Is A Top Four Finish Beyond Arsenal

With Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Spurs still fresh in our minds it's hard to imagine that Arsenal still have any hopes of a top four finish. Before the defeat to Spurs their fate was in their own hands with six wins from their final six games guaranteeing them that coveted top four finish. That defeat has lessened their chances, but not by too much with both City and United drawing on Sunday and Liverpool winning on Monday night.

It's not going to be easy to catch Liverpool now, but City and United are both still well within Arsenal's sights and we only need to overhaul two of the three of them to finish in the top four. A win against United on Sunday would put us two points behind them with a game in hand and then we would just need someone to beat City to give us a chance of catching them. On paper it all looks very plausible, but the part that looks the most unlikely of all is Arsenal winning their games.

Even if we beat a United team who are really struggling with a hectic schedule at the moment we still have trips to both Southampton and Stoke to come as well as home games against Sunderland and Everton. Whatever about beating Sunderland I would have my doubts about us taking three points at home to Everton on the final day of the league season if we get that far still in contention. The spanner in the works has to be the trips to Southampton and Stoke though when you consider our current away form and our away form against the rest of teams in the top half of the table.

The defeat against Spurs summed up how Arsenal have played since the turn of the year with a performance of no heart and very little in the line of tactics too. It's become too easy to beat Arsenal with five defeats in their last six away games and Arsene Wenger is incapable of stopping the rot. The switch to a back three was dumped as soon as Spurs went two up and we ended up playing the game with no real shape at all.

I'm not sure what Rob Holding did to lose favour after the semi final defeat of City, but Gabriel Paulista reverted to type against Spurs and Nacho Monreal was bizarrely deployed as a central defender. I really thought Gabriel had a great game against City when he was called upon to do some very good last ditch defending, but he had one of his worst games in an Arsenal shirt against Spurs. He wasn't the only player to have a stinker, but he was probably the worst of the lot.

He gave possession away so frequently that it was almost laughable, but again he wasn't the only one to do so with Alexis Sanchez losing possession even more than he usually does too. I'm a huge fan of Alexis, but it's difficult to understand exactly how so many of his passes go astray so often. The manager seems to be confident of Alexis staying next season, but I would be shocked if he didn't get out of dodge as quickly as possible once the season is over.

I've heard it said that we have struggled since Santi Cazorla's injury and it's hard to deny it, but surely we can't be so one dimensional that we could not cope without him. There is no cohesion in the team though and nobody to set the pace of our game and bring the ball out from the back with any real quality. I thought we should have re-signed Cesc Fabregas when Barcelona decided to sell him a few seasons ago and he might have been the player to fill that role. At the time the manager said we didn't need him because we had Mesut Ozil, but surely we could have found a place in the team for a player of his quality.

I didn't understand the decision to play Olivier Giroud on Sunday against Spurs as he just doesn't suit the football we are trying to play. We have needed a striker with genuine pace for far too long now and that's something Giroud has never had and never will have. Our attacking options are so limited with him leading the line even if he has managed a pretty good goals per minute ratio when he does play.

Back to the question I asked at the start and Arsenal's chances of a top four finish this season. On paper it's still a possibility of course, but in reality it's just not going to happen. There's still an FA Cup Final to come of course, but it would take a brave man to predict anything other than a defeat for Arsenal in that game. I just can't see any way these players can turn things around and have any chance of beating a good team unless we get as lucky as we did in the semi final against City.

Despite the team having virtually no clue what to do when they're playing we are still no nearer to knowing what will happen with the manager. We were told there would be an answer before the end of March if I'm not mistaken and yet here we are in May and we still have no idea what will happen. I made my mind up on what I think the club need to do a long time ago, but it appears there is nobody capable of making the decision one way or the other.

Any way you look at it there is no case for him keeping his job. If you subscribe to the opinion that the players have let him down then how does he get those players back on board. They're his players and they're playing the way he wants them to play, but it just isn't working.

Sure the board are as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike, but nothing is going to change at that level no matter what us fans might want. We need a young manager with new ideas who can motivate the players and get them to give their all for a manager and a system they believe in. I suggested Marco Silva of Hull on Twitter a couple of days ago and got laughed at, but I would honestly take him over Arsene Wenger right now.

His record as a manager has been very good in the almost six years he has managed and he hasn't lost a home game in some ridiculous amount of time like four years I think. He gets his ideals through to his players and he has changed the fortunes of every club he has managed very quickly. The players seem to take to him and play the way he wants and it gets results.

It would be a big step up for him and he has never stayed anywhere for long which suggests he might not be the easiest man to get along with either. It would be a huge gamble to go with a man like him, but it can't be more of a gamble than it would be to go with the status quo. We need to shake things up in a big way and someone coming in from outfield like Silva might just do that.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

An Arsenal World Cup Update

The World Cup is ticking along nicely with half of the group games played and a few teams knowing their fate already. There are 11 Arsenal players at the tournament and I'll try to give an accurate assessment of all of their performances so far.

I'll start at the wrong end of the scale from the players perspective, but maybe not from the club's perspective. With both England and Spain already out of the competition after only two group games there will be three Arsenal players heading home in a few days to get a longer than expected summer holiday. Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla will all be disappointed their countries have lost their opening two games, but there was little they could do about it.

Wilshere got to play the final 20 minutes in England's defeat to Italy and was an unused sub when they were beaten by Uruguay. I don't think Wilshere was helped by his injuries this season and it might not have been a bad thing for him if he had stayed at home and got the break he so badly needs. He has to try to steer clear of injury this coming season if at all possible and hopefully his game can progress for both club and country given the chance.

Chamberlain picked up an injury in a friendly game before the World Cup and he didn't get to play as a result. England had hoped he would be available for the last group game and he still could be, but he might not be risked with England already out regardless of the result of that game against Costa Rica. He's another player who's season was badly affected by injury and he needs as much rest as possible before a season which could see him really make a name for himself.

Cazorla came on as a sub for the last 15 minutes in Spain's 2-0 defeat to Chile and he didn't get a run out in the 5-1 loss to The Netherlands. Spain have a host of quality midfielders and Cazorla got a run out while both Cesc Fabregas and Juan Mata kept the bench warm. It's possible that Cazorla will get more game time in the final Spanish group game, but they're only playing for their pride and the opportunity not to finish last in the group.

Cazorla has been reported as saying he will see what the future holds when the tournament is over with interest in him from some Spanish clubs. He has just signed a new deal at Arsenal and I can't imagine the club have any intention of letting him leave after deciding not to take Cesc back. I hope the quotes attributed to him aren't true because it's just not on for players to claim they're considering their options right after signing a contract extension. 

Belgium have only played once so far and Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen didn't play a part in their 2-1 win over Algeria. I wasn't overly impressed with the central defensive pairing in the Belgian team in that game and Vermaelen might still force his way into the team. They look like they should qualify from the group and there are those who feel they have a real chance of winnng the trophy, but I'm not so sure.

There has been some talk of Vermaelen moving this summer to get more game time elsewhere and his name has been mentioned as a possible target for United recently. There had also been some suggestion of Tom Cleverley moving in the other direction, but that has to be pure speculation. I can't believe Arsenal would sign Cleverley in the same summer they opted not to be bring Cesc back to the club. 

