Norweigan super agent Jim Solbakken has flown into North London this morning, ahead of talks with Arsenal over a new contract for defender Håvard Nordtveit. The 19-year-old has 12 months left on his current deal.
Nordtveit has started both of Arsenal’s pre-season games so far this summer and has shown vast improvements in both. He completed the 90 minutes in a 3-0 win over Sturm Graz in Austria last night, and was arguably the best player on the pitch. Several immaculate tackles and some good work going forward has put Howie in contention for a first-team place for the coming season.
Gazidis is now poised to offer Håvard a new three-year-contract on increased wages. He joined the Gunners from Haugesund in 2007 and has since spent the last 14 months away from the club with loan spells at UD Salamanca, Lillestrøm and Nuremberg.
Negotiations are expected to be completed before the start of the new season.
Well deserved going to be a great player anywhere on the pitch!
I want to see him play CB
GREAT NEWS
he’s moving into the first team for sure now
He has looked awesome in both games and can operate as a RB so a good cover for the CB, fullback and a DM spot
oh J
just wanted to say you’re awesome
I never start my day without checking in
thanks and keep up the gr8 work
Thank you, Andrew. I’m enjoying reading all your imput too, some great debate you’ve started. Great stuff from you.
I agree with the comments above, I’d like to see him get a chance at centre back, just to see how he’s coming along in that area.
J
I know its first team but any idea if Sol is staying at Arsenal I was sure he will leave this summer
There really is no news on it. He’s rejected Sunderland now, and decided to think about it on holiday. It’s firmly between us and Celtic.
I’m hopeful Campbell will choose Arsenal over Scotland but we will have to wait and see.
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YH he looks class. Calm and composed.
He looks bigger physically intresting to see him play as a centre back now.
if hes got 12 months left i hope his agent is it going to run it down and ask for as much money as possible or threaten to leave.
He’s a “super” agent so he will try and get as much money as possible from arsenal but it wont be anything that arsenal cant afford
and after Nortvedit performances in the pre season I think arsenal will sign any reasonable wages for the kid.
I am happy for the Nortvedit to be playing as a RB he might just turn out to be our long term solution for the RB spot
good news!
No. 18 should be given to him, he can be a good additional to our first team
JS do you think frimpong is good enough technically?
I just thought the graz game you saw the difference between eastmond and frimpong.
1st half arsenal struggled to get the passing game which i feel was down to frimpong inability to pass the ball and stop thier attacks.
2nd hlaf you saw eastmond coming on and instantly you could see he knew how to stop thier attacks and keep things simple. We looked alot better second half
Both aren’t the best technically. I think Eastmond has more composure and he doesn’t go chasing and looking for danger. Frimpong seemed to try to hard to impress.
Frimpong looks one of those players that will get too many yellows and red card for needless tackles
imo Frimpong as ahead of Eastmond, last night Eastmond gave the ball away on too many occasions, and was too hesitant when receiving the ball in any tight space, would have been exploited if Graz had a more potent team out in the 2nd half. Frimpong didnt have a great half either but feel he has more upside, with better strength and tackling. Anyway just another friendly i suppose. I guess one of the 2 will go on loan hope they do well.
Nordveit was great really composed, any talk of Van Der Wiel should go away now, we didnt need him anyway.
JET is the most enigmatic footballer i’ve ever seen, immensely talented but i dont think anyone, including Wenger, knows whether he’s guna make it or not. I know its common knowledge already but his versatility defo works against him. I feel more attention should have been paid to finding him a position in the academy, with a view to the first team that is. HE could do with a few token gestures of work rate when we haven’t got the ball though
On JET:
I believe he is an excellent alternative to start every game on the bench. I’d say his versatility is a great asset and would be the back up solution.
There is no nheed to have a technically brilliant defensive midfielder in the team, IMO, If they are good technically, then that is a bonus, but if they do their primary job, ie; stop the opposition, cutting out danger and doing damage, then I dont really give a monkeys! Frimpong is all gold and a bit of tenacity is not a bad thing.
Saying he wil get too many yellow cards is kinda daft considering Vieiras early career!!
really really impressed by his performance, wonderful&accurate forward passing+great composure, really excited!! hope he can bulk up and seize the first-team chance
Nordveit has definitely improved over the past couple of years. He used to look very shaky at the back but his loan to Germany has definitely helped him out. He is better at reading the game and had some fantastic tackles yesterday.
he looks physically ready more than anything else to me
he was always a good reader of the game and yeah he now goes all in his tackling
I hope we loan more player in the top flight this season they really help
I am excited how much Coquelin will improve at Lorient
He has definitely put on some weight and muscle. Is it just me or has Walcott grown a couple of inches? Surely that isn’t possible!
Yep, I’m surprised Coquelin has received so much media over his loan. Didn’t expect to see BBC to mention it.
Wilshere would of been one of those players to get loaned out but that doesn’t look very likely after Wenger’s interview. I would like to see him (Wilshere) get as many appearances as Ramsey did last season (before the injury).
I think we need to keep Eastmond, Lansbury and Wilshere in the first team
Walcott has increased his legs muscle from what I saw but he has increase his crossing ability which for a winger is everything
The day he can provide pin point crosses will be the day he become one of the best in the world
I think Arsenal should be playing with two holding midfielders
for the first team maybe a duo of song and diaby
and eastmond and lansbury in cup game
4-2-3-1 is the formation I want arsenal to use right down to the youth system
in a 4-3-3 with only one holding mdifielder we are open up too easily
What about Frimpong and Eastmond for the Carling Cup games?
too defensive
I wanted Lansbury with eastmond because Eastmond already has experience in the top flight and Lansbury looked very very good as a Deep lying CM player
he can distribute the ball around, has a long shot that can scare any defense and is great going forward
Needless to say I am extremely impressed with Lansbury
I would agree but I need to see more of Lansbury. He had a great goal and showed good composure in tight areas. I just think Frimpong adds a great physical presence in the midfield and is the best like-for-like Song player.
Andrew, I know your not of fan of JET but I really think he can fill in greatly in the striker role when called upon hopefully in the first team? He had a great second half yesterday and seems NB is a mystery sometimes. In my overall opinion I only think @ best 2 more signings a taller CB and maybe keeper? Peace can wait for the next match!! Nacer most likely going to Prem team on loan would be perfect? Thanks J
The trouble is, Diaby is about as good at holding as Almunia is at holding crosses.
I do agree though, that Arsenal should play to holding MF in the tough games, like against Chelsea.
