THE FOOTBALL THREAD Vol 2
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Thomas Vermaelen is set to make his full debut at Everton on Saturday, however Arsène Wenger still has a number of injury concerns going into the opening match of the Premier League campaign.
The Belgian missed the latter end of pre-season with a hamstring problem but returned on Wednesday night by playing 45 minutes for Belgium.
That is the upside of the injury news. The downside is that Wenger could be without as many as six players for Saturday evening’s match. Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Samir Nasri (broken leg) were already sidelined before the manager spoke to Arsenal TV Online on Thursday afternoon. However, in that interview, the Frenchman ruled out Theo Walcott (back), Johan Djourou (knee) and Lukasz Fabianski (knee) from the trip to Goodison Park, while Abou Diaby (groin) is classed as a doubt.
“We have some problems,” admitted Wenger. “We have Theo Walcott (back), who is not available. Diaby has a little groin problem but he could be available.
“[Also] we have lost Johan Djourou and Lukasz Fabianksi because they had injuries. Lukasz had a cartilage surgery. He will be out for two months. Johan has a knee problem that will take some time to cure - one month.
“Thomas Vermaelen played 45 minutes for Belgium last night and came through OK so he will be available.”
Rosicky and Nasri collected their problems in pre-season. Both midfielders are working their way back but, even when they have recovered. they will still require rehabilitation.
“Tomas Rosicky is two weeks away,” said Wenger. “Samir Nasri [is out] three-and-a-half weeks now. But it will be six or seven weeks until he is available for training.”
The Belgian missed the latter end of pre-season with a hamstring problem but returned on Wednesday night by playing 45 minutes for Belgium.
That is the upside of the injury news. The downside is that Wenger could be without as many as six players for Saturday evening’s match. Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Samir Nasri (broken leg) were already sidelined before the manager spoke to Arsenal TV Online on Thursday afternoon. However, in that interview, the Frenchman ruled out Theo Walcott (back), Johan Djourou (knee) and Lukasz Fabianski (knee) from the trip to Goodison Park, while Abou Diaby (groin) is classed as a doubt.
“We have some problems,” admitted Wenger. “We have Theo Walcott (back), who is not available. Diaby has a little groin problem but he could be available.
“[Also] we have lost Johan Djourou and Lukasz Fabianksi because they had injuries. Lukasz had a cartilage surgery. He will be out for two months. Johan has a knee problem that will take some time to cure - one month.
“Thomas Vermaelen played 45 minutes for Belgium last night and came through OK so he will be available.”
Rosicky and Nasri collected their problems in pre-season. Both midfielders are working their way back but, even when they have recovered. they will still require rehabilitation.
“Tomas Rosicky is two weeks away,” said Wenger. “Samir Nasri [is out] three-and-a-half weeks now. But it will be six or seven weeks until he is available for training.”
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Everton
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Mark Halsey
By Richard Clarke
Arsène Wenger is hoping that the serenity of the underdog can help his side to a successful Premier League campaign.
Admittedly the notion of ‘success’ is an open one for Arsenal on the eve of the big kick-off. To some, Wenger should be applauded for simply maintaining his Club’s membership of the Big Four against moneyed mite of Manchester City. But the man himself will accept nothing but first place.
He even has an equation for being ‘in the mix’. Wenger says 25 wins and/or 82 points should make Arsenal serious contenders.
The first week could tell us much. Despite the threat of Aston Villa, it was Everton who finished fifth last season and, if consistency is what you value, then they will be the most likely Big Four party-crashers once again this term. A trip to Goodison Park on opening day is overflowing with significance.
Then, on Tuesday, Arsenal travel to Celtic in the Champions League Play-Off round first leg. Again it is an intense but winnable game. And again the lofty, hard-fought status of the Emirates Stadium side will be at stake.
Even Wenger accepts it is the most crucial week of the season. But, for now at least, Premier League matters – and by that he means winning it - are uppermost in his mind.
“We are doing it in a different way and so it would be very, very satisfying [to finish top] because there is long and hard work behind it - physical work, mental work - and it takes a lot of strength to push that through,” he said. “But I believe we have a very good chance.
“The opponents - Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea - you do not know how strong they will be. But, in the Premier League, the target is to always be over 82 points if you want to win the title. In a League of this quality you need to win at least 25 games.”
Of course the hopes and expectations were similarly lofty 12 months ago. Arsenal were coming into that season as real prospects having, perhaps surprisingly, finished four points off the champions the season before. However five defeats in their first 14 games ended their title ambitions. The subsequent run of 21 matches without defeat was worthy but, in all truth, it was a rescue mission.
“I look at last year’s season as a product of bad circumstances,” said Wenger. “We had a bad start and that is why maybe we feel a little bit under pressure to start well this time because we know that last year after 14 games we had lost five and that was too many.
“At the moment, nobody looks at us as a potential fighter for the title. Maybe that should not add too much pressure on our shoulders but it can. Basically there is a demand there to show how good we are.
“So I believe that we have to keep serene, focused and not put unneeded pressure on our shoulders. We should just focus on how we want to play.”
Midfielder Abou Diaby (groin) was ruled out on Friday. He joins Theo Walcott (back) on the short-term injury list and both could be back for the Celtic tie. Samir Nasri (broken leg), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Johan Djourou (knee) and Lukasz Fabianski (knee) will be absent for longer.
Neither side have been overactive in the transfer market so far. Arsenal are set to debut Thomas Vermaelen on Saturday meanwhile David Moyes’ main business has been to retain Jo on loan from Manchester City.
