Print this articleFor anyone who hasn't seen much of what Arshavin can do since we saw him sparkle in the summer; here is a video to remind yourself. As much as I would prefer a solid centre back and a defensive midfielder right now, I am not so sure it is coming. Arshavin's name has been flying about and Wenger hasn't denied it yet as he has with Inler.
Lets see how it goes. Watch this space.
Good afternoon to you all (or good morning to some) on this fine New Year’s Day. I hope you are not too trolley’d, wasted, gazebo’d or panini’d (what ever word for PISSED you prefer) that you do not understand what I am writing. It is the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 and at times like this, like many of you I assume, I see it as a time of reflection for myself personally and a chance to set goals for the coming year.
I would like to thank every reader of this blog for their comments and support in 2008 as well as wishing you all a very happy new year. It is only though the magnificence of modern technology that such a website could exist and bring together so many people from around the globe who share a common passion. There are 195 countries in the world and this website has been lucky enough to have been accessed by visitors from 184 different countries worldwide. However, it is only though your input that such a website remains dynamic and full of vigour. For this specifically, I am very grateful.
What this blog and similar websites represent on a small scale is collective contribution and a common interest. Metaphorically, it would be beneficial if the mentality of mankind could be likewise in looking past our differences while sharing and embracing our similarities.
We finish 2008 at a time where the world is in a state of economic crisis, innocent people are being killed on a daily basis and as football fans; our Arsenal team has not met our expectations of a top European club. However to put Arsenal’s problems in the same context as those other problems is obviously highly offensive.
It is disrespectful to those civilians including young children and woman being massacred and starved in Gaza as I write this. To those even in the West (where I live) being affected negatively by the worldwide recession, those who have been made redundant, those who may have struggled to purchase their children the presents they wanted this Christmas and those elderly people who have to sacrifice heating because their pensions are not covering their costs adequately. We are all going through turbulent times but it is at these times where our character is tested.
This is the time to give to others, a time to be selfless and try our best to collectively progress as humankind. I am blessed to be living in London with a family and people that love me dearly. I hope that if 2008 has taught us anything at all, it is to cherish and truly appreciate what is positive in our lives.
It is also crucial to note the importance of football here. Yes it is “just a game” like my mum always says but football is universally beautiful in that it brings happiness to billions across the globe. It builds a sense of community at a grass roots level and keeps many children away from trouble.
I said in the second paragraph that this website is metaphorically bounded by “collective contribution” and a “common interest”. I hope that we can all have a common interest in 2009 to do as much as we can and “collectively contribute” to promote peace in the middle east, the root of many problems in the world today. For those of you in London there is a “Stand up for Gaza Peaceful National Demonstration” (here for more details) this Saturday at Embankment. If you have a chance please do watch this touching documentary on the history of the conflict that has been going on for decades. It is an award winning documentary called “Occupation 101” (watch it for free at Youtube or Google Video).
I look forward to seeing any of you interested at the demonstration with our Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Atheist, Hindu, Buddhist and any other brothers and sisters with whatever faith they have with the “common interest” of promoting peace and reducing suffering.
To end on a positive note, 2008 has also been a historic year. To offset the negativity of the “Credit Crunch” and other hardships; Barack Obama became the first black man to become the president (president-elect for the moment) of the most powerful country in the world. We are all very lucky to be present at a time of such historical importance.
It gives us all hope of change for the better in the coming 12 months where things can only get better in all sense of the word. Just as January could be the month Arsenal and Arsene Wenger finally sort out the problems of the past and take a step in the right direction, I hope Barack Obama can do the same.
I also want to say congratulations to a very humble young man in Gavin Hoyte who went to school with me for winning a chance to go on loan to Watford, as well as Jay Simpson who is off to West Brom and Nacer Barazite who has extended his loan at Derby. Good luck to them all.
Happy new year to all. Make 2009 your year and achieve whatever it is you want to achieve.
Please share your new year’s resolutions if you wish in the comments section.
Viva Le Arsenal.
You may have noticed from the lack of posts...the world of Arsenal FC now really just PISSES ME OFF; talking, watching, hearing...anything really...PISSES ME OFF. Yet I still manage to keep getting myself to watch every second of every game and read every Arsenal article that is written. So many things are obviously wrong with the team and yet have not been addressed to a sufficient standard for a prolonged period of time.
Today’s game marks a significant point in this season. Let’s be honest, if we were Aston Villa we would be annoyed that we didn’t get all 3 points from a game that was dominated by the home side. The first half statistics say it all. Villa – 7 shots...Arsenal – 1 shot...1 goal. How often has that happened to us in the past?
The whole game was Villa’s apart from a 20 minute spell at the end of the first half and beginning of the second. The story of the game was:
Woodwork 3 times...lucky bounce...nice finish Denilson... a moment of brilliance from Diaby to offset his general pathetic performance to make it 2...back to Villa pressure...Gallas penalty...Barry 50th goal...inevitable Knight equalizer in injury time.
All we had to show for the game was a determined goal keeper and a world class right back (Sagna for President).
Well done to Villa, they showed they are a real side today.
The title of this article is not to suggest we are going to get relegated but is simply to illustrate how far off we are in comparison to the league as a whole. The quality of the side has been weakened season after season; players have left and not been replaced. People blame the centre of defence for leaking goals but yet do not realize that the creativity of the side is as weak as anything else nowadays. We have never had the best defensive players in the world (under Wenger’s modern times) but we used to defend well as a unit. A lot of that comes down to the midfield. Wenger’s philosophy has always been that the best form of defence is attack, keeping the ball means the opposition cannot score.
As much as I want the likes of Song and Denilson to succeed and do not want to put blame on them personally...it is obvious to see that they do not do enough to be playing week in week out. The centre of midfield in my opinion is the most important part of any team (apart from Bolton) since it is the only part of the team which defends and attacks as well as being a source for inspiration, creativity and is one of the only positions that can set the tempo of a game. Flamini is a perfect example of this last season.
