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Jack Wilshere has handed England a major injury scare ahead of this summer’s European Championship after the Arsenal midfielder suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury that could mean he is ruled out for the rest of the season.

In what will come as a huge blow to his club’s Champions League hopes as well as Fabio Capello’s plans, Wilshere injured his ankle while running as he stepped up his rehabilitation, with the player and his manager, Arsène Wenger, refusing to put a timescale on his return.

Wilshere tweeted: “It is true I have had a setback I can’t tell you how long I have been set back because I don’t know! I am very annoyed but will stay strong.”

Having undergone surgery in September, Wilshere had hoped to be back next month to prove his fitness ahead of the summer. The 20 year-old saw specialists and although Wenger tried to put on a brave face he ruled out any possibility of him figuring in England’s upcoming friendly against Holland in late February.

“He has not played since summer so even if we have good news I would say it is impossible,” said Wenger, who estimates that it will take a minimum of six weeks for Wilshere to be match fit again from the day he is considered ready to start practising again. Should the news be bad, a shadow has been cast over Wilshere’s participation in the Euros as well as the remainder of Arsenal’s campaign.

For Wenger the setbacks have been fairly relentless this season and he might have thought things could not get much worse after three straight league defeats and a show of rebellion in the stands last Sunday. He was wrong.

Wenger has reason to feel frustrated about the ramifications for Arsenal, who are crying out for a talent such as Wilshere to bring his combination of creativity and personality to the team. But the manager’s thoughts are primarily with his player. “It is a massive disappointment but I am really disappointed for him because he is a football animal. I am so sad that at that age you have to be out for such a long time with not any obvious reason.

“If you had told me that Jack would not have played one game by February I would have said: ‘That’s impossible’. Especially I like to have a left-footed player in midfield. We miss that little burst from Jack,” Wenger said. As to Wilshere’s mood, the Frenchman paused for a moment, searching for the right words. “How do you say in English? Gutted.”

This is not the first time that they have had a player supposedly on the road to recovery suffer a setback. The Arsenal medical team have, in recent years, struggled to get to the bottom of long-term pain with Tomas Rosicky, Thomas Vermaelen and Abou Diaby, who have all more or less had a season wiped out.

Asked why this is such a regular occurrence these days, Wenger said: “Because we push them hard. You want them to be completely at the top when they come back because the intensity of the game is so high that a guy who is not tuned in completely cannot come in and perform. The physical requests are so high the rehab is much harder than when I played.”

There is some better news on the injury front for Arsenal with Bacary Sagna – who has been greatly missed since breaking a leg in early October – and is, along with Mikel Arteta and Thierry Henry, ready for a fitness test ahead of Aston Villa’s visit in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Wenger has drawn a line over the negativity he experienced last Sunday, when the home fans were not shy in airing their discontent. If the substitution of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Andrey Arshavin felt like a tipping point, the manager is staying focused on a result to swing the mood back towards the positive.

It will be interesting to see if Wenger chooses to start Oxlade-Chamberlain again after such an exciting contribution against Manchester United. Wenger believes the youngster is ready to play regularly. “He has done extremely well. We are not scared to play players when they are of the level. People know football, they know quickly who is a player, a real football player, and who is not. You cannot cheat on quality.”

Is it a case of reminding the fans who signed Oxlade-Chamberlain in the first place? Wenger stared dead ahead, replying: “Well, I believe that you have to get always above that. I do what I think is right for the club and the rest, you have to live with.”

Article source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jan/27/arsenal-england-jack-wilshere?newsfeed=true

Adrian Dennis/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain, right, has exceeded all expectations for Arsenal.

When Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived at Arsenal in the summer, the comparisons were irresistible.

Possessing raw speed and athleticism at a young age, and having traded Southampton for North London, meant the 18-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain was branded with the rather taunting label of The New Theo Walcott. Taunting, because as much as the talented Walcott can occasionally perform to such a standard, and because he was brought in from the same club with similar expectations and for a similar price, a puzzling inconsistency to his game keeps him from being considered a member of the soccer elite.

Much as Freddy Adu has made a name for himself by not making a name for himself, Walcott still remains in the shadow of his early potential, when he was called to the England squad by Sven Goran Eriksson for the 2006 World Cup at age 17. But while Walcott has struggled to shake off his own characterization, Oxlade-Chamberlain has already begun to banish the tag his teammate has prompted for players of their type.

Handed his first Premier League start by Arsène Wenger in Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United, Oxlade-Chamberlain proceeded to vindicate his selection by exceeding all expectations. Such was the impact made by the teenager that the Emirates crowd reacted with an angry chant of “You don’t know what you’re doing” when Wenger withdrew his young immediately after he set up Robin Van Persie for Arsenal’s equalizer.

Van Persie himself was even caught by the television cameras mouthing his shock at the substitution.

What separates Oxlade-Chamberlain from Walcott and players of similar capabilities?

These players could be categorized as something of soccer sprinters, in that their raw pace is their biggest asset, the quality that first alerted more prosperous suitors to their talent. This was certainly the case with both Oxlade-Chamberlain and, in particular, Walcott.

Walcott’s record at Southampton between his senior debut in September 2004 and his departure in January 2006 was surprisingly modest, considering the £12 million ($18.8 million) that it took to lure him to the Emirates Stadium. Walcott made only 21 first-team appearances for the Saints, scoring four times, as he fulfilled a bit-part role. Harry Redknapp, the manager of Southampton at the time, was careful not to overwhelm the teenager too early in his career.

However, Walcott’s unproven track record didn’t deter Wenger from bringing him to Arsenal’s much bigger stage. When he arrived, the hope must have been that Walcott would learn to complement his astounding speed and directness with the sort of control and calculated passing style Arsenal were renowned for.

At times, he has. But on the basis of his 74-minute display against Manchester United, Oxlade-Chamberlain is the player Wenger thought Walcott would develop into. That is of course a bold claim after just a handful of encouraging cameo appearances before Sunday’s showcase, but Oxlade-Chamberlain displayed a maturity that is rarely seen in the older, more experienced, Walcott.

After a full season as a key figure in Southampton’s promotion back to the Championship, scoring 9 times in 36 appearances, Oxlade-Chamberlain has continued his development at Arsenal. Positional awareness is a trait rarely seen in players as young as Oxlade-Chamberlain, but this ability was demonstrated best by the lack of same shown by Andrei Arshavin, his replacement, who was visibly culpable for allowing Antonio Valencia to cut inside from the right to assist Danny Welbeck for United’s winner.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s positive and perceptive decision-making also saw him lay on the decisive pass for Van Persie that allowed Arsenal to — briefly — tie the score. In one telling exchange, Oxlade-Chamberlain sprinted past Patrice Evra before squaring for Walcott, who from 12 yards out, stabbed his shot embarrassingly wide. Walcott immediately threw his 18-year-old teammate an uncomfortable glance, as if he knew his failing would be highlighted by the performance of his teammate.

With a bigger role in the offing for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott now runs the risk of being remembered by his failure to evolve his game, a victim of his own teenage promise. And of course, Sunday’s effort was only one game, a young player’s first Premier League start. But if the electric, yet composed, performances of Oxlade-Chamberlain are repeated, and refined, he will ensure that Walcott is the sole remaining occupant in the Theo Walcott category, and he will make a name for himself in spite of the one that has been forced upon him.

Follow Graham Ruthven on Twitter.

Article source: http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/alex-oxlade-chamberlain-theo-walcott-2-0/

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A joint 911 call center officially opened on Redstone Arsenal Thursday combines Army and NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center operations for better communication and quicker response times, according to Col. John Hamilton, arsenal garrison commander.

And it does that while cutting costs, he said.

“We will save the taxpayers’ money, around $1 million per year,” Hamilton said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We must never compromise on the quality of our performance on their behalf, but we must accomplish those outcomes at reasonable costs. With this joint center we have found much lower costs for a higher level of performance.”

