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Heart & Sol and Video of Ade’s Interview

By on January 13, 2010

I wanted to wait to write today’s piece until I had a chance to view the ATVO highlights of the first half of reserve match at Upton Park. The most we got to see of Sol was his jog onto the pitch. He didn’t appear to have much to do at all in a first half that saw two Jay Emmanuel-Thomas goals put the Gunners in front at the break, the first being a deft header. However, on a night when one of our most promising youth/reserve players scored a hat-trick, Sol was the big story.

Early on, Sol made a strong tackle on the edge of the box dispossessing Fabio Daprela. The only other moment of note came when Sol seemed to get his footing a bit wrong and so just missed picking up a low cross to Freddie Sears in front of the goal. Luckily, he put it over the goal.

What to take from this? Well, there are already reports complaining that he could only play 45 minutes, but how much more would you expect in his first competitive match in months? Many want to question his physical level but we know the kinds of tests Arsene puts the players through in the preseason, and he undoubtedly put Sol through the same over the last week or two.

If the Boss is convinced by the numbers and watching him in training that he can do a job for us if called upon, then I don’t see who I am to disagree. Of course, it could turn out that the Boss is wrong, but we won’t know that until Sol is called upon in a crucial situation or asked to play a few consecutive matches.

Some blog pieces, spurred by the re-signing of Campbell, are now asking about Matheiu Flamini being brought back. But the two are completely different circumstances. First, Flamini has never said he wanted to come back and, second, there is no real place for him. Song has mitigated the loss of Flamini, but, in reality, we have never mitigated the loss of Campbell, with Vermaelen’s signing this summer being the closest thing. Though I even I must admit that the Flamini-to-Spurs articles are a bit unsettling.

For a reported 20,000 quid a week, Arsenal get a proven winner and leader in the dressing room and some desperately needed cover in the center of defense. Anything that keeps Silvestre out of a CB role is fine with me. Now, in all fairness, many have brought up the way in which Sol left the club. It was distasteful, no doubt. But is it really worth holding a grudge at this point?

Anyway, Cesc looks to be back for the Bolton match this weekend and Clichy continues to get closer to a return as well. Despite the losses of van Persie, Walcott, Bendtner, periodic losses of Fabregas, and being forced to play with a third-string left-back throughout the crowded December/January fixtures, we still have the slight possibility of actually being top of the league come Sunday evening should we win, Chelsea lose, and United draw.

Below, see Sky’s interview with Adebayor wearing an Arsenal polo shirt:

[brightcove vid=61458590001&exp=271552671&w=470&h=350]

In response to criticism by City fans, Adebayor has said:

I realised this morning when I woke up that I was wearing an Arsenal shirt yesterday. What happened was that on the Angola border, we left all our baggage on the bus and ran away. So I had nothing to wear and the first person I asked gave me that shirt. I didn’t even realise what I was wearing. Even yesterday, instead of going to my room to sleep I went to the wrong room. Everyone is confused about what happened. In our heads we don’t know what we are doing.

Someone on the Angolan border or in the Togo party just randomly had an Arsenal polo in his size? Nice try, Ade.

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