Germany have only played once also and they were impressive in their 4-0 win over Portugal with both Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker starting and Lukas Podolski coming off the bench. If any Arsenal players are to win the World Cup those three are certainly the most likely to do so. I thought both Arsenal starters played well without setting the world alight and the game was over as a contest by the time Podolski came on. 

They play their second group game against Ghana on Saturday and I expect both Ozil and Mertesacker to start again. The group stages are all about doing enough to get through to the knock outs and it's only then that we'll see how good this German side are. I'd love to see Ozil shine for them before coming back to take the Premier League by storm next season. 

There are three Arsenal players in the French squad too although Bacary Sagna will no longer be one at the end of the month. He hasn't featured so far in their first two games with Newcastle's Mathieu Debuchey getting the nod at right back despite his suspect temperament and inferior defending abilities. When the going gets tougher France might be better served with Sagna in the team, but it looks like he will remain on the bench.

Neither Olivier Giroud or Laurent Koscielny started in France's opening 3-0 victory over Honduras, but Giroud came on late in the game. He did start in the 5-2 win over Switzerland and he scored the first goal and made the third while playing well. He played up front with Karim Benzema and they could find themselves as Arsenal's two main strikers next season too. I've been impressed with Benzema so far with his three goals and overall play despite the penalty miss and letting the ball go through him in the wall for Switzerland's first goal. If he was to sign for Arsenal the two of them showed they can play up front together or individually too if needed.

Koscielny came on against Switzerland when Liverpool's Mamadou Sakho picked up an injury, but it only looked like Sakho went off as a precaution. If he has recovered I imagine he will keep his place in the team, but I find it hard to understand how he can be chosen ahead of Koscielny. France have looked very good so far, but the real challenges lie ahead of them in the knock out stages and we'll see how good they really are then.

Finally there's Costa Rica's Joel Campbell and he has to be the most impressive Arsenal player in the tournament so far. He was the man of the match when they came from behind to beat Uruguay 3-1 as he scored the equaliser and made the third goal. He played well in the 1-0 win over Italy too and should have had a penalty late in the first half.

He has taken his opportunity to shine on the world stage and Arsene Wenger has confirmed he will return to the club for next season after spending a season on loan with Olimpiacos. He looks like he could have something to add to the team and I'm looking forward to seeing him in an Arsenal shirt next season. With Costa Rica having already won their group he might not feature too much in their final group game against England if they decide to rest him ahead of the last 16 game. I'd like to see how he plays against English defenders though and hopefully he will play in that game.

Overall it hasn't been an overly impressive World Cup from Arsenal players so far, but it looks like eight of the 11 players will make it through to the knockout phase. The French and German players are the ones with the best chance of overall glory, but no European team has won a World Cup in South America. I haven't been overly impressed with the South American teams so far, but again that might change in the last 16. It's been a very good tournament so far and hopefully that will continue right up to the final in just over three weeks time.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Oh Cesc What Have You Done

The news of Cesc Fabregas joining Chelsea came as a bit of a shock to me despite all of the stories linking him with them and the incredibly short odds on him joining them. The sight of him holding his Chelsea shirt in his hand and smiling is an image I could have done without when I got home from work. To read his comments about his new team and their manager was another bitter blow for an Arsenal fan who still fondly remembered his time at Arsenal. Like so many other ex Arsenal players he will be consigned to the past and his exploits at the club will be soon forgotten once he takes the field for Chelsea. 

I didn't really believe Barcelona were going to sell him as I thought he was the long term successor to Xavi. It appears the new Barcelona manager must not rate him though as he was allowed to leave and they even look to have made a loss on the price they paid to Arsenal three years ago. There is no doubt in my mind that Chelsea have signed an excellent player and he will make them a better team.

Cesc did confirm that Arsenal had the first option on him and chose not to take up that option. It can only be presumed Arsene Wenger felt he already had players such as Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere to choose from and Cesc's talents were not needed. If the club are to buy the players they need in the positions they are lacking in at the moment then the fee for Cesc might have been needed elsewhere.

It's hard to imagine Cesc playing for another English club next season but that's exactly what we're going to see. He once said he would only ever play for one English club and it would be Arsenal, but by the time he wanted to come back the club no longer required his services. As one fan put it on Twitter It's like your girlfriend leaving you for a better looking guy and then wanting to get back together when he dumps her three years later. To make matters worse she then hitches up with the rich old man down the road when you rebuff her advances.

Maybe Chelsea were the only club in for Cesc when Arsenal didn't take up the option, but I would find that difficult to believe. Surely he could have found a club outside of the Premier League where he could have fulfilled his ambitions without betraying those Arsenal fans who still considered him one of their own. All too often his has professed his love for the club, but clearly that cannot be the case if he opted for Chelsea.

I don't even think Jose Mourinho was the driving force behind his purchase at the Chelsea end with Roman Abramovic looking like he was the one who really wanted Cesc. Mourinho was only too happy to offload Juan Mata in January and Cesc is not too dissimilar from Mata. If Cesc isn't a Mourinho purchase he could find things aren't as rosy as he would like in the Chelsea garden.

Wenger once said he was sure Cesc would come back to Arsenal one day, but the club passed on the option when it came up. If he had been available last summer before Ozil was signed then I think Arsenal would have jumped at the chance to sign him. You can't turn the clock back though and what's done is done.

If Cesc had finished up at the likes of PSG or Bayern Munich then I don't think the fans would have reacted badly, but Chelsea are a different matter. It looks to me and many others that money was the reason he chose Chelsea and I have no doubt he will get a very rough reception when he plays against Arsenal. 

There's a school of thought that Cesc isn't all that, but his statistics over the last couple of seasons at Barcelona would seem to say otherwise. Arsenal will have to sign some genuine class to convince their fans they were right to pass on the chance of signing their former captain as he comes into the prime of his career. I hope they can do just that and continue with the progress the team has shown this season.

Some might think I'm bitter about Arsenal not signing Cesc, but I learned a long time ago to support my club and not get too attached to the personnel. Players and management come and go but Arsenal will remain and it's the club I support. Of course I cheer the players and want the very best ones to play for Arsenal, but I will always support the team/club come hell or high water. 

I'm disappointed Cesc isn't coming back because he would have made the team a better one in my opinion and I wanted to see him in an Arsenal shirt again. He is dead to me now though and I couldn't care less how his career goes from here. All that matters is Arsenal and he's just another former player who didn't really have the love for the club that he professed.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Dear Arsenal Please Sign Cesc Now

If the rumours are to be believed then Cesc Fabregas is surplus to requirements at Barcelona and has been told he is free to leave them this summer. Personally I think Barcelona would be crazy to let Cesc go and I doubt if they really will do so. He hasn't always got his game for them since he rejoined them from Arsenal three years ago, but he has become a very important part of their team.

With Xavi approaching his dotage then surely Cesc is going to be even more important to Barcelona and his assists and goal scoring stats have been very impressive since he joined them. For me it just doesn't make senses to sell a player who is just approaching his prime when Barcelona need to build for the future. Those same rumours would also have us believe Cesc is available at a price of approximately €30 million which is less than they paid Arsenal for him in 2011.

Let's just suppose Cesc is available this summer and consider what should be done. It's common knowledge that Arsenal have first option on him if Barcelona are to sell him and from what I understand they would get him for a price similar to the one they paid Arsenal in 2011. It's a price Arsenal can afford and a transfer they would be crazy to turn their noses up at in my opinion.