I like JET but I can never see him being better than the strikers we have now
I hope he proves me wrong I will love to see the youngsters we follow year in year out to make it to the first team but with JET I just don’t see him making it
But if he does make it I will be very happy for the lad
@aj
if you have asked me this before the WC
I would have said yes but after it I can say he can play there but just needs to be disciplined
I’d like us to try something different depending on the speed and agility of the defensive players:
3 (Sagna, Vermaelen, Clichy)
2 (Song, Djourou)
3 (Nasri, Fabregas, Arshavin)
2 (v Persie, Bendtner/Chamakh)
real is deserved in the first team
Thats great news for nordveit and AFC. I too want to see him play CB and DM and i want him and jack to stay in arsenal this year.
Is Howie his nickname?
how do you spell his name
I think its something like Nort-veit
say*
Nord-veeet
It’s Håvard Nordtveit. The Å is a nordic letter, and can also be written with a double a (Haavard). Håvard is a Scandinavian version of Howard by the way. His second name consist’s of two words – Nord and tveit. There you go. :)
Interestingly enough, on the newest poll on the official arsenal.com page, I didn’t know which position to put as a transfer priority. I think we lack a GK, a CB, a DMC, a classic winger and a striker. I feel we’ve never been shorter on numbers, and on quality.
I agree that we’re short on numbers but we aren’t short on quality at all. We definitely need to pick up some players in certain positions but some of those areas are a luxury. A ‘classic winger’ really isn’t necessary. Nasri and Arshavin both do more than acceptable jobs on the wings and Walcott is always a threat (no matter how much people insult his game). I have no idea why you think we need a striker. Chamakh, Vela, van Persie, and Bendtner? They’re all quality strikers and can get a first team position on most teams in the league. Why do we need another?
We definitely need at least one or two centrebacks and a defensive-minded player.
I agree on a GK
If Campbell stays then I am happy with the CBs we have
as for a DM player I want to agree but then I look at the talent coming through and think Denilson can play there, Nortvedit can play there and so can eastmond
Winger NO – Arshavin, Vela, Rosicky, Nasri, Walcott, WIlshere we have enough wingers
Striker you have to be kidding me
Are you listening to yourselves. You keep saying “he can play there, and he also can play there”. We don’t have a proper winger, like we had in Pires and Ljungberg, maybe even Hleb. We lack directness. Nasri, Arshavin, Rosicky are all more central than what I’m thinking of. Walcott is the only one that could pose a threat all season long, but I think he needs to be moved on the left side.
To be sincere, I voted “attacker” in that poll. We have 2 (Chamakh, Bendtner) poor link-up players with poor finishing ability and no ability to pass defenders or to run into space (like David Villa, Rooney). We have a potentially world-class player who scored 37 times in 112 appearances, which is very, very poor. And we have Carlos Vela who will never be suited for the PL.
I would want to see Szczesny as our number one. Denilson, Almunia and Fabianski definitely out.
We don’t need a striker, we have 5 already. We don’t need a “classic winger”, because we don’t play the sort of game would utilise him. We might need a centre back, but we currently have 3 first team specialists, some promising youngsters as backup, and a midfielder who can slot in if neccessary. We don’t need a DM because we a number of players who can play that role.
We probably do need a keeper, or we could just give Wos the chance to grab number 1
Feeling isn’t what rational people do. They think. We are not short on numbers (we have a large squad), and we certainly are not short on quality, since we haven’t sold anyone important for the first time in years.
Are you seriously rating Chamakh after two Friendy matches?
“… since we haven’t sold anyone important for the first time in years.”
Don’t speak too soon!
Well, I wouldn’t hold my breath…
AndyE said: “Feeling isn’t what rational people do.” Advise Arsene of this as most of his quotes begin “I feel…..”
I feel you are a pretentious, pedantic twat!
Hi J S, greetings from Rwanda.
J, just want to know why Arsenal fans seem to be divided on capabilities of Jay Emmanuel Thomas. some fans say he is a future Arsenal and England great while others say he will not make it. but for me i think Jay is a good technical player, massive size and English. he should be graduated into the first team.
Thanks for this blog. i love your articles about the young gunners, man.
Rwandan Gooner
I agree buddy 200% JET is awesome! Enjoy the season! Peace
Pleasantly surprised with Howie. I like the fact that when he gets forward, unlike Sagna, he picks his head up and if a firm, low and accurate pass can be be played into a teammate in the box, he attempts it. He even picked out his man on a couple of occasions in the two games we’ve played. He also seems to be a better crosser of the ball than Sagna.
I love the fact that he seems a lot faster than i remember him being (anybody else notice this?) and made some lovely timely challenges yesterday. He’s obviously a CB naturally who can do a great job at RB. He reminds me of Ivanovic at RB. He’s a very clever, brave and ambitious young man and i’m happy with how he seems to be coming along.
We do need an extra body upfront I feel, end of last season we couldn’t create for toffee due to injuries to key players, scraping by on last minute bendtner goals and hardly had a shot on goal vs Spurs until Van Persie came on.
An experienced central defender and a keeper is the priority but I think we need another attack minded player. Can’t rely on rvp not getting injured again. I think the unfortunate sale of Eduardo opens up room for a player who can play on the right to compete with Theo and someone who can deputise upfront when needed. Not sure about Remy..haven’t seen enough of him, would love Honda though.
Van Der Wiel would be my choice for CB, he can play all across the defence if needs be and has the qualities Wenger looks for in a defender, an all round footballer. As for the keeper – Given, Given, Given.
I have a feeling our spending is complete for this transfer window. Campbell may stay and Wellington Silva is training with us at the moment and could possibly, work permit permitting be another addition to the squad come January. Wenger won’t panic buy and he has shown he has complete faith in the youth he has nurtured. Now is as good a time as any to step up and be counted and we need to get behind them!
I thin goalkeeper is still needed
You got an iPhone app yet J ???
Wenger’s just ruled out a move for a striker, happy with that, still think he’ll sign an offensive player though, as no way will Cesc stay in the end. Ozil is available at 15m apparently. Unbelievable chance to nab him if he fancies a move to Arsenal.
Ronan – I dont think its numbers we are short on its quality & experience. We currently have the largest professional squad in the premier league (58 players) however, only 9 of them are over 25 and 2 of them are keepers also 2 (campbell & almunia) could be leaving. Yes it looks good for the future but if we do not retain a place in the champions league, top quality players will leave and we will continue to be unable to attract and afford the very best.
