Lauren’s gone, but now we must move on 19 January, 2007
Posted by lasagnechef in Arsenal News, Premiership, Transfers.trackback
Last night it was announced that right back Lauren has moved to Portsmouth. It’s sad new for every Arsenal fan but we must get over it now with the United game on the horizon. “Ralph’ has been a fantastic servant to the club and I don’t think there is one Arsenal fan with something bad to say about him. He was one of those good old Arsenal hard nuts that are now gradually fading out of our team. Eboue steps up to first choice right back, it won’t make a difference to him. He’s been in the same position all season and most of last season including a run that took him to Paris. I’m not 100% confident in Eboue, I’d much prefer having Lauren there but Emmanuel is only going to get better. He’s got some big boots to fill and I think he’s up to the task. He’s going to have Hoyte and Gilbert hot on his heels for that place so he’s wrong if he thinks he’s a guaranteed name on the team sheet.
Lauren takes the no.10 shirt at Portsmouth and has signed a 2 and a half-year deal there. He joins a number of Ex-Arsenal players including Adams, Kanu, Campbell and Andy Cole (cough). I’m sure he’ll do well there but I’m keen to see him playing. To move from being Arsenal’s first choice right back to Portsmouth he must be a different player to the one we saw before his injury.
When we played Liverpool in the Carling Cup Wenger said Lauren wasn’t going to play because he had a small toe injury. I hate it that managers do this and I’d much prefer him to tell the truth and say he’s thinking about moving. Chelsea the other day said on their website they’re going to put a bid in for some player, can’t remember who and then told the fans the offer was rejected. It rarely happens like that where the fans are actually told what is going on at their football club. Anyway Lauren is gone, bye bye, thanks for the memories, see you on the last day of the season.
Now we move on to Sunday. RVP picked up a knock in training this week and was a doubt for the big game but now Wenger is saying Van Persie has an 80% chance to play. He was expected to start and with Baptista and Adebayor in reserve I don’t think Wenger will play him if there is any sort of risk. At the moment I’m still thinking he’ll play but hopefully we’ll get some more news on that tomorrow. Also Johann Djourou is out which leaves us a bit thin on centre-backs but we’ll be alright. And I’ve got some terrible, terrible news to tell you. Teenage sensation Alexander Song is away on international duty for Cameroon U20. I can’t imagine the sort of stress Mr. Wenger must be going through now but I’m sure he’ll find a replacement for the clash with Manchester United.
Eboue is back so he will feature but Gallas and Freddie are still out and Gilberto is suspended remember. So I’m expecting Fab & The Flam in the middle of the park with Rosicky & Hleb out wide. Eboue/Toure/Senderos/Clichy in defence then Henry partnered by RVP if fit, otherwise I reckon it’ll be Ade. By no means a weak team and certainly one good enough to beat Man U if they’re up 4 it. Scholes, Ronaldo and Larsson are all on good form so we’ll have to make sure we don’t give them the room to play. I can see it now, Senderos mastering Larsson, Clichy embarrassing Ronaldo and Fabregas dominating that ginger twat. We just have to hope that happens.
The weekend’s fixtures will have a big impact on the title race and according to Wenger we are out of it if we lose. Most people dismissed Arsenal’s chances a while ago but if results go our way this weekend we’re gradually climbing our way closer to the top. It’s a very slim chance we could win the title in 2007 but still a chance.
Sorry about the lack of updates this week, I had an interview today and had a lot to prepare but I’m back now and I’ll have a match preview up tomorrow. Now I’m going to the squad pages to remove Ralph Lauren…Happy Weekend.
Its 0 fucking crdits for spurs, i have no money. was banking on my dad going, meaning he would pay,, hes bottled it completely.
Im going on holiday in 3 weeks, and im going boro away, i havent sorted out my travel for that and i havent been paid for this week yet.
Guttteed.
I am a twat and my mum loves africans!
