Arsenal post a two goal lead, let it fitter away, go down to ten men, and then come back in dramatic fashion in extra time to win tonight’s Carling Cup quarter-final at Blackburn.
The young Arsenal side looked in top form as Abou Diaby, and then Eduardo both scored to put the Gunners up early. However, Blackburn were up for it, and came roaring back so that with about 30 minutes left in the match, the score was tied 2-2.
The match was all set to go to extra time when Denilson, who was already carrying a yellow card for an early challenge, made a stupid tackle and got a straight red from referee Mike Riley.
Going into the extra period with only ten men, things didn’t look good for the youngsters. Things got worse when seventeen year old Nacer Bazarite was carted off on a stretcher, complete with oxygen mask, due to a separated shoulder. However, shortly after play resumed, Eduardo scored his second of the night to book the Gunners ticket to the semi-finals.
61 Responses to “Blackburn 2 - 3 Arsenal (AET)”
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December 19th, 2007 at 12:14 am
It was a good game to watch - especially with Arsenal winning at the death. Kudos to the boys for sticking it to Blackburn at Ewood when the first team could only managed a draw. Not easy against a full strength Blackburn team. A tale of 2 halves with our boys having most of the game in the 1st half and fighting a physically resurgent Blackburn in the 2nd. Winning goal from Eduardo came as a result of a great run out of defence by Song who then laid a great pass to Eduardo to finish off coolly. Everyone played well and committed in the tackles. Great to see players like Randall, Barazite and Merida getting a run out - hope Barazite recovers quickly from the shoulder injury.
With Spuds playing their first team in their Carling cup win over Citeh and our first teamers rested, we stand more than a better chance to win well against the Spuds this weekend at home.
December 19th, 2007 at 12:37 am
Unbelievable. I predicted a loss. For a second string Arsenal team to beat Blackburn at their home with 10 men in extra-time is, quite simply, stunning.
I saw only the goals. Eduardo is such a clinical finisher. I can see why he may struggle in the first team. Wenger expects all players to put in more work than just finishing. It would be difficult to play RvP and Eduardo even though RvP’s work rate has improved.
December 19th, 2007 at 1:01 am
Fred,
I am saddened to tell you that the last thing Wenger will do is to get rid of Eboue. With him( Eboue) on the field, Arsenal has a high work rate and no Winger like C. Ronaldo can break lose into Arsenal right side of Midfield…. So, it is best you know that Eboue is also a heart at the Center.
December 19th, 2007 at 1:38 am
I thought it was a great game to watch, and perhaps the best possible scenario for getting some experience and confidence to our youger players. Very pleased with the performance, the attitude, and the result.
With that said, I have to think Blackburn made a mess of themselves. They basically didn’t turn up for the first 30 minutes. All three of our goals came from Blackburn mistakes - two from Reid, played out of position in his first game in a long time. He was ten yards from Diaby on the first goal and if he were only six yards he might have done enough, and he kept Eduardo onside for the third. The other error was Samba’s total failure to cut out a simple pass.
So maybe the only question mark is if our young team would have created and finished enough chances if Blackburn played the whole game like they did in the second half. I’m not criticizing our play or players at all. Our first team just went without Cesc and Hleb for a few weeks and we struggled without their creativity. I’m just looking for a reserve player that might be able to provide a spark if we lose Cesc and Hleb again.
December 19th, 2007 at 2:00 am
perhaps blackburn made a mess of themselves for our 3 goals because the “simple passes” were just too good. the buildup and/or passing in all of our 3 goals was excellent, whereas their 1st goal was offside (initially i thought traore had made a meal out of it but the replay shows derbyshire was offside)
we played so well as a team that we had 4 different men of the match players! bendtner was MOTM on soccernet, lassana on sky, song on my book and eduardo got his clinical brace! cheers to the arsenal!!!
December 19th, 2007 at 2:26 am
I still say kudos to the boys. A lot their defensive mistakes were down to Bendtner pulling them out of shape. He drops deep to collect the ball, taking a CB with him, and is often able to turn and send an attack building pass.
We created plenty of chances overall, too, suggesting this is a group that is maturing and meshing together nicely. With Theo on the wing instead of young Randall (admittedly a promising debut), we could have punished them more on the counter-attack.
