It’s official, season 2009 / 2010 is about to start, as we kick off our pre-season schedule with our annual trip to League Two side Barnet. I’ve been itching to watch my team back in action, and by all omens, the squad will definitely be without Adebayor… (more on that later)
Barnet v Arsenal
Pre-season Friendly
Saturday, July 18, 2009, 15:00
Last season, we started this XI, so the omens are that it may just be a strongish XI that start this time…
Manuel Almunia
Bacary Sagna – Havard Nordtveit – Justin Hoyte – Gael Clichy
Aaron Ramsey – Denilson – Henri Lansbury – Armand Traore
Theo Walcott – Nicklas Bendtner
On the Arsenal.com site, information about the squad has been released and the “group” is supposed to include the following players:
Almunia, Rosicky, Eduardo, Clichy, Mannone, Gallas, Djourou, Wilshere, Nasri, Denilson, Silvestre, Arshavin, Traore, Senderos and Vermaelen.
Although, I don’t expect them all to start especially Toure, Gallas and Arshavin, I do think we may see some big names. I think we’ll see the following line up:
Almunia
Armand Traore – Senderos – Vermaelen – Clichy
Wilshere – Ramsey – Merida – Rosicky
Eduardo – Arshavin
Of course, I could be totally wrong, but we’ll find out Friday morning…
And now on to Adebayor… I would love to rant and rave a little on this, but at the moment, most sites seem to take the words right out of my mouth…
A good summation was published today on the Football365.com site… 3 reasons why we’re better off without the Togan…
First, the money – £25m will buy a lower-profile striker (Marouane Chamakh for just £6m looks like a bargain), a long-awaited replacement for Matheiu Flamini, and perhaps even another centre-half. Even if only two out of three arrive at Arsenal, that’s still better than a hit-and-miss oft-offside striker whose level of effort in the Champions League semi-finals was bordering on criminal.
Secondly, suggestions that Adebayor is a deeply unpopular figure within the Arsenal dressing-room are too consistent to be dismissed. We saw some evidence with the on-pitch headbutt on Bendtner, but expect more revelations of off-pitch shenanigans when Adebayor completes his move north. Divisive figures can be tolerated only if they are truly legendary. It’s fair to say that the Togo striker is not in that category.
Thirdly, and a point so far overlooked, is Arshavin. He declared himself “baffled” at Wenger’s insistence on playing him on the left side of midfield (even prompting rumours of a double-quick exit) and it was telling that the Russian’s finest four-goal hour came in the absence of Adebayor. Arsenal will not see the very best of him until the build their side around his talent rather than Adebayor’s size.
For once it’s the summer and Arsenal fans can rejoice in a very profitable deal in more ways than one. Now it’s down to Arsene to prove he does ‘know’ how to take advantage.
More later…
