Friday, August 10, 2007
Arsenal this season
Call me biased but I fancy us for something this season, if we can sort the defence out once and for all.
Up front is as good as anything anywhere. Henry was a sulk last season and this effected the other younger players. He should never have been captain and Arsene should have told him to cheer up. He's gone and that will benefit the team who always sought him even when better options were available. Robin van Persie...well, what to say. He has Bergkamp's guile and vision and Henry's eye for goal. I hope he doesn't get injured because he will have an important role to play this campaign.
Eduardo looks mobile and of course fast. Shades of the Bergkamp/Henry partnership perhaps with the Dutchman playing just behind the new signing? With an improving Adebayor to provide a Plan B we look a lot more varied going forward than we have done for a couple of years and don't forget there is Walcott and Bendtner who will be waiting for their chance. In our prime we had Henry good for 30 goals then Pires/Freddie/Bergie chipping in with double figures. This time round I see RVP and Eduardo pushing 20 each while Adebayor should get another 10 or so. More from midfield would be good!
Pre season has seen Eboue bombing forward and if he can get down the flanks more than we have another outlet. I've always wondered why we didn't go wide more often last season, especially when you'd see Hleb get clogged up in midfield. As the season progresses we could see Diaby come more to the fore, perhaps at the expense of Gilberto but whether the young Frenchman is the man to get on the scoresheet regularly remains to be seen. I think Arsene will be looking for more from Rosicky in that department as well as Fabregas. 10 goals from the Spaniard would make him the complete midfielder. Now is time for Hleb to start delivering. For many Arsenal fans he chooses the wrong option far too often and his reluctance to shoot is just so frustrating. He needs to look for the simple ball more and worry less about the slide rule pass that would get past 3 pairs of legs only if the globe tilts on it's axis by -3 degrees and if one of the defenders bends down to do up his shoe laces. Denilson will also come more to the fore and will be a useful cover but one day he will need regular football and whose place would he take?
The back troubles. Sagna looks positive and him and Eboue scampering down the right flank would have most left backs shitting breeze blocks if Arsenal choose to exploit the width more. Toure had a poor season by his standards last time out and he needs to be more assertive and dominant, especially at dead ball situations where we have proven poor recently. Clichy started to impress last season but I would like to see him improve his tackling. For reasons best known to Arsene Wenger William Gallas has been made captain. Certainly among the Arsenal support I talk to he has been over critical at times about the young players. He has been quick to say the older players must do more but instead of talking he should have been leading by example. Now he has the chance he needs to show he is as good at playing the game as he is talking the game. Senderos still worries at the back and I feel this is his last chance to make it. But what he needs is the assurance he will be playing every game and not worry that each mistake will be punished by a place on the bench. It took Tony Adams a couple of years to be comfortable at the back, let's hope the Swiss can make the grade.
I can't see Lehmann playing every game. The new Polish keeper has been making the right noises and Almunia impressed last year when he came in. The German is a lot of fun and fans love his attitude but I think his value this season may be more off the pitch than on it. We need experience and passion and Jens has bucket loads of both.
We may not have grabbed the headlines with summer signings but it is worth remembering players like van Persie, Adebayor, Walcott, Diaby and Gallas have come in recently and all have been struck by injury. We have yet to see them over a whole season and when we add Bendtner, Eduardo and Sagna then I'm going to have to diagree with the misery pundits. The future could be very bright and the future begins on Sunday...
Up front is as good as anything anywhere. Henry was a sulk last season and this effected the other younger players. He should never have been captain and Arsene should have told him to cheer up. He's gone and that will benefit the team who always sought him even when better options were available. Robin van Persie...well, what to say. He has Bergkamp's guile and vision and Henry's eye for goal. I hope he doesn't get injured because he will have an important role to play this campaign.
Eduardo looks mobile and of course fast. Shades of the Bergkamp/Henry partnership perhaps with the Dutchman playing just behind the new signing? With an improving Adebayor to provide a Plan B we look a lot more varied going forward than we have done for a couple of years and don't forget there is Walcott and Bendtner who will be waiting for their chance. In our prime we had Henry good for 30 goals then Pires/Freddie/Bergie chipping in with double figures. This time round I see RVP and Eduardo pushing 20 each while Adebayor should get another 10 or so. More from midfield would be good!
Pre season has seen Eboue bombing forward and if he can get down the flanks more than we have another outlet. I've always wondered why we didn't go wide more often last season, especially when you'd see Hleb get clogged up in midfield. As the season progresses we could see Diaby come more to the fore, perhaps at the expense of Gilberto but whether the young Frenchman is the man to get on the scoresheet regularly remains to be seen. I think Arsene will be looking for more from Rosicky in that department as well as Fabregas. 10 goals from the Spaniard would make him the complete midfielder. Now is time for Hleb to start delivering. For many Arsenal fans he chooses the wrong option far too often and his reluctance to shoot is just so frustrating. He needs to look for the simple ball more and worry less about the slide rule pass that would get past 3 pairs of legs only if the globe tilts on it's axis by -3 degrees and if one of the defenders bends down to do up his shoe laces. Denilson will also come more to the fore and will be a useful cover but one day he will need regular football and whose place would he take?
The back troubles. Sagna looks positive and him and Eboue scampering down the right flank would have most left backs shitting breeze blocks if Arsenal choose to exploit the width more. Toure had a poor season by his standards last time out and he needs to be more assertive and dominant, especially at dead ball situations where we have proven poor recently. Clichy started to impress last season but I would like to see him improve his tackling. For reasons best known to Arsene Wenger William Gallas has been made captain. Certainly among the Arsenal support I talk to he has been over critical at times about the young players. He has been quick to say the older players must do more but instead of talking he should have been leading by example. Now he has the chance he needs to show he is as good at playing the game as he is talking the game. Senderos still worries at the back and I feel this is his last chance to make it. But what he needs is the assurance he will be playing every game and not worry that each mistake will be punished by a place on the bench. It took Tony Adams a couple of years to be comfortable at the back, let's hope the Swiss can make the grade.
I can't see Lehmann playing every game. The new Polish keeper has been making the right noises and Almunia impressed last year when he came in. The German is a lot of fun and fans love his attitude but I think his value this season may be more off the pitch than on it. We need experience and passion and Jens has bucket loads of both.
We may not have grabbed the headlines with summer signings but it is worth remembering players like van Persie, Adebayor, Walcott, Diaby and Gallas have come in recently and all have been struck by injury. We have yet to see them over a whole season and when we add Bendtner, Eduardo and Sagna then I'm going to have to diagree with the misery pundits. The future could be very bright and the future begins on Sunday...
# posted by Me @ 7:42 PM 
Comments:
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the way i see it, all those young players in the squad make things terribly risky. as with last season, even if there are patches of brilliance, they'll be doing ver well if the end up less than 20 points behind the front two.
but hey, who knows what'll happen, spurs were utterly disappointing today, so u never no, the arsenal might give a good account for themselves -- u can never bet against wenger afterall...
btw, great huddersfield on tour pic of may! i'll have to send u a pic of the jak or psis on tour one of these days! :)
but hey, who knows what'll happen, spurs were utterly disappointing today, so u never no, the arsenal might give a good account for themselves -- u can never bet against wenger afterall...
btw, great huddersfield on tour pic of may! i'll have to send u a pic of the jak or psis on tour one of these days! :)
it s hartlepool!
any pics you have of the local football let me have and i ll put them on the asian football pix site!
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any pics you have of the local football let me have and i ll put them on the asian football pix site!
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