Arsenal got a confidence boosting victory at the Emirates this afternoon, thanks to goals from Robin van Persie and Alex Song. Arsene Wenger will hope that it is the kickstart that the Gunners need to get their Premier League season up and running.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Gunners blogs that include Arsenal being robbed; the man to fire up Arsene Wenger, while Arshavin may be sacrificed to secure deal
We also look at the best Arsenal articles around the web this week
Vultures Circle the Emirates looking for rich transfer pickings
Arsenal’s transfer conundrum
Just what Arsenal are missing?
Arsenal simply being robbed
The actual motive of the modern day footballer?
The man we should look to help fire up Arsenal
Arsenal, Spurs or Liverpool – who is best equipped?
When is the right time for them to take the transfer plunge?
Arsenal may sacrifice Arshavin to secure £26m deal
Arsene Wenger linked with £10m January swoop
[divider]
Best of WEB
Is it the Board, Wenger or both? We need change……! – Highbury House
Wilshere out till Christmas, what about Vermaelen, what is wrong with our medics? – Le Grove
Ambition or Short-Termism? – Online Gooner
It’s Good To Talk But Arsenal Send Mixed Messages – A Cultured Left Foot
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Ethiopian whizkid set to join Gunners within two years – Gunnersphere
[divider]
Click on Bridge’s misses below to see her in all her glory
Scott Parker has stated that it would be an honour to help England qualify for Euro 2012, and that he is happy to command a starting place in his national team.
Fabio Capello’s men travel to take on Montenegro in Podgorica on Friday night with the knowledge that a point will be good enough to ensure their place in Ukraine and Poland next year.
The Tottenham midfielder has had a strong start to his time at White Hart Lane since moving from London rivals West Ham in the summer, and is enjoying being involved in the international set-up.
“It would be massive for me to qualify,” he told Sky Sports.
“It is a great honour for me to represent my country and I probably speak for everyone in the squad when I say it would be a proud moment if we do manage to qualify.
“I have always said how many good midfield players we have.
“It is the manager’s decision and I am sure he will put a side out there he feels is best equipped to win on Friday,” he continued.
Another Spurs man that could be involved on Friday night is Kyle Walker, who has impressed for Harry Redknapp’s men this term, and scored the winner in spectacular fashion in the North London derby last Sunday; Parker feels the full-back is ready for the step up.
“Since I have been at Tottenham, Kyle has really stood out. He is a fantastic player. He is young. He has bundles of energy and is very quick,” Parker stated.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“He scored a very good goal at the weekend but his performance before that was really good. I am sure if he is called upon on Friday he will be more than ready to go,” he concluded.
When hearing someone say Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has lost control, the images that are conjured up are those of a player revolt, with dressing room difficulties, and John Terry leading the protests, in a repeat of the Mourinho situation, thinking he knows better than the manager – sorry JT but the decline in both your and Chelsea’s form since the departure of a certain Special One suggests this is not the case. Maybe the phrase ‘lost control’ at the club in fact refers to a dispute with the man upstairs – no not god, as he likes to think of himself as, but Roman Abramovich. Again you’d be wrong in that assumption. What AVB has in reality been accused of losing control of is the discipline at the club.
For a man who learnt his trade under someone who makes his team train with 11 v 10, just in case UEFA and the relevant opposition are displaying favouritism once again, it is not as shocking as it should be when revealing that AVB and his Chelsea side have incurred 5 red cards in the last 8 games, finished the game against QPR with only Cech and Mata not receiving a caution from the starting 11 and can also claim to have never escaped having at least one player on the wrong end of a yellow card in every game this season.
Yes, Chelsea may point to the fact they never fare well under the officiating eye of Chris Foy, and he has been responsible for the sending off of 4 Chelsea players this season alone, yet for the vast majority of the red card offences, Chelsea can have little to no complaints. This is something that has been a prominent factor at the club for more than a couple of seasons now, with disciplinary issues marring much of the success Chelsea have had. Many may point back to the Mourinho era and say it was instilled in the players since then, and has not been cut out of the team despite the amount of managers since.
