Oh rapture! Oh joy! I’m so happy I could just defecate!
I was VERY worried about last night pre-match. I was suffering from a condition known to Battle of Britain Spitfire fighter pilots as “the Messerschmitt Twitch” – a syndrome involving uncontrollable twitching of the head and eyes brought on by having one too many German fighters escorting bombing raids on Britain coming at them out of the sun. After getting horribly battered at the Lane 5-1 in the semi-final second leg of the same competition in 2008 I was very concerned.
Arsčne Wenger selected a far more experienced side than has been his custom in this competition. It paid off – eventually. An excellent goal made in England by the outstanding Jack Wilshere and finished by Henri “Party Animal” Lansbury put us ahead. Unfortunately Spurs equalised early in the second half courtesy of the chocolate wrists and butter fingers of Lukasz Fabiański. He should have been able to save Robbie Keane’s shot with some ease. Instead he only managed to assist it into the net.
Spurs hit the woodwork late on the in the second half. Fortunately for us it didn’t go in. If it had we could well be mourning on this bright sunny day. I thought our first penalty in extra time was marginal. It’s one of those that you’d have to be inside the player’s head to know whether the pull took him down or he went down under his own steam. I absolutely detest diving, even if it’s against the Forces of Darkness. Still, in the balance we were denied what I thought was a tacked on penalty in the first half and the assistant referee who kept his flag down for the Spurs equaliser had raised it for two equally marginal offside decisions against us so it balances out. For what it’s worth I thought Robbie Keane was offside by a few centimetres. I also thought we were far too loose on him, whether he was offside or not.
‘Arry Redknapp had a good old moan-up about our first penalty. Sour grapes I’m afraid old son. If the pending legal action against him on charges of tax fraud goes the wrong way (from his point of view) he could have a lot more to twitch about.
As it was we went on to win comfortably courtesy of yet another penalty – which was definitely the right decision. We finished off the win with a well-worked free-kick move finished off by Andrey Arshavin. We now look forward to the draw on Saturday. A home tie this time please.
Arsčne Wenger watched the game from the directors’ box as he accepted the FA charge after his post-match altercation with the officials last Saturday at the Stadium of Light. I was pleased to see him put his hands up and admit that he was in the wrong. He was no doubt as frustrated as I was. The cold light of calm reflection should have told him that we were the authors of our own destruction against Sunderland. Yes, the goal was probably after time added on should have expired. I’ve made my views clear about time-keeping repeatedly here on arsenalinsider.com. The Sunderland goal shouldn’t have mattered however as we should have been at least two up by that stage.
No, we didn’t play well on Saturday. Sunderland deserved to win on the run of play in my view, never mind rescue a point. That said winning when you’re not playing well is what wins championships. We need to develop that knack a bit lively.
As for the goalkeeping last night absent injuries that I’m not aware of, I fail to understand why a) Lukasz Fabiański was picked in goal ahead of Don Vito Mannone or Wojciech Szczęsny and b) Manuel Almunia was on the bench. There is an intelligent argument that says that Fabiański would benefit from a season on loan. It’s very difficult to build confidence and experience playing the odd cup and reserve game here and there. There may be something in that.
Personally however I’m unconvinced that he’ll ever make it at the very top level. He was 25 in April this year. He should be making far, far fewer mistakes than he does. I would have picked either Vito Mannone or Wojciech Szczęsny with one or the other on the bench last night. I’ve said before that I think Szczęsny has the potential to be truly world-class. If he has a fault he’s a bit too gobby for my liking, but what 20 year old isn’t? I thought I knew it all at that stage in my life. A decade later with the benefit of ten years experience and maturity I winced when I looked back at myself in the terrifying certainty of youth. I thought I knew it all when in fact I knew next to nothing.
If reports are to be believed and the translation from the Polish is accurate, Szczęsny has been having a go at the manager in the Polish daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. He is quoted as saying, “Despite our talks before the season, Arsčne Wenger seems to forget he has a goalkeeper named Wojciech Szczęsny in the team. He is avoiding me at every occasion.
