Arsene Wenger says he enjoyed watching Vietnam grab a consolation goal as his rampant Arsenal side bagged seven in the club’s second run out of pre-season.
Olivier Giroud bagged a first half hattrick, before goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ignasi Miquel and a brace from Chuba Akpom rounded off the goalfest in Hanoi. (Match report here)
Speaking after the match, the boss gave gracious encouragement to the hosts while admitting that the humid conditions made his squad suffer.
“It was a game played with good pace and a good spirit. For us of course it was a good preparation for the season. Vietnam started very quick, very strong, and the first minutes were for them. But after that on our first chance we scored and we scored some great goals.
“We played at a good pace and overall it was a very positive night. Vietnam have qualities and I think they suffered a little bit defensively against our pace up front.
“It is very difficult to judge on one game,” the boss reflected when asked about Vietnam’s future potential.
“I believe they have good technique, good mobility and their defence suffered against our quality up front. Overall they have the basic quality and it was great to see the enthusiasm and the happiness when they scored the goal.
“It was one of the few times in my life that I enjoyed when an opponent scored. It was such a great moment in the stadium and the enthusiasm of the crowd was so big that of course they deserve to be happy.”
Warm words from the boss at the end of leg two of the Asia Tour. Next up the squad travel to Japan where they’ll undertake an intense four-day boot camp, before resuming the match action on 22 July against Wenger’s old club Nagoya Grampus.
we have good quality up front. But please add Higuain. Or Rooney. or even bitey Racist. We need someone
If you need anybody (we need someone up front)
It could be anybody (apart from that fucking cunt)
Oh we get by with a little help from our French,
oh we’ll get high in the table with some change.
Oh we’re gonna try cos we’re all really DEEENNNCH!
The likes and dislikes for each comment related to Rooney or Suarez transfer to AFC shows how split the opinion among Arsenal faithful.
I think it’s more likely to be my God-awful attempt at Arseblog karaoke.
Just a kind word of warning….if Arsene Wenger does not sign quality and harps on bout what a good squad we have ….Ashburton Grove will bear the brunt of my crew’s retaliation!
Your ‘crew’? Are you Captain Pugwash?
Last thing we need is Seaman Staines in the changing rooms.
He takes instruction from a certain Mr Poyet, it would seem…
The interviewers don’t even bother to ask about transfers anymore.
Too right.
What’s keeping Dick and Chips busy these days?
“What, what, Kezzy, old chap,” says Dick, “meet you at White’s for a Pimm’s No. 1?”
“Lord knows that’s better than countenancing this Suarez business,” replies Sir Chips. “I’m in.”
Repeat. All. Summer. Long.
Come on, Gazidis, ride in to save the day! I miss your beautiful interviews where you re-plant the fantasy of war chests in our spongey brains. Ohhhhhh, war chests. All those manly, manly war chests, just waiting for us to run our fingers through their coarse curls. I love it when Ivan talks dirty.
He is always gracious in defeat and victory alike. He is principled man of many qualities, which makes suraez pursuit even more of mystery.
In case he really wants Suarez, he might have talked to him in person to be sure of his personality. One thing for sure, Wenger won’t be after a real racist, so if he signs him you can be sure the Evra case was blown up (are we really surprised at Evra?).
I know I’m in the minority here at Arseblog that wants Suarez at AFC but to those banging on about ‘class’ do you really think a guy like Arsene would smash our record transfer fee on a guy who is truly despicable? If Suarez comes in (that’s a big ‘if’), I’ll trust that Arsene is alright with him.
Just for the record, he is NOT gracious after every defeat. Surely you recall how huffy he can be if we’re outplayed (and especially if we’re out-shoved)? There’s a handful of times every season where he won’t shake some other manager’s hand, and he’s infamous for not honoring the English tradition of post-game beers between opposing managers.
Not blaming him, mind you, it’s just he’s ultimately more competitive than he is gracious.
Show me a man who doesn’t mind losing, and I’ll show you a loser…
And to be fair to him, that post-match glass of red wine is the most contrived load of rubbish I have ever heard about. I actually respect him for not being a hypocrite and refusing to pretend he actually wants to spend time with people like Mark Hughes.
Haha, truth!
Because he is a decent man who believes the game must be played with fairness. I would not blame him if he refuses to share complements with a Manager who does not believe in fairsness or who cares not even if oppossing players are maimed as long as his team wins. Wenger is educated and refined and not a crook of a manager.
We need to add atleast 4 players. Agood Keeper, Holding midfielder, defender and Forward
Agood Keeper? Never heard of him, is he any good?
I believe we will sign a couple of top quality players. It’s midway through the transfer period and I still have a bit of patience left in me…
I used to have a lot of patience in me, too.
That’s why I’m not allowed to be a doctor any more.
Bloody funny that. ,. Haha
Throwing this out there, Esp to you blogs as its been on my mind for a week or so.. What if the plan to buy Suarez was all just a ploy to get Madrid to take him and unload Higuain to us ?? Transfer market is full of dealings and strategies behind the scenes. Madrid want Suarez, they’ve been public about it since the start of summer but they’ve been playing hardball with us over Higuain. Maybe, just maybe, we said fuck it- put a bid in for Suarez to force Madrid’s hand, and still land our primary target when… Read more »
Wow, that’s the first time I’ve heard that theory…
Where’s that damned sarcasm font?
