Arsenal Exodus Continues As Yaya Sanogo Signs

With the transfer window open less than a week Arsenal have already managed to offload five players from their first team squad. As each player goes there's more space for new players to come in and that's what the fans want and the squad needs. The rumours of possible arrivals continue daily, but Yaya Sanogo is still the only signing to be officially announced.

The 20 year old French man was signed on a long term contract when his contract with Auxerre expired. He's currently starring for France in the under 20 World Cup but his club career has been very limited due to a string of injuries. He's a player who appears to have a lot of talent and he could be a real asset to the club if he can put his injury problems behind him.

The doubters will say he ticks all the usual boxes for an Arsene Wenger signing as he's young, French, free and has had loads of injury problems. Arsenal have had their fair share of injury prone players in recent years and it is a gamble to bring in a player with his record. I'm prepared to sit back and see how he does before knocking his arrival or the manager either.

The latest departure was Vito Mannone who packed his goalkeeping gloves and moved up north to Sunderland. In his eight years at Arsenal he made a few appearances and played quite well in most of them, but never really looked like the answer to Arsenal's goalkeeping problems. I wish him well at his new club except when he comes up against Arsenal of course when I hope he lets in a shed load of goals.

Before Mannone left Johan Djourou was loaned out to Hamburg for the season with an option for them to sign him at the end of the season. Djourou is another player who never quite made it at Arsenal despite playing quite regularly two or three seasons ago. Hopefully things will work out well for him at Hamburg and they will take him for real at the end of the season. 

Before both of those departures the club offloaded Andrey Arshavin, Sebastien Squillaci and Denilson without bringing in any money. The most important things for Arsenal were the space created in the squad for new arrivals and of course the amount of money saved on the wage bill by the five departures. At a guess I would say the club could save up to €250,000 a week by cutting those five players from wage bill. 

That money could well go towards paying the wages of the new arrivals that surely must be just around the corner. The deal for Gonzalo Higuain seems more likely by the day and hopefully it will be announced very soon. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I think he would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal. Not only would he add genuine quality to the team, but his arrival would also show that Arsenal really are trying to compete at the top again.

Nicklas Bendtner is still an Arsenal player though as his proposed move to Eintracht Frankfurt seems to have fallen by the wayside. His departure would save the club a lot of money with his weekly wage supposedly matching his number 52 shirt. There's even a chance Arsenal could bring in a few million quid if Bendtner can find a new club and that could be put to good use elsewhere.

Things have certainly been busy this week even if most of the movement has been out wards. I have no doubt there will be plenty of inward movement before the transfer window closes and I just hope it's all dealt with sooner rather than later. 

That's if for today.

See you tomorrow.

Arsenal Announces Departure of Three Players

Three Arsenal players are officially confirmed to be leaving the club at the end of their contracts this summer and a fourth could be on his way out should the team fail to secure a top-caliber squad.

Arsenal announced on their official website on Wednesday that Andrei Arshavin, Denilson, and Sebastien Squillaci will not longer with the team once their contract expires this summer.

This announcement should come as little surprise as each player had their own set of problems. Denilson has actually been on loan with Sao Paulo the last two seasons after making public his intention to return to Brazil back in May 2011.
Squillaci had a lot of potential but an error filled 2010-11 season left manager Arsene Wenger looking for another option at centre-back. When the club signed Per Mertesacker in 2011, that spelled the effective end for Squillaci. He only made seven appearances with the club after that point.

Arshavin said and did all the right things when he came to the club in 2009. After two strong campaigns with the club, his form has been fading over the last couple of season. That coupled with questions regarding his work rate led many to believe he would be leaving the squad this summer.

Another player that may be looking for the exit door at Arsenal is Laurent Koscielny. The centre-back was quoted by Eurosport on Tuesday saying that he wants "to have some titles. I hope the club will give itself the means. If that is not the case, I'll go take a look elsewhere."

Further explaining his reasoning, he said that he feels good playing at Arsenal and that if the squad is competitive, he wants "to continue the adventure." However, if the team continues to struggle just to make the top four, he is ready to move elsewhere in order to compete for trophies.

The Gunner's board has authorized Wenger to tap into funds acquired through various EPLsponsorship deals and spend £70 Million to improve the club. That amount would have been less had the team not made a return to the Champions League. Now the question remains whether the squad will show enough improvement to compete for trophies or will they continue to struggle as they have this past year.

That Old Familiar Arsenal Feeling

The start of the new season is drawing ever closer, and still Arsenal have far too many players they need to offload. The only player they have managed to sell so far is Carlos Vela, and they have to sell more to make room in their first team squad.

They faced a similar situation last summer, and ended up loaning out some of the players they couldn't offload. The big obstacle in their attempts to sell these players seems to be the wages paid to them by Arsenal. Unfortunately Arsenal have had to pay very high wages to promising players to ensure they stayed at the club, and these players don't always make the grade.

As a result Arsenal have had real difficulty in selling players like Nicklas Bentner, Denilson, Marouane Chamakh, Sebastien Squillaci, Andrey Arshavin, and Ju Young Park. Their combined wages and transfer fees would probably be enough to bring in the two players Arsene Wenger is still keen to sign. It does look like he will make those two signings anyway with Santi Cazorla and Nuri Sahin looking to be the most likely players to arrive.

Those who are supposedly "in the know" have being telling Arsenal fans for weeks that these two players signings are imminent. The chances are they will eventually be right, but nobody is truly in the know in my opinion. The only people who actually know what is happening are those involved in the negotiations in both clubs, and I would imagine the players too.

I think Cazorla would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, and he could be the creative spark their midfield has being missing for quite a while now. With Jack Wilshere out of action until October I think the midfield needs some genuine quality added, and he certainly fits the bill. I just hope all of the rumours are right, and he dons the red Arsenal shirt very soon.

Of course the saga of Robin van Persie's expected departure continues, and it's effect on the other players and the fans is hard to judge. The players are continuing their preparation for the new season, but it cannot be easy for them to work with a player every day who would rather be elsewhere. I don't care what has been said about his supposed professionalism, as his statement from last month showed exactly how little of that he has.

For a club captain to undermine his own club in such a manner was quite incredible, and he will never be the same player again for me. Even if he stays for next season and sees out his contract I will find it hard to cheer him when he plays. The best solution for Arsenal is to be rid of him s soon as possible, and get on with the business of building a team with players who want to play for them.

As an Arsenal fan I have become used to players looking to leave the club, and the club have survived when better players than RVP have left. The most frustrating thing about the saga is how it is hanging over Arsenal's start to the new season. They have only one pre season game left before they face Sunderland in just over two weeks, and it's time for some action to be taken.

I know there is very little the club can do to get other clubs to increase their offers, but they have to think of what is best for the club as a whole. A disruptive influence cannot be allowed to fester at the club, and they need to cash in as soon as possible.

My ideal scenario would be for Arsenal to start the new season with all the above players I mentioned at new clubs, and a few new arrivals to bolster the squad. I can't see all of that happening in the next two weeks, but I hope it doesn't all come down to deadline day yet again. Last summer was a disastrous one for the club, and the transfer mayhem directly affected the team's start to the season.

It cannot be allowed to happen again, and I cannot imagine that it will. All the signs are that RVP will be sold, as new boy Lukasz Podolski has not been issued with a shirt number yet. I'm sure he would love to have RVP's number 10 shirt, but there is also the possibility of Park's number 9 being available very soon.

Finally for today I have to mention that my blog is four years old today. On this very day in 2008 I posted my first Arsenal blog on Oleole, and I have continued it on a very regular basis ever since. It's not always easy, but it certainly helps me to deal with my feelings for Arsenal by sharing them with others.

Hopefully I'll still be writing about Arsenal in another four years, and I'll have a few trophies to write about too.

Finally, finally for today don't forget to join my Fantasy Premier league for the new season with prizes for the top three teams. To join up just go to the site and use the code 17031-6252 to join my league when your team is set up. If you were in my league last season you should automatically be given a choice to rejoin it once your team is set up. There are over 400 teams in my league at the moment, and I'm hoping to match last season's total of over 1,000 teams.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.   

Arsenal Finally Pick Up The Pace In The Transfer Market.

With the new season eventually getting close enough to actually get excited about, there are few interesting items to report on Arsenal. Since I last wrote about my favourite subject Arsenal have won their latest preseason friendly 2-1 away to FC Cologne. Like most preseason games it was only an exercise in fitness for the players, and also a chance for them to start regaining their sharpness ahead of the big kick off.

There were some real positives in the game for Arsenal in my opinion, and the performances of Gervinho, Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen were the real bright spots for me. Gervinho only played for the first 30 minutes of the game, but he took his two goals very well and he looked like he really has something to offer to the team. Both Wilshere and Vermaelen showed enough for me to hope they will be the driving forces in the Arsenal team this season.

Since last weekend Arsenal have finally managed to sell a player, but it wasn't the expected sale of Manuel Almunia or Nicklas Bendtner. Jay Emmanuel Thomas has left the club to join Ipswich Town in a deal believed to be worth around €1 million. There is no doubt that JET is a very good technical player, but his attitude has often been called into question.