“Wenger told me to fight for a first-team place, but then he didn’t include me in the squad for the Carling Cup game. My friends told me not to worry, that it’s a marathon, and not a sprint. But a marathon isn’t about running in the same place for three years.
“I’m ready to play at highest level but I need a club that believes in a 20-year-old. In Arsenal there’s no such bravery. My main goal is to play for Arsenal, but if there’s a move option, we’ll have words.”
A young man in a hurry apparently. No problem with that. I want players to be ambitious and unhappy if they’re not in the first team. I can understand that he wants to be playing regularly rather than the occasional appearance in the reserves. He should be living in the manager’s ear privately however.
It is possible that this is in fact Szczęsny’s agent planting quotes and using the media to rattle the sabre. If the reports I’ve seen are true though then his contract expires at the end of this season. Now would be the time to be making some noise. I wish he’d do it internally however. These stories are a distraction when they come out into the open. Normally I’m a fanatic for transparency but certain things should be kept behind closed doors. I saw these quotes on the excellent younggunsblog.co.uk site which is well worth a look if you want to keep up with what’s happening with the reserves and the yoof.
Based on the performance of Szczęsny on loan at Brentford and in his first team debut against the Baggies at home in the Carling Cup; and Vito Mannone’s performances in the first team last season I’d put both well ahead of Fabiański in the first team pecking order. Mannone did make some mistakes last season and had a horrible four game loan spell at Barnsley in 2006 which was cut short by injury. He was only 18 at the time mind, which is super-young for a goalie. He also had some excellent games last term, particularly away to Fulham at Craven Cottage.
You will have read of the manager’s problems communicating with the bench from the directors’ box last night. He was unable to get a signal on his mobile phone at times. You have to ask yourself why one of the backroom staff didn’t have the presence of mind to get a radio set in complete with headphones. This bit of kit has been standard issue in both codes of rugby for decades now. They’ve also been used by Phil Brown and Big Fat Sam Allardyce. I cordially dislike both of them as people, although I have a lot of respect for Allardyce as a manager, egomaniac that he is.
It’s another example of how insular and slow to learn from other sports football can be. A quick phone call to Harlequins over in Twickenham would have produced the loan of one of their radio headset kits I’m sure. Both their rugby union and rugby league teams use them to connect up coaches in the stand and coaches and trainers on the bench. No messing about trying to get through on the mobile or waving your arms like a bookie’s runner!
Speaking of communications, Arsčne Wenger said last week in answer to a question about pre-season overseas tours that there is a FIFA rule requiring a minimum four week break post the World Cup or other major tournament (European Championship, Copa América and so on) for each participating player. If there is its news to, well, FIFA. Their press office at FIFA House in Zurich says, “We can confirm that there is no FIFA regulation requiring a certain rest period after a tournament.”
What there is is a standard clause which Premier League rules require is inserted in every player’s contract of employment which reads as follows:
14. Holidays
For each Holiday Year the Player shall be entitled to take in the aggregate the equivalent of five weeks paid holiday to be taken at a time or times and for such days during the Holiday Year as shall be determined by the Club but so that (subject to the Club’s first team and any international commitments) the Club shall not unreasonably refuse to permit the Player to take three of such weeks consecutively. Holidays not taken during any Holiday Year (or subject to agreement by the Club within one month of the end of such Holiday Year) may not be carried forward into any subsequent Holiday Year.
This clause reflects the legal obligation to grant a minimum period of annual holiday to every employee under the European Commission’s Working Time Directive. Charitably, it may have been this that the manager was thinking about when he mentioned FIFA. Bob Wilson, the moderator at the shareholders’ question and answer session, appeared nonplussed when the manager preyed in aid a “FIFA directive” when speaking about the difficulties of touring, especially in tournament years. The FIFA directive doesn’t exist. The Premier League rule above requires five weeks of holiday to be taken at the club’s discretion with at least three weeks to be consecutive.