Me – The reason we dont have a winger is we dont play a system for wingers. 433 is designed to do without wingers instead using attacking Midfielders (Rosicky, Arshavin, Walcott, Nasri) who like to come in off the line and deeper lying forwards (RVP, Bendtner, Vela, Chamakh, JET) that like to link up with the Attacking Midfielders. Our width comes from our full backs or at least is supposed too. This is why i think Gibbs, Traore and Eboue will push ahead of Sagna and Clichy over this and next season, its also why Van der Weil or even Nathan Clyne would be excellent signings for us. What would we do with wingers anyway get to the by line and cross for who? None of our players (reserve judgement on chamakh) are the type of players to climb above defences and nod in. Yes Bendtner should be doing that, but the fact is he doesn’t. Thats whay an overlapping wing back is a better option for us as it gives them the opportunity to cut back for our advancing masses. All that said i think by January we will have 2 players in our squad capable of being those missing wingers – Botelho on the left and Wellington on the right. If by then Chamakh is proving to be the next Alan Smith or Frank Stapleton he will need quality service from the flanks and i reckon the 2 Brazilians will be just the men to supply that.
Fine, I agree we lack the experience but I still can’t agree on us lacking quality. I guess it’s all how you view the word ‘quality’.
We definitely need to step up our game and our more mature players need to take the reigns and guide the youngsters the right way. Fabregas already has the mind of a 30-year-old and should really take control on and off the pitch next season.
I was happy with Wenger’s activity in the transfer market this summer but I would be disappointed if he stops with this. Koscielny has not impressed me at all and looks like a very naive signing by Wenger. I wish we would pick up Subotic instead.
i think it goes to show that we are still light in the CF position. VP and NB52 are going to be in and out as they are injury prone, now we’ve sold Eduardo we only have chamakh. He needs game time to bed in.
I’d have preferred to keep Simpson. ok he’s not as graceful as the players AW seems to like but he will get you goals and will be able to go head to head with the john terrys of the world because he is very very strong.
I feel we’ll be too lightweight again this lad Koscielny does not look upto scratch, I know uts early doors but he didn’t cope with one ball over the top against barnet. For me he’l be another stepanovs
I can agree with that but I’m confident Chamakh will settle into the squad by the time the Premier League door opens and the Transfer Window closes.
Simpson always reminds me of Julio Baptista. Not sure if it how he physically looks or his style of play but they’re definitely similar in some sort of aspect. Excluding Simpson from Austria was a mistake as he could possibly start ahead of Carlos Vela if he got the starts. He had a great season for QPR.
Chamak will pull through he’s exactly the kind of striker we need upfront
Here’s a good wellington vid guys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWD1MKvUW-8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6YE1sJKEBM Check this vid out too. Nike have already stuck him in one of their ads.
Good video. Thanks for the link.
Wow, i am finding myself agreeing with everyone today (well apart from the quality bit with ronan) I also think that Koscielny looks lightweight but then again Campbell looks heavy weight. When you look at the 2 Nordveit and Koscielny there is not a lot in it. OK one might have 4 years on the other but in terms of top flight experience, i think they have had a season each with Nordveit having the tougher challenge in Germany. Also Nordveit if i am right has a few intenational u21 caps. I think we will see Campbell or Djourou or possibly a new signing as Vermaelen’s starting partner. I too want another striker but retaining simpson should be re-considered if not.
from a person who has seen Kos play
you’re selling so short its almost embarrassing
Yeah, I’ve been agreeing with most of the talk on here too. It definitely has ‘quality’! ;D
Long time reader, in awe of the service you provide, but an infrequent debater.
Being from, Haugesund, the nearest city to where Håvard is from, I am really pleased to se him getting a chance in my favourite club.
His name has two syllables, and is pronounced Nor (with a deep “o”) tveight (“eight” as in the number).
He was, if I remember correctly, noticed because of his calmness and accurate long passes. Speed has never been a strength, and hopefully he has worked on this.
I would love for him to get a squad number, so that I could order the new kit with his name and number.
This post needs more recognition. It will solve some of the pronunciation debate in the comment section!
I’m going to overly excited about wellington yet, good player but compared to neymar there’s a vast difference for me. Wellington does remind me of an arshavin player though
I have seen neymar play and he’s a bag of tricks and a good finisher but he’s not a team player and I doubt he can even handle the physicality of EPL. He’s too lightweight
Wellington is a fighter and I seriously have high expectations from that lad
I don’t see much difference between Neymar and Wellington. Also, I doesn’t matter how much potential the player has. It all depends on how he develops. Where would you rather learn the trade? Arsenal or Chelsea?
sorry – not
OUR squad is very very good
all we need is a GK and Schwarzer looks like the most likely bet
and as for a CB if sol stays then we will 5 CBs and I will be pretty happy with them
people think buying 5-6 players is needed I say 2 players are more than enough
Andrew, it’s spelled Nordveit. The commentators on Arsenal TV are pronouncing it nord-fight, which is wrong. It’s how would be pronounced if it were a German name, so maybe that’s how people said it when he was at Nuernberg? A Norwegian fan told me the proper pronunciation is noo-er-twait (sort of). But what the hell, there are pundits here still pronouncing Clichy as cliche.
thanks
Bone8 – didn’t see your post above. Glad I’m right, more or less, about the pronunciation!
People who are still hoping for Schwatzer – forget it (I think). If Wenger actually says he’s not going to sign a player, which is the case here, it really doesn’t look likely. Anyway, if he was even remotely interested in Schwatzer, I’m sure it would have happened already.
when did wenger say he’s not interested in signing a new keeper
Agent says Arsenal move for Udinese No1 Handanovic now off
23.07.10 | tribalfootball.com
READ MORE NEWS ON: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Udinese
The agent of Samir Handanovic says a move to Arsenal is off for the Udinese No1.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been a long-term admirer of the Slovenia international.
But his agent, Federico Pastorello, said: “Handanovic will not move. Arsenal have decided not to spend money to buy the goalkeeper.”
this means they are looking for a goal keeper
Andrew – i have’nt seen alot of neymar but what i have seen he look a very serious player. I take ur point though, he does’nt seem a team player, which is probably what chelsea need lol
I like wellington but everyone thinks he’s gonna be the new ronaldo. I use the arshavin comparission because he seems like he’s gonna be a stcoky little player who will have his quiet period but the bust into life with a moment of magic. I would’nt say he’s great team player, very similar to arshavin
Also andrew, been reading some of ur post recently. I really dont understand ur fascination with Landsbury and not jet. For me there’s a massive difference between the two even though they will play different positons. I dont believe Henri will make it. Good player but thats it just good. He’s not a patch on any of our current midfielders except denilson plus there chucks up aswell. I think he will have one or two seasons with us then depart. I would love to see Arsene ship out Vela and give JET his position in the squad. This guy could really be a secret weapon for us in certain games. He does need to sort out his fitness though
When you say people describe Wellington as “the new Ronaldo”, in what way do you mean? His attitude? His sudden departure from United? His skills? I’m hoping you mean his skills and goal-scoring prowess!
about wellington.