[ad_pod id=’unruly’ align=’right’]
This however is something that AVB quite simply has to cut out of Chelsea’s game, as sooner or later playing with ten men or less as the case may be will cost them more than just 3 points at Loftus Road. Not only is it physically draining on the players but they also have to then deal with the suspensions on top of the injuries that inevitably occur and the loss of several players to the African Nations. Needless suspensions are something that have to be cut out and are something that AVB cannot let carry on any longer or the manager will be serving his head on a platter to Abramovich’s overused managerial gauntlet.
Another lingering factor from the Mourinho days is the way players harass the referee. Chelsea players are nearly but not quite as guilty of this as Barcelona ones, but there are few teams in football that are as bad. John Terry and Ashley Cole are by far the worse culprits of this, and the way in which they can intimidate the officials would put Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher to shame. Again this does not look good on Chelsea’s record, but players cannot be expected to stop doing it when the manager is just as culpable.
For the majority of the time he’s been in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge, AVB has remained relatively cool, mannerisms on the touchline aside, yet after the game against QPR the young manager lost his cool completely and now faces having to ‘explain his conduct’ to the FA.
Every manager can be forgiven for losing their cool once in a while, and if this is an isolated incident then little should be made of it – Fergie especially has got away with more than a couple of comments over the years. Yet the way in which Chelsea surround the referee again is not a particularly good look for them and something Roman Abramovich is none too happy about.
Following the QPR game, Chelsea and John Terry have much to answer for, and it is vital that AVB shows strong leadership. The victory over Everton, unsurprisingly with 10 men, was a good reply performance wise, yet the ill-discipline has got to stop.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Should JT be found guilty of making racist remarks towards Anton Ferdinand, not only should the FA throw the book at the player, but Chelsea must do so as well. It is there that AVB may face his toughest challenge yet – suspending or stripping Mr Chelsea himself of the captaincy? One can only imagine the revolt – no wonder AVB and Chelsea are defending John Terry so vehemently. Before this potential problem however, AVB must deal with the issues in hand, and none are more pressing than the loss of discipline at the club.
[divider]
The Football App That Pays You Cash![ad_pod id=’qs-1′ align=’center’]
Liverpool talisman Steven Gerrard will undergo tests on Monday to assess the seriousness of the ankle injury he picked up in training on Friday.
The veteran midfielder missed The Reds’ 2-0 win over West Brom on Saturday after receiving up the knock in the build up to the game, and is now a doubt for England’s friendly with Spain in two weeks time.
Gerrard has just returned from seven months on the sidelines due to a groin operation, and club boss Kenny Dalglish has revealed that the extent of damage will be revealed at the start of this week.
“We will not mislead anybody and we will know more about Steven on Monday or Tuesday,” the Scottish coach told the Daily Mail.
“He was in our minds for the game but he got a kick in training on Friday and the ankle now has an infection. It is like having an abscess in your mouth, isn’t it? The ankle just flared up.”
The news will have a big impact on the Anfield outfit one way or the other, as the Merseysiders look to challenge for a top four finish this term.
Gerrard showed his quality by scoring on his return from injury against Manchester United a fortnight ago, and gives Liverpool drive and determination that at times has been missing in his absence.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Swansea welcome Fulham to the Liberty Stadium on Saturday hoping to get back to winning ways after their disappointing defeat at Blackburn last week.
Brendan Rodgers’ side haven’t won in their last matches at the Liberty Stadium after losing their unbeaten home record to Manchester United three weeks ago. A bright start to their debut campaign in the top-flight saw the Swans win a legion of admirers for their total football style passing principles as opposed to the usual backs to the wall approach adopted by promoted teams. However despite their encouraging start to life in the Premier League their form has dipped considerably since mid-October with Welsh club recording just one win in their last seven league games. They went three games without scoring before finding the net at Blackburn last week although they went on to lose 4-2 against the relegation strugglers. Their inexperience at this level is starting to become evident with each passing game and it’s starting to cost them points. Conceding goals has started to become a monumental issue whilst finding the net themselves is also a problem having scored just 14 in as many games. Manager Rodgers has the likes of Scott Sinclair, Leroy Lita and Danny Graham to choose from up front with the latter the only forward who has score consistently at times this season. Supporters will be extremely disappointed that Sinclair has failed to replicate his form in the Championship in the top-flight with a series of underwhelming displays seeing his place come under threat. Starting their festive campaign off against in-form Fulham is hardly ideal and it might be a good idea to implement a more stringent approach to ward off yet another winless game.