Fans boo Eboue yet do not boo Wenger who plays him on the left wing (that game he got booed). They do not boo the manager who last season had three very solid defensive midfielders in the team (Gilberto, Flamini and Diarra) and yet did not replace them when they left...expecting the dynamic of the team not to be effected. I am not at all saying to boo Wenger, I was one of the first to say boo-ing Eboue was disgusting...but please stop pointing fingers at individual players and see at the end of the day Wenger is the man in charge, he takes 70% of the blame. The board has done nothing wrong so they are not accountable as other clubs are (eg. Spurs and Real Madrid). 30% of blame goes to the collective performance of the players which is a matter of commitment and effort. Not TALENT and QUALITY...you can’t blame a player for not being good enough, only blame the manager for judging a player good enough when they are not.
I love Wenger as much as any other Arsenal fan but he is only human, he has made mistakes yet a human still has the ability to correct his mistakes. But Wenger is as stubborn as any manager in world football, he is the president of our football club and makes all the decisions...he takes most of the blame. The board let him do as he wishes and that has been rightly earned over an amazing Arsenal career as manager.
However, every human is fallible and if Wenger again refuses to sign players in January there will have to be a point where something has to be done. YES we drew with Liverpool, beat Manchester United and Chelsea...but losing to Hull, Stoke, City, Villa etc means something is not right.
People say that our results against the big four show we are good enough, do possess enough quality...that is not the measure of quality that I think is the correct indicator. Consistency is quality in a league. In a cup competition, then yes your “on the day” performance is a valid measure of quality. That is why Liverpool can win the Champions League but have not won the Premiership in recent years. They have spark players like Gerrard and Torres who have real quality and can “on the day” win any team a game. Unfortunately, our Arsenal team is looking more and more like a poor version of the Liverpool team that won the Champions League but needed Uefa to change the rules to allow them to play the next season over Everton.
Quality in football is consistency, collective drive and a winning mentality as well as talented players throughout a squad. I will leave it up to you, the reader, to ponder as to what extent we possess any of those characteristics as a collective squad.
Oh yeah...Merry Christmas. Santa bring me a defensive midfielder and a sane manager for Christmas.
Bilal is excited today with youtube video's so here is another one for you football lovers.
Good day. Back to reading 372 pages of strategy.
Random stuff...fun times from 2007.
By Atishay Agarwal
Almunia - 5 - I think it finally is time to give young Lukasz a fair trial. Almunia was quite consistent, despite never being outstanding, last season, but has been making a number of mistakes over the last two months. Jens' distribution used to be quite fantastic, and led to a number of goals, whereas Manuel hands it back to the opposition on a number of occasions. Poor throw to try and find Nasri which led to the own goal, when he could have easily kept the ball for a few seconds while everyone regrouped.
Sagna - 7.5 - He's been another of those players who have failed to live up to last season's performances, but he put in a wonderful shift at the very ground he scored his first Arsenal goal. Wasn't too involved in offensive play, but defended superbly and made a number of vital interceptions.
Gallas - 8 - Just the kind of performance we know William Gallas is capable of. And it looked like it helped him that his partner was the taller Djourou, rather than Toure or Silvestre. Facing hateful reactions from Chelshit fans and under pressure from certain Gooners as well, he proved that he's still committed to the cause.
Djourou - 7.5 - The (-5) is for the own goal, as his performance alongside Gallas was imperious to say the least. I was so pleasantly surprised that even after going behind, Chelsea rarely even threatened our goal, and that's down to Djourou and Gallas. He attacked high balls ever so well and was dominant in the air, which allowed Willy to mop up behind. A very promising performance.
Clichy - 7.5 - Based purely on his first half performance, I would have given him a 5, as he was a bit jittery and made a number of poor clearances, but his second half performance was reminiscent of last season's, as he was solid in defence, and also forayed forward effectively. Sensational run after the second goal until he was brought down blatantly by Ivanovic.
Denilson - 6 - I really don't want to criticize him much as he was being played out of position, and although he fluffed a few passes and lost the ball occasionally, he worked his socks off. Provided the assist for RVP's first goal as well, and like Wenger would say, he has a "good engine".
Fabregas - 7 - Cesc put in a solid, controlled performance yesterday. He did nothing very flashy or outrageous, but kept it simple, held the ball up and passed it around well in difficult situations. Who knows, captaincy might just help him regain his magical form of last year.
Song - 6 - Well, I've surrendered to the fact that Wenger believes this boy will make the cut at Arsenal, and although he didn't do much to justify Wenger's faith in him, he did no wrong either. He didn't win the ball too much, but he kept hassling and pressing the Chelsea players, passed much better than he usually does, and provided a bit of height at the back.
Nasri - 5.5 - He still doesn't seem to have gotten the hang of the Premier League as yet, and that's probably due to the fact that he's never played as a winger before. Again, like Song, he didn't do anything wrong, but wasn't that great either. But that's not what we expect from a creative midfielder. Was also lax in not tracking back to mark Bosingwa for the first goal.
Van Persie - 8.5 - Will this performance FINALLY see the true arrival of Robin Van Persie? He's been there and thereabouts for 2-3 seasons now, and he must take the confidence from this game to push his game to the level it should be at. He shot twice from his right foot last night. That's right, TWICE, and the second effort resulted in the equalizer. The second goal was pure class, as he didn't even look up before cracking a low drive across goal into the far corner. My Man of the Match, and who would disagree?
Adebayor - 6.5 - More than his performance, I think the fact that he started the game gave a lot of confidence to the lads. He worked hard as usual, but there was no end product, except the wonderful cushioned header to set up RVP for the winner.
Subs:
Bendtner - N/A - I think Wenger made the right decision in bringing a striker on for a striker, as we didn't lose our shape. So many times he takes off the strikers and brings on midfielders, and it never helps. We kept playing the way we normally do, and Pinky almost set up Denilson for a third goal.
In the famous words of Ghetto (Ghetto vs Bashy part 3): “I’m not gonna lie...IM GETTIN MAD RIGHT NOW”
Today we lost 3-0 to a decent Manchester City side in the week that William Gallas lost his captaincy. What can really be said that hasn’t already be noted. We have already heard that our squad as a whole is not strong enough to last the season to win the league. But this is Novemeber...we have now lost 5 games out of 14. That’s about 36%. That is more than 1 loss every 3 games. Last season we lost 3 games overall...joint lowest with Chelsea.