Wellington is acutally as talented as arshavin but with an added bonus. Wellington is a real fighter and he’s a lot like chamak in his work rate.
Its all about the players we have in our first team and is the youngster better than what we have right or not
In JET case we have Van Persie, Chamak and Bendtner fighting for one spot and JET just isnt upto to par with them. Vela I doubt you will see upfront, if he does play he will be on the left wing
About Lansbury – if Ramsey was fit lasnsbury wont be in our first team but Ramsey is injured right now with a broken which could take a long time to heal and this is Lansbury chance to make a name for himself. He maybe not be as talented as Ramsey but Ramsey is injured right now and Lansbury should be brought into the first to cover for him
From our current reserves player I love seeing barazite, Miguel, aneke and angha
baraizte unfortunately is probably going to be sold or loaned
Aaron is predicted to be back mid-Autumn and I’m quite frankly pumped! He is an absolutely fantastic player and will be a key player in our future. I really hope Ramsey can come back as though the injury never happened.
with an injury like that we can never be sure when a player will be fully back
He may even turn into an eduardo. People need to realise that
I hope it doesnt come to that
Don’t agree at all. Eduardo still looked like his usual self but didn’t have the finishing touch he had before the injury. He had a couple of great assists and touches throughout the season which made it seem like the injury never happened but once he aimed to shoot, it was evident he was lacking the confidence.
Ramsey is younger, suffered a less severe injury (Eduaro’s was a compound fracture. His god damn leg popped through his skin. He also dislocated his ankle) and the medical team described it as a ‘clean break’. He is also a younger player and will have more time to recover whereas Eduardo suffered the injury during what should of been the prime of his career.
The only barrier that is stopping Ramsey from coming back firing all cannons is the mental aspect of the injury. If he still feels confident going for 50/50 tackles he will be fine. I’m hoping all the best.
Andrew – what do you mean? “from a person who has seen Kos play
you’re selling so short its almost embarrassing” embarrasing for who? you or LK?
I have now seen him play about 5 times, the first 2 times in France when i never really noticed him. The 3rd time he got sent off when i was watching on tv and the other 2 times Barnet & Graz. I am not overly impressed so far, BUT unlike others i think he is better than Stepanovs and Cygan, i recall Wenger was going to make Djourou 1st choice with Gallas even after he had signed TV5, but injury prevented that. I think Djourou will be given the opportunity and Koscielny eased in, although if Campbell stays and he is fit, he could jump ahead of JD and LK. Likewise if Campbell does not sign and we sign another CH he could be given the starting role depending on his experience. Lets face of what we have JD has far more top flight experience than LK and HN.
I have always been a fan of Djourou and was disappointed to see him sit out a whole season. He needs to get his head down and train as hard as possible in the next couple of weeks and perform to his fullest abilities in the Friendlies if he wants to prove himself to Wenger. He has the ability but sitting out for months can have a huge effect on confidence and fitness (obviously). It will be interesting to see what Wenger decides to do. Will he buy? Will he promote the youth? Who knows.
Ronan – I was refering to his skill lol
He seems a level headed guy. Loved his emotion when he scored. Hope we see that at the our place!
Fantastic! I was hoping you meant that.
Totally agree with Ronan on Djourou. Been a bot dismayed by the level of criticism he received from his performance last night. Ok he made a couple of mistakes but i thought he was our best defender bar Havard. He was leading the defence at time, i saw real authority which i have’nt seen from him before. If he can stay fit for 2 month he’ll return to his best. Excellent player
Lk i have to say looks quite bad. Looks like he’s always one push away from being on the floor. Surprised with this signing, couple mill more and we could of had Boetang who can play in every position and miles better for me.
Agree on Djoruou he’s an awesome player and hopefully after his surgery last year he can have an incredible season for our first team
I’m sure we will see Djourou perform even better next to Vermaelen who is a natural leader. That will slightly lessen the load for Djourou and he will be able to focus on his game instead of barking orders to the backline.
Lets get over this Swiss curse!
Boateng – a couple of million more? He will be earning twice if not 3 times what Koscielny is getting. Hamburg probably got the whole fee up front as well from Man City, where we would have tried to spread out over a few years and based it upon certain things happening, trophies, appearances, grey hairs appearing, basically anything to stop us having to stump up.
Good point bbc
Andrew, when i was refering to JET i was’nt implying play him as centre forward. He can play anywhere, upfront on the wing midfield even in defence. On this basis without questioning his talent he should be in the squad for me.
I’m prepared to give Henri this season and see how he does. I’d much rather that go to chuks but hey. With jack looking like he might take Aarons role how much game time will Henri get?? But he’s had to much time away from the club so this is really the season to hand him a chance
playing wilshere as a CM is a waste the dude looks better upfront either or the wings or just behind the target man
Lansbury is a lot better in that position. He distributes the ball really well, he can defend, has a terrific long shot and can make good runs in the box
If Its was upto me then I would put lansbury alongside Eastmond and Wilshere above them
i don’t like this ‘he can play anywhere’ mentality…
he should claim one position and work on becoming the best he can be at it.
versatility comes after specialism.
Totally agree Andrew. I love when jack comes in from the right wings and set up attacks. He’ll get swamped in midfield and give away needless challenges. But seeing what arsene has said in the past about where he will play in thr future and where he has played this pre season is why i think he will play centre
I would like to see Wilshere play the same position Gerrard plays at Liverpool. He could be the new Lampard/Gerrard!
WIlshere is more of a lampard than gerrad and hopefully he will take his place in the next world cup
He’s nothing like the 2. He’s in between a gazza and inesta
Not bad hey
glad he’s doing well, but vermaelen, koscielny, djorou, campbell plus this kid just doesn’t seem a very strong set of central defenders. verma is flawless, but of the rest, one is a complete unknown, one is hitherto a walking injury, one is too old and slow and possibly past-it, and the other is too young and lightweight. song has got to be pretty awesome to make this lot look good.
gunner 17 you have a patent on insanity
Campbell “too slow and possibly past it” did you see him play last year and if you forgot it then try remembering the tottenham when he was chased down bale at 95 minutes
Djourou had a surgery and spend a year on sideline to make sure he isnt injury prone anymore
Koscielny is unproven but I trust wenger when he spends 10 million on a player
Nortvedit has looked in one word AWESOME
and then we have song who can also play there
hopefully this can enlighten you but I doubt it
Song is that good! :D
for a 6th choice CB yeah
i really hope nordveit is as good and ready as you say…
The group of guys we have now looks pretty good, but if Vermaelen goes down I’d be very very concerned. I think we definitely need another solid CB.
