Stoke Preview: Last game of the season, who will play his last game for the Arsenal?
Regardless from where I start, I cannot not show my gratitude to all those who made one first season in the online world of Arsenal football possible. Month after month I saw the number of hits raise, enough to surprise myself and the rest of the team, so yes, allow me to say thank you to all the regular readers of this website and also to those who just read, without dropping a comment.
Last game it is
In the same way I am saying thank to you, it will be a party-like atmosphere at the Emirates to say thank you to the players and staff. Even if the season has been disappointing, gratitude is to be shown to all those who fought in the red and white jersey although some may of course not wear it next season.
I have mixed feelings on the possible departure of Adebayor, I mean, I remember a couple of years ago when we were 0-2 down at half time against Pompey and he came on to literally inspire an incredible comeback but I also remember this season, a below-par one, a lazy one if you like, as maybe a sign he won’t be with us next season.
Also Van Persie is tipped as a possible transfer out since he’s yet to renew his contract so who knows, we may have to wave farewall to another important element of the side although as always, best would be to wait and see.
I would like to go into more detail about our season but I will be doing so in three separate articles in which I will examine our season, our players and our future. I will also publish some information on what the future lies ahead for The Gunning Hawk after such a successful first year, but that won’t be before mid-June.
My favourite line-up
Wenger said he will start with those who played most games for us, so with Nasri out I believe the starting line-up will be:
Sagna – Toure – Song – Gibbs
Walcott – Denilson – Fabregas – Arshavin
Adebayor – Van Persie
Pre-match interviews
Wenger:
The state of our club is fantastic.
At a big club, it is simple. There is philosophy, a style of play and a culture of how you want to play the game. We have all that.
People think it is a disaster to get to the semi-finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup, while finishing fourth. Okay, so you can do better, but if that is a disaster, then the future of the club is very promising.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis:
Arsene sent me a lovely letter and a signed Arsenal shirt. That was a really nice gesture and I appreciated it.
What was said by Arsene Wenger is over, water under the bridge. He is a top-class manager with a top club and top players. We are competitive, sometimes you mis-time tackles. But we haven’t got dirty players.
Before, during and after the game
As always, tune in for team line-ups, streaming links, half time and full time reports, post-match thoughts, video highlights and what the press is writing. And of course, do contribute if you want to by making use of the comment box available at the bottom of the post as it’s always nice to hear your opinion. And as a final note, if you want to go one step further than just leaving a comment and want to have your articles published on our website, take a look here for more information.
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why adebayor? i would go for bendtner
At least Bendtner tries! I don’t mind a player that makes a few mistakes as long as he puts the effort in and on that score i’d stick with Bendtner. Sell Ade to ManCity for £22 mil’ and let AA play behind either RVP, Theo or Eduardo and stick Vela/Rosicky on the left……
it wudnt be a disaster to lose rvp. he is cocky. he thinks he is so important to the club. but we cud do without. ade’s absense has been felt more than ryp’s. let him go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 i thought he sed the money we offered was fine. y is he askin for more now, 90k? who cud cope with the injuries he has had the past 2 seasons and the under par performances he has been offering of late? its a bit like the owen situation. micheal owen should be sayin i’m sorry to the newcastle fans for refusing to xtend his contract when the have paid his wages foe 3years in return for being constantly crocked. these players jus drive me nuts
My take is sell both adebayor and RvP. Both have negative influences in the team. Sell them and get ourself another 30millions pounds to spent in the summer.
In bendtner, eduardo, arshavin, walcott and vela, we have enough quality in the striking department. However, if arsene needs another striker, then go for dzeko or pogernyak (whom is reaching his end of contract in the summer). Dzeko would cost us a great deal of money, but if he is a quality player then why not. Just dont go for Forlan.
Arsene should then use the rest of the money to buy a DM, and the guy from fulham. Prise away David Wheater from Middlesborough too as they are going down and should be staying down for quite a number of years. Sebbastian Bassong of newcastle would be another great catch for me.
We just need quality CB and DM, that is all we need. Our team is there, just some areas need more reinforcements, so we can rotate abit more and challenge on more fronts.
Let’s just cross our fingers and hope that Rosicky and Eduardo would be ready for the pre-season and start of the next season. My top 3 strikers for next season (if we sold away both ade and rvp), would be Eduardo, Arshavin and Bendtner, they will lead the line for me. With Simpsons, Vela and Walcott providing the cover if need be.