I don’t like bullshit analysis, MOTD going along with the trend analysis or Arsene Wenger ‘no sharpness’ excuses. Lets speak numbers...I like hard cold facts... they tell the truth:
League
14 Games:
7 Wins
2 Draws
5 Losses
We now trail Liverpool and Chelsea by 10 points. Last season we lost the league by 4 points.
“Lack of sharpness” is not the word to describe that record.
Let’s keep this maths theme going on. Last season we lost the league to both Manchester United and Chelsea who won by 4 and 2 points respectively. We then lost players in the summer while our competitors all strengthened. In plain mathematical terms, any seven year old could work out the overall out come. That means our squad is weaker this season than it was last season while everybody else has become stronger.
People have different opinions on what is going wrong at Arsenal. Some may say that we beat Manchester United the other week 2-1 and that proves we ARE GOOD ENOUGH. That is for you to ponder.
One thing that hasn’t been talked about much is the fact that we have 7 substitutes that don’t get used efficiently. Today we started with four midfielders that all prefer to play in the centre of midfield; Nasri, Denilson, Song, Diaby.
The likes of Wilshire and Jay Simpson and have all showed that they have some talent to say the least. But why bring these players to a match if you don’t ever have the faith to use them. I keep hearing this stupid logic that they are there to ‘experience what it is like to be on the bench’ so that they can ‘gain from this experience’. That is not the role of a bench, the bench is there to give a manager options when things aren’t going as they should be. Nasri was not doing anything today, neither was Bendtner or Denilson in my opinion. If we are 2-0 down and the players have been running around doing nothing for 80 minutes, then what is the harm in throwing in Wilshire for example who clearly has an attacking threat. Why? The reason...”because he is too young”...then why is he there...that is a waste of a bench place.
Instead, Ramsey comes on and adds to the number of central midfields we have playing already. Vela comes on later for Diaby to play on the right wing while helpless Bendtner and Van Perie keep their position for 90 minutes.
People may not agree with what I am saying but I think it is fair enough to question why players are taken to a game and then not played. When Sven took Walcott to the world cup and didn’t play him he was slaughtered by every football fan around the world. Yes, that is a bigger stage and a different context but in reality in operational terms it is exactly the same thing. In fact, at least Sven had other players on the bench he was happy to play. Today we saw Jay Simpson, Wilshire, Lansbury and Gibbs all on the bench. That is 4 out of the 6 outfield players on the bench who were not a good enough (for Wenger) option to be brought on as a possible threat.
A first team squad should be packed with players the manager has faith can do a job if needed. Wiltord was a first team squad player, Edu, Parlour, Grimandi...these were all players that were rotated in and out of the first eleven. I am not saying these young players are not good enough compared to these players at all...I just think that if Wiltord was on the bench as a substitute today, Wenger would have had the faith to bring him on. That is what a substitute is for, to give a team a change in dynamic, a fresh pair of legs and something new for the opposition defence to figure out.
Wenger has allowed our squad to become watered down...that when the one winger we actually have is injured, we no longer have another that can do the job.
I really don’t know what else to say...yes we may go and beat Chelsea next week but it doesn’t change anything. Potential is simply not good enough...consistency is what we crave and today or last week or the other defeats we have had are simply not good enough.
As a collective attacking force we simply are not doing it right now, no movement, no creativity and no ideas...even with Cesc in the team. Today Manchester City had 59% possession and 10 shots on target to our lousy 5. Let’s face it, Manchester City really deserved the victory. They played better in every way...so did Aston Villa. Well done to them.
Time for Arsene to start facing the facts and pick up this team with a new captain (Cesc please). Things will get better I am sure...let’s hope for the best.
Manchester City v Arsenal,
Chelsea v Newcastle,
Liverpool v Fulham,
Middlesbrough v Bolton,
Portsmouth v Hull,
Stoke v West Brom
Follow the link and choose which match you would like to view. Open in internet explorer for live stream through the webpage. Download sopcast if you haven't already for the streams which require it.
Watch the live streams from our LIVE VIDEO STREAMS PAGE:
Arsenal v Manchester United
Follow the link and choose which match you would like to view. Open in internet explorer for live stream through the webpage. Download sopcast if you haven't already.
By Richard Popple
Title wide open following weekend results:After the first 60 minutes of yesterday’s game at Upton Park I had a horrible sense of déjà vu. Our recent record at the hammers has been poor despite winning there last season. It seems though, like last season we have found a way to win ugly. Defeats to Hull and Fulham aside, Arsenal have been very impressive in the league this season and solid wins at Blackburn, Bolton and now West Ham suggest we will be very much in the mix at the end of the season.
Manchester United’s form remains surprising indifferent and they were lucky not to lose at Goodison yesterday and Chelsea’s defeat really put the cat amongst the pigeons. The ending of their amazing unbeaten home record will shake Scolari’s men and it will be interesting to see how they react. Liverpool were very good yesterday and remain the only side unbeaten. It seems remarkable given the fact that they have beaten both Manchester United and Chelsea, but I still don’t see Liverpool winning the league. They have had to come from behind several times already this campaign and they will not be able to keep that up should it continue to happen. Liverpool seem very strong at the moment but I still can’t see them finishing top of the pile.
Adebayor’s impact yesterday when brought on was a timely reminder of his ability. He has been in fairly indifferent form this season but has shown signs recently that he is up for the fight again. I think he will start against Spurs as he tends to score against them. It was interesting when Wenger admitted over-using Ade last season. I think this is true but his hand was forced slightly by injuries to RVP and Eduardo. If these two can stay fit for most of this season we will surely see a fresher and more effective Adebayor. Bendtner has improved his all-round game this season as well and is a very handy option when we have bruising opposition. His pass for Adebayor’s second yesterday was sublime and indicates his growing maturity. I hope we see Vela a lot more against Tottenham and Stoke this week. I think he might even start with Ade on Wednesday.
Another impressive performer yesterday was Alex Song. Denilson has been promising so far this season but in my opinion remains lightweight. Song is anything but and gave Fabregas greater license to roam yesterday which was the secret to his success last season. I hope Song retains his place and continues to improve. Diaby is also pushing for a starting place and might oust Nasri on Wednesday who looked a little tired against West Ham.