In his years at Arsenal Cesc was an exceptional player and almost carried the team on his own at times. He would not require any time to settle into the style of play in the Premier League and he is one of the best players in the world. With him in the squad Arsenal's midfield would be the envy of almost every team in the world and the boss could avail of some genuine rotation in the midfield. Players like Cesc, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla would have the chance to rest when it's needed without the team suffering.

The thought of seeing Cesc in any other Premier League team is one which I would find incredibly hard to take and one which would be a blow to Arsenal's chances of winning the league. I'm not suggesting Arsenal should sign Cesc just to stop him joining a rival, but the thought of Arsenal having to play against him should give the boss the extra incentive to buy him. I can't think of any team which wouldn't be improved by signing Cesc and players of his ability are few and far between.

How often can Arsenal make an approach for a top class player and know they won't be usurped by one of the many oil rich teams. They have money to spend from new sponsorship and shirt deals as well as the extra TV money which every Premier a League team is now getting. Maybe a midfielder isn't the first item on this summer's shopping list, but the team will only be better if they sign Cesc. For me Arsenal just cannot turn down the opportunity to sign a player who will make them a better team.

Of course the club still have to sign a striker, a right back, a defensive midfielder and a centre back too and that's going to cost a fair amount of money. The club have been frugal with their money for far too long now and some real investment this summer is not only needed but could be just what's required to go the distance next season and for a few more seasons too. Arsenal came close in the league last season and won the cup and now they need to challenge right up to the end in the league. 

If they sign Cesc I think that will be the first step in the right direction and will hopefully help them to attract other players too. Any striker would surely want to sign for a team where he had both Ozil and Cesc ready and willing to create chances for him and there are few players in world football who can match their stats for making chances. It would be a striker's dream to have those two players setting him up time after time and Arsenal could become a goal scoring machine with the right striker in front of Cesc and Ozil.

I might be a little biased towards Cesc I suppose, but that's hardly surprising as my blog was originally titled "Cesc Is God" when it started almost six years ago. The title had to change when Cesc left and it won't be changing back if he returns, but I would be a very happy man to see him in an Arsenal shirt again. I can only hope Arsene Wenger feels the same way too and brings him back to the club where he truly belongs.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Possible Arsenal Transfer Targets This Summer

With money in the bank to spend and a squad that needs improving this could be a busy summer for Arsenal. They need to add some real quality to their squad and as a result they have been linked with a lot of players already. I'll attempt to assess the chances of some of those players actually joining Arsenal.

Chief Executive Ivan Gazidas has been quoted as saying Arsenal have the funds available to pay big fees and high wages too. If that really is the case they could well be shopping in the same places as the clubs with seemingly bottomless pockets. I have my doubts about Arsenal's ability to or intention of spending that sort of money, but I will be glad to be proved wrong.

Marouane Fellaini:

Marouane Fellaini is one of the most recent players reported to be on his way to Arsenal. He has had a very good season for Everton and has plenty of Premier League experience too. He not only is capable of scoring goals, but he can also do the really hard defensive work that some players shy away from. Fellaini has had his disciplinary problems of course and gets more than his fair share of yellow cards.

I think he could be a very good addition to the Arsenal squad and I would certainly be quite happy to see him join the club. If the reports elsewhere are to be believed Fellaini has a release clause in his contract and Arsenal are prepared to pay the fee to activate that clause. I doubt if Everton would be too willing to sell Fellaini but the lure of Champions League football might be difficult for the player to resist. Of course there could be other teams after his services and if Arsenal really interested in him it certainly won't be easy for them to land him.

Gonzalo Higuain is another player to have been heavily linked to Arsenal in recent weeks. He is currently at Real Madrid but he hasn't been as regular a starter as he might have liked to have been this last season. With a new manager on the way to Madrid his future is uncertain to say the least and plenty of clubs are bound to be interested in signing him.

Fellaini to Arsenal chances - 5/10.

Gonzalo Higuain:

Higuain is a very good finisher and I think he would be a very good addition to the Arsenal squad. Santi Cazorla set up far more chances for team mates than any other player in the Premier League last season, but Arsenal failed to convert as many of them as they should have. Higuain is the type of striker who would be a lot more likely to put those chances away if they came his way.

As with Fellaini there should be plenty of interest in him from other clubs and he will probably have a wide choice. If Arsenal are genuinely interested in him they will have to pay a lot of money for him and prove to him that they are a club worth joining. That won't be an easy task but hopefully it's one they can accomplish if they really want him.

Higuain to Arsenal chances - 2/10

Wayne Rooney:

Wayne Rooney is yet another high profile player said to be interesting Arsenal this summer. His current wages at United would surely prove a stumbling block for Arsenal though and his transfer fee could be another one. Rooney has expressed his desire to leave United but I would imagine they will do all they can to hold on to him.

If the rumours are to be believed he isn't too happy with the role he has had to play since the arrival of Robin van Persie and wants to play as a striker again. Maybe Arsenal can offer him a striker's role at the club, but he would surely have to take a cut in his wages to join them. I'm not so sure Rooney's best years aren't behind him after bursting on to the scene at such a young age. His physical stature leads me to believe he mght have problems with injuries and fitness considering how many games he has played already and he could be a very risky investment for any club.

Rooney to Arsenal chances - 2/10

Stevan Jovetic:

Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetic has apparently been a target for Arsenal for quite a while now and he looks like another player who might fit in well at the club. He has been with Fiorentina for five seasons now and looks set to move away from them this summer. There are other clubs interested in him too and if the papers re to be believed he could well be Juventus bound.

Of course Higuain is also supposedly on his way to Juventus and as always players don't always end up where the papers say they are bound. Jovetic has an eye for goal and is still young enough at 23 to improve an awful lot over the next three years. If he were to join Arsenal he might get the chance to fulfill that potential but the chances are his career will progress elsewhere.

Jovetic to Arsenal chances 2/10.

Cesc Fabregas:

Cesc left Arsenal two years ago to return to his hometown and boyhood club Barcelona. It was his dream move and I would be very surprised if were to jump ship after only two years. He is rumoured to be unhappy with his omission from the Barcelona team for their most important games and as a result to want away.

I have no doubt that Arsenal would welcome him back with open arms and he would be a hit in the Premier League again. If he was to become available I have no doubt there would be a huge queue of clubs looking to avail of his services, but Arsenal would surely have the upper hand on any of them. Cesc has shown he is prepared to take a pay cut to join the club he wants in the past and I don't think money would be a huge issue.

Barcelona wouldn't be too keen on losing a player of his talent though and he is still seen as the long term replacement for Xavi. I'd love to see him back at Arsenal but I can't really see it happening.

Cesc to Arsenal chances - 1/10

Nicolas Gaitan:

Nicolas Gaitan joined Benfica three years ago and has progressed with each season at the club. He plays as an attacking midfielder and could maybe offer the Arsenal team something it needs to improve it. He has the ability to take players on and beat them and can score and create goals too.

He would cost an awful lot of money though as Portugese teams rarely let their star players go for anything other than a very large fee. If Arsenal are interested in him the depths of their pockets will be tested but he could possibly be a success at the club. I would be surprised to see him in an Arsenal shirt next season but football never fails to surprise me.

Gaitan to Arsenal chances - 1/10.

