Erwin said: “We lost games last year
against Sunderland, Leicester, and
they played with more intensity than
us. We have to improve ourselves
because the expectations are higher
than last year.”
Sunday Express.
Sunday 9 August 2015
Injured Koeman replaced
Erwin said: “We lost games last year
against Sunderland, Leicester, and
they played with more intensity than
us. We have to improve ourselves
because the expectations are higher
than last year.”
Sunday Express.
Arsene Wenger is looking for his Arsenal squad to score more goals this season rather than a new striker.
Wenger describes himself as
a natural optimist. Arsenal’s
manager is the romantic who
always believes in a better tomorrow
and when he was asked whether his
squad is strong enough to win the title
for the first time since 2004, his succinct
answer was heavy with trademark
conviction. “Yes, I believe that,” Wenger
said, his tone firm.
Thierry Henry is less sure. He believes
that his old club still need to sign a top
striker if they are to topple Chelsea.
Henry is adamant that signing Real
Madrid’s Karim Benzema would swing
the balance of power towards Arsenal.
Naturally Wenger disagreed. “I respect
Thierry Henry a lot for his football
knowledge but it is not as mathematical
as that,” he said.
Or is it? Every team who has won the
Premier League since 2009 had a player
who scored 20 goals or more. Chelsea’s
killers were Didier Drogba in 2010 and
Diego Costa last season, Manchester City
had Sergio Agüero in 2012 and Yaya
Touré in 2014, while for Manchester
United it was Dimitar Berbatov in 2011
and Robin van Persie in 2013.
Alexis Sánchez was Arsenal’s top scorer
with 16 league goals last season and
Olivier Giroud, who missed three
months with a broken foot, scored 14.
Wenger, who did not comment about
the links with Benzema, argued that
Giroud would have scored more if he
had been fit for the entire season.
Yet Giroud’s finishing nightmare
against Monaco in February furthered
the argument that he is a commendable
but unreliable striker at the highest
level and for all his classy link-up play,
Arsenal looked more fluid when Theo
Walcott was used in a central role when
they beat Aston Villa 4-0 in the FA Cup
final in May. Walcott, who scored the
opening goal against Villa, started
instead of Giroud in last Sunday’s win
over Chelsea in the Community Shield
and Wenger could stick with him for the
visit of West Ham on Sunday.
For Wenger, however, it is less about
the individual and more about the
collective. Giroud and Walcott will
contribute in different ways and
Sánchez is superb, but Wenger wants
more from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
and Mesut Özil.
“We look like we can score goals when
we go forward,” he said. “Even when
we were dominated in the second half
by Chelsea, every time we crossed
halfway it looked like something can
happen there.
“I think that we have to develop our
collective game. I think we have to
depend less on one guy who can come
in and score all the goals, but develop
the players and the collective aspect.
“I don’t see why a guy like Chamberlain
should not have an ambition to score 10
goals. Sánchez can score goals. I think
Özil has to fix himself a target of at
least 10 for a guy who plays behind the
striker. You want more from him in
goalscoring. We can share that, more
than when Thierry played. You knew
before the game he would get you a
goal.”
The general consensus is that Arsenal
must sign a striker. But who is there
aside from Benzema? The lack of top-
class strikers in Europe means Wenger’s
thinking has changed.
“One of the basic reasons that we
produce fewer centre-forwards is that
we produce few centre-backs,” he said.
“Because before the teams practised in
the park in winter, when you had to lift
the ball, to go behind. Today the pitches
are all perfect. We develop only
midfielders now.
“The education is about passing on the
ground on perfect pitches. Before you
had to kick the ball from the back to get
behind, to fight with the centre-back to
win the ball and have a chance. This is
not the case anymore. The conditions
have changed. We have not adapted in
our education. It is evolution. Look
across Europe now, many centre-
forwards are South American.
“Maybe we have to create specific
schools for centre-forwards. In Europe
we produce plenty of good technical
midfielders.
“When I arrived in England, in every
single club there was a guy who before
the game you’d say: ‘Be careful, he’s
good in the air. Be careful, because he’s
aggressive’. Every club.”
But, of course, Wenger thinks that the
European striker can thrive again. “You
can coach everything,” he said.
The Guardian
a natural optimist. Arsenal’s
manager is the romantic who
always believes in a better tomorrow
and when he was asked whether his
squad is strong enough to win the title
for the first time since 2004, his succinct
answer was heavy with trademark
conviction. “Yes, I believe that,” Wenger
said, his tone firm.
Thierry Henry is less sure. He believes
that his old club still need to sign a top
striker if they are to topple Chelsea.
Henry is adamant that signing Real
Madrid’s Karim Benzema would swing
the balance of power towards Arsenal.
Naturally Wenger disagreed. “I respect
Thierry Henry a lot for his football
knowledge but it is not as mathematical
as that,” he said.
Or is it? Every team who has won the
Premier League since 2009 had a player
who scored 20 goals or more. Chelsea’s
killers were Didier Drogba in 2010 and
Diego Costa last season, Manchester City
had Sergio Agüero in 2012 and Yaya
Touré in 2014, while for Manchester
United it was Dimitar Berbatov in 2011
and Robin van Persie in 2013.