Previously, MSFC and Redstone Arsenal had separate but interdependent 911 dispatch centers. A fire alarm call, for instance, might have to be relayed from MSFC to the arsenal’s dispatchers for the appropriate response. Now there is no lag in time, officials said.

The unified 911 dispatch project took more than a year, as alarm, communication and other technical systems were relocated, software written, agreements signed and new procedures developed.

The new center is located on NASA’s grounds, according to an arsenal spokesperson. And it has already led to discussions about other partnerships.

Article source: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/01/arsenal.html

COMMENT
By Stefan Coerts | Dutch Football Editor

Although Christian Eriksen has only two years of first team experience under his belt at Ajax, the attacking midfielder has already attracted the interest of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, as AC Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester United are all believed to be keeping tabs on the playmaker.

The interest from England and Spain is nothing new though for the gifted midfielder, as he already underwent trial periods at Barcelona and Chelsea at the age of 16. However, neither of the two sides eventually decided to add Eriksen to their youth academy, and he eventually left Odense for Ajax in January 2009.

The Middelfart-born youngster did not waste any time to make an impact in Amsterdam, and was promoted to the first team barely 12 months after his arrival. Then, head coach Martin Jol was thoroughly impressed with Eriksen and the attacking midfielder officially debuted in the Eredivisie match against NAC on January 17, 2010. He has since made a total of 61 league appearances for the Dutch champions, and has developed into one of the Godenzonen’s undisputed star players.

ERIKSEN’S CONTRIBUTION
TO AJAX 2011-12

 
EREDIVISIE
Aug 7

vs. De Graafschap (A) 4-1
Aug 14

vs. Heerenveen (H) 5-1

Aug 21

vs. VVV (A) 2-2
Aug 26
vs. Vitesse (H) 4-1
Sep 10

vs. Heracles (A) 3-2
Oct 29

vs. Roda (A) 4-0

Nov 6

vs. Utrecht (A) 6-4
Nov 27
vs. NEC (A) 0-3
Dec 3
vs. Excelsior (H) 4-1
Dec 18
vs. Ado Den Haag (H) 4-0
 
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Oct 10
vs. Dinamo Zagreb (A) 0-2
Nov 2
vs. Dinamo Zagreb (H) 4-0
 
KNVB BEKER

Jan 19
vs. AZ (H) 2-3

Despite his status as a key player at Ajax, the talented midfielder is by no means indispensable just yet, and Eriksen still has plenty of room for improvement.

There’s no arguing that the Denmark international has had some brilliant moments in the 2011-12 campaign, most notably the exquisite nutmeg of Vitesse’s Davy Propper in August, and his near perfect showing versus Roda in October.

However, the 19-year-old has only netted a meagre four times in 18 Eredivisie appearances, and his finishing still leaves much to desire.

Ajax have a history of No.10s who score on a regular basis, largely thanks to their attacking footballing philosophy. Players such as Jari Litmanen, Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder all took advantage of this positive style of play and had seasons where they scored at least 15 league goals in Amsterdam. Eriksen, on the other hand, has hit the back of the Eredivisie net just 10 times since moving to the Amsterdam ArenA.

His average goal scoring record can partially be attributed to the fact that he has had to play off several different forwards, rather than one permanent striker with whom he can develop a certain understanding, although Eriksen has to look at himself as well.

The midfielder often loses his calm in dangerous positions, and on too many occasions opts for the long range strike instead of taking his time to get closer to the goal. Additionally, Eriksen now and again seems to prefer artistry over efficiency.

The midfielder is arguably Ajax’s most talented player, but occasionally seems too shy to impose himself. At the age of 19 he is still only a baby in footballing terms, but to completely fulfil his potential he will have to become much more dominant.

Too often do the Ajax fans see a less talented player in possession in an area where Eriksen should have the ball at his feet. However, rather than make his presence known and demand the ball, the sympathetic Dane tends to adapt to the situation and tries to create space for the lesser gifted team-mate. As much as this humbleness is a respectable characteristic, Eriksen will have to change this aspect of his game, both for his own benefit, and for that of the team.

There is little doubt about Eriksen’s immense potential, and his performances with both the national side and Ajax suggest that he has a bright future ahead of him.

But, he is not ready to make the next step in his career just yet.

Eriksen would be wise to stay with Ajax for at least one more full season, before eventually moving abroad to follow in the footsteps of illustrious compatriots such as the Laudrup brothers.

Follow Stefan Coerts on

Article source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2931/go-global/2012/01/27/2869447/watch-out-arsenal-barcelona-ac-milan-manchester-united-ajaxs

This weekend we take a break from the usual hustle and bustle of the Premier League as attentions switch to the FA Cup fourth round, with places in the fifth round up for grabs.

The two ties that will undoubtedly draw much of the focus will be played on Saturday as Manchester United travel to Liverpool, the first time Patrice Evra and Co. have played at Anfield since that infamous afternoon back in October, while Chelsea visit QPR.

Awaiting John Terry’s side at Loftus Road will be a just as frosty welcoming from the home fans as the England defender will come face to face with Anton Ferdinand, the player he is alleged to have racially abused when the sides met in the Premier League, with probably just as much betting being concentrated on their potential handshake as the match itself.

Elsewhere on Saturday, there are two all Premier League affairs as Paul Lambert’s Norwich City travel to the Hawthorns to face West Brom, a fixture the Canaries won 2-1 exactly two weeks before, and Bolton host Swansea City at the Reebok Stadium.

The day’s evening kick-off will see Brighton take on Newcastle United at the Amex Arena, while there are two fixtures played on Friday night with Tottenham heading to Championship side Watford, while Fulham travelling to Goodison Park hoping their horrendous League record at Everton doesn’t convert to the Cup, having never picked up a top-flight win at the Toffees.

The weekend’s action concludes on Sunday as a north-east derby takes shape at Sunderland, with Middlesbrough the guests, and the inconsistent Arsenal look to forget their league woes after three consecutive defeats when Aston Villa visit the Emirates.

As always, our reporters will be at the matches, providing you with first-rate coverage, but first comes the test of their foresight as give their predictions for what promises to be a gripping FA Cup fourth round weekend.

Watford

Tottenham


JAY JAFFA says…

It only began on Monday but Harry Redknapp’s tax evasion trial has already become the most talked about court case in football. We don’t know how his absence from the training ground has affected his squad but we do know that the Tottenham manager will be picking the team.

Nonetheless, Spurs travel to Vicarage Road with a rich history in the FA Cup and will be hoping to secure the necessary win to send them into the fifth round and perhaps more importantly restore confidence after the cruel defeat at Manchester City.

Sean Dyche’s Watford team have encountered a worrying blip lately, with only the cup win over Bradford sparing the blushes that three consecutive Championship defeats had forced. History dictates it will be a difficult evening for the Hornets and while an away win seems a safe bet, the fixture should at the least pack the stadium.

Everton

Fulham

SAM BISBY says…

Fulham’s Premier League history against Everton on Merseyside will not play kindly into their hands, with the London outfit defeated in each of the 10 times they have appeared at Goodison Park in the current top-flight platform.

However, we all know the FA Cup sets a completely different premise for any team and the Cottagers will be up for dumping the Toffees out of the competition in their own back-yard.

David Moyes’ side have seen their neighbours Liverpool continue in their own cup success this week, booking a place in the League Cup final with Cardiff after disposing of Manchester City, and the Scotsman will be hoping to emulate such a result to advance in a tournament they haven’t reached the final hurdle in since 2009, with their last triumph back in 1995.

A pretty even game is expected, but the hosts haven’t been exactly firing on all cylinders, whilst their opponents for Friday night are coming off the back of an extravagant win over Newcastle and should have the edge where it counts.

