A Week to Forget...

Joel Campbell, the Newcastle game, Fabregas to Barcelona, Eboue to Galatasaray, beating Udinese, Nasri wanting out and the bans... The start of the season really could have gone better.




Arsenal's New Boy Campbell

  Joel Campbell: Costa Rican youngster Joel Cambell has signed for Arsenal and was at the Emirates last night for the Udinese game. In his programme notes Arsene Wenger did say that the club has taken a "bit of a gamble" on him - not words which fill me with confidence. He is expected to go straight into the first team squad and the generally reliable Young Guns Blog have been saying that he will take the #12 shirt.

Newcastle: The season didn't exactly get off to a flying start, the long trip to the North East yielding just a point. A weak Arsenal side struggled to create many chances, and completely failed to convert any. Where Bolton have been Arsenal's 'bogey' team in the past, where no-matter how well they played a result would never come, Newcastle would appear to be taking up that spot now.

I think that the positives were that Keiran Gibbs looked much more confident and reliable than at the end of last season, and the defence worked well together snuffing out the majority of the Magpies' possession.

On the downside, Robin Van Persie doesn't quite seem to be firing on all cylinders, and spurned a couple of chances which he would have scored with his eyes closed at the end of last season. I also felt that Gervinho was disappointing, I saw some of his pre-season cameos, and I was impressed with what I saw, but against Newcastle, he seemed industrious but useless. He was getting into some great positions down the wing, but was then making the wrong choices over when to cut in and when to cross. Also his left foot would appear to be lacking and for someone who plays left wing most of the time this could be a problem. You can't just cut inside every time in the Premier League.

Before we went down to ten men, I would have been disappointed with a point, however when down on numbers in what is a very intimidating place to visit, I think that that solitary point became a very good one.



Barca's €35m Man



Fabregas: Sadly our former talismanic captain has departed for pastures new (sort of) and rejoined Barcelona in a deal reportedly worth £35m. I genuinely don't have a problem with Fabregas going there, he hasn't won anything for 6 years, and the best team in the world, the team where he grew up was knocking at his door, pleading for his return. What would you have done in his situation?

I wish him the best of luck there and I hope he does get some success as he does deserve it, so long as it's not at Arsenal's expense. I thought that it would have been quite nice of Arsenal to let him have one last Captain's Column in yesterday's programme, to say what he wanted to say to the Arsenal fans, but c'est la vie. The main issue I have with his move to Barcelona is how his new club have handled themselves throughout the affair; the constant tapping up - which wasn't in the eyes of the rules, the playing hardball with the fee for a player with 3 years plus left on his contract... £35m is nothing in today's market. If Jordan Henderson is worth £22m the Cesc is definitely worth more than £45m. To add insult to injury, Barcelona have reportedly put in a c.£200m buyout clause in his contract. On that basis, they should have paid at least £70m.

I do like the fact that Fabregas has tried to say something to the Arsenal fans through his Twitter feed, rather than ignoring them, but I do feel that what he put could sound a bit rich in the eyes of some of the more disgruntled supporters. I was just happy he made the effort to do something. It would have been much easier not to.



Eboue at Galatasaray



Eboue: In one of the biggest mistakes of the summer, Emmanuel Eboue has also departed N5. I will sort of miss him for footballing reasons, as he had his moments of being superb, but unfortunately spent more time being good enough. I think that the real loss is from the dressing room, the squad joker, Eboue has always come across as being a character, something every club needs, but I'm not sure Arsenal do now. Arsenal have received an initial €3.5m rising to €9.4m paid in installments each season plus €10k for each match and he has signed a 4 year deal with Galatasaray. I wish him the best of luck with his new adventure in Turkey, and I love that he snubbed Tottenham to move there - that did brighten the week a little!

Udinese: Last night's game sadly followed much the same pattern, an (even more) understrength Arsenal side battling their way through the game, creating little and not being anywhere near clinical enough in front of goal. Gibbs again started the game brightly but sadly showed his main problem, departing at half time with a hamstring injury. Vermaelen got 10 minutes at left back, to show what he could do, before Gibbs' replacement Djourou followed the Englishman's lead, in injuring his hamstring and limping off down the tunnel. The thought of another injury blighted season is, unfortunately, a niggling thought. Carl Jenkinson made his competitive debut, at left back and had a decent game - though he did have little to do.

