Good morning and welcome to the poem that never happened. Well, it started happening and then I deleted it because I am not happy with the final result. The topic is the eve of Arsene Wenger’s Sweet 16 and I suppose I still have time to work on it as the official anniversary of his appointment isn’t until September 30th. Perhaps I will finish it, perhaps I won’t. On a related note, have you ever read a sweet sixteen poem? They are horrible, cringe-inducing, schlock so I suppose I should be happy with anything that I come up with. Hell, I could write it in Japanese and it would be better than the standard fare.
As for my writing poetry at all on an Arsenal blog, which bothers the traditionalists because it’s poetry and the elitists because I’m crap at it, suck it up. You don’t have to read it and if you do read it you don’t have to like it but it’s something I want to work on. It took me four years to get this good at blogging* so I’m expecting a similar learning curve before I can write good shitty sports poems. And before you knock the art form or my attempted adaptation of it, if the famed Robert Burns can write an Address to a Haggis (WARNING: written in Scottish) referring to said foodstuff as “Chieftain of the sausage race” then I can certainly be afforded the latitude to write that Arsene Wenger is the erm… Commodore of the Gooner race.
Ugh. No I won’t.
Anyway, there’s a match today and I have some further refined team news to report. Looks like John Utaka is out for a few weeks with a groin injury so he won’t be appearing for Montpellier tonight. It also looks like “Arsenal target” center back Mbiwa is fit and that Giles Grimandi is at the game “scouting” him along side Arsene Wenger, who is also at the game tonight.
The Mbiwa story is nothing more than reporters laying down markers so that if he’s ever signed for Arsenal they can claim to have been on the spot and if he signs for any other club they can use it to say that he’s “one who got away”. I will admit that Montpellier are a good defensive team and that Mbiwa is a big part of that but Arsenal are scouting players all the time and while it’s slightly more meaningful if Arsenal’s “Chieftain of the scouting race” (Grimandi) is at the game it hardly means anything significant. Arsenal have a glut of center backs at the moment and I’d be surprised if we are looking for another.
There are also a number of stories about Theo Walcott circulating this morning and all of which purport to break the news that Arsene is holding back on starting Theo because of the unresolved contract situation. I think it’s pretty clear that the fact that Theo is a free agent at the end of the year is exactly why he’s not starting League games and is also why he’s featured along side Arshavin and Chamakh in the League Cup ads.
I’ve maintained all along that Arsenal are going to sell Theo in January not because I have some ITK knowledge but because it fits with all the quotes that we have seen about an agreement being reached with the two parties, it fits with the way Theo is being used sparingly so as not to get injury, it fits with Wenger’s weird denial/confirmation that the contract is playing a part, and it fits with the silence coming from the Walcott camp.
I think that the club underestimated Theo’s desire to leave and/or some offers on the table for the player and as such needed time to find a replacement. Selling Theo in January is a win-win in that it allows Arsenal to recoup some of his value and gives the club time to find his replacement. That replacement could easily be waiting to see if Ryo comes good on his promise as a player or Grimandi could be scouting “The Tank” (E. Herrera) and Benni Stambouli today.
Or not. I’m happy with this Arsenal squad just the way it is**, I’m happy with the manager being a bit more ruthless to these wantaway players like Theo, and I’m happy with Steve Bould, so far. I don’t think I’m alone in that. The fact that this story about Theo is being greeted by a lot of “meh” is indicative of a general ease with the club right now.
Funny what a string of good results on the field can do. Here’s to one more today.
*I’m pretty fantastic at this now.
**Ok, I’d like an experienced keeper.
One more today indeed. Come on Arsenal!
Yes but Walcott can sign a pre contract in January with anyone and then can walk away free in June and NO fee for Arsenal , so is that acceptable , poor business , Kroenke can say , answer put up the season ticket prices , Wenget wont reduce his salary to cove the loss.
I think Theo will be in a staring role today. A little disappointed that the headline was just a typo and not some kind of pun, but oh well. You’re still pretty fantastic Tim.
That’s not a typo.
Shard’s not a very bright boy.
hey tim, how you been? its jeff(bruce). remember me? anfield,mini bus? yes? are you still thinking of coming to spurs at home? if so see u there. thank you for not submitting the poem. also,you are not alone. i`m loving the new arsenal. the sales of RVP and song will prove to be a masterstroke and a blessing in disguise.
JEFF! Hey! I’m actually working on arrangements. Probably not Spurs but I will be sure everyone knows before I leave. I’ll buy you a pint if you’re around!
He can sign a pre-contract with a continental club, but he’s clearly an English league career player. So that’s not much of a concern. Anyway, losing a few million on this situation is not great business, but it’s standard for most clubs and the management factors these things in. So let’s not huff and puff about ‘bad business’. Shit happens in life. Losses happen in business. It doesn’t make the people running the business bad business men or women unless it can be controlled and isn’t. What Citeh or Chelsea do, now that’s bad business!!
