Pre-Season!!

Arsenal 0-1 to Kitchee

No means any easy game...for a team that has beaten AC Milan and Juventus in the past.

Kitchee 2 - Arsenal 2 - Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCN2c7SOhXY&feature=player_embedded#!

woohoo, its almost august meaning literally days til the start of the season!!! can't blooming wait

Sue Lee wrote:woohoo, its almost august meaning literally days til the start of the season!!! can't blooming wait

I can't wait for the season to be back. It's annoying enough when there are no PL games one weekend due to International matches, but a whole summer?!

Henry: Arsenal need Jack Wilshere
Thierry Henry believes Arsenal need Jack Wilshere back in their plans and is hoping the midfielder can return to fitness as soon as possible.

Wilshere missed the entire 2011/12 season due to an ankle injury before undergoing knee surgery in May, and he is not expected to return to action until October.

In addition to being unavailable for the Gunners, the 20-year-old was also forced out of England's Euro 2012 campaign and Team GB's bid to win gold at the Olympics.

Arsenal legend Henry is aware of Wilshere's importance to the club and feels his presence is vital to the Gunners' prospects of enjoying success.

"You want Jack Wilshere around," Henry, who now plays for New York Red Bulls, told Sky Sports News.

"He reminds me of when I first arrived when the old guard was there. He's an Arsenal fan in the first place and you need this type of player around in the dressing room.

"It's not only that he's an Arsenal fan, and not only an Englishman, but he's a good player, it's as simple as that.

"What a shame that he stopped a bit because he was on his way. I just wish him all the best that he can come back quick and wear the shirt he loves so much."

Henry also echoed manager Arsene Wenger's view that the return of Wilshere, and fellow midfielder Abou Diaby, will be like having two new signings in the squad.

The Frenchman added: "I saw what the boss said the other day and I will say what he said - hopefully they will sign this year Wilshere and Diaby.

"I thought it was a clever thing for him to say as usual.

"You need those guys around. Mikel Arteta did extremely well, but you need those guys also in the squad."

http://www.espnstar.com/football/news/detail/item833284/

We're going to have excellent depth this year if those guys can get back and run themselves into some form.

What's "potentially" our best team? I realise that word is one we've used for far too long, but it's looking good.

Scez
Sagna Kos Verm Kibbs
Song Wilshere
Cazorla?
Walcott Giroud Podolski


Pretty strong first 11, would Cazorla even play there? I would prefer Rosicky to be honest, I thought his form was excellent once he played regularly in his favoured position. And I've left arguably our second most important player last year on the bench (Arteta), as well as Diaby, Santos, Mert, Ox, Coq, Rosicky, Ryo etc.

Too bad we've seen fark all of the above potential line up in pre season and the opening round 11 will look a hell of a lot different to that!

'Kibbs' - love it!

Just need Bagna at right back, and Termaelen in the middle!

Haha been a long day in the office

Bear in mind that Giroud, according to AW is not the type of player who will play alone up front how RvP has done. He said he fits more in a 4-4-2... We'll just have to wait and see on the first day what side he puts out.

Marko Maksimović wrote:Bear in mind that Giroud, according to AW is not the type of player who will play alone up front how RvP has done. He said he fits more in a 4-4-2... We'll just have to wait and see on the first day what side he puts out.

More fuel to the fire that Giroud will largely play from the bench when we need a plan b and change to 4-4-2 when chasing games I think.

I'd play Cazorla on the right, Arteta instead of Wilshere for now, and Rosicky inseat of Cazorla in Darcy's formation.

No no no no no totes disagree! Cazorla would be amazing in Fabregas' old position ahead of two deeper midfielders, this one signing could make such a huge difference to us if it comes off...

I think Cazorla is a near certain signing mainly because of his versatility and ability to play across the midfield 3. Not really expecting to see him play in one position all season long... Mind you with the injuries we get year after year this almost always applies to every player in our squad.

Adding a player of his quality to this squad suddenly makes us look really well balanced and with options in almost every position bar a true DM.

I only put Cazorla on the wing because I heard he's more of a winger. I don't really know him, I've only seen him play a few times.

He's awesome mate, most Fabregas like player we would have had since and will slot in there, and we now have the personnel who we know will sit deeper ala Arteta and Song.

SONG-ARTETA

---CAZORLA---

Is a very good midfield, imo.

That is a sound midfield!!!!

It really is when you look at an attack of;

WALCOTT-PODOLSKI-GERVINHO

Or several permeatations of that, we have to assume VP is gone.

Jesus Christ, I completely forgot about Gervinho! We really do have fantastic depth now. What a pleasant feeling you get when you say that, we certainly haven't been able to say that for awhile.

Assuming we get Cazorla and VP leaves, is that the squad we are looking at for the season? Do we need any more bodies? Everyone happy wth Kos, Verm, Mert, DJ, Bartley?? I think it's pretty solid in my opinion.

So we only have 1 match left of pre-season against Koln. Will it be enough ?

Darcy Gorman wrote:Jesus Christ, I completely forgot about Gervinho! We really do have fantastic depth now. What a pleasant feeling you get when you say that, we certainly haven't been able to say that for awhile.

Assuming we get Cazorla and VP leaves, is that the squad we are looking at for the season? Do we need any more bodies? Everyone happy wth Kos, Verm, Mert, DJ, Bartley?? I think it's pretty solid in my opinion.

I'm happy with our defensive options yeah! Will be a tricky start with Jenkinson starting the first few games, he will be decent but he isnt there yet for me, I thought both Mannone and Fabianksi would have left but they are both still here so maybe nothing will happen this summer with goalies in and out.

are there no more pre-season games? seems very light on.

Just the one against Koln. We were supposed to be playing in Nigeria this week but since it got cancelled we're short on pre season games.

Chesney
Sagna Kos Verm 'Kibbs'
Sahin M'Vila
RVP
Cazorla Giroud Podolski

Bench: Fabianski, Mertesacker, Santos, Arteta, Song, Gervinho, Walcott


Now THAT is an ideal team, with plenty of depth (and we're not even talking about Diaby, Wilshere or Rosicky...)


Luckily, we always have 1000 players injured at once.

That's close to being an ideal team. Take away Fabianski and throw in any decentish keeper and it'll be an ideal team.