Alexis Sánchez was Arsenal’s top scorer
with 16 league goals last season and
Olivier Giroud, who missed three
months with a broken foot, scored 14.
Wenger, who did not comment about
the links with Benzema, argued that
Giroud would have scored more if he
had been fit for the entire season.
Yet Giroud’s finishing nightmare
against Monaco in February furthered
the argument that he is a commendable
but unreliable striker at the highest
level and for all his classy link-up play,
Arsenal looked more fluid when Theo
Walcott was used in a central role when
they beat Aston Villa 4-0 in the FA Cup
final in May. Walcott, who scored the
opening goal against Villa, started
instead of Giroud in last Sunday’s win
over Chelsea in the Community Shield
and Wenger could stick with him for the
visit of West Ham on Sunday.
For Wenger, however, it is less about
the individual and more about the
collective. Giroud and Walcott will
contribute in different ways and
Sánchez is superb, but Wenger wants
more from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
and Mesut Özil.
“We look like we can score goals when
we go forward,” he said. “Even when
we were dominated in the second half
by Chelsea, every time we crossed
halfway it looked like something can
happen there.
“I think that we have to develop our
collective game. I think we have to
depend less on one guy who can come
in and score all the goals, but develop
the players and the collective aspect.
“I don’t see why a guy like Chamberlain
should not have an ambition to score 10
goals. Sánchez can score goals. I think
Özil has to fix himself a target of at
least 10 for a guy who plays behind the
striker. You want more from him in
goalscoring. We can share that, more
than when Thierry played. You knew
before the game he would get you a
goal.”
The general consensus is that Arsenal
must sign a striker. But who is there
aside from Benzema? The lack of top-
class strikers in Europe means Wenger’s
thinking has changed.
“One of the basic reasons that we
produce fewer centre-forwards is that
we produce few centre-backs,” he said.
“Because before the teams practised in
the park in winter, when you had to lift
the ball, to go behind. Today the pitches
are all perfect. We develop only
midfielders now.
“The education is about passing on the
ground on perfect pitches. Before you
had to kick the ball from the back to get
behind, to fight with the centre-back to
win the ball and have a chance. This is
not the case anymore. The conditions
have changed. We have not adapted in
our education. It is evolution. Look
across Europe now, many centre-
forwards are South American.
“Maybe we have to create specific
schools for centre-forwards. In Europe
we produce plenty of good technical
midfielders.
“When I arrived in England, in every
single club there was a guy who before
the game you’d say: ‘Be careful, he’s
good in the air. Be careful, because he’s
aggressive’. Every club.”
But, of course, Wenger thinks that the
European striker can thrive again. “You
can coach everything,” he said.
The Guardian
Newcastles's £11m bid for Diego Polan turned down.
Bordeaux turned down Newcastle £11m bid for Diego Polan.Head Coach Steve Mc Claren,who has already been backed in the transfer market is still hoping to sign the 22 year old Uruguay star.
Mc Claren is also looking at Barnsley's right back Mason Jolgate, amidst interest from Aston Villa and Everton.
Photo Credit- Getty Images
Augsburg rejects Chelsea's £25m bid for Baba Rahman
Augsbrug have rejected Chelsea's £25m bid for the Ghana left-back Baba Rahman with the German side holding out for £30m.
He has been confirmed as the player Jose Mourinho wants to replace with Luis Filipe,who was sold back to Atletico Madrid after a season at Stamford Brigde.
Augsburg have insisted that Chelsea must meet their valuation of the player Rahman who has already agreed personal terms with Chelsea.
Man City expect Kelvin De Bruyne to complete his move from Wolfsburg this week.
Manchester City are positive the deal will go through,thus booking his medical which means he could make his debut in a week against Chelsea.
Chelsea's Jose Mourinho claimed recently that he sold De Bruyne because he couldn't handle the premier league but his performances for Wolfsburg in Bundesliga proved otherwise and that seemed to have convinced Man City.
Saturday 8 August 2015
Benzema could win Arsenal the title.
would be serious title contenders if
they signed Karim Benzema from
Real Madrid.
The Sky Sports pundit, who said earlier
this year that the Gunners needed to
bring in a big-name striker, was left
in no doubt that Arsene Wenger's
side would win the Premier League if
they lured the France international
to the Emirates.
"Yes, Arsenal would win the league,"
he said when asked what impact
Benzema would have at the club.
"I think if you get Benzema, not only
will you challenge for the league,
but you also challenge for the
Champions League.
"They need that type of striker who
can be different to Olivier Giroud.
Him alone as a striker all season, he
is very good at what he does but you
need to have that type of striker who
can stretch a defence, a guy that
can go in behind."
Arsenal started the Community
Shield victory over Chelsea with
Theo Walcott up front ahead of
Giroud, and the England forward set
up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the
only goal of the game.
Sky Sports
Arsene Wenger welcomes tougher action on feigning injury.
Arsene Wenger,who has previously called for the Football Association to take actions on players who feigns injury,praised the Football Association for taking a tougher stance on players who feign injury in order to implicate an opponent.
"I am a big fan of the new rule,with all the camera angles, it will be easier to punish players diving". -Wenger.
"I am a big fan of the new rule,with all the camera angles, it will be easier to punish players diving". -Wenger.
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