The most encouraging thing was that we never got rattled or lost our drive, even when we were pinned back in the second half. The old team - the first team - would have collectively sulked and gone missing. This lot kept getting stuck in - albeit to a fault with Denilson’s down the water slide lunge.
The other great thing about having youngsters digging out a major result is that it keeps the pressure on the first team - they have to perform to keep their places.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:16 am
Some of the coments are ridiculas. We let it filter away? More like blackburn got a offside goal and fought to get back in the match and was rewarded with the second goal. If arsenal had made a 2 goal come back we wouldnt say blackburn let it filter away! BLACKBURN PLAYED WELL to come back. Nipuna predicting a loss - we beat newcastle with ease - last season we proved what the kids can do.
This report does nothing to summarise the game whatsoever. Nothing here is said about diarra who put in a phenominal preformance and should be seriously considered agaisnt spurs. Nothing about Senderos’ woeful defending. This sight is a joke - and u guys really need to watch, play, think about some football
December 19th, 2007 at 5:54 am
Ok, just for you:
Fabianski (7) Few dodgy moments but under huge pressure performed very well
Hoyte (6) First game for a long time, looked rusty but did ok
Song (8) Had some problems, but grew into the game and took charge of the defence
Senderos (4) Meek, missed every header, kept pushing up for offside without his other players, passing often atrocious
Traore (6) Attacking still better than defending, bit like Clichy was
Randall (6) Tidy passer, doubt he will amount to much being English
Denilson (7) Played well, always involved, tackles like Paul Scholes - badly
Diarra (9) First half especially he ran the show, then re-emerged later in the game to drag us back into match
Diaby (7) Again, superb in first half but floated out the game. Holds onto the ball too long sometimes.
Bendtner (7) Brilliant in first half, great touch, positioning, strength - got tired quite early though
Eduardo (7) I said from the start the new Ian Wright - when he’s through he’s like an iceman
Subs
Merida (6) Looked ok, nothing amazing
Gibbs (5) Only got a few minutes
Barazite (6) Performed well before dislocating his shoulder
December 19th, 2007 at 6:35 am
What a great match yesterday!
Thought i’d just watch the first 10 minutes or so to catch a glimpse of the youngsters….but the way the team played in the first half…i couldn’t take my eyes off the TV for the entire match. Sat up till 4.15 A.M till the match ended
..so u can imagine my state in office today..but Arsenal won….so i think i can manage the day 
Song was the stand out player for me in the match…although the entire team played well…..i have to give special credit to Song..he was immense at the back….never looked like he had just started playing CB. In fact, without those tresses…i would have thought that it was Toure playing at CB :D. He had a last ditch save to deny Santa Cruz which probably saved the game for us. His performance is even more remarkable when you think about the fact that a majority of the Arsenal fans couldn’t wait to see the back of him. To defend so stoically against a very strong Blackburn side at Ewood Park really takes something. If Song continues to improve this way…hmm..i am never going to doubt any Wenger signing ever again…Amazing knack to spot potential
Eduardo showed why it would be better to play him up front…ice cool on the finish…and that pass by Song to open up the defence was really something :)) …couldn’t believe it when the Blackburn defence opened up for Eduardo that way.
All in all a very encouraging performance…Traore too looked the business though he still has to sort out a few rough edges…Diarra, Bendtner and Diaby looked solid. Hoping that all 3 of them stay on at Arsenal…they are too good to lose.
I think one of the commentators summed it up perfectlyafter seeing the first half “I wonder where this team would finish if they were allowed to play in the premier league…..I guess it would be second place”
..After hearing all the biased commentary over teh weekend matches…this comment made my day 
Cheers,
Wayne
December 19th, 2007 at 6:47 am
This was a perfect game for our kids to experience. They started so strong and had to endure a fight back from a determined Blackburn side. To make it even more worth while, they had to play an additional half hour with only ten men. You couldn’t have written a better script for those young players to go through. Wenger has to be delighted that these youngsters got that experience.
I gave a shout-out to Alex Song before the game yesterday as I just had a feeling he would be key. After last week, I wanted to see him in midfield again but knew we needed him in the back. He still found a way to get involved in the attack and played those delicious through balls just like last week. More important is after Denilson was sent off and Diaby and Diarra had disappeared for a while, he stepped up and, from the back, gave us a midfield presence. Fantastic performance from him. Like I said yesterday, that kid’s only just turned twenty.
