Gilberto’s international call up may leave a huge gap in Arsenal’s defence to face Spurs

By Eros and 1970's Gooner

It seems that Wenger’s decision to let Djourou go out on loan to Birmingham may come back to haunt him.

His thinking was of course admirable. The lad needed games and Premiership experience and at the time it did not look like he was going to get it at Arsenal.

Now a red card picked up by Senderos during the Portsmouth game added to Gallas’s injury two weeks ago has suddenly left the club without a recognised central defender to partner Toure.

And to add insult to injury, as it were, Gilberto has been called up by Brazil for international duty. "Surprisingly" his call up is omitted from the list of players on international duty mentioned on Arsenal’s web site.

Gilberto has proved an adequate deputy in central defence in the past and he did fill in very well when he slotted in next to Kolo Toure due to Senderos’s send off last Sunday.

But Dunga, the ex Brazil star and current Brazil coach has included Gilberto in the list of players for two international friendlies.

The first is to be played this coming Sunday 9th September in Chigaco against the USA and the Wednesday after that on the 12th September in Boston against Mexico.

Gilberto will be accompanied to the States by another two Premiership players, Alex of Chelsea and Elano of Manchester City. Julio Baptista of Real Madrid, the ex Arsenal loan player, is also in the squad.

The full call up is:
Doni, Julio Cesar, Maicon, Daniel Alves, Alex Silva, Lúcio, Juan, Alex , Kleber, Gilberto, Gilberto Silva, Mineiro, Josué Fernando, Elano, Kaká, Julio Baptista, Diego, Ronaldinho Robinho, Vagner Love, Afonso

Gilberto will probably be travelling back to the UK after the Wednesday game but of course distances being what they are he will not be back to base until Friday afternoon with the Spurs kick off the next day at 1.30 pm.

This is because Wednesday in Boston is really early hours of Thursday morning in London. Add to this the time taken to drive to the airport, flying time to London and driving time to get home at St Albans and Gilberto will probably not snuggle into his bed until Friday afternoon.

Wenger has in the past followed a policy of resting players after such long journeys due to the effects of jet lag and fatigue. Will he do it this time?

If he does select him to play will Gilberto be up to the task of performing at his best when he comes up against a Spurs forward line of Berbatov and Keene?

Another way out will be for Arsenal to request that Dunga selects Gilberto only for the first game, against the USA on the Sunday. This arrangement will give him enough time to travel back and get a proper rest before the derby game at White Hart Lane.

We are assuming of course that in the meantime no injuries are suffered either by Gilberto or indeed Toure. The latter is due to play for the Ivory Coast against Gabon in a qualifying match for the African Cup of Nations on Saturday 8th September.

If for whatever reason Wenger needs another central defender to start the Spurs game he does not really have too much choice.

It includes Hoyte who played there once before against Norwich at Carrow Road a few years back when an injury during the warm up deprived Arsenal one of its central defenders. He played well but it was newly promoted Norwich after all.

The other choice would be Sagna who although injured at the moment could be fit for the game. His height and lack of recent exposure in this position would be a concern though.

Diaby, Diarra or Denilson will be fighting for a place alongside Fabregas in the middle of the park.


England will probably never be a world football power

Sagna in London for talks. Martins at £13m also Arsenal bound?

Some good news at last.

The Independent reports that Bakari Sagna was due last night in London to talk terms after Arsenal agreed terms with Auxerre.

The fee is believed to be in the region of £7.5m. Apparently Sagna will sign a five-year contract and his wages will be about £25,000 a week.

Wenger may be interested in buying additional cover when Eboue will be away at the Africa Nations Cup. This will be an expensive cover at £7.5m and judging by how frugal Wenger is with Arsenal’s cash this may not be the only reason why Sagna is interesting him.

There is a possibility that Wenger will “promote from within” with Eboue being pushed forward to the right midfield position. This may mean that Wenger will not sign another wide player.

It is also reported that Arsenal may trigger the buy out clause in Martins’s contract with Newcastle which is set at £13m. Apparently Newcastle are resigned to losing him as he is dissatisfied with his current 60,000 a week package (he wants parity with Owen who is on 100,000 a week!). I am not sure if Wenger and the Board will actually go that far and agree to this compensation package.

However Martins has pace and given the opportunities he will get you goals. But he is also relatively young at 23 (next October if his birth certificate is to be believed) and I don’t really see him as a centre forward. He is more a winger or an inside forward playing off the centre forward.

Nevertheless if these reports are true then it seems that Wenger will not go for the traditional centre forward but opt for short and pacy front men (like Eduardo Da Silva) who will offer more options and flexibility.

If these two transfers actually go through then I feel that they will go a long way to ease the fears of many Arsenal fans that the team is lagging behind their main rivals in the transfer market.

Will they ease Gallas’s fears though?

An open letter to Gallas: Shut the hell up or get out.

Dear William,

We all read your comments on your personal web site (with the help of translators). And to be truthful there is a lot of merit in what you are saying.

We are all concerned about the future of Arsenal Football Club and especially that of Wenger who has said he will not at the moment commit himself to the club beyond the end of his current contract.

We are all concerned that other clubs are sniffing around to poach some of our best players, like Fabregas, especially now they have sensed that we are vulnerable after our talisman and greatest player moved on.

We are all also concerned with the relative lack of activity in the transfer market especially when our rivals are breaking the bank to recruit the best players around.

Liverpool splashed out a total of 40m so far, Manchester United close to 50m and counting and Chelsea are now opening their vast purse with a bid for Malouda for 14m and still counting. And Wenger still persists with recruiting young and unknown players no one has ever heard off. Total outlay so far a miserly 10m! Hell even Spurs have spent more than Arsenal!

We are all concerned that the team, although showing great promise, is still littered with relatively inexperienced young players who exhibit all those annoying characteristics of being brilliant one game and distinctly lacking the next.

We do of course understand that at this stage of your career you would want to play in a team challenging for the top both domestically and in the European competitions. And you may feel that this Arsenal team may not get there in time for you. I disagree with you but what matters is what you think.

And you are right to want to meet with Wenger next Wednesday to discuss his plans for the future and how we are going to challenge for the top and not for third place again. We would all want to do that. You can of course.

What we don’t understand is why you would want to go public with such hurtful comments which serve no purpose but to destabilise even further the players and Arsenal Football Club.

What we don’t understand is why the hell couldn’t you wait to meet with Wenger first before spouting your mouth out.

And then if you find you are not satisfied ask for a transfer and get the hell out.

Best regards and good luck with your new employers.


1970’s Gooner