The Team’s All Here

By: Tom | June 5th, 2009

I promised you an update on my formation and line-up for the coming year, but the prolonged transfer saga of Ashley Young was very dragged out, and injuries to key players in the squad meant that I couldn’t really start making changes just yet. The first few games of the season have seen the same 4-2-3-1 shape then, and have gone very well.

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Arsenal vs. Braga – Champions League, Best Placed 3rd Qualify Phase, 1st Leg
12th August 2009
English starters: 6 – Foster, Lescott, Taylor, Jagielka, Walcott, Bullard

Goals – Adebayor (4), Bullard (29), Agbonlahor (57), (90)

It looks like there are going to be quite a few goals in this team this year.

The same line-up as in the Community Shield started brightly, Adebayor scoring early on. Bullard got a second on the half hour mark as things became very one sided.

Ade had a bit of a knock at half time, so Agbonlahor came on in the second half and scored his first Arsenal goals.

I managed to work out that this was indeed the only tie I would have to play in qualifying this season, so things were set up nicely for the second leg.

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Arsenal vs. Tottenham – Premier League
15th August 2009
English starters: 7 – Foster, Lescott, Taylor, Jagielka, Walcott, Wilshere, Agbonlahor

Goals – Wilshere (4)

With Adebayor still nursing an injury, Agbonlahor made his full debut, but it was another young Englishman replacing a veteran (in this case Bullard) who made all the headlines.

Jack Wilshere will have to work hard to top days like this. Scoring the only goal in the 4th minute of a North London derby on the opening day of the season, and then picking up the man of the match award. It was a beauty as well, as the winger turned his man on the corner of the box and then, despite running away from goal, angled in a precise low, near-post finish.

The only other noticeable piece of action all day was Srna’s late sending off, although even before than, Tottenham never looked like threatening.

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Arsenal vs. West Ham – Premier League
22nd August 2009
English starters: 6 – Foster, Lescott, Taylor, Jagielka, Walcott, Wilshere

Goals – Adebayor (8), Rosicky (78)

Van Persie’s injury in the previous game meant a start for Carlos Vela on the left and Wilshere continuing in the AMC role. Veloso had finally signed by this time, so he made his start in the middle of the park alongside Fabregas, while Jagielka moved back into defence to partner Taylor, and Lescott slotted into the left-back role.

It was another comfortable win. Wilshere linked up with Adebayor, who opened the scoring early again, and the late substitute Rosicky took advantage of West Ham having to chase the game, as he found plenty of space in the box and a lovely cross-field ball from Fabregas to wrap up the points.

Two London derbies and two wins = a happy start to the season all round.

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Braga vs. Arsenal – Champions League, Best Placed 3rd Qualify Phase, 2nd Leg
26th August 2009
English starters: 10 – Foster, Lescott, Taylor, Gibbs, Hoyte, Jagielka, Walcott, Bullard, Wilshere, Agbonlahor

Goals – Meyong (80)

As we were all but through after the first leg, I went with an almost all English side, Fabregas being the only foreigner. The encouraging thing to note is, that with the exception of Gibbs and Hoyte (and maybe Bullard and Wilshere to a lesser extent), all of these players are prominent first team players, or will prove to be.

Having said that, this wasn’t the greatest performance. Agbonlahor (OK, I’m officially starting this here – he’ll forthwith be known as Gabby) got injured in the 20th minute and is out for about a month, while, despite dominating possession and shots, we ended up losing.

We are through to the competition proper though! This is such a massive relief. God knows what would have happened if we’d missed out two years in a row.

Anyway, we’ve drawn PSV, Panathinaikos, and some Russian team called Krylja Sovetov in Group F. Eminently winnable, that.

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Plymouth vs. Arsenal – Premier League
29th August 2009
English starters: 6 – Foster, Lescott, Jagielka, Walcott, Wilshere, Bullard

Goals – Bullard (19), Adebayor (32), (38), (59), Jagielka (42)

Plymouth won the playoffs last season after finishing 4th in the Championship, gaining promotion alongside Birmingham and Reading. Even at this early stage of the season though, it’s looking like it’s going to be a short-lived stay. After this result they are rock bottom of the table, with zero points, and zero goals.

This was never really a contest. The home team sat back from the very start, inviting wave upon wave of pressure, which we were only to happy to supply. Adebayor even found the time to miss a penalty.

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I’ve finished August top of the league with a game in hand, and as manager of the month. Equally as exciting, Ashley Young has finally joined the Arsenal! It took £35 million to convince Aston Villa to part with him in the end, but it’s finally done. I’ll ruminate on how he’s going to fit into my long-term plans and the team this year next time.