The Triple, D’s! Diarra, Denilson, and Diaby. Those guys were so good on the night. Diarra was nothing short of outstanding. He made a real statement with that performance. It was the best I’ve ever seen a DM play for Arsenal since the days when Vieira played behind Petit. Flamini better sign that contract. Denilson continually looked to get on the ball. He’s settling at Arsenal. Diaby’s awareness is finally improving and which means he’s not giving away the ball as much. If he continues to enhance that vision, the sky’s the limit.
The right side was so weak. Hoyte made some good plays at the end and pushed forward very hard after Denilson went off but his passing was not up to where everyone else’s was. The new kid did okay but the rest of the team was a cut above those two we had on the right.
Lastly, Eduardo is a f*cking cold-blooded assassin.
December 19th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Great result for the youngsters. This game showed that we have some very promising players outside our first team. I thought Diarra played very well, and outside of some bad tackles, Denilson looked pretty good. Fabio showed some good potential in the net, and you have to hope a game like this for him will do nothing but boost his confidence. Overall, a great step for these youngsters.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Having watched the game in person, the only player I slate was Hoyte. Although he’s not awful on defense, he’s not creative or incisive. He lacks the vision and precision that Arsene expects (actually demands) from his players.
I can also say that, while TV may have revealed aspects of Senderos’ play that I could not see in person, he played well from my perspective and was undisputedly the leader of the team last night. He led the players out, ran the wind sprints and warm-ups, and was generally all over the field dispensing encouragement and leadership in a manner that did not seem incongrous or out of place. Moreover, I was sitting a few rows from the back of the goal, and I definitely saw him defend successfully several times with his head. I say this although I too have never thought much of his abilities and always wondered why Wenger does not get rid of him.
Having saiid all that, I agree that the standouts were Diara, Diaby, Denilson and, most of all, Song. Bendtner and Eduardo were not trivial either.
Finally, I’d say that the comments about how laid back Arsenal supporters are in cheering their team is a little overdone; these fans bought out every away ticket, rooted their hearts out, and made a tremendous amount of noise, as I might add, did their brethren at the Emirates last Sunday when Chelsea came to play. I hope my luck holds and Arsenal wins when I watch the Gunners play Spuds at the Emirates on Saturday.
December 19th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Really amazing performance. Our kids really showed their “mental strength” tonight. Senderos was our worst player by far; scary to think he may be first choice when Toure leaves in January. I’d be interested to see if Djourou coming back or Gilberto can pip him to it. Mark Randall did alright at best (you’d have thought he was MotM the way the Sky commentators were lapping up our ensligh winger). Well done boys. It is phenomenal to comprehend that over the past five years, we have the BEST record in this tournament. Wenger invested in youth when other sides friviously spent Russian oil money like it was going out of style. Well done.
Arsene knows - Do the spuds on the weekend!
December 19th, 2007 at 10:26 am
I think Blackburn in the first half didn’t pay our kids enough respect, or rather underestimated us a bit.
We all knew their style - they are most effective when they close down and hurry the opponent to “not letting them play”, particular when against BETTER oppositions.
yet on the first half, they probably thought they could get by without necessary to work as hard against an Arsenal “baby” side.
2nd half, they probably got a hair-dryer treatment by Mark Hughes and came out and played their usual game. It started to put us under more pressure, and the inexperience of our kids started to show.
after we went one man down, Blackburn probably again dropped into the comfort zone a bit. And a side like Blackburn, if they don’t play to their 100%, they don’t stand a chance.
that’s why i think a more techincial, passing game will always get you further than a direct, physial side.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Maybe the most exciting game this season. Song was far and away our MOTM - his comfort on the ball, positional sense, and that killer ball to Eduardo were extremely impressive to watch. After we were down to 10, he was singlehandedly filling the roles of CM and CB. Senderos and Djourou better watch their backs or I could see him leapfrogging them for third choice soon. Denilson definitely deserved to be sent off whether for a second yellow or straight red. Eduardo is surgical - just wish we could see it in the Prem at some point.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Everyone has already chimed in on the triple D’s and Song, who was MOTM…
Lets discuss Fabianski…
He looks a bit rough around the edges (expected for such a young goalie), but he made some very acrobatic saves yesterday.
