Dagens Arsenal - 9 Mars 2009
Mycket sjukt har det varit under helgen. Ingen missade väl att allas vår hjälte James Hetfield drabbades av någonting som liknande magsjuka och var tvungen att ställa in sin spelning i Globen samtidigt som Eduardo da Silva stod för någonting under helgens match som bara kan betecknas som sjukt. Tja, till och med jag har kännt mig lite krasslig.
Ny vecka nya tag - och nu en ny Dagens Arsenal!
Wenger
Efter helgens framgångar i FA-cupen tror Wenger att laget nu är redo att lägga i högsta växeln för att avsluta säsongen på bästa sätt. Även Theo Walcott och Eduardo da Silvas återkomster kommer ge laget en välbehövlig ”boost” i anfallet (det såg vi redan mot Burnley. Siket mål Kroatbrassen stod för!): "We are going into the final sprint. For us it is important to keep all our targets alive. We know every game demands a big performance because we cannot slip up. Slowly, we have all of our players coming back, and that can be decisive. People judge always the instant situation. If you look now at the players who are still out - Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky and Emmanuel Adebayor - they can all contribute offensively a lot." Carlos Vela stod för ett underbart mål mot Burnley som sedan totalt ställdes i skuggan av det som Eduardo gjorde. Wenger om det speciella målet: "It looked like a bit of a 'beach' goal - and he meant it, he sliced the ball. Eduardo is a surprising finisher and an intelligent player. His goal was instinct and shows you that finishing is all about what you do in a fraction of a second.”
Wenger ser också fram emot Champions league-matchen mot Roma och säger att både Walcott och Eduardo har en stor chans att kunna medverka: "Of course, there are many big competitors left in the Champions League. Let's see what happens on Wednesday. I haven't decided on my starting team yet, but Theo Walcott and Eduardo have a good chance of being in the squad. We need to go to Roma and play our own game. It's very important for us to focus on scoring and going forward. They are a very good team offensively so if we allow them to spend 90 per cent of the time doing what they like to do, we will expose ourselves. “
Spelarna
Den gallante Engelsmannen Theo Walcott kommer behöva ett par matcher för att hitta tillbaka till den form han visade i början av säsongen. Walcott, som hade ett par lägen att punktera åttondelsfinalen mot Burnley i helgen, tror också att skärpan kommer förbättras ju mer speltid han får: "The time has passed a lot quicker than I thought it would. I always had the Burnley game, or the Roma away leg, as my comeback target in my mind. I was playing really well before the injury, the boss had shown faith in me to put me in the team and I've got to get back to that level. But coming back from injury I know I won't get there straight away, it will take me a few games to get into the swing of things. The best thing is to put 100 per cent in, work hard and do my best." Vi välkomar dig tillbaka Theo och hoppas att du får sätta några baljor snart! Walcott passar också på att prisa Arsenal läkarstab som hjälpt honom under denna svåra tid: "All the medical team at Arsenal have been brilliant. Tony Colbert, Neal Reynolds, Colin Lewin, all the masseurs – everyone was just brilliant. They've been so good and I want to pay them back on the pitch now. Neal was great, I've got to know him quite well over the last few months and I'm grateful for all he's done. He really kept me going, but all the staff were brilliant."
En annan spelare som på senaste tiden fått se sitt lag från sidlinjen – Emmanuel Adebayor – talar nu om de lag som visade ett stort intresse för Togolesen under sommaren. Enligt African Player of the Year, Adebayor, så var både Ac Milan och Barcelona väldigt intresserade av honom. Men Adebayor är övertygad om att han gjorde rätt val när han beslutade sig för att stanna i norra London: "I knew that Milan and Barcelona were interested in me, but in the end I chose Arsenal. Arsenal are a club that I want to repay with important victories for having allowed me to become one of the great players in world football. I find myself well here, even if, as I say in life, you can never know what will happen in the future."
Robin van Persie som blivit utsedd till Arsenals player of the Month fyra månader i rad nu berättar att han tänker stanna i klubben och inte har några som helst tankar på att lämna klubben under sommaren. Holländaren tror också att laget har en bra chans att vinna Champions League då laget får tillbaka så många slagkraftiga spelare under våren: "I have a contract until 2011. It's hard to say anything about it (contract extension) now. But put it this way. I have a friend who says the grass always looks greener in your neighbour's garden. He is right. My ambitions are very, very high and, I think, realistic. I want to be at a level where, as a club, we are winning things, not just every four or five years, but one or two trophies each year. That's what I think this club has in its pocket. Some people might think my view is extreme, but that is what I want, and I want to do it here. I am not a guy who gives up. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."
Johan Djourou hoppas kunna vara med och slåss om en plats i startelvan. Den unga Schweizaren har ofta imponerat då han fått spela och nu hoppas han börja kunna konkurrera på allvar med de etablerade mittbackarna: "I told myself at the start of the season that I have to work hard even if I’m not first choice because I’m still young, but I think I’ve shown to people that I’m ready for this. I played quite well when I was in the team more regularly so it’s now for me to step up and stay there. It’s always difficult not to be in the side, because you think you’re doing well and the team isn’t losing or conceding many goals. But as I say, I’m a young guy and still learning so I think that I can still do better."
Skadeläget
Emmanuel Adebayor är definitivt borta ifrån spel mot Roma i veckan. Wenger bekräftar även att Kolo Touré har ett ”fitness-race” mot klockan för att hinna bli spelklar: "Adebayor definitely won't be able to play, but I will wait to see what the report is on Kolo before I decide what my starting XI will be. We are going into this game against Roma with belief and extreme desire to progress. “
Många olika datum har också slängts runt om Cesc Fabregas återkomst. Spanjoren tror dock själv på en comeback i början av april: "This week, for the first time since Christmas, I kicked a football. I finally feel like a professional player again. If everything goes to plan, I will be back in action for Arsenal in four weeks.” Gällande Tomas Rosicky räknas vara tillbaka om drygt 2-3 veckor.
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Tack för visat intresse!
