Emirates Cup 2008 & Wilshere new no.19 4 August, 2008
Posted by lasagnechef in Arsenal News.trackback
Hamburg’s 3-0 win over Juventus in the first game yesterday was enough for the to take the 2008 Emirates Cup. They lost 2-1 to Real Madrid on Saturday but won the cup on 7 points. In the end, all four clubs won one, and lost one, so it was actually quite a tight tournament but when it’s a point per goal in a competition like this all it takes it one big win.
On Saturday we faced Juventus with a fairly young side. Senderos played his first game of the summer, he was partnered by his Swiss mate Djourou with Fabianski in goal. Bendtner and Vela started upfront and Wilshere also got his start first start in front of the home support in a first team fixture.
Even with that side, we were getting more of the ball. We were getting forward quickly but lacked end product. We had a few shots at goal but nothing clear-cut. Buffon was tested outside the box on a few occasions but he was equal to them.
We’d had most of the attacks in the first half with Juve only managing two or three chances. However it was the visitors who took the lead in the 38th minute. They won a free kick in a dangerous position and Iaquinta stepped up to take it. It looked to me like he missed kicked it but it could’ve been planned, the ball went low across the goal going wide of the left post but David Trezeguet was sliding in at the far post and diverted it in.
It looked blatantly offside too but the goal was given. Haven’t actually seen a replay of it but I was quite close to the action. Trezeguet had a header ruled out for offside a few minutes earlier but he got lucky this time and it was 1-0 at half time.
For the second half we brought on some of the big guns, Gallas, Adebayor and Diaby came on at half time, then Sagna, Nasri and Walcott got a run out after an hour. It didn’t really change much to be honest. We got a bit tighter in defence and we did create a bit more going forward but there weren’t many chances.
In the end Buffon kept his clean sheet and we lost the first game 1-0, leaving it all to do on the Sunday. With Hamburg completing that 3-0 win earlier in the day it meant we had to beat Real Madrid 4-0. I thought it was possible but I didn’t really care to be honest, I was treating this as a separate game and if we won it by any margin I would be happy.
We lined up against Real Madrid (match report here) with a nearly full-strength 11. Toure and Fabregas are still in training after their late starts so they were replaced by Senderos and Diaby. Denilson partnered Diaby in central midfield with both looking to impress to fill that spot next to Cesc in next season’s team; The Brazilian completed two 90 minute performances compared to Diaby’s second half against Juve and only 75 minutes against Real Madrid. Maybe that’s a clue to Wenger’s preference but that could be due to Diaby not playing in Austria.
We went close early on with Walcott forcing Jerzy Dudek into a close-range save. We started this game much better that yesterday’s and that was what I was looking for seeing as we had our preferred 11 out. Adebayor had a good chance after half an hour when van Persie crossed it from the left, he leapt well but the header was off target, should’ve done better.
Just before half time Adebayor had another great chance but Dudek saved well and down the other end Raul broke through but Almunia stood his ground and put off the Champions League top scorer. It ended 0-0 at half time.
We took the lead 5 minutes into the second half when van Persie won a penalty after being pushed in the area. Adebayor rushed straight to the scene and made sure he was the one who got the opportunity to score. He put it high into the top right corner, Dudek went the right way but couldn’t reach it, decent penalty. Adebayor celebrated to the fans behind the goal by kissing the badge on his shirt and thumping it as his ran back in true Thierry Henry fashion, however you knew when Henry was doing it meant something and it wasn’t a lame apology.
It’s going to take more than a badge kiss to earn an the respect of most Arsenal fans. The tabloids today reckon he’s been forgiven after that ‘crucial’ goal against Madid. Rubbish. Wenger has told Adebayor he needs to work hard on the pitch to earn back the respect of the fans. Goals and committed play is what is going to get him back in the good books here, not one converted penalty and badge-kiss.
Midway through the first half Adebayor did do something that looked quite promising. He picked up the ball about 40 yards out and drove past about three Real defenders with skill before putting the ball just inches the wrong side of the far post. It would’ve been a great goal and the sort of thing that’s going to get me warming to him again: Determination and goals.
The game finished 1-0, which I think is something we can be proud of against a strong Real Madrid side. It wasn’t enough to win the tournament but I think I’ll get over it, all the info on this years Emirates Cup can be found here. Wenger spoke about the tournament after the game and he seems pretty pleased with everything. We really are coming on well ahead of the new season and the squad seems full of exciting and improved players.
One of those has to be young Jack Wilshere. He’s had a brilliant pre-season and his hard work has been rewarded with a place in our first team squad. He’s been given Gilberto’s old no.19 after playing in the Emirates Cup under no.55. I was thinking about getting that on the back of my new shirt but now he’s got no.19 I bet lots of people will go for it, still wouldn’t be a bad choice though!
I wasn’t sure what Jack Wilshere’s role was going to be next season but I think this must be a clue. I still don’t think he’ll break into out first 11 but what an impact sub this boy could be next season. He’s just full of energy, he’s willing to take anyone on and can score a goal too. The current youngest goalscorer record belongs to Fabregas at 17 years 113 days, but I wonder what the odds are on Wilshere breaking that next season, who doesn’t even turn 17 until 1st January.
It’s going to be an exciting season for him and an even more exciting season for us. I can’t wait now. Next up it’s Huddersfield on Wednesday evening before the Amsterdam tournament at the weekend.
Bit of a long post today but I haven’t spoken to you all weekend. Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow.
Arsenal was so much better than Juventus and lost by an offside goal which was even acknowledged by their official channel.
Especially in the second half, Arsenal killed them all.
