The name Bacary Sagna was an unfamiliar one to the majority of Arsenal fans when the French defender was first linked with a move to Emirates Stadium.
With the 24-year-old now confirmed as Arsene Wenger's latest signing, we spoke to Philippe Auclair of L'Equipe for a French insight into Arsenal's newest recruit.
Read on to find out why Sagna has such a big reputation in his home country, why he can blossom under Wenger's guidance and why he can make the step up to Premiership football.
Philippe, when did you first hear of Bacary Sagna?
I heard about him quite a while ago because he has been a regular in the Auxerre team for a few years now. Sagna is a pure product of Auxerre and has been a one-club person. He's a little bit of a late starter because he only emerged when he was 21 but he has proved himself quickly in the team and is now a regular. He won the French Cup with Auxerre too.
How big is his reputation in France?
According to everyone in France Sagna was the best right back in Ligue 1 last season. He has been pre-selected for the France squad and no one would be surprised if he becomes a regular for the national side. Willy Sagnol is nearing the end of his career and Raymond Domenech will have his own ideas but I'm sure Sagna will be a part of the national team. At the moment he is perceived as the long-term replacement to Sagnol. France have a glut of attacking midfielders but there is less competition on the right-hand side.
What are his strengths as a footballer?
Strength is one of his strengths. He is very quick, technically sound, and tactically very astute too.
He is nominally a right back but which other positions can he play in?
Sagna is very dynamic and certainly he could play all along the defensive line even though he is not that tall. He is a fairly compact kind of player, even though he has played in central defence in the past. He played in his natural right-back position for Auxerre but you could even imagine him being moved forward into midfield. Arsene Wenger has a glut of right backs now. Perhaps Emmanuel Eboue will play more on the right side of midfield now with Sagna and Justin Hoyte battling it out for the full back spot. No wide player has been recruited yet which is quite intriguing.
How important was he to Auxerre?
Auxerre will miss him a great deal. They have lost two of their big, big players in Sagna and Younes Kaboul but Auxerre are used to this, they are like a super-Crewe Alexandra because they develop players and then see them move on. Sagna is not so young, he is 24, he has established himself.
How quickly do you think he will adapt to English football?
He will adapt quickly I think. He is very strong and won't find the physical side of English football a problem. He can cope with the speed of play and he is obviously technically adept because Arsene would never buy a player who wasn't.
Sagna has already worked with one excellent coach, Guy Roux. How can Arsene Wenger improve him?
I think what will improve him is the level of play. It's a big jump from Ligue 1 so Arsene can help Sagna raise his game to the level which is needed in the Premiership and the Champions League. He can certainly help Sagna improve his attacking play because Auxerre played quite a closed, compact game tactically. When Guy Roux was in charge they adopted a very disciplined tactical approach. Now he is at Arsenal, Sagna will learn how to 'play' rather than just be a professional defender.
So is he ready to make his mark at Emirates Stadium?
I think he is ready. He might not play 50 games in his first season but he is very promising and everyone who has followed Sagna's career thinks he is the best right back in France.
Goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Nacer Barazite helped Arsenal to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Barnet on Saturday as Arsène Wenger’s side got their pre-season campaign underway.
The Emirates Stadium side controlled the game virtually from start to finish and were buoyed by goals in each half. Adebayor screwed home a shot in the 18th minute and Barazite completed the scoring just past the hour with a thunderbolt from distance.
Denilson was stretchered off in pain just before the goal but later his injury was reported to be minor.
Otherwise this was the most satisfying - and friendly - of friendlies.
Arsenal named a relatively strong side for this now traditional game against the side who play host to the Club’s Reserve fixtures. In fact, Wenger’s starting XI would not have looked out of place in the Carling Cup or even FA Cup. Kolo Toure captained the team and the front pairing, fit-again Robin van Persie and Adebayor, may well be employed when Fulham visit Emirates Stadium on August 12. Alex Song was given a run out at centre back and 17-year-old Mark Randall started on the left side of midfield.
New signing Eduardo was present but only in the stands. Debutants Havard Nordveit and Lukasz Fabianksi were named on the bench. There was also a first run-out for the new white away kit.
Barnet included a couple of former Arsenal professionals in their line-up — Nicky Nicolau and Adam Birchall. The Bees also named Dr Richard Evans on the bench. The doctor, in his “late 40s” and from Wembley, had paid £10,000 for the privilege of coming on during that latter stages of the game.
Crowd congestion meant there was a five-minute delay to the kick-off. It did nothing to dampen the party atmosphere however the opening stages were high on intensity yet low on chances.
Jason Puncheon looked dangerous cutting in from the Barnet left and Robin van Persie fired in a couple of pot-shots. Adebayor got the glimpse of an opening only to be denied by Ismail Yakubu. That was the sum result of the first quarter-hour.