Gervinho showed the same endeavour as against Newcastle, but his surging runs still created little. Walcott finished his first chance neatly, but should definitely have had more, work on the training ground is needed for all if the Gunners are to rediscover their free-scoring form of a couple of season's ago. Chamakh was generally anonymous and the less said about his 'performance' the better. Ramsey was also underwhelming, but Rosicky and Song did well as two parts of that midfield three.

For me though the man of the match award has to be shared between Szczesney and Sagna. Our number 13 keeping us in the game on a number of occasions - mostly from Di Natale - and Sagna again putting in a solid shift a right back.

Nasri: Rumoured to be off to Man City, and quite rightfully unhappy at the new chants sung about him by the Arsenal faithful. They aren't nice, and quite frankly aren't going to help persuade him to sign on for longer. Something which I admit is looking less and less likely - the BBC reporting that a deal is imminent. It is a real shame, and I'd say that it will hurt more than Fabregas leaving as he definitely doesn't have any emotional ties from the past at Eastlands.

Barton the Victim for a Change

Bans/Liverpool: Unsurprisingly Gervinho's red card was upheld - he was bang to rights - and Alex Song has also been banned for 3 games. Both will now be missing for the games against Liverpool, Manchester United and Swansea. This really does give Wenger a selection headache, especially when combined with the injury list following midweek, and I would expect a team (assuming all currently injured will still be) something like this: Szczesney, Sagna, Koscielny, Squilacci, Vermaelen, Frimpong, Rosicky, Ramsey, Walcott, Van Persie, Arshavin

That this is probably the team which will be playing strengthened Liverpool and Man U sides, I think that a 2 draws and a win wouldn't be a bad return from those games.

Think the week has gone better than I do? Who can replace Fabregas(/Nasri)? Let me know through Twitter (@Goonernl) or the comments below...

Dann, Fabregas & Gourcuff + Miyaichi

£6m man? - Scott Dann

Scott Dann: Dann has been linked with the Gunners since before the close of 2010/11, however today stronger rumours have emerged, suggesting that a deal for the 6ft 2ins centre back to move to the Emirates is imminent. It has been reported that Dann will move to Arsenal for around £6m. His absence - from the Carling Cup final onwards - from the Blue's defence has been widely accredited as one of the key factors in Birmingham's irreversible slump in form, which eventually saw them relegated from the Premier League.

Big spenders Liverpool have also been heavily linked with a move for the Birmingham defender, and could rival Arsenal in any bidding war. At 24 he would represent a player with both youth and Premiership experience. Many would also argue that the talented centre-half is worth more than £6m, so he could be considered a bit of a bargain too. It is suggested that he is as good, technically, as Bolton's Gary Cahill (another defender both Arsenal and Liverpool have been strongly linked with) but is much better value for money, at around £10m less. Goal.com claim that Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign him.

Cesc Fabregas: Sadly, Cesc would seem to be nearing the exit door at the Emirates, with Arsenal reportedly beginning to accept that Barcelona will never pay the £40m he is worth, and they're demanding for him. It is being reported that Arsenal are on the verge of accepting a €35m bid which would rise to €40m depending on his performance. Fabregas will also, reportedly, have to take a pay cut to join the European Champions. It is sad that the Arsenal talisman would appear to be so close to a return to his boyhood club, but Barca's persistence has been impressive. I think I predicted on this blog at the start of the summer that we would have one more season from the skipper, but that is looking less and less likely. I just hope that Fabregas gets the opportunity to bid farewell to the Emirates faithful before any move.

Could Gourcuff
be a Fab replacement?

Yoann Gourcuff: His is a name which has been mentioned as a possible arrival to replace Fabregas. The creative French midfielder is definitely talented, but struggled last season following a £20m move from Bordeaux to Lyon. Currently injured, Gourcuff, who has 4 years remaining on his current deal, should be back for around the middle of September, and would probably be available for around the £15m mark. Marouane Chamakh is full of praise for his former teammate, saying that he would be the one person he would recommend to Wenger to replace Fabregas with. Chamakh and Gourcuff had a fantastic partnership when they were at Bordeaux - something which it could be beneficial to recreate in N5.

An intelligent and creative, attacking midfielder, Gourcuff is one player who might be able to fill the rather large boots Fabregas' possible departure would leave, should Arsenal look to the transfer market rather than the current squad to replace him.

A quick word also on Ryo Miyaichi, the Japanese youngster has been granted a 'special talent' work permit, and will be able to feature for the Gunners this season. We had some glimpses of his class and potential during preseason, and with his ferocious pace, the Arsenal wingers could give defences a torrid time this season. Both Walcott and Miyaichi have similar sprint times. A good crosser of the ball, I wouldn't be surprised if Miyaichi features in some capacity in Saturday's season opener at Newcastle.

