Emirates Cup 2011

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Joss said:
Ugh. Traore was poor.
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Admittedly, I was more interested in how Nasri and Arshavin were coping, but every so often I saw a promising surge from Traore. His positioning seemed a tad suspect at times though, and he ran into cul-de-sacs quite a bit. I don't know what to think of him: he looks like he'd be more at home on the left side of midfield in a 4-4-2. He doesn't possess the technical skills for a left wing slot, and defensively he's too poor for LB.
 
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GodCubed said:
Admittedly, I was more interested in how Nasri and Arshavin were coping, but every so often I saw a promising surge from Traore. His positioning seemed a tad suspect at times though, and he ran into cul-de-sacs quite a bit.
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Positioning and defending I was very disappointed with. He didn't seem to know where his mark was half the time - stand in front of him by all means but when he's as good as Viatri is/was, stay close and keep an eye on him. He just wandered up/in-field without looking behind him. He didn't make a challenge (or try - just backed off) for the first goal, and got caught jogging back at 2-1 when they could have scored.

Didn't see him attacking - wrong side of pitch for me (I was in the corner). Jenkinson got forward more than I've noticed today, though. Mixed performance from him (attacking-wise, specifically crossing)
 
Joss said:
Positioning and defending I was very disappointed with. He didn't seem to know where his mark was half the time - stand in front of him by all means but when he's as good as Viatri is/was, stay close and keep an eye on him. He just wandered up/in-field without looking behind him. He didn't make a challenge (or try - just backed off) for the first goal, and got caught jogging back at 2-1 when they could have scored.

Didn't see him attacking - wrong side of pitch for me (I was in the corner). Jenkinson got forward more than I've noticed today, though. Mixed performance from him (attacking-wise, specifically crossing)
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Both should take a note out of Christophe Jallet's book, he was excellent today. Solid defensively, full of running and quality when attacking.

On an unrelated note, Nasri continues to not quite get the role in the centre: flashes of brilliance interspersed with some poor selfish moments. Eboue continues to be amusing, Squillaci continues to be ****, same old same old there. On the other hand, Arshavin looked rather willing to track back today, trying to prove something perhaps. Frimpong had a mixed bag too: won some good tackles and made himself known, but completely failed to mark Riquelme in the second half in particular. Jenkinson looked good for the most part, iffy crossing and looked a bit worn out by the end but hey, it's preseason.
 
GodCubed said:
Both should take a note out of Christophe Jallet's book, he was excellent today. Solid defensively, full of running and quality when attacking.

On an unrelated note, Nasri continues to not quite get the role in the centre: flashes of brilliance interspersed with some poor selfish moments. Eboue continues to be amusing, Squillaci continues to be ****, same old same old there. On the other hand, Arshavin looked rather willing to track back today, trying to prove something perhaps. Frimpong had a mixed bag too: won some good tackles and made himself known, but completely failed to mark Riquelme in the second half in particular. Jenkinson looked good for the most part, iffy crossing and looked a bit worn out by the end but hey, it's preseason.
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What I've been saying for so long, but no one accepts it! He disrupts the rhythm of our game from there IMO - giving him the captain's arm-band has NOT gone down well at all among Arsenal fans on twitter (I hadn't realised)

Also - courtesy of the excellent @BackwardsGooner: 5 reasons why Samir Nasri isn't suited to the no.10 role
 
Joss said:
What I've been saying for so long, but no one accepts it! He disrupts the rhythm of our game from there IMO - giving him the captain's arm-band has NOT gone down well at all among Arsenal fans on twitter (I hadn't realised)

Also - courtesy of the excellent @BackwardsGooner: 5 reasons why Samir Nasri isn't suited to the no.10 role
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Seen that video, it's very good. Illustrates the point perfectly.

Nasri just seems too direct, he doesn't understand that role demands that he be both the giver and receiver, but more often playing the last pass to the scorer. It's as if he wants to BE the scorer rather than the assister, which unbalances the whole formation.

I noticed the arm-band, pointed it out to my mate who gave what could be described as a non-committal grunt...
 
GodCubed said:
Seen that video, it's very good. Illustrates the point perfectly.