- He stopped Dunn in the first half.. diving low and parrying the ball around the post (unlike the spud’s keeper Robinson who parries right back at opposition)
- Very good save on Santa Cruz in the 2nd on his breakaway. Song mopped up nicely but it was a very nice save by Fabianski.
- On Bentley’s FK in the first half, which was a dipping ball over the wall but wide of the post, Fabianski dove and snatched it out of the air a full yard wide of the post! I thought that was UNBELIEVABLE.
- Finally, when Samba hit the post late on (where was Sendy and why did he give Samba 5 yards of space?), Fab might have stopped it cuz he had totally laid out and had most of that side covered.
This kid appears to have some serious range… and I cant really fault him for either of Blackburn’s goals.
Although it must be said that Almunia had a good game against Chelsea, he gives me no confidence at the back so I am really hoping Fabianski is our long term solution.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Villagegunner: I agree with your assessment of Hoyte. While I like his defensive qualities and his loyalty to Arsenal, he is painfully lacking when taking the ball out of defence. I have observed this for the past 2 seasons and I do not see an improvement in this aspect of his play. Sagna or Eboue will take the ball forward or sideways trying to create angles to make the pass. Hoyte tends to stay in a stationary posture with the ball, look up and try to make the pass but often, the opponents will have closed off his passing lanes and he will be forced to punt it aimlessly downfield. Much as I like the boy and wish him all the success in the world, he needs to improve in the offensive aspects of his game or otherwise, there will be no place for him in Wenger’s team.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:35 am
yeah Coach_ed, I too am quite impressed by Fab. No doubt he’s a very good shot stopper. Great reflex. and has the courage to make up his mind quick enough rushing out to clean up the througball. the best save he made was that one on one, he somehow stopped it with his right arm right on the edge of our penalty box (which eventually Song chased back and cleared the loose ball).
but like most of the promising young ‘keepers, he’s not as solid when comes to dealing with the cross and high ball. And he doesn’t look like the tallest ‘keeper around neither.
finally, i also agree that although Almunia had an excllent game Vs Chelsea, still, most of them are his stength - reflex save. Not the one who needs “DECISION MAKING”.
Almunia is an excellent shot stopper, but I still got lot of doubt on his decision making.
to be honest, none of Almunia or Fab I believe is our answer yet for the near future. without a doubt AW will be bringing in a new keeper, be it January or summer. I hope he’s going to bring in a NUMBER 1. Not a back up to cover for Almunia.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:35 am
@ Nate - Considering how I didn’t get home until 10 last night, I was lucky to get any sort of report up at all. It’s the holidays, and I’m running around like a madman. I posted as soon as I got home, and kept it short and sweet so people could discuss the match. Sorry it doesn’t meet your standards.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Watching the youth team play nearly brings a tear to my eye; they are simply beautiful to watch.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:39 am
This sight is a joke - and u guys really need to watch, play, think about some football
Go back to Man U America, Troll.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:39 am
btw, It’s official - AW is bringing Djourou back next month. So see, it didn’t really hurt us that much sending Djourou on loan didn’t it? Or else Song might not even got his chance to impress at CD.
And to top it all, Djourou will be coming back with half a season’s match appearance under his belt. He will be match fit, and probably even sharper than Sendy and Song.
December 19th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
I am glad to see Djourou back. I think he has the brightest chance of any of our reserve central defenders (admittedly, haven’t seen Nordveit but he seems a few years away anyways) But it now begs the question, does AW still need to buy a center back in January? In my opinion, it is still the most pressing need, although pressing may be too strong of a word. He could miss as many as 10 games. Two of those games are the Carling Cup Semi Finals, which he wouldn’t have played anyway. I would hate to see this title challenge go up in smoke because of errors by an inexperienced center back. I guess it is impossible to say because we don’t know who is available and at what price. It also could be discouraging for the development of Djourou and Song if AW buys a player in front of them at this stage in their development. I would be interested to hear what others think. Also, I read today that Celtic are considering a bid for Sendy. The SPL seems more his speed. But I doubt they have the money to make the purchase anyway.
A recap of the games Toure and Eboue could potentially miss.
January 1: Premier League - West Ham United (h)
January 6: FA Cup - Burnley (a)
January 9: Carling Cup Semi-Final first leg *
January 12: Premier League - Birmingham (h)
January 19: Premier League - Fulham (a)
January 23: Carling Cup Semi-Final second leg *
January 26/27: FA Cup Fourth Round *
January 29: Premier League - Newcastle (h)
February 2: Premier League - Manchester City (a)
February 9: Premier League - Blackburn (h)
December 19th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I don’t know, Song almost gifted them one by kicking one back into the middle. But he has improved massively! Great game for the kids! Fantastic experience! Hopefully they can go all of the way this time.
