Arsenal: Transfer Window Summary

For the faithful of the Gooners, it's been a stress-filled transfer window. In the first months, Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas were constantly linked with rumors of exits from the Emirates. Sadly, both of those sagas came to be true, with Arsenal's star midfielders heading to Barcelona and Manchester City respectfully. Since then, the Gunners have been linked with just about every center back, central midfielder, and striker on the market. So you don't have to search the interwebs, here's a round-up of Arsenal's transfer dealings. 

Out:

Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona (35 Million Pounds)

Samir Nasri to Manchester City (22 Million Pounds)

Emmanuel Eboue to Galatasaray (4 Million Pounds)
Nicklas Bendtner to Sunderland (Loan Deal)

Armand Traore to Queens' Park Rangers (Undisclosed)

Henri Lansbury to West Ham United (Loan Deal)
Gael Clichy to Manchester City (7 Million Pounds)
Denilson to Sao Paulo (Loan Deal)

In:

Gervinho from Lille (11 Million Pounds)

Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen (10 Million Pounds)

Andre Santos from Fenerbahce (6 Million Pounds)

Mikel Arteta from Everton (10 Million Pounds - Unconfirmed)

Yossi Benayoun from Chelsea (Loan Deal)

Park Chu-Young from Monaco (6 Million Pounds - Unconfirmed)

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Southampton (12 Million Pounds)

Carl Jenkinson from Charlton (1 Million Pounds)
Joel Campbell from Saprissa (1 Million Pounds)

So, this has been one of Arsene Wenger's busiest transfer windows. Despite this, Arsenal have received more money from transfers than they actually spent, which is quite peculiar in today's markets. Oh well, I'm more than happy. He's finally sorted the defense out, and kind-of sorted out the midfield. Although Benayoun I could care less for. Oh well. UP THE ARSE!

Next, I'll look at the transfer dealings of Chelsea.

Howard Webb to Ref Man Utd v. Arsenal

Sh*t.

Yes, Arsenal IS in a Crisis

This was going to be a post of hope for Arsenal. But now, that's all changed. Just weeks ago, everything seemed great. A huge amount of players were linked with a transfer to the Gunners, Fabregas seemed to be staying, and the same was for Nasri. Now? Manchester City are on the verge of signing both Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri, while Fabregas is almost destined to join his boyhood club, Barcelona. Oh to be a Gooner.

What's happened to this club? Just a few years ago, players like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, and Patrick Vieira were world beaters, winning just about every competition, bar the Champions' League. And they even got to a final for that. In 2011 however, players like Denilson and Almunia are given free rides on the Arsenal bandwagon and are getting paid wages that other top clubs would laugh at. And instead of selling deadwood like Denilson, Rosicky, Squilacci, Bendtner, and Almunia, teams are picking off Arsenal's top players one by one. This brings me to my point, does the executive board even care about winning? At this point, players who come to Arsenal just use the club as a stepping stone to greener pastures. It's happened in the past with Petit, Overmars, and Henry, and it looks to now be happening with Fabregas and Nasri. Clichy I don't care that much about, he's been utter crap for the last 2 years. As a huge Arsenal fan, I cringe every time I enter a footballing news website. 9 out of 10 times the main headlines are either about Fabregas leaving or another unknown "talent" being linked. Why still buy young talent? Really? What Arsenal needs is established players, not some 16 year old from Sweden. I want a 25 year old Englishman *cough* GARY CAHILL*cough*.

Yes, it's very easy to pin all of the blame on Arsene Wenger. He's the one who's in charge of transfers and players, right? No, while other teams who have billionaire owners, like City and Chelsea, can spend huge sums of cash, Arsenal's new owner, Stan Kroenke, has given Wenger just 35 million pounds to spend. In today's transfer market, that's nothing if he would want to buy truly established players. I mean go look at Liverpool, Andy Carrol for 35 million and Jordan Henderson for 20 million. If Arsene Wenger would want to purchase Premier League players, who's he going to get on the cheap? While it looks like Gary Cahill is about to sign for the Gunners, he supposedly is going to cost 17 million pounds. That's half of the transfer money gone right there. Add the purchase of Gervinho for 12 million and thats almost 30 million already spent. Yes Arsenal might get money from the sales of other players, it's still not enough depending on who is sold. I mean, look at it this way. Fernando Torres cost Chelsea 50 million pounds in January. Arsenal's most expensive player purchased was Andrei Arshavin. Around 15 million. Quite the difference.

Eh, I'm going to end my rant there. It's not like I can do anything about it. I'm just another disillusioned fan. Plus, there are some positives in this whole thing. Arsenal are looking at Christopher Samba, Gary Cahill, and Phil Jagielka for center backs. Gervinho has confirmed that he will sign for Arsenal, and the only reason that Phil Jones chose United over Arsenal is because of location. So not all bad. But then again, to me it's not enough to soothe my anger with the fact that 2 of our top players are most likely leaving. It could only be worse if Robin Van Persie or Jack Wilshere handed in a transfer request. 

Knowing Arsenal's luck, that's what's gonna happen tomorrow in the papers.

