Arsene Wenger admits that the intensity and regularity of games in England has taken its toll on the performances of both Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski in recent weeks.
The duo, who have been virtual ever-presents in the Arsenal starting line-up since arriving in North London in the summer, garnered plaudits in the opening weeks of the season but have struggled to maintain their high standards with games coming thick and fast.
Speaking to Arsenal Player about the Spaniard and German, Wenger made clear that he was still pleased with his new acquisitions:
“Cazorla played 17 games since the start of the season and 17 games of complete intensity and therefore of course he’s a little bit less fresh at the moment.
“Podolski works very hard in a position he’s not completely used to, as he has said himself. Maybe they are a little bit less fresh, but overall I believe that they will do very well.
The boss also reflected on the contribution of Olivier Giroud who has started to find the net after a slow start to life in England.
“Giroud is starting to show now that he can score goals. The three buys we made are positive.”
Given the manner in which injuries have accumulated in recent weeks it’s pretty obvious the boss has had no choice but to keep playing both Cazorla and Podolski when he might have been tempted to give one or other of them a rest.
There’s no mention of either player reaching the fabled ‘red zone’ just yet, but, as a sign of the hectic schedule they’re facing Wenger highlighted that Cazorla has to play for Spain in Panama (Panama, what the fucking fuck?) on Wednesday before travelling back in time for the early kick-off against Spurs on the 17th.
After the Spuds game, there’s just another 11 before the end of the year…anybody seen Abou? (We found Rosicky)
May not be a bad idea to start Arshavin in one of the places to give rest.
Don’t understand why he doesn’t play more. Sometimes infuriating but always capable of producing something special.
anyone seen rosicky’s return to training pictures being posted and then the article subject being changed and the news removed from the article, they even moved the photos from the beginning of the album, wonder what’s happening there….
So much for our super stacked midfield. Guy can’t even get a rest. Good call counting on diaby and rosicky.
More like the Manager lacks freshes ..
come on Arsene .. retire ..
Take a break .. have some rest
You need it and the fans deserve it !
freshness*
He didn’t even mention Arteta, who plays the full games week in, week out. (Believe the only reason he got ANY rest last season was when he got injured near the end, probably due to not getting any rest.)
Yes, this IS what happens when you don’t have options on the bench. That’s the ONLY reason I wouldn’t mind having Song around, still.
Arteta wasnt at the Euros and does not go away to international games, so gets some rest. But I agree, it would be good to have Song in the squad
So when people mention WHY isn’t Arteta in the Spanish squad I cringe because I understand the shit Arsenal would have to put up with from fatigue, tapping up, travel, training to lack of game time for us. For what reason? So he can get recognition by countrymen for being selected to play with that c*nt Sergio Ramos. No thank you, fuck off Spain, don’t call Arteta up for these meaningless games, give him a call when it matters, in two years time.
yeah, but who is going to turn down that kind of money for Song? We got a steal of a deal in that exchange.
^^^^really? find me the better player for the better price, remember that if you count goals and assists together he was the third most effective player in the squad last season, behind Percy and Walcott. Nevermind he was one of the few players that could hold the ball under pressure. He was not perfect, sometimes lingering on the ball or going for a hollywood pass. Still, hell of a lot more reliable and effective than many of our players
revisionist history?
@TGSTEL…what good is money in the bank to us. If he was here we would have a better squad. It reminds me of all the pillocks here
who press send without finishing…..! I mean it reminds me of the summer when people were saying the Van CUNT deal was ‘good business’. I think that was put to bed last weekend. Not only did we give they get our best player, and we lost ours, I think it gave us an inferiority complex.
Selling song was pathetic. I understood that we had to sell Rvp because he had us bent over because his contract was up. I didn’t like it, in fact, it infuriated me. The song move was done purely to make a few quid on the quite side while everyone was clamouring about the Rvp thing. So now everyone says that arteta is a better dm anyway. Bullshit. Our midfield is paper thin today and we can’t even give our guys a rest. How nice would it be to have a midfield rotation of song, arteta, jack and cazorla? Then when… Read more »
Oh, I DO think Arteta’s a much better midfielder than Song, at DM or CM or whatever M you want to put him at, but that’s not to say Song was a poor player, or should have been sold without a replacement.
(But that’s just because Arteta’s a very technical, gifted player with a lot of discipline and leadership.)
Song would be nice to have around right now because he’s a decent player who could do wonders for us now that all these usual injured midfielders are back to being injured.
