to play football and Wenger was so confident Flamini would stay he didn’t think his chance would come – he moved to pompey just to play, then flamini, who had always said he would stay, walked for free….
Diarra moved to madrid for money and i don’t think he plays so much under jose, rumour is that Fergie is looking to buy him now…
But its true he wanted more money although he had his best season for the Arsenal
Erick, he is too much of a father to these players sometimes…
His only good season really, i think he was bitter when he got dropped for a fit Cole for the CL Final after playing left back most of the season..
Rico Diara has been on and off for madrid Khedira a worth competition
I haven’t seen him play Erick, back then we should have kept him, now, I’d rather see another Song kind of player in the middle – we have him, he is just injured..
Ping Pong Frimpong 🙂
Khedira – is he the big german jose bought in the summer??
Wouldn’t mind a couple of german internationals in our team…..
Khedira is overrated if you ask me, nad yeah rico its the german international. Would love to have schweinsteiger at our team! but he’s recently signed a contract extension..
I’m hoping Chamakh will get the confindence back, along with arshavin, what a team that could be! Take Theo out, bring in Arshavin… goodbye Barcelona.. or something like that! 😛
Morning guys.
I would be happy to see paddy back as a coach but he would have to do it the Bould way.
The only news I am waiting for is the news where we have signed a top class CB.
DK – you still dreaming 😉
Morning Will, I don’t think he has his badges yet in any case, I still would prefer to see Bould step up IF Rice goes….
Aren’t we all waiting for that news….. 31st Jan no doubt!
If at all Rico.
All I want is a number 2 who will stand up to AW and say, you need to add to make your vision work.
rico, everyone’s allowed to dream, right? 😉
If Wenger buys a world class centre back, that would be the death of koscielny or squillaci, ergo, Wenger would undirectly admit that he made a mistake in buying them..
And i’m suspecting that Wenger will wait until late january to see if the squid will get fit…
I might be wrong here but hasn’t every title winning side under Wenger had a commanding English centre back?
He’ll buy Will, i’m confident of that, just not expecting it to be a player we’d all like though…
Re the number two, i think it’s a tough job for anyone to take as Wenger is the way he is. What I hope Wenger is doing though is being honest with the club about his future plans – should Rice retire and Wenger has no plans to stay after his current contract expires, the replacement for Rice should be the man who will take over from Arsene….
DK, you dream 🙂
Will, yes, Adams, Keown, Campbell – and of course we cannot forget Cole, Dixon and Winterburn….
I agree but I can see Wenger staying a while as he really wants to see his kids come good.
I don’t mind if he stays, in fact I hope he does – just want the old manager back who burst into England in 1996…
Yeah, not the scientist experimenting.
Its about getting the balance right – we cannot deny players like Jack, JET, Afobe, Chucks, Bartley, Lansbury and Miquel a chance when they are ready but that can’t all play together – Jack is excelling because he’s ready and because of who is around him..
we need a few more Nasri, Robin and Cesc’s in every department, not just the midfield….
I agree with you, the kids will be better with better players around them. I would be more than happy though to see Nik B gone and some of those kids given a chance. I mean, how many goals did JET score in the reserves?
Not just JET Will, Afobe and Chuks are knocking on the door….
Give them all a go. Most kids can’t play many games in a row so give JET a few games, then rest him and give Afobe etc etc.
I would rather have an 18 year old playing with the utmost desire than some egotistical idiot who thinks he is better than everyone of the planet.
As I would too – and these kid are local kids, not some over ego’d player who has joined us just for the status and money…
What does Nik B give us that Chamakh doesn’t?
Nik needs a big game against Leeds on Wednesday, I want him to prove he has what it takes – if he can get an early goal he may gain confidence – right now he lacks that big time as does AA…
To be fair, both Chamakh and Nikki are off form these days…
Chamakh is jacobed though, Nik b has no reason and if he feels he should be playing, he should be busting his nuts to impress, whenever I have seen him play, he strolls around.
That is what is annoying me about AA, he just puffs his cheeks out and looks skywards. How about running back, putting a tackle in and making the simple pass and working your way back to form?