He never really got the chances that he might have hoped for in the Arsenal team, but he spent plenty of time on loan at other teams over the last few seasons. In those loan spells he showed what he is capable of on occasions, but he also showed a side to his game which possibly convinced Arsene Wenger it was time to sell him. I thought he might have got a run in the Arsenal team early last season when Arsenal had mounting injury problems, and he was scoring goals for the reserves for fun.

It would appear his attitude just wasn't right at the time, and he got no more than a few minutes here and there as a substitute. That left him with very little opportunity to make the impact he looked very capable of making. From an Arsenal point of view I hope he isn't the first of the youngsters sold to come back and haunt Arsenal.


Besides the exit of JET it looked as if Emmanuel Eboue might be on his way to Galatasaray, but according to the latest reports the Turkish club are unwilling to meet Arsenal's valuation. I have never been a fan of Eboue, and I think Arsenal should be happy to get any fee for him as well as saving his annual wages of over €2 million. Besides the controversy of his non performance against Wigan Athletic a couple of seasons ago, I just don't think he's good enough to play at the highest level.

His tendencies to dive, feign injury, and go missing at vital times have cost Arsenal on swveral occasions. He is seen as the back up to Bacary Sagna at right back, but from what I have seen so far Carl Jenkinson would be my prefered option for that role. He may be only 19 years old with very limited experience, but his fundamentals as a defender already look better than those of Eboue. 

Continuing the possible exits from Arsenal is Henri Lansbury  (thanks to arseblog news)who looks like he might be on his way to Norwich City very soon. He impressed on loan as they gained promotion last season, but Arsenal's glut of midfielders could severely limit his chances of a breakthrough at the club. He's a player I have always rated, but he has only one year left on his contract and he probably won't sign another one without a real chance of playing first team football.

It would also appear that Nicklas Bendtner has finally managed to decide which club he is joining with Arseblog News reporting he will be unveiled by Sporting Lisbon on Saturday.  Bendtner has always managed to score goals when he has played in a central role for Arsenal without ever really being convincing. He has huge belief in his own ability, and I'm sure he will do well in Portugal.

I saw him miss an absolute hat full of chances against Burnley in the league a couple of seasons ago, and I was utterly convinced after the game that he was useless. He went on to score a hat trick in the Champions League against Porto only a few days later just to prove how unpredictable he can be. I still think his FA Cup goal against Ipswich Town last season was Arsenal's best goal of the season.

If Bendtner is sold he won't be directly replaced, but new signing Gervinho can play in any of the front three positions and has been very impressive so far in training. As well as that he also took his two goals against FC Cologne very well last Saturday, and I can't wait to see more of him in an Arsenal shirt. That chance should come this weekend when Arsenal play both Boca Juniors and New York Red Bulls in the Emirates Cup.

Those games will be Arsenal's first ones at home so far in the build up to the new season, and it will be good to see how Gervinho plays in the wide open spaces of the Emirates pitch. The tournament will also see the return of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, and I have no doubt that the home fans will give him a fantastic ovation. He is Arsenal's all time record goalscorer, and he has always expressed his love for the club even when he left to play elsewhere.

All of that transfer news comes in the wake of the announcement from the club that Denilson has left the club to play for Sao Paulo on loan for the coming season. In my opinion he won't be missed, as I never really rated him as good enough to play for Arsenal either. He will be back at the end of the season I'm sure, but hopefully the pace of the game in Brazil will suit him and he will be sold to them next summer.

All of the transfer activity should make some room in the squad, and hopefully Arsene Wenger can find the players Arsenal need to fill those gaps. The usual rumours persist about defenders, but the only real possibility of a player coming in at the moment seems to Juan Mata from Valencia. If the rumours are to be believed he will sign within the next couple of days.

If Mata does sign it will of course increase the speculation of the sales of either Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri, or possibly even both of them. I sincerely hope Cesc stays, but it is anybody's guess which shirt he will be wearing by the start of the season. Nasri is a different matter, as he enters the final year of his contract with Arsenal deciding not to sell him.

It's a huge gamble for Arsenal to keep Nasri, as he could command a fee of roughly €20 million at the moment, but the club not a receive a red cent for him next summer if he still refuses to sign the contract offered to him. The patience of the Arsenal fans has grown very thin with Nasri, and he might not get a good reception from them this weekend. Once a player loses the support of the fans life can become very difficult for him at any club.

Arsenal would not be Arsenal without injuries, and with the new season still two weeks away they are already mounting. Theo Walcott was flown home from Germany with yet another ankle problem, and the club are waiting to hear the full extent of his injury at the moment. It's not a good start to the new season for Walcott, and his reputation as an injury prone player is well earned.

Conor Henderson injured his cruciate  ligaments against FC Cologne last Saturday, and it looks like his season might be over before it even begins. This coming season was seen as the possible breakthrough season for Henderson, but he will have to put his hopes on hold for another season at least. His injury reminds me of a very similar situation which Emmanuel Frimpong went throughthis time last year, and he has only just returned to the squad now.

There is no further word on the injuries to both Abu Diaby and Armand Traore, but it doesn't look like either player will be available for the start of the season. It's hardly surprising with Diaby's injury record, but Traore was supposed to be second choice left back this season after the sale of Gael Clichy. It means Arsenal are only an injury to injury prone Kieran Gibbs away from playing Thomas Vermaelen at left back.

If Vermaelen has to play in that position it also means they are very close to playing Sebastien Squillaci as a central defender. The thought of Squillaci playing scares me, and another central defender has to be a priority. Hopefully there is plenty of work going on behind the scenes, and the Arsenal fans will get the player they want very soon.

Finally for today Cesc is still not fit enough to play in the Emirates Cup this weekend which has of course fuelled the rumours of his imminent transfer to Barcelona. There are also rumours of him refusing to play again for Arsenal, but I severely doubt there is any truth in them. The ball is firmly in Barcelona's court, and they can have their man if they offer the market value for him.

As it stands they have offered a lot less than his true worth, and the situation hs dragged on for far too long. Cesc's complete silence on the matter hasn't helped, but as Arsenal captain he will be at the Emirates Cup this weekend I'm sure. Hopefully the chance to mingle with his teammates again will encourage him to stay at the club for at least one more year.

That's it for today.

Here's the highlights from Saturday's win in Cologne with thanks to 101greatgoals as always.

See You Tomorrow.

Finally for today this season's Fantasy Premier League is up and running again. My league has almost 100 teams in it already, but I will welcome any new teams. Just go to the site and use the code 125540-42785 to join my league when your team is set up.

If you have any problems don't hesitate to contact me, and I will do what I can to help. Any teams in the league last season should automatically be included this season, as soon as they set up heir team. Good luck if you're taking part, and remember I will have prizes for the top three finishers at the end of the season.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.

Arsenal's Asian Tour Draws To A Close As The Search To Strengthen The Team Continues.

It has been a long time since Arsenal took part in a pre season tour, but with their commercial revenues lagging behind those of some of their nearest competitors they did so this week. Usually Arsene Wenger takes the players to Austria for a tough workout in the rarefied air of the Alps, but this season the Arsenal fans in Malaysia and China will get to see their heroes in the flesh for a change. Reporting on the events in both countries from an Arsenal perspective makes a pleasant change from the constant stream of transfer speculation at this time of year.

On Wednesday Arsenal played a Malaysian XI and beat them 4-0 with the goals coming from Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Carlos Vela and Tomas Rosicky. It was a good workout for their first pre season friendly, and the stifling heat in Kuala Lumpur certainly made things tough for the players. Both Ryo Myaichi and Carl Jenkinson made their debuts for Arsenal, although it will be another while before they get to make their competitive debuts.

Myiachi looks like a very talented player and he would probably get a few chances to show his skills in the Arsenal first team this season, but he may not qualify for a work permit. He joined Arsenal in January from his high school team in Japan, but he was immediately loaned to Feyenoord in Holland. If he is unable to acquire a work permit to play for Arsenal the chances are he will go back to Feyenoord to continue his progress with them, but hopefully the UK authorities will see sense and allow him to play for Arsenal.

Both countries are part of the European Union and they should be subject to the same laws I would imagine, but it appears work permits for non EU players are a lot more difficult to obtain in the UK. He impressed at Feyenoord in the second half of last season and another season of first team football at a fairly high level could be very beneficial to him and Arsenal too. He's still only 18 years old and he hasn't played for his country yet so he probably has an awful lot of room to progress.

Jenkinson was signed from Charlton Athletic last month and he turned 19 earlier this year, but he is still quite inexperienced in footballing terms. He can represent either England or Finland in international football if he makes the grade, and he has played his underage football for Finland to date. He played relatively few games in his time at Charlton, but it would appear that Wenger already sees him as an understudy to regular right back Bacary Sagna.