December 19th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Good post Brendan-
Its a good thing the AFC is in January and not December! All things considered, its not the worst time to lose Toure. Lots of home games and only ManCity away to fear.
December 19th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
At the start of the season, the fans’ opinion was that Arsenal needed another CB and a LW. Judging by the way the season has gone so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wenger doesn’t go for anybody in the summer.
Even though we will have Senderos, Djourou and Song as options to replace Toure during the ACN, is any of them good enough to keep the run going? We have to remember that the Carling Cup and the league are two completely different ball games. While in the CC, the youngster can play with no pressure, the same is not true for league. Look no further than the league results vs Blackburn and Newcastle.
Can a championship winning team do only two good CBs unless both remain fit for the whole season? Even ManU will suffer if Ferdinand or Vidic get injured for more than a month. Let’s hope we can ride through Toure’s absence without too much damage.
December 19th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
@Brendan, I don’t think we should by a new CD, at least not at January window.
As AW said, he expected to give every new signing at least six months’ time to settle in. And with defenders, it’s even more important for them to establish a understanding with their co-defenders. A simple thing like offside trap would take time to work on the training ground in order for everyone to be at the same wavelength.
so a new CD in January window probably won’t really help us much. It’s unlikely AW would start him straight away. By the time he starts settling in into our system, Toure would already have been back, and the new man may find himself on the bench.
Sagna is more like an exception than a norm. Truth is rarely would a player settle so quickly into a new team.
so i’d perfer we leave it in the summer.
December 19th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Andez-
I don’t disagree with you completely. I think when AW talks about settling in periods, he is speaking of buying foreign players from less competitive leagues. That being said, I don’t know if we could find anyone in January who wouldn’t need a settling in period, considering everyone in the EPL is looking for reinforcements and not selling.
I don’t think AW will buy anyone. Definitely not in January because the prices are so inflated. But probably not in the summer either. I am bit conflicted about this. I think giving everyone a chance this year will make the team much stronger next year. Which, going in to the season, was the year I thought everything was building towards. But after last weekend, I believe we can contend now. But we would need one or two small tweaks in order to do it. And if you have a chance to win a major trophy or two, you have to go for it. Who is to say that Fabregas or Gallas won’t get hurt next year and totally derail the title challenge they have building towards. Take the chance now. It is there to be had.
December 19th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
yeah, we should go for broke this season.
i dont think we need a CB….though we will miss Toure and Song for the ANC. i think Gallas and Djorou as first choice and Senderos as an unfortunate backup should be able to hold out for the one month Kolo will be away.
Sagna can also play CB comfortably and Hoyte is not a disastrous CB - at least he doest make basic mistakes like Senderos.
but definitely we need a winger. that is for sure.
December 19th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Unless an unbelievable opportunity presents itself, I don’t see Wenger buying anyone in a January window ever again. The idea of Wenger buying a new central defender during this transfer window as cover for Toure during the AFCON is silly. It’s not going to happen. If Arsene wanted to buy cover for Kolo he would have done early enough so they can atleast train with the team for a while before being thrown into the deep end. Some seem to hope for this January CB. Write me back and let me know how that works out.
jestanley, you made the point about Song playing CB and CM better than I did. The scary thing about last night is when we went down to ten men, Diarra and Diaby didn’t really step up as much as I would have hoped. Song did and it was like he was playing Denilson’s position as well as his own. We didn’t even see Diarra and Diaby again until after Eduardo got the goal. Did they lose the will to win? Who knows. It might be a good thing if Wenger can communicate to them that they kind of disappeared.
December 19th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
A couple of facts to preface this discussion. Wenger rarely spends big, and even more rarely on defenders. So I’m left with this feeling this is an academic discussion.
I’m guessing Wenger thinks 5 CB’s is enough - and it is, so…..
If we did buy a CB I would want a superior player to Senderos, Djourou and Song and I don’t think Wenger will stump up money for that. Not in his present mindset of new young Arsenal.