Liverpool

 
Manchester United


GREG STOBART says…

This was the draw both clubs would have dreaded after the Luis Suarez race row – and the only guarantee on Saturday will be hostility on and off the pitch between these two great rivals.

Patrice Evra can expect to be given a particularly difficult afternoon from the Liverpool fans but, once the game kicks off, the focus will be on what’s happening on the pitch.

Reaching the League Cup final was a huge achievement for Liverpool and the challenge for Kenny Dalglish’s players will be to play with the same intensity just three days after getting past Manchester City. I don’t expect Craig Bellamy to be able to feature because of his knee troubles and even the most avid Liverpool fans will admit Andy Carroll, his expected replacement, is in wretched form.

United will be the fresher side – although they have plenty of injury concerns – and I think that could make the difference as these sides face each other at this stage of the FA Cup for the second season in a row.

These are the sort of games that players, fans and journalists alike look forward to the most. At the end of a critical week for Liverpool, they renew hostilities with their most bitter rivals, with the relationship between the clubs at an all time low.

They will dread the prospect of a replay – especially with a league clash at Old Trafford around the corner – and I have a sneaky feeling United will edge to a narrow victory.

West Brom

Norwich


JOEL LAMY says…

It’s most definitely a case of déjà-vu at the Hawthorns this Saturday with West Brom and Norwich City fronting up just two weeks after their last meeting – a 2-1 win for the Canaries. Once again the Baggies played well at home but they seem unable to finish teams off and have managed to acquire a losing habit.

The same cannot be said of the visitors, who have lost just one of their last nine matches and even kept their first clean sheet of the season last weekend against Chelsea.

One issue will be whether both managers look to rest players with midweek fixtures coming up and whether there will be the same pressure of a regular league encounter, thus allowing for a more open match.

With no points up for grab, I’m backing West Brom for their fourth home win of the season albeit after a tight match.

Bolton Wanderers

Swansea


ALEX FISHER says…

Pass and move used to be the Liverpool groove but that mantle appears to have been handed over to Swansea City as they set all kinds of records for their passing accuracy and because of this, watching the Swans is something I’ve been looking forward to all season

Bolton have had a troubled first half of the season but their morale boosting victory over Liverpool should make this game a real hum-dinger as the Trotters will be keen to repeat their feats in the FA Cup from last season.

I anticipate a close game, but expect to see Leon Britton and Joe Allen control the midfield, while the pace of Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer will cause Bolton all kinds of problems.

So a victory for the high flying Swans and Brendan Rogers’ side in the hat for the fifth round draw on Sunday afternoon.

 QPR

 
Chelsea


JAY JAFFA says…

The obvious tone to this FA Cup clash will be the hangover from the accusations levelled at John Terry following Chelsea’s October loss at Loftus Road. Although a joint statement from both clubs moved to warn supporters that any form of discrimination will lead to punishment, no-one should expect the ferocity of the rivalry to placate.

Mark Hughes can call upon new defensive reinforcements after the signings of Taye Taiwo and Nedum Onuoha as he continues to reshape the squad he inherited from Neil Warnock. The fans have been buoyed by the managerial change and will be dreaming of an unprecedented second FA Cup win.

The pressure on Andre Villas-Boas has dissipated in recent weeks following a steady run of form but the goalless draw at Norwich last week and the despairing form of Fernando Torres offer the game a narrative that is inescapable. A win at a notoriously tough venue for Chelsea will be just the tonic.

Birghton

Newcastle United


JOE DOYLE says…

Newcastle have been absolutely flying this season in the Premier League, but as the old cliché goes, anything is possible in a Cup tie. There have been some difficulties of late for Brighton, who looked to be running away with the league early on in the season but now sit in 10th place – still a very respectable spot for a team only promoted into the division last season.

It will be interesting to see what sort of team Alan Pardew puts outs for the match with games against Blackburn and Aston Villa coming up. Brighton can take some heart in their opponents’ previous game however, when they shipped five goals in the second half to Fulham.

It’ll be a tough game for the Magpies as they face off against the Seagulls in a battle of the birds, but I can see them pulling through with the undoubted quality of the side they possess this season.

Sunderland

 
Middlesbrough


ROB STEWART says…

They say that the romance of the Cup has gone but it is alive and kicking in Sunderland, where the Black Cats fans are thinking this might be their chance to grab a trophy the club won in such famous circumstances in 1973 against then mighty Leeds United.

The arrival of alchemist Martin O’Neill has got the fans dreaming of silverware again on Wearside because he has galvanised a squad of players who were looking like relegation fodder under Steve Bruce but can now think of Wembley.

Despite being handily placed thanks to canny management from Tony Mowbray, Middlesbrough have over-achieved so far this season following club owner Steve Gibson’s cut-backs at the Championship club so Sunderland should progress.

Sunderland skipper Lee Cattermole, who came through the ranks at Boro before being sold by Gareth Southgate, can show everyone how much he is maturing under O’Neill by maintaining his discipline at the end of a week when he has been talking up his England prospects.

Arsenal

 
 Aston Villa


WAYNE VEYSEY says…

What lies in store for Arsene Wenger? This promises to be one of the most significant themes on Sunday as cracks continue to appear in the Frenchman’s once watertight relationship with supporters.

There was real venom in some of the criticism directed at Wenger in the immediate aftermath of the Manchester United defeat, a third successive league setback.

The FA Cup represents Arsenal’s best hope of ending their trophy drought and Wenger is likely to take it more seriously than he often has in the early rounds by picking a full-strength team.

It will be fascinating to see if there is an initially apologetic air at Emirates Stadium or if the tension of last weekend is replicated.

A very poor week for our reporters last time out as eight got their predicted score correct and not a single one foresaw a result. Here’s hoping for a big improvement over FA Cup with weekend, with our men at the grounds looking to avoid slipping up on a fourth round banana skin.

Article source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3807/goalcom-predicts/2012/01/27/2868608/goalcom-predicts-liverpool-1-2-manchester-united-arsenal-2-1

“This could still be a good season for us. We have the FA
Cup to look forward to and the Champions League.

“We will all be giving 100 per cent to make sure we bring one of those
trophies home, hopefully both of them.

“Let’s all stick together and fight.”

Wenger is reported to have addressed the squad ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup
fourth-round tie with Aston Villa to reaffirm his belief in the side.

On-loan New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry, whose goal beat Leeds in the
third round, missed the United game with a calf injury, as did midfielder
Mikel Arteta, but both could feature against Villa.

There was yesterday some positive news on the recovery of full-back Bacary
Sagna, who resumed full training with the rest of the squad for the first
time since suffering a fractured right fibula during the defeat at Tottenham
on Oct 2.

With Andre Santos, Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs also sidelined, teenage
defender Ignasi Miquel has been drafted into a makeshift backline.

Barcelona-born Miquel, 19, has come up through the youth ranks at Arsenal,
captaining the reserves before being handed his first-team debut in last
season’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Leyton Orient.

The young Spaniard, who has been asked to operate as a makeshift left-back, is
hoping an extended cup run can fulfil a lifelong ambition.

“It is a dream to play at Wembley in a big final. First, we have to go step by
step, but obviously if we can get to Wembley it would be a big, big thing
for us,” Miquel said.

“We have not won a title for quite long, so it would be great for us – but our
next game is on Sunday against Aston Villa and we must focus on that.

“If we keep working and stay mentally strong we can get through it.”