The Big, The Bad, The Ugly: Footballer's Haircuts

It's been a long while since I've posted on my blog, and I sincerely apologize for that. It seems that I've been soaking in the summer a bit too much, so it's time to get back to business. During the summer, without much football aside from friendlies being played, there isn't much to write about. There are transfer rumors, but 90% of those are crap fabricated by newspapers, so I'll look to avoid those. What will I write about? Probably humorous lists, or I'll go on long rants and try to predict the future of certain teams, players, and managers. To kick off the summer articles will be a humorous article. 

There have many, many terrible haircuts in the history of sports. But for some strange reason, footballers are fond of seeing who can have the ugliest hairstyle. In modern football, players experiment with haircolors, braiding, perming, and the like. So here's a look back at this seasons strangest and just plain ugliest haircuts.

Here, 19 year old Brazilian starlet Neymar shows that it's not only Brazilian football that has flair. With Ronaldo (The REAL one) and Ronaldinho sporting some strange 'do's in the past, Neymar is continuing the tradition with this sky-high mohawk/fauxhawk... thing. 

Next up is Everton's Marouane Fellaini. The Belgian holding midfielder stands out like a tree when seen on the field. I mean, look at the guy, he looks like he belongs in a 1970's disco rather than a football pitch. All he's missing is the aviator sunglasses and a comb.

Racing stripes in hair? That's what Tottenham's Aaron Lennon decided to do. Stretching from his eyebrow to the side of the head, the go-faster stripes are shaved into Lennon's short hair. And actually, it's quite fitting. Along with Theo Walcott, he's one of the Premier League's fastest players. 

Arsenal and Manchester City target Gervinho, otherwise known as Gervais Yao Kouassi, seems to have an absolutely huge forehead. Or atleast that's what his hair makes it look like. He's got an octopus for hair, and it's all held strangely held down with a mere headband.

At Arsenal, strange haircuts seem to be the norm. Kicking off the trend was Bacary Sagna. For every game, bar one, the Frenchman has had these crazy blonde braids in a similar fashion to Gervinho. Like I said about Fellaini, he's amazingly easy to spot on the field.

In tune with the spirit of strange hair, Marouane (Another one?) Chamakh can't decide what to do with his. I honestly can't tell. There's a bit of a mullet in the back, there's a fauxhawk somewhere in there, and then it's slicked down in the front. Ugh, I give up. 

And finally, Johann Djourou's red stripe. No not the beer, Djourou's hair. Showing his love for Arsenal, the Dutchman dyed a stripe of red in his hair to make it known what team he was playing for. As if the jersey wasn't already enough.

Picture of the Day: Arsene Wenger

Now that all of the major football leagues in Europe are over for the summer, I, to be quite honest, won't have that much to write about. Other than transfer rumors, I'll probably be writing some opinion articles and little fillers like this, my new segment, Picture of the Day. In POTD (I'm too lazy to type it out every time), I'll be finding pictures from the past Premier League, FA Cup, or Champions' League season that I find entertaining. In addition to that, I'll explain why it explains the past season greatly, and why it's funny. 

So, with that said, first up is Arsenal's manager, Arsene Wenger, seemingly yelling at the ground. Yeah yeah, most people say he's lost the plot... maybe he has actually. After another tremendous collapse in form late in the season, images of Wenger that were similar to these were seen far too often. Despite being a HUGE Arsenal fan (I can't stress that enough), I think this picture sums up the whole 2010/2011 season. Yes, we did manage to beat Barcelona, Manchester United, and Chelsea, but we never managed to beat Tottenham, West Brom, and even lost to Aston Villa on the final home match of the season. The "Lap of Appreciation" after the match was cringe-worthy to say the least.

Here's hoping that Wenger manages to buy the correct players *cough*CENTER BACKS*cough* that will be needed to finally lift a trophy for Arsenal for the first time in 6 years. Seriously, I'm tired of getting crap from my friends, who just happen to be Manchester United fans.

Is Arsenal in a Crisis?

Just a few years ago, Arsenal was a huge club, one of the biggest in the world. While that still may be true on the financial basis, it isn't so based on footballing terms. Back when the like of Henry, Adams, Bergkamp, and Vieira were still at the club, young players from lower leagues and teams strived to earn a transfer to join Arsenal. The players who wore the Arsenal shirt played with a passion, fueled with love for the club. Stars such as Tony Adams would never, ever even think of talking up a move to one of Arsenal's rivals. Now? Samir Nasri said about Manchester United's supposed interest; "Do I want to go to Man United? First, we should see if it's real and if it is concrete." This is only the start of Arsenal players beginning to crave moves away from the Emirates. Just before, Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson both stated that they will leave Arsenal this summer. Then again, it wouldn't be that tragic if any of those players left. Bendtner and Denilson haven't contributed in months, while Nasri had three good months of football, and then went back to his usual, wasteful self. 