It’s that old thing of needing games after injury, if i were him i be giving my all to get it right when i got my chance but he always seems so laboured…
AA – well I am at a loss to what has happened, might help if he was played in the right place, but that’s wenger…..
pegs and holes…..
Maybe we could rest Cesc and push AA up in the centre?
Go to pop off for a while… back shortly…
I think he’ll play the same side who played at home Will, but Sagna in and Eboue further up the pitch…
We need to win this one Rico, not only too progress but for confidence.
Just watched the Barca goals from this weekend and we could score those goals if some of our forward players made forward, off the ball runs.
Too right we do Will….
Arsène Wenger is still targeting all four competitions.
Arsenal are the only English side who can win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup. But games are stacking up fast and, as the manager admits, rotation is essential.
The Frenchman takes his side to Leeds on Wednesday in an FA Cup Third Round replay. Next week, they will have to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Ipswich if they are to reach the Carling Cup Final.
The top of the Premier League is tight too. Arsenal kept pace with a 3-0 win at West Ham on Saturday and afterwards the Frenchman suggested his aims remained four-fold.
“I will go for it,” he said, “but we will have to rotate.
“Our success depends on the way the whole squad can focus on the different competitions. I believe we have the quality to qualify no matter what I do on Wednesday. It’s just how much we are able to focus on the competition.
“The timing is not the best but it is down to us because we could have beaten Leeds at home. We didn’t manage to do that but now there’s no reason why we should give up.
“I will prepare [for] this game to win it then we will see. It is important we go there with a positive attitude.”
Wenger added that Tomas Rosicky is likely to be back after missing the game at Upton Park.
“He will be OK,” said Wenger. “He was sick but had normal training on Saturday. He should be OK for Wednesday.”
If we can beat Leeds and Ipswich and the next 3 league games, I think the confidence will soar.
Thats what we have been saying Will and why it’s so important not to mess around too much with a winning side – right now Djourou really worries me, he’s heading for an injury….
I agree and that is why we need a dominating “English” centre back whose only thought is to keep a clean sheet.
If we can get a 5 match winning streak going, I think we will have the ability to win everything.
Southampton manager Nigel Adkins has hinted that the club would prefer to sell wonderkid Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Arsenal.
The Gunners, alongside Manchester United and Liverpool, have been tracking the 17-year-old with a view to making a £10 million offer this January, as Goal.com UK exclusively revealed last week and now it would appear that the Emirates seems Oxlade-Chamberlain’s most likely destination.
Adkins stated that the club would prefer to sell the winger, who has been dubbed “the new Theo Walcott”, to a club that would aid his development in the correct way.
He said: “We would only let him go to a club that would nurture him and treat him properly.
“There is going to be no auction for Alex. We love him and want to make him a better player.
“If, down the line, there is a bid we will do the right thing for Alex and not just sell him to the highest bidder.
“There has been a lot of speculation about him but Alex is our player and is playing with a smile on his face.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has impressed an array of clubs this season, having scored six goals in 21 games for the St Mary’s club.
Sounds like they are talking about us.
Sunderland striker Darren Bent has handed in a transfer request after Aston Villa made an £18million move for the England international.
£18 Million, that is crazy money….
Ha ha Will, just been reading that too… you searching around to find out who our CH will be aswell 😆
Whendo Ryo and Wellington join us, ist it this summer or again pending on FIFA and their permit
Bent does score a lot of goals. I don’t think he could fit in with our style of play but as you say £18m is silly money.
Crazy, all because he’s English
Exactly. I will admit, he does bang them in though.
And he’s a gooner Will, give him good service, he’s get 20+ goals a season ….
Boo!
Paddy has had a brilliant career. It would be lovely to have him back; I never liked seeing him in that tepid blue kit, anyway. 😉
I know surgery should be the last resort, but I really do wish TV’s injury had been diagnosed much earlier. We’d perhaps be less nervy about our defense. as it is, we wait for him to begin another recovery.
