Many readers of this blog know that there are moments when I go through a blog writing drought like Olivier Giroud does every season. I love Arsenal and I have been writing about the club since 2010, but I also have a life as an engineer, and as you’d expect, there are days, work can be overwhelming. I have always hoped as an Arsenal Batman to have a Robin van Persie to hold the fort when I’m gone on official duties, but I guess that’d happen someday.
So in my one week absence from writing about the club I love, Portugal won the Euros. A team that finished in third place in their group benefited from Michel Platini’s new format. If it was the good ol’ days of just 16 of Europe’s finest contesting for the crown, Portugal would have gone home a long time ago but hey, this 24-team format made us see some nations strut their stuff and provide good entertainment value. Even the Viking clapping Iceland rose leaps and bound as the team has matured from a side that was 131st in 2012 to 22nd today.
It was particularly painful to see Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny on the losing side, especially after they had great campaign s by their fair standards. Giroud continued his goalscoring form for his nation and showed what a massive force he is in the air. Didier Deschamps did very well to play to Giroud’s strengths and he received a million and one crosses from Dimitri Payet and co. Two ended up at the back of the Romanian and Icelandic nets. Koscielny on the other hand, was a leader at the back, marshaling Adil Rami, before he lost his place to a young and relatively inexperienced Samuel Umtiti.
Moving away from the Euros and back to the Arsenal realm, transfer gossips, speculations and what have you dominated proceedings, but I’m not going to delve into that because I believe that there are many sites out that help you will all the rumors you need.
I’d stick to the real stuff, like you know, the lads returning back to London Colney for preseason training. The official site has loads of pictures showing the boys in action. Puma launched a new training kit range and trust me, the red and grey combo isn’t bad fam! Theo Walcott took out time out to hit the gym and you could see how Per Mertesacker was warming himself up to become the new club captain. He lost his place in the squad to Gabriel Paulista at the tail end of last season, so I’m sure he’d be doing his best to win his place back.
Then there was the Thierry Henry thing. Personally, I feel sad about the way things panned out, with the club giving its best player an ultimatum, but they were within their rights to do so. Well, we saw how it ended a bit sour with Henry quitting the coaching role to focus on his 4.5 million quid-a-year job, and if I was in his expensive shoes, I’m pretty sure I’d do the same. It doesn’t make him any less of a legend that he is to us.
Finally, I’ve learned that there would be extended breaks for Giroud, Koscielny, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and of course, Alexis Sanchez, but the scary part is that they could potentially miss out on the first game of the new season against Liverpool. The Chilean showed pictures of his inflamed ankle and it was a damn scary sight. I’m hoping he heals completely though.
It feels good to be back. let’s hope the consistency kicks in
Sayonara.
Download the Gooner Daily BlackBerry App to receive notifications on your Smart Phone when a post is published.
Follow Gooner Daily on Twitter @goonerdaily.
Visit Gooner Daily’s Facebook page.
Click on the “Follow button” to join Gooner Daily’s Mailing List
Leave a Reply