Article source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/9043413/Arsenals-season-is-not-over-says-captain-Robin-van-Persie-ahead-of-FA-Cup-clash-against-Aston-Villa.html

Clint Dempsey’s Diary: You have to realise that you can’t ever really relax in the Premier League

In his first diary entry for Goal.com, the Fulham midfielder talks about the adjustment to life in England, as well as his hat-trick against Newcastle United last weekend

Article source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/01/27/2868844/arsenal-manchester-city-target-borussia-dortmunds-lucas

“Any team that loses the likes of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, it’s going
to take time to replace them,” he says. “I’ve been here for a while now. I
have enough self-respect about me to make sure that the team doesn’t fall by
the wayside. We have a new manager and we have been selling our best players
but we need to work as hard as the manager has been.” After the upheaval of
Martin O’Neill’s departure, and the unhappy interregnum of Gerard Houllier —
he is relishing the approach of Villa’s new manager, Alex McLeish. “Anytime
anyone speaks to Alex he is straight with you,” Dunne says. “There’s no
going behind your back or anything. He’s an honest fella.” And a brave one,
too. McLeish, of course, arrived from Birmingham City and although he knows
how to beat Arsenal in a cup competition — last season’s Carling Cup Final —
it has not been easy for him at Villa. “The manager coming from Birmingham
overshadowed it,” Dunne says. “The results weren’t perfect straightaway but
we knew we were going the right way the fans don’t see it but there’s a lot
of hard work that goes on. It’s a major thing.

It’s not glory football straightaway. He’s trying to build a team and he has
backbone. If he can add one or two bits then maybe, next year, we will be
challenging for the top six.” And challenging Arsenal who have their own
problems but, in Robin Van Persie, have a striker who Dunne rates among the
best he has faced — along with Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Henry. “It’s a
tough call that, leaving Van Persie out,” he says when asked if the others
are his top three opponents. But Dunne and Given — and Henry — are not the
only players from that night in Paris who will be involved tomorrow.

There’s also Ireland’s goal-scorer from the evening: Robbie Keane, now on loan
at Villa and, like Henry, now also playing in Major League Soccer.

“I don’t think the transfer window has been that exciting but, for us, to get
Robbie in has been brilliant. Are Villa’s other Irishman as forgiving as him
about Henry? “People want us to feel hard done by,” Dunne says. “But players
move on footballers, Wwe have to live for the moment. Every time you play a
game you have a problem. Like Sunday, it’s trying to stop Arsenal.

“It’s the way it is. It’s something that happened and people will talk about
it forever but it doesn’t really matter anymore.”

Article source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9045584/Arsenal-v-Aston-Villa-Thierry-Henrys-handball-is-over-with-now-insists-Richard-Dunne.html

Clint Dempsey’s Diary: You have to realise that you can’t ever really relax in the Premier League

In his first diary entry for Goal.com, the Fulham midfielder talks about the adjustment to life in England, as well as his hat-trick against Newcastle United last weekend

Article source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/01/27/2869213/arsenals-theo-walcott-calls-recent-form-not-good-enough-and

The Arsenal defence. A much talked about subject throughout the last few decades, for positive and negative reasons. Arsenal’s defence has not enjoyed a great reputation since the famous back four was dismantled and ended their long, glorious careers. Even the Invincible defence that only conceded 18 goals in the season has not enjoyed the recognition it deserves. Since those incredible 49 games we have not had the best defenders at the club though and surely the loss of great, world class defenders and ‘keepers has contributed to the 6% fall in matches won since 2005 of the Wenger era?

Silvestre, Senderos, (and probably the worst of the lot) Squillaci have not enjoyed ceremonious times at the club. And will certainly be remembered for their bad qualities rather than good. Worst of all has been the Goalkeeping situation. The Arsenal has had a long tradition of great ‘keepers. Wilson, Jennings and Lukic who was followed the greatest of them all Seaman, and Lehmann – who has to be remembered in this company. Following Lehmann seems to have just been mistake, after mistake after mistake. And a certain Spaniard has been at fault for most of them, despite the best efforts of Fabianski.

But have tides finally changed? We now have a great goalkeeper, and when we get our full-backs back we will have a great defence.

Szczesny has everything to be a top quality goalkeeper, and has already shown he is one of the best in the league already, better than the expensive De Gea anyway. The Pole exudes confidence and has improved the defence by giving them someone they can trust behind them. Arsenal have a history of great goalkeepers, and in recent years we have not even had a good one. But Szczesny seems to have the capability to become the best of them all.

It may sound strange, and is something we would never have imagined to have seen during the Wenger era, but our defence is not the main source of our problems. Sagna has suffered a freak injury – a fracture – and when fit is known throughout the country as the best right back. It is not easy to be chosen in the best Premier League XI, but Sagna has done just that. He was painfully missed in the 8-2 mauling at Old Trafford, and is one of the only right backs in the world capable of dealing with some of the best left midfielders as he does.

Tucked in next to him is a possible partnership which could do anything. Vermaelen has struggled with injuries after that un-diagnosable strain he picked up last season which left him out for over 6 months, and has led to smaller niggly injuries this season. When fit though, he is easily in the category of the best defenders in the league. Quite simply he is our Vidic in everything but stature. Moreover, whilst still very much underrated by the majority of the footballing world, Koscielny is vastly improving his game with every minute he plays. He may have been at fault for the Carling Cup final, but he has easily been our best defender this season. His reading of the game is something you saw from the best Italian defenders in the 90′s and he has worked hard on improving the physical aspect that he encounters in the Premier League.

Centre-back could even possibly be considered as our most covered position on the pitch. Who else in the league can call on an international with over 80 caps? And that country is not one that hands out caps for fun. Mertesacker has captained Germany before, and has been central to their successful World and European cup runs. He may have been criticised at time this season, but he has not had an easy job. I doubt he’s ever played in the same back four two matches in a row since signing. Despite all the madness around him, he has settled well and even though he doesn’t have the physique of a Samba or Vidic, his reading and positioning and tackling is up there with the best in the league. If only he had a bit more pace..

If worse came to worse, and we were missing more than one of the defenders mentioned above. We can then call upon other capable players. Djourou is certainly not the most capable right back, and will never be the most coveted defender in the world, but I would prefer him than Savic and Evans. After all, he did feature in THAT game against Barcelona, and restricted them to only one goal. Furthermore, Miquel has featured at left back in the majority of his first team forays. But he is a natural centre-back, and will be a great one too. He has something about him, despite his slender figure and can learn a lot from those in front of him. He is also only 19 and can certainly become a great, great defender for club and country.

Left back is certainly the most difficult position in the defence. At the start of this post I said “when we get our full-backs back we will have a great defence” with the emphasis definitely on “when”. Sagna is now back in training, and should be back for the Milan and Tottenham ties by the end of February. Gibbs and Santos on the other hand are still unknown re their return dates. The most recent team news is that the loveable Brazilian could even be out for the season, whilst Gibbs is meant to return soon…ish. But can we rely on Gibbs, who has so far not been able to put a run of 15 games together to last for the rest of the season, with no cover. Maybe we should have gone for a left back.

When they are fit though, I think both Santos and Gibbs are very underrated, Santos especially. He is referred to in an almost “jokey”, sarcastic way by commentators whenever he plays, which is very unfair to him. He is great going forward, offering more in terms of goals and assists in his opening 3 months than Clichy ever did in 3 years. The archetypal Brazilian wing back, he has a wicked left foot and the change in our fortunes since his injury (a stupid decision to play him against Olympiakos) is definitely partly down to him not being here. Defensively he needs work, but I don’t think he is any worse than Clichy ever was, and he is bound to be caught out occasionally due to his penetrating attacking runs. Ashley Cole would have been the same, but the work Gilberto Silva and other players put in to cover the ground he left behind him meant it was almost unnoticed. Santos is a good left back, and whilst he is not the same player as the world class c*nts at Chelsea and United, he was an astute signing from Arsene.