As for our returning Captain, well I think he played very well and formed a solid partnership with Silvestre who looks better with every game. Toure will not find it easy breaking back into the team, which can only be a good thing. With the remarkable turn of events at White Hart Lane on Sunday it will add extra spice to the Derby on Wednesday. Spurs will be relieved that they won yesterday which takes the pressure off Redknapp as no-one expects them to win. That could prove dangerous to Arsenal who must retain yesterday’s grit and discipline to ensure we remain in the hunt.
Watch the live streams from our LIVE VIDEO STREAMS PAGE:
Chelsea v Liverpool
West Ham v Arsenal
Manchester City v Stoke
Tottenham v Bolton
Wigan v Aston Villa
Follow the link and choose which match you would like to view. Open in internet explorer for live stream through the webpage. Download sopcast if you haven't already.
By Atishay Agarwal
Manuel Almunia - 6 - As has been the case so far this season, he
wasn't really tested with many shots on target, especially with
Bangoura's crazy shooting. I hear some of those balls are still
orbiting Earth as we speak. Our new No.1 gave away the direction of
his dive too early on the penalty, though.
Bacary Sagna - 5.5 - I agree completely with the lad that it wasn't a
penalty, but he should know better than to stand behind his man in the
penalty area with his hands around him. Otherwise too, he had a mediocre game.
Kolo Toure - 6 - He did well for most part of the game, barring a
slightly shaky phase in the second half. Helped restrict their
forwards to shots from distance.
William Gallas - 5 - Okay, i know i might get a pasting for this,
considering he scored the equalizer (which would have gone in without
his touch), but it was his schoolboy-ish error that led to their
attack before the penalty. Even after the goal, his defending was very
poor for the next fifteen minutes. Everyone is now going ga-ga over
his leadership qualities because he scored in the dying minutes, but
being the captain, he needs to cut down on the costly errors he makes
every now and then.
Gael Clichy - 5.5 - He had a poor outing, and was caught out of
position many times. Should have done better to prevent the cross
which led to the penalty as well. In short, both our fullbacks are yet
to rediscover their form of last season.
Theo Walcott - 7.5 - We've often been criticized for not putting up a
fight when facing 'roughing-up' tactics, but Theo did more than just
fight, he stood up and and set up the equalizer in the dying minutes. Was clearly targeted by
their left back just like Reyes was by Neville a few years back, the
difference being that Theo's got the stomach for a fight.
Denilson - 6 - The young Brazilian is somewhat of a mixed bag at the moment, with one iffy performance following every good one. he was a shadow of the player he was at Ewood Park, and could soon lose his place in order for Song to get a decent run.
Cesc Fabregas - 5.5 - Well, he doesn't look himself at the moment. Either he's carrying an injury, or he's too tired. In all, he looks jaded, and not even half as involved in general play, or even goal celebrations, as he used to be. Half an hour into the game, my friend asked, "Where's Cesc?" That says it all.
Alex Song - 7 - I wanted to see him play a full match, and I was impressed. I think he has the qualities that are required for a CDM, and he gave a very good account of himself in Kiev. Got stuck into challenges, and kept it simple with his passing and movement. One could immediately see that we were more susceptible defensively once he came off. Want to see him start an EPL game now.
Robin Van Persie - 7 - To be fair to the lad, he was placed on the left wing, not the position he usually plays in for us, so it was never going to be a classic Van Persie performance anyway. What impressed me was his commitment to the cause, and that he kept trying right till the end. He needs to get the right shooting boots on though.
Emmanuel Adebayor - 6.5 - Again, like Van Persie, tried all he could throughout the game, and could have got on the scoresheet, if Gallas hadn't literally snatched his goal! Anyway, he still misses chances like he did last season. But he gets so many that he's bound to score many. Good effort.
Subs
Emmanuel Eboue - 6.5 - Was on for just twelve minutes, but gave us a little more pace in attack.
Nicklas Bendtner - 5 - He didn't do much to be honest, and needs some more playing time to get his confidence back.
Carlos Vela - NA - Cant rate him for just two touches, can I?
By Richard Popple
The last time I wrote an article was before the international break when we put in the most abject performance and got beaten by Fulham. This early season defeat seems to have acted as a wake-up call to the squad who have since won three games and scored 11 goals. A pretty impressive response from this young team. With the merry-go-round transfer window firmly behind us, it’s a relief that we can all get on and enjoy the football without worrying about who’s coming and going. All the negative vibes surrounding Wenger’s lack of transfers this summer seem to have been temporarily washed away in light of the recent victories but two more away games the next five days represent a stiff challenge.
Tonights’s game in Kiev in my mind is not as important as the trip to Bolton on Saturday. Of course it would be wonderful to keep the winning streak going and I am confident that we will, but I would be happy with a draw. Anything less than a win on Saturday however would leave us trailing Liverpool and Chelsea by a possible four points and we don’t want to slip behind early on. The game in Kiev tonight I believe is an excellent opportunity to let some of the younger fringe players get involved. According to reports Nasri, Eboue and Clichy are all struggling to make the trip. I hope we will get to see Slivestre for the first time. He will provide excellent experience and champions league knowledge. I think Eboue should be replaced by Vela with Walcott moving back over to the right. I think Bendtner will start up-front giving one of Adebayor or Van Persie a breather before Saturday. It would also be good to see Ramsey given an opportunity to play with Fabregas in the centre of midfield. Jack Wilshere made Arsenal history on Saturday at Blackburn and I hope he will get a chance to impress on the European stage.
In terms of qualifying out of the group I don’t think Arsenal will have too many problems. It is a tough group but at the Emirates I fully expect three wins and we will do enough on our travels to progress. The league fixtures though should remain the priority. If Arsenal can stay in touch with leaders until Christmas then we will challenge again. Like last year we have been lucky with our early season fixture list and it gives us an opportunity to put a lot of early points on the board. Towards the end of the season we have some very tough games, so it is vital that we continue the good start we have made to the season.