David Villa:

David Villa is a prolific striker whose style could well be ideally suited to Arsenal. There were rumours of him joining Arsenal in the January transfer window and they have resurfaced again. With Naymar joining Barcelona he could see his chances of playing limited even more next season and he will want regular football before the World Cup next summer.

Villa will be 32 later this year though and Arsenal aren't too fond of signing players over 30. Since his broken leg in 2011 he hasn't always been a regular in the Barcelona team and that could be a factor in him looking to leave the club. If he does decide to leave Arsenal could be a possible destination as long as the fee matches their valuation for a player of his age.

Villa to Arsenal chances 1/10

It's almost impossible to know what players will join what clubs this summer and Arsenal are no different. Many of the players I have mentioned will probably move this summer but it's impossible to tell where they will end up. If Arsenal were to sign Fellaini, Higuain and Cesc I would be absolutely thrilled but the chances of that are slim to none.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Could Cesc Fabregas Really Rejoin Arsenal

There has been a fair deal of speculation recently about the possibility of Cesc Fabregas rejoining Arsenal. He left Arsenal two years ago to join his hometown club and the team he grew up playing football for. All has not possibly been quite as expected for him since his return to Barcelona which has led to speculation of his imminent departure.

In many of Barcelona's big games in the last two seasons it's been Cesc who has missed out on a starting berth. While some of the older and more established stars kept their places in the team Cesc has been left to play in the games that weren't quite so important. Whether this has had an effect on him or not is anyone's guess but if it has then maybe Arsenal have got a chance of resigning their former captain.

Despite being brought up at Barcelona and in the Barcelona way Cesc made his name at Arsenal where he became a real star in his eight years at the club. When he left to rejoin Barcelona it was a real blow to Arsenal and he has not been adequately replaced. Other players have come in and done very well but none of them possess the genuine world class credentials of Cesc.

Arsenal may have a bit of a glut of midfielders at the moment but there is always room for a player of his ability in almost any team. His creativity and goalscoring would be a welcome boost to an Arsenal team that have failed to seriously challenge for trophies since he left. I think the club should do everything in their power to let him know he is still wanted at Arsenal and see if he and Barcelona can be tempted to part ways.

When Cesc joined Barcelona there was said to be a clause in the contract which gave Arsenal first choice should Barcelona decide to sell him. If that is the case then surely Arsenal have to be leading the way to sign a player who still professes his love for the club. A lot could depend on that clause and whether there is a set price in it or not.

If he is available on the open market there are other teams who have the financial clout to outbid Arsenal. It's almost impossible to compete with the bottomless pockets of the oil baron owned clubs and they would surely bid more for him than Arsenal can afford. I don't think his wage demands would be too much of an obstacle for Arsenal though as it was widely reported he took a cut in his wages to join Barcelona.

If Cesc really has decided he wants to leave Barcelona there can be no better place for him to go than the club which made him the player he is. I would hope he would be happy to come back to Arsenal and turn down the advances of other clubs and the fortunes they might offer him. He could be the signing Arsenal need to prove they are ready to do battle with the very best yet again after two seasons in the relative doldrums.

As a life long Arsenal fan I would love to see Cesc return to the club and light up the Premier League yet again. My opinions are a little biased in his favour though as my blog did start off five years or so ago with the name "Cesc Is God". It hurt when I had to drop that name and I won't be going back to it if he does return, but I would be happy for him to put his two seasons at Barcelona behind him and come back to a club where he really is loved.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Robin van Persie Decides Not to Renew his Contract With Arsenal

The news Arsenal fans were dreading came to pass last night when Robin van Persie announced he will not be renewing his contract at the club. With only a year left on his current deal it means he will be on his way on a free transfer next summer. I'm not so sure Arsenal will want to keep him for that year though, and I would be very surprised if they didn't sell him before the transfer window closes.

RVP is the current captain of Arsenal, but his desire to leave must mean the club will strip him of the honour. The captain's armband has become a poisoned chalice, and RVP joins a long list of captain's who have decided to leave. He is the current star player at the club, but Arsenal have lost better players in the past and survived.

Last summer saw the departure of Cesc Fabregas who was captain at the time, and I expect the current captain to go the same way. If RVP wants to see out his contract his commitment to the club cannot be guaranteed no matter what he says to the contrary.

He claims to be an Arsenal fan, but he fails to understand what a true fan really is. A fan supports his club no matter what, and never turns his back on his club. No matter what reason RVP gives for leaving he would want to say if he was a real fan of the club.

RVP claims he disagrees with the club in the way it should move forward, and as a result he has decided not to renew his contract. He also claims that financial terms are not his priority, and he never discussed them with the club. It's all very noble of him, but if he has decided he doesn't agree with the path the club are taking why has he not asked for a transfer.

If financial terms are not important to him surely he would be happy to forgo any large signing on fee he would get with his free transfer next summer. If he was to ask for a transfer he would lose his cut of any transfer fee if the club decide to sell him this summer too. I'm sure the financial concerns are not the most important factor for him, but there is no doubt they are a factor. 

In my opinion the best thing Arsenal can do is put him up for sale immediately, and sell him to the highest bidder. The money can be used to bring in players who do want to play for the club, and who will work to make the team a better one. I cannot see any scenario that would allow RVP to remain at the club in the coming season unless he reverses his decision.

Arsenal stuck by RVP in his early career when he had personal problems, and throughout many injury plagued seasons too. He has managed to stay fit for the last 18 months, and he has scored an awful lot of goals in that time too. There is absolutely no guarantee that his injury free spell will last, and he could find himself suffering from some of his old frustrations again.

The best thing for Arsenal to do is to move on as quickly as possible, and appoint a new captain. The captaincy was given to RVP and Cesc as an incentive to keep them at the club, but it didn't work in the end. This time the captaincy has to be given to a player who will act as a leader on the pitch.

I don't buy into the theory that teams can have a team full of captains, and the right player as a captain can have a huge influence on a team. If Arsene Wenger can find somebody to do half the job Tony Adams did in that role he will have found the right man to lead his team.

There are a few candidates for the role with Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Mikael Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Laurent Koscielny all in with a shout. I'm not so sure which of them I would like to see get the armband, but Wenger has to get the call right this time. It cannot be given to a player as an incentive to keep him at the club, and for no other reason.

There is still a long way to go in the transfer window, and a lot of hard work for Wenger and Ivan Gazidis. They have to work as hard as they can to get the right players into the club to improve on the performances of last season. Whether RVP is a part of that or not the club will go on.

In an ideal world RVP would be sold, and Arsenal would use the money to bring the players who would then help them to a Premier League title or the Champions League trophy. It would be so sweet to see his reaction to Arsenal being so successful without him, but it's probably a far fetched dream on my part.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

 

Can Arsenal Do Their Transfer Dealings Sooner Rather Than Later?

The start of Euro 2012 is less than a week away now, and still Arsenal have only managed to sign Lukasz Podolski so far. With so many players competing for their countries over the next few weeks the chances are transfers will be few and far between until July. With pre-season training beginning in July it could leave very little time for any new signings to arrive.

Last summer Arsenal left most of their transfer dealings until deadline day, and it greatly affected their start to the season. By the time the new players had bedded in Arsenal had only taken seven points from their first seven games. Of course they rallied after that, and eventually managed to finish third with a  few hic-ups along the way.

