
London-born, Irish-raised singer-songwriter Maverick Sabre is on the cusp of superstardom, his eagerly awaited debut album set to land on 6th February, so Football Burp caught up with the Chase & Status collaborator and Snoop Dogg support act for a ruddy good natter about his beloved Arsenal FC…
Did your faith in Arsene Wenger waver at all during the Gunners’ poor start to the season?
Of course it did, but I think people got too fickle with him. He’s always been an old-school general and everyone’s always had faith in him, but as soon as it starts to go wrong people are thinking, “Oh no, we need to get rid of him.” Getting someone else in might totally disrupt the flow of the team. I always had faith that he’d turn it around and now we’re growing again, building again, so onwards and upwards.
Did you think it was a mistake to play Thomas Vermaelen and Andre Santos against Olympiakos? Obviously, Santos came off injured and will miss the Everton match.
I think it might have been a bit of a mistake but when a decision’s made, a decision’s made. I’m just looking forward to the game. Music’s so hectic that it’s hard to keep up with all the matches, so I’m just looking forward to being able to make it!
Which of the summer signings have impressed you so far?
You know what, I haven’t really been keeping up with the new signings as much as I would like to. He’s not a new signing but the player that’s really shining for me at the minute is Theo Walcott. I think he’s really coming into his own and it’s great to watch. Along with Robin van Persie, I think he’s been our best player.
Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh go to the African Cup of Nations in January. Would you like to see another striker brought in as cover for van Persie? Or do you think Walcott could play down the middle?
Yeah, I think he could. I wouldn’t have any doubts about him as he’s proved himself so far. As long as he’s got back-up around him, I wouldn’t have any fears at all about him being up front.
What was the first game you ever went to?
My uncle’s a Leyton Orient fan and he took me to see them at home versus Southend United. I think it was 2-2.
What about the best game you ever went to? And the worst?
The worst game was a school trip to go to see Man United against Bolton. I didn’t care about either team at the time, and I think it was 1-1 or something, not really dramatic whatsoever. The best game was when I went to see an Ireland qualifier for the 2002 World Cup. It’s the only time I’ve ever been to an Ireland football match and the atmosphere there was unbelievable. I can’t remember who it was against but it was when Ireland qualified for the 2002 World Cup. It was at the old Ireland football stadium, before they moved to the Aviva.
Are you more an Ireland fan than an England fan?
You know what, I’m fifty-fifty. Any time the World Cup or Euros come up, if one doesn’t make it then I’ll follow the other, so I’ve always got a team. It’s great when they both make it in, as long as they’re not playing each other. That’s when it gets difficult. I think Ireland have got a chance of meeting England early on in the competition. But yeah, I’m fifty-fifty.
That would be quite a game.
It would be, and I’m not sure how it would work out. All I know is that I’d win either way, so it’s all good!
Finally, if you had to pick a five-a-side team of Arsenal players from your time as a supporter, who would you go for?
Thierry Henry, Ian Wright, Tony Adams, David Seaman and Robin van Persie.
Maverick Sabre, thank you.
Look out for Maverick Sabre’s brilliant debut album, Lonely Are the Brave, set for release on 6th February 2012. For more information and a list of live dates, please visit mavericksabre.com
Click here to read Maverick Sabre talking about his music on Rocksucker