And JD’s barely gotten his feet wet with first team action; and already he’s being worked like a cart horse…
Boo to you agag, Paddy only looked good in red, yellow and burgundy 😉
I don’t even know what TV really did, when he was left out I thought he was being ‘told off’ for the Cesc comments 🙁
Actually, he didn’t play in burgundy did he 😉
No, Paddy didn’t, rico. He missed it by a year. 😉
It was one of those stupid, meaningless internationals, for TV. Our players should be banned from playing those. Haha. There are too many of them, and they are largely boring affairs. 😉
WOW!!!£18 Mil for Bent and rising to £24!crazy stuff.Quinn has joined daniel levy of stratford hotspurs as the biggest con artists in the PL.
I thought as much re Paddy 🙂
Same old with them silly internationals agag 🙁
I have to pop out for a quick walk, been waiting all day for the rain to stop falling 🙁 Now we have a bit of blue sky, won’t be long…..
Hi KT, will be back in a bit….
Boo….
I watched the West Ham game live, do you think I have broken the jinx?
Hi all,Good win on saturday, comfortable as well.
Good to see MAn Utd lost 2 points.
Walcott is coming to the form he was earlier this season.
it will be nice to see viera next to wenger at least he can remind those guys of great times.
Those invicibles really missed arsenal.
See yah all later
It does seem, Anelka and Petit apart, everyone who left wished they hadn’t.
Yes Will, good, now you can freely watch with confidence…
Hi and Bye SD 😉
Anelka and Petit both wish they had stayed Will, Anelka said that not so long ago again…
What i find strange is how many have left us and then are crocked….. sometimes for good too
Could you imagine a front four of Henry, Anelka, Pires and Bergkamp?
And yes I know, the Anelka money paid for Henry, but what a dream.
Hi Rico,
The special exemption Visa was refused for both Myaichi and Wellington.
I believe FIFA can grant such an exemption for special young talent, which the Home Office would then take into consideration when deciding to grant a work permit, or not.
I am going to research this Visa nonsense because it seems a mystery to most of us … and we need to know! 🙂
It’s odd; apparently, if you smuggle yourself across on Eurostar, homeless and without a job, you are greeted with benefits cheques and housing. Have a well paid footballing career and they tell you to bugger off. What sort of system is that?
That would be to dream of Will, I may have said before but wenger has always said he wanted Anelka and Henry in the same side but sadly Anelka’s brother got involved…
Will,
We got about £22m for Anelka, whereas Henry cost £10m, so we had plenty of change out of that deal! 🙂
Thomas Vermaelen will undergo a procedure to cure his troublesome Achilles injury and should be back in “four to six weeks”.
The Belgian defender has not played since September 7 when he completed 90 minutes for his country in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Turkey. He returned to England with a tendon problem and was expected back in action within a week.
More than four months on Vermaelen is still waiting for his first-team comeback but Arsène Wenger believes the 25-year-old will return in February. In an exclusive interview with Arsenal TV Online, the manager clarified the next steps on his road to recovery.
“It’s not a real surgery,” said Wenger. “It is to take out a little ligament next to his tendon. It is to open it a little bit and cut out the ligament that has been causing the friction. It is a procedure, that is the right medical term.
“We are very optimistic that [this will cure the problem]. But of course it is now what you call in football a little bit longer delay of four to six weeks.”
According to some reports, Vermaelen has targeted the first leg of the Champions League tie with Barcelona on February 16 for his comeback. That falls within Wenger’s time-frame but the Frenchman knows his centre back will need games before he can perform at the top level.
“Let’s count the weeks to Barcelona and you will know,” said Wenger. “I count a minimum of four weeks, maximum six, so it is not an unrealistic target.
“But don’t forget as well he is a little bit in the situation of Aaron Ramsey, he has not played since the beginning of September, that means he will need some games to be completely fit.”
Yes RA but we also paid for the training ground with the money.
Hi RA,
I know we failed this year with the work permits but can we re apply in the summer?
Funny how Man Utd don’t often fail with the permits.
Mme, call me a cynic but I’ll believe TV is returning when I see him on the pitch….
