THE FOOTBALL THREAD Vol 2
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fgl
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Arsenal v Reading
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Sat, Apr 19, 2008, 12.45pm
By Richard Clarke
Arsène Wenger will wait on the fitness of Manuel Almunia before deciding his squad for the weekend game with Reading.
The Arsenal keeper injured his wrist a week ago tomorrow and missed the 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford the following Sunday. The Spaniard is well on the way back to fitness but he will face an assessment on Friday morning. Apart from that, Wenger has Denilson back after a hamstring problem but will be without Justin Hoyte for a similar reason. Bacary Sagna, Mathieu Flamini (both ankle) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) are all still missing.
"The injury situation is that no-one is available from Sunday apart from Denilson," said Wenger on Thursday. "We have lost Justin Hoyte who had a little bit of a hamstring. But as for the rest no one is back.
"Maybe Manuel Almunia will be available, I don't know. I will make a decision on Friday morning. He got injured in training on the Friday before Manchester. We sent him for a scan and there was an inflammation so he could not play.
"But Flamini is not back, Sagna is not back and Tomas Rosicky is out."
Arsenal TV Online subscribers will be able to see the full interview with Arsène Wenger on Friday morning. In it, the Frenchman talks about
wylde
New member
Wenger - Finish with a flourish
Manager Arsene Wenger is still haunted by the way Arsenal's title hopes evaporated at Old Trafford - but has called on his team to finish their season on a high by claiming second place in the Barclays Premier League ahead of Chelsea.
Any lingering hopes of silverware were extinguished after defeat at leaders Manchester United last Sunday, when the champions came back from 1-0 down to win with a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a superb free-kick from Owen Hargreaves.
"It [defeat at Old Trafford] will never go out of my system, but we want to focus forwards and what is in front of us," said the Arsenal manager. "Now is a good opportunity for us to show mental strength and to finish as well as we can, as high as we can because second place is still possible."
Arsenal will beat reading hands down 2morrow bro..We need the win to catch up with chelsea.
GO GUNNERS!!
Manager Arsene Wenger is still haunted by the way Arsenal's title hopes evaporated at Old Trafford - but has called on his team to finish their season on a high by claiming second place in the Barclays Premier League ahead of Chelsea.
Any lingering hopes of silverware were extinguished after defeat at leaders Manchester United last Sunday, when the champions came back from 1-0 down to win with a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a superb free-kick from Owen Hargreaves.
"It [defeat at Old Trafford] will never go out of my system, but we want to focus forwards and what is in front of us," said the Arsenal manager. "Now is a good opportunity for us to show mental strength and to finish as well as we can, as high as we can because second place is still possible."
Arsenal will beat reading hands down 2morrow bro..We need the win to catch up with chelsea.
GO GUNNERS!!
Last edited:
loldude333
New member
Haha.......i remember FGL talking abt Spurs' win over them in the League Cup. Something along the lines of ''wat can spurs say at the end of the season? we may not have won the EPL like Arsenal but at least we beat them''. Look who's talking now. Lolz
Btw another great keeper, Manuel Neuer of Schalke 04. Superb diving, he can jump frm 1end of the goal to the other, and the correct of type of diving too.
Btw another great keeper, Manuel Neuer of Schalke 04. Superb diving, he can jump frm 1end of the goal to the other, and the correct of type of diving too.
fgl
Well-known member
fgl
Well-known member
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Saturday, April 19, 2008, 12.45pm
Arsenal
-
Reading
-
By Richard Clarke
If Arsenal's first 34 games of the Premier League season were about trophies and glory then their last four will be about "pride and dignity".
It may not feel like it right now, but there is much to take from 2007/08 and Arsène Wenger is targeting a final four wins to see out the campaign.
Because, according the manager, next season starts right now.
"I expect 12 points from these games," he said at Friday's press conference. "We have to show ourselves. It's a good opportunity for us to show mental strength and attitude, that we care about the Club and that we can finish the season with pride and dignity.
"And, with 12 points more, we get 83 points and that would be quite reasonable progress for the team compared to last season. It's a good mental test now for us to show we can respond when things don't go for us.
"Next season starts now and we still have the opportunity to finish second. You never know. But you do not have the same expectation level in the last four games that we had before.
"We lost a 100 metres race on the photo finish," he went on. "It is difficult to swallow because we still made a good race but you finish empty-handed. It hurts deeply. Maybe more for me because I really believed we could do it.
