FR: Arsenal vs Internazionale | 29/07/07

[asajoseph]

I'm wondering if this is something that might not have been picked up on TV.

There were a lot of occasions, particularly in the first half, when Gibbs received the ball in a lot of space up the left flank, with a lot of room to move into, and only one Inter player in front of him. Not once though did he take that player on, but every single time he ran forwards a short way, at a slow pace, then appeared to get a little nervous, turned, and passed sideways or backwards. He didn't make many overlapping runs on these occasions, either.

Considering how little Inter were doing defensively on the flanks, I consider this to be a really poor end-result, of what would have been, for a more mature player, a great attacking avenue.

People say he didn't give the ball away as much as Walcott - but the fact is, in that situation, Walcott would have tried to beat the man and utilise the space in behind every single time. He might not have got it right as often, but he would have had a much, much bigger impact on a poor side than Gibbs.

 

[sabret00the]

i just got this through PM

Gibbs is a gd player i know the guy and he did play well. he plays a passing and moving game, he is not a left winger but a centre mid but he can play left wing especially coz he left footed. if fabregas was playing right wing you would not expect him to be skipping forward like a ronaldo thats not his game. Gibbs is the same. Look at this goal he scored FA youth cup semi-final against man Utd

For a central mid he was certainly a better winger than Fabregas's attempts. I think his performance was very much in the vain of Rosicky's. If he wasn't 17yo i wonder how everyone would've rated the performance, myself included.

 

[M+D]

To be fair Asa, and I was at the game, he seemed racked by nerves for at least 20 minutes of the 1st half.

He always took the safe option in that time, understandably I suppose for a player so inexperienced. After that though, I believe he came into the game more, and made some very good off the ball runs and some good passes as well. No, he didn't run with the ball that much, although he did make a few, just not down the line, but neither did I think that he would tbh. He had a good debut for someone so inexperienced imo.

 

[asajoseph]

Well, to be fair on him, I'm appraising his performance without taking his age into consideration - I'm more interested in the quality of our squad at the moment, than the progression of youngsters, and in that context, Gibbs looked way out of contention - if you ask me, he does not look good enough, at this stage, to be part of our first team without seriously decreasing the level of quality we have on the pitch.

 

[clockwork orange]

[Van Persie:] "We played some tremendous football. It was quite funny because during the game Cesc [Fabregas] and I were smiling at each other because we liked the fact that we were playing so well.

"Everyone was really happy to play in this game. If we play the same way or even less, we will have a big chance to at least fight for the title."

It was a viewpoint shared by Arsenal's young midfield master Fabregas, who stepped up his pre-season by playing for 83 minutes. "You could see that even today we have a better team than last year," said the Spaniard.

"Some of the Inter players were saying during the game, 'Don't make me run so much, you play so well'. If some players from Inter say that, it means something.

Some more great statements by Cesc & Robin in the fulll article.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... ge_id=1779

 

[bojed]

Has it really been relaid? Because I thought the pitch looked a lot faster to last season, and more like the old Highbury pitch. I was there on Saturday and what was all that about in the second half, is the Emirates finally developing an atmosphere?

it was unbelievable, as if we're playing CL final at home.

hope it carries on. working class people should come more to the stadium. they're special!

 

[M+D]

Well, to be fair on him, I'm appraising his performance without taking his age into consideration - I'm more interested in the quality of our squad at the moment, than the progression of youngsters, and in that context, Gibbs looked way out of contention - if you ask me, he does not look good enough, at this stage, to be part of our first team without seriously decreasing the level of quality we have on the pitch.

Aah I see, I was taking his age into account because I'm assuming that he won't be very near at all to the 1st team this season, except a few sub appearance in the CC that is.
So yes, I agree with you that he is not really an option as a back up to the wing just yet, although hopefully in a year or two he will be, because he does have talent in my opinion, just not the required experience or progression.

 

[asajoseph]

From the few times I've seen him in the flesh, in youth competitions and the reserves, Gibbs has looked a tidy player, and has played quite well.

But whilst he's looked alright, I'm not sure I think he's got the excpetional talent required to make the breakthrough to the first team - I think he's got quite some way to step up, though that is admittedly an opinion based upon limited information.

And one of the reasons I didn't take his age into account was the fact that, based upon his selection yesterday in what was otherwise our strongest team available, and the general lack of depth on the wings, playing someone like Gibbs out wide for a few games is a very real possibility next season unless Wenger gets motoring in the transfer market.

 

[RC8]

- The fact that we started Kieran Gibbs, only continues to hihlight the worrying lack of depth we have on the flanks.

- Apart from Hleb, I don't think our midfield created a single good chance in the box all match.

- Another goal conceded from a cross, and our centre-backs looking incredibly vulnerable to the high-ball still.

Damn, I lost a relatively long post where I addressed these points yesterday.

I'll do it again quickly.