The Cottagers have endured a tiring season so far with their Europa League campaign mixed with their domestic commitments casing fatigue levels to rise on the Thames. A stop-start campaign, which has been mixed with impressive victories and disappointing defeats, see’s Martin Jol’s side lie 13th in the Premier League table with only three wins on the board. Their latest success is arguably their most impressive of all with Liverpool leaving Craven Cottage empty handed after Clint Dempsey’s late goal securing a priceless three points. It was as good a defensive performance that Fulham have provided this season as they frustrated the Red’s £50 million plus strike force for 90 minutes before their late smash and grab. The win provided a five-point safety net between themselves and the relegation zone with a run of one defeat in their last five putting them on the road to safety. It’s been a frustratingly slow start for Jol since his appointment in the summer with the players initially struggling to get to grips with the Dutchman’s attacking philosophy. Goals have been a problem this season with the Cottagers finding the net only 16 times this season. They’ll need to start scoring ahead of the energy sapping festiveseason with Swansea providing a great opportunity to preserve the confidence built up during their strong form in November.
Swansea – 15th
Last Five: Lost 4-2 v Blackburn (A), Drew 0-0 v Aston Villa (H), Lost 1-0 v Manchester United (H), Drew 0-0 v Liverpool (A), Won 3-1 v Bolton (H)
Potential Starting X11: 1. M. Vorm 27. A. Richards 2. A. Williams 16. G. Monk [C] 3. N. Taylor 27. M. Gower 15. W. Routledge 7. L. Britton 12. N. Dyer 11. S. Sinclair* 16. L. Lita
Injury News: Rodgers is without leading scorer Danny Graham for the visit of Fulham whilst Angel Rangel remains out.
Key Player: Scott Sinclair
Despite not being able to match his performances from last seasons successful Championship campaign Sinclair still remains a vital part of the Swansea squad. The work he does up and down the left flank has proved invaluable to the Welsh side this season and whilst his goals tally may not look pretty it’s his overall contribution to the team that has saw him retain his starting place. His pace and skill down the wing will be vital on Sunday as will his tracking back
Match Fact: Swansea have won only one of their last 12 league games against Fulham with that victory coming in whilst also being thrashed 7-0 in a 1995 FA Cup tie.
Fulham – 13th
Last Five: Won 1-0 v Liverpool (H), Drew 1-1 v Arsenal (A), Drew 0-0 v Sunderland (A), Lost 3-1 v Tottenham (H), Won 2-0 v Wigan (A)
Potential Starting X11: 1. M. Schwarzer 6. C. Baird 18. A. Hughes 5. B. Hangeland 3. J. Riise 11. B. Ruiz 10. P. Kasami 20. D. Etuhu 23. C. Dempsey* 30. M. Dembele 25. B. Zamora
Injury News: Captain Danny Murphy has been ruled out for the Cottagers whils Damien Duff and Steve Sidwell will also miss the trip to Wales.
Key Player: Clint Dempsey
Despite a slightly underwhelming start to the season from Dempsey he proved his worth to Fulham with the late winner against Liverpool on Monday. The American hasn’t been at his best for the Cottagers during the current campaign but he is still one of the best players in the Premier League and he can be unstoppable when he wants to be. With Danny Murphy out injured Jol will be relying on Dempsey to provide the midfield inspiration that will see them record a second win in a row.
Match Fact: Fulham haven’t tasted defeat against Swansea in four games since a 2-1 loss in May 1994 when both sides were plying their trade in the old Second Division.
Last Time at Liberty Stadium
FA Cup 14 February 2009
Swansea 1-1 Fulham
Scotland (52)
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Monk (44 ,OG)
Attendance: 16,573
Referee: Howard Webb
PREDICTION Fulham’s win against Liverpool will have lifted the confidence levels at Craven Cottage and they’ll be expecting to take all three points against Swansea on Saturday to move further away from danger. The Swans haven’t been performing well of late and their poor run of form has seen then edge close to the drop zone. However they are difficult to beat at home and should grab at least a point.
