Morning all.
So the injury curse has struck again.
Theo Walcott fell victim of a nasty tackle last night, although he carried on after receiving treatment, he limped off before the end. Why he was allowed to carry on in the first place beggars belief! Jack Wilshere was also substituted in the second half but this looked more like a tactical change rather than injury, hopefully his situation will be confirmed later today. Yaya Sanogo has suffered a back strain whilst away with the French under 21’s and he’s a doubt for Saturday and Tomas Rosicky also suffered injury last night, he hobbled out of his match on 37 minutes with what is reported to be a thigh strain.
It’s also rumoured that Aaron Ramsey picked up an injury last night but he played the entire match for Wales so this report could be false.
Young Gedion Zelalem is also out injured for 6-8 weeks after suffering injury in training yesterday. Such a shame for him after having a good pre-season and with the Capital One Cup match not far away, I strongly suspect he was due to play in that one.
One person who feels very fit, in fact fitter than ever is Mathieu Flamini. Talking to the official website he had this to say:
My fitness levels are still very good. After what Tony Colbert told me after some speed tests, I am quicker than I was five years ago. It was funny because we made a joke that it was like wine, getting better with age. I still feel very fresh.
I would say I evolved in Italy. I’m 29 now, I played a lot of games in Italy and I had the chance to discover a new championship like the Italian league, based on a lot of tactical aspects because there is not a lot of space so I think it made my game evolve.
I think I’m much better tactically because being in Italy for five years you learn a lot of tactical things in training, what you know is your position on the pitch. Afterwards with your age you read the game better so for your position this is important.
Serie A is much more tactical than the English league. The English league is much quicker and physical and the intensity is very high from the beginning to the end. In Italy there is less space and that’s why you don’t have as many goals as you do in England.
So we should see a quicker, more tactical style of play from our old boy. Mind you, that crunching tackle against the neighbours suggested different!
Another one talking to the official site is Wojciech Szczesny and he didn’t like being left on the bench:
Obviously I had mixed feelings about my form last season, I had my ups and downs. It wasn’t nice [to be left out] – you want to be playing every week. But then again, the most important thing is the team and that is what the team needed.
Lukasz was in better shape at that moment in time, he came in and did really well. I worked really hard to get back into the team and when I did I thought I did pretty well. It was good decision by the manager.
I worked on my fitness and sharpness and came in much earlier every day to work in the gym with the fitness coaches and the physios. There was a lot of stuff to be done – I realised I wasn’t in the best shape, but it all worked out pretty well.
Hopefully I can be the Club’s No 1 this season. It is important, I want to win a trophy for this club because that is what is missing in my career and I’m sure it is what the fans have been missing. It’s a big season.
Good to hear that our younger Pole seems to have grown up a bit. Dropping him was the best thing that could have happened to him, he’s not only grown up but he’s starting to make world class saves.
Yes he still has moments of madness and I know I often believe he is a moment away from a howler but that’s because of the way he’s been in the past. The longer we go on our winning run and stop conceding goals, his confidence will continue to grow.
Not arrogance, hopefully that has gone from him, but confidence, confidence in his own ability and to believe in his own decision making.
Oh, and no more dashing from the goal line, leaving the goal wide open…
Having an Italian keeper who is desperate to get to the World Cup and play for his country will do him no harm either….
Both on the score-sheet last night..
New boy Mesut Ozil set Mertesacker up to give the Germans a 1-0 lead, Ozil then scored from the penalty spot to ensure the Germany’s were victorious last night.
That’s it for another day, now it’s over to the physio’s now to work their magic on the walking wounded before Saturday, fingers crossed that no-ones injuries are serious.
cheers rico,i wonder how many people hate the international break because they worry about there club players getting injured.
football needs to change every thing about its international set up.
sorry what i mean is who is interested in international.
Just seen Jack being interviewed after the game, no mention of an injury so he’s fine.
A good post, considering the cards lady luck has dealt during the hiatus.
