I am not keen on writing a full review of the Spuds game. All of the other Arsenal blogs will be giving their slant on last nights victory and it will become a little too much in my opinion. This is why I usually leave a couple of days to reflect in between the match itself and my reviews written on here.
I wanted to discuss an obvious change in stance on the Carling Cup from Wenger this year.
He fielded the strongest Carling Cup team that I have seen for some time. Does this mean that he is now going to take the competition seriously?
To be honest I have mixed emotions if he has changed his mind. I actually quite enjoy watching our promising players pitted against first team stars.
Year on year they have actually progressed much further in the competition than most other Premiership teams and it allows them to gain vital experience against top players.
Also, we do appear to have a team that manages to frequently pick up injuries. I would hate to lose Nasri, Koscielny or Wilshere for any period of time due to playing in the competition.
Ian Wright was banging on about Arsenal fans “wanting a day out at Wembley, even if it were to be in the Carling Cup”. On one hand I can see where he is coming from, on the other I wonder if it is really worth risking our best players for?
It is a difficult one to call. I think I need a little more time to decide. What do you think?
I am sure I wasn’t the only person to breathe a huge sigh of relief that we didn’t lose any more players to injury when the final whistle sounded after 120 mins?!
There are four players I would like to give a mention to from last night:
What a performance from Nasri. He was playing just like that during pre-season and I ear-marked him for big things this year. His injury then set him back a little, but it looks as though he is back with a vengeance now.
Koscielny is really beginning to excite me. Carrying on his fine form from the last match he was the boss at the back for us. I cant wait to have Vermaelen and him partnered together. We now have two centre backs who look like they can be relied upon – a real partnership.
Wilshere continues to amaze me. He managed to show great maturity last night as he got battered time after time by the talentless Spuds. Is he better than Fabregas was at 18? You bet he is! If he can keep his feet on the floor and manage to avoid the diversions of English players like Rooney, Terry and Crouch then I can see him becoming the best player in England.
Finally……My dear friend Fabianski. You are given chance after chance to show what you can do and every time you let us all down. Wenger continues to tell us you are world-class. My reply? “Wenger dear sir, what are you smoking?!” Perhaps in training he can hold his nerve and play well, however when it really matters he is almost always prone to a big mistake. Fabianski actually manages to make Almunia look world-class, now that is saying something! Szczesny should have started.
I am keen to find out what your own thoughts are?
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THG
When Arsene plays kids in the carling cup,everyone is complaining that he should be playing his main team to win some silverware,when he plays his main team, people are moaning about players getting injured…What is he supposed to do?
Actaully we have to thank fabianski for letting that goal in,otherwise it might have ended 1-0 which isnt as comprehensive as 4-1….Good job fabianski…
actually we have to thank the linesmen for getting the decision wrong….
I wasnt moaning….I was just putting the question out there.
Did you read the post? I said that I quite like the kids playing in the Carling Cup.
I liked that. In addition, we shouldn’t belittle the Carling cup, just look at the joy Alex Ferguson had when they won it last season. No cup/competition is bigger or smaller considering the emotional high which would be the same with every cup. We have the squad, lets go and win it and gain some confidence for bigger things in the future. The title of this article is as dumb and idiotic as the writer himself
I love it when someone is unable to correctly read a piece of writing with the intent that it was obviously meant, then after doing so attempts to belittle the writer…..
classic
Imagine how wenger feels..damned if you do…..damned if you dont.To be honest i dont imagine we want the carling cup…but we want to win…and nobody benefits from getting a whipping,so a policy of mixing it up would be great.On the keeper front…hes not up to it…but he is a product so i guess arsene cant go ..hes rubbish ..but hes not up to it…will he ever…i doubt it.Bring in the young kid..on a final note ..the doubters of our new defender…were you watching last night..bring in given and the world will turn gooner!
Agree with Indian Gunner. It seems Wenger can do no right for some people.
oh and when man utd won the carling cup they went on to win a champions league and 3 premiership titles. also konsciely plays alot better on the left than on the right, i think the other new guy should pair with verm. he has hardly put a foot wrong when hes played and kons has made a few mistakes. Also, due to the way verm gets attracted to the ball alot, squil will be a good partner since he is more of a sweeper and will cover for him, similar to ferdinand and vidic
Are you having a laugh?! Koscielny has been absolutely immense in the last two games.
Crikey!
No question that your celebration of Kocs is WAY premature. Certainly Squillaci looks to be the FAR MORE solid of the two new CBs we’ve signed.
Until Kocs gains at least 15-2o pounds of muscle, he’s just an injury waiting to happen, and please let’s not forget his woeful performance against Blackburn where he was beaten by much slower, talentless hacks.
Surely the majority of Arsenal fans do not agree that Squillaci has been more impressive thus far?!
did you watch the Sunderland match? Koscielny was superb, whilst Squllaci was often found out of position.
It is early days for both at the club, but for me Koscielny looks to have settled in the quickest.
Honest gooner
Good post. First time for me to comment here.
I think we need to mix the team as we did yersterday. The concerns about injuries are valid. However there is another side to it which is that us winning the CC may do a world of good for us in other competitions. Success sometimes bequeths success just look tomanure and Chelsea in previous seasons. Defeat also bequeths defeats. In the past when we have put kids in the CC and rested most of the pros we have as a result lost valuable momentum as defeat has robbed the team of momentum and the senior players we have rested have subsequently got injured thus thus denying us other opportunities in other cups.