Manchester City ensured they would be top of the Premier League table at christmas following their comfortable win against Stoke at the Etihad Stadium.
Two goals from Sergio Aguero and a fierce strike from Adam Johnson was enough for Roberto Mancini’s side to see off the Potters who saw their four game winning streak come to an end in the blue half of Manchester. The win was City’s ninth in a row at home this season and keeps them two points clear of rivals United who are now breathing down their necks going into the New Year. In fact they will end 2011 having failed to taste defeat at the Etihad in their 29 games on home soil this year. Their latest victory against Tony Pulis’ Stoke side was one of the more routine and keeps them ahead of their noisy neighbours who thrashed Fulham at Craven Cottage.
After beating Arsenal in a thrilling encounter on Sunday there was an level of expectancy that City would struggle against a physical Potters side who had won four on the trot going into the game. However they failed to match up to the home sides pace and ingenuity and wasted a rare chance during a poor first half with Jon Walters failing to suitably test Joe Hart with a header despite being well placed. It proved costly as City took the lead just before the half hour mark with Aguero tucking the ball home at the back post after Vincent Kompany flicked Yaya Toure’s cross onto the Argentinian. The lead was doubled seven minutes later as Stoke paid the price for some sloppy passing with Johnson punishing them lashing the ball past Thomas Sorensen from 25-yards. The winger almost doubled his tally but was thwarted by the Danish keeper who brilliantly palmed his free kick away from danger.
It was a similar story after the break as the home side continued to press forward in search of more goals and they only had to wait 10 minutes before Aguero made it 3-0. City’s leading scorer was hand to sweep home Samir Nasri’s cross for his 15th of the season and had a chance to complete his hat trick soon after but ultimately failed to do so as the league leaders ran out comfortable victors. Stoke, on the other hand, will be disappointed they didn’t provide much a test but will look forward to a well earned break before Boxing Day following their jam packed end to 2011.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has stated that his team are keen to put their thrashing by Fulham behind them, and look to improve against Brighton in the FA Cup this weekend.
The Tyneside outfit were put to the sword 5-2 by Martin Jol’s men last weekend, and have been on a warm-weather training camp in Tenerife, returning on Wednesday.
Pardew has admitted that his side were not up to scratch at Craven Cottage, and are targeting improvement against Brighton.
“We just lost our way at the weekend. The back five – who have been magnificent for us this season – have had a disappointing day,” he is stated as saying in Mirror Football.
“That can happen in the Premier League, but there is nothing to panic or worry about.
“We are in a fantastic position, and if our fans are a little bit concerned after Saturday, they shouldn’t be. We are looking at those above, don’t worry about that.
“Fulham was a disappointing game, but other results mean we are still right in there, and that’s where we want to be.
“Arsenal lost, Stoke got beaten and Chelsea got a draw, so we find ourselves in a not too different position to where we were at the start of that game.
“It’s gone now – there’s nothing we can do about it. We will reflect on the second half and make sure that never happens again.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“We came out here to Tenerife on the back of a disappointing result, which isn’t ideal, but it is nice to have a break and bring us all together. After that result we needed it, just to go over a few things in the next couple of days,” he concluded.
With the January transfer window spending not even at £20 million in the Premier League thus far, there is certainly a talking point that comes from managers and clubs who are desperate to add reinforcements to their clubs during the winter and even summer markets. There seems to be a considerable lack of awareness for the bargains that can be had on the continent—as Newcastle has so far proved—and, as it’s been proved in the past, the best answer does not always lie within the English leagues.
Newcastle recently pulled off a surprise move for Freiburg’s free-scoring striker Pipiss Cisse to complement the already hugely impressive Demba Ba. Picking up the Senegalese striker for a fee in the region of £9 million may prove to be an excellent piece of business on the part of manager Alan Pardew; while at the same time, Premier League clubs who are seeking similar goal scoring options are looking to players such as Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson. Not a slight on these players by any means, as Zamora especially has done well in recent times for Fulham.