Is Dann the right man? Could Gourcuff replace Fabregas? Looking forward to seeing Miyaichi? Let me know on Twitter - @Goonernl - or through the comments.

Arsenal Confirm Oxlade-Chamberlain Signing

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the new man in N5

Arsenal have now officially announced the signing of Southampton youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He has cost the Gunners a rumoured £12m, and Southampton say that the fee they have received meets their "high valuation of the youngster" and that it is a fee which "sees Saints' previous transfer records blown out of the water." They also say that they were "in the driving seat" and that the transfer was completed "on [their] terms." This may suggest that Arsenal could have over-payed slightly for the undoubtedly talented youngster.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, 18 on Monday,  is the Saints' second youngest ever first team player, making his debut aged 16 and 199 days. Theo Walcott is the only player to have been younger making his debut. A preseason knock meant that he sat out Southampton's opening day victory over Leeds, and has consequently never played higher than League 1. Last season he managed to notch 10 goals from 41 appearances, so he does have a record of scoring. Arsene Wenger said that Oxlade-Chamberlain is "a perceptive passer of the ball" with a "great understanding of the game." Wenger also says that he has "huge potential."

Oxlade-Chamberlain himself says that he is "looking forward to meeting all [his] new team mates and giving absolutely everything in an Arsenal shirt." He has been put straight into the first team squad, and will be starting training at London Colney straight away. An attacking midfielder or winger, his opportunities this term will probably be limited to Carling Cup and FA Cup appearances.

The N5 Blog would like to wish Alex the best of luck with his time at Arsenal.

A good signing? Who else are you hoping to see join? Let me know though Twitter (@Goonernl) or through the comments below.

Quick Reflections on the Benfica Game

Arsenal rounded up their pre-season with a 2-1 reverse at Benfica. In a fiercely contested game, which really didn't seem like a friendly, Arsenal again couldn't manage to hold a lead. I appreciate that it is only pre-season and it's not a true representation of how the season will pan out, but Arsenal managed just 2 wins when they really should have won every single game. There was not one opponent who - on paper - are better than the Gunners.

The game today was truly end to end stuff, an enthralling encounter between a strong Benfica side, and a weakened Arsenal one. The first half saw some fantastic moves from both sides, Benfica having the best of the opening exchanges. Arsenal grew into the game though  and began to put Benfica under increasing pressure and after Gervinho and Van Persie had a series of chances which went close, birthday boy, Robin Van Persie cool-ly converted a Kieran Gibbs cross. Swept in low, from the left-hand side, Gibbs' cross picked out Van Persie with pinpoint accuracy, allowing him to calmly slot home from 4 yards. The 'keeper never stood a chance.

Half time came, and both Benfica and Arsenal made a multitude of changes, Benfica strengthening, Arsenal arguably moving towards a worse side. Chamakh, Myaichi, Squillaci, Frimpong, Fabianski and Jenkinson replacing Van Persie, Arshavin, Djourou, Song, Szczesney and Sagna.

Just 4 minutes into the second half, some sloppy Arsenal defending allowed the Benfica attack far too much space and on reciving the ball, Aimar had enough room to turn inside the area and get his shot away. The equaliser; 1-1. Fast forward 11 minutes, further defensive errors allowed Benfica to go ahead - Squillaci beaten by Nolito, who fiercely fired home. The goal came at the worst possible time, the Gunners were beginning to grow into the game again, and find some rhythm - much like in the first half - but Benfica's second truly was a hammer-blow. Arsenal's usually tidy passing game went, and when they had the ball, this inexperienced Arsenal side gave it back far too easily. Neither side looked much like scoring the game's fourth goal, but the game became truly end-to-end, and although a disappointing result for the boys in turquoise and blue, they had a good run out in preparation for Saturday's season opener away at Newcastle United.