Exactly Rico, it was meant to be a two week thing, how long has it been now?
3 months?? he won’t be back Will, hope i’m wrong though….
Off to get some dinner, back in a while…
Will, thats because old red nose has them in his pocket…..
I don’t know about the Visa procedure Rico, I am still investigating!
ManU got permits for the Raphael twins easily enough but they had more youth international appearances than Welly Boot, and, of course, everyone is afraid of big bad Fergie!
Rico,
The Visa elegibility rules seem as clear as mud. For what they are worth, I have shown a part of the rules below. A Club sponsors a player who has to meet elegibility rules.
Sponsorship
To be eligible to become a Sponsor and issue Certificates of Sponsorship a club must be in membership of the Premier League or the Football League. A Sponsor’s licence issued under Tier 2 or Tier 5 is valid for a period of 4 years, after which time it may be renewed. Clubs should note that a Sponsor’s licence may be revoked at any time if the Sponsor is seen to be failing in its compliance with its duties.
Length of Season
For the purposes of PBS, the playing season for this sport is from August to May. This may vary slightly from season to season depending on the arrangement of the first and last matches.
Criteria for Players
To be eligible for a Governing Body Endorsement under PBS:
The applicant club must be in membership of the Premier League or Football League. During the period of endorsement, the player may only play for clubs in membership of those leagues (i.e. the player may not be loaned to a club below the Football League);
The player must have participated in at least 75% of his home country’s senior competitive international matches where he was available for selection during the two years preceding the date of the application; and
The player’s National Association must be at or above 70th place in the official FIFA World Rankings when averaged over the two years preceding the date of the application.
Home » UK Visas » Tier 2 work permits » Tier 2 Visa Sportsperson » Visa requirements for English Football
This information below outlines the criteria for football clubs to become Sponsors and obtain Governing Body Endorsements for individual players under Tiers 2 and 5 of the UKBA’s points based system for the 2010/11 season.
The criteria below have been agreed by the UKBA following consultation between the FA, the Premier League, the Football League, the Professional Footballers’ Association, the League Managers’ Association and the other Home Associations of the Scottish FA, the FA of Wales and the Irish FA.
Duration
The criteria will apply for season 2010/11 and will be effective from 1st May 2010 through to 30th April 2011. The criteria will be reviewed in early 2011 in order that revised criteria may be issued by the 1st May 2011 to operate for season 2011/12.
Sponsorship
To be eligible to become a Sponsor and issue Certificates of Sponsorship a club must be in membership of the Premier League or the Football League. A Sponsor’s licence issued under Tier 2 or Tier 5 is valid for a period of 4 years, after which time it may be renewed. Clubs should note that a Sponsor’s licence may be revoked at any time if the Sponsor is seen to be failing in its compliance with its duties.
Length of Season
For the purposes of PBS, the playing season for this sport is from August to May. This may vary slightly from season to season depending on the arrangement of the first and last matches.
Criteria for Players
To be eligible for a Governing Body Endorsement under PBS:
The applicant club must be in membership of the Premier League or Football League. During the period of endorsement, the player may only play for clubs in membership of those leagues (i.e. the player may not be loaned to a club below the Football League);
The player must have participated in at least 75% of his home country’s senior competitive international matches where he was available for selection during the two years preceding the date of the application; and
The player’s National Association must be at or above 70th place in the official FIFA World Rankings when averaged over the two years preceding the date of the application.
Competitive matches
The definition of a senior competitive international match is a:
FIFA World Cup Finals match, FIFA World Cup Qualifying group match, FIFA Confederations Cup matches, Continental Cup Qualifiers and Finals matches such as UEFA European Championships and Qualifiers, CAF African Cup of Nations and Qualifiers, AFC Asia Nations Cup and Qualifiers, CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF Copa Caribe, UNCAF Nations Cup, CONMEBOL Copa America, OFC Nations Cup
International appearances
When submitting an application, clubs should provide written confirmation of the player’s international appearance record over the preceding two years, highlighting those matches where the player took part, as well as those for which he was unavailable for selection due to injury or suspension. Confirmation of the player’s appearances should be obtained from his National Association. If this is not possible, the information will be independently verified by the FA through all available sources. A decision cannot be made until this process has been completed and any relevant supporting evidence is submitted.