If Toure wasn’t off to the ANC this would be a lesser issue. The ANC in its current form is just a bi-annual pain in the *ss. It should be moved to the off-season or canned - or an agreement should be reached whereby the ANC countries have to pay the players club remuneration and insurance. User pays. That will help to bring everything into focus.
December 19th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Less preferred, but I will probably write you back when it doesn’t work out and either Djourou or Senderos piss away our title hopes with some poor defending.
December 19th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
lol sorry about earlier post - i tad bit um yeah a few to many lmao
December 19th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
I think we need to keep reminding ourselves how well this squad is performing. Half a season is not a purple patch, it’s a clear indication that they are maturing.
First in the EPL and alive in every cup.
Even injury-wise things are improving not regressing. The injured players are back. We’ve got to where we are largely without RvP who could be a lethal weapon in the latter half of the season. His presence takes pressure off Ade in particular but also provides us with more options and a regular goal outlet.
The loss of Toure for the ANC is frustrating but if we continue to have reasonable form as a team then I think the backup players can do the job.
I’m really pleased the squad has shown this level of application and development. Gallas has stepped up and sets a more robust tone as captain. One of the key cries last year was we were being bullied and out-muscled. Now we have a number of players who know how to respond and provide deterrent (Gallas, Sagna, Fab, Flamini, Diarra, Diaby, Ade, RvP).
RB which was a real weak point, is now a strenght with Sagna in the role and Diarra in the squad.
The 2nd layer of the players is showing real development too, the Blackburn performance is recent proof.
The theatrical troupe - Eboue and Lehmann - are now no longer first choice and this brings a sense of calmness to the team.
Just to keep the joy-germs happy I’ll throw in a couple of concerns:
1. Confidence is key. With a young squad we are more vulnerable to an extended dip in form. This is why responding with the Chelsea result was so important.
2. Goals. We’ve done ok to date and the goals have been shared around, but I really wish the wide players (Hleb, Rosicky, Eboue & Walcott) were more regular contributors and more noted goalscorers now. When they are, we’ll be more healthy.
But there is a hang of a lot to be happy about. Maybe the best is the underlying feeling that this is something emerging, the best is yet to come.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Djouorou, Senderos, Song, Gilberto, Hoyte (not necessarily in that order) can all play centre-back when Toure is goine to the ANC. Will any signing be able to slot in as quickly as the best of those? I don’t think Wenger will waste money trying to find out. The debate then is which of those five would you prefer.
As for left-wing, I have wanted Wenger to sign someone but…..Diaby is playing better there now than at the start of the season. Wenger may think that if we get to the end of the season, he will have Vela and Gibbs to challenge for that place next season. Mannone signs a new deal and Fabianski does OK, (better than his debut), in his second game, will Wenger even sign a goalkeeper?
There are 25 or 26 players in or around the first-team squad for next season. We don’t need numbers, we actually need to cull a few. If we still have problems then, we need to trade, one out for every one in.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Agreed Irishgunner. Perhaps my question should have been asked a bit more simply for some others. I am quite curious as to whether or not people think we can survive a ten game period with a combination of Gallas, Senderos, Djourou, Song (not sure if he is in the Cameroon squad) and Gilberto (if he is still here). It is certainly about as favorable a stretch as one could ask for in terms of schedule. I feel, during this span, we will drop at least 5 points to United if the team is composed as it is now. Are there options out there to buy? Do we have the money? Does AW want to buy? Those are outside the realm of conjecture for me.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
I think your right irishgunner on every point.
For some people it is hard for them to get their heads around the fact that Wenger has and continues to move even further away from being a participant in the main transfer market.
Wenger increasingly plays in the emerging young player market - a market that most managers see as high risk and worth only a flutter, but not a serious source of talent for providing player strength.
But this is a market where Wenger’s unique ability as a talent spotter and developer gives him a huge advantage over almost every other manager. And he loves it - this is what satisfies him.
Wenger now has a pool of young talent that is developing and from which he can draw for the next 2, 3, 4….years. He continues to add to and replenish this pool.
What does this mean? It means that he is even less likely to compete for established talent on the market. Why would he when he has his own pool of talent growing in his backyard? Why buy a player tuned to someone elses music when you have a reservoir of talent ready-tuned? We can already see that when an Arsenal youngster graduates to the first team he fits almost seamlessly with the style. The adjustment he then needs to make is for the pace of the EPL and the need to deliver consistent performances.
