The Emirates Cup – The Good, The Bad And The Relief….
We’ve had transfer speculation. We’ve had compilation videos of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, DB10 etc. We’ve had THAT Norwich goal on loop. I’ve personally watched Fever Pitch fifteen times and risked divorce in the process. Nothing has served as a fillip for Gooners the world over. Whilst nostalgia serves as a source of nourishment in times of meagre rations, it also acts as a dangling carrot suspended just out of reach. A tantalising glimpse of what feeds our ravenous minds. We have sorely missed our Arsenal.
The World Cup was great entertainment and the correct team lifted the trophy in the end, but throughout the tournament my minds reticule was firmly hovering over whatever Arsenal player was involved in the match. He was sitting on the bench for the whole game? Cue me, waiting for a sneaky glimpse of the bench to see a face, a knee, an elbow. Obsessive? I bet you were the same. Another thought, or rather a sharp sliver of glass in my thoughts, was if any of our treasures were injured during their exertions. If Argentina had targeted Ozil the way they targeted Schweinsteiger then we would be welcoming back our creative genius in a body cast. So whilst I enjoyed the frivolity of enjoying the game rather than worrying about points, Arsenal dominated my every waking moment, arguably more so than when the season is in full swing! My mind, recognising a large Cannon-shaped gap, sought to fill it with even the most tenuous of Arsenal news.
The Emirates Cup was a salvation. Whilst the matches Vs Boreham Wood and NYRB were appetisers, gamely whetting our appetite, The Gunners-made tournament was viewed as the Return. Against Boreham Wood, we could glean positives from the result, Chuba especially looking bright. The NYRB game was a shot in the arm to nostalgia junkies, as Le King returned. Prior to the match, social networks were dominated by images of Titi being jovial with Le Prof, being present at our training, which despite him playing for a different team, such is his legendary status, didn’t look out of place. It looked RIGHT.
It still didn’t suffice my overwhelming NEED though.
On Saturday though, the start of the Emirates Cup, this was when my thirst was quenched. What a drink it was as well. It was easy to get carried away and I forgive any who did. We looked mighty impressive against Benfica, who, despite the scoreline, are no mugs, unlike their Portuguese comrade over in West London…..
Let’s get it out of the way though. The previously goalless, barren like searching for a Library in Stoke, Yaya Sanogo. He scored 4. Bloody Hell. The last time a player scored 4 for us in one game was Theo Vs Reading in that ridiculous 7-5 game. It is true, that included within his haul were finishes on a plate, but he still had to be in the right place. He still had to finish. He still had to have the presence of mind to slip his marker, even for half a yard. It shows improvement, it shows a little nous. Whilst it’s proven that Yaya made a difference in the games against Bayern, Wigan and the Cup Final, it was more of a ‘ Bull in a China Shop, aggravating presence ‘ type difference. It wasn’t his skills that was the variable that changed the outcome of the games. With his 4 goals, he showed evidence that he has learnt over the summer, he has used the tools available to him during training, such as the obvious class he trains with day after day and the advice of AW. It’s reason for optimism and shows why Wenger has such faith in him.
Aside from Sanogoal ( I’m not sorry ), there were plenty of reasons to be cheerful. The scoreline, the link-up between Campbell and Yaya, Joel hitting the ground running. It was great to see.
I was there for Sunday. I look back on it now and think myself lucky I get to go on a semi-regular basis. I always try to take in as much as I can on every visit, especially as you finish climbing the internal stairs and walk out and the pitch comes into view, and the sound not only hits your ears but transports through you. Shivers, every time. I see it as a pilgrimage and I also try not to take it for granted as there are fans all over the world who have never been and deserve to go just as much as me and the others who were present.
The result was disappointing, especially as expectations were high due to Saturdays game. In all honesty though, all the Gooners I spoke to prior to the game, and there were a few, the main talk was about running the rule over our new boys. In that respect the game didn’t disappoint.
After the game, the first observation amongst my friends and me was the display of Chambers. Bearing in mind the age of the young whippersnapper and the attacking threat posed by the undoubted class of Radamel Falcao, his display alongside the peerless Koscielny showed so much maturity. He has a good leap, his strength was not found wanting in shoulder to shoulder tussles, he nipped in a few times and quelled threats which shows a good reading of the game. I could go on but you get the premise. The boy dun good. A very exciting prospect and he showed what Wenger saw in him.
Sanchez was the headline act though. From my view in the North Bank I thought he did well. Our attack was a tad disjointed but ring-rust is to be expected. Our whole squad isn’t present and I’m sure Arsene knows what he wants to implement but Alexis, when in possession, made it clear his transfer fee is peanuts. Some players ooze a certain type of class. You can tell from even a trap of the ball, a pass or a feint, why people rave about them. Sanchez was out wide in the 1st half, as opposed to a more central role in the 2nd when Olly was subbed, and a high ball came over to him. A good friend of mine after the game summed it up better than I ever could, by saying, “ He claimed a ball that he had no right to “. It OOZED. He also chased back, which in my humble view, shows great character. To be honest though, the best thing about Sanchez was just seeing him in our Red&White jersey. Barcelona’s No9 now in our team. Wowzers.
Debuchy was also making his home debut, but the strange thing is that you would never have known it. Seamless is the word I would choose. It’s something I’ve raised in previous articles, but I’ll say it again for effect. He possesses everything Sagna had but is more adept in the attacking department. In my previous blog for YAMA, I mentioned what an impressive leap he has for his 3ft frame ( I jest ), but upon witnessing it with my own eyes I can vouch for it personally as opposed to watching YouTube compilations and confessing to being a huge fan of his on FM2014. He outleapt every competitior unwary of his jump of doom. As a side note, our other new short-arse Sanchez could rival Mathieu in the jumping stakes. I digress however. I couldn’t fault Debuchy at all and I personally think it was an astute decision to bring him in. It showed yesterday.
I was looking forward to snatching even the faintest glimpse of ‘ The Lesser-Spotted Diaby ‘, but to no avail, but it didn’t spoil my mood, and neither did the result.
I come to my main point in this blog, after all this blathering. The result didn’t matter. At half-time, I took to Twitter to post some first-hand observations and a few pics. Within five minutes I had a couple of people replying to me, stating it was nice to see someone posting optimistic opinions. Who would be ridiculous enough to take negatives from 45 minutes of a pre-season match? I scrolled down my Timeline and found the answer was a fair few. I know the game is results driven nowadays, due to the moolah in circulation, but a friendly game in a tournament WE MADE OURSELVES, has no bearing in the direction we will be headed in the coming season! The game is a tactical tuning exercise for the players and a trail for many different things that circulate through that wonderful grey matter of our Manager. The result didn’t matter a jot. It was a time to gel, a time to use a primer and rid ourselves of the rust and decay of off-season. It was a TRAINING EXERCISE and a money-spinner.
If you look at it another way, it’s really just for us fans. It’s a chance to view our new kits and new players in all their shiny, fresh-out-of-the-box splendour. It’s a chance for some Gooners to resume that routine we oh so cherish, the greasy spoon café for starters, then to the pub to meet and chat, then on to the game and then the pub or the Tube after to exchange opinions and observations. For others, it’s time for the TV and remote to be claimed temporarily from the rest of the family, for The Arsenal is back. It acts as a banner to wave o’er No-Mans Land that the return of Arsenal is here, do not fret. The Cannon is being prepped.