I must say I am disappointed with comments coming from ex-England players like Owen regarding our Jack. Though, I agree with certain players getting over-hyped; bashing one or 2 individuals after a poor showing by the whole team mainly due to the said players coming from Arsenal does not float my board.
MO11’s performance can be seen here.
Morning all btw…
Thanks Ts.
Jack was very average last night, so was nearly every other player in England colours. Couldn’t keep the ball, couldn’t find a pass to a team-mate…
Will AW snap up this Marica guy?
LG have an interesting post this morning which alludes to information which influenced my comments and views as I was lucky enough to have been privy to a few years ago and was the basis for defending AW and the clubs transfer dealings.
It is interesting to note the club anticipated the following:
– Mid-table league finishes
– Not a SINGLE cup game at the Emirates
– No European football
– Only 50% attendances at home games.
Thanks to the greatness and loyalty of AW we flirted with a couple of cup finals and even in 2007 were nearly champions…
I wonder if those who believed AW had money to spend but failed to spend will reconsider their views on that site? 😉
It interesting rico re Ciprian…
Is it worth chucking 2m a year on him for the next 2 years even though he may not play?
Nik isn’t anywhere near fit enough to play according to some reports, Giroud will soon need a break, I’d say offer him one year deal and see if he takes it..
And a low wage…
Morning Weeko. A tewibly dwab performance last night.
I caught the second half and wish I hadn’t.
G
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
No one else wants him , possibly a take it or leave it deal with a carrot at the end. Owen is not going to criticise Stevie G and last night was Lamps big night. It’s time to put players in and build for the Euros as this lot will be embarrassing in Brazil.
I totally agree Rico. Sanogo and co should be playing in the UEFA u-21 competition for a few months as the academy is seriously short of bodies.
He is not a bad player at all… a 2 year deal at 27 y.o from AFC is a last chance saloon for him imho..
His agent could pocket £500k at least which in Romania will be serious money… no pun intended…
I also wonder about the intelligence of some of the agents of our youth players representing players like Meade and Conor Henderson. Those agents have seriously messed up their careers. Meade has gone from 3rd/4th choice LB and midfielder to 3rd or 4th choice LB at Swansea. Conor is going from club to club having trials where his style of play will not be a fit.
Another one is Bartley who went from 5th choice CB to 5th choice at Swansea and now 4th choice at Birmingham…
Morning Adam. Wasn’t it awful….
That’s my view to Potter, on both actually. Time for big changes for England, new young blood in and start looking to the future..
You’d be impressed Adam, Terminal 3 and back in 1 hour 25 mins earlier 😉
Morning Potter and Adam…
I never thought our national team could be worse than the team another Dutchie Mclaren…
We have beaten no team of note… trashing Andorra and Faroe Island 6-0 is a deflection on the dire status of our national sport…
Owen talking about over-hyping is like a pot calling a kettle black.
Did he not think he was better than the dippers once and bench warmed at the madrista..
Wow Rico. You must have pushed your car to its absolute limits. 🙂
As far as I can see, International football, apart from the odd game, is total rubbish these days. The club game seems to be where it’s at. As for Bendtner? No, I don’t think so.
Morning all,
That game was agonisingly boring. got to hope Sturidge, Welbeck, Rooney and the rest of the injured make a difference.
Lamps and Gerrard in the same team never worked before and still doesn’t.
Not at all Adam 😉
Brad, they didn’t help Jack’s cause either…
Good morning HH, TR07 needs to retire from international football..
Hi Brad, I still think both players are the best we have but unfortunately they do not work well together. JW at the tip of the midfield 3 triangle never worked as they were all 20 yards apart, thereby defeating the point of playing a midfield 3.
