This is the first of many more Saturdays I’m going to spend in Lagos and it’s going to be graced with Arsenal football. This is that time of the year where the Gunners have a shot at the only piece of silverware that fails to enter the club’s cabinet because the Black Widow spider residing there doesn’t regard it as a trophy worth entering her home. Apologies for not publishing any post yesterday. I spent a lot of time sorting myself out before getting my ass to Genesis Deluxe Cinemas to watch the final installment of the Harry Potter series. In my high school days at King’s College, I read all 7 books but watching the movie end made me very sad because it was evident that there’ll be no more Harry Potter for years to come. It’s not like the X-Men series where you can create Origins or First Class out of the blue.
Moving over to Arsenal news, I’m about to write about something gooners have become accustomed to. Abou Vassiriki Diaby will miss the start of the new season because he has been sidelined for 10 weeks. Since his arrival in the winter of 2005, Abou Diaby has been a victim of many injuries with the most horrific being the broken ankle he suffered in the hands of Sunderland’s Dan Smith in May 2006. After spending many months out recuperating, Diaby has been a regular customer in Arsenal’s treatment room; so regular that 21 players in the 25-man list played more games than him last season.
I wish him all the best and a quick recovery but he’s one player that I can’t wait to see his contract expire. In as much as Wenger has mentioned that he has massive potential and can be likened to the great Vieira, Diaby isn’t really an Arsenal material. He has the technique, agility, strength and stamina to play for any team but his mental IQ is very low. He dwells on the ball too much and he puts his teammates under pressure. Let’s not forget the amazing own goal he scored in Old Trafford that condemned his team to defeat.
Diaby can thrive well in a club that lacks the ambition to win trophies and I’m hoping that he’ll be sold back home to France or a mid-table Premier League outfit someday. I’m still in the opinion that Diaby is in Arsenal because he’s French. Sir Alex Chewie, Mou-rhino, Pep Guardy the Bald, Carlo the Cannibal or Villas Boa Constrictor won’t have the patience to have a player like Diaby on their side. Despite all my taunts at the lanky Frenchman, Diaby still remains an Arsenal player so I’ll cut him some slack.
Moving over to the media Vultures section of today’s post, I’ll start with possible departures as always. It seems as if Arsenal will be resigned to losing Henri Lansbury because Norwich is gearing up a £1.5m permanent move for the youngster. I watched him play in the Carling Spoon third round and I was hugely impressed but I won’t shed a tear if he’s sold to a club where he’s guaranteed of first team football for the rest of his days. Henri is a fine player and a future starlet but there are many players in his playing position that have their ‘future starlet’ tag on their heads. I hope he achieves a cult hero status in Carrow Road.
Nicklas Bendtner has been the subject of discussion for media Vultures and gooners alike for many weeks but it seems as if everything will be laid to rest because there are reports emerging that he’ll be unveiled as a Sporting CP player very soon. After starting his career in FC Copenhagen before being shown the light by AW the Alchemist, Bendtner has decided to take a new step in another direction by forcing a move out of Arsenal with his father/agent at the thick of things spearheading every possible move.
Good luck to B52 as he’s ready to ply his trade in Portugal. At least he can rest assured that he’ll play European football every season and I’m sure that Platini will find a way to make Sporting CP play Arsenal.
Moving to arrivals, the media Vultures say that Arsenal would soon seal the deal for the signing that Matas. He has been linked heavily to Arsenal but he’s still wearing the White and Black of the Mestalla-based outfit. Signing a player like Mata would show Wenger’s positive intent to win silverware because Mata will be a quality addition to the squad. He’s the kind of player that rVp and El Capitan have been whining to Wenger about and I’m pretty sure that the gooners will drool with the prospect of his signing.
Arsenal will start their Emirates Cup adventure against Boca Juniors this evening and I’m sure that Juan Roman Riquelme will be under the spotlight for the reasons best known to the dementors of Azkaban. He was the player that missed that crucial penalty after Jose Mari fell like a sack of potatoes from a fictitious foul by Man City’s Clichy. The match review for the game will come up in tomorrow’s post.
That’s all for today but you can check out Will (@iamgooonerblog)‘s article on signing Cahill and Jagielka.
I was also very impressed with Yogi Warrior’s post on the early life of rVp. Trust me, its worth a read.
Sayonara
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