Re: Pre-Season Friendly Thread: We're off to Asia!

[Ali]

I liked barnet

I can't wait until we beat Benfica

[Sri]

I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED!!! AFTER 10 YEARS OF WATCHIN 'EM ON TV, I MIGHT GET TO WATCH US PLAY LIVE NEXT MONTH!!

P.S.: Pray I get the tickets!! Fingers crossed!!

[Sri]

I got the tickets today

[Jay29]

The kick-off times for the Hangzhou Greentown and FC Colgne games have been announced, so I've added them to the list.

Also, apparently our friendly against Benfica is the Eusebio Cup.

So we may have two pieces of silverware before the season even starts!

[RealGunner]

and they say we have been trophyless for 6 years... meh

give me Emirates cup over CC anyday

[Spider]

Emirates cup + Eusebio Cup > CL

[Jay29]

Just 19 more days to go before pre-season starts.

Should we go with the old-fashioned preview, match-day and post-match threads or should we just use this thread for everything?

[RealGunner]

think we should use this thread for the matches like malaysia 11 etc, but use a match day thread for Emirates cup, Benfica etc

[Jay29]

I've got some bad news for avid followes of our youth and resevres.

Benik Afobe has been called up for the England U20 squad, so he's going to miss the whole of pre-season. This pretty much kills whatever chance he had to get into the first team for next season, and pretty much guarantees another loan spell.

Francis Coquelin, as well, will miss pre-season for the same reason. I was really looking forward to seeing Coquelin after his impressive loan at Lorient. So this opens the door for Frimpong and Eastmand.

[Kiwigunner]

I didn't really see Afobe being part of the first team this coming season though. He might actually end up getting a good loan opportunity if he impresses in the u20s.

[Jay29]

Be that as it may, it would have been a chance for Afobe to play with the first team which is something I, and most likely Wenger as well, would have wanted to see. Just to see how he matches up.

[Sri]

Arsene Wenger has revealed he will be keeping an eye out for the next Asian stars on the Gunners’ pre-season tour, with the side facing Malaysia XI in Malaysia and Hangzou Greentown in China during July.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to see the level of the game over there and therefore, of course it’s always important for us to have a look at good players,” The Arsenal manager said.

“I cannot understand a country so big and cannot produce players. It’s one of the mysteries and we want to see why that is.”

Wenger cited Arsenal signing Ryo Miyaichi, CSKA Moscow’s Keisuke Honda and Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung as examples of Asian players making successful careers in European football.

“You have more players who come to Europe and are successful, because they’re naturally gifted to play in team sports,” Wenger said.

Asian fans will no doubt be excited by the prospect of more stars from the continent in the Barclays Premier League, as well as the news that Arsenal will be taking their full squad over to Asia.

“The best possible squad [will go on tour],” Wenger said.

“We travel the first week after training, everybody will be back, so the whole squad will travel.”

[Jay29]

I've just added in the Arsenal XI friendlies. For those who don't know, Arsenal XI is basically a team made up of reserve and youth team players. So any guys who aren't going on the tour to Asia and the likes of Aneke, Freeman, Martinez, Shea, Bunjaku and Rees will probably play in these fixtures.

[RealGunner]

i hope Aneke makes it to Asia. Just like wilshere once did

[Jay29]

Wenger has recently stated that he's taking his strongest squad, though there may be slots for a couple of youth players if certain players leave the club before the start of the tour.

Right now I'm not entirely certain whether the following will go:

Kyle Bartley
Armand Traore
Pedro Botelho
Carl Jenkinson
Emmanuel Frimpong

But I think all of them except for Botelho will probably go to Asia. We'll see.

Also, I forgot to mention: Jon Toral Harper and Hector Bellerin will probably both be in the Arsenal XI teams. I'm looking to forward to hear how these two do.

[Jay29]

Right then, some news regarding the squad being taken to Asia soon.

Wenger has confirmed that Emmnauel Frimpong, Samir Nasri and Ryo Miyaichi will be going on the tour, but Kyle Bartley and Cesc Fabregas won't be. Emmanuel Eboue is also a doubt because he, like Cesc, has an injury problem.

Pedro Botelho and Wellington Silva will not be going either, as the two are being shipped out to Spain again on loan.

To add to this, Henri Lansbury won't be going either because he's still on break after the U21 European Championships. I suspect he will be back in time for the friendly in Germany and the Emirates Cup. Likewise, youth players like Bartley, Miguel, Henderson and Afobe have a good chance of playing against Cologne.

[Sri]

I hope I get to see some of the current stars too.. Don't like the idea of travelling all the way to Cologne in the middle of my exams, just to see younglings.. :/

[Ali]

I would've wanted to see Wellington... Hes such a great talent, hes like a freaking arrow! So skillful on the ball, such a great shot, so fast...

Can you guys please give me a link so I can stream these games when they are played?

[Jay29]

You can be sure that the majority of us will be looking for live streams for the friendlies.

[RealGunner]

dont worry there are some good people on the net who streams the matches every year

we wont be dissapointed for sure, and im quite sure there will be more streams because china will be broadcasting the matches on their local channels as well

[Kiwigunner]

Sri, are you going to see it? :O jealous.

[Sri]

Sri, are you going to see it? :O jealous.

yup yup!! highlight of the month for me!! Have effing exams through the month and the one tiny gap I have in between is when the game turned out

[Kiwigunner]

Oh thats awesome, take lots of pictures!

[Sri]

^^ Definitely on the agenda

[ArsenalWenger]

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-asia-tour-party-is-announced


Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has named a 23-strong squad to travel to the Far East on Sunday for the Club's first international tour for 12 years.

Most of the Club's big names are making the trip except skipper Cesc Fabregas who continues his recovery from a hamstring injury sustained at the end of last season. The imminent signing of Lille striker Gervinho has not been completed in time for him to join the party.

Teenage Japanese winger Ryo Miyaichi has been added to the squad after impressing in pre-season training. He is joined in the squad by fellow teenagers Emmanuel Frimpong and defender Carl Jenkinson who signed from Charlton in the summer.

Arsenal will play a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday (kick-off 8.45pm local time) and then fly to Hangzhou in China to play Hangzhou Greentown on Saturday evening (kick-off 7.30pm local time).

Wenger said: "The Premier League is very popular in Asia and Arsenal are a very popular team in Asia. Many of the players have never been there so we are very excited about it. It is a good experience for the team.

"You expect to see many Arsenal fans and, from our side, we expect to give fun, pleasure and enjoyment to the people who come and watch us play."

Arsenal squad:
Wojciech Szczesny
Vito Mannone
Sebastien Squillaci
Johan Djourou
Kieran Gibbs
Carl Jenkinson
Laurent Koscielny
Andrey Arshavin
Marouane Chamakh
Ryo Miyaichi
Armand Traore
Thomas Vermaelen
Bacary Sagna
Theo Walcott
Alex Song
Jack Wilshere
Tomas Rosicky
Denilson
Aaron Ramsey
Emmanuel Frimpong
Samir Nasri
Carlos Vela
Robin van Persie

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No Almunia or Bendtner.
Denilson still here
Lack of Afobe and Bartley

Of course Fabregas and Eboue are injured so they aren't going.
We have to remember that not being on the plane does not mean the player will be sold, so Al, Bendy etc. could still be here but it's an indication of Wenger's plans this season.

[Kiwigunner]

No lansbury either guess i'm not getting his shirt...

[Sponsored content]