As everyone has duly noted this isn’t the first time this conspiracy’s been aired, but I don’t think you put in a £35mil bid if you’re not genuinely considering the prospect it might be accepted. If anything I think this might have been more the case before Napoli had all their Cavani cash. It seems obvious Madrid have been holding out for the two of us to have a bit of a bidding war. Despite that, I think it’s going to come down to wages. Madrid want rid of him and I’m sure we’ll out compete Napoli on wages. I… Read more »
If you don’t want him but they accept your bid then offer him crap wages and take your time with negotiations. Suarez wants the move to Spain, so he’ll play along and make the right noises to agitate Madrid into action too.
I’ve been looking at some realistic transfer targets because of the news of Higuian. So would you lot be happy if we got Luiz Gustavo from Bayern Munich and Stefan Jovetic from Fiorentia?
Isn’t Gustavo a defensive mid? As for Jovetic I’ve heard he’s practically signed to city.
– http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jul/15/manchester-city-fiorentina-stevan-jovetic
But I think I’d be satisfied fairly satisfied if we could manage both. It’s not the ‘super-quality’ I was hoping for but Jovetic seems like he’ll be a star.
City have just signed Negredo and Dzeko isn’t leaving. They have 3 strikers now Aguero, Negredo and Dzeko, Jovetic would have a lot of competition so Arsenal would be a better choice for him.
It’s good to see that Dick Law cares so much about what we think he takes times to ask us who he should talk with.
Another 7 goals from the mighty Arsenal. “well I think we are showing positive strengths, the team have a good mental attitude…..which is why we have decided to spend our 70mil war chest on ice cream as its bloody hot”
How sarcastic and uncharitable you could be.
Avast you swab who be the skirvvy Knave that says he has a crew ready and waiting,Why Ill make the Plank walk the plank.
Mr blogs, you must use gracious wenger pic when we sign some1 world class from now on, i can practically picture the smile and evil laugh now, its glorious.
People turn their nose up at Suarez but if we don’t bail down a top class striker in the current round of musical chairs we going to be in big trouble. Falcao, Isco, Neymar, Tevez, Negrado are all taken. Round 2 seems to consist of Higuain, Suarez, Rooney and Benteke. The last 2 look spoken for and Higuain increasingly looks Napoli-bound. Also the Brazilian transfer window closes this weekend. As I said, if we miss out out on Suarez we are left standing at the next stage which could be a scenario of making offers for somebody like Ibrahimovic (unsettled… Read more »
i’d take grant holt over suarez every time
classic english centre forward, good touch and vision, fat as fuck but AW’s broccoli tablets would sort that out. last time we had a striker like that was smudger – and we didn’t do too badly then. although i suppose smudger was better than holt but still. holt would refuse ivanovic’s arm on the basis that there wasn’t any ketchup on it. or, that it was only his arm and not the whole torso, smothered in BBQ sauce.
Much as I hate Mourhino, I have to admit a grudging admiration of his quite excellent trolling of Moyes: “It’s Rooney or bust”… hahahahahahaha that’s top trolling, Jose. Although it’s shaded by AW’s £30m bid for a bitey racist who is banned for the first 6 games of next season, which is moving into serious head-fuckery; are we simply pushing Madrid along the road to selling Higuain or is there a more subtle motive here? Forcing Utd to accept a lower price for Rooney by bidding for Suarez would be just as good a troll in my book. Obviously it’d… Read more »
The truth is we need more than just a top class striker to compete this season. We have all been so caught up in the chase for higuain that there has barely been a credible mention of any other transfer targets. I Would be overjoyed to get a quality forward but for me it just won’t be enough. We need at least 3 quality players to be realistic of a title challenge. But i have a horrible feeling we may just get the one player and That will placate the arsenal fans yet again. We are so wrapped up in… Read more »
If this Wenger pic isnt troll face.. I dont know what is.
it was exciting to see Chuba get in there and get a brace–I think he could go on to do some great things. He’s only 17 but shows a lot of promise. I know it was “just” Vietnam, but he looked sharp!
Vermaelen out until Mid-October with stress fracture in his lower back. Means a centre half is also a priority. We can’t go through the first 2 months of the season with only 2 experienced centre backs.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/07/17/4124700/-
Nozzle dnt cost a thng, wt 70m, we can hv sufficient reserve, so arè’nt we ready to deal suarez dentine?
Giroud you’ve been a really bad boy, go to my room.
Giroud seem quicker, leaner and his responsiveness has improved. I feel he will come into his own in the coming season. players peak at 26, 27 there going up and wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful if the same is happening with giroud?
@cork gunner…i buy everything u said…if we dun take ker we gonna end up with de best player d@ ever lived Niklas Bendtner…we have to act n act fast or else de gud ones may be grabbed
i think AW might be keen in getting another French RB. Or just another RB. Somehow, I think Sagna will play CB this season. The same thing happening with Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid.
Does this game prove Giroud is a five-minute man?