A short mention must also go to the stop gaps who have featured bit-part role in our makeshift defences. Jenkinson has endured a tough spell since signing for his boyhood club, especially after the 8-2 mauling, but before his (yet again a freak injury) injury he was turning into a competent defender with bags of energy. We have certainly missed him with Sagna’s injury. Moreover, another young boyhood Arsenal fan is Nico Yennaris, who has come through the ranks as a midfielder in a team featuring Benik Afobe. He has not played a lot but in his few appearance he has been very impressive. His debut against Bolton had him keeping Tuncay completely out of the match, whilst his most recent games against both Leeds and Manchester United have seen him probably overtake Djourou as first choice at the moment. Sunday’s game was particularly impressive, as he came on for his PL debut and stopped any attacks down United’s left hand side which had torn apart Djourou earlier in the game. We can also not forget Coquelin who has made up for the nightmare he had at right back against Stoke in the FA cup a few years ago, with energetic, classy performances on both sides of defence recently.

The defence is not the best in the world, in fact it is nowhere near that level, but it certainly is not as bad as it is made out to be. Our main problem this season has been defending as a team. The 433 formation is meant to support us both attacking and defensively, but it doesn’t give nearly enough cover to our full backs, and the makeshift defenders we have there at the moment simply have not coped. Djourou was overloaded by Nani, Evra and even Giggs during Sunday’s first half, while Walcott (and at times Chamberlain) was standing on the half way line, that is simply not good enough and surely not something Wenger is coaching them to do.

The midfield 3 also need to work harder, and it is notable how much Arteta’s absence has cost us in 2012. With Wilshere’s emergence in the next month, we will have more depth, energy and vitality in there and that is only a good thing. Ramsey, Song and Mikel have played too much football and especially over the Christmas period looked quite fatigued. Coquelin could also be given a chance that quite frankly he deserves. He is great on the ball and has a reading of the game better than most players twice his age, which can help break up the attacking moves that tear open our team far too easily.

You only have to look at Wednesday’s El Classico to witness how defending as a team is so vital in the modern game. Both sides have taken that to the extreme, with unbelievable pressing games that win the ball back almost instantaneously. We do not have to copy this tactic, but more pressing and hard work will work wonders for our goals against collum.

Hopefully we can see a calm, consistent back four in the near future, because our first choice defence is the best its been in years.

Thanks to IamGoonerBlog for submitting this guest post

Article source: http://football-talk.co.uk/58761/arsenal-on-the-verge-of-another-famous-back-four/

Real Madrid are set to step up their interest in Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, according to The Daily Express.

Despite leading Barcelona in La Liga by five points, Jose Mourinho’s inability to topple the Catalans during head-to-heads in the league and recently in the Copa del Rey quarter-final have led to frustration on the part of the Madrid board.

Wenger has often been linked with a move to Madrid, amid a seven-year trophyless spell at the Premier League outfit.

As reported on Wednesday, Wenger is reportedly one of two managers on Madrid’s shortlist to take over from Mourinho, who has won just one trophy last season as Barcelona scooped the European Cup and the La Liga title.

Their is evidence that Wenger’s lack of success at Arsenal is starting to grate on the fans, after the Frenchman was booed for replacing Andrey Arshavin with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Manchester United, a reaction that was compounded by Danny Welbeck’s late winner.

In addition, Wenger’s transfer policy has often come under fire from fans and pundits alike, following a frenzy of spending late in the summer transfer window.

Many have attributed those late purchases to Arsenal’s uncertain start in the Premier League, which as as result now sees them five points off the pace in the race for the fourth Champions League spot.

The 62-year-old is widely regarded as one of the world’s best manager’s having become the first foreign boss to win the Premier League title in 1998.

Article source: http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/madrid-to-step-up-wenger-interest

Arsenal and England star Theo Walcott has told how he was forced to catch up at school after reading took second place to playing football.

Walcott, 22, said he fell behind and did not start reading properly until he was 10. But he has gone on to write four children’s books as well as his autobiography and told the Standard of the importance of reading as an integral part of education.

Speaking as he joined the Duchess of Cornwall in launching the National Literacy Trust’s Premier League Reading Stars programme, he said: “I think it’s important for kids to read.

“A lot of children tend to play DVD games. It’s great for them to go out and play football and sports, but it’s great for them to get a chance to read.” He draws on his own experience as a schoolboy footballer in his children’s books, named after his nickname TJ.

The Duchess yesterday toured Arsenal’s Emirates stadium and saw Walcott’s No14 shirt hanging alongside the 12 of Thierry Henry. She got Walcott to sign copies of his four children’s books for her five grandchildren.

The Duchess asked him whether he had recovered from the concussion he suffered during Sunday’s home defeat to Manchester United and said when she saw the dressing room: “I’m rather tempted by the bath.”

Walcott said: “I was probably 10 when I started reading. I left it later than I should have. When you read books, you grow up with them. It makes you into the person you are. I just love working with children. Hopefully the TJ books may even be made into a TV series, there may be more coming out as well.”

Walcott has four GCSEs, including a C in English and a C in French. His favourite books as a child were the Goosebumps series, and he is currently reading Sherlock Holmes. “I’m a big kid myself, to be honest,” he said. “I always spend time with my nephew. He tells me all sorts of stories (about) when he is at school.”

Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League, said the project aimed to use “the power of football and the power of footballers” to encourage reading. “The clubs have their roots in the community. It’s right that they should do that,” he said.

Article source: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24031482-arsenal-star-theo-i-had-to-play-catch-up-at-school.do

Arsenal striker Sanchez Watt says he enjoyed his loan at Sheffield Wednesday.

Watt is now on-loan with Crawley Town.

“It was good to go out on loan – to get used to winning three points and playing with the big boys basically. And getting used to the winning mentality; every game was a must win, so it was good,” he told Arsenal.com.

“Sheffield Wednesday [adopt] a slightly different style of play. We used more channel balls and I was looking to chase it more. But it was good for me because I obviously learnt something different. You need to work hard there, and it’s non-stop running.

“It was a bit of a different situation to Leeds [where he was on loan last season], but it felt like the same because obviously we were second in the league and there were big expectations.

“Everyone wants to play. I didn’t go into a losing team – it was a winning team already, so we had to stay on top and win games.”

Article source: http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/arsenal-striker-sanchez-watt-enjoyed-sheffield-wednesday-experience-2658121

Clint Dempsey has put Arsenal on transfer alert after admitting he wants to play in Europe’s elite club competition – the Champions League.

The Gunners made a late move for the USA international in the summer, according to Goal.com, but a £10 million price-tag proved to be a decisive factor in Arsene Wenger not making a move for the player.

But, after hitting 15 goals in 29 appearances for the Cottagers so far this season, Dempsey admits he won’t allow himself to become content in west London, and would like to test himself against the best in the continent.

“You should never get content. I want to play in the Champions League,” said Dempsey.

“Nobody thought I would get this far. I want to go as far as I can.”

Fulham brought the player to Craven Cottage in 2007, moving to the capital from the New England Revolution in a £1.5 million deal.

With only 18-months left on his current deal, it’s little surprise to hear speculation surrounding the talented Texan, but Martin Jol believes Dempsey has been the difference for his side in recent weeks and isn’t wanting to let his star player leave.

“Clint has been the difference for us, but every team relies on productive players,” said Jol ahead of the FA Cup fourth round clash against Everton.

“Even Barcelona are not the same without players who can make the difference — and Clint is certainly that. Hopefully someone else can score if they try and stop Clint. We have goals from other places.”

Article source: http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/usa-playmaker-puts-arsenal-on-alert

LONDON (AP) -Arsenal will again be relying on a patched up defense when it takes on Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Out of contention for the Premier League title, Arsenal’s injury problems mean it has been playing without specialist fullbacks since early December. Now it needs the likes of teenagers Nico Yennaris and Ignasi Miquel to plug the gaps at the back against Villa to prolong its interest in England’s premier cup competition.

The 18-year-old Yennaris has started only once for Arsenal and made two more appearances as a substitute but knows how important the FA Cup is.

As an Arsenal fan, Yennaris is steeped in the club’s history and watched his team win three of four finals between 2001 and 2005.

And this season’s tournament represents arguably the club’s best chance of ending a near seven-year streak without a trophy.

