Written by Mean Lean on Friday, 28 January 2011 13:15

Another good afternoon to you,

I mean how could it not be a good afternoon when you are a Gooner? Things are going pretty swimmingly at present and I am enjoying that. Even our set backs in recent weeks have turned around into positives. As we came away victorious in the two cup competitions and giving some playing time to squad members. Well that shall continue on Sunday as Huddersfield Town roll up at the Emirates. Sebastian Squillaci and Abou Diaby will get some much needed playing time as they return from injury. It will take them a few games to get back up to speed so a match against league one opposition at home is not a bad game to make your come back, no disrespect intended of course.

A forgotten man, Manuel Almunia has recovered from his erm 'injury' and could take his place in goal. That will be his first game since the horror show against West Brom all those months ago. The rumours that have been doing the rounds are that he does not want to sit on the bench as second choice which isn't really the stance I thought someone like Almunia would take. Obviously I am dealing with just a rumour here but it does seem to add up. I do not believe that he has had an elbow injury and then an ankle injury for all this time.

An educated guess would be that he has been unhappy about being dropped after his initial elbow problem (if it did actually hamper him after the West Brom game) and he refused to be back up to Fabianski. He seems to want to leave the club but perhaps a deal hasn't been able to happen for whatever reason.

There is certainly no point Almunia waiting around to be third choice, it is clear that the pecking order has changed and he does not feature in Wenger's long term plans.

I do feel a little sorry for him, he started the season very well and answered a lot of questions thrown at him. His one bad game he was out and could not get back in so I can understand why he is miffed.

I hope he comes in and has a good game and then finds another solution elsewhere and then plays the best football of his career as long as it is not at the Spuds.

In another world at another time, he could have quite easily done a Fabianski and proved everyone wrong, he was certainly looking to do that from the start of the season.

Going back to the Huddersfield game, Benik Afobe has been given the all clear to face us and that should be quite interesting. He is a very good young player and it will be good to get a good look at him against our defence. Squillaci could be in for a difficult afternoon with the pace and power of Afobe, especially after just coming back from injury.

He is another player who is blossoming on loan away from the reserves. We have our talent spread around the whole country and I get a sense of pride from that, especially when you hear their managers and team mates at said clubs, praising the quality and technique of these players.

Aaron Ramsey has spoken about his desire to get back playing at Cardiff and then fighting for a place in the Arsenal team. It is amazing to think that midway through last season he had pretty much established himself as a first team player.

There are so many twists and turns in football, like with Almunia, in another world, Jack Wilshere could have been a bit part player this season, looking forward to getting another chance to shine against Huddersfield on Sunday. Instead he has replaced Ramsey as the golden boy and hasn't looked back (apart from that quick glance he does before receiving a pass)

I think I am going to watch a game from last season just to remember exactly how good Ramsey was. Two footed, a clean striker of the ball, not afraid to put his foot in and a wonderful passer of the ball. Remember that pass he produced in the Champions league, in that dead rubber game? Cannot remember the opposition but it was magic. Bent it around the defence into the path of Theo (I think)

I hope he finds his form and finds it soon. It may be a longer road for him as we have seen with the likes of Diaby and Eduardo but hopefully he can progress better than they did. He is a tough lad and has a fantastic future ahead of him if all goes well on the injury front.

Peter Hill-Wood is my new hero after his recent comments. A Gooner in the public eye that is sticking up for the club and saying what he actually thinks and not what everyone else is spouting.

I agree with the old man, well said old chap. I don't need to really give my say on his views because I repeat myself far too much as it is and if you read my blog yesterday then you'd know that much of what I said ties into what Hill-Wood has spoken about.

Andrey Arshavin has been saying quite a lot in the last few days. After speaking to a Russian paper he has now given his thoughts to Arsenal.com, probably to counteract anything that could be mistranslated.

He is very honest in what he says. He knows that he is out of form and is hoping to play his way back into form soon.

It is an unusual situation for Arshavin to be in, sitting on the bench as a back up player, no longer selected for the bigger and more important games. He has been used to being the star player, the first name on the team sheet for both Zenit and for Russia. He needs a swing of fortune, he needs to bag a brace and dominate a game, once he does that then he will get his confidence back up again.

We have so many games, in all competitions so he will certainly be needed. Next month we have the Barcelona games sandwiched with the Carling Cup final. Wenger will need the likes of Arshavin, Ramsey and Diaby all up to speed because they will all be needed.