"Of course the players are down too. You cannot have euphoria right now but, considering what happened to us, the atmosphere is quite good in the dressing room. They have been hurt. But the players are intelligent, resilient and are focussed to play well tomorrow."
Manuel Almunia failed a fitness test on his wrist on Friday morning so Jens Lehmann will continue in goal. Denilson is back after a hamstring problem but Justin Hoyte is out for a similar reason. Bacary Sagna, Mathieu Flamini (both ankle) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) are all still missing. Abou Diaby sits out the game, the last of his three-game suspension after being sent off at Bolton.
Reading have very different concerns. Last weekend, results conspired to leave them three points above the relegation places with an inferior goal difference to those sides below them. It is another crucial Saturday for the teams at the bottom but Wenger believes Steve Coppell's outfit can survive.
"I feel Reading have enough to stay up," he said. "It is tight, with three or four teams in there, but there is always one team who reacts in the final games when everyone thinks they are down. It looks to me that last week that was Fulham but it now depends on whether they can continue that against Liverpool this weekend."
Unfortunately Reading will be the only side playing with pressure on Saturday at Emirates Stadium. Wenger argues that his side failed to deal with theirs when the business end of the season came along. However, despite their disappointment, he has called for a professional approach on Saturday.
"We were a team starting the season with no pressure at all, nobody expected us to do well" he said.
"Suddenly in March when we were under pressure we started making mistakes that we weren't making before. That means although they have learned, they weren't completely mature to deal with that pressure.
"The players feel very disappointed at the moment because they knew they were close to something exceptional. But for them it is a good learning process and now we need to show we are strong in the dressing room.
"You can never miss out a game through disappointment.".
Emirates Stadium
Saturday, April 19, 2008, 12.45pm
Arsenal
-
Reading
-
By Richard Clarke
If Arsenal's first 34 games of the Premier League season were about trophies and glory then their last four will be about "pride and dignity".
It may not feel like it right now, but there is much to take from 2007/08 and Arsène Wenger is targeting a final four wins to see out the campaign.
Because, according the manager, next season starts right now.
"I expect 12 points from these games," he said at Friday's press conference. "We have to show ourselves. It's a good opportunity for us to show mental strength and attitude, that we care about the Club and that we can finish the season with pride and dignity.
"And, with 12 points more, we get 83 points and that would be quite reasonable progress for the team compared to last season. It's a good mental test now for us to show we can respond when things don't go for us.
"Next season starts now and we still have the opportunity to finish second. You never know. But you do not have the same expectation level in the last four games that we had before.
"We lost a 100 metres race on the photo finish," he went on. "It is difficult to swallow because we still made a good race but you finish empty-handed. It hurts deeply. Maybe more for me because I really believed we could do it.
"Of course the players are down too. You cannot have euphoria right now but, considering what happened to us, the atmosphere is quite good in the dressing room. They have been hurt. But the players are intelligent, resilient and are focussed to play well tomorrow."
Manuel Almunia failed a fitness test on his wrist on Friday morning so Jens Lehmann will continue in goal. Denilson is back after a hamstring problem but Justin Hoyte is out for a similar reason. Bacary Sagna, Mathieu Flamini (both ankle) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) are all still missing. Abou Diaby sits out the game, the last of his three-game suspension after being sent off at Bolton.
Reading have very different concerns. Last weekend, results conspired to leave them three points above the relegation places with an inferior goal difference to those sides below them. It is another crucial Saturday for the teams at the bottom but Wenger believes Steve Coppell's outfit can survive.
"I feel Reading have enough to stay up," he said. "It is tight, with three or four teams in there, but there is always one team who reacts in the final games when everyone thinks they are down. It looks to me that last week that was Fulham but it now depends on whether they can continue that against Liverpool this weekend."
Unfortunately Reading will be the only side playing with pressure on Saturday at Emirates Stadium. Wenger argues that his side failed to deal with theirs when the business end of the season came along. However, despite their disappointment, he has called for a professional approach on Saturday.
"We were a team starting the season with no pressure at all, nobody expected us to do well" he said.
"Suddenly in March when we were under pressure we started making mistakes that we weren't making before. That means although they have learned, they weren't completely mature to deal with that pressure.
"The players feel very disappointed at the moment because they knew they were close to something exceptional. But for them it is a good learning process and now we need to show we are strong in the dressing room.
