Seven days on and still reliving the return of King Henry

January 17, 2012

We’re a bit in the doldrums here at Arsenal Arsenal. At the moment we’re still numb from the defeat on Sunday and finding it hard to be upbeat and forward thinking. Our twin posts today are in celebration of the return of Thierry Henry. Hopefully our bloggers will come out from behind the sofa and remember the positives of this season so far, but don’t let that stop you commenting on where we go from here.

Written by Total Arsenal

On Monday 9th January 2012, we, the Gooners, witnessed a truly special moment. The return of King Henry to the Home of Football was not just a joyous occasion, it was also magical; even a near-spiritual, transcendental experience for all those present at The Emirates and, to a lesser extent, to those who watched the game in pubs or at home. What made it all the more special was Henry’s response to the occasion: he, himself, wanted this return so much, but just like us had not believed it possible anymore. From an unknown player he had grown into a legend at Arsenal, to then become an ex-player and transform in a fan for life. This fan was given the unique opportunity to play for the club he had fallen in love with. For TH14/12 this meant the world.

On these rare moments, when a pivotal part of the glorious Arsenal past is brought back into the future, and we are being allowed – against all expectations – to experience it once again in its full intensity, we all know we are witnessing/taking part in something truly special.

The scene was set beautifully for Thierry. Arsenal were struggling to break down a stubborn Leeds to such an extent that the return of Henry was not just a luxury Arsene could afford itself – no, it had become a necessity. We needed a shot in the arm, a spark to lift the place and that is exactly what he gave us that night.

What followed next will be remembered by every Gooner for decades to come. Thierry’s goal was a good goal, but by itself not a great goal. What made it a great goal is totally down to its historical value. It was a trademark Henry goal, showing us all again how important it is for a player to move in the right positions, and what it means for a striker to make a great first touch in the box. He basically took on the ball in such a way that he used his right foot like a hockey stick: at the same time as he touched the ball with his foot he allowed his body to move ever so slightly away from the ball, in order to line himself up perfectly for a deadly second touch. He sat himself up with the best possible angle to place his diagonal shot, low and precise, past the keeper and in the corner of the goal.

At that moment in time I literally pinched myself, thinking this is too bizarre to be true, that I must be dreaming. I had never expected to see one of my three greatest Arsenal heroes back playing real football for us. To see him score such a quintessential TH14 goal, the only goal on a dull night, was simply magical.

When something truly special happens, people will express themselves in heartfelt superlatives. To prove just that, here are some of the comments from fellow AA’ers:

Peaches: Thierry ……. ahhhh Thierry, he just loves playing for Arsenal and we just love having him back. How fantastic for those youngsters to play and train alongside him for the next few weeks. Almost too good to be true and I was there.’…. ‘We can discuss formations and players good and bad points for eternity but tonight one man and his song and our song raised the roof at The Emirates and made thousands of gooners very happy. He’s really special our Thierry Henry, be in no doubt ………

MickyDidIt89: ‘We [Micky and his son] watched the game. First half…dull, but the conversation kept coming. “Just imagine Dad, 0-0, maybe 1-1 and Thierry comes on to score the winner”. Later I put him to bed, kissed him goodnight and turned off the light. As I closed the door I heard a whisper: “Dad….can’t wait to tell my friends at school tomorrow that I saw Thierry come on and score the winner for The Arsenal”.
Best part for me? Not TH, not the win but being with my Son the moment he experienced his first real piece of Arsenal Magic.’

Chas: ‘I’ve never seen excitement like that in an Emirates upper tier crowd. People on their feet singing and dancing, it really was the second coming……A bizarre night at the football, as if it was scripted, yet pulsing with an expectant excitement.’

VCC: ‘Needless to say we had a ball last night down our local, high fives all round after The King scored.’

Big Raddy: ‘Does it get better than that moment? To be treasured forever.’

SharkeySure: ‘A living eulogy !!!!!’

TMHT: ‘Thierry and Arsenal is like a fairytale. Wonderful stuff.’

FGG: ‘I’ve died and gone to heaven!’

Seven days on from that fantastic evening, our feet have been put firmly back on the ground again. However tough the next few months MIGHT be though, nobody will be able to take that great night, in which we witnessed the temporary return of the King, away from us. A night we will remember for decades to come – a modern day fairytale.

Written by Illybongani

On Monday night the Emirates stadium witnessed the rebirth of one of football’s all-time greats – Thierry Henry. Almost 5 years since he left for greener grass in Spain the mercurial goal machine returned home to visit his family after travelling round a bit to see the world.

When the loan deal was first mooted a few eyebrows were raised; was it just Arsène being tight and not bothering to put is short arms in his long pockets again? Was it just a sentimental grab for a handful of straw that would only sully a reputation cast in bronze on the plaza outside the stadium? Or was it another shrewd piece of business by the Professor to fill in gaps left by Chamakh and Gervinho who have gone off to the African Nations Cup?

Well we found out on Monday night didn’t we? If he doesn’t score another goal in his 6-week home visit then it will all have been worth it. Someone needs to get on Wikipedia and update that scoring record.

Thierry coming home was like having sex with your ex-wife…you know it used to be good, she knew what turned you on and almost always delivered – but after a long break, she’s put on a few pounds and has a few wrinkles. But, heh, maybe she’s learned some new tricks since the break up! Well she managed to give me a semi on Monday!

Well it wasn’t a new trick, it was the same old stuff that he delivered year after year. Clinical with passion. But this time it felt so much more special. But yet it showed just how far backwards we have gone since he left. The poor performance of the rest of the team against an even poorer Leeds left a sour taste in the mouth.

Isn’t it time we divorced Chamakh and Arshavin on the grounds of diminished ability? And maybe it’s time to end the trial separation of Thierry and us? We forgive you darling – now come home where you belong.


