Arsenal secured its first convincing win in the Premier League and the spirits in the squad are high again. Alex Song’s goal brought out a smile on Wenger’s face that had been laden with frustration in recent weeks. Arsenal’s boss was really happy with the win against Bolton:
“It is a deserved win that is welcome for us. We cannot drop many points anymore. I feel the referee had a good game.”
Wenger was also quick to acknowledge the club’s captain and he stated that van Persie is growing into the captain’s role:
“I think that he’s one of those guys that develop with responsibilities. You would think that he’s not a natural from the start but when he has the responsibility he grows into the role.”
It’s fair to say that he led by example with his brace against Bolton and the player himself is happy with the victory. Van Persie also took out time to talk to the media Vultures about joining the 100 club.
“I’m very proud. I’m only the 17th player in Arsenal’s history to pass the 100 goal mark. Its a big achievement.”
With the way the contract situation involving Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri was sorted out, Wenger is gearing himself up to get new deals for Thomas Vermaelen, Theo Walcott and the club’s captain whose deals expire in 2013 but the media Vultures report that van Persie is not ready to sign a new deal.
According to their reports, van Persie has made it clear he is in no rush and is desperate to be successful in his career:
“I still have almost two years until 2013. So for the moment that’s fine, but I don’t know. We will have to look.”
“I’m happy with my contract, I’m good. That’s how it is, I can’t say much more. I can’t look into the future.”
“The main thing for me is the team and that we play well. I do believe you have to look for a right moment to sit down and speak about your own stuff. It’s not only about me, it’s about the team.
“I don’t want to give the wrong message to speak about my own stuff while the others are a bit more important.
“I can’t say we are talking now because we are so busy – we have games every three or four days.”
We all know that van Persie, Vermaelen and Walcott have two years left but its paramount to give them new contracts at this stage of the season because if Arsenal fails to win any trophy yet again at the end of this present campaign, we’ll be in for another long summer because many clubs will come with the shopping bags to a football store called Arsenal.
However, there’s a player within the squad that’s hungry for trophies:
“Trophies are the thing you’re gonna look back on in the history books. Look at Giggs, a great example, and the trophies he’s won.”
“You want to show your kids what you’ve won and what you’ve achieved in your life and, um, nothing so far. We’ve been so close, The Carling Cup last year when I was injured, and against Chelsea in the [2007] final, when I got my first goal. Nearly there. So it’s got to be this year. It has to be. We’ve got to believe we can do it with the slow start we’ve had.”
I can’t agree more with Theo Walcott but there are five major factors why Arsenal hasn’t won a trophy in the past six years:
Ill-luck, injuries to key players in games we need them the most, the squad’s indiscipline, bad officiating decisions and in special cases, Wenger’s tactical blunders. If Arsenal can avoid these this season, the Gunners will be dancing with Champagne on a certain podium but they’ve already played their part with just two months gone.
The squad suffered from ill-luck in the 4-3 reverse at Ewood Park. Squad indiscipline against Newcastle and Liverpool turned out to be critical as the team was humiliated by Manchester United in late August. The officials lost the plot when offside decisions against Liverpool and Blackburn were left to stand and Wenger’s tactical frailty was exposed when he took out Coquelin for the Ox in Old Trafford.
We all know how the injury situation is at the club with the likes of Vermaelen, Diaby and Wilshere still out of action. Speaking of injuries, Arsenal is relieved to learn that Walcott’s injury is a minor one and he could be in line to face Olympiakos on Wednesday.
Arsenal can do without Walcott’s services on Wednesday but Sunday’s game against rivals Tottenham is a more important game for a player of Walcott’s calibre. He has been in good form this season with his goals and assists so he’ll be a valuable asset in White Hart Lane on Sunday because he’ll definitely be more than a handful for Benoit Assou-Ekoto.
Moving over to transfer news, the media Vultures have reported that Manchester City are gearing up a £30m bid for van Persie in January as the player has become ‘disillusioned’ with the sales of Clichy, Nasri, Fabregas.
Sayonara
Submitted by Gooner Daily
