Pre-Season 2014/15

The first training session of a new season will be held today, marking the start of pre-season. The new season isn't too far off now, with our Community Shield game against Manchester City being played on the 10th of August.

So far, Arsenal have two friendlies scheduled, as well as the Emirates Cup.

Friendlies

Boreham Wood - 19th July
New York Red Bulls - 26th July
Benfica (Emirates Cup) - 2nd August
Monaco (Emirates Cup) - 3rd August

The following players are expected to take part in today's session:

Wojciech Szczesny, Carl Jenkinson, Hector Bellerin, Kieran Gibbs, Nacho Monreal, Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta, Kris Olsson, Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Yaya Sanogo, Chuba Akpom

The following are still on break after international commitments:

Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joel Campbell, Olivier Giroud

And these three are still playing at the World Cup and probably won't appear in pre-season at all:

Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski

Theo Walcott is still recovering the ACL injury he received last December, while the status of Abou Diaby and Serge Gnabry are unknown. I assume they'll also appear in the first session today, but haven't seen them mentioned.

The U21 squad returned to pre-season training a couple of days ago. This included the likes of Isaac Hayden, Thomas Eisfeld, Gedion Zelalem, Dan Crowley and Benik Afobe. Pictures can be seen here:

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140703/pictures-under-21s-back-in-training

Lol feels like the season just ended yesterday. Guess the World Cup made the time fly by.

5 pre season games including the community shield. No tours as expected but going to USA would be nice for the huge fanbase we have over there.

Excited to see some of the U21 players. Wonder if Arsene will try Crowley? Wilshere was at the same age when he went to the pre season iirc.

Big season for quite few youngsters too. Hope most go on loan. Futures of Djourou and perhaps Vermaelen? up in the air so let's see how that goes.

The NYRB game has sold out. Really looking forward to that. Hopefully Arsenal TV Online have live coverage of all the friendlies again.

We'll see a fair few youngsters for those first couple of friendlies in order to make up the numbers. Think we'll see the likes of Miquel, Ryo and Afobe again, even though they've got no future with us, as well as Hayden, Zelalem, Toral and Eisfeld.

I do hope we get to see Pleguezuelo, Moore, Crowley, Maitland-Niles and Iwobi get run-outs, though.

RealGunner wrote:Futures of Djourou and perhaps Vermaelen? up in the air so let's see how that goes.

So Hamburg never did choose to exercise their option to buy Djourou? I could have sworn that he was gone; I have been so confused about the Arsenal.com world cup updates on him

Well, if he stays, I'm still comfortable with him as our 4th choice CB, although I'm sure that he is not. I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves before the end of the summer. I would be shocked if we offloaded both him and Vermaelen though.

Wow only a few days and then we're at it again.
We'll be back to old routine.
Injury thread
Preview threads
Post match discussions
Prediction thread :iwilloblige:
Me bashing Özil

El Gunner wrote:Wow only a few days and then we're at it again.
We'll be back to old routine.
Injury thread
Preview threads
Post match discussions
Prediction thread :iwilloblige:
Me bashing Özil
Wenger out thread.  

I am so excited.

Raptorgunner wrote:

El Gunner wrote:Wow only a few days and then we're at it again.
We'll be back to old routine.
Injury thread
Preview threads
Post match discussions
Prediction thread :iwilloblige:
Me bashing Özil
Wenger out thread.  

I am so excited.

  

Big VAGI

when Arsene wins the premierleague  

Lol the amount of times we bump or create a "Is Wenger still the right manager for Arsenal" thread during a season.
And the amount of times our opinions sway from Wenger In to Wenger Out in correlation with how things are going.

Abou Diaby trained today. Francis Coquelin also took part; don't be surprised to see him get a run-out at a couple of our friendlies.

No sign of Gnabry.

Several youth players took part, too, including Bellerin, Zelalam and Akpom.

Pics here:

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140708/pictures-squad-return-to-training

I can't name half those kids! :/

Kieran Gibbs is wearing no. 3 in training. Perhaps an indication that he'll take that number next season.

More pics:

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140709/pictures-back-in-training-day-2

^ Also reported by Arseblog.

Debuchy 2, Gibbs 3, Alexis 7? Will Thomas give up his number?

Gibbs<333
Diaby pls stay fit

Gibbs deserves that

Nice thread Jay.

Looking forward to the pre-season games. Happy we are not heading to Asia this summer (sorry if you're over there!), we needed this simpler schedule.

Arsenal’s non-World Cup players have also returned to pre-season training and the club have one long-haul fixture arranged against New York Red Bulls on July 26.

None of the players involved in the knockout stages of the World Cup will travel to the United States, which means the anticipated debuts of Sánchez and Debuchy could come in the Emirates Cup.

Arsenal face Benfica and Monaco at their home competition, before the Community Shield clash with Manchester City at Wembley.

Arsenal’s group stage World Cup players are due to return on Monday July 21, those who made it through to the round of 16 go back on July 24, quarter-finalists start work on July 28 and the German contingent who will contest the final do not have to return until Aug 8.

That means Özil, Mertesacker and Podolski will not play any pre-season fixtures for Arsenal ahead of the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Aug 16.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/10958010/Chelseas-stars-face-World-Cup-burnout-fear-with-players-featuring-in-more-minutes-than-Premier-League-rivals.html

Got some early squad number news:

Arsenal confirmed Gibbs will wear no. 3 next season.

Alexis takes no. 17, so Monreal takes the vacant no. 18.

Serge Gnabry will wear 27, suggesting he's very much part of the first team squad now.

Zelalem will get 35, so he's not far off being considered a first team squad member.

Nice Nice.

Gibbs deserves 3.

27 was Gervinho's no. wasn't it?

Szczesny, Jenkinson, Gibbs, Monreal, Flamini, Arteta, Diaby, Ramsey, Rosicky and Sanogo could all feature against Boreham Wood on Saturday. The team will wear the new away kit.

I suppose a possible team could be: Szczesny; Bellerin, Jenkinson, Miquel, Gibbs; Arteta, Flamini; Rosicky, Ramsey, Eisfeld; Sanogo

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140714/strong-squad-expected-at-boreham-wood

Arsenal XI - a team made up of U21 and U18 players - will be playing these friendlies:

Bournemouth - 16th July
Harrow Borough - 26th July
Boreham Wood - August 1st
Forest Green Rovers - August 5th
Colchester United - August 12th

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140714/arsenal-xi-pre-season-schedule-confirmed

is Boreham game broadcasted anywhere?

Arsenal player perhaps.

Low league english football names are my favorite. They are impossible to parody because whatever silly sounding english name you could come up with probably exists.