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Thomas Vermaelen is NOT looking to leave Arsenal in January

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This morning we all awoke to stories about how our captain, Thomas Vermaelen, is looking at leaving Arsenal. About how he is unhappy at the club and is fearful for his World Cup spot. Some of the headlines in this mornings paper’s include:

“Thomas Vermaelen may consider move to boost Belgium World Cup hopes”
“Thomas Vermaelen hints he will consider Arsenal future”
“Arsenal club captain Thomas Vermaelen says he may leave the club”
“Unhappy Thomas Vermaelen may quit Arsenal”
“Thomas Vermaelen could QUIT Arsenal”
“Thomas Vermaelen hints at Arsenal exit”
“Thomas Vermaelen: I’ll quit Arsenal if I don’t win first team spot back”

When ever a story such as this comes out, I tend to ignore the headlines, as they are attention grabbers and often not even associated with the actual story. I have read an article which is of complete different tone to the headline itself. I also rarely take note of the story itself, and concentrate on what the player actually said.

Often in journalism, a journalist will get some quotes, and then twist it into the story they want to print. The story that will sell more papers or get more hints for their website. They can twist quotes to an extreme, where it ends up that the story barely resembles the quotes, or context of the quotes.

So what did Thomas Vermaelen actually say?

“I’ll have to think about that when it’s necessary. January is still a few months ahead. Of course, never playing will not be the ideal situation for me to go to the World Cup, that’s for sure,” Vermaelen told the Daily Mail.

“People ask me if I panic because I’m not playing a lot but I’m not. I have spoken to the manager but it will remain private between us. Things can happen in a split second and change my situation. That can happen tomorrow or next weekend.

“In that case, we will speak differently in January. I have to be ready for that”

Now these quotes can be taken in many different ways. I can see how many papers have gone with the “Vermaelen looks to leave Arsenal” route as that sells more papers. But the true facts of the matter are Vermaelen has merely said he needs 1st team football. That his is not panicking. That he has spoken to the manager and that anything could happen.

Now a few thoughts on this

1) I am please that Vermaelen want’s 1st team football and is unhappy he is not getting it. I want my players to be ambitious, not be happy picking up a pay cheque and sitting on the bench. It makes them better players as a result. If he were happy being 3rd choice, he would not be a player I would want in the side.

2) He confirms he has spoken to Arsene Wenger over the matter, and that what was discussed will remain private. This is not a ‘secret meeting’ like some are reporting, but a usual meeting between a player not playing and his manager. Discussions such as these should be kept private. Why should the press or public know what happened in the meeting?

3) Vermaelen will get his chance. As he says: “Things can happen in a split second and change my situation”. With Laurent Koscielny pulling out of the recent French International’s with an injury, it would not be a surprise to see Vermaelen line up alongside Mertesacker in the centre of defence this weekend. And if he plays well, Koscielny might find himself on the bench when he returns.

4) It is good that we finally have these type of problems. For too long, we have had a bare 11 of class players with not much underneath. We have been criticised heavily by the press for not having depth. And now we have it, they seem to be intent on stirring things up. Guess they do whatever sell hey? Anyway, it is up to Arsene Wenger to rotate his squad and keep everyone happy. I am sure he has the man management ability to do it.

Going through all the news reports this morning, only one source tells the true story, with itv.com going with:

“No panic from Thomas Vermaelen over lack of playing time.”

Whilst he might not be entirely happy with his current situation at Arsenal, he is clearly happy at Arsenal, and his extended spell as 3rd choice centre back should have driven him to train harder, stronger and longer. This will make him a better player. And at the end of the day, if he has not done this, and when he gets the chance he does not take it, there is no problem with him leaving.

His World Cup place is not at threat. Vincent Kompany is a guaranteed starter. Then Belgium play with either Vertonghen on Vermaelen playing centre back with the other at full back. There will be no issues.

Remember, whenever reading a story in the British Press. Ignore the headlines. Ignore the story. Read the quotes.

Keenos

The Arsenal and Me – Ade’s Story

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I grew up in Archway, the son of a Yorkshire man, whose love of cricket was almost as strong as his love of his family, so we weren’t a football family.

And to be honest, unlike most on here, I can’t really remember my first Arsenal game! But that’s why my Arsenal is a little different to others…………

So how did I end up a massive (arf) Gooner??? Well as luck would have it, one of my best friends at primary school happened to be Fred Streets daughter! So I was fortunate enough to start my addiction from amongst the player’s wives and the comfort of the players’ lounge, all comfy and cosseted from the real football world 

As I entered my teens I started to go to games, home and away, with my mates and this is where I found “my Arsenal”….

I could now  list all the games, finals, Highs and lows  etc etc etc  but I’m not going to, why?

Because my arsenal is more than the team, more than the trophies…….it’s the amazing, crazy, bizarre, unique people I have met in the past 35 years following AFC home and away…. The Bear, Maria and her cry, Baz with his kit, Mr Red Rolls Royce, the Mum and Daughter who I met at almost every way game I go to, Mr Beret, Bully, Big Martin, Micky B, The North Bank screamer, The internet freaks (my wife’s words not mine) the list could go on…..but you know what they all have in common???  Their love of ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB….Yes they may show it in very different ways, ways we don’t all like and approve of but they still support….they support THEIR CLUB…. THEIR WAY and that’s not wrong.

They are “MY ARSENAL”

Ade

 

The Arsenal and Me – Mo’s Story

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I have lots of memories: the good ,the bad ,the ugly and the downright scary from my 40 years of following Arsenal! There is just too much to cram into one blog, so I will recall the 70s and the start of the 80s, my formative years at Arsenal!

For those of today’s generation,eight years and all that without a trophy, well that was “de rigour” in the 70s. I was a junior schoolboy in 71 and older brothers plonked me down at the front of the north bank in the double winning run. I remember the 1-0 wins at home to the Geordie’s and the last home game 1-0 against Stoke! I watched the FA Cup Final around an affluent family friends house who had colour TV.We were still radio rentalliing a black and white when we won our next trophy in 79! Yes an eight year gap!

I was free of older brothers guardianship and could head down on my own in the mid 70s. The team had gone downhill,a double team broken up far too soon! But,I had the misfortune of going to games,a bare teen, a quiet one in a maelstrom of an era of football violence.

Excited to see Arsenal in a FA Cup QF at home against West Ham in 1975 I entered the North Bank on a day of horrendous rain to hear “Bubbles” from the back of the North Bank,as West Ham took over that day!I was at angry at what happened off the pitch as the losing 2-0 on the pitch.

Next season, we beat West Ham 6-1, but that day was equally naughty! And as for Tottenham Hotspur…things weren’t much better. I still have a mental picture of a typical y** as being much older ,wearing a donkey jacket and a peak cap! We were bad on the pitch, but they were worse and we saw them relegated in 76!!

By 77/78,things were stirring at Highbury. The team were improving ,the mercurial Liam Brady was emerging as a world class player,O’Leary at the back and the signing of Pat Jennings, the Tottenham keeper, proved a cute bit of business!

We had a team to have a go in the Cups. Off the pitch things were also stirring. A young generation, ages 14-16 emerged in the Clockend, a kind of football intifada was emerging. The lads had enough of getting bullied by older Chas and Daves and Garnets! The young ones would cut their in the mayhem of 70s away games. I went to Ipswich, Norwich and Bristol City that season. I was a quiet bystander in mayhem at every turn,

In 78,we reached a league cup semi over two legs against Liverpool.Liverpool were in their pomp. Dalglish at his peak as a player. My oldest brother took me to the first leg at Anfield.

To be continued…

Mo

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