Playing Milner on the lhs as part of the front 3 must be the most negative 4-2-3-1 or even 4-5-1 I have never seen in my life…
Trappatoni and Mauren will be proud of that.lol
Agree there Gdna
The sperds are after Ciprian too allegedly… ha ha ha
Lloris’s howlers from last night…
But the have Adebayor 🙂
Moyes wants to sign Alex Song 😮
Ah, who saw Serge with the German’s u-19’s last night. Super player with potential…
He gave an assists and scored a wonder goal. He was the best in a very very talented squad actually.
Ha ha ha… if Moyes wants our rejects, Conor Henderson is a free agent. 😀
Interesting bit of history… from twitter
Orbinho @Orbinho 11m
ON THIS ARSENAL DAY 2001 Despite the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York, UCL games go ahead anyway & Arsenal lose 0-1 to Mallorca.
We have Martin Atkinson as referee against Sunderland; we have W0 D3 L2 with him in charge…
Neymars goal last night. phew
Mesut Özil @MesutOzil1088 13h
2 x 3:0 – i had a wonderful time at the national team. Now i am looking forward to London.
Retweeted by Renato
Always thought Henderson was going to have a real chance with us.. Sad that no other club wants him…
I would’ve played 4-4-2 with Defoe and Lambert up front. Then Gerrard can pump the route one like last night and have a better chance of it coming off.
Marica wants £ 7.5 million a year on a 3 year contract and his agent says that both Spurs and Arsenal have the resources to afford him. Well 7 sisters is about 4 miles long, so off you go son, go see the more money than sense club.
Ha ha ha £7.5M??? having a laugh and a pissing together. pfff
Maybe 7.5M Romanian Leu which equates to about £1.5M pounds…
Conor is having a trial with Hull this week. I hope he gets an opportunity with a team looking for a player with a ‘sweet’ left foot, who can play on both flanks and through the middle too with the ball on the ground.
Certainly would have brought Defoe on at some stage, prob early in the second half when Lambert was really struggling…
£7.5 million…. he can jog on, on;y Wenger gets to earn that 😉
Good, hope Bruce takes him on and it kicks starts a good career…
Fingers crossed; Bruce at least tries to play the right way. Conor was rejected after trials with Yeovil last month…
So Micko has sacked Trappatoni…lol
Both Scez and Flappy were unused subs at least for Poland, so no worries on the goalie front.
I had a feeling he was set for the sack, they cancelled a press conference with him.. Good.
We have the Italian stallion as well…
Can he play CF?lol
Later lunch time gym calls…
£7.5 million for some some nondescript herbert from Roumania…. Yeah, in your fecking dreams….
Does his agent ever ask the awkward question as to why he hasn’t got a club yet???
Knobhead…
At 6′ 5″, maybe Ts 😉
Hi Kev, surely that wage quote cannot be true?
Some news on Conor…
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Hull-City-poised-sign-Conor-Henderson-Matthew/story-19779771-detail/story.html#axzz2eV6HIVt5
I can’t believe Judas is still fit even after an international break…
is it luck or just having better medical care at Yanited?
Not a single injury in over 2 years for the man who listens to the little boy inside him… 😉
Sir Alex Ferguson has outlined eight key principles that underpinned his successful managerial career.
• Freedom of Trafford for Fergie • Greatest Managers: Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson, who retired in the summer after winning 49 trophies, revealed the theories behind his management in interviews with the Harvard Business School.
Ferguson’s blueprint is published in October’s Harvard Business Review, and his eight core beliefs are:
1. Start with the foundation
Ferguson: “From the moment I got to Manchester United, I thought of only one thing: building a football club. I wanted to build right from the bottom.”
2. Dare to rebuild your team
Ferguson: “I believe that the cycle of a successful team lasts maybe four years and then some change is needed. So we tried to visualise the team three or four years ahead and make decisions accordingly. Because I was at United for such a long time, I could afford to plan ahead.”
3. Set high standards and hold everyone to them
Ferguson: “Everything we did was about maintaining the standards we had set as a football club — this applied to all my team building, my team preparation, motivational talks and tactical talks. I expected even more from the star players [than the rest].”