Did you watch? What is our strongest line up? Get in touch using the comments below or through Twitter: @Goonernl

Emirates Cup Musings + RBNY & PSG Players of the Day

Arsenal vs. Boca Juniors 



A good performance from some, but disappointing overall

Arsene Wenger named a fairly strong side to start this friendly, with Van Persie, Nasri, Wilshere & Gervinho all starting. In the opening exchanges, of what turned out to be quite a mardy affair, Arsenal seemed to be just about on top. Earning some fairly soft free kicks in some decent positions, the Gunners failed to capitalise, the score remaining at 0-0 for almost half an hour, before Gervinho burst down the left flank, whipping in a low cross for Robin Van Persie to gobble up at the near post which got the entire stadium - mid Mexican wave - on it's feet to celebrate; Arsenal's first home goal of the 2011/12 campaign. I must be said, that with 2 goals and an assist to his name from just 2 cameos, Gervinho has made a very good start to his career in N5.

At half time, Wenger made 5 of the 6 changes the Emirates Cup rules permitted him to Mannone, Squillaci, Ramsey, Vela and Chamakh replacing Fabianski, Koscielny, Wilshere, Gervinho and Van Persie. Two of these substitutes had an immediate impact, Vela surged forward, and used some clever footwork to reach the edge of the box, before cutting back to Ramsey who slammed home from 25 yards. Sadly all this was undone by two moments of defensive uncertainty from Arsenal (now when has that happened before?!!) Boca's first came from a Squillaci mistake, the ball landing up with Lucas Viatri who hammered the ball home. This was followed 3 minutes later by a Johan Djourou mistake, he botched a slid clearance and Pablo Mouche took his opportunity with aplomb, smacking the ball home, totally ruining Mannone's day.

Traditional Arsenal flaws let us down again, and it was disappointing to see the lack of urgency or desire that the side had at 2-2 with 10 minutes to go. I appreciate that it was only a friendly, however it was similar to the performances of the end of last season, so I feel that it is something which is a cause for concern if this continues into 2011/12 proper.

New York Red Bulls vs. Paris Saint-Germain



NYRB's Dax McCarty in action vs. PSG



With all due respect, the day's first game wasn't fantastic, the Red Bulls were a fantastically organised team, playing in a rigid 4-1-4-1 formation, and defending with a tenacity which Arsenal could certainly learn from. Their goal was taken well enough, Estonian Joel Lindpere finished a New York break well. He beat the offside trap nicely, and was slipped through on goal one-on-one by Roy Miller, and slotted home nicely from 12 yards.

As a complete neutral, I took the opportunity to look at the players and tactics on show, rather than getting particularly into the game. I have decided on a standout player from each side (in my opinion) and will write a little about each of them here.

Dax McCarty - New York Red Bulls (pictured above): I felt that McCarty was the Red Bulls' best player by some margin. The right footed midfielder seemed to be more creative than much of the rest of the Red Bulls' midfield. I also felt that his passing was more accurate, and that his first touch was also superior to his teammates. Many of their best moves flowed through him. Although as a side the Red Bulls probably would be mid-table in the Championship, I feel that McCarty would fit in well at a mid-table Premiership club, such as Aston Villa or West Brom.

Jeremy Menez - Paris Saint Germain (pictured below):

PSG's Standout Man, Summer Signing: Jeremy Menez

Signed by PSG from Roma this summer for £7m, I was really impressed by Menez on his PSG debut. The 6' centre midfielder showed some real skill and creativity in the second half, following what I felt was a fairly anonymous first period for him. Wearing the same boots as Samir Nasri, he certainly was played at a level higher than all the other players on the pitch. Despite only scoring 4 from 38 in Italy last season, his creativity fashioned some real chances for a disappointing PSG side. Where McCarty is a player who I feel could play mid-table, I feel that Menez is a player who wouldn't look out of place with a cannon on his chest. At £7m too, I feel that PSG really have bagged themselves a bargain.

Were you at The Emirates today? What did you think of the games? Let me know your thoughts through Twitter (@Goonernl) or the comments below.

Juan Mata on his way to Arsenal?

Juan Mata a man in demand

According  to La Marca today, Arsenal, Tottenham and another English club have all made moves to sign 23 year old winger Juan Mata from Valencia. The ex-Real Madrid man is said to have a €20m buyout clause in his contract, however it is also suggested by Marca that an offer of around €15m will be accepted by Valencia, a club in continuing financial difficulties. Despite their president Manuel Llorente recently saying "Valencia will not sell to any club that wants to buy Mata" it has been reported  that their stance is softening due to their financial perils. La Marca says that his father and agent is evaluating the options, deciding which represents the best move for his son. The other English team interested is most likely to be Liverpool, this means that the only side which can offer Mata Champions League football next season is Arsenal, quite possibly a deciding factor in any move to the Premier League.

Do we need Mata? Where would he fit into the team? Let me know your thoughts through Twitter (@Goonernl) or the comments below.