“We have the advantage of stability,” said Wenger. “We are not in the position where we have too much worry about fitting in the players. We know how we want to play and the players know how we want to play. I believe that can be an advantage. Unfortunately Everton have the same advantage.
“Overall I feel this is an important game for us,” he went on. “And we are conscious it is the most crucial week of the season.”
The final question of Wenger’s press conference enquired what he expected by the end of the week.
“I expect by the end of next week to be preparing for Portsmouth and the second leg of the Celtic tie,” he smiled, “and after that I hope I will be a very happy man.”
If Wenger happy, you can assume the rest of us will be too.
fgl
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Wenger - This is the most open race for years
“There is no rule that forbids a team from outside the ‘Big Four’ winning the League. Why not? Man City, Aston Villa... Villa at some stage last year were close before they collapsed in the final third of the season.”
Arsène Wenger is well aware that the critics are questioning his team’s top-four credentials. But the Arsenal boss is backing his team to silence their doubters in what could be the most open title race for years.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have occupied the Premier League’s top four positions for five of the last six seasons. Everton gate-crashed their party in 2005 but, although Tottenham went close a year later, the status quo has prevailed ever since.
Things could be different this season. Aston Villa and Everton built up a head of steam last term without staying the course, Tottenham have enjoyed a resurgence under Harry Redknapp and – lest we forget – Manchester City have been throwing cash around like confetti.
Arsenal’s relatively meagre transfer activity makes them easy targets for those predicting an upheaval among the elite but, in truth, the entire Big Four will be looking over their shoulders at the chasing pack.
Wenger is expecting a battle royal for the title – and a frantic race for the Champions League places.
“What is the ‘Big Four’ now? We'll get the answer soon what it will be,” he said ahead of this weekend’s big kick-off.
“You can never say that Man City will not be there in the fight, you cannot say that Aston Villa will not be there, maybe Tottenham can have a good season, Everton always, and there is always a surprise. So we have a top eight or nine.
“I don't know what people are thinking [about us dropping out of the top four], I live with my own thoughts. What people in England think depends where they come from, who they support. Maybe some of the fans on our side have the fear we will drop out of the top four. But that's guided by fear, not objective assessment of our performances.
“It is certainly the most competitive race for the top four since I’ve been here. But at the start we race for the top spot. After the minimal target is the top four but you don't start the season thinking like that.
“There is no rule that forbids a team from outside the ‘Big Four’ winning the League. Why not? Man City, Aston Villa... Villa at some stage last year were close before they collapsed in the final third of the season.”
fgl
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Jack Wilshere
http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3149186/first-team/everton-v-arsenal Everton v Arsenal
Barclays Premier League
Saturday, August 15, 2009, 17:30
Wenger - Why Wilshere won’t play at Everton
By Chris Harris
Arsène Wenger has explained why he has omitted Jack Wilshere from his first squad of the season.
The 17-year-old midfielder became Arsenal’s youngest Premier League player last September and made a big splash in pre-season when he was named man-of-the-match in both Emirates Cup games.
Wilshere scored twice against Rangers in the 3-0 win which clinched that trophy and was rewarded with his first call-up to the England Under-21 squad. However he will play no part at Goodison Park on Saturday.
At his pre-match press conference, Wenger insisted that Wilshere is still very much in his plans.
“Tomorrow no because he is not in the squad but during the season, yes [he will be involved],” said the manager.
“On one side people say ‘you are too young, you do not have enough experience’. On the other people say ‘why do you not play people who are 17 and win the league?’
“We are already very young and Jack Wilshere will play a part in our season, but not the whole season. He is 17 years old.”
fgl
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Everton v Arsenal
Barclays Premier League
Saturday, August 15, 2009, 17:30
Wenger - No chance of Fabregas leaving
By Richard Clarke
Cesc Fabregas is not leaving Arsenal.
Reports this week suggested that Barcelona were trying to bring the midfielder back to Spain. However the very idea was swiftly dismissed by Arsène Wenger at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“No chance,” he replied bluntly when the question was put to him. “Do you really think we'll sell our players one day before the Premier League starts? Players who are basic players of the team? There is no chance.
“Again you cannot stop people from having a lot of creative imagination during their sleepness nights but that doesn’t mean we will do it.”
It was then suggested that the lure of Barca will always be enticing to Fabregas. He has Catalan blood flowing through his veins and learnt his football in the youth section at the Nou Camp. Wenger was equally ebullient on this issue.
“I believe that in life you are committed to clubs with contracts,” he said. “And in no contract is the colour of your blood described.
“A man is always defined by the way he is committed to his contracts and that has nothing to do with the blood you have.”
fgl
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Arsène Wenger... at his pre-match press conference
Barclays Premier League
Saturday, August 15, 2009, 17:30
Wenger: ‘Yes I did see it - sometimes!'
“I did not see it,” has been a popular refrain of Arsène Wenger’s in the wake of controversial incidents on the football pitch.
Now the Frenchman has held his hands up. Wenger has seen more than he’s let on in the past but decided to be economical with the truth to protect his players.
The Arsenal manager raised a laugh when the topic cropped up at his pre-match press conference on Friday but there was a serious side to his admission. As Wenger explained, he prefers not to stoke the fires of controversy without having all the facts at his disposal.
“It has happened once or twice [when I pretended not to see something on the pitch] but I believe that I have nothing to lie about that, it was just honesty,” he said.
“When I did it, I did it to protect the players because you don’t know what happened before that incident and that’s why.
“I am not especially keen to do it again, most of the time I don’t believe it’s down to me to see things happening on the pitch. When there are incidents it is down to the referees.
“Now when I say I didn’t see something and I really didn’t see it, you don’t believe me. So that’s the price I have to pay for that!”