Length of issue
Governing Body Endorsements should be issued for a period appropriate to the tier under which the application is being made, that is:
Tier 2 (Sport)
Initial application – for the length of the player’s contract or up to three years, whichever is the shorter period.
Extension application – for the length of the player’s contract or up to two years, whichever is the shorter period. A subsequent extension of a further two years is possible when the first extension is about to expire. Where a player is currently registered under a work permit and an extension will transfer him into the Points Based System, his initial period of leave under Tier 2 may be for a maximum of three years; thereafter, any extensions will be for a maximum of two years.
Please note that applications made under Tier 2 will be subject to any player who is not from a majority English-speaking country passing an accredited English Language Test.
Tier 5 (Sporting)
Length of the player’s contract or up to 12 months, whichever is the shorter period. No in-country extensions are possible of more than a total period of 12 months.
For example if a player initially had six months approval he would be allowed to apply for an extension in-country up to another six months. If a club wishes to continue to employ a player beyond 12 months, the individual will have to return overseas to make a new application.
Tier 5 to Tier 2 switching
Players may enter under Tier 5 without the need to demonstrate the competency in English required under Tier 2. Players may then apply to switch to Tier 2 once they have passed the English Language Test. For this, the club will need to submit a new application so that they may be issued with a new endorsement and subsequently produce a new Certificate of Sponsorship under Tier 2. The application to switch into Tier 2 may be made in-country.
If, at the end of the 12 month period, the player has been unable to meet the English language requirement, he will need to return home and obtain entry clearance for a further 12 month period under Tier 5.
Where a player wishes to switch into Tier 2 for the remainder of his employment and he does not meet the criteria for initial applications, the application will be dealt with by consultation with the relevant football governing bodies in a similar way to extension applications. If approval is not given for the application to be progressed automatically, however, an appeal panel will be required.
Extension applications
Where the player is extending his employment with the same club
If a club wishes to retain the services of a player, they should submit a new application before the work permit or Certificate of Sponsorship expires. If the criteria are satisfied, an endorsement will be issued for the period of their contract, up to a maximum of two years.
Changes during the period of approval
Change of employment
A club wishing to sign a player from another United Kingdom club must submit an application to the FA. If the criteria are satisfied, a Governing Body Endorsement will be issued for a maximum of three years in respect of his employment with the new club.
Panels
Where an application does not meet the published criteria, a club may request an appeal panel to consider the player’s skills and experience. In these cases the FA will refer the club’s evidence to an independent panel (please see Panel Terms of Reference and Operating Procedures).
The remit of the panel is:
To consider whether the player is of the highest calibre.
To consider whether the player is able to contribute significantly to the development of the game at the top level in England.
Sorry Rico,
I missed a relevant para; below.
Clubs should note that, in respect of any application, there will only be one panel available (ie a panel and recommendation, followed by a decision).
A club should therefore ensure that all evidence it wishes to present in support of its application is presented to the panel.
If the club has previously made an application that was unsuccessful at panel a further panel cannot be requested for the same player within four months of the original appeal date.
There has to be new evidence, I think.
The remit of the panel is:
To consider whether the player is of the highest calibre.
To consider whether the player is able to contribute significantly to the development of the game at the top level in England.
Always let Manchester United applications through.
Szczesny is set to start ipswich/leeds/wigan games after fabby suffered a setback in his shoulder recovery but is expected soon after.diaby will also miss the above trio but rambo is back.squilli is 2 weeks away and vermy 4-6 weeks-Aw.
I think Almunia is going.
Bloomin heck RA, that’s a lot of factors to the decision making…. but thank you 🙂
I don’t hear many other clubs having such a problem, maybe that’s a story within itself…
Galatassary (spelling) Will, they want him but i suspect he’ll go back to spain, sad really but no room for setiment in sport…
KT – do you think Fabby is injured or is Chesney being given a chance?