After the sales of both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri nobody could have predicted Jack Wilshere wouldn't kick a ball in anger all season long. Added to the loss of Wilshere Abu Diaby's injury woes took a turn for the worse, and he never managed to start a game all season long either. It meant Arsenal's midfield duties were not shared out evenly, and the strain showed on some players towards the end of the season.

Arsene Wenger stated last summer that he would not be selling both Cesc and Nasri, as it would not be good for the club. When push came to shove he had no option though, as both players obviously made it clear that they wanted to play elsewhere. It's not a new scenario for Arsenal fans to see their best players touted around supposedly wealthier clubs.

It happened in the past with so many Arsenal players even when Arsenal were at their prime under Wenger, and winning plenty of trophies. It seems that the captain's armband at Arsenal has become a signal that a player is going to leave the club. The current captain is Robin van Persie, and the previous three captain's were all sold while still wearing the armband.

At the moment RVP is considering his options with only one year left on his contract, and he holds all the aces. He can choose to see out his contract and walk away on a free transfer next summer, or insist on leaving this summer. Whatever he decides to do I can't see what the club can do to stop him.

I was a huge fan of Cesc and I felt a real sadness when he left the club, but no matter what players come or go I will always support Arsenal. Withdrawing support is not an option for a real fan in my opinion even if some of the fans are unhappy with how the club is being run. I have no doubt that fans of the majority of other clubs feel exactly the same way at times as well.

The long drawn out summer transfer window can be a very frustrating time for football fans, and Arsenal fans are no exception. In an ideal world the club would go out and get the players they have targeted as soon as the window opens, but that's not how football works. Very few transfers are straight forward any more, and they tend to take a long time to complete.

Any player Arsenal show an interest in is bound to be touted to other clubs with more money to spend by their agent. If Arsenal show an interest in a player the chances are other clubs with a lot more money to spend will consider the players too. The inequality in the transfer market caused by clubs with vast amounts of oil money has made buying players very hard for any club working within a budget.

It means Arsenal have to try to get players well before their prime, or try to pick up players other clubs aren't overly interested in. In recent years Arsenal have spent big money on very promising talent such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott with varying degrees of success. If those players become as good as Arsenal hope they will they will be worth far more than Arsenal can afford to pay.

It's a risk for Arsenal to buy these players, and there are no guarantees of how good they will become. The hope was that Arsenal's youth team would provide a very strong team for years to come, but far too many of the youth players have failed to make the final step to become top class players. The current Arsenal first team squad doesn't contain too many players who have come all the way through the youth ranks at the club.

Even when Arsenal have tried to buy some younger players they have seen those players touted to other clubs and lost out on them. It happened with both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, but the wishes of the players also had an effect on their eventual destinations. 

I hope the vast amounts of money spent on the youth set up at Arsenal create a super team for the future, but there are no guarantees. The club have very little choice though, as they simply cannot afford to compete financially with the Manchester Citys and Chelseas of the football world.

There is no doubt Arsenal showed some real promise at times last season, and some additions to the squad right now could help them to become properly competitive again. Sometimes I feel the Arsenal squad would be good enough to compete for the Premier League, but only if all of their key players stay injury free all season long. Realistically that's not going to happen, and Wenger needs to be a little more pesimistic when considering his options for the new season.

Whatever happens during the current transfer window I can't imagine things could be quite as chaotic as they were for Arsenal last summer. Ideally the players needed will be added in the very near future, and space will be found for them by offloading some of the players who are no longer required. I won't be holding my breath for such a  scenario, but surely I can live in hope. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Season Review Part One

A very difficult and sometimes hard to take season is over for Arsenal and their supporters. Considering how bleak things looked during the summer after the departure of Cesc Fabregas the final Premier League position has to be seen as a positive. At one stage Arsenal found themselves 17th in the league, but gradually they turned things around to finish in a very respectable third spot.

Of course Arsenal didn't exactly do things the easy way, and it's been quite a long time since they did.

There was a huge turnaround in the personell in the first team squad last summer with Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy also being sold. Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela were also sent out on loan, as Arsene Wenger made room for some new arrivals. With loads of money to spend the hope was that he would replace the quality of Cesc with players of the highest calibre.

The signs were promising early on when Gervinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Carl Jenkinson arrived, but there were no more significant arrivals until the transfer window was very close to slamming shut. In the last days and hours of the summer transfer window Arsenal brought in Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker, Ju-Young Park, Yossi Benayoun and Mikael Arteta, but none of them commanded a huge fee.

With both Cesc and Nasri gone it looked like the midfield strings would be pulled by Jack Wilshere, but Wenger could not have known he was going to miss the whole season through injury. The other midfielder who very rarely featured because of injury was Abu Diaby, and his constant injury problems must cast some serious doubt on his future at the club and in the game too. Their absences gave chances to other players who might have been expected to have had less opportunities in the first team.

The goalkeeping duties were taken over by Wojciech Szczesny, and he has shown himself to be a real star of the future. It's been a few years since Arsenal have had a goalkeeper who looks capable of playing at the very highest level, but Szczesny has shown enough to suggest he is that man. He's still only 22 years old, but if he continues to progress he could have the Arsenal goalkeeper's shirt for many years to come.

With Thomas Vermaelen available again after missing most of last season through injury there was some hope that the Arsenal defence would be a lot tighter than it had been the previous season. The additions of Mertesacker and Santos also looked to be very promising, and there was real hope of Arsenal having real cover in all four defensive positions.

Of course most of those arrivals were after Arsenal's first three league games of the season, and they only managed one point in those games. Worse still was what happened when they went to Old Trafford to play Manchester United just a few days before that window closed. The horror of that 8-2 defeat to United will be a memory which haunts Arsenal fans for many years to come.

Despite their terrible start to their league campaign Arsenal somehow found the strength within themselves to beat Udinese over two legs to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. They were drawn with the champions of both Germany and Greece, as well as the runners up in the French League. It looked like Arsenal would have a tough task ahead of them, but they qualified for the knockout stages by winning their group with a game still left to play.

Arsenal managed to win four of their six games in September, as the new players seemed to be settling in very well. The only game Arsenal lost in September was away to Blackburn in the league, and it was in true Arsenal style. They were 2-1 up early in the second half when Bacary Sagna went off injured, and Blackburn ended up winning 4-3.

The fact that Arsenal put the ball through their own net twice didn't help, but the defending on display was nothing short of comical. When Arsenal eventually woke up they pounded the Blackburn goal, but they could only pull one goal back despite creating loads of chances. By early October Arsenal had seven points from seven games, and they were already 12 points behind the league leaders.

They had lost four league games which included defeats at home to Liverpool, as well as away to United and Spurs. They had at least progressed past Shrewsbury Town in the Carling Cup, as well as taking four points from their first two Champions League games. There were signs that things weren't all doom and gloom, but Arsenal needed to improve an awful lot in the league.

Arsenal then went on to win their next five league games, as they started to make up ground on the teams above them. The highlight of those five wins was the 5-3 victory away to Chelsea when Arsenal showed all of their attacking strengths and defensive weaknesses in the same game. The sight of John Terry lying flat on his face as Robin van Persie raced past him to score was one of the season's highlights for me.

