As you take your seat in our fine Emirates Stadium, probably the last thing on your mind is the turf and the unsung heroes behind it.
The view is superb where ever you are in the ground. By the time you have found your seat and got yourself comfortable, no doubt its only then that you cast you eyes over the pitch and realise how spectacular it actually looks.
'If I was Fergie I'd dig it up a bit before Barca arrive' says Arsene......
Our football club is known for its stylish way of playing with lots of possession, especially at home. But without such a wonderful playing surface at The Emirates we would not be able to perform in such a way and so well. The unsung heroes are of course the grounds men. Similar to the football team the grounds men are led by the captain and that person is head groundsman Paul Ashcroft who took over from Paul Burgess in 2009.
Burgess was poached by Real Madrid, apparently Juande Ramos when in charge of the Tiny Totts, came to the Emirates and was so impressed with the surface that when he became manager of Real Madrid, Burgess was on his wanted list. Some say that was his best signing as manager of Real Madrid. I certainly wouldn’t disagree with that.
Paul Ashcroft stepped up to the plate with ease having worked alongside Burgess for a few years.
So how does he and his team make it all work?
The grass turf sits on a bed of gravel, under the gravel is miles of pipe work which they call the air ventilating system. In layman’s terms it blows up to give the roots plenty of aeration and also sucks down to drain the surface of excessive moisture. Above that is more pipe work, that is the heating system, which keeps the soil at the best grass growing temperature.
To grow grass inside is not an easy thing – most things need the sunshine to make them grow best and at different times of the day the ground is in the shade and to combat that they have a lighting rig which is a complex piece of equipment. It covers half the pitch at a time and has over 600 ultra violet lamps. The rig has sensors which work out how much light the grass needs for ultimate growing so theres a lot involved. Then there is the cutting, feeding and the marking out. I think you would agree that Paul and his team do a magnificent job and they keep us at the top for the best surface, year after year.
Without such a surface we wouldn’t be able to play the way we do and this week we face the other team in football who play in a similar fashion, just not as good 😉
Arsenal can beat any team on their day and I expect us to beat Barcelona on Wednesday night.
In the past when we have played them they have had everything going their way. Lehman was sent off in the first ten minutes in the Champions League Final when any other side would have seen their keeper receive a yellow but not us. Barcelona, being most peoples favourites together, with my belief the governing bodies are all bent, we got a raw deal but with ten men we still gave them a game!
Last season we played them ravaged by injuries and fielded a weakened side and of course they gave us a run around. After that night everybody started raving about how wonderful Barcelona are and how they must be without question the best team in the world.
Not many commented on the lack of our first team players and the then second string team we had to muster but then they never do.
This time things look slightly better for us despite having just come through one of the most busy schedules that the FA could throw at us. From December until the present day we have hardly had chance to catch our breath and even when the chance came for a break, the silly friendly internationals came along but I guess that was the same for every club.
We have had some disappointments of late and if we had taken the many chances we have had we would be well clear of the rest in the Premier league and had we played with a bit more heart in the Champions League qualifiers we would be facing a lesser task on Wednesday but we didn’t in either. However, we are still in good position and if we take the chances that come our way in this second half of the season we could be record breakers.
Our squad is stronger now and we have ‘fairly good’ cover in all positions, well, nearly but Sagna missing and Nasri possibly being out are the two main worries but can we beat Barca with what we have? Sure we can!
The whole world will be watching this fixture between two sides who play football the way its meant to be played, it’s possibly the most exciting game that the Champions League could fix draw!
Another battle on Wednesday is Cesc Fabregas v’s the rest of Barca who are desperate for him to return home. Right now Barca have cooled their interest as he’s too expensive but I think if we go and beat his boyhood club and progress through, he may just think twice before leaving us for Spain.
Enough about them, let’s get back to the best team without question and that’s The Arsenal – led by the best manager ‘Genius Arsene Wenger’. I say that now but I have been one of his worst critics in the past and probably will be again in the future but the man is a true legend. He infuriates me when he plays his Wenger tricks like resting eight or nine players in a particular game or leaving a substitution to the last-minute when I have thought it should have been sooner but I suppose that’s why he’s the genius and I sit here and write about the great man.
Barca have copied Arsene in nearly every way, even with the way they play but with the spending power they have they can afford players many clubs cannot match. The difference is that Arsene has worked his magic with a lot less but his legacy will lead the Arsenal to heights that even Barcelona will strive to reach, that I have no doubts on.
Pep Guardiola looks up to Wenger and realises that Arsene’s theories are the way forward, he also realises that he is ahead of his time and that the foundation he has laid down for future managers of our great club, will put us at the top. I believe that and I hope you do as well. Believe me when I say when they arrive they will not take us lightly, they will have to be at their best to get a result and we will have to be at our best to win but as I said before a win is on the cards and the return will be exiting.
