Morning morning. A very quick Saturday round-up for you.
Arsene Wenger has been talking about spending and money and all that. He says:
Of course I am in a position where I can spend the money. But every time we have done such a great job with the young players that you are concerned ‘do we kill a young player or not by bringing another player in?’ It is a very sensitive subject which is not specially linked with money.
I think, perhaps, it’s only a sensitive subject for Arsene, it’s certainly not for fans. If there’s money to spend then he should spend it. His job, at the end of the day, is to bring success to Arsenal, not to develop youngsters like some kind of football creche. If a player is good enough he’ll make the grade, irrespective of who’s in his way.
The bottom line is that the squad is looking a bit shallow at the moment. In the last 6 months we have lost three quality central-midfielders and that’s an issue that needs to be addressed with the cheque book. And by that I mean a grown-up replacement, not some 17 year old who may have all the potential in the world but at this moment in time is not the solution. Maybe another 17 year old is but I doubt it.
Anyway, there’s something to be said for giving young players time on the pitch with experienced players. Of course they learn lots from just playing but if they have experienced pros telling them how they can improve and helping them along then their development is far from stunted. I like the idea of young players but at the same time the boss can’t complain we lacked a bit of experience last season then make the squad even younger and more raw.
That said I’m pretty sure Arsene is aware of the situation and I fully expect him to buy some players before the start of the new season. Not doing so would be madness, in my opinion, and I don’t think the boss is mad. Not that mad, anyway.
Gael Clichy compares Robin van Persie to Cristiano Ronaldo, in that he can score a goal out of nothing. Sadly, talented as he is, van Persie can’t score a goal from the treatment table and he’s got to have a much more injury free campaign this time around. Otherwise you really have start considering the future of a player who you just can’t count on.
Robin’s big pal, Tomas Rosicky, confirms he’ll miss the start of the season but says he hopes to be back in September. Even more than van Persie I feel this season is make or break for Rosicky. I really like him as a player but the amount of time he’s been out injured since he arrived at Arsenal really does beg some questions.
Hmmm, it’s all a bit glum for a Saturday, isn’t it? Particularly when our first pre-season game is taking place in just a few hours. We play Barnet at Underhill and if you have Arsenal TV you can watch it. Sadly NTL here are a pack of cunthounds so we don’t have Arsenal TV. Boooo.
It’s good to have the football back though. Have fun if you’re going, more tomorrow.