The opening goal arrived in the 18th minute. Van Persie surprised the Barnet defence with a low corner to Walcott at the near post. He clipped a cross to the far side where Adebayor hooked home a half-volley through a crowded area. On the balance of play it was hard on the home side.
Barnet had an excellent chance to equalise two minutes later when a cute header from Liam Hatch sent Puncheon clear in the left-hand channel. Almunia was out quickly to smother the shot.
The game was opening up. Van Persie’s right-wing free-kick was nodded on by Barnet striker Liam Hatch and a sliding Adebayor just failed to convert at the far post. Then, in the 25th minute, Walcott’s deep cross was met by the head of Van Persie. The ball beat the keeper, hit the bar and bounced down but, by then, the referee had blown for offside.
However, perhaps unsurprisingly in the first pre-season friendly, the pace could not be maintained. Before half time, Denilson let fly from distance and Gael Clichy charged down a clearance from keeper Lee Harrison only for the ball to trickle wide.
Barnet were nearly rewarded for a half of genuine endeavour when Hatch poked a shot goalwards as Song and Almunia dithered. Again the chance came to nothing.
Arsenal made six changes at the break and Barnet made five. Often wholesale changes unsettle a game however in this instance they seemed to improve it. Walcott made one penetrative run in the opening minutes then Kieron Gibbs flicked wide from Adebayor’s knock back.
In the 53rd minute, Flamini clipped a perceptive ball to the Togolese striker on the edge of the area. He had plenty of time and the ball was sitting up nicely, however he dragged his shot wide.
A couple of minutes later, Denilson came off worse in a challenge with Puncheon and, after lengthy treatment, was stretchered off. Henri Lansbury replaced him. Later, it was announced over the tannoy that the injury was not serious.
Arsenal were now looking to seal the victory. Adebayor failed to connect with an inviting cross from Walcott then, in the 66th minute, Barazite doubled the advantage with a rocket shot into the far corner of the net.
There seemed little danger when the former Dutch youth international collected the ball in the right-hand channel. But his fierce drive flew into the net, leaving Harrison helpless.
The goal killed the game as a contest. Traore arrowed a shot towards the top corner but substitute keeper Dave Blackmore palmed the ball aside. In the dying minutes, the dangerous Puncheon whistled a rising drive past the angle of post and bar.
Dr Evans made his appearance late on, much to the amusement of the crowd. He seemed to enjoy his moment - as did the crowd of 5,091.
Whatever your thoughts and memories of last season's performances, players, results and opinions it's time to wipe that slate clean, Underhill here we come!
A big 'Hello' to you all once again as we step back on that nine month rollercoaster we call following the Arsenal. Thanks for all your e-mails and opinions throughout the Summer, although it is near on impossible to answer you all I really do appreciate them and with your phenomenal passion very evident I respect all of your thoughts even if sometimes I don't agree with them! That's football I suppose, the one and only universal language.
Barnet has become a kind of opening day party in recent times, a time to meet those you haven't seen for a couple of months, catch up on the summer gossip surrounding football and personally and of course the opportunity to get that football fix that we all miss in the close season!
Like all summers, this one has seen the departure of some of our squad including a total legend and for me personally the greatest player I have been lucky enough to witness.
Rather than be disappointed however, I've said it before and I will say it again. I support Arsenal Football Club, not one player. Players, managers and staff will come and go throughout my life but whatever happens my passion for the club will remain as intense as ever. Without TH we would not have enjoyed the incredible success, have witnessed some of the wonderful football or seen some of the greatest goals over the last few years. For that alone I say Thierry, thank you and good luck.
I also wish the best of luck to Jeremie Aliadiere. A player that has been so unlucky with injuries I believe that we finally saw glimpses last season of what he is capable of.
Gentlemen.........start your engines!
Finally in 'Supporters Club Week' on Arsenal.com I thought I would bring to you a a more lighthearted look at some of the more interested days following our team based on the experiences of members of the Maidstone Arsenal Supporters Club!
Of course, there are many of you out there that have 'enjoyed' nightmare journeys too, it would be good to hear your stories so drop me an e-mail.
1) Norwich away League Cup replay mid nineties starring 'Frank' (& girlfriend!)
By this stage of my Arsenal supporting 'career' I was starting to seriously hate any occasion where I was forced to miss a game. In fact, I was already a good five years or more into a period of non missed games that has lasted until today.
Back in the days of league cup replays I had booked a week's holiday with my girlfriend in an idyllic cottage right up in the Highlands of Scotland, during the football season yes, but of course, in a totally Arsenal free week. Or so I thought.
Reading the programme before we took on Norwich I looked for the potential replay date...........great! Tonight's match was SO going to be a draw.