The only Premier League defeat before the turn of the year after the loss away to Spurs was a 1-0 defeat away to league leaders Manchester City. Despite losing Arsenal played very well, and put up a performance to make their fans proud of their efforts. When the year ended Arsenal had 36 points from 19 league games which meant they had taken 29 points from their previous 12 games.

They were also through to the last 16 of the Champions League, and they faced the mouth-watering prospect of playing against AC Milan. There were some real reasons to be hopeful for Arsenal fans, and the prospect of a possible signing or two in the January transfer window were something to look forward to also. The injury crisis which the club had experienced in recent seasons had reared it's ugly head again, and the squad was looking a little threadbare.

Sagna had suffered a broken leg in the defeat to Spurs, and Santos picked up a bad injury in a meaningless Champions League game away to Olympiacos in Greece. With Kieran Gibbs and Jenkinson also injured Arsenal found themselves trying to cope without any recognised full backs in the team. They seemed to cope throughout December, but the question was would they continue to cope.

Arsenal had exited the Carling Cup at the hands of Manchester City, but they still had the FA Cup to look forward to. The prospect of qualifying for the next season's Champions League was still a very rel one, and there was also the matter of that last 16 tie with AC Milan. After an awful start to the season things were certainly starting to look a lot better at the half way mark.

The outstanding player in the first half of the season was undoubtedly RVP, as his goals were a primary factor in many of Arsenal's victories. He had returned from injury in the second half of the previous season, and scored so many goals in the calander year 2011. For the first time in his Arsenal career he was relatively injury free, and the club were feeling the benefits.

Besides RVP I thought the last minute capture of Arteta had a huge influence on Arsenal's recovery. He may not have been their first choice purchase for midfield, and he certainly wasn't a ready made replacement for Cesc. He brought a stability to the midfield which others had failed to do, and the whole team benefited from his arrival.

I'll go into my thoughts on the second half of the season next time, and then move on to an overall summary. 

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Exit The FA Cup As Their Chances Of A Trophy End For Another Season

Arsenal made the long trip to Sunderland yesterday afternoon for the second Saturday afternoon in a row. They had managed a last gasp victory at the same venue in the Premier League last Saturday, thanks to a Thierry Henry goal. Since then Arsenal had been well beaten by AC Milan in the first leg of the last 16 of the Champions League, and Henry had departed with his loan spell over.

The team news had suggested that only Laurent Koscielny would be unavailable from the defeat to Milan, but when the team was announced Kieran Gibbs was nowhere to be seen. I'm not sure if he picked up a knock or if he needed a rest after his exertions, but it was strange that he didn't even make the match day squad. It meant Francis Coquelin played at left-back, and Johan Djourou started in the centre of defence.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also returned to the team in a wide right role with Gervinho playing on the left after his return from international duty. The players to miss out were Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott, as Arsenal went in search of a place in the quarter finals of the FA Cup. With their chances of winning any other trophy this season all but over this was their one and only chance of silverware.

Arsenal started well and looked the most likely to get the first goal until Coquelin went down with a hamstring injury just before the 10 minute mark. He had to be replaced by the only defender on the bench, and Sebastien Squillaci came on to play in central defence. It meant that Thomas Vermaelen had to revert to a left-back role yet again, and Arsenal fans got to see Squillaci play alongside Djourou.

The injury to Coquelin seemed to affect the Arsenal team, and Sunderland saw the chance to put some pressure on them. They temporarily abandoned their ultra-defensive tactics, as they saw the chance to take advantage of Arsenal's uncertainty. For the next 15 minutes Sunderland had the upper hand, but they failed to take advantage of it.

Arsenal slowly played their way back into contention, and Gervinho had a good shot well saved after Aaron Ramsey played him in. There was also a very decent penalty shout for Arsenal when Robin van Persie was felled in the penalty from a John O'Shea challenge. O'Shea got a slight touch on the ball, but I thought he made contact with RVP first and Arsenal should have had a penalty.

Arsenal were well on top at that stage, but typically that was when they conceded the first goal. Djourou and Squillaci do not look comfortable in possession, and when Djourou was closed down he lost the ball and pulled back his man to give Sunderland a free kick. When the ball was swung in to the Arsenal penalty area it was headed clear to some extent by Vermaelen, but it only reached Kieran Richardson.

His first time shot from just inside the penalty area went into the far corner of the net after a slight deflection from Squillaci. It was the lead that Sunderland wanted, and they knew that they just had to sit deep and defend, and try to hit Arsenal on the break. It was an uphill task for Arsenal, but they had managed to do the exact same thing only seven days earlier against the same opposition.

Djourou was the first player to receive a yellow card in the game for the free kick which led to the goal despite the constant fouling by almost every single Sunderland player. They had obviously been sent out to put the boot in on the Arsenal players, but they took turns to do so and the referee allowed it to happen. The Sunderland pitch was in a worse state than it was in last week, and it was only a matter of time before Arsenal picked up more injuries.

There was still only one goal between the teams at half time, and Arsenal needed a good start to the second half to get back in the game. With less than 10 minutes of the second half gone both Ramsey and Squillaci had to go off injured, and they were replaced by Rosicky and Walcott. Alex Song dropped back into defence, and Walcott moved up front, as Arsenal reverted to almost a 4-4-2 formation.

It meant Arsenal had used all of their substitutes and there were still 35 minutes to go. Despite Arsenal trying all they could to open up the Sunderland defence they rarely looked like doing so. There was another good penalty shout when RVP was dragged to the ground as he waited on a cross to come into the box. On another day Arsenal might have got a penalty, but Howard Webb is a lot more likely to hand out penalties to the current Premier League champions.

With only 15 minutes left Sunderland got their second goal, and with that Arsenal's chances of a trophy for this season ended. Chamberlain lost the ball in attack, and Sunderland broke forward at pace. Mikael Arteta fell over as hew chased back and the ball ended up hitting the post and rebounding off Chamberlain into the net.

He had chased back to make up for losing the ball, and he was very unlucky to turn the ball in for an own goal. He didn't have the best game, but he kept trying his hardest no matter how difficult it was for him. A few other Arsenal players could learn a little from the amount of effort Chamberlain put in.

Try as they might for the final 15 minutes Arsenal couldn't even get one goal back, and their chances of equaling Manchester United's haul of 11 FA Cup wins was over for another season. It leaves them in fourth in the table with 13 league games to go, and some really tough fixtures coming up.

It's no surprise that Arsenal's injury problems have returned yet again, and the return of the injured players has been met with other injuries. It's anyone's guess where Gibbs was yesterday, and whether he will be available to play against Spurs next Sunday. Hopefully Koscielny will be able to play in that game, and Arsenal can regroup over the next week before they play.

I won't knock the players too much for their performance, but the simple fact of the matter is the current squad isn't anywhere near as good as previous teams under Wenger. The opportunity to add to the squad was not taken in January, as the manager felt the returning injured players would be available very soon. What he failed to address was a squad which wasn't good enough before those players got injured, and is even worse without them.

Arsenal still have every chance to finish in the top four, but this season could also go the way of last season when Arsenal imploded after losing the Carling Cup final. If Wenger again fails to get his players to react to the challenges ahead of them he will lose the faith of even more fans. There is already growing unrest among Arsenal fans, as the club seem unwilling to invest the profits they make from transfers in new players.