1. You have to take into account Rosicky, Eduardo, and Walcott, all of whom can play on the wing, were injured. Therefore we are not in such a poor position, considering we were playing with an extra man in the middle, and that during the season we will have at least one of those 3 available to fill in the spots. Nonetheless, we still need one more addition on the wings in order to actually have some depth.

2. I thought our midfield did well creating chances as well as being in the end of them. Hleb, Eboué, and Flamini would usually make runs into the box. And even Touré and Sagna got into the box and contributed to our offensive play from there. Overall much better than we were last season, when we would often keep making passes outside the box without anyone actually running into it.

3. I share your concern about our ability to defend crosses. It is really worrying that Inter made 2 crosses in the 2nd half, scored one, and sent the other just wide. Hopefully Arsène took notice.

I agree with the rest of your original post.

 

[thegame24]

i tell you what this game gave me, lust.

I wanna watch arsenal play again ASAP and that is exactly what i and many fans needed. We looked top notch only other thing that gives this is signing stars.

Im still worried about two things, conceding first till we go amnd score, and conceding from one chance

 

[kel varnsen]

agree with asa here. gibbs looked like a tidy little player, but hardly someone to get excited about. as mentioned, he didn't try to beat his defender once and chose the safe pass pretty much every time he had the ball. his movement off the ball was pretty catious as well. decent, but no part of his game really stood out for me.

 

[asajoseph]

You have to take into account Rosicky, Eduardo, and Walcott, all of whom can play on the wing, were injured. Therefore we are not in such a poor position, considering we were playing with an extra man in the middle, and that during the season we will have at least one of those 3 available to fill in the spots. Nonetheless, we still need one more addition on the wings in order to actually have some depth

I'll believe that Eduardo can play on the wing when I actually see it. I know Wenger's said he can, but I firmly believe the guy was bought as a goalscorer, a striker, and will spend most, if not all of his time playing through the middle.

As for Rosicky? Well, his injuries are something we're going to have to live with - anything he manages this year above 25 games in the league is a bonus.

And then that leaves Hleb and Theo - if either of those pick up a knock keeping them out for a few months, we're in deep, deep trouble. I'm far from convinced that Eboue's got what it takes to play productively on the wing - even when other teams allow him the space he needs to get going, I don't believe his end-product is really up to scratch. Beyond that, we're looking at Denilson, Diaby, Flamini or someone like Gibbs or Randall playing a lot of games.

I thought our midfield did well creating chances as well as being in the end of them. Hleb, Eboué, and Flamini would usually make runs into the box. And even Touré and Sagna got into the box and contributed to our offensive play from there. Overall much better than we were last season, when we would often keep making passes outside the box without anyone actually running into it.

I must disagree I'm afraid - I can't remember a single chance in the box that wasn't created by any of our midfielders apart from Hleb. We had a few longer range efforts - but from inside the box there was very little IIRC.

 

[14teranga]

This was a good game, a great game but I was not surprised because we always play very well against big teams. So the question remainds the same how will we cope against the smaller clubs. It is still preseason but we are not murdering lower oppositions and until we do that I would not say we have a chance for the title yet.

 

[tactica442]

I have been one of the few people keep downplaying the prospect of he club to produce a genuine left wing. Yesterday Gibbs proved me wrong and IMO he played very well despite his occasional tenderness. Hopefully he can keep the progress, to be given a pro contract, and break into the first team.

 

[jay-d]

I have been one of the few people keep downplaying the prospect of he club to produce a genuine left wing. Yesterday Gibbs proved me wrong and IMO he played very well despite his occasional tenderness. Hopefully he can keep the progress, to be given a pro contract, and break into the first team.

Only one problem, apparently he's a CM.

 

[Grampus_Eight]

Gibbs did very well. Impressive debut. Hard to find fault for him not taking on his man enough on his first team debut. He's 17 and it's a bit much to make any pronouncements about what he may offer down the road based on one assured appearance.

He naturally faded out in the second half and made his fair share of mistakes, but he looked a talent. If he gets a run in the side, in the carling cup for instance, we may see more elements of his game. I was hoping to see him in the emirates cup and was glad he played so well and was assured and confident throughout most of the match. Seems to have a very good mentality as well.

Of course we still need a winger in the transfer market, but I fear Walcott's preseason and Eboue's performances against PSG and Inter may have convinced Wenger otherwise.

 

[Clrnc]

ESPN interviews with wenger after the cup victory.

Wenger in optimistic mood ahead of new season

After two successive wins against Paris St. Germain and Inter Milan last weekend Arsenal lifted The Emirates Cup, hardly the most prestigious piece of silverware but a triumph that boosted Arsène Wenger's confidence in his much criticised youth system.

ESPNSoccernet caught up with the charismatic Frenchman as he reflected on victory in the pre-season tournament and revealed his thoughts and ambitions for the coming season.

ESPNSoccernet: Arsenal won the Emirates Cup. What does that mean for the club only two weeks before the Premiership restarts?