Both players impressed on Wednesday and they should get another chance to do so again when Arsenal play Hanzghou Greentown in their next game later today. The game will be shown live on Arsenal Player again, but hopefully there won't be a repeat of the problems on Wednesday when the broadcast of most of the first half was missed due to technical difficulties. As a red member of Arsenal I will get to see the game for free on Arsenal player, but it's also live on ESPN as far as I know.

Forbes magazine has rated Arsenal as the seventh most valuable sports franchise in the world, with Manchester United and Real Madrid as the only football clubs more valuable than them. Their rating(thanks to arseblog news) sees Arsenal valued at $1.18 billion and it should hopefully see the spending power of the club increase dramatically in the not too distant future. Of course Arsenal are still saddled with the debt from the construction of the Emirates stadium, but when they are free from that debt they should be in a very healthy financial position.

The spending power of some of the teams below them in the list is far superior to that of Arsenal, but there is very little that can be done when the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have money poured into them by wealthy sugar daddies. Financial fair play is soon to be introduced to football, but City have already shown there are ways around it with their owners giving them a fortune for their stadium naming rights. I have no doubt that Chelsea and City will continue to find creative ways around financial fair play, and Arsenal will still not be able to compete with them for transfer fees or wages in the future.

If either City or Chelsea were to lose the backing of their owners they would soon disappear from the upper echelons of football, but for the moment there is little that can be done about them. Similarly other clubs manage to operate with huge debts and it doesn't affect them in the transfer market or in the wages they pay either, and it remains to be seen if financial fair play will call a halt to the antics or Real Madrid, Manchester United or even Barcelona. I very much doubt it, but unless Arsenal are prepared to saddle the club with huge debt or get taken over by somebody with more money than sense things will not change.

Arsenal continue to be run as a financially sustainable club, and they operate within the boundaries of their financial limitations. There has been more than a little disquiet among plenty of Arsenal fans, as they see other clubs spending fortunes on new players and exorbitant wages. So far Arsenal's transfer dealings have only seen the arrival of the aforementioned Jenkinson and Gervinho.

At the end of last season Wenger admitted to the failings of his squad, and he said he would be very active in the transfer market in the summer to strengthen the team where it needed it. The Arsenal defence suffered very badly from set pieces last season, and their inability to defend them has to be addressed this summer. It would seem that Wenger is now of the opinion that the return from injury of Thomas Vermaelen will be all that the defence needs to put things right. 

I can only hope that he is keeping his cards close to his chest and he does have a new central defender lined up, or Arsenal will yet again concede too many goals to seriously contend for the big trophies. The players can of course practice their defensive technique at set pieces, but I am sure the same promise was made last summer and it most certainly didn't work. The patience of the Arsenal fans is growing thin and the failure to address the team's serious defensive flaws could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

If Wenger fails to add to his defensive options and Arsenal continue to suffer defensively from set pieces all eyes will be on Wenger. It's a huge risk for him to take and I really hope he does add to the team's defensive options, or it could spell the end of his time at the club. As it stands Arsenal have failed to offload any of their want away players, but if they can sell Nicklas Bendtner, Manuel Almunia and Denilson it could give Wenger the money he needs to make that much needed defensive purchase.

With the fees received from those three players and the wages saved in their departures, Arsenal should surely have enough to buy the player they need. It's all well and good for Wenger to say Thomas Vermaelen is like a new signing, but if there is one injury to any of the central defenders(besides Squillaci) it will leave Arsenal with very few options at the back yet again. Arsenal's chances of competing at the very top and winning trophies cannot be sacrificed because Wenger will not buy a player that the squad desperately needs.

That's it for today.

Here's a look at how Vermaelen fared in his first season at Arsenal.

See You Tomorrow.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook too.

Arsenal Latest As Gervinho Signs And Wenger Says Cesc And Nasri To Stay.

One of the worst kept secrets in football was finally revealed today when Arsenal announced that Gervinho will shortly be signed from French double winners Lille. The only hold up would appear to be what the club call a "regulatory process" which can only mean him receiving a work permit I would imagine. As the Ivory Coast player of the year for 2010 I can only hope that he would be seen as a worthy candidate for a work permit, and he can join up with the rest of the first team squad when they return from their two games in Asia.


Gervinho had a very successful season with Lille last season, and his 15 goals and 10 assists in 40 games were one of the factors which helped them to claim their double. He also managed 13 goals the previous season in 28 games, and it's a good return from a player utilised in a wide attacking role. He only turned 24 in May which should mean Arsenal get his best years as he progresses towards his peak as a professional footballer.

Arsene Wenger held a press conference in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Arsenal's first pre-season friendly on Wednesday against a Malaysian XI, and he revealed his thoughts on both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. He said he expects Cesc to stay at Arsenal despite the Barcelona saga going on for years at this stage. He said Arsenal have to close that chapter and focus on the new season, hopefully with Cesc.

Speaking of Nasri he said he expects him to stay also, but there is always speculation when a player has only one year left on his contract. He said Nasri is very happy at the club, and committed to staying. He hopes Nasri will sign a new contract, but  he said he is not the only one to decide that.

It's hard to know exactly what to make of the Nasri situation, but it would appear that Arsenal are prepared to keep him at the club for the coming season even if it means losing him on a free transfer next summer. If Nasri is happy to stay and doesn't want to sign a new contract there's not an awful lot Arsenal can do, as he can't really be sold against his will. It will be interesting to see how the fans react to him at the Emirates if he does stay, but refuses to sign a new contract.

Nasri has made it clear that the most important thing to him is supposedly the chance of winning trophies, but if he waits until next summer to decide his future it can only be for monetary reasons. If he thinks Arsenal can deliver the trophies he should sign a new contract, but if he thinks they can't then he should put in a formal transfer request. I have a funny feeling he will see out his contract, and join whatever team can supply him with the biggest sackful of money next summer.

With so little to write about during the summer there was a deluge of Arsenal stories today, and the current situation at left back was yet another thing Wenger spoke about. He said he felt the club had Kieran Gibbs and Armand Traore at left back, and that Thomas Vermaelen can play there too if needed. He seems to think Arsenal have what they need in the position, but I'm not so sure myself. 

Gibbs looks to be a promising prospect, but he is far too injury prone to be depended upon to play as first choice left back since the departure of Gael Clichy to Manchester City last week. Traore has spent a season on loan at Juventus, but he hardly set the club alight with his performances. Before his departure he was far from good defensively when he played at left back for Arsenal.

Vermaelen is seen as Arsenal's only certainty in the centre of defence, and unless they can sign at least one more central defender the defence will be weakened if he has to play at left back. I wasn't overly impressed with Clichy in the last two seasons, but as it stands Arsenal do not have anyone better than him to play at left back. There were quite a few Arsenal fans who felt Gibbs should have been given a chance ahead of Clichy last season, and they will know if they were right or not quite soon.

The manager also revealed that both Nicklas Bendtner and Manuel Almunia could be departing the club this summer, as they are currently talking to other clubs. He didn't reveal which clubs, but if the two of them can be sold and Denilson gets his wish to leave as well it will leave room for Arsenal to add to their squad. It should also reduce the wage bill by a large enough amount to pay a couple of top class players if Wenger can identify the players he wants and tie up deals for them.

At the end of last season Arsenal needed to strengthen their defence, and as it stands that has not happened. Clichy has left and Vermaelen has returned from injury, but otherwise their options are the same as last season. The need for a top class central defender is still of paramount importance, and it's an issue which has to be sorted as soon as possible. Arsenal cannot expect to sustain a realistic challenge for the Premier League title if their defence does not improve significantly from last season.

Finally for today the live Premier League matches to be screened between the start of the season and December were announced today. Arsenal will play eight games live on TV in the first four months of the season, and six of those games will be away from home. Arsenal's away form was second to none last season, but I get the feeling the TV companies want to see them on their travels in the hope that they will struggle.

Their opening day fixture away to Newcastle United will be live on ESPN at 5.30pm on Saturday August 13th, and they will also play at home to Liverpool and away to Manchester United live on the TV before August is out. With Champions League qualifiers sandwiched in between those games August should see Arsenal appear live on TV five times in 14 days. It will be a welcome return to action for all armchair fans, but it will be a very tough start for the team.


That's it for today.

Here's what Arsenal could be losing if Nasri leaves.

See You Tomorrow.

What Will Make Arsenal's Fans Happy?

The general consensus among Arsenal fans is that the club needs to sign two or three top class experienced players this summer. So far the only player to be signed has been Carl Jenkinson from Charlton Athletic, but he is seen as one for the future. He was signed for a reasonable price and hopefully he can learn his trade from Bacary Sagna who is one of the best right backs in the game.

Obviously some Arsenal fans are far from happy with the purchase of Jenkinson because they want to see the experienced players signed. Manchester United signed Phil Jones from Blackburn Rivers yesterday for a fee believed to be in the region of £16 million which is an awful lot of money for a 19 year old with less than 40 league games to his name. Amazingly some Arsenal fans are of the opinion that Arsenal have missed out on a player that they should have signed.