I can’t believe some of the comments concerning Rvp
He is the sole reason we will be playing CL next season – he has been a genius for most of the season. Next year with a fit Fabregas and Arshavin, he will tear up the PL
Besides how many EPL strikers have scored more goals than him this year – very few
If Ade is really leaving, matthew, it would be nice to see him play one last game for us.
Sell Emmanuel but keep Robin is my conclusion
I’m sorry. I think I’ve missed something. RvP a negative influence on the team ? In what way exactly ? By far our hardest working – not to mention best – striker. It would be a huge blow if he went.
And Tony, he hasn’t asked for more money; that’s been made very clear. He’s asked for assurances about where the club are going; whether we’re interested in winning things or continuing on the way we are now. A perfectly reasonable request if you ask me. Any player with his talent of his age would ask the same thing before signing a new contract.
By the way, Simpson hasn’t been able to nail down a starting spot at the worst team in the league – do you really think he’s ready to play a role for us next season ???
PD, some interesting observations there, may I ask a question:
If fans ask where the club is going, what are the objectives, they are usually branded as ungrateful and lacking in respect to Wenger. But it seems there is no problem if players actually do so which I find funny, because contrary to players, fans cannot just pack and leave to join another club so I find it more normal for fans to ask such questions.
What do you think?
PS: Sorry Gooner, message was marked as spam, now online.
i dont know man,maybe bendtner should start and later be substituted for ade
rvp is a top player and an excellent influence on our side
hes a fighter, and we dont have enough of those atm
re: ade, i thnk wer thinking the same way on him chris.
im torn, he needs to realise that his work-rate is one of the things that made him exceptional last season
now he seems to think hes the man and he doesnt have to try hard – he should notice Even torres has to work hard, and hes the best striker in the league by a mile imo
if someone can get that into his head, hes always been a really good striker, and theres no need to replace him. we can win the league with him- we should have done last season!
also, (im happy to be proven wrong on this)whenever ive seen arshavin play through the middle, i havent been impressed
playing left wing he reminds me a bit of pires but he gets picked up too easily playing centrally from what ive seen
I think Ade’s body language this season had “I’m forced to play” written all over it.
I think last summer he wanted to leave, Milan and Barca made the offers but Wenger said “no”.
hmm
well yeh i gues that’s the big adebayor question
is he not working hard cos hes arrogant or is it because he was prevented from leaving last season
some of the things he says suggest hes really gotten arrogant since last year, he keeps going on about being one of the world’s elite strikers – obviously premature to say the least!
but of course it’s also possible he really wanted to leave in the summer for one of the massive clubs, and is upset that he was prevented.
id side with the former argument because he never seemd to show displeasure at staying at arsenal, he seemed to just want his big contract, which of course we gave him
change of players is not change of attitude. wenger needs to change his self beliv attitude and go for players wu are ready 2 play 4 arsenal. our players usually make same mistakes in matches. gunas 4 trophiesss…
The irony is that I doubt AC Milan and ready to offer the same fee they did last summer for him so he may be “forced” to stay again.
RvP was very good until February, i.e. most of the season. I’d say he’s among the top 5 strikers in the league, which makes anyone good enough for the Gunners. And being somewhat cocky is a good attribute in a striker imho, as it helps the player be confident even during a bad spell. That’s why I think Bendtner can be successful; he held his head up high even after the massive criticism he received mid-season.
The irony is that I doubt AC Milan and ready to offer the same fee they did last summer for him so he may be “forced” to stay again.
OH – NO!!! let him go please just GO!!
Hey TGH wat’s your take on Armand Traore am sure he’s coming back perhaps he is ready for first team honors and what are we going to do with Philippe Senderos?
I don’t think Senderos is coming back.
As for Traore, unfortunately he was very disappointing with Pompey so I wouldn’t consider him as a back-up to one of our regulars, not yet at least.
There’s no difference Chris. I don’t see that there’s any problem questioning Wenger’s ambitions. As long as it’s done with the respect he’s due given what he’s achieved.
The problem is that most fans in the middle – the ones who recognise that what he’s acheived is nothing short of astonishig but that changes are badly needed – are drowned out by the extremists on both sides. i.e. the Arsene Knows Best & any criticism of him disqualifies you from being a ral fan & the ones who come out ‘Wenger’s a cnut’ after every bad result.