Wikshere looks to be a great player in the near future. The touch that he did to went around the right back yesterday was something special, 16 years old and he already got the no19 jersey. Watch out for this kid, I know I’m excited to see him play his games this season.
As for ade, to me he’s been rubbish all summer but seeing him play in the red and white yesterday made me feel alot better. I know that kissing the batch will not make people forget but to me its a good start. And he’s still our best shot at legitimate striker right now, at least while robin is totally injurie free abd the young ones got better. Vela abd bentdner looked good but from these games I saw that its not a fluke that ade was our top scorer.
Vela impressed me alot. Hes stronger than he looks. And ramsey also looks exciting. Its the excitement that we always have but now we will win to shut people up.
I love this team.
And bentley is showing his true colors.
He said he’d like to score a winner at emirates when his new team play us, hmm, u wish u ungrateful little shite. Typical spurs fan, always dreaming talking bollocks and being jealous. He doesnt realize that being a star for second tier teams don’t mean a damn thing.
And they say spurs will really push for the top4. Not again please, this happened before the start of every season. Because they bought like crazy doesnt mean they’ll be any good. So tired of all these crap. If somehow, I mean really very very unlikely to happen, they get into 4th, then byebye Liverpool, we re pushing for title while they will be happy living in for 4th spot.
If Ade can put in the effort he did yesterday , every game he plays, I will soon start singing his name again.
Fabregas was 16 years, 212 days when he scored against Wolves in the League Cup 4th round ( http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=The+Club&article=357584&Title=Highbury+Highlights ).
For Jack to beat this he would have to have scored in a competitive game by 31st July.
wenger is no dought looking for high profile siging around 24-26 that can play in cm,but i still feel we have very strong squad but lack a bit of experience in that area, diaby, delnilson,ramsey,fab, so still need one more,but defence wenger should give song and dijouro a chance. i dont arsenal defence will ever be the best because of they way they play but they have to because they will always score goals, chelsea has have tight defence because they dont score alot of goals if arsenal went down 1-0 you know they can come back win 2-1 or3-1 same manu but chelsea cant
Reg Pubes,
Oh….my stat must’ve been premiership goal then.
I’m pretty sure Cesc was 16 when he scored that goal against Wolves….
Otherwise, I enjoyed the read and the tournament. Nice to get back into some regular football.
Nothing being made about Diaby’s tackle on Snjeider? Was a bit stupid and clumsy, completely unneeded and clumsy.
However, I still reckon our squad is too thin. We need cover for our full backs and on the wings, when you take into consideration that Eboue is shit. With Vela set to play upfront, I think we need a new RB and RW. Theo looks set to take the mantle on the wing, but I don’t want Vela to alternate from wing to upfront like Dudu did, he needs to concentrate on one position and the attributes needed for that position.
Gibbs impressed me at LB and considering we have Traore, I think we’re set there, but Justin Hoyte, for all his loyalty, is shite.
As impressed as I was with Nasri, I have yet to see evidence of his infamous shooting ability.
Denilson indeed looked much changed, very strong in the tackle and eager to get involved in play. Let’s hope he can do that on a regular basis and that it wasn’t just because he was playing against Madrid.
A quality CM and two players (or even one!) on the right flank is needed, and we’re set for a title challenge.
You have to wonder, what lies in the future for Rosicky. Has Wenger grown tired of his injury proneness and sees him as a back up player for next season? Or does he intend to play Nasri on the right when the comptetitive games start? He certainly looked comfortable on either wing. Or perhaps Rosicky will now start on the right and Wileshire s new number – now play the role of back up LW?
Another thing is the form of our CBs, whilst Djourou and Senderos looked solid throughout the tournament, you always get the feeling that their’s a mistake in them somewhere. We’ll have to see, having another season of experience under their belt, whether they can apply it to next season and play solidly when called upon. I wouldn’t be too gutted, however, if we continued our apparent early season interest in Christian Zapata.
I don’t think we need more RB, or LB. Sagna is the best in England right now and Eboue, Hoyte, Toure can all play there. Left back we have Traore and Gavin Hoyte who did ok in the cup. That’s 6 full backs.
I reckons Wenger will start Nasri and Rosicky on the wings. Who will play which side remains to be seen. Walcott will be thrown in a lot this season. And no19 (I can’t get enough of this) Wilshiere is an exciting backup to have as a left winger.
But what bothers me is the one WRONG thing I THINK Wenger has been making: he’s so persistent having Eboue playing at right midfield. WHY? He’s not a midfielder. He played one great season for us at right back and I think he’ll be the best backup right back in the world. It looks like Wenger is trying to prove that Eboue can be a good right winger. I wish.
Wenger is very stubborn when it comes to center backs. If he decides the player is good enough, that player will be playing for a long time (Cygan, Stepanovs, Senderos….). So there’s no way he’ll buy more center back now (I honestly this we are good enough in quantity, Gallas-Toure-Song-Senderos-Djourou, all start for their country).
Plus he came out and said he will not buy strikers and defenders. So if he buys it’s going to be a midfielder for sure, which I think he should buy a central/Right midfielder.
i got ‘wilshere 55′ on my shirt on sunday – it looks awesome!
i must be the only gooner with that, now that he’s gone and got 19!!
I wonder. I wonder if the reaction to Ade by some of our fickle supporters would be the same, if Fabregas had done exactly the same. THE ANSWER IS NO! The reason – well I will let others decide, I know what mine is, and Ade referred to it on Arsenal TV when he talked about coming from Togo.
unfortunately I do think the reaction will be the same even if cesc does it. Don’t try to break up the fans into half people, if it comes to that then we re really doom.