(I have been on holiday for two weeks in the jungle of Mombassa and had no internet access. This article was written on the 26th August 2008 so please take this into account when reading Richard's article)
After a very disappointing defeat at Fulham there has been what can only be described as panic amongst many Arsenal fans. Having read some of the fans forum boards and articles on various websites it is clear that there are many who believe this could be Arsene’s last season. After two games the managerial guillotine is already beginning to be sharpened and the unthinkable thing is, is that Wenger is topping the bill at the moment. Sanity however will prevail, and in most fans eyes and the boards he remains the only man to take the club forward.
The most alarming factor in Saturday’s defeat was the lack of desire and creativity shown by the team. It has been painfully clear in season’s past that we could be beaten on our travels by tough, physical and aggressive opponents. However, Fulham didn’t play like this at all. They didn’t even play that well themselves. They worked very hard for each other and put the Arsenal midfield under pressure. Our midfield forgot how to pass the ball and if Denilson has a future at the club past the end of this season I would be very surprised. Having exploded onto the scene two years ago he has become an increasing enigma. He is a young man who simply does not play enough football. But he is clearly not good enough to dictate the midfield in Fabregas’s absence.
It has been well documented that we have a long injury list at the moment. The bench we had on Saturday was very young indeed, but my worry with Wenger is, does he really trust his young players to be up to the job? During his post-match interview he openly admitted that Kolo Toure is not fit and is not playing with confidence. The defender is still recovering from malaria so why play him? Johann Djourou played against both West Brom and FC Twente. In both games we kept clean sheets, yet Wenger was not prepared to play him against Fulham. Why? Simply he doesn’t believe Djourou is up to the job. This is not the only example of double standards regarding his younger players. Aaron Ramsey is a £5m signing who we were told would be fighting for a first team place. Fighting obviously means sitting on the bench whilst the first 11 struggle to a 1-0 defeat. Why was the teenager not introduced? Denilson and Eboue were awful and even if Ramsey had done nothing, what was there to lose. Again, Wenger betrayed his trust of the young player. Jack Wilshire at just 16 is a very young man indeed, but why would you include him in the first team squad, expose him during the pre-season tournaments (during which he was fantastic) and then leave him on the bench?
Anyone would think we have an abundance of defenders judging by the amount we are allowing too leave on loan. I understand that the players need experience and in the case of Armand Traore it is fantastic that he will be playing premiership football with Portsmouth. In the case of Senderos though, his future at the club looks bleak. I’m not sure what the reasoning behind loaning him out is. The move to Milan has the option to go permanent next year and Arsenal are obviously going to try and trigger that clause. If this is the case, why not sell him now and get some money for a replacement. With 6 days to go in the transfer window, I for one am not holding my breath that we will bring anyone else in. I truly hope we do, but what is more important is that Wenger trusts his young players. If he doesn’t, then why would he have put so much impetus on nurturing players over the past 5-6 years?
We have a new poll for you to vote and give your comments about the Silvestre signing. Please vote on the poll on the right hand side and share what you think in the comments section below.
Also if you didn't read my comments on the move and our squad options, you can read them here.
Watch the the Premiership (including Fulham v Arsenal on Saturday) live streams from our LIVE VIDEO STREAMS PAGE.
By Bilal Zaidi
This has got to be one of the weirdest signings we have ever made in recent times but in typical Wenger fashion. We have signed Silvestre from Manchester United for a reported £750,000. He is 31 years old and he has signed a two year deal which breaks Wenger’s policy of only giving over 30’s one year deals. Remember this was the same for Bergkamp, Lehmann and all the others who stayed extending their contracts year after year.
Why you might ask? Maybe because Wenger has paid money for him from a rival club, so to let him go after one season on a free might be a bit of bad business. Silvestre was rated very highly in my eyes a few years ago and had/has everything to be a fantastic centre back. He has a decent physical presence, pace (at least he used to) and experience at the top level. Whether he is still up to the job will be found out soon.
He is French just like captain Gallas, Clichy and Sagna as well as Mr. Toure who speaks French from the Ivory Coast. If he plays at left back he has another French player to link up with on the left in new boy Samir Nasri. Even though I am slightly sceptical about his injury fears, especially with our recent record...this may just be exactly what we need.
How long have Arsenal fans been ranting and raving about ‘experienced signings’ and ‘no kids’? Well there you go...a player who has played 40 games for France and 361 for Manchester United. He is a winner...he knows how it feels to win the Premiership, Champions League and FA Cup. He is also left footed which means a more balanced defence.
He can play at centre back or left back which is exactly what we needed. We need cover for Clichy since Traore definitely doesn’t look up to the job right now, he still looks very raw defensively. A very cheap signing who has a vast amount of experience in the English game makes a lot of sense.
This gives us the flexibility to play Toure in central midfield anchoring with Cesc if that is how Wenger see’s it. But I still think either Inler or Xabi Alonso may come through.
Silvestre could simply be solid back up for Toure or Gallas and Clichy. Wenger has made a signing for NOW...finally...no 12 year old young Freddy Adu superstar prodigy that has ‘potential’...but a player that can slide in right NOW.
Xabi Alonso would be a perfect signing in my eyes over Inler who has never played in the premiership before. Alonso is Spanish and could form an unstoppable partnership with Cesc. Regardless of not being available now for the group stages of the Champions League, Alonso would still be a great signing if it still goes through.
If Alonso comes in I will be more than happy about our squad’s capabilities this year...no exaggeration.
Our team could now have the following options:
.........................................Almunia
.........................................Fabianski
Sagna..................Gallas....................Toure....................Clichy
Eboue................Djourou................Silvestre..............Silvestre
Toure................Senderos..............Song
Walcott...............Cesc......................Alonso..................Nasri
Rosicky..............Denilson.................Toure..................Rosicky
Eboue.................Ramsey.................Eboue....................Vela
Wilshire.............Diaby.....................Song......................Diaby
............................Van Persie....................Adebayor
.............................Eduardo.......................Bendtner
..............................Vela
.............................Walcott?
Comments on our squad options are welcome as always in the comments section below.
The next few days can either be very exciting for us or very disappointing. Come on Wenger, surprise me.