It would seem Arsene Wenger may well have offered more money and better wages than United, but the player chose to play for United instead. In my opinion Arsenal have enough players with potential and to pay that much money for Jones is a huge gamble the club should not be taking. If the problems Arsenal are suffering in defence are to be rectified they need to buy the finished article, and Jones is far from that.

If Arsenal are going to spend that sort of money on a centre back I want him to be ready to walk straight into the team and be the player to make the difference to the defence as a whole. Jones might well be the player to play that role in a few years time, but at the moment he has potential and little else. His purchase would have prevented the purchase of the player Arsenal really need more than likely, and it certainly would not have added the experienced head needed.

There have been rumours of Christopher Samba being a target for Arsenal, but if Blackburn have sold Jones to United they are hardly likely to sell their other first choice centre back too. I'm not sure if Samba would be the answer to Arsenal's problems, but he's a lot closer to what they need than Jones is at the moment. If Arsenal are really going to buy a defender for that sort of money there are bound to be many other players to fit the bill.

The general consensus among Arsenal fans would also seem to be that the central defender they need should have plenty of Premier League experience. That would rule Jones out again, but both Samba and Bolton's Gary Cahill would fit the bill nicely. Cahill has only one year left on his contract like Arsenal's Samir Nasri, and I doubt if Bolton can afford to let him go on a free transfer next summer.

I'm not utterly convinced by Cahill either, but I think Arsenal could possibly get him for a more reasonable fee due to his contract situation. At the very worst he could be purchased for a similar price to the one Jones went for, and surely he is a better bet to step straight into the team. If Arsenal were to sign Cahill they could certainly play him against some of the more agricultural Premier League teams, but they would also have Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, and Johan Djourou available as well.

Arsenal's fans have to decide if they want to sign the players needed, or if they just want to sign any player their rivals attempt to sign. Jones would be a huge gamble, and the time for gambles is over. Arsenal cannot afford to spend a large part of their transfer budget on a player who would probably be behind the other three centre backs in the pecking order.

I think Arsenal have had a lucky escape, and hopefully the manager has signaled his intent by offering so much for Jones. He now needs to go out and find the players who will make a real difference, and sign them as soon as possible. In an ideal world those players would be signed before the players return for pre-season training in little more than a month from now.

Of course Arsenal's transfer budget could be greatly enhanced if certain players were to leave the club. Both Denilson and Nicklas Bendtner have signaled their intention to do so, and Nasri still has not signed a new contract with only 12 months remaining on his. I hope he stays, but he cannot be allowed to string the club along and if he doesn't declare his intentions before pre-season he should be sold.

There is also talk that Barcelona claim to have agreed terms with Cesc Fabregas, and if that is the case it's only a matter of the two clubs agreeing a fee. Arsene Wenger said he will do all he can to keep Cesc again this summer, and I would be surprised if he has given up the fight already. Barcelona will have to pay at least £50 million to get Cesc, and I don't think they will pay that sort of money.

It's impossible to tell whether Cesc wants to leave or not, but if he does he must also know that Barcelona have to pay the going rate. He will have seen the fees which Fernando Torres, Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez, Phil Jones, and Jordan Henderson have been sold for, and he will know Barcelona cannot expect to sign him unless they make a realistic offer. I sincerely hope Cesc stays at Arsenal for another couple of seasons to win the trophies both he and the fans want, but if he does go it will not be on the cheap.

If Barcelona have agreed terms with Cesc without the permission of Arsenal I think it's time for UEFA to step in and take some action, but I don't think for a second that they will. Barcelona have received favourable decisions from referees for far too long, and UEFA constantly turn a blind eye to their off field antics too. I have absolutely no faith in their ability to stand up to the darlings of football, and until they do Barcelona will ride rough shot over the rights of other teams. 

That's it for today.

Here's a look at exactly how good Cesc is.

See You Tomorrow.

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Arsenal Season Review 2010/11: The Midfield.

It's day three of my review of Arsenal's season, and today it's time to deal with the midfield and how they performed. Arsenal have some very talented midfielders in their squad, and they have the ability to control a game against any other team in the Premier League. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish which players are playing in midfield, and which ones are meant to be playing in attack.

The first player just has to be Cesc Fabregas who is Arsenal's captain and star player. I have absolutely no doubt that Arsenal would have won the Premier League title if Cesc had managed to stay fit for the whole season, but he only managed to start 22 of the 38 games. It was such a shame for Arsenal that he couldn't stay fit for the whole season, as players of his quality are very rare.

In those games he managed to score three goals and he added 13 assists as well. It's not quite up there with his better seasons for Arsenal, but there were a few reasons for the fall off in his return. The biggest problem for me was the fact he played in the World Cup for Spain last summer, and that came straight after his recovery from a broken leg.

He still looked to be head and shoulders above any other player in that position when he did play, but he needs a rest this summer to return to his best. Not only did he not get a proper rest last summer, but he didn't get one in either of the previous two summers either. He has played an awful lot of games for a player of his age, and he seemed to suffer from burnout last season as a result.

Arsene Wenger fought very hard to keep Cesc at the club last summer, and it's clear he would like to return to Barcelona one day. I hope he will stay for at least one more season, and maybe even two to finally win the trophies at the club that he wants to win. He must know he has more to offer to Arsenal if he can stay fit, and hopefully next season will be the season he leads Arsenal to the promised land.

Alex Song had a lot of critics in his early days at Arsenal, but he kept his head down and proved them all wrong. He has become a very important part of the team, and when he doesn't play Arsenal are missing defensive stability in midfield. However, he didn't particularly improve last season, and it would seem the lack of competition for his place may have caused some complacency on his part.

He was still a very good player for Arsenal last season, but like so many others he needs to up his performances for next season. His recent falling out with Samuel Eto'o on international duty might mean he misses out on the African Cup of Nations early next year, and that can only be a good thing for Arsenal. Hopefully Arsenal will sign someone to not only cover for Song when he is injured, but compete to play instead of him or alongside him depending on what tactics are needed.

Jack Wilshere was Arsenal's best player last season, and he looks like he will be a star for them for many years to come. He made the breakthrough in international football as well, and he has very much earned his summer break. Thankfully he won't be going to the European Under 21 Chmpionship with England, and hopefully Arsenal will be the ones to benefit from that decision.

He showed a maturity well beyond his years at times last season, and his skill and composure on the ball are a beauty to behold at times. He has a bit of a nasty streak which is no bad thing at all in my opinion, and he certainly won't be pushed around when he plays for Arsenal. His return in terms of goals and assists wasn't particularly high, but he has them in his locker and they will become evident as he becomes more experienced.

His emergence was a huge boost for Arsenal, and it's a little scary to think where they might have finished without him. He looks to have all the attributes of a future captain of Arsenal, and he has expressed his love for Arsenal and his desire to play for them for his whole career. In my opinion Arsenal don't need to sign Scott Parker this summer because Wilshere is similar to him, but an awful lot better.

Aaron Ramsey took over a year to fully recover from the horrific injury Ryan Shawcross inflicted upon him in 2010, but thankfully he made his way back into the Arsenal team towards the end of the season. He only managed to start five league games, but in those games he managed to show enough to indicate that he has managed to recover from his injury. He took his goal against Manchester United very well, and he fits seamlessly into Arsenal's midfield trio.

The injury to Ramsey was probably the main reason why Wilshere got so much game time last season, and Ramsey will probably have to bide his time behind Wilshere in the pecking order next season. He has the ability to play in Cesc's position or Wilshere's, and when he has fully found his feet he will be difficult to keep out of the team. I think he is probably seen as a long term replacement for Cesc, but the injury has put him back by more than a whole season.

Abu Diaby is a little like Ramsey, as his time at Arsenal has been defined by an injury he received at a young age. It's now over five years since Diaby had his horrific leg break away to Sunderland, but he is still suffering the effects in my opinion. He cannot seem to play more than four or five games in a row without suffering another injury, and I don't think he will ever fulfill his potential as a result.

He's a player who flattered to deceive at times last season, as he nearly always followed a good performance with an anonymous one. He has the ability to be an exceptional player, but like so many other Arsenal players the attitude seems to be wrong far too often. He likes to play in the position just behind the striker, but there are an awful lot of players ahead of him in the line for that role. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Arsenal decided to sell him this summer, but it won't be easy to find a buyer for a player who is so injury prone and earns an awful lot of money. I hope he stays and goes on to fulfill his potential but I just can't see that happening. If he was able to play in the defensive midfield role he would have a much better chance at Arsenal, but despite the advantage of his physique he just isn't suited to the role. 

Denilson is a player who has decided it's time for him to move on from Arsenal, and it's probably the best thing for both the player and the club. He used to divide opinion at one time, but the vast majority of Arsenal fans would now agree that he simply isn't good enough to play at the level Arsenal want to play at. He may be a Brizilian, but his attacking instincts are hardly those of a Brazilian.

