Up the Arse! Goons thread. :)

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giantroo

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Fabregas - I want to swap shirts with Vieira

Arsenal v Inter Milan

Emirates Cup

Emirates Stadium

Sun, Jul 29, 2007, 4.15pm





By Richard Clarke in Austria

Cesc Fabregas is relishing the opportunity to lock horns with Patrick Vieira once again.

The former Arsenal captain could be back in North London at the weekend with Inter for the inaugural Emirates Cup and is scheduled to line-up against Arsène Wenger’s side on Sunday.
It will not be the first time the pair have done battle since Vieira left the Club two summers ago. Much was made of the midfield match-up between the pair when the Frenchman came back to Highbury with Juventus for a Champions League tie in March 2006.

The Spaniard, then 18, scored the first goal, made the second and dominated the game. Like everyone else, Vieira had a poor game in comparison and received a booking that saw him suspended from the second leg.

Afterwards English media suggested that game was a watershed in the development of Fabregas at Arsenal. It signified that the student had taken over from the master. But the player himself strongly disagrees.

“No, never,” he said. “It would be wrong to think that. It is true I was happy at the end of the game about how it went. But it was only one game. There will be games when you are really satisfied but after many of the games you are angry with yourself.

“That is football. One day you are up and one day you are down. You just have to keep on the same levels and enjoy football. You just have to enjoy it because it is a sport. Not because you did well against Patrick Vieira or another player.

“I’ll be very pleased to see Patrick at the weekend,” continued Fabregas. “He was my team-mate for two years. He was a great player, a good captain and a very nice person. It will be nice to have him back.

“I feel I learned a lot from him — his personality, his technique and particularly how he uses his body. He had some amazing tricks but he also carried the responsibility for the side.

“He will not be playing for Arsenal of course but I think that people will enjoy seeing him again. I will certainly enjoy playing the game. It is always a big test playing against big players like him. I will see if I can swap shirts with him.”

Of course there is another ex-Arsenal midfielder expected to be on show at the weekend. Edu left in the same summer as Vieira for Valencia. The Spanish side will not play Arsène Wenger’s team over the weekend but Fabregas will be more than happy to rekindle relations with the Brazilian midfielder off the pitch.

“Edu, he is a nice, nice, nice guy,” said the 20-year-old. “I still keep in touch with him. He is now in Valencia but I have seen him a few times. I learned a lot from him — not only just on the pitch. We got on very, very well so it will be nice to see him again as well.”
 

Arsene Wenger

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Quite disappointed, simply because he has been a favourite of mine over the past 9 years. I do however feel his best is well past him (it was two years ago) and he has been surpassed by a few other blokes at the club... I hope he does v well with the Hammers and his goals + contribution will be remembered by all Gooners.

Goodbye and good luck Freddie - Thanks for the memories...

We def need to sign another player now
 

giantroo

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Confirmed on the arsenal website. CYA later Freddie. Thanks for the good times.

Freddie Ljungberg completes transfer to West Ham

Arsenal can confirm that Freddie Ljungberg has signed for West Ham United for an undisclosed fee.

Freddie (30) signed for Arsenal from Swedish side Halmstads in September 1998 and his Arsenal career was littered with honours and accolades. Winning two Premiership titles, three FA Cups and one Community Shield, Freddie became the first player for 40 years to score in consecutive FA Cup Finals by netting against Liverpool in 2001 and then Chelsea the following year.
Freddie was named Premiership Player of the Season in 2002 — a campaign in which he scored 17 goals from midfield, helping Arsenal to win the ‘double’.
Comfortable on either wing (although he played predominantly on the right), Freddie also played centrally, supporting the front line. Throughout his Arsenal career, Freddie was a major part of the Sweden national squad and is currently captain of his country.
On Freddie’s departure, Arsène Wenger said: “Freddie’s contribution to Arsenal Football Club was absolutely outstanding. His performances over the past nine seasons have been a major part of the Club’s successes during this time, especially in our 2002 ‘double’ year when he scored and created so many goals from midfield. Freddie is a winner and always gave absolutely everything when he played for this Club. He is an intelligent player and always combined this well with his fantastic fighting spirit. We thank Freddie for his contribution and wish him well for the future.”
Everyone at Arsenal would like to thank Freddie for his fantastic contribution to the Club and wish him the best of luck during his time with West Ham United.
 