By Bilal Zaidi
Anyone at the match on Saturday? It was beautiful for me to start off this season with seats in perfect view. I was blessed with 90 minutes of viewing pleasure from the middle tier, third row from the front and central right position of the half way line. Just like my position in the stadium, I couldn’t help but notice that I was in the stand which was also ‘centre right’ in more ways than one with only four or five people (including myself) wearing an Arsenal shirt.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like suits and shirts as much as anybody else. I also respect that people pay with their own money and can do as they please and wear what they want to an Arsenal game. The Emirates is a remarkable business model which has been segmented into several sections to accommodate the diverse range of people that a club like Arsenal would attract. Families now come to watch a football game, have a nice lunch and ‘bonding time’. Great to see.
However, it was clear to see from the noise levels that segmenting with priorities has meant our beloved new stadium is awfully quiet and lacks atmosphere. We have one of the best stadiums in the world but our atmosphere doesn’t come close to what it could be.
This is my plea to every Arsenal fan who ever attends a game to try their best to get behind the team and create some atmosphere. Clapping is jolly good and I am not saying one has to be colloquial in their approach in getting behind the team. A good old “QUIIIITE RIGHT...ENCORE...SPLENDID” would be a great improvement on what I heard and felt on Saturday. In the same way, let’s not rule out a nice “FUKIN GET IN THERE FELLA...COME ON SON” etc etc. Arsenal is a London club with fans from all over the world. In such a diverse and cosmopolitan city it is inevitable that the support and fan base should represent this too. Gone are the days of the old so let us now look together to the future. We all come from different backgrounds, different mentality’s and from different parts of society.
The main point I am trying to make is that we have one thing in common and that is a love for Arsenal Football Club. I am not trying to be Gandhi-ish on you all but let us collectively improve the atmosphere, noise levels and support of the team. Every individual in that 60,000 stadium can make a difference and express it in their own way. Don’t be afraid to try something new, sing a new song or support in a new way. Be innovative and we can all rejoice together and help our team with the support they deserve. Let’s not judge others, who they are and their attitudes as well as their method of support. Instead, let us all come together and utilitarian-ize (yes I made this word up) our strategy for support to make sure jointly, we all gain.
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It was like watching last season all over again. We took the lead against a lesser side, dominated possession and passed the ball around with ease all day, but failed to kill them off. In fact, we wasted so many dangerous positions and some glorious chances, and on occasions our attackers looked bereft of ideas in the final third. It’s the first game of the season, though, and what was most important was to get all three points. Here are the ratings:
Almunia - 6 – He was largely untested, though he made one or two good saves. But he still doesn’t come out quickly enough to collect long balls and help his defenders, and some times rushes off his line all the way till the edge of the penalty area when there’s no need to. He’s a much improved keeper from three years back, but he still needs to improve, I feel.
Sagna – 6 – It was a solid if unspectacular performance by Goldilocks yesterday. He was comfortable while defending but didn’t do as much as he is capable of when going forward.
Gallas – 7 – There were times when our defence looked shaky, but Willy was more than effective in one-on-one situations. He saved us on a few occasions, notably when he rushed back and cleared off the line in the second half.
Djourou – 6 – A bit of a topsy-turvy display by our other Swiss defender, as he was composed most of the times, but lost the plot at times, especially at their ‘almost’ goal. Gallas had more than a word to say to him then. Hopefully, it’ll help.
Clichy – 7.5 – Gael was his usual self, and was even quicker than usual. He made a number of interceptions and bombed forward whenever he could. One electrifying run from the edge of our own penalty area in the second half was simply breathtaking. He coped admirably in defence as well, and was untroubled throughout the game.
Walcott – 5 – A disappointing start for Theo to the season which many say will be ‘his’. He gave the ball away a number of times, and his first touch still lets him down frequently. Maybe Arsene should try him up front, what say?
Eboue – 6.5 – I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him lined up as a central midfielder, and what left me more baffled was that he looked better in the middle than he did on the right last year! He was quite assured in his play, and distributed the ball well. Having said that, some of his efforts on goal were ridiculous and utterly wasteful.
Denilson – 7 – The Brazilian had an impressive game, and dictated a lot of our attacking play. His intelligent run and cut-back set up the goal, and he tried to up the tempo all game with his passing. A definite improvement on last season.
Nasri(MoM) – 8 – Could he have asked for a better start to his Arsenal career? Neither could I! We usually see new signings from abroad go missing in their early games and not make an impact in their first 3-4 months in the league, but he got off the blocks straight away. Apart from the cool finish, his passing, mazy runs, and general play was top notch. Hleb who?
Bendtner – 5.5 – Nicklas started the game well, and passed the ball around impressively, especially the one to Clichy in the build up to the goal. As the match wore on, however, he faded away, and didn’t do anything of note in the second half.
Adebayor – 5 - He was looking dangerous in the first half and troubled the West Brom defence almost all game, but he was guilty of wasting chance after chance for the team. Some of his play was a bit selfish too, and his decision-making in the final third left a lot to be desired. Also, he got more and more predictable throughout the game, which made it slightly easier for them to defend against him. But let’s not criticize him. We know it takes him 3 straightforward chances to score, doesn’t it?
SUBS
Toure – 5 – Why was he playing on the right wing for Christ’s sake? I thought he would take his place in defence, Djourou would switch to midfield and Eboue to right back. Wenger probably thought of giving him just a run out to regain fitness, but we can’t play our players in just about any position on the field, you know.
Van Persie – 5.5 – Robin didn’t influence the game much after coming on, and looked just a little rusty. Extra points for not getting injured.
There has been plenty of doom-mongering amongst journalists, pundits and opposition fans about Arsenal during previous pre-seasons. Seemingly every summer predictions are made about Arsenal’s lack of depth and the battle we face to beat Tottenham to fourth place and this year has been no different. Football really has become very swallow and completely in awe of money when coming fourth is the be all and end all. Frankly, the predictions and taunting from other fans is becoming a bind for many Arsenal fans, who like myself face questions about our manager and the clubs aspirations. In the past I have simply shrugged off suggestions that Wenger has lost the plot or that the club do not want to take financial risks. But the writing seems to be on the wall, at least for the next few seasons.