Far too often he has been found wanting when he has been called on, and towards the end of the season he was even unable to command a place in the squad. He was famously overtaken by the referee as he chased back against United a couple of seasons ago, and his sudden collapse against Everton in the same season was a mystery to all but him. He doesn't seem either willing or able to put in the required effort at times, and he adds nothing to the team when he plays. 

He will probably have a reasonable career at a mid table team in a less competitive league, but he doesn't have the attitude to succeed in the Premier League in my opinion. If Arsenal can get over €5 million for him they should be happy to get him off the wage bill, as Ramsey is a far more capable player than him. I don't know if they will find it easy to sell him though, as his wages won't be easy for other clubs to match.

Tomas Rosicky has become an anonymous figure at Arsenal since his very long absence with injury a few seasons ago. There is no doubting his talent, but the injury has taken so much from him that he no longer has an end product to his game. It's a shame to see a player with so much talent struggle so much, but like Denilson I think it's time for him to move on.

His career at Arsenal is full of what might have been if he hadn't missed almost two years through injury, but that can't be changed and the club need to move on. He is like so many other players in Arsenal's midfield in so far as he likes to play in the role currently occupied by Cesc, and that hasn't helped his cause either. On the few occasions he played last season he did very little to indicate that he has anything left to offer, and I will be surprised to see him still at the club next season.

Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott, and Andrey Arshavin are all probably considered to be midfielders, but I'll review them in my analysis of the strikers as they have had a more advanced role. 

That's it for today.

Here's a little bit of Jack Wilshere at his best.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal's Premier League Trip To Fulham Previewed.

Arsenal's final game of the season is a short trip to Fulham on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League. It's yet another must win game for Arsenal, but they haven't done particularly well in those games over the last three months. Ever since losing the Carling Cup final to Birmingham in late February Arsenal have imploded, and they are now faced with attempting to beat Fulham, and hoping Man City slip at Bolton if they are to finish third.

Since that defeat to Birmingham Arsenal have played 13 games, and they have only managed to win three of those games. They beat Orient at home in the FA Cup, Blackpool away in the Premier League, and Man Utd at home in the Premier League too. The Orient game was relatively straightforward, and the win at Blackpool was a bit of a tense affair, but for some reason Arsenal decided to turn up at home to United.

The thing that has annoyed me most during that dreadful run is the win over United. I'm not annoyed that Arsenal managed to win, but the players were obviously up for it from the very start, and they played as if the game meant something to them. If they had played with that passion and urgency in their other games I am convinced they would at least be challenging for second place, and not hoping for City to slip up for them to have any chance of finishing third.

The reasons for that performance could go a long way towards explaining why Arsenal have struggled so badly. The Carling Cup final defeat was said to have had a very bad effect on the team, and obviously some of the players have been unable to recover their confidence since that day. I just wish Arsene Wenger could explain to me exactly how that one game was so different, and what he said to the players beforehand to get them up for the game.

Whatever he said or did before that victory over United it worked, and he needs to do the same thing prior to the game against Fulham. The team should be fairly similar to the one which beat United, and there is no reason why they can't put in a similar performance in my opinion. Fulham have a pretty decent home record, but they were beaten 5-2 by Liverpool in their last home game, and Arsenal need to attack them like Liverpool did that night.

Fulham's home record is the same as Arsenal's away record so far this season, with eight wins, six draws, and four defeats to their name. Arsenal have managed to score 37 goals on their travels so far, and no matter what happens they will finish the season with the best away record in the Premier League.  Unfortunately their home form has been their Achieles heel, and until recently their away had been very good.

The chances are after this week's games that Arsenal will be the only team in the Premier League to score more goals on their travels than they have managed at home, and that statistic gives me some hope. Fulham showed a defensive weakness against Liverpool which they hadn't previously shown at home, and Arsenal are the team that can take advantage of that. If they are to do so I think Samir Nasri could be very important, but he is doubtful for the game, and he will be a big loss if he doesn't play.

When Arsenal beat Fulham 2-1 at home in December he almost won the game on his own with two very well taken goals. He is a player who can make things happen, but during Arsenal's poor finish to the season he has been nowhere to be seen most of the time. He has only one year left on his contract, and there's a possibility he will be sold in the summer if he refuses to sign another contract.

Besides Nasri both Gael Clichy and Abu Diaby will be facing fitness tests, and I would like to see both of them involved in the game as well. Arsenal's midfield has become very stagnant in recent games, and there's a possibility that Diaby might just add something to it if he plays. Clichy is still Arsenal's best left back, and they need to have their best players available as often as possible.

I can't find any mention of Johan Djourou on the club site, and I just can't tell if he will be available to play against Fulham or not. I was a little surprised when he didn't play last week, but apparently he had an injury, and there's no word on whether he has recovered or not. I would like to see him play alongside Thomas Vermaelen, and I worry when I see Sebastien Squillaci in the Arsenal team.

Hopefully Djourou will play, and if Clichy plays too I have no doubt that Arsenal will be stronger at the back. The midfield trio will probably be the same, and they need to play with the urgency they showed against United, and not the apathy shown against Stoke and Villa. I have absolutely no doubt that Robin Van Persie will give all he has for the Arsenal cause, as he always does, but both Theo Walcott and Andrey Arshavin have been truly awful in their last two games.

RVP has had his best season ever for Arsenal in terms of scoring goals, and who knows how many goals he might have got if he had remained injury free. In 18 starts in the Premier League for Arsenal he has managed 17 goals, and he has scored in the last eight away games in the league for Arsenal. That's a Premier League record, and I'm hoping he will add to it against Fulham on Sunday.

When it comes to Arsenal I suppose I'm ever the optimist, as I always predict a win for them no matter who they are playing. I'm opting for a 2-1 win for Arsenal, and I'm hoping City slip up against Bolton to allow Arsenal to finish third. It's probably a long shot, but Arsenal are my team, and I'll only ever predict a win for them.

Arsenal's biggest defensive problem this season has been their inability to deal with set pieces, and Fulham have a few of players who are more than capable of getting on the end of any ball into the Arsenal box. Brede Hangeland has managed six Premier League goals this season, and he scored two against Birmingham last week. Besides Hangeland Arsenal also have to worry about the threat posed by Clint Dempsey who has had a very good season too. If Arsenal can keep those two players quiet from set pieces I think they will have a great chance of winning.

If they don't manage to finish third it means Arsenal will have to play in the final qualifying round for next season's Champions League. If that's the case the players will be back a little earlier from their summer holidays, and that may not be too bad for them. It's possible that an early return would see Arsenal start their season better than some of the other clubs, and if that's the case it could be the silver lining to finishing fourth.

There are reports that Denilson has handed in a transfer request to Arsenal, and the club have agreed to sell him. I wouldn't be surprised if the reports are true, and he's probably better off continuing his career elsewhere. I have never thought he was good enough to play for Arsenal, and I genuinely couldn't see what he brought to the team when he played, but it can't have been easy for him to suffer the abuse he has suffered this season.

It has to be remembered that he did not play in the defeats to Bolton, Stoke and Aston Villa, and he wasn't in the team when leads were thrown away against Liverpool and Tottenham. If he had played in those games I'm sure he would have received another barrage of abuse from some Arsenal fans on Twitter, but the players who have played in midfield have been given a much easier ride than he was. I'm glad those players didn't receive that sort of abuse, but I can understand why Denilso might feel he has been unfairly treated by some Arsenal fans, and it's time to ply his trade elsewhere.

I wish him well wherever he goes, and I hope Arsenal can get a reasonably good transfer fee for him. Hopefully it will be added to the funds which are already available, and the funds from the sale of a couple of other players who are no longer of any real use to the team. I sincerely hope Cesc Fabregas is not one of those players to be sold, and the boss has said he will do all he can to keep him at the club.


He managed to hold on to him last summer despite Barcelona trying every dirty trick in the book to lure Cesc away, but the one thing they didn't do was offer a fair price. With both Man City and AC Milan supposedly showing an interest the chances are Barcelona will be outbid, and I don't think Cesc would join any other team if he is to leave Arsenal. The only conclusion I can come to is that Cesc is going nowhere, and after a long rest this summer he will be back to his very best, and ready to lead Arsenal next season.

That's it for today.


Here's a look at Samir Nasri's brace in the 2-1 victory at home to Fulham in December.

See You Tomorrow.

Don't forget you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook and tumblr if you so choose

Arsenal's Possible Third Shirt For 2011/12.

I saw the shirt below on Twitter yesterday, and it was first posted by The Goon Blog who's Twitter user name is @thegoonblog , and he's well worth checking out.

 
If the rumours are to believed it will be Arsenal's third shirt for next season. It's very difficult to tell at this stage whether it's right or not, but I hope it's a fake, because I really don't like the pinstripes. They are on Arsenal's current second shirt, and I had hoped they would be gone in the new ones next season. If I was asked for my honest opinion, I would say that it's a fake, but stranger things have happened.

Many Arsenal fans may wonder why Arsenal will be bringing out new shirts for next season, as they also had new ones for this season. The current club policy is that a new shirt will only be brought out every second season, but of course exceptional circumstances can always change that policy. 