What a headache that will be. If Wenger uses his first 11 in those three games then we will not see the best of them over that period, so I am sure a little rotation will come into play in certain areas, but the temptation of playing your strongest team at Wembley will be great. The players will certainly not want to miss out of any of the games.

I suspect that we may see a more physical looking side at Wembley, with perhaps a more mobile and technical side against Barcelona. I am just glad that I am not the one making the decisions.

Fabio Capello has been speaking about Jack Wilshere and obviously he has been very impressed with what he has seen. He has been speaking about playing him in a deeper role after keeping close tabs on his performances in the last few months.

On current form, he is probably England's best midfielder and he is just turned 19. How incredible is that? Quite, I would say. There is one problem though, most of the players who would be around him are rubbish and are not well versed in playing to his strengths.

I was getting myself ready for bed last night, sticking my laptop on charge, brushing my teeth and so on and was thinking about how I would approach the England managers job if someone was insane enough to give it to me.

I would try and structure the team to play the pass and move game, the way that my team does week in, week out.

Great in theory but where do I find those players who can slip into that system? Gareth bloody Barry? do me a favour love!

How many players can play one touch football and keep it under pressure? As much as I dislike the following players, they are the only ones I could keep. Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and perhaps Andy Johnson. The only defensive midfielder mobile enough to play in that system is super crock Owen Hargreaves who makes Darren Anderton look like Danny Invincible. Then obviously Theo Walcott is in the side but it does not leave you with much else.

You'd have to spend all day training trying to prevent Steven Gerrard from whacking 60 yard passes at every opportunity.

Anyway my point is that Jack Wilshere may find life acclimatising to football with England a little bit of a culture shock after being surrounded by such attacking talent at Arsenal

The long hoof game would literally go over his head and there is no point having Wilshere playing in your midfield if the aim is to hoof it long to Crouch, Carroll or Zamora.

Fabio Capello has bitten the bullet and has admitted that it was a mistake to not bring Theo Walcott to the world cup. Personally I didn't think he was playing well enough at the time but looking at Theo this season, that would not even be a question today.

Ok, well that is just about that for now.

Back tomorrow.

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Comments (13)

• 28-Jan-2011 15:00 | | sapman
  

  hehe hillwood well said

• 28-Jan-2011 15:54 | | oldboy  - oldboy
  

  Don't dare defend Almunia. He is the worse 1st choice keeper we have had in 4o years. Doesn't command his box with poor decision making. He is still here just as Diaby, Denilson, Eboue are because no one in the world of professional would pay the money that Arsenal do for second rate players

• 28-Jan-2011 17:00 | | Feeno
  

  Its good politickin aswell with the clubs we loan our players too, they have our backs. Or they'll no get anymore players!

• 28-Jan-2011 18:30 | | Millie Tant
  

  Peter Hill-Wood should be sacked for his sexisist comment 'dont worry darling'. I agree with your post the other day that we need to stamp sexism out of football!

• 28-Jan-2011 18:54 | | Feeno
  

  Its been a few months since we've had a really thick slice of hypocrisy emanating from the media, I almost started thinking we lived in a society that didnt try to engineer knee jerk reactions.
  
  Sky wanted Keys and Gray out, this has been utiliesed to do so. Is there anyone in the real world that actually bothered by it. Sky and the papers have had their milleage, Loose Women writers have had a day of cos those stupid bints got to cackle away (I notice they didnt have a male guest on to manhandle that day!) Everyone else is like "sound that hairy mexican wolf child is off the tellie"
  
  But aye hypocrisy runs rampantant. worst offenders? women!

• 28-Jan-2011 19:58 | | Adams  - Hill Wood did good
  

  Hill-Wood, HILARIOUS but so true. Fair play to him for speaking so plainly. "I wouldn't want Chelsea's success that way", "What if he gets run over by a bus? We need 50,000 run over by a bus before we have a problem." Cracking. I'm so fucking proud of the way our club is run and the football we produce. Ooh to be a Gooner.