Arsène Wenger: 'It was an important win for us. We were missing a lot of key players going into the tournament like Rosicky, Adebayor, Walcott, Djourou and Eduardo but you could see that the players we had at our disposal still formed a very strong unit. I always had faith in this team and what I saw during the tournament confirmed my confidence that we can pull off something big this season. I am very optimistic.'

ESPNSoccernet: However, that wasn't always the case following a season without trophies plus the departures of Thierry Henry and David Dein. At one stage there were also rumours that you were on the verge of leaving the club. Is Arsenal in a state of crisis at the moment?

Arsène Wenger: 'From the outside it is easy to get that impression. But on the inside we are working, and we are very determined. The rumours that were created were based on the friendship I had with Thierry Henry and David. But I am responsible for the technical development of the club and it was important that I remained in my place.'

ESPNSoccernet: Your contract runs out at the end of this season and you haven't signed an extension yet. Why?

Arsène Wenger: 'It is not the right time to discuss that. But when I came here in 1996 nobody had thought that I would stay for such a long time here.'

ESPNSoccernet: After Manchester United, United, Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham, Manchester City were recently purchased by a billionaire (The former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra). But Arsenal has resisted any outside attempts to buy the club. And the result is that club is leading a very withdrawn existence in the transfer market.

Arsène Wenger: 'Everybody knew that the competition on the transfer market would be extremely tough with the enormous amounts which clubs invest in players these days. But we wanted to take a different path than the rest of the clubs with emphasis on our young players. At the same time we did not have the luxury of investing heavily because of our financial restrictions. Besides, people should remember that Manchester United did not spend a lot of money recruiting last season and they won the title. I think that says it all, right?'

ESPNSoccernet: But that is why Thierry Henry left. Because of the missing promises to bring in any big players.

Arsène Wenger: 'Neither Arsenal nor I make promises to anybody. A club functions best if everyone sticks to their job. I am in charge of the technical part. Not the financial part. Everybody must stick to their role and a player cannot intervene. But at the moment of his departure I did not get the feeling that Henry was unhappy about our recruitment policy. Henry left because he wanted to leave the club. Besides, I took time to thank him for everything he did for the club. But the club also did a lot for him. Nobody stays here forever.'

ESPNSoccernet: Following the departure of David Dein, you took over all the transfer negotiations. How did that affect you physically and psychologically?

Arsène Wenger: 'Yes, you are right. It is very demanding. I was extremely occupied during the summer but this is the case every summer. What I hate is all the paperwork that takes such a long time. But somebody has now taken the place of David Dein and he is in charge of all the negotiations.'

ESPNSoccernet: You have been a big believer in the return of Anelka to Arsenal. And he also wants to come back. But he hasn't signed yet. Has Peter Hill-Wood laid down a veto against this move?

Arsène Wenger: 'The President has not said no. I can get Anelka if I want. But we chose Eduardo instead because it was easier to work with a player who had no prior history at the club. Besides, we have plenty of strikers with Eduardo, Bendtner, Adebayor et Van Persie.'

ESPNSoccernet: It is now two years since Arsenal has won a trophy. Is that acceptable?

Arsène Wenger: 'What people don't understand is that we played in a new stadium and my players needed to adapt to that. But of course it was completely unacceptable that we were 16 points behind the league leaders by the end of October. This season I want us to compete for the title. We want to be respected for our style of play. And I will try to apply the tactics that respects the philosophy of the club. It was very interesting to see what we accomplished in the Carling Cup. It is a good competition to develop young players. But it is not a major trophy. What we are interested in is solely the English title and the Champions League.'

ESPNSoccernet: Thierry Henry has said that Arsenal could win the English title this season. What do you think about that.

Arsène Wenger: 'It is not bad for a club in crisis to get such a vote of confidence from one of your players. When I see the number of talents that we have at this club it gives me reason for being optimistic. We have world-class players and we have compensated for the departures from the club. We are very well prepared. I am very excited!'

 

[tactica442]

I have been one of the few people keep downplaying the prospect of he club to produce a genuine left wing. Yesterday Gibbs proved me wrong and IMO he played very well despite his occasional tenderness. Hopefully he can keep the progress, to be given a pro contract, and break into the first team.

Only one problem, apparently he's a CM.

Don't understand. I didn't see the formation on the telly. From what I saw on the stand, Gibbs played in LM. And last season he was in that postion in FA youth Cup.

 

[asajoseph]

I'm really getting a bit confused by this - what did Gibbs actually do?

 

[RobinVanPersie]

Some more great statements by Cesc & Robin in the fulll article.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... ge_id=1779

Great to see that those two young world class players knows what football is about. You see that they enjoy what they do. Foppe de Haan said that you have to think about why you started playing football. How it felt when you played football when you were young. Robin and Cesc still play with that feeling

Robin sounds like a captain. He could give some speeches.