“I remember going to those four finals with my dad,” Yennaris said. “Some were good, some not so good. The Liverpool one was the first I went to at the Millennium Stadium and we lost that game, Michael Owen scored in the last 10 minutes.

“Then there was Chelsea where Ray Parlour and Freddie Ljungberg scored a couple of screamers, Southampton where Pires scored and then Man United where Vieira scored the winning penalty.”

Yennaris made his Premier League debut as a halftime substitute for Johan Djourou in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester United. With Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, Carl Jenkinson and Bacary Sagna all injured, he and the 19-year-old Miguel could be the fullbacks against Villa – even though Yennaris isn’t a full-time fullback himself.

“When I came to Arsenal I was actually a striker and then I went to right back,” Yennaris said. “Through the ranks I was playing at center back and then in central midfield but I probably wasn’t tall enough for center back.

“(But) I’m quite quick. I can move up and down the line quite well so I think I probably am quite suited.”

Villa is struggling to make an impression in the Premier League but manager Alex McLeish knows how to beat Arsenal, having led Birmingham to a shock victory over the Gunners in last season’s League Cup final.

“We’d like to climb the table as high as we can,” McLeish said. “But the magic of the FA Cup dictates you can’t leave anything to chance and you have to go and do your utmost to get through to the next round. We have a tough away tie, we know that, but the top clubs have proven this season that they are not unbeatable.”

Villa will be without winger Charles N’Zogbia, defender Carlos Cuellar and midfielder Chris Herd, but striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has recovered from illness. Forward Emile Heskey and midfielder Stephen Ireland are also back in contention after recovering from injury.

Also Sunday, Sunderland hosts local rival Middlesbrough.

Liverpool hosts record 11-time FA Cup champion Manchester United in the pick of Saturday’s 12 matches, with United missing as many as 11 players because of injury.

Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Ashley Young, Michael Owen, Darren Fletcher and Nemanja Vidic were already out before Rio Ferdinand missed last weekend’s win over Arsenal because of a back problem. Phil Jones and Nani were substituted because of injury, while Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and Michael Carrick also picked up knocks.

“Hopefully we’ll have two or three training this morning and we’ll be better by tomorrow,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “It is not the best situation for us.”

Article source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/wires/01/27/2080.ap.soc.english.preview.1st.ld.writethru.0610/index.html

“I sit opposite Andrei [Arshavin] on the bus and he has a different book
almost every game.

“It’s in Russian, often about politics. I remember looking in his big
bag, and he had his wash-bag in there and just a book in there. No boxers or
anything! It shows that footballers have changed. Footballers do read now.

“Some players don’t read because they are in the zone on the bus. I always
picture winning. I picture all the lads together on the pitch celebrating,
the fans celebrating. I picture what we had when we played Chelsea.

“That was a picture I will have for the rest of my life, one of the best
days of my career and for the club as well. We celebrated like we’d just won
the league. We want that Chelsea feeling again. Lately it hasn’t been great.

“The manager [Arsène Wenger] will take all the stick. He looks after us. He
believes in us. As players we need to look at ourselves. We need to take
responsibility and stand up for ourselves.

“The last few games haven’t been good enough. The worse thing is we have
a lot of regrets. There are games we could have won. When you go to Swansea
and score two goals you should win. Injuries don’t help but we can’t just
look at injuries.”

Jack Wilshere’s return will help greatly.

“I’ve seen Jack every day. He’s always got a little smile on his face because
he wants to be back in this team. We’ve missed him. He’s an important player
even after just that one year.

“That experience of being on loan at Bolton did him a right favour. He’s
not a kid. He’s a man now. Other teams fear him.

“It’s just a shame that he had that massive injury, proper serious. It could
have been career-threatening. Hopefully he will be back in the next few
weeks.

“He’s a player who spots something that others can’t. People compare him
to Cesc [Fabregas].

“I think he can be better than Cesc. Definitely. He has that character.
He wants to improve, win things. He’s a good leader, a good person in the
dressing room.’’

There have been reports of the Arsenal
captain, Robin van Persie, calling team inquests. “We always like to reflect
on the game in the dressing room, even at half-time, sharing our feelings on
the game.

“Robin is a great captain, a good leader who wants to win. He believes in
the team, and knows the team can do better.’’

Sunday was a low point, losing to Manchester United after getting back in the
game with some of the supporters turning on Wenger when he withdrew the
exciting 18-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and sent on Arshavin.

“Fans are entitled to their opinion. People have blown that up too much. None
of the players took any interest in that [crowd anger].

“The manager has been in the game a long time and he knows what he’s
doing on and off the pitch. That’s his job [to make substitutions]. He can
spot something no one else would.’’

Oxlade-Chamberlain has inevitably drawn comparisons with Walcott, another pacy
attacking talent who arrived at the Emirates from Southampton.

“I’m more a striker while Alex likes to play attacking midfield. Alex is the
sort of player who gets you off your feet. He’s got very good ability and
I’m sure he’ll do very well. I get on very well with him.

“It’s good to have competition. We can play together. The manager played me
and Alex on the wings against United and it worked quite well in patches.

“Alex is a good kid who wants to learn. He’s very down to earth and
strong enough to cope with all the attention.”

But Oxlade-Chamberlain has placed pressure on Walcott with club and country.

“I started off the season very well. Lately it hasn’t been great. I know that.
There’s always going to be people who put me down but I’m the best judge of
myself. The manager can help as well; I have been to talk to him.’’

Walcott mentioned that he wanted to move in from the flanks.

“Playing central might not happen just yet. It depends on the manager. I have
put it out there. We will see if it ever happens.

“I will play anywhere to be in this team but people do forget that I am a
striker. Hopefully one day I will show what I can do up front.”

That desire to play more central remains, perhaps echoing the excitement he
felt when meeting his schoolboy idols Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler while
briefly a ball-boy at Chelsea.

“I also met Jamie Redknapp and Titi Camara. I supported Liverpool. My dad
probably pushed me into it. Chelsea took interest but I felt Southampton was
the right place for me because of the academy side. It was slightly better.
It has paid off.”

There remains a feeling that Walcott’s career has still to take off fully. He
remembers taking Croatia apart in Zagreb, cutting in from the right to
devastating effect and scoring a hat-trick.

“It was a special day not just for me but my dad being in there with the
Croatian fans.

To have him there seeing it was really something after all the sacrifices,
driving me to Southampton and the car blowing up.

“The car would break down and my granddad had to come and help us. Zagreb
as a memory will always be with me but I need to forget about it.”

He needs another Zagreb. Those goals were his only ones in his 21 appearances.

He needs to fully convince England
manager Fabio Capello he is worthy of a place in the Euros.

Walcott’s autobiography Theo: Growing Up Fast came out earlier in
the season, receiving a critical response from Capello, who was unimpressed
about the player revealing training-ground secrets.

“He came up to me before the game with Udinese and said: ‘Theo, I like you as
a player but not as a writer!’ That was great. We both laughed it off. I
haven’t looked back since.

“Every time with England since, he’s fine with me. He’s a great manager,
who tells me to stay out wide, to get at the defenders, get crosses in, keep
the width which is really important with England.”

Walcott failed to make the final squad for the last World Cup, a shattering
blow. “I hope that won’t happen again. I am going to make sure it doesn’t by
playing well for Arsenal and keeping fit.

“If I’m not playing well I probably won’t go. There’s a lot of
competition for places. There are a lot of great players in that England
team.

“Ashley Young will be coming back soon, which is good for England. It’s
probably one of the best England teams we’ve had for a long time.

“Everyone will get excited and say England will win it. With the players we’ve
got and if everyone’s fit and in form we’ve definitely got a chance of
winning the Euros. It’s our best chance for a long time because of the
players we’ve got and the pace.

“Not many teams will have come up against our sort of pace. If it’s not
me, it could be Stuey [Downing], Ashley, Alex, Lennon, anyone.”

