Arsenal face Bolton in the FA Cup 4th Round 8 January, 2007
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The draw for the 4th round of the FA Cup was made this afternoon and Arsenal will face Bolton; the match will be played at Ashburton Grove on the 27th/28th January. It’s another tough tie for us and I thought we’d be awarded an easier match after having to knock out the holders Liverpool in the third round. Bolton have been our bogey team recently but the problem has usually been visiting the Reebok. It’s the first cup game at home this season and I think we might’ve been in a bit of trouble if it was at their ground. We lost 3-1 at the Reebok earlier in the season but I think we should beat them when they visit us for this one.
We’ll be looking for a bit of revenge for what they did to us in the Premiership and I don’t think they’ll be too happy about the draw either, they knocked us out of the FA Cup last year but Arsenal will be looking to right those wrongs this time. Chelsea continue their luck with the domestic cup draws as they’ve got Nottingham Forest, they knocked out Charlton in the last round but I doubt they can do the same to Chelsea this time round. Manchester United have got Pompey at home, a fairly tricky tie but I expect them to progress. So we’ve got Bolton in the 4th round of the FA Cup, more build up to that nearer the time.
The main news at the moment is Anthony Stokes. Nobody really knows where he is going. On Saturday it looked like he was going to Charlton and was having a medical for Alan Pardew’s side. It seemed like it was a done deal but now everyone is saying he’s going to Roy Keane’s Sunderland; and just to mix it up he’s saying he hasn’t ruled out Celtic. I suppose I’m still slightly bitter at Wenger letting Stokes go, I thought he should’ve been given another loan but hopefully Arsene knows what he’s doing here.
Anthony took the SPL by storm and when he returned from his loan quite a few Gooners were exited to see how he’d fare for Arsenal. However as soon as he returned talks turned to finding Stokes a pernament move away from Ashburton Grove. Maybe Arsene has predicted this boy won’t be as good as we think and if he has he’s a genius but he looks alright to me. Anyway, something is likely to get sorted out this week for Antony’s departure. I would’ve liked to have seen him play in the Carling Cup tomorrow night but it doesn’t look like he’s going to be an Arsenal player for much longer now.
Arturo Lupoli is also looking to find a deal to move away from Arsenal. He’s been saying that a move back to Italy might be on the cards but Arturo is considering saying at Derby. He’s doing well there on loan at the moment and he scored a hattrick the other week so I’m sure the Rams would be keen to keep him. His Arsenal contract expires in the Summer so I’m pretty sure it’ll all get sorted out then.
Arsene Wenger has praised Tomas Rosicky for his double-goal scoring display at Anfield on Saturday saying he can become the next Ljungberg/Pires. We need a goalscoring midfield so not to rely on the strikers so much and Super-Tom looks like he’s the man. He was unlucky with injuries earlier in the season but he’s back now and I’m sure he’ll be looking to add to the three goals he’s scored so far this season. Here’s what Le Boss had to say:
“He can be like Ljungberg and Pires. Together they scored 25 goals a season and that is worth a lot of points. At the moment we haven’t had that and it is important to get it, especially in games like [Saturday's] when the strikers get a little less service. It is important that goals come from midfield. Rosicky can score more goals because he is quick, he has good timing and he is very accurate in his finishing. I think he puts too much pressure on himself to finish and he sometimes rushes his decision making. I hope this will help him to be more calm in front of goal.”
Tomas has got big shoes to fill but I think he can do it, Wenger has pulled off a great signing here and hopefully he’ll Rosicky will fulfill his potential. We’ve been playing him out wide but it is clear he prefers to play as a central attacking midfielder; his first goal on Saturday was in that postition. I’m not sure whether Wenger told him to go there or whether he naturally drifted into the middle but it worked. I look forward to seeing how the season continues for the Czech.
That’s about it for today. I’ll try to get a match preview up tomorrow ahead of our Carling Cup game. Have a good day.
I welcome the Bolton draw in that it gives us a chance to get over this mental block. We’ve played them 7 times in the past 3 seasons and lost 4 times and drawn twice. We owe them and ourselves a result.
Selling Stokes is a calculated risk. Wenger has never been proved wrong on letting young players go. On paper it might seem insane. Stokes has had a hot streak in the SPL… But more specifically he’s had a hot streak in certain games against very average opposition in the SPL. Still excellent for a teenager but it’s a qualified success. In any case, he is not being judged on goals only but his overall game. From what I understand, that is where Stokes falls down. His awareness of team mates and work ethic are not supposed to be great.