When Cesc Fabregas was sold last summer Arsenal were unable to replace him, and they have no creative spark in midfield. I know Wenger did not want to sell both Cesc and Samir Nasri, but ultimately they left, and Arsenal reacted with panic buys on deadline day. I'm sure Arteta could be a vital cog in Arsenal's midfield, but he is not a direct replacement for Fabregas.

If Arsenal are to continue with their current formation they need a creative player to take the role that Cesc played. The team changed it's style of play to suit Cesc, but now that he has left they are still trying to play the same way with inferior players. It's not easy to replace a player like Cesc, but it's crazy that Arsenal didn't buy anyone to play that role.

I can only presume that Wenger thought Jack Wilshere would be able to play there, and become the player that the team needs. His injury has been a big blow, but that's where the overall strength of the squad has been found wanting. It's very difficult for fans to watch a sub-standard team when they know the club made a huge profit from transfers yet again last summer.

Those same fans were asked to pay more for their tickets last summer while they watched the club losing their best player yet again. If RVP refuses to sign a new contract this summer the club will have to sell him too, and  the cycle will continue. It's not easy for fans to take after the success of the first nine years of Wenger's reign.

I know football isn't all about winning trophies and not every team can win a trophy every season, but Arsenal are not even genuinely competing for them any more. I've seen far worse Arsenal teams in the past and lived through longer trophy droughts too, but Arsenal were not one of the biggest clubs in the world then. If you look at the trophies won by the rest of the world's richest clubs there is clearly something missing at Arsenal.

If Sunderland were capable of playing a tight defensive game and hitting Arsenal on the break then why can't Arsenal do that on occasions too. They went to Milan on Wednesday night and tried to play an open game when they needed to defend with 10 men behind the ball at all times. Wenger's faith in his players is unerring, but I think it's unwarranted in far too many cases.

If the players cannot do the job they are sent out to do then others have to be found who will do so. It seems like failure is tolerated and almost rewarded at Arsenal and that simply cannot be allowed to continue. I want Wenger to remain in charge at Arsenal, but I want him to be a lot more ruthless with his players.

It's obvious that quite a few of them are just not good enough, and they need to be replaced. If he cannot see that then the axe will fall in his direction before too long. It's not something I want to see, but he has to see the failings of his players and act upon them.

Arsenal have a really tough game against an in-form Spurs team next Sunday, and a defeat could see real unrest among the fans. Wenger has a week to work with his players, and get them to perform to a level that will get a result in that game. Even a draw would do, but a defeat would be an absolute disaster in my opinion.

I really hope the team can pull together and put on a display to show the fans how much it means to them to play for Arsenal. The traveling Arsenal fans deserved better than they got against both Milan and Sunderland, but it didn't stop them making themselves heard loud and proud as always. Those traveling fans are an absolute credit to the club, and deserve to see an awful lot more from the millionaires out on the pitch for Arsenal.


That's it for today.

Here's the highlights from yesterday's game.

See you tomorrow.

5 Midfielders Arsenal Might Sign In January

When Arsenal sold both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the summer it looked like Jack Wilshere would be the man to lead their midfield this season. However, he suffered an injury before the season even began, and he won't be back until some time in the new year.

Mikael Arteta and Yossi Benayoun both arrived just before the transfer window closed, and Arteta has settled into the team very well since then. Benayoun hasn't had too many chances to play, and when he has it has been in a wide attacking role. He looks capable of playing a role behind Robin van Persie if he's needed there, but the chances are Arsenal will add to their midfield options in January.

It would be a big risk for Arsenal to pin their hopes for the second half of the season on Wilshere returning from injury. They will have a tough battle to finish in the top four of the Premier League, as well as playing in the FA Cup and the knockout stages of the Champions League. Wilshere's return is by no means certain, and there are some very good players who might make a difference to the Arsenal team.

If the reports are to believed, Borussia Dortmund and Germany playmaker Mario Gotze has hinted that he would like to play for Arsenal. Despite being only 19 years old, Gotze has already shown himself to be one of the best playmakers in world football. He has established a place in both his club and national sides, and he looks like he will be a real star of world football in the very near future.

There are very few players in the world who would be capable of directly replacing Cesc in the Arsenal team, but Gotze is one of them in my opinion. His club look destined to miss out on the knockout stages of the Champions League which could possibly leave the door open for him to move in January. I would imagine that Dortmund would want to hold onto him for as long as possible, as his value is sure to rise very quickly.

He has the ability to pick a pass and score goals, as well as good pace and excellent technical ability too. He would fit perfectly into the Arsenal team, and possibly help their fans to forget about the departed Cesc. The biggest stumbling block for Arsenal could be the involvement of other clubs who will pay more than them in any potential transfer negotiations.

Marvin Martin has had a quick rise to fame in the French league and internationally for France too. Despite his recent admission that he would like to play in Spain, he is still a possible target for Arsenal in the January transfer window. He is another player who looks like he might have the ability to take the place of the departed Cesc in the Arsenal team.

Like Gotze he has excellent technical ability and he has the ability to pick a pass, but he doesn't score as many goals as Gotze. He will turn 24 in January which means he is approaching his peak, and that makes him an attractive target for Arsenal too. He was the most creative player in the French league last season with his club Sochaux, and he has made his way into the French national team too.

Arsene Wenger has had a great record with French signings in the past, and he could be the man to help Martin become one of the best playmakers in the world. He might also be available at a price which would be more to Arsenal's liking.

Sebastian Giovinco is an Italian midfielder who plays in Italy for Parma and the Italian national team too. Like both Gotze and Martin he is a midfield playmaker, and Arsenal are in need of some creativity in their midfield. He has an eye for goal as well as the ability to pick out a  pass, and score from free kicks too.

Giovinco has had a very good start to this season with Parma, and they would be unwilling to let him go unless Arsenal make them an offer they cannot refuse. Arsenal have plenty of money left over from their summer transfer dealings, and he would be within their price range if they were to chase his signature.

Like both Gotze and Martin, he has the ability to make an impact in the Premier League with Arsenal if they can make him the fulcrum of their team.

Arsenal were reported to have failed in a late bid to sign French international midfielder Yann M'Vila in the summer, but he is now reported to want to leave his club. He's a 21-year-old defensive midfielder who plays in France for Rennes and for the French national team too. Alex Song currently plays in his position for Arsenal, but his addition would certainly give them more options.

However, Arsenal also have both Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong looking to make a breakthrough into the team in that position. Wenger will probably consider his team strong enough in defensive midfield already, and the chances are he won't be looking to sign M'Vila again.

If he does decide to move for him it could possibly show he intends to revert to a 4-4-2 formation with M'Vila to play alongside Song. I can't see him changing back from the 4-3-3 which has become so popular in the last few years though.

Arsene Wenger has long been an admirer of Eden Hazard, but the latest reports suggest he will cost an awful lot more than Arsenal will be willing to pay. Despite the money available to Wenger I cannot see him smashing the club transfer record to sign Hazard. He will turn 21 during the transfer window, and his future could depend on whether his club make it through to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

If Lille win their final game at home to Trabzonspor they will make the last 16, and surely they will decide to hold onto their prize asset for those games. If they are knocked out, there could be a bidding war for Hazard with Manchester City being the most likely winners due to the limitless funds available to them.

Hazard would be an ideal player for Arsenal to sign, as he has a real eye for goal as well as great technical ability and fantastic pace. At this stage in his career Arsenal might be the perfect club for Hazard to sign with, but it looks like he will end up elsewhere.