What Wenger is doing takes huge self belief. The media and fans find the allure of the main transfer market irresistible. Whenever there is a hint of a problem the question is “who can we buy”? But as a huge club to shun this approach and rely on developing their own players is very courageous.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
@ kiwi:
“It should be moved to the off-season or canned - or an agreement should be reached whereby the ANC countries have to pay the players club remuneration and insurance. User pays. That will help to bring everything into focus.”
errr. so u are suggesting that african countries most of which are probably poorer than some club sides should pay the clubs? now even u must agree that does not make the slightest sense. even european FAs dont have the money to pay clubsides let alone their african counterparts.
i am pretty dissillussioned with international football in general…..but i think the ANC is an interesting and far more attack oriented tournament than the recent euros and copa americas…..and certainly much better than the world cup.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
The ultimate Lampard goal tonight!! What a deflection. Does he do it on purpose?
Agreed Fred, the problem for the ANC is climate. The summer off-season in Europe conicides with the rainy season (when it comes) in Africa. Football in torrential downpours matched with excessive tropical heat is not a good combination or advert. Realistically, European leagues should harmonise a winter break and the ANC should compress their tournament to fit that break. Everyone would be happy then.
December 19th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
As I expected, Arsenal do indeed Spurs in the Carling Cup Semis.
Two more super charged games.
Chelsea should march to the final over Everton.
December 19th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
We get Spurs. Does the law of averages work in football? By that law we are due a loss to Spurs. i wouldn’t mind if we lost by one goal in the second leg having won comfortably in the first leg.
Seriously, we should be able to win this as Spurs should have their minds on their league position. Could it be a Chelsea-Arsenal final again?
December 19th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Fred #38 Yeah, I was shooting from the hip
and nothing against the African comp in particular, although I share your disenchantment with international football in general.
The issue is why should the AFC play their showpiece tournament mid-season every 2 years AND expect european clubs to release their highly-paid players?
Now that is nonsensical. If you were paying their remuneration would you be happy?
Unfortunately the timing (and regularity) of the tournament makes this an issue between the club and player. Clubs can ill-afford to lose key players for that length of time and players risk losing their place. The value of African players is diminished by the likelihood they will be absent every 2 years for a chunk of the season.
December 19th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
I mean ANC
December 19th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Why can’t the ANC schedule matches during the same (annoying) breaks as the European nations? If they cannot accommodate this scheduling alignment, they should be prepared to be without their top-flight players during team matches.
December 19th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
This is starting to become a bit of piss-take now. Once again Tottenham in the Semi finals over two legs. Obviously someone upstairs wants Tottenham to beat us badly because they’re just too good a team to keep playing and coming out unscathed against, and I’m not happy at all that we’ve got them. Especially with the second leg being at White Hart Lane. And no way in hell will they be thinking more about the league. They are obsessed with us.
On the transfer front, I’ve got no problem with Wenger not buying players if he doesn’t see anyone that interests him. But I do have an issue if he passes up opportunities to buy players who he feels can be relied upon to have a consistent touch and train of thought for the full ninety minutes. Although our Carling Cup escapades are great, we often make hay when the other team is half-asleep, and alot of our B players tend to crack when the other team raises the tempo. Either that or they just switch off and get lazy. Song has stepped up and shown composure but a few others seem to have stood still on that score. The games against Tottenham should tell us more.
December 19th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
We’ll all see it differently but IMO Spurs is a superb draw for us. It gives the CC semi real significance. It’s no longer just the CC. For the emerging players it means they’re in a game that their fans really want to win and this is what they need.
This is a game where a great performance by a young player will be noticed - a reputation formed. Why wouldn’t the youngsters be thrilled?
We know we’re good enough, so if we play well enough on the day we’ll beat them.
December 19th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
What’s the complaint? Two great games against our biggest rivals, that’s what football’s all about, ENTERTAINMENT!
If we win, Tottenham get embarrassed, if we lose, so what they beat our kids? And who cares about this cup anyway? As far as I’m concerned we can’t lose, it’s all good fun.
December 19th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
In theory your right but when it comes down the last twenty minutes at White Hart Lane, the fact that it is the Carling Cup will be irrelevant for me and I will just be desperate to beat Tottenham. It will be hard on the heart but it’s true that we should relish these games and not fear them
December 19th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
With each passing year the trophies on offer seem to fall more clearly into 2 groups.