While our football team has been struggling to win us trophies for a few years, Paul and his team bring silverware season after season and long may that continue. Hopefully this year, the team will add the silverware which will make Paul and his teams hard work and effort so worthwhile.Whatever the result we will see some quality players, two sides playing very similar styles of football as it should be played.
As said before, the eyes of the world will watching when Barca come to town and we will show just why The Emirates was built for games like this…
Written by Steve Palmer
From yesterdays post…
Will says:
February 14, 2011 at 9:21 am (Edit)
For me,
Almunia – I don’t think we need him any more
Squil – Just not good enough at this level, get in a 27-30 year old top class defender who has seen it and done it…oh and that can head the ball.
Denilson – With the amount we have in that position, we don’t need him and I think the guy is better suited to Spain.
Nik B – Just give this idiot away, almost as bad as Martin Hayes.
morning all, better late than never…
Morning all.
Very nice, I think we will see the birth of Wilshere/Fab/Song as the most feared midfield in world football this Wednesday.
Morning Will
I think you could be right, i cannot wait for this game, we have nothing to lose, will be great to cause a shock…
Morning Rico.
As long as we press in midfield and don’t sit back, we will be fine. We need to play a Premier League tempo, make and also, not just press the ball but press the ball carriers options if you know what I mean?
I understand – we don’t have the players to just sit back, we need to be snappy, shut them down quickly and give them no space – do that and that will ruffle their feathers..
Play our game, not play to theirs…..
Morning Peeps, Rico,
am in good spirits for this game. Barca gets to meet Van the Man for the first time, a fit team in a good form.
Also, they are very clever with the one touch stuff so, we need to shut down the passing avenues so they have to resort to more tricky and risky passes.
Morning all,
I think our players have learnt a lot from last year,i’m sure the Spanish Amada have picked up a few tips from us, they must be dredding coming here, but i’m sure if they concentrate hard they may hold back the tide for a while,but they cant hold out forever, and our cannons will out gun them in the end, we just have to keep the powder dry and keep them gunners fireing
Play our own one touch Will, let them be the ones chasing us, we are at home and we need to make it count…
Morning Steve, fine read me old mucker, i recall Burgess leaving us and thought those Real toads won’t stop at nothing when it comes to poaching. Amazes me that when Wembley had all its problems with the grass they didn’t snap him up… shows what idiots they are but didn’t stop them taking Lewin….
Problem is Rico, they will have the ball andd they are very clever on it.
We need to watch the runners so their ball carrier has limited options.
Its funny thing is, if Barca were going to OT, Fergie would rough up his pitch a bit or just not water it etc, with us though it would be cutting off our nose to spite our face as we play so well on the slick surface…..
And off it – we have to make sure we don’t make silly passes that go astray, gifting it to them… If Nasri doesn’t play AA will have to track back too, something he’s not always keen on doing ….
Morning rico,
The gound staff at the Em’s win aclaim year after year, most of the clubs are copying their work, so not only will the Premier league be credited for the best football, we will have the best surfaces if we hav’nt allready
Its some feat Steve, when i wrote for AR i did an article on Burgess and Wembley – can’t remember how many times the new wembley had to re-turf before they got it right and yet they never bothered to contact the ground staff at Arsenal, the best playing pitch in football… crazy…
mind you, i bet had it not been england players who got injured they wouldn’t have bothered….
As long as its in great shape when we get there rico
Suns out, i’m off for 9 holes, catch up later
I have to pop out too, enjoy the round Steve, catch you guys later ….
Boo, anyone home??
I am.
According to SSN, Tottenham are done for because Bale isn’t playing.
H ah, i hope they get battered Will 🙂
How come the CL fixtures are staggered? Us and the TT’s play this week yet the chavs and mancs play next week….
Afternoon all.
Afternoon KT, you getting nervous yet or just darn right excited 🙂
afternoon all…the calm before the storm once again…
afternoon oliver, certainly seems to be that way…. i don’t suppose we will hear about nasri until the 11th hour……
unless samir is absolutely 100 per cent, i would much prefer that arsene did not gamble here. name him to the bench and perhaps use him as a late sub, if the situation dictates. but don’t rush a half-fit player back for this tie…as i remember, arsene did that with a certain billy gallas for last season’s first leg versus barca, and he never played for us again, did he?
if he’s not 100% oliver i hope he has no involvement in the game… not even from the bench for two minutes….
i will bet that he will be – at minimum – on the sub’s bench wednesday night. unless he suffers a setback before then…
nasri is as tough as old boots, he recovers well and quickly and doesn’t seem to suffer the setbacks that others do… but thankfully wenger has siad he won’t take a silly risks so if we see him that must mean he’s ready to play….