Darealrath

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Great player. Used to love how he'd run himself into the ground. Probably would have been even better if we didn't have Pires and he could have played more on the left.

Good to see West Ham is still our retirement home.
 

lion_gooner

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yeah true lol follows in the footsteps on nigel winterburn one of the best defenders and ian wright one of arsenals all time top scorers and now freddie ljungberg who was a very good winger

i vote royston drenthe as ljungbergs replacement
 

Benno_900

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I'm fine with Freddie staying though the general thought is that he cannot contribute anymore because of his age.

Greatly respect his loyalty though especially when his manager claimed that Freddie would decline any move to another English club because of the great respect he has for Arsenal fans. :thumbsu:
Oops :eek:

Good luck to Freddie anyway, thanks to a great career! :thumbsu:

Not looking forward to the rush of bullshit rumours for his replacement though.
 

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giantroo

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Robin van Persie could be the most nervous player on the pitch when Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Emirates Cup on Saturday.
It is hardly a high-pressure game but it will complete the Dutchman’s journey back from serious injury.
On January 21 this year, Van Persie slid in at the far post to bring Arsenal level against Manchester United at Emirates Stadium. As he celebrated he did not realise he had broken the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot. It would cost him the rest of that season.
On Saturday it will be six months and one week since that day. Van Persie has already begun exorcising any lingering ghosts here in Austria but a happy return to his home ground will seal his comeback.
“I am looking forward to playing in the Emirates Cup,” the 23-year-old told Arsenal.com. “It has been a while for me since I played at Emirates Stadium and I really missed it.
“I am up for this tournament. I am not 100 per cent yet so I’ll be using the Emirates Cup to get my touch and my fitness back. It is PSG and Inter Milan, two strong sides. But I think it is better to play two big teams in pre-season. It gets you to your level quicker.”
Van Persie struck twice in Arsenal’s opening game in Austria. The first came just before half time against Turkish side Genclerbirligi on Thursday. Theo Walcott played a tantalising ball to the far post and the former Feyenoord striker slid home. It was a special moment.
“For me my whole injury ended with my goal against Genclerbirligi,” he said. “People told me afterwards that it was like the last goal I scored against Manchester United. Even the boss said it was quite similar.
“I did not realise that at that time. But for me it is like ‘OK I scored that goal against Manchester United and I scored a similar goal now’. So that is it for me. This period has gone. It is time to get it on and start again. It is in the past, it is history.
“That said, I will certainly have some feelings when I play my first game at Emirates again. I don’t really know how I will feel. I think I could be quite nervous but I am certainly looking forward to it.”
 

Dipper

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Freddie said he left Arsenal because the club lacks ambition.

He may be right but it's a lack of class to make such comments as well as the fact that we wanted him gone for the last 2 years.
 

Dipper

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Great player. Used to love how he'd run himself into the ground. Probably would have been even better if we didn't have Pires and he could have played more on the left.
There's some truth in that.

It was funny though, Bergkamp & Freddie did their thing on the right, Freddie making his angled run into the box Dennis picking him out.


And then Pires & Henry doing their stuff on the right, mutually creating for one another & doing it all with a bit more pace.

It was odd though, normally your 10 & the main striker are the partnership but for us DB & FL had a kind of telepathy & TH & RP had a great link up, less anticipation just 2 highly skilled players who worked really well together.


Merson & Bergkamp also had a great link up in Wenger's first season when we played 3-5-2 & Merse was the spare midfielder.If we hadn't sold him I could have seen him playing on the right instead of Parlour & creating mayhem down that flank with Bergkamp.
 

GhostofJimJess

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Poor display against Salzburg. Still some serious overuse of the ball in and around the box as well as a real lack of width. Hleb still a culprit in this respect, but he's not the only one.

Sagna looks a likely type though, and on tonight's game alone Eduardo has already shown he is superior to The Beast i.e his passes tend to hit their targets.

Fabianski looks reasonably solid, and Rosicky is in for a stellar season if he can stay fit (subbed off after about 25 minutes tonight, without looking even the slightest bit hampered?).

Our best chance for goal was a neat square up by Hleb from about 10 metres from left post, Bendtner a quick tap on to Eduardo who pushed it must wide left from about 8 metres. Our stop-play balls, especially corners, were really ordinary. In our defence, the pitch was a cow paddock.

By the way, Salzburg 1-0 was the result.
 
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