It just so happens that 2011 marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of Arsenal, and the new shirts will be to commemorate that event. The last commemorative shirt was a one off for the final season at Highbury, and after awhile the redcurrant shirt became a real favourite of mine. There's bound to be loads of speculation about the perspective shirts, and I'm sure this is the first of many such photos.

If Andrey Arshavin is to believed the new Arsenal shirt will be similar to a jockey's one, but I also find that hard to believe. It's hard to imagine Arsenal lining up, looking like they might be about to start the 3.30 at Cheltenham. 

Other Arsenal News :

Arsenal director Danny Fszman died yesterday aged 66, after a long battle with cancer. He was Arsenal through and through, and he was the driving force behind the building of Arsenal's fantastic new stadium.  The club issued a statement on him last night, and it's obvious how highly he was regarded by everyone involved with Arsenal. He sold his stake in the club to Stan Kroenke on Monday, and I'm sure he thought it was the best thing to do with his 16.11% of the club. I'm also sure a fitting tribute will be paid to him before Arsenal's home game against Liverpool on Sunday. RIP Danny Fiszman.

Injury News:
 
If reports are to be believed both Wojciech Szczesny and Johan Djourou will be available to play for Arsenal against Liverpool on Sunday. Djourou will be a very welcome returnee to the team if he can take his place in the centre of defence. He suffered his injury in the FA Cup defeat away to "Manure" on April 12th, and according to the early reports his season was as good as over. He has been a revelation in Arsenal's defence this season, and the absence of Thomas Vermaelen has not been as severe as it might have been thanks to Djourou. As it stands the Arsenal defence is second only to Chelsea's in terms of the least Premier League goals conceded this season.

Szczesny has also been in excellent form since he made his way into the team, thanks to the injuries to both Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski. At the start of the season he wasn't happy to have the two of them ahead of him, and he made his feelings known. When the chance to play for Arsenal came his way, he took it with both hands, and he looks like he will be Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper for years to come. His opinion on his own ability would seem to have been proved right, and in my opinion it's good to have a goalkeeper who has that belief in himself, as long as he can back it up with performances. 

Jens Lehmann performed admirably against Blackpool last Sunday when he filled in at the last minute for the "injured" Almunia. I would have been happy enough to have seen Lehmann play on Sunday, but if Szczesny is fit to play I will be even happier to see him in the team.  It will be interesting to see which goalkeeper will sit on the bench, if Almunia recovers from the injury he picked up before last week's game. I have a feeling that Almunia's injury will keep him out for the rest of the season, for his good and Arsenal's good too.

Unfortunately the good injury news for Arsenal is usually tempered by some bad injury news. It's no different on this occasion, as it appears that Alex Song might not play again this season thanks to the knee injury he picked up a while back. Abu Diaby had an excellent game in his position last Sunday, but Liverpool, the Spuds and "Manure" are different propositions to Blackpool. If Diaby can manage to stay injury free for the rest of the season, I hope he will be up to the task, but I seriously doubt his ability to play all seven of Arsenal's remaining games without picking up a knock.

The other alternative is the much maligned Denilson, but he is currently out with a toe injury. I can only hope that the story about Song, which I also read on The Goon Blog is wrong. In my opinion his inclusion in the Arsenal team for as many games as possible, for the rest of the season is vitally important. I'm sure Arsene Wenger will give everybody an update on his injury in his press conference on Thursday or Friday.

That's it for today.

Here's a little bit of Szczesny in action.

See You Tomorrow.

Are Arsenal A Team With No Leaders?

Arsenal are a team with no leaders is what has been heard time and again from whichever expert has decided it is his turn to pronounce judgement upon them. Despite this so called fact Wales decided to make Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey their international captain. He's only 20 years old, and he has just recovered from an horrific injury inflicted upon him by Stoke RFC's Ryan Shawcross. It's a great honour for such a young man, and I hope it will inspire him to return to the player he was before that injury.

He's not the only Arsenal player to captain his country though, as both Tomas Rosicky and Thomas Vermaelen have the same honour with their countries. It's interesting to think that all three of those countries consider Arsenal players to have enough leadership qualities to captain them, but Arsenal are seen as a team devoid of leaders. Added to the three of them, Samir Nasri was captain for the French national team yesterday, as they won 2-0 away to Luxembourg.

I suppose Ramsey, Vermaelen and Rosicky could all be said to have played little or no part in Arsenal's season so far, but Nasri has been one of the most impressive players in all of the Premier League. The big question for Arsenal though, is whether those players have shown leadership on the pitch for their club. It's hard to tell whether that is the case or not, but it certainly looks like Arsenal don't have a player on the pitch making the all important calls to the rest of the team.

Most teams at any level of football have a player who's job it is to make the calls for offside, and who tells the other players who they should mark at set pieces. Usually that job is undertaken by a central defender, or a central midfielder, but it appears to be more of a collective role at Arsenal. Arsene Wenger has said in the past that he has plenty of leaders on the pitch, but in my opinion he needs one man to take complete control.


I have no doubt of the love current captain, Cesc Fabregas, has for the club, and he is one of the best players in the world. His style of leadership is in the style of a player who leads by example, rather than shouting at the rest of the players. Vice captain Robin Van Persie has a similar style when he takes the armband, and it's hard to find a player in the mould of previous captains such as the great Tony Adams. At times it seems to me like Arsenal are a little too nice for their own good.

When do you ever see Arsenal defenders resorting to the tactics which Nemanja Vidic or Ricardo Carvalho use in every single game they play. They don't care how they win, as long as they win, and nine times out of ten they seem to get away with those tactics. It might be slightly unsightly at times, but it's very effective, and it has helped their clubs to win trophies.

It's not easy to point out any particular player who might be available this summer to fill that role. Even if a player who fills that role at another club was to be signed, it would be difficult for them to come in, and almost overrule the current captain. It is possible for a player to lead the team on the pitch without being the captain of course, and it's a role which comes naturally to some players. 

If you go to any park on a Sunday afternoon you will see men(and women) of varying ages and skill levels doing their best to play the beautiful game. You  will also hear at least one player on each team shouting out the orders to his team mates, and telling them where they have gone right and wrong. I played that role for many years myself, and I still find myself talking to all the other players in my five-side team non stop, when we are playing. If the role comes naturally to a player, there is little he can do to stop himself.

Maybe that part of the game is disappearing at the highest level, as players seem to become more pampered by the day. I still find myself going back to the incident at the Emirates last season when Arsenal were playing Everton. Denilson was running with the ball, and he suddenly stopped, and fell to the ground for no apparent reason. I know players are told to go down when they are hurt, but surely they should not collapse as if they have been taken out by a sniper. It removes them even further from the fans, who pay their hard earned money to see their club in action.

On that occasion Everton almost scored, as he lay there prostrate on the ground. He didn't miss too many games after that game, as he made a quick recovery from a seemingly serious injury. Compare his actions to those of other grown men who play the game for the love of it. I got a ball in the face on Wednesday night from a player who hits the ball harder than anyone I know. I'm more than a few years past my best, but after picking myself up off the ground almost immediately, I wiped the blood from my face, and got on with the game. 

I'm not trying to make myself out as a hero of any sort at all, but if I can take it then surely a fit young athlete can take a knock or two without reacting to such an extreme. I played football again last night with no nail on my big toe, a swollen nose, and a burst lip, but I wouldn't have it any other way. When you love the game that's what you do, and sometimes I have to question the love of some professionals for football. It's easy for me to say that of course, but surely if players loved the game as much as true fans do, then they would give all they have in every single game.

In the modern era, players live a very privileged lifestyle, and maybe they need to connect a little with the fans to make them realise how lucky they are. They play football for a living, while the fans have to work hard all week to earn the money, to see them do just that. It's something I always wished I could do, but the closest I got was a little bit of representative football, and playing against Niall Quinn many years ago. I have always said I would buy a private box at the Emirates, and an apartment at Highbury, if I won the lotto, but I'll have to keep dreaming for the moment.

That's it for today.

Here's a look at how Tony Adams played.

See You Tomorrow.

Which Arsenal Players Will Be On The Move This Summer? - Part Two.

I started this feature yesterday by running through some of the more important members of the Arsenal team, and the chances of them being sold this summer. Personally I would like Arsenal to keep all of their best players, but I also know players can move to other clubs for various reasons. Money is always a big factor, and the desire to win trophies can be important to some players too. I know Arsenal pay their players very well, but they cannot compete with the money on offer from teams who make no attempt to balance their books, and instead depend upon donations from the mega-wealthy.

If Arsenal are going to be competitive at the very top of the game, then they need to have better players than Denilson as back up to their first team regulars. He's in a very difficult situation at the club, as the feelings of the fans become more obvious with each game he plays. I'm sure he should be able to find a club where he can become a regular, and thrive on the chance to play every week. Every team has to have players who don't get to play regularly, but those players need to show what they are capable of when the chance arrives, and Denilson just cannot do that in my opinion. With Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere now making themselves far more important for Arsenal I think his first team chances will be very limited if he stays. If I had my way Arsenal would sell Denilson, and I think Henri Lansbury would be more than capable of stepping up, and doing a better job than him when called upon.