The manager admits the midfielder is “physically ready” after spending a fortnight on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. However, with a busy schedule in four competitions, neither party wants a set-back.
“He’ll have tests,” said Wenger. “One on Monday, one on Tuesday.
“He has worked very hard in the last week. Physically he is ready, just is there a risk to have a setback.
“I will not take a crazy gamble.
“Who isn’t desperate to play. But there is another game in three weeks. We also have Leyton Orient, the Carling Cup Final, we have so many games coming up it is important not to be stupid.”
He’ll be there….
Evening all,
Wenger will want to win this leg, if Nas is fit he’ll figure in his plans, he has taken a few knocks against Barca, and i recon he will want to get his own back. We have a stronger team available and he will not be happy with the right back not being there, but he knows the return leg will include Sagna And Vermaelen, their there for the taking.
steve, not sure that the return will necessarily include tommy…i will believe it when i see it…and even if he is ruled fit and available for camp nou, jd and kos have done quite well together, so breaking that partnership up then and there may not be a foregone conclusion…i guess much will depend on what happens during the first leg…
nice article, btw. i enjoyed reading it…
Hi Steve, good round??
I think everyone at the club and all fans want revenge for last season – the home match was awful and i never thought that Almunia and match winning displays would go together but he was awesome in the first leg…
I wouldn’t break up JD and Kos right now not for love nor money, it isn’t broken so let’s not try and fix it…
That central pairing is yet to lose a game……
Thanks Oliver,
For some reason Oliver i get the feeling that Tommy may be moved slightly forward, the two lads have been doing pretty good and Alex has excelled with his forward movement, whats your views on that
And where were you yesterday oliver, we all missed you 🙁
Very wet over there rico, got smothered, but nice walk spoilt by the golf
Not so good then, what did you go round in 36?? 😉
Although i agree with you rico about the pairing at the back, i must say that i noticed a slight weakness when Kos is out wide, his left peg is causing me a little concern, he dosn’t use it enough, and he has been caught out a couple of times
I said it was wet rico, slightly more
steve, my concern with tommy is that he will – and that is if things go according to plan – be just regaining match fitness…and may still lack the match “sharpness” arsene likes to emphasize…i would hate to a jd – tommy partnership be ripped to shreds at camp nou, with the former still not ready for the quality and speed of this particular opponent…i don’t think jd and tommy will have enough time to form the understanding necessary to cope with a side like barca. if they were our potential quaterfinal opponents, that is a much different matter – but they are not, we have them here and now and that is too soon for tommy in my opinion…
where was i yesterday? as bogart told the french girl in casablanca, “that was so long ago, i cannot remember.” actually, church and family…i am very rarely online on sundays nowadays…
56 😉
He’ll get better though Steve, TV would be a bit rusty, bring him back for Orient, IF of course he is near a return….
and btw, happy valentine’s day to everyone…
Happy valentines day to you all.a day to remember your first love…ARSENAL FC!Rip those spaniards apart!
yesterday certainly feels like a long time ago, i understand about the sunday difficulty too…..
Happy Valentines to you all too, albeit it’s something i am not a fan of, just one big rip off……
I’m off for dinner, one that will not cost an extra £20.00 just because it’s 14th feb 😉
Good points.
My little fruit bat has just put my heart shaped lamb cuttlets infront of me speak later
Farewell to Brazilian Ronaldo who has just retired.one of the best forwards the game has seen.goodbye Fenomeno.
He was good KT…
Its such a shame how his career ended.
You mean the injury KT? He’s had a good career though…
the way he got fat.. due to a disorder he developed that slowed his metabalism down..he couldnt be treated for it cos the medicine contained substances that would have made him fail drug tests so he had to put up with it and as he got bigger and bigger his body couldnt handle it..
good player..very good player..great player even
ah, that’s horrid for him, i didn’t know that…..
Hi jj.
hi guys..
looking forward to weds 😉
JJ its happening…
hope so ktr
we need a good result though…
could really do with going into the second leg with a 2 goal start
3-1
i’m going for 2-0 with Chesney the hero…
i see barca scoring..
a 3-0 for us would be perfect..a goal for us then in the nou camp would be game over..
a 2-0 would do as well..
but i see it 2-1…
il be happy with 3-1
fuckit a wins a win 😉
haha jj, any win would do me to be honest….
i am sick of my phone ringing too 🙁 🙁
Now i’m off for the day – catch you all tomorrow…
nighty night….
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