Even the most optimistic fan will concede that the possibility of Arsenal overpowering both Chelsea and Manchester United is unlikely at best. Of course this was the concern voiced last season and to some degree Wenger and the team proved people wrong by finishing a comfortable 3rd. But we didn’t win the league and the stats don’t lie. Three seasons without a trophy is a phrase drubbed into every Arsenal heart. Last night’s victory in Holland was professional without being reassuring. I found myself wondering where this current crop of players can lead us this season.
Losing players has been another tradition that Arsenal have developed over the last few seasons. This season has been no different although as long as an experienced midfielder is secured we are no worse off than last season. I’m afraid though we don’t seem to be any better off in terms of numbers or defensive security. It does not take a genius to work out that last season’s shortcomings were down to conceding sloppy goals. When Wenger stated at the start of the summer he intended to strengthen the defence every fan breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, the manager has seen something to change his mind. His continued negligence when it comes to our defence I believe will hamper us when challenging for the title. I am not against the manager’s methods. Every club in the world would be delighted if their team played like Arsenal, or if youth players were given a chance to blossom and become stars for the club.
Hoyte did very well in the past showing he has potential and as a natural athlete he is typical of a Wenger style player. However, with the recent emergence of Bacary Sagna as a solid starting right back, it is very unlikely he would be able to compete against the French international.
It is sad to see, but in reality it is probably the best for all three parties involved. Hoyte will have a chance to play more regularly and that is what he needs at this stage in his career. Middlesbrough will benefit from a good quality, athletic and young English full back for a decent price and Arsenal will receive money that can be re-invested in areas of the squad that are more necessary.
I have followed his career since his days in the youth and reserve team as it isn’t every day that a person you have come in contact with lives their dream and plays with the superstars of Arsenal. I am sure he will do very well at Middlesbrough if he chooses to go there and I would just like to wish Justin good luck with the future. My brother also ironically lives in Middlesbrough so any advice on the area would be happily provided! I hope that Justin’s hard work, focus and drive remain in the North East and he fulfils his great potential.
Standing as we are, on the starting line of the new season, as at this same stage last season, I don’t know whether to be optimistic or pessimistic.
One thing I do know is that if we want to win silverware this season, there’s something that must happen.
It’s very simple, and with a bit of luck it will happen.
I am referring to something – not that we need, but rather something we must do without.
It’s something that all Premier League winners manage to do without.
What is this thing we must do without?
Long-term bloody injuries, that’s what!
Just take a close look at all the Premier League winning teams over the last few years and, whilst one or two have had their share of key players missing for the odd game, none of them experienced long term injuries to more than one player at most.
Yet in the last few trophy-less seasons we have suffered ridiculously long injuries to key players, including Henry, Gallas, RVP, Diaby, Rosicky and Sagna.
Some say it wouldn’t be a problem with a little more strength in depth, but I disagree. There is always a first choice eleven with any successful side – unless you happen to be Liverpool - and they have aptly demonstrated that rotation doesn’t work and they still can’t buy the title. No – chopping and changing players to fit in others – however good they may be – disrupts the fluidity of any good footballing team.
I know it would be nice to sign David Villa, Micah Richards, Robinho, Gareth Barry, Alonso, Shay Given and any one of the dozens of fine players we have been linked with, but in my humble view we have enough players to win us the title - providing most of them can stay fit!
Whilst I have been critical of ‘Basil’ Almunia in the past, it cannot be denied that he looked much better throughout last season once he was established. Lets not forget that fantastic save from git-face Keane against the Frillywhites at the Emirates. Fabianski has also showed us that he should be an able deputy.
We have the best two full backs in the Premier League and good experienced cover from Toure or Eboue on the right and Gallas on the left, plus good inexperienced cover from Hoyte and Gibbs. At their best there are no finer nor quicker centre backs than Toure and Gallas. And with Djourou, Senderos, Song and possibly even Nordvelt, we do have depth. Forget Flamini – yes he was brilliant for us last season but we already have a direct replacement at the club in Denilson. Unlike most pundits, I don’t regard Denilson as being like Cesc at all – he is much more like Flamini. I watched a rerun of one of last seasons games the other day and I reckon Denilson works just as hard as Flamini and has a more telling pass and is always willing to have a shot.
The trouble is we don’t have a back-up defensive midfielder in the squad other than Song (who seems to have been earmarked by Arsene for a central defender role) and this is an area we all know we must be rectified before the end of August. Sadly we cannot rely on Diaby’s fitness. He must be nearly as bad as Rosicky in that he seemingly plays two games and then misses the next four! Until we get a replacement we must presumably rely on (perish the thought) Eboue on the right, and perhaps Traore or even Kieran Gibbs on the left.
From what I have seen of him in the pre season games, I rate Ramsey as being more of an attacking midfielder – again similar to Cesc. We also have Nasri and Walcott, with Jack Wilshere and Mark Randall waiting in reserve.
Our strike force should be stronger this year with the addition of Carlos Vela who looks real class to me.
So up this point I would say that I was fairly optimistic in my forecast of the season ahead.
Then I logged on this morning to read the news that we have Cesc, Kolo, Nasri and Swiss Tony joining the usual sick notes (Diaby and Rosicky) and all will be unavailable for the first two or three games of the season.
So now I am pessimistic in the knowledge that if we sustain too many or long term injuries to key players, there is no way we will be able to win the league title this season.
How many other clubs in the premiership I wonder have 8 (a third!) of their first team squad of 24 outfield
Players unfit for the first games of the season.
All in all it has not been the most encouraging pre season when you consider we have only kept one clean sheet in the 9 games against quite a lot of poor opposition.
Still that one game was against Real Madrid.
I feel quite optimistic again now!
Come on you Gunners!!
By Bilal Zaidi
Sorry for those who e-mailed in asking where I had gone. I’ve had a hectic couple of months and have not been able to post as often as I would like to. Anyway, I am back with the news that Marc Overmars plans to return to playing football after four years out with the ‘Go Ahead Eagles’.
The Dutch ace is one of my favourite players of all time so to hear this news was fascinating.He is now 35 years old so for him to play a small role is just a bit of random...pleasant news. Overmars said:
“I’m retired for four years now and I train only once a week. But you can
achieve a lot when you really want it. That’s what I want to add to the team
together with my experience.”... “The main reason for my comeback is that I want
to help the club, but it’s nice to play again too.”