I wont be Djourou and Kos can play together if one of them gets injured then Nortvedit can there, he one of them gets injured then Sol can there if one of them gets injured then Song can play there
if our entire CB line gets injured then Wenger will play there
Funny thing is, all of our centrebacks WILL somehow be injured somewhere down the line.
CM is no waste, stuck out on the wings is a waste for a player with his talent. Get hmi in the middle where he can do some damage and use his vision to split open defences. Bolton started with him out on the flanks, then soon realised his talent was being wasted and pulled him inside, it was then he started getting good reviews, before that any Bolton fan will tell you they were unconvinced
Wilshere final place will be in the middle but until cesc is there he can play on the wings and in my view do a better job than walcott
Thats mainly because they dont have another player to pull the strings and create there. We’re overstocked in that department. He seems to cut out his dribbling and flair when he’s central, he’s more cautious. On the wing he’s like a different player for me. Full of imagination
Where is Denilson?…He is nowhere to be seen
groin injury
Good point. Haven’t seen that guy at all. Good riddance, I’d say.
campbell was great last year, but that was last year. he’ll be a year older, pushing 38! his quality could drop off at any second, if it hasn’t already. and can he last all season? really doubtful.
and wenger spending big money isn’t always a sign of guaranteed success…lest we not forget jeffers, reyes, wiltord…
well according to wiki he’s only 35 but what do they know
I saw resemblements of gilberto silva in eastmond last night
Still prefer frimpong though
does anyone think wenger will try Nordveit at DM?
I don’t believe so. We already have Song, Frimpong, Lansbury (sort of) and Eastmond in that area. Nordveit will either be a RB or CB.
I think he will
he played in germany as a DM player and he did very good job in that position against teams like Stuggart
I still remember when we signed him, like 3 or 2 years ago , and he became the captain of the reserve team right on time, i saw a couple of his games and tought “man this kid is going to be a monster”.
And I a agree to the people’s opinion, he must get a game on the CB , and I think he is quite ready for a first team spot (He looks better at his age than gibbs)
“man this kid is going to be a monster”.
do you mean physically because if you do then I will have to disagree with that
I’m gonna find it hard to pronounce his name, so whether you’re with me or not i’m just gonna call him Noddy!
why havnt arsenal gone for gui assulin he is at blackburn on a trial
maybe he wasn’t good enough or maybe assulin wanted to play int he first team week in and week out
People get way ahead of themselves. This is vs. Barnet and Sturm Graz and its just preseason. Nothing is riding on these games and they are vs. low-quality opponents. I mean there’s been maybe 2 saves our GK’s have had to make. How could anyone make a reasonable evaluation in such conditions?
Nordtveit has looked very classy in these two matches. He was always very good at long-range passing. The thing that’s most impressed me is his pace, which we haven’t seen much of to date. I downloaded a lot of matches from his time at Nuremburg and he was ‘all right’ at DM, but he didn’t ever look comfortable. He jogged around a lot, not seeming certain whom he was to mark and never got forward – probably due to confidence and game-planning since they weren’t a strong team at all in the Bundesliga. He looks very capable of being our 4th/5th CB and our 3rd RB – no more than that at this point, which is about the best you could hope for a defender at Arsenal that just turned 20. Future looks bright.
Sturm Graz played in the europa league last year and is the 4th best in austria not a bad team at all
That may be Andrew, but they had maybe 2 shots on goal in the whole match. So either they weren’t “up” for the match or the Austrian league isn’t very good. All I’m saying it that not a great deal can be extrapolated from such a match.
did you see how many times they carved up open with a long ball
its was embarrassing at times
and real test will comes in the emirates cup
Frimpong “looked” excellent vs. Barnet and people start talking about him or Eastmod pushing for significant game-time is insane. Both are just not ready for it. They should go out on loan or do the Wilshere route of playing cup matches and then go on loan for the second half of the season. In reality, we shouldn’t have even seen Eastmond play last season. He just wasn’t ready. It speaks to our lack of depth at DM and injury troubles that we did see him. I’m not saying he wasn’t “OK” but really to play significant time for Arsenal a player should at the minimum be in the top half of players at their position in the EPL and Eastmond was nowhere near that. Nor was Wilshere at this point last season, though much closer. But after a successful half season on loan at Bolton we can say he is and hopefully in a season or three he’ll be among the elites in the league.
It is now a year since then, surely Eastmond can claim a pretty solid position on the first team bench.
I’m looking forward to the choices Wenger will make next season.
I think Wenger will take Eastmond over Frimpong
Frimpong has exceptional hidden ability that’s came to the fore this pre season but he is raw and he needs to chip away the rough edges before he’s ready for the first team and he should do it on loan to a championship side
I hope Eastmond stays with the first team, Coquelin is already on loan and hopefully Frimpong can also go on loan to a championship side and then these three can compete for the spot although Coquelin can also play alongside a DM player because of his exceptional technical ability
Maybe Eastmond’s earned the right to be Arsenal’s 3rd or emergency DM specialist, but there really should be someone between Song and Eastmond – I don’t count Diaby or Denilson, since neither are specialists and don’t have the mindset for the role. If I had my way, Wenger would either get an older player to fill in when needed, but not demand to play every match, much like Sol at CB did last season. I remember a couple of seasons ago we were linked to Torsten Frings and Marcos Senna; someone of that type would work. OR Wenger could go for a DM/Box-to-box CM hybrid to fill in for Song when needed and challenge Diaby (and Ramsey when he’s fit – and make Denilson surplus to requirements). Felipe Melo has been mentioned often. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of him, but he or someone of that type would work.
what’s wrong with Nortvedit being the second choice DM
he’s been playing in bundesliga as a DM for a year now
Did you actually watch any of those Nuremburg matches? I watched at least half of those that he played in and I earlier said, he’s not suited to it. “I downloaded a lot of matches from his time at Nuremburg and he was ‘all right’ at DM, but he didn’t ever look comfortable. He jogged around a lot, not seeming certain whom he was to mark and never got forward – probably due to confidence and game-planning since they weren’t a strong team at all in the Bundesliga.” Honestly, I’d prefer Denilson over Nordtveit at DM and I’m not a fan of Denilson, but I am of Nordtveit . . . that’s why I downloaded those matches. Wenger has money; he sure get someone of Arsenal quality – if even its a short-term solution.