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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Worrying Signs: Match Report and Player Ratings

January 16, 2012

The most frustrating thing is that, after a disastrous start to the season, we had done the hard bit.

Written off by everyone, we somehow battled back up the table, all the way to the top four.

A team that seemed to have been cobbled together off the back of Steptoe and Son’s wagon on the last day of the transfer window was starting to look like it could really do the business.

But four points from 12 in our last four games tells its own story.

There are mitigating factors, which I will go into later. But there were also some very worrying signs from yesterday’s defeat  – signs that have also been evident in most of our recent games.

Perhaps most damaging is the fact that some of our senior players seem to be undergoing a drop in form at the same time. I am thinking particularly of Walcott and Song here, who were both very poor yesterday. Others who have been out of form for a long time (like Arshavin) have not stepped up to fill the gap.

We had been getting results while having Arshavin, Chamakh and Djourou off form. But now we are carrying too many players having bad games on a regular basis.

In my darkest moments after the game I began to wonder whether the malaise that afflicted the team in the final third of last season has resurfaced this year.

The symptoms last season were:

  • Too many players going through the motions.
  • Seeming lack of commitment and effort from some players.
  • Over-reliance on van Persie to score the goals.
  • Throwing away leads – turning winning positions into losing ones.
  • Keystone Cops defending.

To a greater or lesser degree all of the above have been evident in our recent matches.

There were few heroes for us yesterday. Koscielny and van Perise were the stand out players, but many of the others were below the standard we should expect of them.

In fairness, we were up against a confident and skillful side. The Swans were a pleasure to watch. They play the game properly, they are committed rather than dirty and they clearly have great team spirit.

Their performance in pressing us all game long, then keeping the ball with composure and panache should be a lesson to us. There are no world class stars in their line-up, but every player knows his job and is confident that his team mates are doing their jobs.

I won’t do a full match report, but suffice to say that when Robin opened the scoring I really thought we were finally going to break loose and give somebody the hammering that we have been threatening in most of our first half performances in recent weeks.

Swansea got back into it with what looked a soft penalty (I thought Ramsey managed to pull his leg out of the way before making contact, but the replays were inconclusive).  Once level, their confidence rose and they started to play really well.

Most of the stats (possession, corners, attempts on goal) show that we were second best, so Swansea probably deserved their second goal.  It came from an Arshavin hospital pass to Ramsey, who had Joe Allen on top of him as he received the ball. When it was played to Swansea’s right, Dyer was unmarked on the edge of the box (our temporary left back, Miquel, had lost his bearings) and he shot past Szczesney, who might have done better.

So, once again, we had managed to turn a winning position into a losing one. How would we respond? Quite well, as it happened. Walcott found some space for once, Djourou played a long ball through the channel and Theo was one-on-one. I confess to assuming he would fluff it, but instead he finished calmly. Game on again! But not for long.

Within seconds of the restart we were behind again. Swansea was able to win the ball far too easily in midfield despite the presence of several Arsenal players. A couple of quick passes, a simple through ball and Danny Graham was able to tuck in a soft goal which turned out to be the winner. ,Szczesney had started to come, confusing the chasing Koscielny, then changed his mind and ended up in a bad position.

Afterwards we huffed and puffed. Thierry Henry came on but this time there was no magic ending. The best chance, sadly, fell to Mertesacker a yard from goal. He somehow contrived to strike the ball with the side of his heel when any normal contact would surely have produced the equaliser.

I mentioned mitigating factors.

We have been without any recognized full backs for many weeks now and this has undoubtedly been a contributing factor in our problems.

Two of Swansea’s goals came from our left back position and, on both occasions, Miquel was nowhere to be seen. I’m not blaming him. It’s not his position and he seems a really good prospect, but we are suffering for a lack of specialist full backs.

Also we were without guaranteed starters Vermaelen, Arteta and Gervinho, not to mention Wilshere.

But we should still have enough quality to overcome such problems. If this year’s squad responds to these setbacks with the same lack of moral fibre as last year’s, then we are in for a very bumpy second half of the season.

Top four is still very achievable, but we have made it so, so hard for ourselves.

If Arsene has a magic hat, it’s time to put it on.

Player Ratings

Szczesney: Poor for the second and third Swansea goals. I wish people would stop this “World’s Number One” nonsense. He’s a promising young ‘keeper who may be the number one in four or five years time – but only if he learns from the mistakes that are starting to cost us points on a regular basis. 4

Djourou: Did OK while playing out of position and made a fine pass for Walcott’s goal. But he does not inspire confidence and has a habit of playing the opposing forwards onside by not moving up with the rest of the defence after set pieces have been cleared. 5

Mertesacker: Generally did well but should have scored in the dying minutes. He gets shoved off the ball too easily at times but his passing was good, once again. 6

Koscielny:  Made a slow start, losing possession a few times in the first 15 minutes, but then settled into the sort of battling performance to which we have become accustomed. Went marauding forward at the end in search of an equalizer, taking a leaf out of Vermaelen’s book. 7

Miquel: Promising youngster, but he’s not a left back and he left us badly exposed at times. 4

Song: I don’t know if his head is at the ACN, but Song is way off form at the moment. He seemed sloppy, lackadaisical, careless with possession and even allowed himself to get muscled off the ball on a regular basis. We need the dynamic Song back pretty pronto. 4

Ramsey: Non-stop effort, but his end product has to improve. Often he seems to do all the hard stuff, wriggling out of impossible situations or shaking off defenders only to trip over his own feet or misplace a five yard pass. I feel he will be a great Arsenal player when it all comes together, but right now he is hit and miss. 6

Benayoun: Plenty of hustle and bustle, but Benny seemed a bit slight and was bundled off the ball too easily. He doesn’t get many starts so I don’t want to be over critical, but he didn’t really stamp his authority on the game. 5

Arshavin: Looked lightweight and shorn of confidence. Under pressure he often chooses the wrong option and plays a colleague into trouble, as was the case in the build up to Swansea’s second goal. I doubt if many Arsenal fans watching the game expected him to make anything happen. 4

Walcott: I’m starting to lose faith in Theo. So many times he picked the wrong option, so many times he seemed clueless when in good positions.  He should not be starting ahead of Oxlade-Chamberlain on this form. He would have had a “3”, but gets an extra point for the goal. 4

Van Persie: Whenever he had the ball he looked pure class. Unfortunately he did not get enough good service to show his class often enough. Took his goal superbly. 7.5 (Arsenal’s MoTM, although a couple of Swansea players would have received “9”s).