Conclusion

Arsenal have money to spend in the January transfer window, and despite his denials Wenger is likely to add to his squad. The fans would like to see a direct replacement for Cesc added to the team, but there are other positions that need addressing too. It's up to Wenger where he chooses to spend his money, and I think the five midfielders I have listed are all good enough to make a real difference to the team.
That's it for today.

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See You Tomorrow

Arsenal Season Preview 2011/12

It's more than a little late for a season preview at this stage, but I have been unable to attempt one so far as things have been so unstable at Arsenal. At first I was waiting to see what players would come and go before the transfer window closed, and then there were so many changes I had to wait to see how the new players settled in. The sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri left a big hole in the Arsenal team, and I needed to see how they could be replaced.

I was happy enough with the signings of Mikael Arteta, Per Mertesacker, Yossi Benayoun and Gervinho, but I wasn't sure about some of the others. I knew very little about Park Ju Young, Andre Santos, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Carl Jenkinson, but I hoped they would turn out to be good buys. The Arsenal squad had certainly changed more than any other summer that I could remember.

The departure of Cesc was certainly a huge blow, and losing Nasri as well only compounded the problem for Arsenal. Last season had finished on a very sour note after the Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham City, but I hoped the players could raise their game for the new season. The first three league games proved to be disastrous with only one point gained, and an 8-2 defeat to Manchester United.

After those games most of the new players arrived, and with them some new hope arrived as well. At least Arsenal had managed to overcome Udinese and qualify for the group stages of the Champions League, and their group was tough but it gave them a chance of progressing. Arsenal needed to go through the month of October unbeaten in the Premier League to gain some momentum, but unfortunately the same old problems reared their ugly heads.

The inability to react to disappointments seems inbred in the current Arsenal squad, no matter what players are chosen to play. The teams ability to defend as a team has almost disappeared, and they look vulnerable every time the opposition attack. The only way they can progress is to string a run of unbeaten games together, but they seem incapable of it at the moment.

Arsenal had the best away record in the Premier League last season, but their home form let them down in their challenge for the title. This season they have only managed one point from four away games so far, and conceded 14 goals in the process. There was a time when teams were afraid to attack Arsenal, because they knew they would be taken apart if they lost the ball.

The opposition no longer fear Arsenal and added to the lack of confidence in the Arsenal players things have taken a real turn for the worse. Arsene Wenger has been a fantastic manager for Arsenal for the last 15 years, but he knows he has to turn things around before it's too late. He has to instill some confidence into his players, and give them the belief to play good football again.

There have been very few occasions so far this season when Arsenal have looked like the team I have loved to support under Wenger. The second half away to Udinese was a really good performance from the team, but other than that they have looked very ordinary. Arsenal fans are not used to their team being ordinary, and it has led to numerous calls for changes in the board and the management.

Looking forward to the rest of the season is not an easy task with the team playing playing with virtually no belief. When Cesc and Nasri were sold it was vital that Jack Wilshere continued on from where he left off last season, but his injury has been a terrible blow to the team. At first he was thought to be out for a matter of weeks, but in true Arsenal fashion that has now stretched to a total of six months.

Thomas Vermaelen missed almost all of last season injured and I was looking forward to seeing him back in action. He started off looking like his old self, but then he picked up an injury and the defence has been a shambles at times without him. He is due to return soon after the international break ends which will hopefully be a huge boost for the team.

Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna are Arsenal's best and most relilable defenders, but now Sagna has broken his leg. He won't return for at least three months, and it's yet another huge blow to the team. This Arsenal team seems to take blow after blow at the moment, and they're a little punch drunk.

Arsenal are top of the injury league table yet again this season, and they are also at the top of the dodgy decisions table too. It's often said that when things are going wrong you can't get a break, and that's certainly true for Arsenal at the moment. Their luck has to change at some time though, and when it does they need to take advantage of it.

The Arsenal defence will have a makeshift look to it until the turn of the year at least, and young Carl Jenkinson will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders too. He was signed from Charlton Athletic in the summer with very few games under his belt, and he now looks like he will be thrown into the deep end far too soon. If he swims it could be the break Arsenal need, but if he sinks there are very few options left to Wenger at right back.

Arsenal have to stay competitive until the transfer window opens in January, and then they have to buy some real quality players. Of the five players bought on deadline day only Arteta and Mertesacker will be regular starters for the team, and Arsenal needed to strengthen the best starting eleven more. The team wasn't good enough at the end of last season, and it has gone backwards in terms of personnel since then.

It's unbelievable to think that Arsenal cannot win the league only seven games into a new season, but that's the stark reality of the situation. To be honest their aim has to be fourth place and a Champions League place for next season, but it will be a real fight until the very end to finish in the top four. I think both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur can be overtaken, as their teams have weaknesses that will be exposed at times.

Arsenal have to take the FA Cup seriously this season, and set their stall out to win it. Too often in recent seasons Arsenal have sacrificed their FA Cup campaign, as they tried to win the Premier League and/or the Champions League. The FA Cup is a major trophy all on it's own, and it's acquisition would at least stop the rot in terms of the soon-to-be seven year trophy drought.

The current Arsenal squad are simply not good enough to win the Champions League either, and I dread to think how they might fare against Barcelona if they drew each other. I think they might just make it to the last 16, and possibly even the last eight but over concentration on the Champions League has been a hindrance to their domestic ambitions in the past.

If Arsenal can add enough quality in January there is every chance of them winning the FA Cup, but that's never an easy thing to do. The best players are rarely available in January, and Arsenal do not need any more bargain basement buys. They need players who will step into the first team, and immediately improve the quality.

Over the last few seasons Arsene Wenger has said he should be judged on the teams overall performance for the season. This season could be a make or break one for him if that is the case, but I still have faith in his ability to turn things around. It's not blind faith though, and if the team fail miserably on all fronts he may well have to pay the ultimate price.

It's been a long time since Arsenal's title chances were written off after only seven games, and that's the first big blow for Wenger this season. He can't afford too many more and at the moment it looks like there could be a whole lot more. It's not a good time to be an Arsenal fan, but they are still in a much better position than the vast majority of English teams.

Arsenal still have some very good players on their books, but the team is struggling to replace the creativity Cesc brought to the team. The other players all need to take up their share of the responsibility, but at the moment that just isn't happening.

The loss of so many players through sales and injuries should open the door for some other players to shine, but for me only Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has taken up the baton so far. I would like to see more of him, but I understand the need to ease him slowly into the team.

Personally I think he's old enough if he's good enough, and so far he certainly looks good enough. If he doesn't get a chance when he is playing so well and the team aren't, then when can he expect to play?

The Carling Cup was prioritised more than usual last season, but it ended in desperate disappointment. This season Wenger has reverted to playing more fringe players than he dis last season, and it's not a bad thing. It gives game time to players who will probably be called upon very soon if Arsenal's injury crisis continues.

My hope for the season is that Arsenal manage to finish fourth, and somehow or other manage to win the FA Cup too. It won't be an easy task, but it's not completely beyond the team either. I'm just hoping they find the missing confidence to start playing properly very soon, and get all of the fans behind the team again.

That's it for today.

Here's  a look at Chamberlain's first goal for Arsenal.

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