Yearly Archives: 2015

10 Rule’s to help you become an Arsenal ITK

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#ITK Rule 1

Say 100 different things in a transfer window & hope one of them sticks.

Then tell the world “I told you so.”

#ITK Rule 2

When your imaginary deal falls through tell the world that either the fee or wages could not be agreed.

#ITK Rule 3

Always use the phrase:

“My Source tell me”

This guarantees you are genuine, and if the deal fails, it is not you that got it wrong, but your source.

#ITK Rule 4

If possible, find a tweet in a foreign language to support your claim.

Because reading it in another language helps.

#ITK Rule 5

Even better than a foreign language tweet is pretending to be from abroad yourself.

Nothing says ‘reliable’ more than a Venezuelan living in America tweeting about a French player playing in Spain joining an English club.

#ITK Rule 6

Be authentic & let everyone know when he is coming, but have an excuse ready when he does not.

#ITK Rule 7

At some point, say the deal will not happen, but it is not completely dead.

That way, you are right if the deal happens, right if it does not.

#ITK Rule 8

The delete button is your friend.

People will forget the 99 deals you got wrong for the one deal you got right.

#ITK Rule 9

Chuck in a few obscure tweets where not much is mentioned.

Use the terms “big transfer” and “deal of the summer”

No matter who we sign, claim that is who you were talking about.

#ITK Rule 10

If and when you do get exposed as a fraud. Shut your twitter account down.

Then create a new one and start again.

And remember, you have not made it as an ITK until your tweets are quoted by The Metro

For a full list of players ITK’s have linked to Arsenal this summer (over 70 in total) CLICK HERE

Glen

Five years ago 2 young Englishmen made their debut…have they progressed?

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Five years ago yesterday, two Arsenal youngster made their England debut.

It was 11th August 2015. The opponents were Hungary in a friendly. First to come on was 20 year old Kieran Gibbs. A half time substitute for a former Arsenal left back.  A young talented left back who had made his Arsenal debut 3 years earlier in a League Cup tie. Strong, quick and versatile – the youngster had played centre midfield, left wing and left back in his youth career for club and country – the youngster was a talent.

Alongside him that day was the future of English football. The next Paul Gascoigne. The man with the technique of a European and the heart of a Lion. Jack Wilshire was just 18 when he came on as an 83rd minute substitute for Steven Gerrard. It was supposed to signify the beginning of the change of the old guard, with a 30 year old stalwart being replace by an 18 year old upstart.

England’s future was bright. England’s future was Arsenal.

Roll forward 5 years from that debut, and you have to now ask, have Gibbs and Wilshere progressed as expected?

Since their debut’s in 2010, there have been 47 England games. Friendly’s, qualifiers, international tournaments. Of those 47 internationals, Wilshere has played 27, Gibbs just 7. They are now 23 and 25 respectively.

The glimpse into the future of Kieran Gibbs was seen in the year before he made his England debut. Up till this point he had only made a few Arsenal appearances since his debut, providing cover for Gael Clichy. In 2009, with Clichy out injured, he was set for a run in the team. However, after just a handful of games, in November he broke his metatarsal. He failed to make an appearance for the rest of the season.

In 2010/11, he was again Gael Clichy’s deputy, but his big chance was to come a year later with Clichy being sold to Manchester City. His first season as Arsenal’s first choice left back led to him playing just 16 league games, as stomach injuries, a hernia and a handful of minor injuries restricted his play.

This was a sign of things to come. Roll on to today, he has yet to play over 30 league games in a season.

His stop start career led to Arsenal signing Nacho Monreal in January 2013. That season, he failed to play a game until 13th April after Monreal’s arrival.

He looked to have finally made his break through over the next two year, however, further injuries and loss of form led to Monreal being reinstated as first choice left back mid way through 2014/15, where he has remained since and is now undisputed number 1 (or 3, or whatever number a left back wears these days).

Gibbs’ role at the club now seems to be reduced to back up left back / defensive substitution. A huge fall for a man who 5 years ago looked to be England’s future left back and a potential 100 cap man.

Jack Wilshere’s fall from grace is even more dramatic. It was nearly 7 years ago that Jack Wilshere became Arsenal’s youngest every player.

It is over 4 years since THAT performance in a 2-1 victory over Barcelona where, as a fresh faced 19 year old, he showed that he could already compete with some of the best central midfielders in the world.