Good article on our youth system
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/sport/arsenal/8283664.Arsenal_s_future_stars_put_through_their_paces_at_Hale_End/
I wonder who the player is whos playing 2 years ahead of his age group
That was a great article. Thanks mate!
Cant wait for that kid! ;)
One young lad immediately caught the eye, holding off a challenge from a boy twice his size before effortlessly pirouetting with the ball at his feet to beat his marker. “He’s going to be a special player,” Massey said, noticing the awestruck expression painted on my face. “He’s nearly two years younger than the other boys.”
any idea who this player is he’s playing for the under 13s
Nope, I believe they kept that information undisclosed for a reason. We don’t want another Walcott in the making!
I grew up with Håvard in Vats. Glad to see him succeed, he was godlike back in the days.
In our dialect Nordtveit is pronounced: Norr-tvait
Agree we need a reliable striker, reliable being the operative word. Chamakh is a useful player but he’s not so far been a prolific scorer. Van P is has never not been injured for a large part of the season. As for Bendtner, Walcott and Vela … well, of those three I think Vela might have the most talent, which is not the same as predicting he’ll be featuring much, let alone getting even 10 goals. Our top scorer last season was Cesc, by quite a long way. Says it all.
Walcott and Vela were out for most of last year and Bendtner did well when he came in. Van Persie has been a china doll in the past but is a top striker when fit and Chamakh has been more than useful for Bordeaux last year. Arshavin can score when he feels in the mood also
I’m not saying Arsenal have two 20+ goal forwards in there, or 2 strikers that can have a consistant 1/3 chances to goals ratio……but CB,MF and GK are much more pressing issues
I sure it would have been Persie had he not been injured.
with a 4-3-3 system
wingers chip in with the goal
the midfielders behind the strikers will chip in
so the pressure isnt on the striker to score
and chamak is an ideal target man
We must of had the most goals scored by non-strikers last season. I am not worrying about the lack of goals but I believe Chamakh, van Persie, and Fabregas can all get into the double digits. I want to see Arshavin and Nasri both step-up their games and Nasri already looks fresh and hungry for success. Arshavin has been running around a lot more and reminds me of the Arshavin I first tell in-love with.
Looking forward to the new season, myself.
Nicklas bendtner are ppl forgetting what he done last year?
Out of all our strikers he looked the most clinical he scored alot of goals and created goals in the last 2-3 months since he came back from his injury. In saying that he was playing with a groin injury all the way till the world cup which shows hes a team player
Hes a young guy who will only get better ppl i think forget that.
Also JS where do arsenal see thomas cruise position? Just wondering cause he use to play as a centre back played left back and can play in midfield?
Do you think he can play as a centre back
I’m guessing the reason he was moved out of centre back is because he’s only 183 cm (6 ft). Vermaelen is the same height but he has an enormous leap, not to mention he’s more athletic in general.
People prefer to remember the bad things a player did, not what they did to help the team. I have always been a fan of Nicklas Bendtner. He is given too much flak for what he does for the club.
Yeah, he crashed his car, fell over while out on the lash and got a princess pregnant, oh and he spent ages on the treatment table. He chipped in with some goals and even more glaring misses.
If Havard was 6’3″ -6′ 4″ he’d be a absolute certainty at centre back. I would say though that there is some doubt that he’s physically big enough or athletic enough to dominate the best centre forwards. He would have been absolutely ace if he’d been around 10-15 years ago when people would play sweepers a la Mathias Sammer.
He’s like 6ft 1
Almost 6’2″!
he’s 186 so 6’1 and half
I have 2 season tickets available for next season if anyone is interested then please email me on fergus.hay@ogilvy.com
any updates on dzoni ?
i went to barnet last saturday.whilst not a racing man.i think that nordtveit looks like the only youth player who has trained on in racing parlance.he’s always had the composure and the skill sets.he now looks like he’s got the physicality to break through into the 1st. team and he’s my player to watch for the comming season.
same here
i like havard he has great composure undnder pressure, watched a few videos of him in bundesliga and he has got a calm mind , and has good decision making
AndyE said: “Feeling isn’t what rational people do.” Advise Arsene of this as most of his quotes begin “I feel…..”
I feel you are a pretentious, pedantic twat!
I really want to be excited about Nortdveit because he’s exactly the type of player we need to see coming thru the ranks. But he didn’t do well at Salamanca, played out of position in Scandinavia and didn’t he lose his position towards the end fo the season at Nuremburg?
In the last 2 loans he didn’t even play CB which is our glaring weakness. I just don’t see him making it as a DM just down to technical ability in our system.
I can understand wanting to give him more time hence the re-signing but he really has to start showing some serious potential at the age of 19 cos if he hasn’t progressed significantly in a years time he’s gonna struggle to make the grade.
Let me put it this way if one of our AM’s/CM’s had Nordtveit’s resume he would probably be let go but because no CB is close to breaking thru he’s worth giving a shot. Guys like Wilshere and Ramsey are 4th or 5th choice in their respective position which is what Nordtveit is at the moment for CB. Enough said!!
We shouldn’t be waiting for Sol. Sign a DM who can play CB and if Sol signs then that boosts our depth. If Sol doesn’t sign now we are really struggling for depth. Djourou to possibly start after being 4th/5th choice last season and this after playing ONE game last season (ie. didn’t progress and possibly went backwards). And all this after Wenger said our defense wasn’t good enough last season …
We have such a tough start to the season from a fixture perspective. Away to Liverpool to start the season and then 5 away games after our UCL games and from memory all of them are difficult. An injury to Vermaelen or Song to start the season and we are absolutely stuffed!!!!
I think Nordtveit could be a pretty good CB cover. In Germany, they train their CBs as DMs when they are younger.
dude did you see him play in the pre season he has improved tremendously since I atleast last saw him
I am excited about him becoming one of the best for his age he looks awesome
The thing is, I don’t even want him to be played in that position. I would like to see him utilized as a RB with the ability to play in the central role. He is great at coming forward and already has a better cross than Clichy and Sagna. If he is stuck in the centreback role, he won’t be able to use his attacking mentality to much effect so he would be better suited on the right flank.
