Arsene Wenger yesterday told the press that he will be signing a defensive player before the World Cup finishes. Something tells me that this player is someone who is not involved in the World Cup - I wonder who it could be? It's good to see that he is acknowldeging the need to sign a defender, God knows with Senderos, Gallas, Silvestre and Campbell all seemingly surplus to requirements, Arsenal need to buy. I can only hope that he is about to bring in more than one player in this area - we only have Vermaelen and Djourou left as it stands. As I've said before, I know little of Laurent Koscielny. It seems pretty certain that he will be an Arsenal player next season, but I would definitely like to see a "proper" defender brought in as well - Cahill from Bolton, or Matthew Upson would do me. I'm not generally a fan of English players given that most of them have either a personality defect, or a lack of talent. However, I think that old-fashioned centre-halves have a big role in the Premier League, and Arsenal haven't had one since Sol was in his prime.
At the World Cup yesterday I thought Serbia and Germany played out the best game so far. The refereeing was largely awful, though Klose shouldn't really have any complaints about his red-card given that he made the same foul four times. Serbia may have won, but Germany were still extremely impressive and should really have still won the game. I only saw the first-half of Slovenia v USA as the barbeque was calling me, but having seen the highlights of the second-half, the USA can consider themselves robbed. You really have to question why a referee from Mali is being put in a posistion to officiate at a game on this level, of this importance. It is no coincidence that problems ensue. The counter to that argument is, of course, the referee from Uzbekistan who did the opening match, and England's game last night - he is the best referee I have seen in a long, long time.
So, on to England. I'm not surprised at their disappointing performances. There are too many over-rated players in the England team. Who in this side is genuinely World Class? I would suggest that Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney are the only ones that can lay a convincing claim. Rooney showed his true colours after the game, choosing to lash out at the people who've paid thousands of pounds, and travelled thousands of miles, because they dared to show their displeasure. Get this right Rooney - if you had put in half the effort of Emile Heskey, with your ability, you wouldn't have been jeered at all. I thought that Rooney (and Gerrard, and Lampard) put in the most insipid performances I have ever seen from England players in a World Cup. Who will be dropped though? Not any of them. Emile Heskey will be made the scapegoat, and possibly Aaron Lennon (though given the reasons Theo was left out, Lennon did a very passable impression of the Arsenal man last night). If Capello really wanted to make a statement of his authority he should drop Fat Frank and move Gerard inside, bringing in Joe Cole on the left in the hope of getting some craft in to the England set-up.
More important things see some more Arsenal involvement in South Africa today. I will have my Holland away shirt on for Robin Van Persie versus Japan. I doubt whether I'll see the Ghana v Australia game as I have to spend just a little time with the family, but I'll be safely perched in front of the telly for Denmark v Cameroon. With Alex Song expected to get a recall for the Indomitable Lions, I will be looking forward to Arsenal players on both sides, with Nicklas Bendtner up front for the Danes.
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