Ten minutes to go we were one-nil down, of course I wanted us to equalise but I also wanted us to go on and get a winner! Wrighty slammed one into the roof of the net at the North Bank end and the inevitable became reality.
My girlfriend wasn't really into football (it was never gonna work!!) and I didn't tell her my predicament, nor the fact I had actually purchased two tickets for the replay, just in case!
Come the night before the game, open roaring fire crackling away, a glass or two of red wine and the moment had come to reveal the news. Looking back starting with the line, "There's something I need to ask you" probably wasn't a good decision!!
Dressing it up that it really wouldn't take that long, we would have nice night out in Norwich and a night out in Edinburgh on the way back seemed to help slightly even though I was seriously stretching the truth.
So, 7am the following morning we set off and a full 12 hours later we arrived in Norwich! A total nightmare, no longer could I dress it up. My, "I'll make it up to you" lines just didn't seem to wash!
A spanking three-nil victory later and of course at least one of the travelling party was 'well chuffed'!
Watching the highlights on the TV in our dodgy Norwich B & B probably didn't help our relationship, nor the one hour 'night out' in Edinburgh and arriving back to our cottage at midnight the following night.
But we were in the next round............and that was far more important!
2) Lens away 1998 starring 'Fisty' and 'Jill de Builder'
Lens is not very far from Kent, in fact it is easier to get to than many of our domestic away matches. When Fisty and Jill left Maidstone on the morning of our first ever Champions League adventure, little did they know what was in store!
All was going well until halfway between Calais and Lens Fisty's car coughed and spluttered and grinded to a halt on the hard shoulder. Staying with the car would mean missing the match, this was simply not an option!
Thumbing a lift proved successful although (Fisty's words not mine!) the five young ladies that picked them up were so awful that not even Jill was interested!
Destination achieved Fisty missed most of the game anyway trying to sort things out on his mobile phone (unsuccessfully), after the game they were both faced with getting back to their car, an extremely difficult feat when they didn't actually know where it was!
Thumbing a lift back proved more problematic and involved numerous offers including a couple of French boy racers who informed them that France only had speed limits, "when there were police around. But tonight there are no police"!
Fisty admits he thought his time had run out!
They eventually found their car at 5.30am and decided just to try and get some sleep. They were awoken by a tap on the window from a policeman who proceeded to help them get a tow truck.
The car was left at the garage and next on the agenda was a taxi to a hire car before heading back to the UK.
The following week Fisty headed back to France to collect his car and a total nightmare had come to a close............except that is the bill. The whole adventure had cost him in the region of £2500.00.........more in fact, than the car was worth!!
3) Amsterdam Tournament 2000 starring 'Frank'
Being asked to be 'best man' at a friend's wedding is always an honour. During the football season becomes a dilemma!
On this occasion the chosen date fell on a Friday but I had already heard rumours that it was a weekend where we may well be playing in a tournament in Amsterdam. These trips have become pretty regular these days but as this was the first occasion it was one I just didn't want to miss.
The tournament was confirmed and the fixtures (like this season in fact) fell on a Thursday and Saturday. Not on the Friday, a chance too good to miss.
Travelling out on the Thursday morning, writing my speech as I went, my thoughts had already turned to the following morning's flight home. Never in my life had I longed so much for a flight to be on time!
Having enjoyed the delights of Amsterdam's Thursday nightlife I awoke Friday morning a nervous man! I needn't have been, the flight was spot on time and my wedding duties were achieved in fine style. Only after the ceremony when the groom said to me, "It's a shame you were forced to miss the Amsterdam tournament" did I realise I hadn't actually told him. With a wry smile I replied, "I haven't".
The wedding hangover was eased by flying back out on Saturday to take in the 2nd match but even that proved trickier than ever when a lorry overturned on the M25 and I was forced to get a later flight. Sitting there with my engine off however, I thanked my lucky stars that the delay was that day and not the previous one.
4 European flights, 2 European games and a wedding back in the UK, all in 3 days................it just HAD to be done!
所有的一切都将重新开始，正如弗兰克所说的，过去的那些往事不必再提，巴奈特，我们又要见面了！
Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott ahave been included in a strong Arsenal squad for their first pre-season friendly.
Manager Arsène Wenger will also be able to call upon the likes of Kolo Toure, Manuel Almunia, Gael Clichy, Mathieu Flamini, Denilson against League Two side Barnet at Underhill on Saturday.
"It could be a very strong team at Barnet," Wenger told Arsenal.com.
"Basically the players that are back in training are available," said Wenger. "They are all likely to be included so it should be a very familiar side."
出自Arsenal to send strong squad for first friendly
所有归队的人员都没有伤病的困扰，这是一个不错的消息。
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