Subs

Henry: Didn’t get the chance to do much, but was a darn sight better than Arshavin or Walcott.

Rosicky: Helped drive us forward. Might have been a better starting option that Benayoun.

Oxlade-Chamberlain: Direct and strong – did his chances of getting a starting berth absolutely no harms at all.

RockyLives

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Posted by RockyLives

There is no ‘I’ in Team, but every bit of ‘Persie’ in Leadership

January 14, 2012

Almost a year ago, in the Evening Standard of 20 January 2011, Arsene Wenger was quoted at saying:

We have a shared leadership in our team, but I believe Fabregas is an outstanding leader, especially when you consider he is 23 years old, with personality and character and Van Persie as well….I believe what is important in the way we want to play football is that everyone takes responsibility.

Back then, it was looking okay for Arsenal, as we had everything to fight for and the following six weeks, all the way to March, were the best of the season, cumulating in that emphatic win over Barcelona at home. We all know what came next: three months of weak and unforgivably lack-lustre football in which we almost lost everything. The only reason we finished fourth, so important for the CL, was the fact that the season ended just in time: had it lasted another four games, Arsenal would not have made it, so bloody poor had we become.

Where was the ‘shared leadership’ then, who was taking responsibility and where was the personality and character to see us through all of that?

Wenger has never openly shared the fans’ concerns regarding leadership during the Henry and Fabregas captaincy eras. He always seemed to downplay the importance of having a strong individual leader/captain on the pitch, and to stress the importance of having leadership throughout the team. Well, I think he was both right and wrong with those views on leadership, and looking at the ‘New Arsenal’ of 2011-2012 it looks like Wenger himself came to a similar conclusion over the summer, and subsequently made the necessary changes.

For many seasons, ever since Vieira left, a great number of Gooners have been saying that Arsenal lacked real leadership on the pitch. Many of us were longing for the powerful, outspoken, ‘heart on the sleeve’ leadership during the years of Adams and Vieira. Henry and Fabregas were brilliant at leading by example but most of us felt something was missing: they were not naturally born leaders and as a result were struggling with some vital aspects of leadership we were craving for.

When Arsene announced that Robin van Persie would become our new captain over the summer, not everyone was convinced it was a good idea. The main reason for this appeared to be the fact that he is a striker, and therefore not positioned centrally enough in the team to be able to lead it adequately. TH14 captaincy is generally seen as not a very successful one, and understandably, many fans drew a comparison between his previous captaincy and RvP’s anticipated stint at it.

For me Fabregas, was not an effective leader. I see him as a specialist, somebody who really wants to be part of a team and play an important but TECHNICAL role within it. Often, people who are technically very good at what they do, are promoted into a leadership role without proper consideration whether they are actually suitable for it (within sport as well as in business). The main reasons are: a desire to reward people for their contributions to the team/organisation and a fear of losing a particular player/member of staff if they are not promoted instantly. The consequences can be very dire. Fabregas led by example, but he is naturally quite introvert and combined with an injury-strewn season and his anticipated move to Barcelona, he was not able to lead the team through those horrible last three months. Moreover, there was hardly any shared leadership and taking of responsibility by the rest of the team with the exception of Van Persie, Wilshire, Koscielny Song and Sagna. It was time for a chance.

Robin van Persie: the perfect captain

What a difference a season makes. Robin van Persie has turned out to be the excellent leader we have all been craving for:

  • RvP leads by example: not just with his incredible scoring record, but also with his high energy-levels. He never spares himself, always gives everything and plays with his heart on his sleeve. He will also stand up for his players and let nobody be bullied by the opposition;
  • RvP is blessed with a high level of social-emotional intelligence: he understands what is going on inside other players, and is able to support them accordingly, on and off the pitch;
  • RvP is extrovert: he is not a constant shouter, but he likes to talk to this fellow players and make himself known when things are not going right;
  • RvP is a great communicator: with the crowd/fans – an ambassador for the club. When, for example, he scored the winner against Sunderland with a brilliant free-kick, he took off his shirt which resulted in a yellow card being issued to him, but this was his way of showing the crowd how much Arsenal (winning) meant to him, and the crowd responded to it in equal measures. He interviews well, always smiles and is able to focus on the positives: he always represents the club professionally and with real passion – a true ambassador;
  • RvP is a great communicator: ‘liaison-manager’ between the players and the management. He has got the respect of Wenger and the players and seems to be able to translate messages, up and down, and down and up, effectively;
  • RvP can combine with ease his own ‘specialism’: scoring goals a plenty and creating chances for others, with his responsibility of leading the team;
  • RvP is team player/ team builder: he always wants to celebrate his goals with others in the team and he will always praise, on and off the pitch, contributions made by others.

As the saying goes there is no ‘I’ in team – but there is every bit of ‘PERSIE’ in leadership!

So, there you have it: RvP is the perfect captain. But, there is more! And this is why I am so extra-excited about the near future for our beloved Arsenal.