Also, I would like to mention Alexandre Song real quick. He was also around the same age as Nordtveit and was an absolutely abysmal player. I used to feel very uncomfortable when I saw his name in the starting XI — No longer. In fact, I feel confident when I see Song in the starting line-up. He is absolutely fantastic and is our most consistent player next to Vermaelen and Fabregas.
Yeah Andrew, he looked great at RB where we have very little need. If he can’t play CB or DM he’s useless to our first-team next season. And what are you basing this massive improvement on? One pre-season game. BIG DEAL!!! We practically walked some of the goals in.
Ronan, I know what you mean, Song definitely improved heaps but we didn’t immediately play him after his loan spell with Charlton. He did his time in the Carling Cup and we introduced him slowly. After Flamini & Diarra left we were forced to play him a little more but he was in a much more developed stage of his career then what Nordtveit is.
What I fear is that we won’t have that luxury to bring him along slowly with Nordtveit if we don’t add to our squad. 2 injuries to our CB’s and he’s starting! At one stage last season we had FOUR centre-backs injured for one game. Imagine if that happens next season … we are fucked … proper fucked!
Last season is fresh in my mind. We were miles worse than Chelsea and Man U. If we don’t buy a quality striker (Suarez), defender and goalie we will make no progress
thanks for the input but if you try to remember we weren’t that bad last season
and if we hadnt suffered twice the amount of injuries than chelsea or manu suffered I think we would have either been up there either winning it or close to it
last year I felt we lacked the players to win the PL but if we buy schwarzer and either buy Diakhate or keep Sol then I will be very happy with this team
Wenger will buy at least two more players. He has already made a great move to grab Chamakh who will only make things better for us. Our players are starting to grow and flourish into mature member of the club and we will start to see them progress instead of sitting on the bench. Vela, Wilshere, Gibbs, Ramsey, and Eastmond are all dying to break into the first team squad and this season will be their chance. There is a lot of competition for positions at the club which is great news. The future looks bright!
Ronnan really good post there’s competition for every spot now
IMO, I think JET can be what Eboue has become over the last season, an utility player that we will undoubtedly need, with our record with injuries and everything. He can play almost anywhere on the left side, as far as I understand, with probably apart from left-back, but we have plenty there as well. It’s always good to have such players in our squad like him, and he could have a future if he improves his composure.
Nordvteit has a “superagent” wow!! How do you qualify to be one of those ? Higher percentage cut ? Prepared to sell your granmother if a suitable bid comes in ? Joking aside, why are some agents called Super and can a super agent become a super duper agent
probably because they have been in the business for a long time
and know how to get the most out of the deal
Who scored for us apart from Nasri x2?
Lansbury.
Lansbury
Thanks :)
Who are Sami Bidah and Amine Dinar?
Balotelli is going to city for 23 million
I dont want to miss out on him
Put in a bid then Andrew
I would if I had the cash believe me
his attitude is shit!!!!
so was RVP when he came to us 6 years ago and now he is the most reliable player we have
this is just great! i have been waiting to hear news about him. now i would like to see him play for the first team. he could be the answer…. just could be. i say give him a chance.
After Cesc leaves next year why not move Arshavin on the right and Nasri on the left
Arshavin was brought to cover for Cesc and like wenger said nasri moved to the left to emulate Pires in that position
when I say arshavin on the right it means on the AM position
and nasri on LW
Surely someone has gone on Football Manager and can report back on how this works out :P
I don’t think Arshavin was ever considered a replacement for Cesc,he has never played in CM in the 2 years he has been at the club,Nasri appears like more of a possible for a Cesc type role in midfield.
Ramsey really is a huge loss for however long he will be out now, he was making real progress in CM before the injury
Ramsey was having a dream season until the injury — It was a huge shame. I would actually like to see Arshavin utilized directly behind the striker (preferably Chamakh) as it is his favored position.
I don’t see Arshavin as a direct replacement for Fabregas. If anything, Nasri and Wilshere are more suited but they still aren’t the perfect replacement.
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Lansbury is class I personally think he’s as good as Ramsey but with more pace and aggression. Technically he’s excellent he just needed to get over his illness which he has done nw.
Laurent koscielny looks a class defender he hasn’t really done anything wrong he looks calm composed
I can’t agree. Ramsey is a class apart from his peers. The kid is only 19 and would of cemented a position in the first team by now if he didn’t get injured. He has great vision and can hold up the ball — The perfect foil for our star playmaker. I believe Lansbury would bring too much attacking mentality to the team if he started with Fabregas and Song next to him. Ramsey is one of those players who balances the midfield between the Holding player and the Playmaker. Once Ramsey returns, you will notice how much smoother our attacks and how much of a threat he is on the edge of the box.
I think we are alright for cover myslef and whilst it would be fantastic to have a solid like for like ready made replacement for Song, in this day and age and with the new rules this won’t happen……
Who do chelsea have to cover ashley cole? yes they got the russian but he hasn’t impressed me.
Where is their like for like replacement for Lampard? Drogba/Anelka, Or Essien? They simply don’t have them…. but they had (and i use that word for a reason) jobbers like Ballack, Fereira, Deco, Kalou etc who aren’t week in week out players but can come in an do a job and then sit out for months.
With the new home grown rule, the first 3 have been released and will be replaced by Academy players.
I think we are in a good position going into the season. If we can sign Campbell, and keeper who will earn us 6/7 points a season rather than cost us them i think we are definitely in with a shot of silverware.
I agree. We basically have a good amount of cover in every position.
Target strikers: Chamakh, Bendtner, Simpson (possibly van Persie)
Second-strikers/out-and-outs: van Persie, Vela (Walcott, if needed)
Right-wing: Walcott, Nasri, Arshavin, Rosicky, Wilshere, Eboue, JET
Left-wing: Arshavin, Nasri, Wilshere, JET
Central midfielders: Fabregas, Ramsey, Rosicky, Nasri, Denilson, Diaby, Wilshere
Defensive midfielder: Song, Eastmond, Ramsey, Denilson, Frimpong
Left back: Clichy, Gibbs, Traore
Centrebacks: Vermaelen, Campbell, Nordtveit, Koscielny, Djourou
Right back: Sagna, Eboue, Nordtveit
Goalkeeper: Mannone, Szczesny, Fabianski, Almunia
If I had to choose two positions to bring in an extra player, it would be the GK and CB positions.
good summary
Koschielny still needs 6 months from what I have seen of him and i think he would benefit from having Campbell around.
I know it’s just the first game but i saw him get shifted off the ball with ease in the Barnet game and remember thinking that the lad that did it was no ricardo fuller.