But the questions start to be raised when there are notably more effective players moving between clubs for far better value for money. The signing of Cisse is only one of many impressive bargain signings Newcastle have pulled off in recent seasons. Yohan Cabaye, a double winner in France last season, was prized from Lille this past summer for £4 million, while at the same time Jordan Henderson moved from Sunderland to Liverpool for close to £20 million. Different players, of course, but there is bound to be eyebrows raised when you compare the impact both players have had on their side’s this season.
Does it highlight a lack of knowledge about the foreign leagues? Or is it simply that age old question of whether a talent from another league, no matter how good, can adapt to the pace and power of the Premier League. There are perhaps far too many managers who are not willing to take the gamble on options that are readily available in foreign markets. Yes, there are also talents to be found in the lower leagues in England and player’s such as Jordan Rhodes are well scouted. Yet the inflated prices for English players should be enough to deter managers from signings players who may not be as good as those abroad.
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]
An interesting factor in much of this is that the players who are moving between clubs, and mostly between club’s on the continent, are capable of adding that something extra to a team who are struggling to cross the finish line to the Premier League title or even avoid relegation. Lille’s major summer departures last season only totalled a fee around £20 million as Adil Rami joined Valencia following his agreement last January and Gervinho and Cabaye arrived in the Premier League. Inflated fees for players who have a proven record of making a difference? Absolutely not. Similarly, Valencia completed a hugely productive summer of business following the departures of Joaquin and Juan Mata. Yet teams such as Manchester United and Liverpool have had to look ‘in-house’ to acquire talents they believed would help them reach their respective targets. Of course it’s all relative, but Valencia are currently sitting in 3rd place in La Liga and ahead of Atletico Madrid who spent 40 million euros and rising for Falcao, and Newcastle up until this moment in the Premier League have looked much more assured of themselves than Liverpool, who added players in similar areas of the pitch but dwarfed the spending of Alan Pardew’s side.
Will Newcastle’s impressive eye for a bargain abroad catch on with Premier League managers in similar positions, or will what seems to be a lack of confidence for foreign leagues continue to play a part in the way we see business done in this league.
While Alan Pardew is not equipped with the financial backing that regular title contenders have, he has, nonetheless, taken great steps to improve the quality of players coming into this league while not breaking the bank. It’s an impressive feat to have pulled off more than once, but it is also massively refreshing for a manager to successfully introduce players into the Premier League who have fared so well in other countries.
[divider]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It’s fair to say that, of late, Arsenal’s all-round performances have been underwhelming. In particular, the last two games have highlighted not just the lack of cutting edge but the decline in the form of individuals who had previously been deified by Gooners. Take Thomas Vermaelen: an exceptional defender with a penchant for balancing no-nonsense tackling with superb technique. Arsenal fans were greatly relieved when he signed a new contract earlier in the season, and rightly so. However since January his, and the other Arsenal defenders’, form has suffered – culminating in a 4-0 hiding in the San Siro that almost seemed a generous score line for the Gunners.
Any accusations concerning a poor Arsenal defence will, rightly, be protested by those who raise the issue of Arsenal’s full back crisis, and it is an extremely relevant point. However Arsenal have had good and bad defensive performances whilst playing without recognised full backs. The lynchpin of any decent defensive record is the central partnership. So far this season Arsenal have turned out nine different centre-half partnerships in their starting elevens alone (i.e. not including substitutes altering the defensive make up).
The Milan game was particularly interesting to watch not just because Arsenal were so easily penetrated but because, in the eyes of many, it was Arsenal’s strongest defence. Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen and Gibbs sat in front of Szczesny; yet time and time again they were made to look mediocre at best. This raises the question of which players would currently make up the club’s ‘best’ defence?
The debate surrounding Gibbs and Santos could not possibly be settled until both are fit simultaneously and are competing for places. Clearly Sagna is Arsenal’s best right back and Szczesny is the number one keeper, which leaves only the centre backs.
Per Mertesacker was supposed to provide composure, stability and experience to an often flappable Arsenal backline but for many fans he is too slow and too immobile, with the pace, not to mention running style, or an ungainly, two legged giraffe and the turning circle of an oil tanker. Yet these hindrances to his game, which we all knew before he signed for the club, should not detract from what has been an impressive first season. What Mertesacker brings to the Arsenal defence is balance.
