Well, we've gotta have a new thread for this season, so here it is.
I'll start off with this article, so the opening post is worth something.
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Jose Antonio Reyes revels in new-found strength
Jose Antonio Reyes knows the importance of the coming season.
When the Spanish striker signed from Seville in January, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger suggested Highbury would not see the best of him until the following campaign.
That is not to say he struggled last term; five goals in 21 appearances – including a cracker against Chelsea - was a reasonable return. It was just that the 20-year-old was adapting to the rigours of English football.
Now the new season has arrived. He is a fully fledged member of the Arsenal squad and has to cope with the expectation that comes with that honour.
If his impressive pre-season is anything to go by, Reyes will meet the challenge head-on.
“All seasons are important but this one especially because it is my first full season with Arsenal,” he said.
“When you come abroad it is always important to be able to express yourself. I’m trying to get the first season out of the way and get the best possible start.”
Wenger has already suggested Reyes is physically stronger this season and the player himself revealed he has been working hard to toughen up in recent months.
“In Spain the football is a bit slower, the tempo is faster here,” he said. “When I first came I was a bit weaker and I was surprised at how hard to English game was. In Spain, we did not really go to the gym here I have had to. I have developed the muscle now.”
Other adaptations have occurred off the pitch.
“I have managed to buy a house,” he said. “I have my whole family over here - my mother, father and my girlfriend - and they will probably be staying throughout my career at the Club.
“I am feeling more settled every day,” he concluded.
Reyes’ scintillating show at the Community Shield suggested he’d made a leap forward over the summer. Certainly if he has added strength and personal contentment to his speed and skill, then Premiership defences are in for his own personal Spanish inquisition this season.
http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?article=219063
I'll start off with this article, so the opening post is worth something.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jose Antonio Reyes revels in new-found strength
Jose Antonio Reyes knows the importance of the coming season.
When the Spanish striker signed from Seville in January, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger suggested Highbury would not see the best of him until the following campaign.
That is not to say he struggled last term; five goals in 21 appearances – including a cracker against Chelsea - was a reasonable return. It was just that the 20-year-old was adapting to the rigours of English football.
Now the new season has arrived. He is a fully fledged member of the Arsenal squad and has to cope with the expectation that comes with that honour.
If his impressive pre-season is anything to go by, Reyes will meet the challenge head-on.
“All seasons are important but this one especially because it is my first full season with Arsenal,” he said.
“When you come abroad it is always important to be able to express yourself. I’m trying to get the first season out of the way and get the best possible start.”
Wenger has already suggested Reyes is physically stronger this season and the player himself revealed he has been working hard to toughen up in recent months.
“In Spain the football is a bit slower, the tempo is faster here,” he said. “When I first came I was a bit weaker and I was surprised at how hard to English game was. In Spain, we did not really go to the gym here I have had to. I have developed the muscle now.”
Other adaptations have occurred off the pitch.
“I have managed to buy a house,” he said. “I have my whole family over here - my mother, father and my girlfriend - and they will probably be staying throughout my career at the Club.
“I am feeling more settled every day,” he concluded.
Reyes’ scintillating show at the Community Shield suggested he’d made a leap forward over the summer. Certainly if he has added strength and personal contentment to his speed and skill, then Premiership defences are in for his own personal Spanish inquisition this season.
http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?article=219063