Abu Diaby is another player who divides opinion among Arsenal players, and many of them would be happy to see him sold this summer. It's now been five years since he had his leg horribly broken against Sunderland, and although he has managed to come back, he is clearly still suffering from the effects of that injury in my opinion. I can't remember Diaby ever being available for more than four or five games in a row, before succumbing to another niggling injury associated with the leg break. I'm sure he rues the day he had his leg shattered by Dan Smith, and who knows where his career would have gone if it hadn't happened.

The reality for Arsenal is Diaby is only available to play roughly half of their games in a season, and he gets very well paid for that. It's tough to know what his best position is, but it would probably be as an attacking midfielder. Arsenal have an awful lot of attacking midfielders at the moment, and Diaby's appearances are usually limited to filling in for Alex Song in a defensive role. His habit of holding on to the ball for too long can be very infuriating, and at his stage in his career he needs to be playing more regularly. He will be 25 years old in a few weeks, and it seems as if he will never fully recover from the leg break. It's hard to know what clubs would be interested in signing him if Arsenal decided to sell him, but I suppose there are bound to be some.

It goes without saying that Manuel Almunia needs to leave Arsenal for his good, and the good of the club as well. I have never thought he was a good enough player to play for a club which wants to compete at the very highest level, and it seems Arsene Wenger eventually agrees with that opinion. He would have been sold last summer, but no replacement could be found. He was going to be sold in the January transfer window, but Arsenal suddenly developed an injury crisis among their goalkeepers. I will be absolutely amazed if he is still an Arsenal player next season.

Unfortunately due to the injury crisis among Arsenal's goalkeepers, he is now first choice for at least the next four weeks, and it puts fear in the heart of almost every single Arsenal fan. On the Arsenal bench there is only Jens Lehmann, and at 41 years of age it's probably too much of a risk to play him. It means Arsenal have to put their faith in Almunia for the next few weeks, and there will be a lot of fingernail biting among their fans every time the ball enters their penalty area. I don't blame Almunia for the current state of affairs, and he must be feeling like he is living through a nightmare. He wanted to leave in January, the fans have no faith in him, but he still finds himself as Arsenal's first choice.


If you were to believe what Nicklas Bendtner says, he is one of the best players at the club, and maybe in the world too. When he gets his chance to play for Arsenal he doesn't always show that ability he claims to have. He has managed to score some very important goals at times when Robin Van Persie has been injured, but he is one of the players who really divides Arsenal's fans opinions. He has hinted in the past that he would consider moving elsewhere if he could not command a regular first team place, but as long as RVP is fit he will more than likely warm the bench.

When he does play, his first touch can be a long way short of the rest of the Arsenal team, and he can look slow and awkward at times too. He gets played on the right wing at times as well, and it clearly does not suit him, but at least he tries his best. I think he has an awful lot to learn about how to play the role of a centre forward, and he doesn't seem to be learning it quickly enough for me. Ideally I would like Arsenal to sign a top class centre forward to challenge RVP for a first team place, and take the role when RVP is inevitably injured again. If that means Bendtner decides to move on, I could live with that, but otherwise I think he will stay for at least one more season.

The last player to look at today is Carlos Vela, and again he's a player who divides opinion among Arsenal fans. When he was bought by Arsenal he was seen as a bright young star of the future, but he had to be loaned out to various Spanish clubs, as he wasn't eligible to play in England. When he eventually arrived at Arsenal he hadn't quite lived up to his potential in Spain, but he still looked like he was a great prospect. At the moment he is on loan at West Brom, and he has scored a couple of important goals for them recently, but he still can't command a regular place in their team.

He is a very skillful player, and his ability to chip the keeper when faced with a one-on-one is unrivalled, but he has had very few opportunities at Arsenal in reality. When he has played, it has usually been on the left side of the front three, despite the fact Wenger says he's one of the best finishers he has ever seen. It's very hard to see how he will get more opportunities at Arsenal, but I have a feeling he will be kept for at least one more season.


If all of those players were to be sold in the summer it would leave a hole in the Arsenal squad, but I think the purchase of two top class players would make up for that. The savings in wages could be used to pay for those two players, and a few of the reserves are capable of stepping up to the first team squad as well. With Ramsey hopefully back to his best next season, and Lansbury looking capable of stepping up too, I would be happy enough to see them both play a bigger role for Arsenal next season.

That's it for today.

Here's a look at some of Patrick Vieira's best goals for Arsenal.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal Snatch A Point Against West Brom When Three Were Needed.

Due to other commitments I was unable to review Arsenal's trip to West Brom yesterday, but I have decided to run through my thoughts on the game today, as well as Arsenal's prospects for their remaining nine games this season.

Arsenal made the trip to West Brom on Saturday knowing a win was a must to keep the pressure on Premier League leaders "Manure". West Brom are struggling at the wrong end of the table, and their defensive record was pretty poor going into this game. They had managed to win the reverse fixture back in September in a game which saw what was probably Arsenal's worst performance in the league this season.

With injuries mounting Arsene Wenger didn't have an awful lot of options in his team selection. In my preview I had hoped Denilson wouldn't play as I just can't see what he brings to the team, but unfortunately the boss doesn't share that opinion with me. Due to the goalkeeping crisis Manuel Almunia was again Arsenal's first choice, and I'm never too happy when I see his name on the team sheet. Added to those two there was also the central defensive combination of Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci which just doesn't seem to work. Aaron Ramsey was included in the Arsenal starting like up for the first time in over a year, as his recovery from his leg break continued.

Arsenal had not conceded a goal in the first 15 minutes of any league game this season, but after only three minutes that statistic was altered. A corner was swung in from Arsenal's right hand side and Steven Reid rose to head the ball home unchallenged. It looked to me like Ramsey was the player who should have being marking him, but unfortunately he had let him go. After the trauma of exiting three competitions in two weeks it was exactly the start Arsenal didn't need. The question was whether the Arsenal players could respond to that early setback, and get the vital three points.

For the remainder of the first half Arsenal didn't really do enough to show how much the game should have meant to them. There were a few chances though and the best of them fell to Ramsey. Gael Clichy made a fine run and put an excellent cross into the box which Robin Van Persie headed against the bar with the keeper looking on helplessly. The rebound fell to Ramsey six yards from goal, but his attempt was saved by the keeper. He really should have scored, but I'm sure he still has a way to go before he's back to his very best.

At half time the boss decided it was time to make a change and he withdrew the ineffectual Denilson to be replaced by Marouane Chamakh. It meant Samir Nasri moved to a more central role, but still Arsenal didn't get their free flowing football going. With just 58 minutes gone the boss decide to replace Ramsey with Nicklas Bendtner, and quite what the formation was after that I'm not too sure.

It wasn't long before things got even worse for Arsenal due to the complete inability of Almunia to understand how to play as a goalkeeper. In the past I have always said he is a good shot stopper, but there's a lot more than shot stopping to good goalkeeping. If the official statistics for the game are to be believed then West Brom only had three attempts at goal in the whole game, and only two of those were on target. It's an indication of the defenders lack of faith in Almunia that both of those shots on target ended up in the back of the net.

After 58 minutes Squillaci was tussling for a long ball with Peter Odemwinige, and it didn't look like there was too much danger for Arsenal. However, Almunia then demonstrated why he is just not good enough to play for a team challenging for the Premier League by rushing from his goal to join in the tussle for the ball. It didn't seem to matter to him that the ball was well outside the penalty area, as he proceeded to push Squillaci to ensure Odemwinige got the chance to roll the ball into an empty net from outside the box. Koscielny had done his best to get back and cover his keeper when he saw him make his kamikaze run, but the ball beat him to the goal and Arsenal were 2-0 down. 

Only Almunia can know what thoughts raced through his head as he decided to come for a ball he had absolutely no chance of getting, but the boss has to consider how much of a liability he is for the last nine games of the season. When the international break ends Wojciech Szczesny will be approximately three weeks away from returning from his finger injury, and those three weeks cannot pass quickly enough for me. The boss has to seriously consider playing 41 year old Jens Lehmann in goal in Arsenal's next two games against Blackburn and Blackpool or their chances might well be ended in those games.

After that goal West Brom sat back and Arsenal tried to throw everything they had at them, but seemed to be going nowhere. It took a moment of inspiration from Andrey Arshavin to get them back in the game, and that came in the 70th minute. He exchanged passes with Chamakh on the left edge of the West Brom box before taking a touch and absolutely burying the ball into the far corner of the net. Suddenly there seemed to be hope and arsenal went looking for an equaliser.

The equaliser arrived only seven minutes later, and Arshavin was the man behind the move yet again. He was under pressure from two defenders by the left hand corner of the pitch, but he somehow managed to get a cross in to the penalty area. Bendtner managed to get some part of his body to the ball beyond the far post and it went back into the six yard box. As Abdoulaye Meite tried to clear the ball it got stuck under his foot, and Robin Van Persie slid in to tackle him. He just about got his foot on the ball and it barely trickled over the line to put the sides level with enough time for Arsenal to take all three points still.