Who Should Replace Gael Clichy?



Gael Clichy - Now of Manchester City

7 million pounds. If that is how little Gael Clichy cost Manchester City, then they got a bargain. Based on previous City transfer fee form though, we were had. His signing is hardly illogical for City though, and in a way it makes sense for Arsenal too. Despite being the last remaining 'Invincable' Clichy's form of late has been slightly patchy. With only a year left to run on his contract, selling him whilst we still could does make sense for Arsenal. The big question is what happens now?

Arsene Wenger could stand still, and do nothing. Both Keiran Gibbs and Armand Traore are still at Arsenal, and both have had runs in the starting 11. However, Traore is returning to London following an injury blighted spell in Turin, where he hardly set the world alight with his 8 appearences. He's not a bad player, but I really don't feel that he's good enough to make it in N5.  



Armand Traore - Injury Plagued at Juve



Gibbs - Injury Plagued



Arsenal's only other option for 2011/12 - at the moment - is Keiran Gibbs. I, personally, feel that the young Englishman has shown real glimpses of quality and ability when he has had the chance to play. Unfortunately for him, one of his biggest chances to impress was curtailed when he had his foot stamped on by Eliaquim Mangala of Standard Liege during the 2-0 victory over them in November 2009. With Clichy already sidelined, Gibbs was getting a run in the team and was playing well. This fractured metatarsel spelled the end of his season, originally out for 3 months, it was discovered that the surgery had been done wrong, and the recovery period had to be restarted following further surgery.

With Clichy again injured, Gibbs had a short spell in the team at the tail end of last season (10/11), starting the final 3 games of the season. He generally put in some good performances, although some lapses in concentration and bad decision making cost Arsenal. In my opinion he was entirely at fault for the first Fulham goal, leaving his man to try and help out Vermaelen giving the Fulham winger acres of space to receive the ball and cut it back for Sidwell to slot home.

In my opinion, Traore isn't good enough for Arsenal and isn't the right player to provide a high enough level of competition to force Keiran Gibbs to push on and improve his game. I think that now is the right time for Traore to shown the exit door, and a slightly more experienced player should be signed to help Gibbs improve. The question now is who should that person be?

Izaguirre - The Honduran has impressed in Hoops

Emilio Izaguirre is one of the names the media have been putting out there as a potential Arsenal target for months, but now with Clichy gone, their crystal ball is going to be put to the test. The 25 year old Honduran claims that he has turned down Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United already this summer in favor of remaining at Parkhead, so it's tricky to see him moving - assuming he's telling the truth!! Celtic boss Neil Lennon has also said that he is not for sale at any price. Worth around £6.5m it is possible that he could be added to the squad for the same sort of money Clichy left for. The Scottish PFA Player of the Year, has an attacking style, which would fit in well at the Emirates, becoming known for his 'rampaging displays down the left wing' (according to the Daily Mail). Lennon said on signing him that: "he's strong defensively, he's quick, he's got a very good left foot and he's good going forward." No disrespect to the SPL but it's somewhere in between Premiership and Championship, so Izaguirre is untested at the very highest level.

With only 12 months left on his contract, Newcastle United's Jose Enrique could be a good choice for Arsenal. The ex-Villarreal man is valued at around the £10m mark by Newcastle, but it's likely that they would sell for less, rather than run the risk of losing him for nothing next summer. He's made 119 appearances for the Magpies, 85 in the Premier League, so he has good to flight experience, having played in Spain for 2 seasons as well, Enrique could use that experience to help during the Champions League campaign.

 

Jose Enrique - Could do a Clichy...

At 25, the Spaniard isn't too old for Arsene Wenger, and could prove to be a shrewd piece of business. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has also admitted that Enrique could leave, saying "we're not confident we can keep him." Definitely a sign that a deal could be done. Last season, a defence with Enrique in would keep a clean sheet roughly once every 4 games, much better than Arsenal at the tail end of last season. Having only scored the one goal, Enrique is about as prolific as Clichy was. He is a player who would certainly push Gibbs on, and I feel that it would be a close run thing over who would be first choice.

Of  these four options, I would be inclined to give Gibbs his chance, but I would have Enrique there to push him all the way, and there to step in if the injuries and inconsistencies which have troubled Gibbs' career so far resurface in 2011/12.

Who would you like to see at left back next season? What do you think of Clichy's move to City? Tell me in the comments below, or Tweet me @Goonernl