Walcott wants to make sure it’s him, writing that next chapter in his career.

• Theo Walcott joined Patron of the National Literacy Trust Her Royal
  Highness The Duchess of Cornwall to launch Premier League Reading Stars.
  The programme uses the motivational power of football to encourage
  children to improve their literacy skills. To find out more and see
  Premier League Reading Stars setting literacy challenges and talking
  about their favourite books visit www.premierleaguereadingstars.org.uk

Article source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/9042952/Theo-Walcott-looking-to-pen-upbeat-chapter-in-his-football-tale-with-Arsenal-and-England.html

NEW YORK — The first live telecast of an English Premier
League game on a United States over-the-air network was seen by 1.3 million
viewers last weekend, more than double the high for previous
broadcasts on cable television.

Fox says Thursday that Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Arsenal
on Sunday received a 0.8 rating and 2 share.

The 11 a.m. ET telecast drew a lower rating than three delayed
broadcasts on Fox earlier this season, which averaged a 1.1. Those
matches were aired before or after NFL games, depending on the
market.

ESPN’s high of 528,000 viewers was set in December 2010 for the
Manchester United-Arsenal game. Fox Soccer’s high of 418,000 was set in the February 2011 Chelsea-Liverpool match.

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a
broadcast, and the share is the percentage watching among the
households with TVs on at the time.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

Article source: http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/_/id/7507593/manchester-united-vs-arsenal-game-had-13-million-viewers

Arsenal boss criticizes Spurs dealing  | read this item

Arsene Wenger has made it clear that he is strongly opposed to loan deals such as Emmanuel Adebayor’s spell with Tottenham Hotspur.

Adebayor has been in fine form this season, scoring nine goals in 19 games for the Spurs after parent club Manchester City chose to loan him out at the beginning of the season.

The irony of this situation has not gone unnoticed for Wenger, whose Gunners trail the Spurs by 10 points in the Barclays Premier League table.

While the terms of the loan agreement restricted the Togolese international to merely watch from the sidelines as his owners edged the Spurs 3-2 at the Eastlands, Wenger is surprised that Adebayor was allowed to even go out on loan at White Hart Lane in the first place.

According to the Frenchman, player over the age of 21 should only switch clubs on a permanent basis rather than being allowed to play elsewhere on loan.

“Personally, I would not (just) ban players on loan from playing against their own clubs. What I would like to see in the Premier League is that you are not allowed to loan players over the age of 21,” Wenger was quoted in the Daily Mirror.

He elaborated: “For example, if a big club sends a big player to another club in the Premier League on loan, they only have benefits. That player cannot face his own club, yet he could win games against their rivals.

“Therefore, I think it would be better if players over 21 didn’t go on loan in the top league.”

Wenger may be somewhat justified in thinking that the parent club is the primary beneficiary of the league’s current loan policy but in a 38-match season where head-to-head wins are not necessarily decisive for success, it is actually the receiving party that seems to benefit the most.

For instance, in Adebayor’s case, the Spurs cannot afford to match the wages that City committed to paying the player and yet, they continue to benefit from his presence game in-and-game out because the financial burden is mostly carried by the parent club.

When asked about his own loan signing of 31-year old Yossi Benayoun from Chelsea, Wenger immediately clarified: “But we were on the last day of the transfer window. We knew that Jack Wilshere would need surgery.

“So we were short in midfield at that point and to find two players so late was nearly impossible­ for us without using a loan. At that time, the most important thing was just to sign him,” he concluded.

The Gunners play Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Sunday, with defender Ignasi Miquel revealing that it will be a dream come true for him to help his side go all the way to the final at Wembley.

Reader Comments

The below views are those of our readers and do not reflect the opinions of Premiership Talk or its employees.

1. Put your actions where your mouth is Wenger,stop playing you loan players

2. What a typical whinging comment.
   Still a bitter hipocrite as always

3. Same ol one eyed view from wenger. There’s far too much emphasis on adebyore. He started well yet has done bugger all in the last four or fve games. A lot to do with Spurs recent run is Scott Parker, Kaboul, Lennon and Sandro hitting form, to form a great team effort with modders and VDV. Not to mention Walker who’s dynamite at RB. We would have gained a result at City (and others) if Rednapp had a bit more tactical nouse (no ones perfect)! We are short up front (about twelve inches I reckon) but Ade doesn’t concentrate. If you watch him there are dozens of oportunities that go beggin coz he misses golden chances and misses others coz he aint watching! I hope we sign a decent striker in the summer. We don’t need Ade,for the first time in years Spurs have a decent 12 players. Spurs are still scoring through Defoe and Bale. We didn’t need pienut to come on v Citeh. He and dawson give the ball away, which is an old trait that has cost us dearly. Hence We do well with Scott and Sandro in the team. IMO there should only be one transfer window, in the off season. That way everyone would have the same chance at the start of the season.

4. Pistolpete – do some research u absolute tool and have a look at our squad and all the players we have out on loan. Or even look at some of our match winners against ur scum – Rose and Walker, or have you forgotten that already. Also check your facts on our RECENT spending, summer – Parker @ £5million and Jan nothing at all yet. Then have a look at Wenger and his amazing signing Gervinho who cost what, £12million? He makes Heskey look a good player! Face it, your team USED to be good when you had players like Henry, Vierra, Adams etc. I hope Wenger stays at ArsenLOL for another 10 years as for as long as he is there Ar5ena1 will only go downhill every year and if you can’t see that youd better take a trip to specsavers my special little gooner friend… Enjoy mid table!

5. Understanding wenger logic…Brings in Benayoun on loan. Loans Bendtner to Sunderland. Critcises Spurs about loaning Adebayor.

6. what about Henry coming in on loan he has more players over 21 on loan than us!!!

7. Plenty of tedious trolling and unashamedly biased views from both sides as usual which I won’t get involved in. I will say though that Henry being loaned from the States, borrowing a player who is needed by his own team because he has a bit of time off, has been described by UEFA as abuse of the loaning system and a loophole they will be looking to close. I’d say very hypocritical of Arsene or maybe an uncharaceristic attempt at mind games.

8. So old timer whinger will buy Yossi before 31/1 will he – of course not he is a squad filler (for some reason) as the yoff at the south london mackems are not up to it – your comments are flawed and a poor attempt at defending garlic boys moaning.

9. Arsene Wenger is finally losing it and so are the club’s long suffering fans. Nothing is fair on Planet Wenger. Nada. Niet. Rien.. you get the picture? It is a pity that such a hallowed club (when Henry part 1 was around) has been reduced to this laughing stock. I expect more quality from north London ‘s number 2 club. Dream on.

10. DOUBLE STANDARDS WENGER THE WHINGER

11. Its all right yossi last minute and also didn’t see him moaning the other week when the wolves player sent off but song stayed on when he should have gone when old mick got asked about it he said my player should not have gone when asked about song he said i not here to get arsenal players sent off but three day later frimpong turns up at wolves on loan just in time to kick lumps out of spurs funny that? i wonder if mick had said song should have gone would frimpong be turning out for wolves talk about turning games just not going right wenger bad loser

12. This is not what was meant, Man City are the ones that will win the Premiership, hate to say this but The Spuds have a good side with Adebayor, had he been able to play against MC then they would not have loaned him out. A case of a rich club ‘Buying The League’,will it be that meaningful to win the league that way !!

13. We have our own affairs to sort out and ought not to be distracted to the happenings in our neighbours garden.

    Top of our agenda must be a squad capable of challenging on all fronts and strong enough to finish the season strong.

    What our neighbour do is not our business!