4. Never, ever cede control
Ferguson: “I wasn’t going to allow anyone to be stronger than I was. If the day came that the manager of Manchester United was controlled by the players — if the players decided how the training should be, what days they should have off, what the discipline should be and what the tactics should be — then Manchester United would not be the Manchester United we know. “
5. Match the message to the moment
Ferguson: “No one likes to be criticised. Most respond to encouragement. At the same time, you need to point out mistakes. You play different roles at different times. Sometimes you have to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a father.”
5. Prepare to win
Ferguson: “Winning is in my nature. There is no other option for me. I am a risk taker and you can see that in how we played in the late stages of matches. All my teams had perseverance — they never gave in. It’s a fantastic characteristic to have.”
7. Rely on the power of observation
Ferguson: “My presence and ability to supervise were always there and what you can pick up by watching is incredibly valuable. Sometimes I could even tell that a player was injured when he thought he was fine.”
8. Never stop adapting.
Ferguson: “When I started, there were no agents and, although games were televised, the media did not elevate players to the level of film stars and constantly look for new stories about them. Players have led more sheltered lives, so they are much more fragile than players were 25 years ago.”
9. When a team are better than you, kick the shit out of them.
Ts, Fergie missed the one about the referees help.
7. Rely on the power of observation
Ferguson: “My presence and ability to supervise were always there and what you can pick up by watching is incredibly valuable. Sometimes I could even tell that a player was injured when he thought he was fine.”
Especially if there was an international game next up.
😀 Fergie time…
Hello again all, sorry I had to dash out, busy old time right now… 🙁
Totts have been told by the FA that their fans will be prosecuted if they use the word ‘Yid’ this season…
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof…….Who let the yids out !
Don’t tell me rico, they’re threatening to stop ’em sneaking out early from games.
Hopefuuly Walcott will be ok, had a real stinker last night, good time to get it outta his system.
Cahill on the other hand was superb, I thought he was meant to be rubbish ! Definately missed a trick there.
So much for the yid army eh Micko…..!
They’re flogging a dead horse wath.
As for Yaya….hope it isn’t the case of start as you mean to go on !
Ha ha Micko.. Totally agree re Cahill, best player on the pitch for England and to think we could have signed him.. But yes, on here he was considered to be rubbish by a few….
Funny how it’s only the tottenham fans Wath, so that means Arsenal fans can carry on abusing them 😉
Off to get dinner.
I’m sure West Ham will be especially pleased to hear that rico, they’ve always got nice things to sing about tottenham.
It’s everyone Rico… BUT especially the fact they cannot use the term for themselves which really is funny.
Anyone know if steve mcclaren is available for the irish job, heard he does a mean dublin accent
Chelsea are keen too aren’t they Micko..
It is funny Wath, they’ll all have to buy new flags now…
Ha ha cork..
Evening Rico, Wath, Micko and all.
Rico, should I pick my apples yet? They are well coloured.
Evening Adam, try one, you’ll soon know 😉
Evening all, Nice one Rico.
Internationals are a lot of supporters nightmares, solely because many have no interest in their National side. This is solely down to the FA Opening the door to players from all over the world to come and play their football in the English league. and closing the oppotunities for home grown talent.. English Cricket is the same. we have relaxed who is able to play for what is supposed to be for their countries, but many have been born elsewhere and get to play because of a conection with a relative. ie grandfather or grandmother. In my eyes an Englishman has been born in the country. Nowadays it seems to me that Englishness is something that the governing bodies do not like to push St Georges day goes by without a mention where St Patrics day is more popular. Showing an English flag has been seen as racist so its played down. makes me laugh when i see an English team in anything and the only thing missing is a white Englishman. English cricket players with turbans and fluent South African accents, The Australians laugh at our lack of Englishman, How hard can it be to field eleven white Englishmen. Now i suppose i will be chastised for bringing this up but imagine a Jamacan sprinting team with all white runners never going to happen. I blame the government into letting this country lose its Englishnesst i think its disgusting. I dont have a problen with losing if the team are all proper Englishmen.