The ‘New Arsenal’ is brimming with leadership

We now have real ‘shared leadership’ throughout the spine of the team, and for Wenger to have achieved this in such a short period of time, is simply astonishing. From Szczesny to Vermaelen, Mertesaker and Koscielny, to Song and Arteta, to Ramsey and Van Persie, we now have a core in the team who give their all and take responsibility when things go wrong. Mertesacker was like the devil –possessed in his attempts to break down the Wolves wall on Boxing Day, as he was earlier in the season at Blackburn away. Vermaelen’s ‘Terminator-like’, beastly hunger to score an equaliser against Man City is another great example of our players taking responsibility and wanting to make things happen for Arsenal. Szczesny attempts to organise his defence, with his verbal and physical dominance, are so different of what we have seen from Almunia and co, and the joint desire by the defence to fight for clean sheets is also very encouraging. This, as yet, is not always leading to the desired outcomes, but it’s only a matter of time before we will pick the fruits of this shift in mentality.

Arteta, Ramsey and Song, all wear their hearts on the sleeve. The ARS of the team works phenomenally hard and is the engine of it. I feel Arteta and Song are more of the introvert type, who stick to a task well and will never let the team down. Ramsey is probably more likely to become a future leader, but he is focussing on improving his technical performances first, at this stage of his career.

Theo, The Gerv, Jenkinson, Gibbs and Santos are also good team players who work hard and give their all for the team, and there are now plenty of good players on our bench who care for the club and will fight for it. This really is a new Arsenal, with a new mindset, and as Arsene likes to call it, bags full of ‘mental strength’.

Jack Wilshere – the final link

For me, the final, missing leadership-link in the spine of our team is Jack Wilshere. Wilshere is a born leader who just gives that extra-10% to our midfield with his hunger, extrovert leadership skills and unbelievable ability to command the midfield. For me, he instantly turned into a man when we beat Barcelona at home last season: what he showed during that game was simply astonishing. Future Arsenal and England teams will be build around him, and as soon as he returns into our team we will make a big jump forward.

As said in previous posts, this is a transitional year for Arsenal. I believe that all the ingredients are there for a long period of success and dominance in the PL, and possibly in Europe. No team can do without great leadership throughout the team: it is one of the key pillars of sustained success. I have little doubt that the ‘narrow’ spine of Szczesny – Vermaelen – Song – Wilshere – RvP will be the strongest in the country for years to come, and with RvP we have the best leader of them all.

COYRRG!

TotalArsenal

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Posted by Gööner In Exile

Would everybody stop shouting shoot!

January 13, 2012

Of all the things that disconcert me about the Emirates experience one of the most boring and unnecessary is the crowd shouting shoot when a player is anywhere inside the opposition half.

I mainly sit in the lower tier when I can get a ticket and behind one of the goals. At the Wolves game a number of build up passes would be greeted with growing cries of shoot, no problem you would think, but the perspective from the lower tier is such that when the ball is up the other end there is no way you can judge how far the ball carrier is out from goal or otherwise. I tried to encourage those around me to look for the only lines visible to us the 18 yard box vertical markings (the vertical ones if you are looking from the goal..the ones that are 18yards long….shall I draw a diagram?). Using them as a guide you suddenly become aware of how far out players are when the cries of shoot begin.

During the match when the chance fell to Rosicky I felt certain he would score, he was surely on the penalty spot or closer. We all held our head in frustration some berating him for missing an open goal. Then the replay showed the ball had broken to him on the edge of the D and whilst he dragged his shot somewhat it was a much harder chance than it had first appeared.

But these are not the reasons why I want the crowd to stop the “shooooooooooot” stuff. As has been recently pointed out we have scored 1.6 goals per game at home yet 2 per game away. Is there a psychological reason for this?

Well perhaps there is and perhaps it is Arsene Wenger…recently when asked about Frimpong he said the following:

Football is made about what the game wants not what the fans in the stands want. Good players always respond to the game situation and make the right decision taking all the emotional part out of it.

It’s a question of experience. When you are young you think you have a strong shot and people say: ‘come on have a go.’ You are tempted to do it even though you have a pass to make.

At 24 you think: ‘come on, I have that pass to make’.

Clearly Wenger discusses this with players doing what you want not what the fans want you to do, so if you take this further even if it is the right choice to shoot perhaps they will not do it as it will appear to the boss that they are following the crowds wishes rather than their own decision.

I know some will think that Wenger’s comments are exactly the problem as he talks about looking for another pass rather than shoot, maybe thats the case but statistically in the Premier League you are more likely to score from within the 18 yard box than outside it.

I borrowed the following image from Prozone and they have helpfully been analysing goalscoring trends over the last few years. It shows 2010-11 scoring positions.

So you see what is evident is that it is not merely shooting that will get goals, its a shame they couldn’t produce a shot chart to to show how many fruitless efforts there are in a similar form. As has often been said we were second top of the shooters charts last season (to Chelsea) here are the charts for the current season up to Christmas Day.

So we are bottom of the shooting charts behind everyone this year (level with United) but as you can see from United and City its the conversion rates that we are way behind in comparison.

Anyway the numbers are a side issue my main point is given that Wenger has openly criticised a player for following the will of the crowd rather than recognising there are better options available, I think the more we shout shoooooooot like a bunch of speech impeded cows the less likely it is that players will shoot from outside of the area.

Written by Gooner In Exile

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Posted by Gööner In Exile

Kagawa bout it!?

January 12, 2012

With the departure of Cesc and Nasri, no matter what you think of the players, it’s obvious that our goals from the midfield area have reduced. Whether this be down to the injury of Wilshire, or the lack of width provided by the full backs, I don’t know. But, with Arshavin looking increasingly on his way out, what has become clear is that Arsenal are in need of an attacking midfielder/wide player who can create and score goals in equal measure. So let’s have a look at the players capable of filling that Cesc shaped hole:

Xherdan Shaqiri
Age 20
FC Basle
Games 14(0)
Goals(assists) 4(1)
Value £15m-£25m

Was one of the main reasons why Man U are going to be playing Europa League football this year (couldn’t resist!). Small, strong and quick, this youngster has the build that modern defenders just hate to see on the opposite side. Capable of the sublime, as he showed against England recently, this lad has the potential to become one of the worlds best. More of a winger than attacking midfielder and some may feel not quite at the level that Arsenal need just yet, but if potential is what you are looking for then this is the man. Now a regular in the Swiss team, may be looking to move his career on to the next level. Should be available if the right money is offered.