Next summer the Copa América takes place in Argentina from 3-24 July, the Under 17 World Cup is in Mexico from 18 June-10 July and the Under 20 World Cup will be held in Colombia from 29 July-20 August. As things stand only Denilson of our players has a very remote chance of playing in the Copa América. Some of our younger players may be selected for the two underage tournaments. Most of the first team will be free to take holiday after the post season international matches on 3 and 7 June. There is a possibility of an England friendly the following weekend in Asia but that hasn’t been firmed up yet.
The start of the 2011/12 Premier League isn’t set in stone yet but it’s likely to be the weekend of 13/14 August with the FA Community Shield the weekend before. If the players on international duty leave for holiday on Thursday 9 June they could get in just more than three weeks before reporting back on Tuesday 5 July, the traditional Barnet friendly at Underhill on Saturday 9 July before going off on tour/training camp for a couple of weeks, returning to London in the week starting Monday 25 July 2011 in time for the annual Emirates Cup the following weekend, with another friendly somewhere in Europe on the weekend of 6/7 August if we aren’t in the Community Shield.
The last week of the Premier League this season is Sunday 22 May. The FA Cup Final is the week before that on Saturday 14 May (as UEFA insists that the ground staging the Champions League Final has no matches in the fourteen days before the final) and the Champions League Final is at Wembley on Saturday 28 May.
Unless we do spectacularly well this season and get to the Champions League Final, the players can take a further week off after the end of the League season before they join up with their national teams.
Playing three friendlies in the period away I describe shouldn’t be too taxing if we choose the right locations so that the team aren’t spending too much time in aeroplanes at 12,000 metres when they should be training and relaxing. As I’ve said before, the match fees alone aren’t really worth the hassle if that’s all we’re going for. Touring and friendlies have to be part of a co-ordinated plan to raise the club’s profile and status. That said a crowd at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena of 80-90,000 would net us around US$2 million (around £1.29 million). Definitely worth getting out of bed for. Even a party of thirty staying in five star hotels, renting top of the line training facilities and flying business class shouldn’t set us back more than £500,000. Play three lucrative friendlies and we’d make some good money and help raise our profile if we do it right.
I’ve said before that we should also think “outside the box” about South America. Games in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo would be hugely attractive. Even working to ensure a good range of pricing for all pockets we’d have the benefit of novelty – neither English club side nor the national team has been there in decades – and the weather would be in our favour. It’s the southern hemisphere winter there in July. Once the transatlantic flight is out of the way it’s only three hours from Rio to Buenos Aires and a short hop across the River Plate estuary to Montevideo. There are excellent training facilities in all three cities.
I can understand why the manager is sceptical but a tour every two years in odd numbered years is doable without over-egging the pudding or over-taxing the players I think. I’m all in favour of the players getting the maximum time to “unplug” their heads and bodies and relax. You do wonder how some players spend what free time they have though. Following Jack Wilshere’s nightclub escapades Carlos Vela has been banned from selection for the Mexican national team following his part in organising a party after el tri’s home friendly against Colombia in Mexico City recently. There are some “colourful” reports of goings-on at the fiesta. Boys will be boys. It would be nice if they showed a bit of discretion and class though.
Finally, last night’s delicious victory at the Lane was marred by yet another injury scare. Kieran Gibbs has done his foot again. If the worst fears are borne out he could be out for months again with a broken metatarsal bone. We can but hope not. The Red Cross is going to have to set up a MASH unit at the ground if we go on like this.
Let’s all luxuriate in the warm glow of victory over the Forces of Darkness for today though. A fitting win to dedicate to young Gooner Jack Chester who worked with the club last year on the Teenage Cancer Trust appeal. Tragically his disease fatally struck again and he’s no longer with us. He was taken far, far too young at just nineteen years of age. A reminder that as important as football is to us, there are even more important isues.RIP Jack.
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