"You can never miss out a game through disappointment.".
vickomaniac
New member
yeah im no expert but damn there were so many opportunities!
fgl
Well-known member
WENGER'S VIEW
Arsene Wenger
Wenger: 'We want to win but with our own style'
Arsenal 2-0 Reading
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Sat, Apr 19, 2008, 12.45pm
on bouncing back...
"Yes, we responded well after massive, massive, massive disappointment. We responded quite well, I must say I was worried after last Saturday over how we could finish the season, the disappointment was so big that I was not sure we'd be capable to respond, so on that front we did very well. Overall you could see that there is a strong link in the team to play the quality of game we want to play. We have shown some pride and some mental strength not to get ourselves down until the end of the season, and that is very important. The next season starts now and we want to finish as well as possible - you never know. We can make 83 points, it will not be a shame for us, and that is still reachable."
on Walcott's recent form...
"Yes, he made a big improvement in the last two months, he became suddenly more... a man in the game, you know? He still looked a little bit a kid at the beginning of the season but now he has more belief in the fight, there is a more determined attitude, there's more power in his body when he has to resist challenges. It's just a normal development of a boy who has become a man."
on Lehmann staying in goal...
"I don't know yet, I maybe want to play Fabianski in the last games, I give one to Fabianski. I wanted to play Lehmann today, especially because I wanted him to play at home and he has been an extremely great keeper for us. What I do for the remaining games, I have to decide."
on a stylish display...
"Yes, I think the collective technical display is the best we have played in the last twelve years, I would stand for that, but we have not been... If you look a little bit back with distance you could say that at the start of the season we had nothing to lose. When we came under pressure in March maybe we were a bit unlucky, we dropped some points because every problem we had to face we lacked a little bit of maturity, but overall there is a lot of hope because if you see the game today, what kind of quality football we can play, I believe this team has to stay together and to win - to convince completely people. We want to win but with our own style."
on Reading's relegation fight...
"I still think they are three points above relegation, you know, with three points to go. I think if they have one home game against Tottenham, they need to win at home. They need three points, and they will stay up. If they don't win against Tottenham at home, they could be under threat."
Wenger: 'We want to win but with our own style'
Arsenal 2-0 Reading
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Sat, Apr 19, 2008, 12.45pm
on bouncing back...
"Yes, we responded well after massive, massive, massive disappointment. We responded quite well, I must say I was worried after last Saturday over how we could finish the season, the disappointment was so big that I was not sure we'd be capable to respond, so on that front we did very well. Overall you could see that there is a strong link in the team to play the quality of game we want to play. We have shown some pride and some mental strength not to get ourselves down until the end of the season, and that is very important. The next season starts now and we want to finish as well as possible - you never know. We can make 83 points, it will not be a shame for us, and that is still reachable."
on Walcott's recent form...
"Yes, he made a big improvement in the last two months, he became suddenly more... a man in the game, you know? He still looked a little bit a kid at the beginning of the season but now he has more belief in the fight, there is a more determined attitude, there's more power in his body when he has to resist challenges. It's just a normal development of a boy who has become a man."
on Lehmann staying in goal...
"I don't know yet, I maybe want to play Fabianski in the last games, I give one to Fabianski. I wanted to play Lehmann today, especially because I wanted him to play at home and he has been an extremely great keeper for us. What I do for the remaining games, I have to decide."
on a stylish display...
"Yes, I think the collective technical display is the best we have played in the last twelve years, I would stand for that, but we have not been... If you look a little bit back with distance you could say that at the start of the season we had nothing to lose. When we came under pressure in March maybe we were a bit unlucky, we dropped some points because every problem we had to face we lacked a little bit of maturity, but overall there is a lot of hope because if you see the game today, what kind of quality football we can play, I believe this team has to stay together and to win - to convince completely people. We want to win but with our own style."
on Reading's relegation fight...
"I still think they are three points above relegation, you know, with three points to go. I think if they have one home game against Tottenham, they need to win at home. They need three points, and they will stay up. If they don't win against Tottenham at home, they could be under threat."
loldude333
New member
fgl
Well-known member
fgl
Well-known member
Cesc Fabregas has once again re-iterated his commitment to Arsenal.
The midfielder's future came under scrutiny after he was interviewed following the 2-0 victory against Reading on Saturday afternoon. His response was emphatic.