Mario Goetze
Age 19
Borussia Dortmund
Games 22(4)
Goals 7(8)
Value £30m+

What can you say about this boy (still only 19!) that hasnt been said already? Have a Motm performance against us in the first CL game this year and is the closest thing you will find to Cesc in world football at the moment. An extremely talented individual who is as sharp as a button and has an eye for a pass. His stats also suggest his finishing ain’t bad either. What I really like about this kid, from what I’ve seen and heard, is his ability to perform in the big games.  Was magnificent against us and scored the winner against Munich in a recent crunch league game. Downside? At £30m+ and with the big boys circling, a bidding war is not what Arsenal want. If you believe everything you read in the papers then apparently we could have had him last season, but we don’t. If Wenger is serious about signing him then he needs to act fast and pull out the cheque book. Personally, I think this ship has sailed. I would give my right arm to be proved wrong though!

Eden Hazard
Age 21
Lille
Games 28(4)
Goals 8(8)
Value £15m-£25m

The young Belgian has had tongues wagging at Arsenal for a while now but no concrete bids seem to have been made as yet. Has been in good form again this season and a move to a bigger stage seems more and more likely as transfer stories seem to pop up every window. A wide player who can beat people, the lad has enormous talent and potential. Interesting then than Wenger opted to sign his teammate Gervinho rather than the lad himself last season. Some say that he’s overrated, and at £20m Wenger may have done the right thing in avoiding him, but at 21, the kid seems to have the world at his feet, and who better to take him to the next level than Arsene Wenger.

Thinking outside the box!

Shinji Kagawa
Age 22
Borussia Dortmund
Games 27(3)
Goals 10(5)
Value £15m-£25m

With so much talk about his teammate Goetze, this young Japanese star seems to have flown under the radar a little. With 17 goals to his name last term and with 10 already this year, the lightweight winger has shown he has an eye for goal. He may not be as supremely talented as his German teammate, but he is still one of Europes top prospects, and whilst the like of Barca, Real and Man City battle it out for Goetze, Arsene may be able to pull off a master strike and sneak this kid out of the back door of the
Signal Iduna Park.

I’m sure you all have ideas of your own, and no doubt most of you will be praying we see Goetze in an Arsenal shirt next year ( I know I will!). But if it does become a bidding war, then I think Kagawa could be just what we are looking for.

FatGingerGooner

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Transfer gossip – Homegrown – We have a problem!! Put Your wish lists away…

January 11, 2012

After Vito Mannone moved to Hull on loan there was some suggestion that he had made available a space for non homegrown players to arrive.

Unfortunately this isn’t the case. For the 2011/12 season we named five homegrown players over the age of 21, and 17 (the maximum allowed) non homegrown players. Players like Szczesny, Ramsey and Wilshere do not need to be named as they are under 21. Mannone due to when he arrived, actually counts as homegrown.

With the late summer arrival of Arteta, Mertesacker, Santos, Gervinho, Benayoun and Park we added six players who clearly don’t count as homegrown. We lost Vela, Traore, Bendtner, Clichy, Denilson and Cesc who all did count and Nasri and Eboue who didn’t. We went from four available spots for non homegrown players in the Premier League Squad in 2010-11 to none in 2011-12.

Current homegrown players over 21 are Walcott, Djourou, Song and Gibbs (and Mannone now not in the squad).

That leaves us in a situation where we cannot name Henry in our premier league squad (post Transfer Window closure) as we will exceed our quota. The same goes for any other foreign player. That is unless we free up some room in the January transfer window or do not name some players in the PL squad after January.

The likely candidates to not be named or released are Almunia, Park and Squillaci, however all have been used whether on the bench or in cup games. And leaves us short of cover going into the fixture laden months of February and March.

There is a further problem, we only have three spots for over 21s left in the squad, they must be homegrown, Wilshere, Szczesny, Ramsey will fill those spots within a year or two so without some major squad overhaul we can expect very little in new arrivals until we have allowed some natural vacancies if we can’t move them on before contract expiry. The use of a squad berth for Henry seems to make no sense given the above. Especially as changes can only be made during the transfer window. If we drop a player from the squad rota at the end of the window to allow Henry to play in the League in February whoever we drop will not be able to return when he goes back to New York. Are we sure we want to risk that?

We may have kept some money back in August but we have a situation that needs addressing and a bit of long term planning is required. I did not question the summer arrivals as they were much needed as are some new additions in January. But now it is clear that without releasing some of the foreign talent we may as well stop hoping. Sorry put your scouting videos away unless they are unheard of English or Welsh talent playing in the lower leagues.

Written by Gooner In Exile

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Hooray for Henry?

January 8, 2012

Written by Double98

Is everyone delighted with the return of the King?…

I am not so sure. Maybe it is the Gooner DNA in me that requires that I suffer even in triumph, I must temper joy with regret but I just can’t forget how we parted…

Do you remember?

I was sitting in a pub having drinks when at about 8 in the evening, Sky Sports News started breaking the news despite the loud music and merriment all around me, I had to read the yellow marquee banner announcement – He had joined Barcelona for £16.8 Million.

Boom.

The last to know and of course I had to find out from somebody else.

Except, that’s not quite right, I mean it’s not like it wasn’t obvious. It’s not like every football journalist, commentator and blogger hadn’t announced it as a done deal. It’s not like I didn’t see it coming either, in all the little ways, I mean he ponced around for his last 6 months and wouldn’t perform for me because of some vague, possibly feigned injuries, he pouted and gesticulated at every pass that made him run. He looked at the grass instead of in my eye. He specifically wouldn’t come out and say directly that he was staying.