So that’s why rosicky’s been out for so long, he’s had his left hand amputated!!
LOL, that was definitely my first thought, after seeing those photos.
Seriously though, I guess a footballer could conceivable lose a hand and continue to play, so long as he wasn’t a goalkeeper. (Or Suarez at the World Cup, LOL.)
Or Stephan Henchoz in the ’01 Cup Final. The cunt.
Still, forgive and forget I always say.
Yea but then don’t be the one to take throw ins.. (Gets the coat)..
Today I went shopping and purchased these items:
a packet of cadbury chocolate buttons
some flour
some chicken breasts
some gravy granules
a pineapple
two avocados
four bananas
some budweisers (4)
a lettuce
a cucumber
a box of cherry tomatoes
some alpro yogurts
a single slice of ham
a french baguette
In summary, Wenger needs to mix the team up more. Bring in Arshavin for Podolski and Rambo/ Rosicky when he’s back for Santa Claus.
You could have bought any beer in the supermarket, and yet you expect us to take your opinion seriously. Get yourself some Black Isle dude!
Seriously! I live in America, and I hate the so-called “King of Beers.”
you’ll probably regret not buying more ham later
It’s time for the annual arsenal sweepstakes!!!! Let’s see which one of our key players breaks down first due to being overplayed because we were to cheap to properly reinforce our squad. Squad rotation ? What’s that? You mean cazorla can’t play 69 straight games this season? Why not?
brilliant shitbag!
that is why you strengthen the squad with similar quality and not LANs with injury history
Rumour has it we were offerred 9m for Diaby two summer ago. Seems a missed opportunity now. Also might regret extending Rosicky contract, although he looked to deserve it during his run last year, at least he is not getting older in “football years”.
heeeee’sssss aliiiivvveeeeee!! 🙂 yeeeyyy…
The older Wenger gets, the less we’ll understand his decision. It’s called ‘Wisdom’.
Arsene Knows
Not really much related to the story but… Give Eisfeld a chance in and around the first team. Not only is he class, but even more important, he really wants it so he works so hard! In the Under-21s, in the pre-season friendlies, the COC Reading game… He scores goals, that’s what we really need in our midfield sometimes, someone with more drive to get forward. I think he’s even better than Fabregas was when he was first given a chance and I can definitely see why Wenger signed him.
Agree, would love to see him get his chance but to say he is even better than Fabregas was when he was first given a chance is quite a bold statement. Hope youre right though
We should sign Bale, Dembele and maybe Gallas to make our team better! Even without these players the spuds will still be superior. We should also sign Henderson and Downing from Liverpool to have the best team in the prem!
Dickhead.
thats being way too kind, for the username alone
You are correct in that you’re a “dickhead”
You should go to counseling or go down to the local and buy a bottle of cop on
Well then, how about buying replacements for players you have flogged off such as Song.
We have coquelin and frimpong to replace song and we bought giroud and podolski to replace Rvp and we bought cazorla to replace cesc and Nasri……. Wait , something’s not adding up here. Where’s te rest of the fooking money?!?!?
Well we also bought that chicken with no head called gervinho and we’ve a few youth prospects.
Thanks Arsene and Ivan. We’re fucked.
Yeh but no but yeh but, the Chavs have just declared that they’ve ‘made a profit’ and their statement includes the fact that £166m of debt has been turned into equity and, I quote, ‘making Chelsea FC Plc debt free’.
Now who’d have thought that those lovely friendly old big spending oligarch owned clubs would find a work around Pratini’s FFP (or FFS as it should be known).
Still, we’ll be ok when it comes in, won’t we Ivan?
Ivan…..?
Ivan……..come back…!!
Chamberlain and Mertesacker…..
anyone missing lansbury about now ?
No
BRING BACK DIABY!
SELL DIABY, then, REPLACE DIABY with proven quality.
Or sell diaby buy him back he will ANS(answer or a new signing its upto you) to our midfield .
Dont find myself agreeing often with your opinions Frog but on this occasion you may just be right. No doubt about his talent but he cant be relied on. If we could only get him on a ‘pay as you play’
I can’t take being jiggled about so much! I need a rest and a nice hot bath once in a while. Me and Santi never spend time together any more because he’s always too tired to play with me 🙁
I am certain both Podolski and Cazorla will score this weekend.
I had a dream about it and we came out as 5-0 winners. RVP scored the final goal which was strange, also Arsene was much bigger, like 8 foot tall.
