Arsene Wenger admits he’s happy to have Mathieu Flamini’s rambunctious energy as an option in the centre of the park noting his compatriot brings something different to the Arsenal midfield.
Since returning to the Emirates after five years at AC Milan the Frenchman has cut an impressively consistent figure in his 15 appearances, charging into challenges, picking up bookings and barking at his teammates like a rabid dog.
Speaking ahead of the crunch showdown with Manchester City, a game in which the 29-year-old will no doubt be kept busy, Wenger reflected:
“He is more focused on defending well and helping out. That is what he has brought to the team and the squad.
“We had no real defensive midfielders. All our players in the middle of the park like to attack and are creatively focused.
“It is good that he is concerned by [defensive duties] because in our team most players are only concerned by how quickly we can go to the other goal.
“Someone who has that focus helps to stabilise our defensive record. He has certainly contributed to improve our defensive record.”
Given his signing was greeted with all the enthusiasm of a one-handed clap Flamini has been a veritable revelation this season.
Working alongside Mikel Arteta he’s provided a very solid spine to the midfield allowing the more creative elements, in particular Aaron Ramsey, to venture forward and express themselves.
Flame On!!!
These next 2 league matches are make or break, If I’m honest this game is worrying me a lot, just feels like the team has hit the wall a little bit… Wenger’s biggest job right now is to keep the players believing they can win these next two matches, I hope he can give them a massive kick up the arse to shake of those tired legs when need be… Flamini will be in his element, the game against City will be a battle, The Flamster f*cking loves battles! Come on you mighty Gunners!!!!
So there’s an interesting fact going around, that Arsenal haven’t lost a game with the back 5 of Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, and Szczesny. When those players play together, the defence seems so secure and better. Jenkinson this season has been kind of hit and miss, last season he was amazing. He hasn’t mastered the way to deal aerial balls though, as shown by his blunder in the COC, even going back to that amazing header against Cologne. I hope Sagna is fit to play on Saturday, and I feel Arsenal can get away with a win. Hoping for City… Read more »
Yes, when all of them have played the entire game together in the league. I guess Gibbs was substituted in our defeat to Aston Villa and BFG injured when we lost to those cunts from Manchester.
Frankly, we don’t need to hope for luck or their strikers having an off day. Our team is good enough to beat them anyway (whether they play well or not) and our defense will keep Aguero & Negredo silent anyway.
We’ll win, this team is the best at coming back from defeats. Napoli made sure we don’t sleep until the whistle is blown. UTA!
Stock photo of Flamini passionately throwing a giant pencil.
Flamini, for me is the signing of the season. Best still to come from ozil no doubt, but Flamini is the bollocks. Black boots, short sleeved. No nonsense. No worries. COYG!
Let’s petition for a joe hart on goal so that he can misjudge a through ball by ozil to walcott and he lobs him for the winner.
Nice to have a player that will roll up there sleaves
That was good, but your use of ‘there’ left my disappointed. Hang in there little fella.
Fuck it! I appreciate the irony of it all though …
S’leeve it….yeah!
Flamini is a god send, Jenkinson will get r with a good run of games, hes shown that before and i think he can do it again
Yea Flamini rocks for real
I spend a few minutes of every game just watching Flamini pointing, ordering everyone to push up together and barking orders. I love it!
Flamini is probably my favourite player. Although having his name on the shirt would probably make me want to go around nutting everything.
Saying that, when we signed Chamakh I had his name put on the shirt and it didn’t make me want to sprout vegetable oil for hair.
Opted for Bergkamp in the end. And everybody knows what that makes you feel like!
COME ON ARSENAL!
My favourite thing has been seeing him barking orders at everyone from the moment he steps on the pitch, pure warrior for the team.
I’m suprised no one mentioned this yet, but what I like the most about Flamini is how he keeps barking orders and organizing players around him.
im actually not surprised as someone right above you…….yeah.
It works well when you’re observing from a distance and not part of the team.
If I was playing I imagine I wouldn’t stand him 😉
Is it possible to mention Flamini without using word ‘barking’?
Wroof!
Per-fect……..shit, I mean, flamfect. Nice.
Wish to see a midfield of Arteta, Flamini, Ramsey, Ozil, and Walcott vs City.
Wenger does know how to do business, but credit to flamini who still have arsenal at heart.
The photograph of Flamini looks like he has just unleased a street fighter 2 “hadoken” on someone! 🙂
My only real concern is the amount of rest the team had prior to the weekend. We normally struggle in the league straight after a draining CL game away. Even the loss to United was after our win away to Dortmund, in which I should add Ramsey and Ozil looked out of pace. And that was on a Sunday. Having said so Ramsey’s had a week rest, Walcott is coming back and hopefully Sagna too. Flamini’s been in and out of the team so two games in a space of 3 days won’t hurt him that much I don’t think.… Read more »
RVP injured and out for a month. Injured taking a corner, no less.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ad infinitum.
That makes me really, really sad. After all his injury worries with us as well…
I can’t stop laughing at this
http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/25369639
Nanananananabanana yossi benayoun, benayoun, yossi benayoun
Hey my mothers name is maureen
That picture looks like hes tearing yaya toure a new one.