• 28-Jan-2011 22:46 | | dkgooner  - Transfers
  

  Everyone and their dog seems to think they are better at judging a player's ability than the Arsenal manager and his coaching team. Everywhere I read that this player is useless and that one should be sold because X is SO much better - I mean, they know, they've seen him on YouTube.
  If any of you bothered to watch the Denilson interview, you would have seen some of the goals he has scored for us. Why would anyone want to sell such a fantastic player?
  And Eboué - yes, I know he falls over a lot, I don't like it either, and yes, I know that he can on occasion look like the world's worst right back - but he's Arsenal through and through (unlike some of those who call for him to be sold), he'll do whatever job the boss asks him to do without complaint; in fact he's the perfect squad player. And he always bounces back - that's why I have such respect for him. He went through one of the worst experiences that could happen to a player, but he stuck to it and he came back and proved the doubters, me included, wrong.
  And Bendtner is useless, they say. He's just back from injury and getting match fit. He sets up a superb goal for van Persie, then sets up another one which Robin misses, then scores a terrific goal with two pieces of sublime skill and a perfectly placed shot, and these so-called Arsenal fans say he's useless.
  Well, if I wasn't so well brought up, I would tell you all exactly where you can stick Benzema, Lukaku, Mascherano, Cahill and all these other players who you, in your infinite wisdom, consider better than the players we already have. I'm just glad it's Arsene Wenger who is managing Arsenal and not you lot.

• 28-Jan-2011 22:59 | | dkgooner  - ANDY Johnson?
  

  ML - surely you mean Adam?
  dkg

• 29-Jan-2011 02:43 | | richie  - Bullshit Oldboy!
  

  I might agree with many of your observations concerning Almunia although before safe hands Seaman we didn't have world class keepers if my memory as a Gooner from the 60's serves me right. My agreement with you comes to an abrupt end when considering the others mentioned by you.
  
  Diaby, Denilson & Eboue aren't second rate! I regard them as valuable members of our squad. It doesn't take a genious to know that "Indian's" are needed because not everyone can be chief!
  
  Many recall Bergkamp Anelka and even Ray Parlour but how many remember Remi Garde? Or Gilles Grimandi from Arsene's 1st double team? I mention both because I consider them both to have been tremendous servents for the club.
  
  Why? Well because like Gilberto Silva they didn't hug the limelight but the did the job their manager asked them to do. Never mind where they were asked to play (whatever position) Eboue's exactly that player. Denilson is a great understudy to the best defensive mid in the prem "Our Song"!
  
  Next comes Diaby if you'd have said he's been plagued by injury I wouldn't have taken exception but when he's fit and had a run in the team so that he's up to speed he's a great talent. A talent we need! One I can't wait to see back playing for us soon. I hope just like "Our Song" who endured no end of criticism from our own he proves the doubters of him and Arsene's faith in him Wrong!

• 29-Jan-2011 03:03 | | richie  - Well seconded Adams
  

  Hill-Woods comments show the sort of class you want to hear from the chairman of an old club. You see we've always been around, we were the ones who broke Liverpools strangle hold on the league. We were the only competition to Taggarts boys. And I remember when the two above were 2nd division teams.
  
  Chelski & Money City can buy whoever they like and they've got instant teams, but how much more satisfaction do we as Gooners get from seeing a team built not by excessive money but one based purely on developing talent, eh? We've never had it so good, and wouldn't the others like to be in our shoes! Ooooh to be a Gooner!

• 29-Jan-2011 03:33 | | richie  - Vela makes the right move
  

  Our Mexican has gone on loan to West Brom according to the Guardian which like you ML I consider a very good move. If Carlos hopes to play for us he needs prem expirence which he wouldn't have got elsewhere. It signal good intentions on CV's part because he could've gone to more comfortable climes and had an easy life. The fact he's gone to WB shows he's serious about his intentions to fight his way into our first team. So I wish him all the best and hope he fills his boots and helps WB excape the drop.

• 29-Jan-2011 10:50 | | MeanLean
  

  Oh dear! Yes, I certainly meant Adam. Andy Johnson of Fulham would not really be the best of choices would he?

• 29-Jan-2011 12:06 | | MeanLean
  

  Yup, certainly.
  
  Those two are a good mix. Two as in Vela and West Brom. I have almost adopted the Baggies as my second team this season and their style of play should allow Carlos to slot straight in. I hope he plays the central role rather than the wide positions, not sure if he will though. I think he just needs a run in the team and get some games under his belt, once he does that then the rest should hopefully fall into place.
  
  Anyone know when he is able to start? This weekend?

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