Nasri just seems too direct, he doesn't understand that role demands that he be both the giver and receiver, but more often playing the last pass to the scorer. It's as if he wants to BE the scorer rather than the assister, which unbalances the whole formation.

I noticed the arm-band, pointed it out to my mate who gave what could be described as a non-committal grunt...
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He either pushes too far up - trying, as you say, to be the scorer/receiver not the assister/passer/giver - or drops too far back, too regularly in an attempt to imitate Fabregas but to a completely detrimental effect. There's no fluidity in our passing when he plays AMC and because he becomes the primary playmaker (naturally taking over Cesc's role in that sense), players will always try to give the ball to him. So either it's just sideways and pointless because he doesn't have the passing range/vision of Fabregas from deep or they're forced to hit it longer because he's too pushed up.

Frustrating that Wenger keeps persisting with him there.
 
To be honest I wasn't angry when Djourou/Squillaci messed up, it's pre season and I never rated them so my expectations weren't let down just confirmed. The thing that infuriated me was watching Robbie Savage attempt to be a pundit, when he started trying to talk about Gervinho who he clearly had no idea who he was prior to the morning when he probably Wikipedia'd him (And from his comments I doubt he even did that). Punditry infuriated me, otherwise it was good to watch Riquelme in action. Arshavin/Gervinho impressed, glad to see Andrei is finding his feet again, he spent alot of last season without confidence which in my opinion massively underpinned his lack of form. But brilliant to see him back and firind, always loved Arshavin and his abilities.

Mata/Kovacic/Campbell all of the targets identified by the media, my only worry would be overpaying for an 'English CB' like Cahill/Jagielka. I am absolutely serious when I lobby for Wenger to buy Vertonghen, there is no partner who knows Vermaelens game better and it would be completely different to taking a 'punt' on Koscielny. Completely different buying Vertonghen than buying Koscielny, relatively risk free. And he would be at least a third cheaper than 16 million for Jagielka, for me it's a no brainer and he could win Arsenal the title alongside Vermaelen.

But yeah, nothing surprising good display going forward from Arsenal and I personally would like to see them line up with Gervinho RW Mata LW and RVP ST. The midfield can be flexible but Nasri fell away at the 2nd half of last season and IF Cesc stays then I would go with a midfield of him, Wilshere and Song. Nasri has got slightly over rated in the past few months, as a spare winger/CAM he's fine but as pointed out he can't play a role less direct. (At the minute)

^All that's ifs and buts but Mata+Vertonghen would be brilliant signings and probably 'fix' the problems. Still think a LB is needed, be it Bastos or Cissokho just someone better than Armand.

Traore couldn't push De Ceglie from the team at Juve and let me tell you, that isn't that hard.
 
Arsenal should take a leaf out of QPR's book, winning the Trofeo Bartolotti, beating Braga and Atalanta on their way!
 
Lol_101 said:
doesnt make sense lol!!
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Boca has been on the decline for a long, long time. They've only managed 12th and 7th place in the last 2 championships. Hardly the team they used to be.

Joss said:
lmao. The idea of you LIKING Arsenal. ;)
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Well, I don't particularly dislike Arsenal, but I'm quite certainly not a fan!
 
Is anyone going today? Me and my Dad are in the orange quadrant
 
Joss said:
My brother works at the club. In the Press Office, so he gets tickets a lot at the last minute.
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You are lucky. This and maybe a carling cup game are the only games I get to see most of the time.

EDIT: I will be closing this thread around 3pm tomorrow. So it gives people plenty of time for discussion. After that please use the Arsenal thread.
 
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Joss said:
My brother works at the club. In the Press Office, so he gets tickets a lot at the last minute.
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Lucky you! Any chance to buy the tickets from your brother? We went there yesterday but there was no way to buy tickets for today...please please please let me know.
 
Koteczek said:
Lucky you! Any chance to buy the tickets from your brother? We went there yesterday but there was no way to buy tickets for today...please please please let me know.
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Ha. No - not really. Try the Arsenal ticket exchange.

---------- Post added at 01:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 AM ----------

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG "@MattLawExpress I hear plan is for thierry henry to get 15 mins (ish) in an arsenal shirt today."
 
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