Group 1: For a major club the substance and glory come from the EPL title and the Champions League
Group 2: The FA Cup and the Carling Cup are nice but have the feel of a consolation prize. Even the demarcation of importance between the 2 cups to me seems to be blurring. There was a time when the FA Cup held great importance but that seems to have diminished with the rise of the CL. Obviously the FA Cup still enjoys a grandeur that the Carling Cup doesn’t, but as a fan it’s become a bit ho hum.
Perhaps this also signifies how far we have come as a club under Wenger. We are judged by EPL titles, or at the very least seriously challenging - nothing less is good enough.
That said, I want to win the Carling Cup this year. A trophy in February would be a nice tonic for the business end of the season.
December 19th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I am chuffed we have Tottenham. Will make the semis really exciting and can’t wait to go on for some revenge against Chelski in the final.
December 19th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
This comment is aimed at KIWI, as an african arsenal supporter I think your views of the ANC are a little bit out of order. Though I would normally take it with a grain of salt because sometimes it is due to ignorance and lack of common sense that make people spout nonsense about what others value but your condescension is a little bit hard to take. This competition has been on for several decades and this is the only time it can be played consistently due to the weather conditions in most parts of the continent (yes it is not one big country) during your summer. So dude, get your facts straight and all the clubs knew about this before buying the players.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Canny, as an African Arsenal supporter I can understand your appreciation of your regional tournament. No offence intended.
The issue isn’t about your tournament in particular, it could well have been Asia, Oceania, Copa America or wherever if the same circumstances applied. But for me having regular international tournaments that make highly paid sportsmen unavailable to their clubs for a significant period in their season is ridiculous.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
i knew we would get spurs…..it was written on the wall.
we MUST use only the players that have played in the tournament so far. no toure, cesc or whoever like last year.
if it was a one off game, there might be that element of surprise or luck and they beat us. but since it is a two game issue, i am SURE spuds will choke once again.
i love that the first game is at home for us. they will come with some tactical sh-t and try to get a draw or something….and ofcourse they will end up f-cking that up. and then we can finish them off in the second leg.
even if things turn bad in the first leg, we can just draft in adebayor….and am sure he will do the rest
lol.
ps: is rocha still playing for them??
December 19th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Why is the ACN held every two years when the WC and Euro is once in four years? If the ACN does the same, all problems are solved.
December 20th, 2007 at 12:16 am
Nipuna, I guess the bi-annual thing is historical, perhaps it started when African nations weren’t as regular in the WC - maybe Canny or someone else can explain why. In the past the timing and regularity wasn’t an issue (going back a while), because few African players played in Europe at the higher levels. Now they do, so it is becoming debated. The following BBC article is only a week old.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/7140013.stm
December 20th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Interesting to see that ManU won’t be missing a single player during the ACN. Hate to admit this, but Fergie seems to have planned it very well this year. He has signed backups in every position - Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani, Tevex -, except defence where Silvestre is injured and Wes Brown (new deal rejected) is the only option. It will be quite an achievement to beat them to the title.
December 20th, 2007 at 4:01 am
Yeah I noticed that ManU had no African players. I wonder if that is a conscious decision to avoid any disruption with the ANC. I’m trying to remember the African players that have played for ManU. Fortune……and one else recently?
Pity we aren’t playing Portsmouth whilst all their players are away!
December 20th, 2007 at 7:24 am
The AFCON sucks more for teams in the BPL because there’s no winter break. Some european leagues are in their off season while others are having a winter break and won’t start playing matches again until late January or early February.
I’m certain Ferguson intentionally left African players out of his team; especially since the last one he “personally hand-picked” (Eric Djemba-Djemba) was garbage.
December 20th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
brendan and all the other torrent users…
http://www.fbtz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91073
english version now posted!
December 20th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Thanks coach-ed. I downloaded it last night and watched it this morning. Fantastic quality (Both picture and Arsenal) Thanks again.
December 20th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
The BPL is the most affected as stated because of the winter break. Old red nose was obviously disappointed by Djemba Djemba and Fortune’s time at the club and has not signed another african player since then, he was very interested in John Obi Mikel only for chelsea to hijack him at the end of the day. I don’t know why it is 2 years I guess maybe because there was limited appearances of african countries at the world cup in times past( it was 2 at a time now it up to 5).