Chamakh Kop debut? Bendy on mendy and RVP ‘unfit’

By Eldo71 Published: 29th July 2010

by CARL ELDRIDGE This can’t be happening. We’ve not kicked a ball in (proper) anger this season yet and already the sicknote list grows longer than the taxman’s list of alleged fiscal discrepancies in old rubber face’s questionable accounts. OK, I am probably, typically, over-reacting.

The fact is I can’t help getting a little jittery at reports this morning that indicate that Nicklas Bendtner is out of contention for our first Premier League game away at Liverpool while AW has also hinted that Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie are also doubtful.

Bendtner has a groin injury and AW knows not when he will return, with Fabregas and Van Persie still recovering from their exploits in the World Cup. Both players return to the club next week for the team photo, apparently, but may not be fit enough to figure on Merseyside come August 15.

AW, who admits he is still looking at possible transfer targets, said: “Bendtner will not be available for the start of the season. We don’t know how bad it is. Denilson should be fit – maybe not for the Emirates Cup but for the Warsaw game and Diaby as well. Fabregas and Van Persie are due to come back on August 5 and from then on we will see how much build-up work is needed physically and as well how they have recovered mentally from the World Cup.They might be short for the first game of the season but I don’t know, that will depend on the fitness work they have done during the holiday.”

Does that mean we will go with Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh up top against Woy Hodgson’s side? One thing is for sure, the pesky little Ruskie enjoys playing at Anfield!

For fear of repeating myself, we still need a central defender and, of course, a decent keeper and the latest noises suggest that Cagliari No.1 Federico Marchetti could be poised to join the Arsenal.

According to Eye-tie organ Tutto Mercato, Cagliari president Massimo Cellino got a phone call from Arsenal to try to hurry up the paperwork and price for the Italy goalkeeper. Again, rumour and counter-rumour surrounding the keeper, 27, but no different to the talk about Mark Scharwzer and Maarten Stekelenburg. On this subject, I note that Shay Given has been announced as City No.1 meaning Joe Hart is destined for a season on the bench at Eastlands.

Elsewhere this morning we can reflect on a night of glory for the young Gunners who put the footballing powerhouse that is Daggers and Redders to the sword with a scintillating 2-1 win. Sanchez Watt gave Neil Banfield’s team a first-half lead before the home mob equalised, setting the stage for substitute Roarie Deacon to snatch the winner late on in the encounter.

Anyone see the game and see how Ignasi Miquel played last night with the skipper’s armband on? Saw him last week against Crawley and, dare I say it, he looked confident, athletic, strong and a decent height for a central defender. Rough gem being polished for the future…

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Eldo71

Arsenal fan for 40 years. Schoolboys, North Bank, Clock End then East Upper. Then Emirates. AFC dream team: Wilson, Dixon, Sansom, Adams, Pates, Brady, Williams, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry, Wright. Subs: Seaman, Eldridge, Wilshere, RVP, Ball. Manager: Arsene Chapman.

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Nero The GOONer

Nice article

AA Chamakah (sorry if thats wrong, i spell this guys name weird all the time!!!) Wallcott

Strikers agaisnt the poor (they actually are) scousers?
Bergkamp63

Whey are Cesc & Robin unfit ? They had long lay offs prior to the end of the season and gradually built up the fitness during the World Cup, they should be raring to go within a week or so ?
Sano

Hart is playing 4 west ham he made his debut yesterday
GoonerMatt

The fitness of RVP and Cesc is all theoretical as they have been on holiday. If they were English then we might have a problem cos they would have been supping pints of Carling and eating a Fry up for breakfast every day, a Sunday Roast lunch every day. Getting well hammered and finishing off with a Dona Kebab or a Pizza before shagging some dirty minx!

So I suspect they will be fine, and may even feature in the first match, certainly from the bench anyway. That is of course if Cesc turns up and does not go on strike or something equally bizarre. He may just turn up at Camp Nou to start pre season training next week by mistake! lol
db10

I can’t see walcott getting in the team and would prefer to see arshavin on the right and Wilshere on the left ahead of Theo unless he improves drastically in a short space of time. However he seems to have gone backwards in his 3 (or is it 4?) seasons at arsenal.

Also, at this moment in time, I would put Vela ahead of Theo. I know alot of gooners don’t rate him but I think he has shown his class when it comes to finishing that if he gets the sort of opportunities Theo got last year and if he manages to stay fit he will get alot of goals.

For the liverpool game, I would play a front 3 of Rosicky, Chamakh and Arshavin with song diaby and Nasri in midfield.
Nero The GOONer

Ah, vela! totally forgot about him (just this once!) I Would put him up there too instead of theo,
Hmm Rosicky, i think hes an impact player from the bench, just like wallcott, but the guy seems like hes back to his best in pre season so what do ya know, He could be the old rozeeky again!
Monktash

what a sad day it is when the Denaby duo being declared fit is delivered as good news.
ahmadkb

I don’t understand why Cesc can’t plat I think he did not play more than 60 Mints in the World Cup RVP played a lot but Fab did not play a lot I think he is upset and that is all
Mystic

This Cesc & van Persie fitness thing is a laugh, hang on I’ll just ask my boss if I can have a few easy weeks after I return from my fortnight holiday – suspect he’ll tell me where to get off!
Berg10

He would have had to have trained to be fully fit for every match.
ahmadkb

but I think this is normal for him or any other professional player but in all the ways I think we can do it without him