I love how AW is handing RvP, Song, Walcott. He said the other day that this team (no longer) has big egos. Probably not true, but you can see what he was doing. We still may not win anything but it’s a lot more fun watching Podolski attack with aggression than Song lope around and foul on his own agenda rather than when the team needed him to. And watching Walcott struggle with his boy next door media image has been painful for too long. Let some other club deal with it now. At least Beckham really was world class (and more popular in Asia). AW tossing Arshavin, Squillaci and Chamakh on the rubbish tip is sad in some ways, but it sure makes the new boys feel special. A bit like how the new girlfriend feels when you dump the old one publicly. (Not something I’ve ever done.) Keep ‘em around for a while, as a reminder to the younger kids, too, not to take your time at Arsenal for granted and work hard.
Still wish we had RvP, of course.
As for this article, Tim, it’s a good call finding this advert and adds to the debate. It shows Walcott’s drawing power outweighs his contributions on the pitch (which I still rate quite highly, but would rather have Pires back – AW: replace him with another Freddy, or Overmars, or Pires!!)
I understand what you are getting at, but I have to disagree. I don’t recall Wenger saying the team no longer has big egos or even implying that he sold players because of their egos. As far as I can tell, we’ve generally sold out star players because of business considerations, not because of their attitude.
Every year Wenger does his best to pump up the team and the supporters by saying that this years team is special. Look back at last year interviews just before we lost all our fullbacks and you’ll see he said the same.
‘at least Beckham really was world class’
You’re not referring to his actual football ability are you? A world class ego, for sure, but a distinctly average football player that the lemons who lap up main stream media bile adore. It’s no secret that Madrid and LA had him on board to sell shirts to the kiddies and numpties.
Yes he’s made tons of cash, I hope it makes him and mrs Beckham very happy, they certainly have the respect and adoration of many many people because of their wealth, not me though.
The late George Best said of Dave something like ‘he can’t run, dribble, beat a player or header a ball, but can kick it’. – nice one George.
In summary, Dave has mastered the illusion of greatness and been very well rewarded, it’s just a shame that the Fergie dressing room incident didn’t escalate into a full blown dust up, it would’ve been interesting to see who’d have come out on top, my money would’ve been on the pissed- up sweaty.
Theo ain’t gonna make it the Dave way, he’s not got the hairstyle’s.
Strong line-up today, looking like this:
—————————Mannone
Jenkinson – Mertesacker – Vermaelen – Gibbs
——————-Arteta – Diaby
———————Cazorla
———Gervinho – Giroud – Podolski
Bloody hell. That was 45 minutes of nerve-wracking hell. Did we shut off for the second half, or did Montpellier suddenly become amazing? Or both?
Mannone was terrific.
I would have brought on the subs much earlier, but I’m not Steve Bould, am I? Or am I?
Aye. Arteta did a good job. But in the second 45 Diaby and Cazorla were a little sloppy and looked tired. No real outlet or rhythm in the second half and we rode our luck at times.
We needed a change of shape and an extra body in midfield.
Giroud had to be off in exchange for possibly someone combative like Coquelin to help us be more compact.
Our outlets would then had been Podolski and Gervinho (and I would have taken Poldy off for Chamberlain or Walcott thereafter too)
Changes should have also been effected quicker. We were really reeling the first 10 minutes but never really got back into rythm. Considering, I would have thought 55-60 min mark should have been the point we should have brought in the extra body in midfield (if not earlier)
Game of two halves, but also a game decided by narrow margins.
They didn’t have to have a first-half penalty, but did. Had Mannone sprung up a bit faster, he actually might have saved it.
Diaby’s run past six Montpellier players could have easily ended in an assist, but didn’t. Same for Gibbs’s (I think) takeaway and then pass to a free Gervinho who just barely could not get there.
Their shots straight at Mannone, including from what, six yards – one or two could’ve gone in.
Their penalty shout in the second half – maybe if they didn’t get a soft one in the first half, they would have had one there.
The only real worry is that Montpellier, at times, carved us up at will.
marek:September 18, 2012 at 1:55 pm “The only real worry is that Montpellier, at times, carved us up at will.”
Sorry Marek but I’m constantly surprised how many folks can say/write line.
Montpelier was at home and are the French Champions. They are also technically of a superior level and one expects them to play and try and win the game; and yes they bossed the second half… yet carved us open and Did not score.
I guess Real Madrid was carved open by ManCity who scored two goals.
I thought our defense especially Per and Giroud was excellent. I do however have concerns for Diaby who to my eyes got very tired at 65 minutes and lost the ball a few times. Poldi was marvellous. I think we should sell Theo and buy two more Germans. They win because they give everything to the cause.
Corporal Jenkisonson and Gevinho is getting on very well it seems….nice cross.
Anyhow…its all immaterial…because we won…but the goal (pen) considered was foolish. 2 goals in 5 games…far too many for my liking (hahaha)
)
Its well past 11pm in the UK so Goodnight all…Hugs xx
Well, away or not, for me it is worrying that Montpellier were attacking in wave after wave and we were unable to come up with a good answer; their pressure forced us to give up possession even in our own half, and we had no good outlets. We survived this time, and that’s good, but I’m sure our players weren’t happy with that phase of the game.