I found text messages on his phone.

Or maybe it was in the national press.

They were from Xavi and Iniesta. They were pornographic and talked about how they’d make him come. To Barca.

Barca people were flying in every day to try and get Arsène to open his door. Arsène was inside, hiding behind the couch. His fingers plugged his ears and his Arsenal Centurions dvd was playing on full volume.

But then he saw it was actually his protégé that stood outside. The “quite-decent” winger he had plucked from an old Italian lady who didn’t know what to do with him. He had taken him from a bit part role with Juventus and had groomed and crafted him into the most audacious and brilliant goal scoring machine that had ever cast a shadow over English football. That’s who was now knocking on his door.

His message was brutal, the delivery was kind.

“I am bigger than Arsenal” he said, “I need a club that matches my ambition.”

He had manufactured a move to Barseholeona. It was bargain basement. The money he left us with would have barely bought a Darren Bent and a new set of footballs.

When I read that scrolling banner on sky sports news, I felt like Coleen Rooney at an old folk’s home, cast aside and unable to compete for man I love.

Oh sure, he said all the right things, the things you want to believe but never want to hear. He said how he was an Arsenal Fan, A Gooner, and he always would be. There was always a place for us in his heart. One day he would come back and we would be together forever.

It wasn’t me it was him.

I moved on, after a while and in a fashion. First there was the Spanish boy. He talked about love and loyalty. He whispered ambition in my ear and for a short period everything clicked. He showed me moves that would make a matador blush. He even had his own television special, you know. But he was too young and didn’t know the power of the words he used. Then his phone would get the occasional text message that he wouldn’t comment on and before you knew it Xavi and Iniesta where taking dirty things in his ear.

So he left, but he was no king.

Suddenly I found myself drawn to a sickly limping chap that had been sent to us from Holland for long term rehabilitation. To be blunt, he looked great but kept having breakdowns. He spent a lot of time convalescing and getting better from his glass shins and chocolate leg syndrome.

I nursed him back to health. Tweet by tweet, song by song, prayer by prayer and he repaid me with solidity and consistency.

And goals.

He hasn’t heard from Xavi or Iniesta yet. His DNA is pure chocolate so maybe we are safe.

And now. . . . . . . . . . . . .

And now he’s back from outer space, he just walked right in with that strange beard upon his face.

Talking some New York Bull.

I don’t know what he expects; I mean I should ignore him. After all I am happy with Robin, he treats me well and I am not sure how it will be to have them both under the same roof for 2 months.

Maybe I should be strong and let him know in no uncertain terms that he can’t just walk in the door as if nothing happened.

But then again the heart does sing a little at the prospect.

Thierry Henry. Home.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

A view of the Emirates from a non-gooner

January 8, 2012

Today’s post is written by Neil, a QPR supporter who we met up with before the game last Saturday. These are his thoughts on the game and the Emirates experience.

I got the chance to visit the Emirates stadium as I have always wanted to, as iI had heard a lot about it and it always looks great on TV.

I wasn’t worried what game I got to see, but Sat 31st December 2011 I received a belated christmas present from TotalArsenal. A ticket for the match v my beloved QPR.

I was a bit nervous on going as I knew I will be sitting somewhere away from the QPR fans and wouldn’t be able to cheer my team on, and then I thought hang on we are playing Arsenal away, we will probably loose 3- 0 so there wont be much to cheer anyway.

Travelling down from Norwich with TotalArsenal he told me that we would be meeting some other Arsenal fans and AA-bloggers in a pub near the ground. He said they were really nice people and in fact one of them was actually born in Shepherds Bush!!

He wasn’t wrong: the bloggers were very warming and welcoming and I sort of felt as if I supported Arsenal for a second or two. We shared conversations on our teams while watching ManU get beaten before heading off to the game, still thinking we would get beat 3-0.

On walking across the bridge to the stadium I looked up and saw all the banners with previous players, being the later side of 21 I remembered most of them. My Uncle in fact supported Arsenal: I used to go with him to the old Highbury where he used to sit me on one of the barriers to watch the game as I was only 8. Sorry, but once I found my legs and could get to football on my own it was QPR I chose, being from West London. Who are ya “VCC” the man that was born in Shepherds bush?!

Anyway “WOW” what a sight as I walked around from letter “D” to letter “P” passing the QPR fans in letter “L” to get in.

It was a really good feeling being there, but I still thought nothing less than 3-0 to the home side was the likely outcome. Anyway, once inside we walked up what seemed like 20 flights of stairs and found our seats, and the view was immense, fantastic to say the least, plus I could hear the QPR fans to my right, way below me.

The teams came out as I sat down, I then had to refocus to try to capture who was who on the pitch.

The game kicked off and to my surprise, the sound of silence came upon me except for “We are QPR” from the away fans in the distance, and many other general conversations around me. It didn’t feel like I was at a football match, let alone the mighty Arsenal. It was very strange to say the least. I thought QPR acquitted themselves well and although I was waiting for Arsenal to score, I got more and more encouraged and thought: already a couple of dodgy results recently, there may be one here, and my mind started to change to 3-1 instead of a 3-0 thrashing.

Going in at half time 0-0 sent shivers up my spine, we were doing well, and yes Arsenal were doing bad but that’s football sometimes.

QPR started to get on top after Arsenal missed what can only classed as sitters (notably by Walcott). Not being an Arsenal fan, I am one of those not convinced by his commitment, confidence and dare I say technical ability: yes I can, as I would have at least hit the target in his position, to every game.

No sooner than I thought we’re getting on top and started to dream of a 0-0 scoreline, up popped RvP latching onto a pass from Arshavin (I think he was still on the pitch at the time) via a misplaced pass from QPR’s own 3 letter person SWP.