"My future belongs to Arsenal, and it is the truth," he said. "I do not know why [it was brought up]. It is always the same with my situation, always putting my name in another team.
"I have always said I want to play for Arsenal, it is the best team I can be at, the best club for me. Before I even say anything, people put me in another club and I don't understand that.
"But I have always wanted to play for Arsenal."
wylde
New member
Wenger - End of April is deadline for Flamini
Arsène Wenger admits that the clock is ticking on his contract negotiations with Mathieu Flamini but he remains confident the French midfielder will sign a new deal.
The 25-year-old is out of contract in the summer and has been able to speak to other clubs since January. Newspapers have linked him to a couple of the major Italian sides.
Flamini and Wenger have been talking for some time but the manager has set a deadline for the end of this month. Both sides know that is approaching fast.
"We are getting close to yes or no," said Wenger at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
"He says he wants to stay and I believe him. But as long as he has not signed, for me, he is free to sign where he wants. We have set ourselves a target until the end of the month of April to finalise the situation, one way or the other.
"That's an absolute deadline because afterwards we have to make decisions about whether you have to move on the market because you don't have much time left."
At the start of every summer, Wenger is asked about his transfer plans. Every summer he replies by emphasising the importance of stability and continuity. Nothing will change in his attitude this season but a new ruling has complicated his plans.
"My first target is to keep the team together," said the 58-year-old. "Of course, that's a situation I do not master completely. But we want to continue to respect our wage structure because I feel that is very important.
"The situation at the moment has become much more unstable with the Webster clause. Every new rule provokes a little bit more inflation and instability because the players can always move out earlier and quicker.
"[The limit] was 28-years-old but I'm not convinced that that rule will resist for a long time. One day, a 26-year-old will go to court and say it's age discrimination. Why can you move out at 28 and not 26 after two years? So [that rule] will grow again. The stability inside a club will be a big problem because that can be a huge inflation factor."
* The 'Webster Clause' refers to Andrew Webster of Hearts who wished to move to Wigan in 2006. The case went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, they made their ruling earlier this season.
As a result, "the 'Webster Case' will allow players to leave a club after three years of a longer fixed-term contract, or just two years if they are aged over 28. There are two stipulations: the player must hand in his notice in the 15 days following his club's last official match of the third season, and he may not move to a club in the same country."
i very much hope he stays.he`s a good asset to the team
Arsène Wenger admits that the clock is ticking on his contract negotiations with Mathieu Flamini but he remains confident the French midfielder will sign a new deal.
The 25-year-old is out of contract in the summer and has been able to speak to other clubs since January. Newspapers have linked him to a couple of the major Italian sides.
Flamini and Wenger have been talking for some time but the manager has set a deadline for the end of this month. Both sides know that is approaching fast.
"We are getting close to yes or no," said Wenger at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
"He says he wants to stay and I believe him. But as long as he has not signed, for me, he is free to sign where he wants. We have set ourselves a target until the end of the month of April to finalise the situation, one way or the other.
"That's an absolute deadline because afterwards we have to make decisions about whether you have to move on the market because you don't have much time left."
At the start of every summer, Wenger is asked about his transfer plans. Every summer he replies by emphasising the importance of stability and continuity. Nothing will change in his attitude this season but a new ruling has complicated his plans.
"My first target is to keep the team together," said the 58-year-old. "Of course, that's a situation I do not master completely. But we want to continue to respect our wage structure because I feel that is very important.
"The situation at the moment has become much more unstable with the Webster clause. Every new rule provokes a little bit more inflation and instability because the players can always move out earlier and quicker.
"[The limit] was 28-years-old but I'm not convinced that that rule will resist for a long time. One day, a 26-year-old will go to court and say it's age discrimination. Why can you move out at 28 and not 26 after two years? So [that rule] will grow again. The stability inside a club will be a big problem because that can be a huge inflation factor."
* The 'Webster Clause' refers to Andrew Webster of Hearts who wished to move to Wigan in 2006. The case went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, they made their ruling earlier this season.
As a result, "the 'Webster Case' will allow players to leave a club after three years of a longer fixed-term contract, or just two years if they are aged over 28. There are two stipulations: the player must hand in his notice in the 15 days following his club's last official match of the third season, and he may not move to a club in the same country."
i very much hope he stays.he`s a good asset to the team
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