Not to say he won’t come good….i think he will as he definitely has a lot of good qualities so i won’t write him off anytime soon. i remember Anelka turning Jaap Stam inside out in the Charity Shield and thinking Utd had been mugged off but he went on to be immense.
‘Watford boss Malky Mackay is playing a waiting game as he bids to bring in Henri Lansbury and other loan signings.’ – Skysports News
Arsenal need to keep Lansbury he can play in different positions plus he’s a goner thru nd thru we need players with passion. In our squad
I hope we do
he’s good enough for a PL side
i am so pissed with these barca players. now d villa is trying to persuade cesc to go.
its white noise to me now
i see villa trying to persuade fab
or
xavi fab has barca dna
and it just isn’t frustrating any more
Laurent Koscielny looks class to me.
Hes got pace, great compsure, tall, good timing of headers and looks for the interceptions.
He hasnt done anything wrong and yet people assume he will get bullied by the likes of drogba, carew, carlton cole.
Its way too early pre season players will start to get into shape and into a rhythmn we will see if he can handle them.
Ppl think we need a 6ft 6 defender but the problem isnt defending against big strikers the problem is that as a team we cannot defend especially under pressure our full backs are too gunho and we dont defend with two banks of 4
HE IS PHYSICALLY NOT AS TOUGH AS PL DEFENDER BUT HE LOOKS LIKE A BRILLIANT DEFENDER TO ME
I THINK HE WILL BE THE FIRST CHOICE WITH VERMAELEN ALTHOUGH DJOUROU TOO IS LOOKING GOOD AND NORTVEDIT IS IMPRESSING IN THE PRE SEASON AS WELL
SO GOOD COMPETITION
the problem for me is that a team can defend with 10 men and put on striker upfront and keep putting long balls to carve up our defense.
I am not sure how we counter this but hopefully wenger will find a way and emirates cup will give a good indication of how our defense is right now
hopefully by then we would have signed schwarzer
A huge centreback does not suit our style-of-play at all so I believe Vermaelen and Koscielny are perfect choices. I still haven’t seen enough of Koscielny to make a decision so I will keep my mouth shut until after the Emirates Cup and Liverpool.
Stewart robson always makes the point the one ball seems to beat the whole back 4 when we are not under pressure.
I think we defend too high up some times and its a big risk which is why i think hes bought a player like koscielny.
Hes like a sweeper and vermaelen said he was a “smart defender” maybe wenger might adopt a sweeper system
I have never seen a top team play with a sweeper I have almost forgotten they existed
I’m not even familiar with the sweeper’s tactics.
cska moscow want rosicky
I am not sure wenger will sell but if he does then hopefully we get honda in a player plus cash deal
rosicky plus 6-7 million should be more than enough
Wenger will not sell Rosicky. Rosicky can still go back to his best if he continues to stay fit and gets over his niggling injuries. He is still an absolutely worldclass player. Our very own Little Mozart!
good point
Then again, I can’t see Wenger saying no to a good offer. Money talks. Wilshere and Ramsey will be pleased.
If CSKA want Rosicky I’d do it in an instant if we get Honda coming our way. He looked world class in South Africa, a shame we couldn’t see more of him.
Rosicky seems to be a popular guy in the dressing room we do need a good team spirit which is why we need to keep players like him.
We dont need any more attacking players we need defensive players.
I am also worried if we buy a new goalkeeper plus with vermaelen, djoruou, koscielny hardly playing with each other our defence could be more vulnerable than last season cause they have hardly played together.
We only got 3 games left and i fear it wont be enough to fix our defensive problem
Hi everyone from a Norwegian gooner in Austria. Thx for a fab site and great stuff and debates. I spoke to Havard Nordtveit this morning, and he told me that he expected to stay at THOF this season. But AW will decide for him what is best. Maybe Sol C will sign for another year. AA23 left the traning after the warmup, but said he was NOT hurt…!! It is hot down in Bad Waltersdorf… I will go back for the afternoon session now..
“he expected to stay at THOF this season”
that means what
sorry didnt understand the THOF
Come on Supermac, what the hell is THOF??
It looks quite possible that Campbell will sign another contract with us before start of the season. This will give us more depth in the back but I still think we need another player to fill the void.
Thats why i am hoping we get Sol campbell hes the perfect back up defender and knows arsenal through and through and bring that experience onto the likes of koscielny and djourou.
agreed
that’s why I want schwarzer in the team aswell he is one of those goalkeepers that can help not just our young goalkeepers but also the CB
he can organize the back four and keep them in tact
JS – Any update on the following?
Botelho (work permit)
Galindo (Loan move)
Martinez (has he signed? will he be available this season?)
Andrew – Ive got it THOF = I think he means The Home Of Football!!
Sorry Andrew, and thx bc. THOF = The home of football. Håvard is staying deepending maybe on Sols choice. Håvards nickname is Howie..
Today Traore went off with susp hamstring. AA23 went off in the moring session, and did not show up in the afernoon work out. JET was awsome (very good) and must have a future in Arsenal. He is a cool finisher, and is the boss in the air. Only Vermaelen could handle him. But also new boys Cha29 and Kos6 show some good signs today. Diaby told me he was fit from his calf, and maybe could play on tuesday. Vela, Eboue, Diaby, Clichy, Sagna and Sond did not touch the ball this afernoon, only runing and some gym. Henderson, Eastmond, and Landsbury did not show up at all today. Almunia answer the quiz about this season : “Ask me again in december” (???) AW tried to pratice his pass and move game, but we lack of good passes in front of goal. Theo tried 10 times but fails to hit Cha29 and JET from his right wing. Frimpong did it better, and Håvard too… ITs worries me a lot… Jack W and Gibbs did OK from the left wing… WE need someone who pass well in front of goal…!! (the last deadly pass, behind the defence) Do you guys knows someone ??
There’s this guy called Cesc Fabregas … you may have heard of him. :)
Just kidding mate and keep the updates coming they are great. Lets not forget our 4 best CM’s havent even started a practise game up until this point. Diaby, Cesc, Nasri, RVP, Ramsey, Wilshere and to a lesser degree Denilson can all unhinge a defense with their passing. It’s not something I’m even remotely worried about.
Walcott was/is never going to be the best passer on our team. He’s more the wide-receiver who gets on the end of the passes.
I’m excited by JET as well btw. I initially thought he was only effective cos he was much bigger than players the same age (scored loads of headed goals in our FA Youth Cup) but he actually shows very good touch and passing for a player his size and he has plenty of energy to burn. He has a pretty good understanding with Wilshere as well which will be helpful when if they both break into the team together.