Do you remember your favourite Overmars memory? Share yours in the comments section below. More from me shortly. Good day all.
By Richard Popple
With the likely sale of Gilberto Silva this week following hot on the heels of Mathieu Flamini’s exit, it would seem that Arsene Wenger is running short of defensive midfield options. Surely Wenger didn’t recruit Samir Nasri and Aaron Ramsey to sit beside Cesc Fabregas in the centre of midfield? Neither are renowned for their defensive qualities, with both preferring to attack with pace. So who will be playing along side the little Spaniard?
Here’s a look at the possible candidates from the current squad for this key position:
Abou Diaby
A player hyped as the ‘new’ Viera when he arrived. He’s a tall, powerful player but has so far looked more comfortable and competent attacking than defending. Due to having more options in past seasons he has never really been given the opportunity in the centre. He has instead been deployed more on the left where he has on occasion cut in with strength and pace to score some impressive goals. Although he shares a similar physique to Viera, he has a far less intimidating presence. If he could turn this weakness around and work on his tackling and distribution he could be perfect for the role but at the moment lacks the discipline of a Flamini.
Alex Song
Wenger is a huge fan of Song, who has struggled to win over the Arsenal faithful. However a loan spell at Charlton in the 2006/2007 season saw him gain confidence and more importantly, gave him regular playing opportunities. Last season he looked a different player. He reminds me of a young Kolo Toure, sharing the same desire and will to put his body on the line. Against Blackburn last season in the Carling Cup he was immense, throwing himself into tackles, hurling himself forward to join attacks and he defended every ball almost as if his life depended on it. He needs to improve his ball control and distribution to make the midfield slot his own. At the moment he is probably viewed as a back up defensive option, but Wenger is well know for developing players into other positions. I think he could provide Arsenal with an option there, but not this season.
Denilson
Of all the young players who took Arsenal to the Carling Cup final in 2007, Denilson was the most impressive. I couldn’t quite believe how calm and balanced he was on the ball and his passing is both accurate and penetrating. However, he flattered to deceive a little last term and struggled with injuries. This is a big year for the Brazilian. He has been with the club for two years and will be desperate to play more and develop his game. Unfortunately his physique is not the best. He looks a little light weight and his tackling can be erratic and has cost him in the past. A very talented player though and if he could improve his tackling, he could well take up his hero Gilberto’s mantle.
Samir Nasri
I believe he will be deployed as a wideman or just behind the striker/s. From the little I have seen of him, I would be very surprised if he was brought to sit and protect the back four. A very exciting player who really suits Arsenal’s style of play and will hopefully be more of a goal threat than Alex Hleb.
A New Signing?
If you believe the newspapers then Arsenal are waiting for Hleb’s transfer to be completed before adding further to the squad. Judging by the experience that the above possibilities lack, it may not be surprising if the money was used on an out and out replacement for Gilberto and Flamini.
Of all the rumours that have been circling, my personal preference would be Xabi Alonso. I don’t think the cost would be too much for Arsenal and he would certainly be cheaper than Gareth Barry, who at a reported 18 million is out of Wenger’s price range. Alonso would be a superb foil for Fabregas and would enjoy linking up with his Spanish colleague. He has premiership experience and would be a calming influence in the middle of the park. More importantly, he seems to have become surplus to requirements at Anfield, with Liverpool looking to raise funds to compete for their own transfer targets. The question however remains; if Liverpool would sell a player like Xabi Alonso to one of their top four rivals?
Time will soon tell. Stay tuned.
By Richard Popple
Bacary Sagna’s recent interview hits at every Arsenal fan’s worst fears…the club currently don’t look like challenging for the premiership next season. Sagna also hinted that losing Hleb would not be such a blow as the possible departure of Adebayor. The Togo striker has said some very intriguing things this summer, but as always with the British press, it is hard to gauge how much is the truth. So with Hleb’s transfer to Barcelona imminent (well it wouldn’t be the summer if at least one Arsenal player didn’t move to the Catalan giants), it looks as if AW will be using the funds to generate a deal for reportedly Andrei Arshavin.
Arshavin has been built up hugely by the media after his performances in Euro 2008. His current club, Zenit also seem to have gotten a little carried away by it all, having slapped a 24m price tag on his head! Surely AW will not spend anywhere near that much money on a 27 year old who has yet to play in one of Europe’s biggest leagues? Well maybe, just maybe, the gaffer is realising that his current Arsenal squad is simply not strong enough to challenge the wealth of Chelsea or Manchester United. Wenger knows that some fans are starting to get frustrated not only by the lack of trophies, but by his stubbornness to buy potential rather than established talents. I myself am very sceptical that a deal for Arshavin will take place. It would simply be a complete policy change from Wenger and nothing over the last 12 years of his management suggests that he is ready to throw in his morals and opt to take on the big boys by investing as heavily.
It remains very interesting however that AW is waiting until after Hleb’s proposed move has been completed, before he himself announces any transfers or indeed completes any. Sagna also mentioned in his interview that Samir Nasri is still expected to complete his move to the club, which I expect would be announced early next week after Hleb’s departure. I should also mention Gilberto Silva, who looks like he is on his way out of the club. Flamini has already left and now his first choice back-up looks set to leave. I personally don’t think Wenger will bring in a defensive midfielder, but in Gilberto he will also loose another defensive option as the Brazilian as often played centre half for the Gunners. This worries me greatly and has always been my own personal barb with Wenger. He consistently seems to neglect improving our defence. It is fairly evident that we need further options at the back, if anything to keep those in the team on their toes. I think our lack of defensive options could ultimately be our downfall next year if we don’t improve them over the next two months.
So will Andrei Arshavin be an Arsenal player next season? I for one doubt it, but then I am still waiting for the signings that will reassure the fans (something Wenger mentioned in May before Euro 2008). Signing Arshavin would certainly reassure me that the club are intent on challenging next season. Letting Flamini, Hleb, Lehmann, Gilberto and possibly Adebayor go, makes me worry that our glory years under Wenger are a thing of the past and that we have become, as Le Professor said, ‘a selling club’.