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]
Both Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen like to attack the ball and, on occasion, both wander slightly too high up the pitch. Whilst this is no cardinal sin when Mertesacker is behind them covering, when they play together it means that both are often caught out of position at the same time. We saw against Milan that, whilst Koscielny was playing well before his injury, the fact that they have a similar style put extra pressure on the full backs, who were also being caught out of position. Whilst Mertesacker might not seem like the most reliable defender in the world in his absence you can really notice his strengths. As I watched both Sagna and Vermaelen being caught out by the Milan strike force I couldn’t help but imagine the position in which Mertesacker normally stands when the others push forward. He sits ever so slightly deeper from the rest of the line ready to mop up any runs or passes that might evade his defensive partners in higher positions.
We have seen this year with Chelsea the danger of having a central defensive partnership that is not properly balanced. David Luiz and John Terry suffer from a similar problem where neither defender’s positioning really helps the other and it has been one of the most obvious causes of their defensive fragility.
Gary Neville’s analogy of Luiz looking as though he was being controlled by a ten year old on a Playstation was apt, and at times similar statements could be made about Vermaelen and Koscielny when they play together. With both of them attacking the ball there is no room for error and this theory is backed up by the stats.
I calculated the goals conceded to game ratio for each defensive partnership and the points won per game for each partnership and it looks like this.
Partnership Games played Goals conceded per game Points won per game
Mertesacker – Koscielny 20 1.1 1.9
Vermaelen – Mertesacker 5 0.6 2.6
Vermaelen -Koscielny 5 1.2 1.2
Vermaelen – Djourou 2 1.5 1.5
Mertesacker – Song 2 1 1.5
Koscielny – Squillaci 2 0.5 1.5
Vermaelen – Squillaci 2 2 1.5
Djourou – Miguel 1 1 3
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Djourou – Koscielny 1 8 0
*These figures indicate the partnership that started the game
Clearly there are extenuating circumstances which need to be take in to consideration for the statistics to be properly understood such as opposition, who the full backs were and whether or not we were playing at home. However there are still certain patterns you can take from this. Firstly, with the exception of Djourou/Miguel and Koscielny/Squillaci who were playing in the Carling Cup, Mertesacker is involved not only in the defence with the best defensive record but also the partnerships with the most points won per game.
Whilst it may well be the case that Vermaelen and Koscielny are, individually, the two best centre backs at the club both appear to play better with Mertesacker than they do with each other, and that is despite the fact that Mertesacker barely even speaks proper English and Koscielny and Vermaelen both speak perfect French. If Per Mertesacker can come straight in to the team and form a solid partnership without speaking the language and at the same time trying to adapt to the Premier League then think what he can do when he is fully settled. Yes, he may look clumsy, yes he is slow, no he doesn’t seem to win many headers despite being a giant but clearly his style of play fits better with the other defenders. Even his partnership with Song was pretty good and Song is a midfielder. I’m not saying that he doesn’t have room for improvement but what I am saying is that perhaps he is they key to forming a solid defence. You also have to consider that Mertesacker played almost every single game during Arsenal’s strongest run of the season. It’s just a shame for Arsenal fans that they won’t see him before the summer.
The entire Tottenham squad have requested heart checks following Fabrice Muamba’s sudden collapse in their fixture against Bolton on Saturday.
The Trotters midfielder is critically ill in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest at White Hart Lane, with the fixture cancelled as a result.
The Spurs players are taking no chances on their own individual health matters, and have requested to see a cardiologist.
“The players have all demanded cardiac screening today,” sports cardiologist Sanjay Sharma told Sky Sports.
“That involves taking a history relating to cardiac symptoms, which include chest pain during exertion or breath which is disproportionate to the amount of exercise being performed and blackouts, (and) asking about a family history because many of these conditions that can cause cardiac arrest are hereditary.
“We then perform a cardiac examination and following that we do an ECG (electrocardiogram) which is an electrical tracing of the heart which looks for electric faults of the heart and a cardiac ultrasound which looks at heart muscle problems or problems with the heart valves,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Tottenham’s game against Stoke on Wednesday will be played as planned.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.