That year he played against Barcelona, he played 35 games in the Premier League. In the four Premier League seasons after, he has managed just 63. Injury has ravaged his career. Paul Scholes said a year or so back that he had not progressed, that his career highlight was still the Barcelona performance. Scholes got a lot of hate from Arsenal fans, but he was correct.

His has been a career so far of false starts and promise. Every time it looks like he has gotten over his injury problems and is moving forward, becoming the star we know he could, he breaks down again. A good end to last season and solid pre season, it looked like this could be his year, but an unfortunate tackle by Gabriel has left him out for weeks once more.

And with Jack Wilshere week’s lead to month’s. No one would be surprised if we did not see Jack Wilshere in an Arsenal shirt until 2016. By which point he will be 24. Still young enough to have a good career, but you no longer someone who can be talked about as having potential. And it will be well over 5 years from that England debut in 2010.

Injury and bad luck have restricted both Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs’ development. Gibbs is 26 in September. His career is running out before it has every really begun. Wilshere has a bit more time on his hands, but that can quickly run out. The heavily criticised Abou Diaby was 24 when he played 40 games in all competitions for Arsenal. He played 45 games in the next 5 years, is now 29, and has finally left the club. Could Wilshere be the new Diaby?

Both need to sort themselves out. And if they can not, Arsenal need to be harsh and clinical and seriously look if they have a future at the club. This might seem over the top and reactionary, but remember Diaby. If you have moaned about him being a waste of wages, and both Gibbs and Wilshere spend most of this season out of the side, injured, they have to be in the same basket.

I hope I am wrong, I hope they get fit and stay fit as both are talented players. But neither ha sreally progressed since their England debuts 5 years ago.

Keenos

from shewore.mysupadupa.com

from shewore.mysupadupa.com

5 things Arsenal learnt from Community Shield victory

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Petr Cech could win us the league

3 games, 3 trophies. To win the treble within weeks of leaving Chelsea is a remarkable achievement. Of course, I jest, although it does seem to have wound up a few Chelsea fans, pictures of Cech lifting 3 trophies.

In all seriousness, in just the 90 minutes yesterday, he showed us what we have been missing since Jens Lehmann.

He only had 2 saves to make, and both should have been made by any half decent keeper, but it was the confidence he seemed to give the rest of the side, his calmness went through the rest of his side. And his distribution. Having a goal keeper able to kick the ball over the half way line with pin point accuracy is something we have missed for decades. His throwing was also faultless.

Match of the Day had it right (for once). Cech set the tempo of the team. He know when to release quickly, he knew when to slow it down. He is not just a match winner, he is a league winner.

Theo Walcott is not a striker

I do not want to hammer Theo Walcott too hard as he is a player who suffers massive confidence crises, but he showed once again that he is not a centre forward.

This is not the first time he has been given a chance up top, and gone missing. He does not have the movement, nor the physicality, to play up top on his own. On the right wing, he will shine, with a bit more space to work, he will get goals, but he is simply not a striker.

If Arsene Wenger was planning to not buy a striker and play Walcott upfront, yesterday should quash that idea. Play players in their positions, for Walcott, that is the wing.

Hector Bellerin is first choice right back

During the back end of last season, when Mathieu Debuchy returned from injury, Hector Bellerin’s fine form kept the Frenchman out of the first team. I was expecting the switch to be made over this summer, with Debuchy returning to the starting line up adding his experience and guile. However, it seems that Bellerin is set to keep his place in the side.

A brilliant performance yesterday keeping Eden Hazard quiet and getting the right balance between attack and defence. He was only caught out of position a couple of times, but with his electric pace, he was able to get back.

The lad is a star in the making, and I expect him to start against West Ham next Sunday.

We do not rely on Alexis Sanchez

Last season, especially in the first half, it was a case of if Alexis Sanchez did not score, or at minimum, assist, Arsenal did not score. Whilst this was a tad exaggerated, almost everything did revolve around the Chilean. Winning against Chelsea, as well as our other pre season performances show that other players are more than capable of stepping up and we are no longer as reliant on Sanchez as we were.

The Community Shield means nothing, but also means everything

Before yesterday, I was very much of the opinion that the Community Shield was no more than a glorified friendly. And I still think that. However, despite it meaning nothing in terms of our season and silverware haul, the result also means everything.

Being able to defend a 1-0 lead against Chelsea, the performances of many of our players, the Arsene Wenger snub, it was a perfect day for the fans. With the sun shining and the Chelsea fans crying, the day itself felt much more than a glorified friendly, even if the actual match does not go down as a competitive game.

Keenos