The midfield was dead on its feet. Needed three replacements but only got the one in the form of Ramsey, who came on for Giroud, who was also tired. Midfield is where defense starts. It will be ok. Don’t worry, be happy.
I’m not so worried about the way we were carved apart but why there were so many dead legs and among players who haven’t played much. I mean, Giroud? Why was he so tired that he needed to be subbed off so early?
It is true about the midfield, especially Cazorla – the man will need a rest. It sucks that both Rosicky and Wilshere are out.
I have no clue about Giroud. I mean, say what you want about Chamakh, but the guy did hit the ground running two years ago and was very mobile even though he often played twice a week.
Giroud wasn’t taken off for want of fitness rather I think BOld felt we were want for an outlet in only having him as a ‘lazy option’.
Probablyw anted to have us play out more and utilise the pace of Gervinho and Pdolski with Montpellier coming forward.
As good as I have enjoyed Ramsey’s new found grit, I think I would have preferred someone more combative like Coquelin to help make the area around Arteta and Diaby more copact.
Santi would then be instructed to drop deeper and try to release either of Gervinho or Poldy. I thought Poldy wwas also a little pre-occupied defensively so maybe he needed swithching with say Chamberlian (or the Capital One man)
Hear me now or hear me later, Germany is going to win the World Cup.
Podolski.
He has been unforgiving in front of goal.
If I’m not wrong, Real three goals come from speculative shots rather than big chances (still a vague term for me). We need Cazorla, Arteta, or Podolski to practice their shooting outside or near the edge of the box and hopefully one or two will goal will come off.
On Walcott, I have a feeling that the contract term that is becoming a problem might related to how often need to do his defensive duty.. Maybe Tim can confirm it.
There’s no doubt the comfort level with the current squad makes the thought of Theo leaving far less depressing than two months ago. The fact that he’s only been able to show flashes of the talent we hoped from him over the years also plays a big part in the “meh” factor. I like him as a player but he still struggles to make good decisions and his crossing sucks. My hope is that he sees the success Podolski and Cazorla, Gervinho, Gibbs and others are enjoying through hard work and commitment to improvement, and decides he wants to stay and contribute to a title-winning team. My expectation is he will sign for Citi in January and spend the next 5 years of his career on the bench. Meh.
If he hasn’t signed now, he won’t be signing.
Frankly, I think we just didn’t get a large enough offer for him (considering we paid a bundle to Southampton) and Wenger decided to wait (too long).
He is now gambling on January.
Im still awake catching up with my reading. TONY ADAMS : I’ve done the lower leagues and it’s a different style of managing,” he said. “No disrespect but I don’t want to be Swansea boss, either. They probably don’t want me. Aston Villa? What’s the point? What can you do with them? So it’s the Arsenal or nothing and I’m not ready for that.
“But I’d love to manage Arsenal one day. Not at the moment because they have a very good manager who is off selling all their best players so I’d better not go there next week!
I think TA should shout his mouth….he really is showing his other face…jealousy and envy maybe because Steve is Arsene Number 2.
TA is getting embarrassing both on TV and in print.
We got the points and in the end, that’s all that matters. According to Bould, it was a muggy evening and that perhaps contributed to our second half doldrums. So while they may not have looked like the Arsenal we wanted them to be, they were the Arsenal they needed to be.
Great way of expressing it. Maybe it was muggy but it was also the same for Montpelier. Considering that most, if not all of these players will be lining up to start at the Etihad, I hope they recover well.
Think we could have substituted more effectively and earlier.
We were OK first half.
In the second, they pressed with more bodies in the middle and overwhelmed us. Our shape was poor. The added pressure did not help some of Diaby’s decision making (with out midfield stretched)
Should have IMO brought in someone combative like Coquelin earlier to help add numbers, taken off Giroud.
Then put on Chamberlain (or Walcott) for Podlski (both Santi and him went a bit AWOL second half), gotten Santi to hold slightly deeper and release quick runners in Gervinho/Chamberlain (or Walcott0) working channels from either flank as Montpellier stretched out a little just behind the middle of the park.
Good humbling lesson for us ahead of the weekend and one we can take to heart along with the benefit of a victory away.
Tough team Montpellier. Belhanda should have scored and Cabella (most impressive) was desperately unlucky with the chip.
Not sure what is going on with Theo.
Wenger made some muttering about April being the deadline. Honestly…
Not too sure we will get good value for him in January either. He should have been let go mid summer IMO.
Played today for 4 minutes so not sure if it means he’ll be cup tied (I believe there may be sepcial dispensation).
It’s all very perculiar.
Would love to have seen Affelay or Konoplyanka in this summer. Seems like sentimentality (and more so, asking price) may have gotten in the way with this one (particularly as we paid 12m + for him and may have not recieved anywhere near that amount in interest)
Great catch with the poster and super pun. It almost imbues his expression with a kind of sadness.
The boy can’t help it if he doesn’t have them twinkly Iberian toes can he? Whether he stays or goes i do hope he regains his old spark and doesn’t waste his time at the club. On another note I’m not sure Giroud is at peak physical fitness yet. His No.9 movement and touches were pretty good and his assist was superb. Great to see him get a standing O.