Cesc's departure will shake our attack a bit until Wilshere is healthy, and as much as I think he made a mistake, still don't care that he left. In fact, whenever I get tired of seeing Pep's smug face on the Barca touchline, I just pull up the Youtube highlights of Chivas spanking them in the preseason. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRTWJJtfqgI"]Chivas Vs Barcelona 4-1 Highlights 08/03/2011 - YouTube[/ame]
Don't worry, Madrid will have their number this year. If you watched the first Supercopa (i think thats the name) game you will know what I mean.
Agreed. I did catch the match, and will be watching the second leg on Wednesday. Real looks hungry this year. I think they outshout Barca 17-4 or something close to that. They played with an intensity I haven't seen from them in years.
It's been fun Cesc. Try to stay out of the physio room. Never forget this goal. http://www.myspace.com/video/pugsley/fabregas-goal-v-tottenham/18199710 absolute dynamite!
I have to say Jose has turned that team into a counter attacking precise machine. I honestly think whoever will meet them from our league will get spanked hard by them. They are lightning fast and have the quality to hurt you in any given moment.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ26T1Ws73E&feature=player_embedded#at=113"]Cesc Fabregas & Arsenal F.C " The love story " - YouTube[/ame] I'm hoping someone already posted this but damn... ='( Thanks Francesc.
Though it seems like an Arsenal player does his hamstring every other week. I've always wondered if it's just us.
i have no stats to back this up, but does it seem we have had more injuries in the past 3 years than we had before? if so, then my suggestion as to the problem is this: colin lewin.
Or the Lewin Bros. in general? Anyway, hamstrings have been particulary prevalent. IIRC, in recent memory: Nasri, Walcott, Fabregas, Squillaci, Bendtner, Djourou, Arshavin all have had recent hamstring woes. And I get it, it's probably a more common soccer injury than some others... but still.
Eboue was my least favorite player I've ever seen play for Arsenal. I find myself somewhat surprised by my reaction to Cesc's departure. It's that weird sort of "sports grief" that I don't get very often. I think it comes from Cesc being the the first Arsenal superstar who emerged after I started following the club 10 years ago. I sort of figured he would be a fixture with the team for a decade and it would be fun to watch him develop from a kid into a world class player in his prime. But it wasn't meant to be. You always knew he wanted to go back to Barca one day, but as Arseblogger said, Cesc's departure was one of the very few times Wenger has lost a player before Wenger wanted to. My only real disappointment with Cesc personally is that I think he mentally checked out after the CL loss to Barca last year. Nasri, on the other hand, falls into the Adebayor, Hleb and Cole category of former players.
Huh? Was it not that long ago that we were all willing to show him the door?? Cesc is a world class talent and Eboue is a rather average (at best) RB. I for one wish Cesc well and it is irrational to be angry at him for wanting to go back home. In the end, this deal needed done and hopefully Nasri will go next. Unlike Cesc, Nasri just wants to run away for a big pay day from City. Another Anelka
Eboue? He was shockingly bad much of his Arsenal career, but did you see Francis Jeffers? Talk about a wasted career. He did score a couple goals against Farnborough in the FA Cup though
From everything that I've seen and read of Arsenal training, very little emphasis is placed on weight training. It should be stressed that many of the injuries our players incur seem preventable. Weight training, even just for the posterior chain (glutes and primarily hamstrings) can do a lot to help prevent knee (especially cruciate ligament) and hamstring problems. So I wonder a lot about our training methodology, mostly because we hear and see so little about it.
"we were all" is way too broad. I've always liked Eboue. When I went to preseason a few years ago he was always the most enthusiastic player on the pitch- and you need guys who just love being there. I didn't say he was the same level of talent as Cesc-that would be absurd. For me though, Cesc checked out the better part of a year ago, and Eboue never did.
eboue was a great personality to have on the team. truly an unique individual. as for cesc, even though i was prepared for this week ... still a sad time.
I've always thought Eboue was underrated. I figured he would be a star in La Liga. Great crosses, not too bothered with defense, not afraid to roll over four times on the slightest foul. He really should be playing for Barcelona.
gary lewin (a cousin btw, not brother) was physio at arsenal for 22 years, so i'd guess that it can't really be anything to do with him. it's either a change in training methods, weak players to start with....or colin lewin.
certainly a sad time to be a gooner... as similar to when #14 left as we will see for some time I imagine. Fab may have gotten his start at Barca, but he became a world class mf at Arsenal