Arsenal are preparing to make a move for Rome centre back Philippe Mexes after learning that Thomas Vermaelen requires surgery on his injured achilles.
Oh what a surprise, he was good once, very good…… however….
We need an English Centre Half.
Rico fabianski is injured.i remember him injuring his shoulder in the warm up to the city game.szczesny needs to play out of his skin to keep fabianski out of the team.
Mexes is shit.if we were to sign a french CB id sign ciani who according to reports our scouts were watching him in Bordeaux’ defeat to marseille at the weekend.
I don’t know why, but Chesney fills me with great feelings of security.
Will, agree re the English CH…
KT – but i think he could be the signing, he’s cheap, i’d rather Samba though if we cannot get Cahill….
I love this video
Will – he only needs his kicking to be improved….
Rico did you watch samba over the weekend?i don’t want cahill/samba at the club at all.
who then KT, if not them?
I thought that was going to be a chesney clip Will 😉
Rico, I have been looking for that clip for ages, just shows you how fast Henry was and they say Walcott is faster, why can’t he do that?
As for Chesney, you are right, he really needs to practice his kicking, it is atrocious.
Re Ciani KT, we were linked to him in the summer but nothing recently as far as i know….
It looked like it was in fast forward to me Will 😉
Theo is quicker than Henry but he doesn’t have the skill of Henry…YET, but he will, how old was Henry in that clip I wonder?
Actually, its not about the skill, its about having the confidence to do what Henry did…. He is Theo’s hero, he’ll get somewhere near there in the end….
It does not take that much skill to kick the ball into space and chase it.
I was thinking about the other parts of henry’s game but as my last comment, he needs to be confident and he needs to get off of the wing…..
But, Wenger has said Theo is taking the ‘Henry’ path in football so it won’t be long ….
Let’s hope he has half the ability Henry had. I don’t exxpect too much as Henry was 6′ 2″ and 14st and Walcott is not but he could use his speed and lower centre of gravity to scare the hell out of defenders.
evening all,
just looked back at some of your comments about future center backs, or any other positions, i have started to wonder if Wenger is Racist towards White English players, when you look at the team and remember we are talking about The English Premier League the greatest league in the world, for a country that invented the game its embarrassing just how many White English players there are in our team just an observationot.Or am i not supposed to say things like this.
Aw recently commented that henry used to analyse defenders in the first 10 minutes for any weaknesses.this enabled him to know if he had to use pace/skill/strength/shoot on sight.this requires lots of confidence and theo is getting there.he has 10 goals compared to bale’s 11 despite playing 21 hours less of football.Bale has confidence right now but his stats are almost similar to theo’s despite him not having the same level of confidence.Mark my words:Theo will score over 20 goals this season and he’ll erupt.
It can look that way Steve.
I hope you are right KT.
Interesting Bale stat.
Will, i’d settle for that, however, I think he’ll be mighty fine and any doubters left out there will soon eat their words…..
KT, I think you may just be right, if he stays fit, he get 20+, he’s on ten i think now…
Hi Steve, Wenger is not racist, he’s ‘pricest’ he just wont pay the money that English players are priced at and to be honest, I think he’s right..
£30 Million for Carrol??
£20 Million for Cahill….
£18 Million for Bent….
None of them have really hit the dizzy heights, Carrol has been inn the police station more times than he’s scored, Cahill is still a work in progress and Bent…..
Not one of them are worth what their clubs are asking….
Guys, I am off for the day, I have a date with the 100th viewing of Fever Pitch 🙂
Catch you all tomorrow…
Be good and stay safe…
evening Will,
Was just wondering why we had so many French Players, have the the French won a lot of competitions, i know they won a wold cup but didnt we
Theo(10 goals 4 assists) ; Bale (11 goals 3 assists).theo has played 21 hours less of football and has played several games as a sub.
I have to agree Steve, when France were producing the best players it was ok but now we are buying from the French second division and that is not acceptable.
Morning all and what a lovely morning it is, new post up