Arsenal v Blackpool, Saturday, 21 August 2010, 15:00
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ARSENAL V BLACKPOOL: Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas
Arsenal have included captain Cesc Fabregas, striker Robin van Persie, midfielder Alex Song and defender Johan Djourou in the squad for tomorrow’s visit of Blackpool.
However, summer signing Laurent Koscielny is suspended after the centre-back’s dismissal at Liverpool and Brazilian midfielder Denilson is still out with an abdominal injury.
Winger Samir Nasri will be sidelined for a month after minor knee surgery while youngster Emmanuel Frimpong is set to miss most of the campaign after tearing knee ligaments.
Nicklas Bendtner (groin) and Aaron Ramsey (leg) remain out.
Meanwhile Arsene Wenger accepts transfer speculation is unsettling Arsenal
goalkeeper Manuel Almunia - but warned competition is part of life at a
top football club.
Arsenal v Blackpool
Saturday, 21 August 2010, 15:00
The Gunners have been
heavily linked with Australian international Mark Schwarzer all summer,
with Fulham maintaining they have turned down two bids for the
37-year-old, believed to be in the region of £2million.
Almunia played in the opening game of the new Barclays Premier League
season at Liverpool, where he made a crucial save from Steven Gerrard’s
free-kick after a last-minute own goal by Reds goalkeeper Jose Reina
hauled Arsenal level.
However, the
Spaniard afterwards admitted the constant rumours surrounding his
position were distracting, and hinted if an experienced stopper like
Schwarzer came in then he would consider his own future at Emirates
Stadium.
Wenger will keep faith with the
33-year-old for tomorrow’s visit of newly promoted Blackpool, but
maintained no one player can be guaranteed a place in the starting XI.
“For us what is important at the moment in front of a big game is that
we focus on the players we have,” the Arsenal manager said.
“Almunia is number one - it is important that we give him the needed
confidence, that we trust him, that we focus on tomorrow’s game.”
Wenger, though, accepted: “It is a very sensitive subject which is
difficult for me to talk about.
“You can
understand that he is unsettled by that situation, but on the other
hand, when you play at Arsenal, that is what you have to deal with.
“You have to be strong enough to deal with that and I believe he is.
“Jens Lehmann had to deal with that situation because at some stage I
took him out of the team and played Almunia, so competition is part of
our world. We have to accept that.”
Wenger, however, refused to be drawn on the Schwarzer situation.
“I never speak about the transfers, the offers, anything made about the
players, because we have so many talks in football that are never
concluded,” he said.
“It is always simple
if you want to buy a player and the club doesn’t agree: they say no, so
there is not a lot to talk about.”
Sevilla
have, though, confirmed an offer has been lodged by Arsenal for
experienced France international defender Sebastien Squillaci, who did
not feature in their midweek Champions League qualifier to avoid being
cup-tied.
The Spanish club are reported to
want some £6.5million for the centre-back, but an imminent completion
of negotiations appears unlikely.
Wenger confirmed: “He is one of the players we look at.
“With central defenders we are short number-wise, so we look at him,
but we are far from being close to signing him.”
Blackpool started life in the Premier League with a remarkable 4-0 win at Wigan.
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However, the Tangerines are expected to be brought down to earth with a
bump at Emirates Stadium tomorrow.
Wenger, though, warned against any complacency.
“We have to show we are mature enough to deal with these types of games
where you are favourites - but you are only favourite if you deserve it
and prepare mentally,” the Arsenal manager said.
“Among the three teams who come up, there is always one team who are on
a wave of euphoria, of momentum - and it is not always the team who has
won the league.
“They have no doubt, and
as long as the doubt is not created by the results, they play with a
real freedom, which is why Blackpool will be a dangerous team.”
Meanwhile Blackpool boss Ian Holloway admits he has not enjoyed the transfer window at all and could yet follow Karl Oyston out of the club.
Holloway tied up deals for six new players last week, just days before the Seasiders got their maiden Barclays Premier League campaign under way with a trip to Wigan.
Several of those signings - most notably, two-goal hero Marlon Harewood - then played a key role as the team pulled off a spectacular 4-0 victory at the DW Stadium.
With Israeli defender Dekel Keinan arriving this week as a seventh new recruit, it would appear Holloway is having no trouble strengthening his squad and that the future looks bright.
However, prior to the recent influx, Blackpool spent most of the summer struggling to finalise transfers and Bournemouth today confirmed striker Brett Pitman had failed to agree terms over a move to Bloomfield Road.
It has been a steep learning curve for the Tangerines since their promotion from the Championship in May and on Wednesday Oyston, who had previously spoken of his disillusionment with the business side of top-flight life, resigned as Blackpool chairman.
He will remain as acting chief executive of the club until the end of the season or a new appointment is made, and Holloway indicated he may have to reassess his own position once Oyston has departed.
“I think Karl and I will be working together for at least this season,” Holloway said.
“The day he leaves I’ll have to consider my future because it is all about our relationship.”
In light of the club’s troubles over the last few months, the manager said he will relieved when the transfer window finally closes on August 31.
“I’ll be really delighted when the window slams shut,” Holloway said.
“I haven’t enjoyed it at all. It has been very educational but something I wouldn’t really want to do again and hopefully we can get the club in really decent shape heading towards the next window in January.
“We don’t want to have to do much business in that one because that is the one where people panic.”
With regard to the deals he has completed, Holloway was pleased with the contribution of his new charges to the shock result against the Latics.
“Marlon scored two and made the other, Elliot Grandin ran for 90 minutes and didn’t give the ball away, and Craig Cathcart slotted in like he’d actually grown up there and been there all his life,” Holloway said.
“Then on came the two subs - Chris Basham charged around, got his foot in and looked full of energy and bright and enthusiastic, and Ludovic Sylvestre never gave the ball away.
“The more he gets it the better he’ll be. He is the type of player we haven’t got because he will sit in front of the back four and break things up and keep the ball for us. They all played their part.”
Next up for Blackpool is a journey south on Saturday to Arsenal, where Arsene Wenger’s side will provide an entirely different challenge.
Asked if Wenger was somebody he looked up to, Holloway said: “Absolutely, and that’s not just because he’s a good foot taller than me!
“It’s the way he manages his football club, the way he conducts himself, and the way he plays football, which is something that I can only admire and try to aspire to.
“If I can get anywhere near him this weekend it will be a miracle. But I believe in miracles and I’m going to try my best.
“It’s about my lads not being overawed at the Emirates, because it is a heck of a place with a fantastic pitch which is bigger than most, so it is going to be tough to get close to them.”
Arsenal Team (from): Almunia, Fabianski, Sagna, Vermaelen, Djourou, Clichy, Song, Wilshere, Diaby, Arshavin, Walcott, Chamakh, Van Persie, Fabregas, Vela, Gibbs, Eboue, Rosicky.