The crowd went wild and started cheering RvP’s name. It was strange that the crowd found their voices only when he got the ball and of course scoring meant they could cheer for a little longer. I did stand up when the goal went in, only to sarcastically clap SWP’s pass.

So time ticked on, a couple of chances at both ends admittedly easier ones in the QPR box, but no more goals and no more cheering.

1-0 not a bad result, but being biased maybe we could have nicked a draw, but hey, I visited the Emirates and thought it was a fantastic stadium and a great day. I thought Arsenal could and should have played better, and QPR played better that they had done recently. I now look forward to the return match in March, where hopefully Arsenal will be preoccupied with CL football and we have added players to our squad.

However, you do need to find some voices from somewhere it might be the layout of the stadium, as some have mentioned, but I have never sat in a football stadium and heard other peoples conversations during a match. I believe if the voices were found and then heard, trophies won’t be far away. Good luck and many thanks for the day.

A Non-Gooner, Neil.

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Kal-ou do you want us to sign?

January 7, 2012

Written by FatGingerGooner

Much has been written recently in both the tabloids and on blog sites about Arsenal’s need for a striking partner/understudy for RvP, so with the transfer window well and truly upon us, I thought this might be the perfect opportunity to look at the possible candidates for the position.

Lukasz Podolski
Age 26
FC Cologne
Games 27(3)
Goals (assists) 15(5)
Value £15m-£20m

Germany’s very own Polish Van Persie (are you still following me!?) . Podolski has been in excellent form this season for his club and looks to be finally fulfilling his early promise. He’s strong and quick with a rocket of a left foot, a perfect cover for RvP. His contract is up at the end of next season and his club have already said they would sell in the summer, so could be available at a knock down price. Wenger has already said he’s not interested, but we have all heard that before!

Ricky van Wolfswinkel
Age 22
Sporting Lisbon
Games 14(3)
Goals 10(0)
Value £10-£15m

Wenger is due another Dutch master after DB10 and RvP (oh, and don’t forget van Bronckhorst!) and this kid could be the real deal. He has started this season in top form and at only 22 has bags of potential. Has the abitu to play as a lone striker or just in behind, he made his full International debut last season in a very talented Dutch team and has everything going for him. Only recently moved to Sporting so may be difficult acquire, but if a top team comes knocking he may be persuaded to pack his bags for top level European football.

Moussa Sow
Age 25
Lille
Games 21(3)
Goals 9(3)
Value £10m-£20m

Senegalese striker Sow was top scorer in the French league last season thanks, in part, to our very own Gervinho. With only Hazard left to supply the chances, the strikers goal tally this season is not quite up to the level he would want, but a ratio of nearly 1 in 2 is not to be sniffed at. At 25 he could be looking to take his career to the next level and Wenger has a decent relationship with the French club which could be used to his advantage. Could be the target man we are looking for.

Gabby Agbonlahor
Age 25
Aston Villa
Games 20(0)
Goals 5(5)
Value £10m-£15m

Gabby has been proving himself in the Premier League for a number of years now, but with a number of niggling injuries and managers playing him out of position, he has never quite fulfilled the early promise.  This season Gabby has been mostly used as a wide player, but with blistering pace and tricky feet, the lad could be a great understudy to RvP and would give us a slightly different option at the top of the attack. With Villa seemingly happy with mid-table mediocrity, Gabby may see the recent sales of Young and Downing as his cue to leave. He must have International ambitions and a move to Arsenal could see those dreams come true.

Thinking outside the box!

Salomon Kalou
Age 26
Chelsea
Games 5(5)
Goals 3(0)
Value £5m

Still only 26, Kalou has bags of European and Premier League experience. With the arrival of Torres and the emergence of Sturridge, Kalou’s chances at Chelsea have become limited, and with his contract expiring in the summer, he would be available at a knock down price. Not everyone’s cup of tea, he looks lazy at times and is by no means prolific, but his record at Feyenoord and his early seasons at Chelsea show he has the ability to score and set up goals. He is still relatively young and a fresh start could be just what he needs. He wouldn’t have to move home and Wenger has already been sniffing in previous windows. Would be a good option in January as can play anywhere across the front 3 and at a small price Arsene would still have money to buy a proper striker come the summer.

I’m sure many of you will have your own ideas as to who Arsene should purchase, but the more I look at the option of Kalou, the more it makes sense. Cheap, experienced and with knowledge of the PL, he would be perfect to take us through to the summer when Arsene can take his time to purchase one of the others as a longer term replacement for the misfiring Chamakh. His record isn’t great this season, but if you look back at his history you may be surprised:

10/11
Games 29(21)
Goals 15(6)

09/10
Games 30(16)
Goals 12(3)

08/09
Games 37(14)
Goals 14(10)

07/08
Games 32(14)
Goals 9(10)

06/07
Games 25(33)
Goals 9(10)

05/06
Games 36(2)
Goals 15(0)

04/05
Games 32(6)
Goals 24(0)

As you can see he often chips in with 10 or more goals and a good amount of assists, not bad for a player who is often second or third choice at his club.

He’s by no means our next star striker, but as a second choice, for the money, I don’t think we could do much better.

FatGingerGooner

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Posted by peachesgÖÖner

Twelve wishes for the ‘New Arsenal’ in 2012

January 5, 2012

If it had not been for such a difficult start to the season, Arsenal would now be fighting for the title.

And, that includes the loss of points against Wolves at home (unfortunate) and Fulham away (well deserved). The last few games have been disappointing, but Arsenal have gathered 29 points in their last 13 games and during the process it was able to pre-qualify for the CL against a very good Udinese, and win their CL-group against strong opposition with style and dominance.