Cannon your a twat for still putting down a 19 yr old kid who just bossed liverpool’s (and everton’s) midfields!
Thank fuck for not the manager otherwise Tony Adams would have been on his arse after his first few Arsenal performances!!
Come on you Gunners!
Can someone, anyone, please, please upload a picture of Lauren choking Phil Nev. It is definately a moment which still makes my eyes misty!
Song had a good game against Liverpool, played well. It’s now just like a cliche to take the piss out of Song just like it was for cygan/luzhney.
I AM GOING TO THE SHITHOLE ON WENESDAY YESSSS!!!!
saying you’d prefer to have lauren in the team is a bit like saying you wish maradonna was available… sure maybe when they were at their peak but now?! Irrespective of his injury, the fact that his activity in the past 12 months was a kick about with some punters from the vietnamese league suggests he most probably is not ready for Man United… Then when you consider the injury… all this talk that we ‘must’ move on ‘now’ is totally over the top. While he was a big player in the club, Lauren has not been meaningfully involved in the Arsenal set-up for a year. For starters he did most of his rehab in Spain! The players will hardly notice he’s gone for good, he’s been gone so long.
seriously, all due respect to lauren… he WAS a big player in a big team… but his day is done and he’s been off the scene for a year already so it’s impact on the squad is minimal at best. it’s not exactly a ‘vieira’ style departure…
Are there reall Arsenal Fans here????????…Did you see Ralph interview at his presentation….He said he was sad to leave Arsenal…Do you want an ashley Cole style departure?????…Where the twat turns around and diss us…Lauren is going to be really missed and thats all….I felt really sad hearing the news and i REALLY wish him well anywhere he goes….Does anyone have a a picture of where he kicked the fake ronaldo up in the sky?????????
nobody is saying it isn’t sad to see a popular player leave but it happens and in this case i don’t think it has any majoe consequences. in the last few years we’ve seen a lot of big and popular players leave and move on. bergkamp, pires, edu, vieira, parlour etc. all part of the same era. i couldn’t give a fuck what cashley said or did, he’s not worthy of comparison to any of them. but fact is big players come and go. lauren has not been part of the squad for a year already. his departure will have minimal impact on the club other than fans saying a deserved cheers and good luck. besides we’ve three young right backs to look forward to. saying they’re not 100% convincing is daft. was lauren as good at 20 – 22 as he was at 27? doubt it. cheers lauren but here’s to the future.
“The most marked response to disappointment is to be found in Arsène Wenger’s team. Almost two years ago his line-up were beaten 4-2 by United at Highbury. The visitors were at their most ebullient, scoring their last goal through John O’Shea while down to 10 men after Mikael Silvestre had been dismissed.
A crestfallen Sol Campbell went off that night and was also absent from the FA Cup final shoot-out success over United the same year. While he certainly made further appearances for Arsenal, including in the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona, he epitomised the many players whose days were numbered after that 4-2 defeat to United.
Of the starting line-up overcome by United that February night in 2005 just two will be expected to begin tomorrow’s game. Even then, Mathieu Flamini may be sharing that distinction with Thierry Henry because Gilberto Silva’s suspension has created a vacancy. The rest have been sold or consigned to the reserves” Kevin McCarra, The Guardian.
A win tomorrow would show some major difference in just 2 years. That Arse team:
Almunia, Campbell (Justin Hoyte), Cole, Cygan, Lauren (Fabregas), Flamini (Reyes), Ljungberg, Pires, Vieira, Bergkamp, Henry
United: Carroll, Ferdinand, Heinze, Neville, Silvestre, Fletcher (O’Shea), Giggs (Saha), Keane, Ronaldo (Brown), Scholes, Rooney
Only 2 of that United team are no longer there. But Giggs, Neville, Scholes are getting old… In 2 years time, it’ll be tomorrow’s Arsenal team that will still be virtually intact while their’s is overhauled.
Lekan, I’ve got the youtube vid: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oKohHsaADeI