At that stage the "Manure" game against Bolton was still level and it looked as if a desperately disappointing day could turn out to be a joyful one after all. Try as they might Arsenal just could not manage the all important winner, but at least they had taken a point from what seemed like a hopeless position at one stage. Unfortunately "Manure" managed a winner in almost the last minute of their game as Jussi Jaaskelainen very generously handed them a lifeline. It means Arsenal are now five points behind the league leaders with a game in hand, and "Manure" still have to visit them in early May.

Unbelieveably Arsenal are still the masters of their own destiny in the league, as nine victories in those games will result in a league title for the first time in seven years. I don't for one second think they will win all nine of those games, but there are still a lot games to be played by all teams involved in the title chase. Those teams now have to include Chelsea who beat Man City on Sunday to close the gap to Arsenal to just four points. They have to travel to "Manure" yet this season and it all makes for a very interesting run in for all clubs concerned.

The battle to avoid relegation is so tight this season that no team can be taken for granted, as they are almost all fighting for Premier League survival. On the face of it Arsenal's next two opponents are teams they should easily dispose of, as both Blackburn and Blackpool are on very poor runs at the moment. However, both teams are scrapping for their survival, and both games will be very tense affairs. There is no more room for slip ups for Arsenal, and if they don't win those games I firmly believe the Premier League title will be beyond them this season.

Hopefully the return of Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and Theo Walcott after the international break will add the impetus which is so sorely missing from the team at the moment. I am also hoping the boss has finally decided Denilson is just not up to the task, and he will be left on the bench from here on in. He is the first player substituted in almost every game he starts, and against teams in the lower end of the table he has too little to offer in an attacking sense for me.

At least Arsenal found some goalscoring form again after only managing one goal in their last two Premier League games. With Almunia in the team they are always going to have to score at least two goals in a game to have any chance of winning in my opinion. I'm not trying to be too hard on Almunia, as it's not his fault Arsenal have to play him at the moment, but he's clearly not up to the task. He sticks to his line far too often, and then eventually decides to leave it when everybody else can clearly see it's the wrong time to do so. The boss is quoted as saying Lehmann needs "a bit of decision making practice", but surely practice will put that right for him, and nothing can put it right for Almunia. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed Lehmann gets that practice over the next two weeks before Arsenal play again.


That's it for today.

Here's the highlights from Saturday's game.

See You Tomorrow.

Arsenal Must Now Deliver In The Premier League.

Where do you start? I said in my preview of Arsenal's FA Cup quarter final away to "Manure" that Arsenal cannot play Abu Diaby and Denilson in the same team, but that's exactly what happened on Saturday. I also said that Samir Nasri had to be played in the creative midfield role with Cesc Fabregas out injured, but he was again played in a wide right role. Those decisions were all taken by Arsene Wenger and there can be very few Arsenal fans who agreed with them. Added to that a clearly far from fit Robin Van Persie led the line, and it all made for a very unbalanced team in my opinion.

After the disappointment of Tuesday night's Champions League exit to Barcelona I wondered how the Arsenal players would react, and unfortunately the answer was all too evident. "Manure" have a Champions League game of their own on Tuesday night, and their manager chose a team with that in mind. His team selection should have given Arsenal a distinct advantage, as he chose to play seven defenders in his starting 11. It was clear that his plan was to defend in depth, and hit Arsenal on the break when possible. It's a tactic that has worked so well against Arsenal in recent seasons, and there was every chance it would work again.

The two strikers he chose were hard working players, and the whole team was prepared to give everything they had for the entire 90 minutes. A midfield which included Darren Gibson, John O'Shea and the Da Silva twins should have been no match for Arsenal, but it proved otherwise due to their determination and commitment. "Manure" had a week to work on their tactics for the game, and they clearly went into it with a game plan. Every player knew their role and exactly what was expected of them, as opposed to Arsenal including players in their team who are on a par with those players at least, but who did not seem to know what was expected of them.

The match statistics might say Arsenal had more of the ball and far more chances both on and off target, but the only statistic that counts is goals on the scoreboard. In the cold light of day it was obvious that they took their chances and Arsenal didn't but the reasons those chances were tucked away by "Manure" showed up the difference between the teams on the day. Arsenal didn't have the desire that their opponents did, and that desire was the reason their players were in the right places at the right times to score the goals. Arsenal missed some very good chances to score, and on another day they might have put them away, but once "Manure" got their first goal there was only going to be one outcome to the game.


Arsenal missed chances that were far easier than the ones their opponents scored, and against a team like "Manure" that is just not good enough. In games like that good chances are at a premium, and Arsenal have the habit of not taking them far too often. It will be a long time before Arsenal get so many attempts both on and off target at Old Trafford, and they have only themselves to blame for not taking them. Bacary Sagna gets plenty of criticism for his crossing at times, but he set both Marouane Chamakh and Tomas Rosicky up with chances that should have been converted and weren't.

To add insult to injury Arsenal are now without the services of Johan Djourou for the rest of the season after his late collision with Sagna resulted in a dislocated shoulder. It's quite bizarre how Arsenal players manage to get injured without opponents being anywhere near them at times. Wojciech Szczesny more or less ended his season making a fairly standard save against Barcelona, and now Djourou has followed him after what looked like a fairly innocuous collision.

It means Arsenal are faced with 10 Premier League games where their central defensive partnership will be Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci. Those two have proved on quite a few occasions this season that they perform very poorly as a central defensive pairing, and the signs are not encouraging for Arsenal. Manuel Almunia has played very well since being called into emergency action against Barcelona, but I worry at the prospect of him being Arsenal's only fit goalkeeper for the rest of the season.

As it stands Arsenal will win the Premier League title if they win their last 10 matches, and it's entirely within their own hands. The big question will be how they react to the defeats to Birmingham, Barcelona and "Manure" which have put them out of all three cup competitions in two weeks. The Birmingham game should have been won, the Barcelona game was always a huge task, and on the face of it so was the trip to "Manure" on Saturday. However Arsenal should have beaten the team they faced on Saturday, and they should be the ones in the FA Cup semi final.

It's now up to Man City to stop their local rivals from reaching the FA Cup final, as the thought of their current team possibly winning a double is inconcieveable to me. I have said before that I consider their current squad/team to be the worst one they have had since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, and it will be a sad indication of the current state of that league if they win a domestic double. Arsenal can stop them in the Premier League, but I wonder what belief Arsenal have left, and if they will have any when "Manure" come calling in April.

The manager has a week to work with his players ahead of the next game away to West Brom next Saturday, and that week could be crucial to Arsenal's hopes of a trophy this season. At the start of the season I thought Arsenal did not have enough to win the league, but I didn't see Chelsea slipping so badly, and that has opened the door for Arsenal. The big question is whether the players that are left have enough within them to believe the league can be won, and then to go out and do it. The clever money would seem to say not, and it's up to them to disprove that. It's something I hope they can do, but my doubts are growing by the day.

Last season the manager said he would be judged by the outcome of the season, but the incredible injury crisis Arsenal suffered put an end to their hopes in my opinion. This season he again said the same, and he must deliver a trophy or his job is on the line. Things have gone wrong at certain times throughout the season, as they will do for any team, but far too many of those mishaps can be traced back to bad decisions for the manager. I am loathe to call for his head, and I believe he will walk away rather than suffer the embarrassment of the club sacking him if it comes to that, but he must take responsibility for his mistakes.

They include the failure to play a full strength team away to Shakhtar Donetsk and Braga in the Champions League which resulted in Arsenal coming second in their group and drawing Barcelona in the last 16. He has chosen to play Cesc Fabregas on a couple of occasions this season where he clearly wasn't fit, and it has resulted in Cesc missing further games due to relapses. When Cesc has been missing he has not played Nasri in the creative role in the centre of midfield often enough, but he is the only player currently capable of fulfilling that role in Cesc's absence.


It seems that he thinks Arsenal will have enough to get by on some occasions, but it invariably backfires. His gambles have nearly been lost this season, and the result is Arsenal's season is teetering on the edge of collapse. He has to install belief in the players that they can go out and win at least eight of their last 10 league matches, and they cannot lose at home to "Manure" on May 1st or the title will be lost. How they get to May 1st is another matter altogether.
 
The first three steps are three must win league games away to West Brom, at home to Blackburn and away to Blackpool. If Arsenal cannot win those three games I firmly believe their season will be over before "Manure" visit them, and that's something that cannot be allowed to happen. The Premier League will be won with a very low points haul this season, and if arsenal and "Manure" aren't careful Chelsea will come with a  late run to claim it.  No team can expect to win every game they play, but the time has come for no more excuses for Arsenal. It's going to be very difficult, but with no other distractions they must knuckle down and bring home the trophy their fans want.

That's it for today.


Here's the highlights of Saturday's game.

See You Tomorrow.