14. You have to laugh at Wenger sometimes. He justifies his signing of Benayoun as it being late in the window his side were light in midfield – remind me again when Spurs signed Adebayor? And they signed him because they were well-covered for strikers (that’s sarcasm by the way)

15. I think what le prof means is that he objects to astute loan signings like Ade taking place but not crap ones like Yossi. This strongly indicates to me the le prof is a total tool

16. you who replied..
    would you have wanted adebayor to play against man city?
    of course you would!
    spurs would not be where they are without adebayor yet they cannot afford him says harry.
    it is you people who are blind, you who are pathetic.
    why would he not use a system that is in place, why should arsenal suffer.
    it is not an arsenal spurs thing, it is anti rich clubs buying players they cant use.
    wenger admits he uses a system he doesnt like, who else would do that?
    wenger has been saying this for a while, but its only this year that you lot have noticed since you’ve suddenly become fans.

    • Awight mate nice one Ron! No I’ve been a YID and proud since I could watch a box with football on it! MUG if he was so against the system he would refuse to use it! ARSEnil have had their fair share of cash handouts and assistance over the years, it’s all swings and roundabouts. http://www.sincearsenallastwonatrophy.co.uk some reading material for you mate!

    • Wenger wouldnt have made this comment if LeArse were well ahead of Spurs in the league would he? It is simply a case of sour grapes now that the boot is on the other foot isnt it and Arsen and the Arse fans fans dont like it do they, not used to being behind Spurs are you, it has been quite a while and youre worried that its our turn to hog the limelight once more. Well its well and truly your turn to suffer and suffer you will. Signing Benayoun as a last minute stop gap my foot hahaha.

    • its wenger whos blind you twat … never sees anything on the pitch if its against his players .. stupid goon

    • Hello! Is anybody there? Please explain to me the difference between the goonies and their TWO loan signings and spurs with their one! Just like lizard face arseho!e whinger would say “I didn’t see it”. He’s such a joke. If benayoun was banging in goals and the goonies were in a position to win something he’d be putting up about as much of a fight as his fellow frenchies did in 1939… None. It’s just because benayoun has been a flop and the goonies past-it hero is now injured. Once again he’s blaming everybody else for his mistakes and making excuses for his obvious failings. Do yourself a favour mate, don’t try and defend the impossible. The hypocrisy is the only thing evident here. I really think he’s lost the plot, don’t follow him down down that dead-end street. Or go right ahead and keep the laughs flowing.

17. Benayoun is on loan at Arsenal from Chelsea. What is the difference between that and Ade’s loan to Spurs?

    • read his article not just the headline.
      why dont spurs pay up for ade?
      why can ade play against utd arsenal chelsea and liverpool but not city?
      dont you think that that gives city an advantage???

      • Benny cannot play against Chelski, but can utd, city, spurs and Liverpool… Advantage Chelsea…?

        Sour Grapes Wenger.

18. May be totties will need to Loan a manager soon so i expect they will be after Arsene.

    • NEVER!

    • I don’t think so so after woolwich’s performance this season,we can all see that Wenger is a has been,and a stubborn one at that:)

    • At Tottenham we have a lot of very young players so it would be inappropriate to have Wenger there and in close proximity to the changing rooms.So i am afraid pistolpete{ tool of a name] we wont be taking up your silly suggestion.

      • Totties have a lot of young players,hahahaha is that your joke for the day, Rednappe would not know how to bring a young player through he just keep buying and who would want a manager that can’t read or write, lol,you will still finish Below Arsenal.

        • Most of the young Ar5enal youngsters have ended up below Wenger maybe thats why Frimpomgs eyes are all funny.Seems to be a lot of injuries in your squads young players hmmmmmmm Arsene you olld stoat.So pissole pete your club needs to add some vaseline to the training bag.

19. So Tottenham can’t sign Adebayor on loan but he sees no wrong with yossi going on loan to Arsenal?!! Ha ha ha…the man has cracked. Finally lost it. Such a hypocrite

    • A manager has to use the system that exists. Yossi is a good signing but has scarcely appeared for Arsenal. Adebayor has been more effective for Spurs – so it’s a good example of the problem. Get it? What he was saying about Benayoun was that Arsenal would have signed him permanently but there was not time. Not the case with Adebayor. Understand?

      • So why not sign him now? It is ridiculous oh and PistolPete you could be playing until next Christmas and you would not catch Spurs, your days are over my friend.

20. You big old numpty Arsey Whinger, you complain about a loan system you have used yourself, get over yourself and accept you aren’t as good as you thought you were! PMSL “Let’s all laugh at Arsenal” you are truely pathetic!

21. So wenger just admitted his hypocracy.

22. Typical Wengerian hypocrisy. In a nutshell, loans for players aged over 21 for other teams should not be allowed, but with Arsenal it’s completely different.

Article source: http://www.premiershiptalk.com/2012/01/26/arsenal-boss-criticizes-spurs-dealing/

Arsenal’s teenage defender Ignasi Miquel has warned they cannot afford any more mistakes at the back if the Gunners are to keep alive his Wembley dream with an FA Cup win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

Manchester United consigned Arsenal to a third straight Premier League defeat last weekend, which leaves them with a real battle to get back into the top four.

Spanish 19-year-old Miquel has found himself thrust into first-team action because of a defensive injury crisis. However, the teenager insists whichever player is out there against the likes of Darren Bent and Gabriel Agbonlahor, their focus has to be 100 per cent.

“We know that with the FA Cup it is only one game, so you can’t make any mistakes. You have to make sure you are ready for anything that happens, but still go out there and try to win the game,” Miquel told www.arsenal.com.

“We played Villa a month ago [in the league] and only scored the winner in the 87th minute, so it will be tough.

“We are at home, we have our supporters there, but we know we will have to work for victory.

“Aston Villa are dangerous and they can make things happen.

“We need to stay focused and make sure we don’t make any mistakes at the back. If we do that then we have a big chance to win.”

Barcelona-born Miquel has come up through the youth ranks at Arsenal, captaining the reserves before being handed his first-team debut in last season’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Leyton Orient.

The young Spaniard, who has been asked to operate as a make-shift left-back, is hoping an extended cup run can fulfil a lifelong ambition.

“It is a dream to play at Wembley in a big final. First, we have to go step by step, but obviously if we can get to Wembley it would be a big, big thing for us,” Miquel added.

“We have not won a title for quite long, so it would be great for us – but our next game is on Sunday against Aston Villa and we must focus on that.

“If we keep working and stay mentally strong we can get through it.”

Much has been made of the fall-out from Arsenal’s 2-1 home defeat by United, which left them five points behind Chelsea.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was jeered by some fans for his substitution of livewire Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for Andrey Arshavin.

Captain Robin van Persie was quick to play down suggestions he had questioned the manager’s judgment by an apparent negative reaction to the switch, which was made because Oxlade-Chamberlain – who set up the Dutchman’s equaliser – had been hampered by a calf problem.

Van Persie went as far as to post a statement on Facebook, in which he issued a rally call.

“There are plenty of games still left, we have recovered from reverses like this before and we will win again, so anybody writing us off is making a mistake,” he said.

“This could still be a good season for us. We have the FA Cup to look forward to and the Champions League.

“We will all be giving 100% to make sure we bring one of those trophies home, hopefully both of them.

“Let’s all stick together and fight.”

Wenger, meanwhile, is reported to have addressed the squad to reaffirm his believe they can achieve success.

On-loan New York Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry, whose goal beat Leeds in the third round, missed the United game with a calf injury, as did midfielder Mikel Arteta.

However, there was positive news on the recovery of full-back Bacary Sagna, who today resumed full training with the rest of the squad for the first time since suffering a fractured right fibula during the defeat at Tottenham on October 2.

Article source: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Arsenal-s-Ignasi-Miquel-fears-Villa-threat-in-FA-Cup-clash-article857816.html

Rooney, Van Persie, Modric the deals that will not happen in January but might in the summer

A quiet transfer window this month has seen relatively little activity so far, but those who stay put could still be in line for an exit at the end of the season

Article source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/01/26/2868236/official-arsenal-youngster-sanchez-watt-joins-league-two