| QUOTE |
| ARSENE WENGER reckons he has unearthed another diamond as no other boss was brave enough to take a punt on Samir Nasri. This time last year, the French winger was one of the hottest properties in the game with every top club in Europe chasing his signature. But then Nasri was laid low by deadly brain bug meningitis and suddenly no one would touch him. Except for Arsenal. Nasri, an £11million signing from Marseille, took just four minutes to mark his Arsenal debut with the winner. Gunners manager Wenger revealed: “He had a bad last season at Marseille because he had meningitis and spent two weeks in hospital. “He didn’t recover properly for three months and then they rushed him back. Of course, he wasn’t at the expected level. “The year before, everyone wanted him but sometimes you have to be brave enough when everyone else says he is not good. “He had made an impression that I kept with me. I had seen things in him and I had to go with my beliefs. “Marc Overmars was in a similar situation before he came to Arsenal and, hopefully, Nasri can have the same impact here. “He is intelligent, capable and has good acceleration. “There is a bit of Robert Pires in him as he is able to change direction very easily. “He is smaller than Pires but he gets stuck in more, which is not difficult. Robert’s strength was never his tackling — it was the intelligence of his game.” Wenger has already put the slightly-built Nasri, 21, on an intensive weight training programme to develop more muscle. Nasri admits: “There is a bit more physical contact in England but the biggest difference is the intensity and pace of the game. “I have a personal programme with the physio to get stronger and cope with the 50-50s. “When I first met the boss, he told me it would take up to six months to adapt. But I have felt good straight away. “I couldn’t have dreamed of a better start — to score after four minutes. Now I have to continue playing like that week in, week out, although I can’t guarantee a goal every game. “I know people expect a lot from me here but no one has told me I am the successor to Alex Hleb. “I will just play my own game and do everything I can to help Arsenal become a successful team.” Wenger also denied Arsenal have slipped further behind Chelsea and Manchester United this summer. He said: “I believe we are good enough to win the title. I think we’re better than the other two. “We’re in a tricky situation because people want to see big-name signings but they also want to see good young players coming through. “The only way young players like Denilson, Walcott and Djourou can develop is by playing in the team.” Wenger also urged the boo-boys to lay off striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who was linked with a move away from the Emirates before signing a lucrative new deal. Wenger insisted: “We have to get behind him. What took place in the summer was manipulation from agents and did not reflect his deep desire.” Nasri’s early conversion from Denilson’s pull back should have opened the floodgates against a nervous West Brom playing their first game back in the Premier League. Yet, once again, Arsenal over-complicated things around the edge of the box. Albion grew in confidence and were denied a leveller by Johan Djourou’s clearance from Paul Robinson’s shot. Spurs fan Robinson said: “I thought it was in. I was just about to start celebrating when the ball was turned around for a corner.” Baggies boss Tony Mowbray insisted: “We’re not going to hit long balls and kick lumps out of the opposition. “I’m only interested in good footballers so we will try to survive this year by passing, moving and doing the right things — things I believe in. “I prefer to watch Arsenal stringing 50 passes together than watching a pragmatic, functional team like Chelsea.” |
| QUOTE (Wenger) |
| “He is smaller than Pires but he gets stuck in more, which is not difficult. |
| QUOTE (Yossarian @ Aug 18 2008, 01:33 PM) |
| I have a new found respect for Mowbray after that game. I really hope they manage to stay up this year. |
| QUOTE (Jens' Face @ Aug 18 2008, 01:15 PM) | ||
:lol: |
| QUOTE (Yossarian @ Aug 18 2008, 02:33 PM) |
| I have a new found respect for Mowbray after that game. I really hope they manage to stay up this year. |