Welcome Steve Biko!
I would like to see a mix.. maybe a few more like Lansbury. Maybe JET and Eastmond?!
Momentum can be a huge factor as well – a good point made!
koscienly and vermaelen will a solid rock in defence for us this season. squillaci is a reliable back-up compared to silvestre. i honestly cannot see the reason why wenger can’t make szeszny the second choice goaly, he looks more reliable than flap-ianski.
I’m thinking the reason why he fielded this strong side was because it was away to the totts. If he fielded youngsters and they lost, they would be out of the Carling Cup and hence the youngsters would not have the opportunity to keep playing first team games.
Interesting idea…Does anyone else think he would do this?
yeah your right….he wanted stuffed spuds.On the defender issue..koscy has been great..he is also light…squilly is solid..reliable and anonymous..for me thats what we need..good old fashioned defending..no big stories….thinking of gallas………
I agree with this sentiment. If we play Leicester or someone of the like in the next round, I imagine we’ll see some combo of JET, Chuks, et. al…at least I HOPE so!
KOS and Vermaalen to partner at defense, Squilacci is a solid back up…I hope injuries stop now, we’re on to something
Actually, I think everyone is missing the point. We don’t have a 2nd and 3rd team anymore. We’ve just got one massive 1st team. That is a result of the evolution of the squad from blooding young players into the Carling Cup.
Wenger, like Twitchy, also had rusty (Djourou, Fabianski) or “benched” (Eboue, Gibbs) players that he needed to give a run out to.
So in actual fact, Wenger simply mixed these players in. It was nothing to do with youngsters verses our first team. Nearly all of them are our first team.
I don’t think Wenger’s plan was ever to play reserve team players, He always has a vision to get us to the stage where we have enough 1st team players to compete in all competitions.
He’s way ahead of us and despite his touch line tantrums, stubborn refusal to deal with weaknesses (Fabianski…) and general Gaulish antics, he is in actual fact a visionary.
Nicely put, and another perspective on what Wenger may be upto.
Nicely put, and another perspective on what Wenger may be up to.
Kix, u spot on. a weak side that gets kicked out first tym round gives young players NO playing time effectively. am sure depending on the opposition, the team will change. but above all, this was a derby….and we cant afford to repeatedly lose to spuds, full stop. needless to say, theres an argument that the gap between spurs and arsenal is near disappeared. that needed clarification, and that arsenal did well.
It is true that our players tend to be injury prone. But this is a result of how some teams have chosen to play us … the kick them out of the park brigade. While it is useful to bring on the young stars of tomorrow, it is important to put out a balanced team which is capable of winning a match. Let me put it in another way, would you rather lose heavily again to Spuds than beat them like we just have?
WELL DONE GUNNERS. THE SPUDS WERE BECOMING LOUD MOUTHS. SOMEONE SAID THE OTHER DAY THAT SPUDS WERE ON THE SAME LEVEL AS ARSENAL. HE GOT ANSWERED YESTERNIGHT. SPURS ARE MILLION MILES BEHIND TO BE COMPARED TO GUNNERS. NICE WORK KIDS. WE CAN NOW HAVE SOME PEACE IN NORTH LONDON.
The team should take their chences.they have try kudos to my cocah.arsene.
I love seeing the young guns. we have alot of promising youngsters. but it was against spurs so im glad he played a semi strong team because if we got beat by spurs i no i wouldnt of heard the last of it but beating them is the best feeling in the world!
I wouldnt look too much into the senior players used as they are all lacking in proper game time this season due to either injury or lack of first team opportunities. In the case of jack n kos they are still getting used to playing first team football with arsenal. We also couldnt afford to lose again to spurs so selection made good sense to me. Cesc at 18 was also exceptional and making a diff in the cl and prem so I woudnt say jacks better but what a brilliant young player he also is
Squillaci will start with TV. Squillaci is an experienced international defender who exudes calm authority. Koscielny has started well and looks a great buy, but Squillaci looks better.
I dont think AW has changed his policy at all towards the League Cup. I just think he now has a deep squad. A few years ago our reserves were 18/19 year olds with zero experience. Now our reserves are Djourou, Eboue, Koscielny, Gibbs, Denilson, Rosicky, Vela, Lansbury, Wilshire etc etc. Having a deep squad means we can now play competitive sides in every single game we play.
best of both worlds with new defensive signings…good and better, the goalies….dumb and dumber…ok that a tad harsh,almunia be a good number 2 in a well schooled defense….
I think changing our approach to the Carling cup will adversely effect our ability to bring in and keep young talent. We’re already seing this with young Szczesny’s recent comments, even if the meaning was arguably “lost” in translation there is likely some truth in them. And quite right I say! We built a reputation of giving youngsters a chance in these competitions and 20 or not, Szczesny has the right to expect his chance or he should have been allowed out on loan to a good team at the start of the season.
Although, if any player in Arsenal’s roster is in need of a long loan spell it’s Lucasz Fabianski. I’m certain he’ll come good if he can sort out that chocolate arse of his. He needs to play in every match for a team in a tough league where he has to be the solid base and he can learn to trust himself and take control of his defence.