God this bloody weather.
Hasn’t stopped raining for two days.
Non-stop busy…
How the hell am I expected to have a cup of tea…
Ah well, i’ll just have to tough it out… 😉
Make hay so they say.
Thanks Sp.
I have to strongly disagree with your comment though.
If English players are good enough they will rise to the top.
As for the rest, we have sportsmen who were born in England yet choose to represent the birth place of either their mother/father who were born in a different country, it happens everywhere, it’s 2013 and that’s life.
And my St Georges flag has been flying throughout the Ashes series….
Thanks Potter… 🙂
I’m having one now Kev 😉
With lemon cheesecake Rico? 🙁
English Players dont get the chances to rise to the top, they are overun with outsiders. Not one team i know in the top leagues are all English why is this Rico because Englishmen are not good enough, or because they dont get the chance. We moan that certain players cannot get Visa’s and a player like Lambert has to wait until his old before he gets a chance
Not tonight Kev, that all went 😉
But for how many seasons has Lambert been playing well Sp??
One, two? and he was really poor last night, as they all were..
Bit of both I’d say, there is clearly a better standard of footballer in other countries and because of law/EU ruling, they are permitted to work in England/Europe
And let’s not forget that Englishmen go to other leagues too so it works both ways…
I personally believe that England are poor because the coaching is dated and we have too many old has beens hanging on in the side…
Kev, in kerry that’s know as a shower !!!
Rico, you’ll have to sample Adam’s cox if we’re gonna get to the bottom of this.
Thankfully Micko, I think they are russets….
You are a laugh rico, it’s a great place to come and wind down on an evening and catch up on all the gossip of course.
Wenger has French Golden Delicious Micko
I thought you must like it here, you keep coming back – phew 😉
And wath probably a Pink Lady man.
Ha ha, don’t let Wath hear you say that ….
Can’t believe Ronny is back in the square…
Where in Kerry are you Mick?
Rico, I believe that Adam is also growing some old weeds, or was it just weed?!!!
Apparently it’s very good when dried and sprinkled into lemon cheesecake… 😉
You are on form tonight Kev 😉
That’s me done for the day, need an early one…
Catch you all tomorrow.
Night Micko, Kev and anyone else reading 🙂
I’m in the Sliabh Luchra area Kev, funnily enough we do have an Arsenal Supporters Club about 30 miles away in Tralee, never stuck my nut in the door though in fear of an echo ! Surrounded by Man U fans over here.
rico, did I tell you I bumped into Kat in Borehamwood last time I was over, she is really really tiny, I took a picture of her with my niece, she must wear high heels on the telly.
And before you say it kev, I’m not name dropping.
Nite guys.
Night Rico…
I’m into Grannie Smith’s myself, Mick….
That’s the apple btw.
Thinking back I should have got her autograph for rocky but I was a bit star struck at the time !!! Bugger.
Still not heard any updates on Ramsey…
Hopefully another 48 hours will see all those suspected of carrying slight knocks, recovering for the trip to Sunderland, not a lucky place for Arsenal teams to visit…
Yeah, ManUre and Liddlepool all over the shop over there, so I hear Mick. Also a strong following for Leeds, or there used to be?
Night Mick.
Spent a few nights in castle Gregory this week micko lovely spot kerry.
Spent a few nights in Castlemartyr earlier this tear . Pat Shorts was a fun experience ,but hurling on the telly when there was good football to watch . Still the Murphy’s was good , better than the Guiness.
No Micko, I don’t think you did.. She’s one of my favs, she always looks small against some of the others, but you make her sound like one of the munchkins 😉
Morning boys and girls.
How goes it over there?
Wet and cold Scott…
I’m off to my fitness class, catch you folks later…
New post up around 9.30