So why not loan him out and see how he does in the Championship? Well there’s a strong argument there. But Wenger and the coaches are judging him on 3 or 4 years of development, not 3 months. They have a very good idea of his potential and seem certain that 2 and a half million is excellent business.
At best he’s only better than Aliadiere in our current squad and it seems universally agreed that Bendtner is better than either. The fact that the only Premiership club interested in him is the most desperate Premiership club suggests that he hasn’t won over that many scouts despite the goals.
Rosicky can play from the left with great effect. That will be he starting position but he can then drift into the centre, cutting accross the box to let fly with his right boot. Done it twice on saturday and scored 2 cracking goals.
but what we need on the left (and right) is width me thinks. HOWEVER, goals are always better
Pires and Ljungberg were never typical wide players in the Giggs, Duff, etc. mould. What we need is a continuation of DesieGooner described. Strong, sharp passers with lots of movement. It’s ensuring our fullbacks have the ability to add width is the real trick. I think Eboue and Clichy have both shown they can do that and hopefully they continue to improve.
the sun had an article yesterday saying that arsenal wants to kick ljungberg out of the team because they find him too expensive for the number of games he’s been playing.
Ah yes the sun, a top quality reliable publication there !
Stokes has gone to Sunderland apparently – all the best to the lad.
Agree there John. The fullbacks can provide the width. Also lets remember Henry always drifts wide on the left. And VanP plays wide right of a front 3 for holland so hes no stranger to the wing positions as needed. Then with Hleb and Rosicky making their runs from out wide to the centre and Cesc pushing on from midfield. Thats a whole lot of movement for defenders to worry about. Its all about fluid interchanging players/positions. Total Football
Stokes is 100% gone. Thank God that story’s over.
Diaby in the Carling Cup squad! Doubt he’ll play but nice to have him back as I think everyone was gutted for him. Lauren and Gallas not back but everyone bar Ljungberg will be fit for Saturday. Allegedly.
Think it was News of the World, even less reliable than the Sun, who broke the ‘Freddie’ story. I can see the idea behind the rumour but don’t see the truth.
Regarding Stokes, I too was disappointed to hear that he is being moved on but it could be a masterstroke by Arsene.
I have mentioned a couple of times recently that I would like to see Wenger bring Steve Sidwell back to Arsenal, as he said he might when he sold him to Reading. He let Sidwell go because there was too much midfield competition at the time. I saw an article in the Daily Mail this weekend saying that Arsene does indeed want to bring him back and cited a ‘first-option’ clause in his contract at Reading. If that is true, it is very clever planning. He will hve allowed Sidwell to grow up and develop the strength of a man, to get 4 or 5 years experience playing in a competitive position in a successful team, playing at a decent level. Now we could use a strong midfielder, to help Gilberto in games like Bolton and Sheffield United and also to cover when he is globe-trotting with Brasil in the Copa America.
Maybe he has a similar plan for Stokes. Stokes is only 18 years old and very young to be relied on as a main striker. Suppose his contract with Sunderland is for four and a half years, with a buy-back clause. He will be 23 when Henry is 34 and getting near to the end of his career. If we need a new striker then and if Stokes has confirmed his potential, we pull him back; if not, we go elsewhere.
Seems to me like a win-win situation. Sunderland get a decent striker for 4.5 years and we get an option on an experienced player who is getting near to his peak. Perfect.
The trouble is, it may be all a load of Betty Swallocks !!
Its great to see Diaby back. we probobly wont see the best of him till next season tho. He has a lot of potential to be the main powerhouse of this midfield in years to come. He has to dislodge Gilberto first tho and any man who can fill his shoes will be a welcome addition indeedy
The Sidwell story is total bollox. The Daily Mail?! Come on. The only sliver of truth that MAY exist in there is Sidwell’s agent trying to crank up interest in his client who is now available to talk to other clubs. With all due respect to Sidwell, I think he is much better than Song and at the very least on a par with Flamini. But with Diaby back and Denilson coming through, there is no still room for Sidwell at Arsenal.
The idea of buying Stokes back as Henry gets older is undermined by the fact we bought Theo for that exact reason. Arguably by then Van Persie and Adebayor could be doing great things… Much like there is still no room for Sidwell, I can’t see gaps opening up for Stokes.
hurrah finally a home draw… …for the price of my tickets I thought I had been ripped off this season!
Bolton to win!
Arsenals gonna win!!!! whatever the circumstances bolton’s gonna loosee!!!!!!!! wohh!!!! arsenal!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wot shite
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