Do you eat a lot of cheese before bedtime?
Stop smoking that funny smelling plant !!!!!!!
can i have some of what ur smokin
Typical Arsene: playing the best players without a rest until they break. Then loses faith in the players he left on the bench week-in, week-out thanks to no squad rotation until they are massively out of form, ultimately to be disposed of in any way possible for a big loss.
It’s not just a case of buying players astutely, but using them in the right way too.
I’m sure what he actually said was that they “lack, a little bit, the freshness’.
Might I recommend something for those feeling less-than-fresh?
http://youtu.be/X_a_yfWlgaE
Next week from Arsene, “Santi picked up a knock from playing in Panama, but we didn’t find out about it until he and Diaby knocked each other in training and now they’re both out two, uh, seven weeks. Damn internationals ruining my players (muffled)”.
chelsea records a profit and climb over arsenal as the fifth biggest club in terms of turn over. success brings money, sadly in this time money brings success to get more money. arsenal’s board should adapt and make necessary changes n should take risks to become successful, mind u stamford bridge ain’t all that big either, nor has the stadium sold its naming rights and yet it managed to climb on top of arsenal, one thing that arsenal ever did was to stay above chelsea atleast in profit margins n that too by selling its top players, now even that… Read more »
Chelsea cooked their books
They also won the champions league. Seems our manager with a degree in economics also has a degree in ethics. No wonder we won’t be winning shit in the near future.
Chelsea cooked the books!! No shit. That’s what every successfull company does. FFP. Pppfffff.
Yeah, I read about Chelsea on the BBC quote “According to their statement Chelsea made “significant profits (£28.8m) …in the transfer market”. However, there were a number of big-money signings during the year of the accounts – for example of Eden Hazard, for about £30m, Juan Mata (£23.5m) and Gary Cahill (£7m) – without any major sales of players.” How did they make a profit in the transfer market? Why doesn’t the BBC point out that this does not add up? I’m sure turnover is up after winning the CL, now they just have to do it every year. Interesting… Read more »
Wenger could play me.
It Eis Eis baby time!
Well we have two players overworked and at the same time thier replacements are not given a chance – ashravin, chamakh, etc. What’s the point of having a squad? Diaby & even Rosicky should be sold as soon as they becomes available. Clear the deadwood and buy some more santi’s and wilsheres. Simples.
Arshavin should play in the hole to give Santa some rest. Maverick gay(Santos) can help Podolski get some break. The problem is Wenger doesn’t trust his squad players. He believes only in the first team. Can someone tell him that substitutions can be made before, at half time and before 70minutes. He is running the players down. We need a winning run please
Do YOU trust Santos?
he could be more effective and creative as a left winger, but it s not like I watch him in training
agreed, i don’t trust Santos…looks as if he tired to me most times
I get 2 million a year
Ha Ha suckers!
and who’s fault is it that none of these two players were rotated at all? who’s to blame for not buying good cover for them instead of thinking rosicky+diaby would stay fit for the first time in like forever?
And then look at Barcelona. You can barely name the 12th player of the team.
leave it yea
Wenger doesn’t make careers any more, he destroys them. Overplayed Henry, Pires, Van Persie, and Wilshere and physically ruined them. Now it will be Arteta and Cazorla – Arteta especially will be destroyed by March, I guarantee it. Remember these Wenger quotes: ‘Diaby’s injury record is not good,’ said Wenger. ‘I was concerned about him of course. It [Song] was a gamble, but I was calculating as well that Wilshere was coming back, Francis Coquelin is here but was sick and Emmanuel Frimpong is back. ‘Tomas Rosicky is coming back so we have many midfield players.” hahaha the man’s totally… Read more »
You kind of lose credibility by saying he overplayed Rvp. I mean, the guy was crocked for 6.5 of his 8 years.
Don’t destroy Arteta!!!! Nooooo!
Arsene always does that with our best players — loads them up with 90-minute games and never rotates anyone else into the lineup.
FUCKING SHAMBLES
safe then chaps
safe then folks
[…] 来源：[arseblog news] […]
[…] It’s interesting to hear the manager talk about how Podolski and Cazorla, for example, are suffering from a lack of freshness – and he’s also been quite forthcoming on the German’s dip in form, suggesting […]
[…] It’s interesting to hear the manager talk about how Podolski and Cazorla, for example, are suffering from a lack of freshness – and he’s also been quite forthcoming on the German’s dip in form, suggesting […]