Yet, it appears to be hard for so many fans to see the bigger picture, to let the past go and lower expectations a bit, to see the progress made, to accept that this is a forced-upon transitional year for us, and to be a bit more philosophical and grateful for what has been achieved since the start of October. Now there is a bit of time for the team to take stock and to re-focus again on the rest of the season. Soon, Arsenal will get back to winning ways, because all the ingredients are there, and Wenger is building another team that can go all the way.

So, how can Arsenal make the next step up in the New Year?

Twelve wishes for 2012 (in no particular order):

Full return to fitness of Wilshere: I love our midfield of Arteta, Ramsey and Song (ARS), but Wilshere offers additional skills that we are missing at times.

He is a born leader and fighter and, most importantly, he can pick a pass anytime, anywhere. The others are not bad at this either, in fact they are pretty good, but Jack is the young master. After Fabregas’ and Nasri’s departures, it was very cruel to lose him as well to a long-term injury. His imminent return will add a much needed other dimension to our football.

The return to fitness of our first choice FB’s: These are sorely missed at the moment, and it is just such bad luck that all four of our FB’s obtained long lasting injuries at the same time. As soon as Sagna and Santos are back in our team, Arsenal will become significantly stronger. Arsenal really struggle without proper FB’s and it is one of the main reasons we got so few points out of the festive season games.

The assimilation of the ‘mini-teams’: I have written before about the ‘New Arsenal’ consisting of three mini-teams at the moment: GK + defence, Midfield (ARS) and Attack: The Gerv, RvP and Theo. All three teams have stuck to their tasks well, but it is now time for some fluidity between the lines. I like the midfield to get more involved in supporting the attack by claiming ‘the hole’ area back and scoring more goals in the process. The return of our first choice FB’s will also help us to get more fluidity and diversity in our attacking play, which can only lead to more assists and goals.

More goals per game: our overreliance on RvP scoring the majority of our goals has to be reviewed and mitigated. We have been here before with Thierry Henry during his last few seasons. Arsenal has been a tad unlucky with strikers since the departure of Henry. Eduardo looked so promising for us, but THAT injury meant we never saw the best of him. Adebayor got carried away at a young age and it appeared he did not fit into our team as he clashed with too many fellow players. We got good money for him, and I believe he had to go, but we lost a very decent number two to RvP in the process. Bendtner got almost everybody fooled with his promise that at 24-25 years of age he will be the best in the world, and Chamakh, after such a promising start in 2010, has totally lost his confidence, and it seems almost impossible for him to find a way back now. A real shame.

But goals do not just come from strikers, they need to come for our wingers and midfielders, and defenders, as well. One of my biggest wishes is to see the whole team make a step-up this year, by taking more of the chances that we create. Theo, The Gerv, Ramsey, Arteta, Song, Wilshire, The Ox, and many others as well, all have the potential to become more lethal in front of goal. The Ox has only just joined us, but I hope all the others will improve significantly this year.

Buy a very decent no.2 striker, ideally in January: Campbell and Park are future prospects, but are not available or ready to be the first replacement for RvP in case of injury, suspension or fatigue. Chamakh does not seem to be able to claim this role anymore. TH2012 is a very good short-term option, but it would be great if Arsène can find us another gem of a nr.2 striker as soon as possible.

Keep our phenomenal spine together: our spine of Szczesny – Koz/TV/BFG – Song/Arteta – Wilshere/Ramsey – RvP can compete with any team in the PL and Europe. It is really important that Arsenal get all of these players on long-term contracts. As far as I know, the contracts of Szczesny, Song and RvP need to be renegotiated as soon as possible, so we can have some stability in our team for years to come.

THOF to become a fortress: I still can get so disappointed when I think that the Mancs won the PL last season whilst only winning four games away all season. Our away record was fantastic but our home record was not. It takes a long time for a new stadium to become a proper home, to become a fortress where visiting teams fear to play and three points are almost a given. The club needs to develop a strategy to increase the noise levels: it’s not easy but very necessary.

Finish in the top-four in 2012 and go all the way in the 2012-2013 season: I have every confidence that Arsene will guide this new team into a top-four spot again by the end of the season. We had a bad start, but since then Arsenal has done very well and we are now only one point away from the top-four. With Arsène’s experience and a lot of players returning from injury, and all the big teams having to come to us, I am confident we can do it again. And it would be quite an achievement after our horrible start. I expect us to start the 2012-2013 PL campaign as title contenders from the start.

A good cup run, and maybe win something this season: as we are going through a transitional year, I am not too confident we can win the FA-Cup or the CL-Cup. But, on the day, when most of our key players are fit, we can beat any team, and with a bit of luck we could get far this season.

More youngsters to make the grade now (words copied from GiE’s post on 3 Jan): We have a great Youth-Academy and it’s bearing fruit now with the likes of Wilshere, Frimpong, Bartley, Lansbury, Miquel, Coquelin. I don’t really think we should be investing too much in squad players from now on (these roles can be filled by youngsters) and instead focus on players to improve the first team.

Arsène to sign a new long-term contract: I would like Wenger to be given another three years to develop this new team into something special. Wenger has his mistakes, but he is the best match for the role of manager at Arsenal and we are so luck to have him. My biggest worry is that Real Madrid won’t win anything important again this year under Mourinho and they will try to lure Wenger away from Arsenal.

The return of Dennis Bergkamp, as an Assistant Manager: all is not well at Ajax, and Dennis is witnessing ugly political infighting between many of the greats of this fantastic club. There is quite a chance that the Iceman will end up on the losing side, or will simply decide to quit his role altogether at Ajax. If this were to be the case, Arsene should act and get the now fully qualified Bergkamp back to where he really belongs: the mighty Arse!

Most of the above wishes are realistic and achievable, and I am sure you’ll allow me the indulgent dream of DB’s return to our club!

Keep believing fellow Gooners and a very happy New Year to you all!

Total Arsenal

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