But the thing that worries me is buying replacements for the players who are ready to leave. It seems impossible for Arsene Wenger to secure players, with their rivals, including United, City, and even Liverpool snapping up some of Arsenal's targets. A perfect example of this is Phil Jones, who was signed by the Red Devils for 16 million pound. Arsene Wenger offered the same price to Blackburn, and even higher wages than Manchester, only to see Jones pick United. This looks like a trend in recent times. Arsenal are linked with players in tabloids, only to see other teams come in interested. Even if the Gunners have a deal in the bag, they can almost never seal the deal. There's always some kind of bickering involving the price of the player, or the wages. To be honest, it's quite a bit annoying to be a fan of Arsenal in the transfer windows. The frustration of hearing the Christopher Samba almost joined Arsenal to heal the ailing defnese was immense for me He revealed that, “I think a move to Arsenal was very close in January but that is life." Why was it that Arsenal couldn't seal the deal? Who knows, but it's most likely something hugely stupid.

Now, I want to talk about the club's current captain, Francesc Fabregas. For the past few seasons, he has been constantly linked in papers and on the internet with a move back to his boyhood club, Barcelona. Despite nearly every Barca player tapping him up, he hasn't come out publicly stating his desire to stay at Arsenal, and hasn't condemned the actions of his Spanish colleagues. That's quite a problem. A captain of such a club as Arsenal should be proud of his team. He should rubbish any claims of him going to Barcelona. But he hasn't. Is is heart even at Arsenal anymore? Sure doesn't seem like it. During matches, he's looked disinterested, and not caring of what happens on the field. Then again, during the Everton match, where the Gunners came back to win, he did launch a tirade against the referee at half-time. So it is possible that he's committed to his current club. The thing is however, that he isn't really the captain type. He makes his impact by how he plays, not his character. I personally believe that the only reason he was given the captain's armband was to keep him at Arsenal last summer. Players like Robin Van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen, and even Jack Wilshere would be more suited to be the captain. They're often seen criticizing the referee, and even their colleagues on the pitch. 

So, will the 2011-2012 season be a tragedy for the Gunners. I certainly don't believe so. If the aspects of the squad that need to be addressed are fixed, then it could possibly be one of the Arsenal's best seasons in recent times. One can only hope.

Premier League Top 4: What's Next in Store?

After all of the excitement, drama, and collapses in this year's Premier League season, Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United have once again become Champions of England. Was it really that surprising? To be quite honest, not at all. Despite having huge hope for the Gunners, once again, the season ended dismally, with the single highlight being the victory against the eventual champions. Now, I'll look over the best 6 teams in the Premier League, and make my views clear on what they should do to succeed next year.

Manchester United (10/11: 1st Place, 80 Points): No matter how much I hated seeing them take the trophy again, I have to admit that the Red Devils have been stellar. Despite, in most people's views, having a weaker squad then their rivals; they're able to achieve the success that other teams can only dream of. A midfield of Carrick, Giggs, Anderson, and Fletcher doesn't even begin to send shivers down the spines of most teams, so it seems like that's the one area that Sir Alex needs to purchase players for. One area that doesn't need purchases is the attack, with Hernandez, Rooney, Nani, and Berbatov providing proper cover. Watching Rooney recover from his scandal, I was amazed when he dropped back behind Hernandez and played numerous passes for the little Mexican, "Chicharito" to easily finish off.  In fact, that's what Hernandez has shown he's best at, poaching. Always at the right place at the right time, usually being able to tap the ball into an open net. Those two, along with Nani, will be troubling many defenses for the next few years in both Europe and England. For the 2012 season, I view Manchester United as the favorites to retain the title. The only real signings they need to make are one or two midfielders, especially a creative midfielder, with Paul Scholes recently retiring. With that, they can continue to grind out results, no matter how hard it seems.

Arsenal (10/11: 4th Place, 68 Points): Oh boy, where do I start with my favorite team? At the beginning of the season, nearly everything was perfect. Samir Nasri was just sublime, Marouane Chamakh was providing wonderful cover for the injured Robin Van Persie, and Jack Wilshere was showing the potential to become one of the best midfielders in the world. They were on top of the world in January and February, beating Barcelona in the Champions' League, and strongly contesting the four tournaments they took part in. Then, on February 27th, it all collapsed. Everything. Losing the Carling Cup final to Birmingham City, knocked out of the Champions' League on aggregate by Barcelona, and knocked out of the FA Cup by Man United. They still had the league right? Nope. A late collapse saw them drop from title contenders to fourth place. So what are they missing? Not to be biased, but Arsenal's attack is formidable, one of the best in the league. Robin Van Persie, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere, and Theo Walcott lead a front-line that can terrify even the strongest defenses. But the defense is a completely different story. As much as Johann Djourou and Laurent Koscielny tried, they couldn't contest battles in the air. More than 50% of the goals Arsenal have conceded have been from set pieces. MORE THAN 50%. For a team regularly contesting the title, that's ridiculous. So it's pretty obvious what's needed. Someone big, strong, even a leader to show a path when times are tough. Christopher Samba has been highly linked, and he ticks all of the needed boxes. So what's gonna happen next year for them? I honestly don't know. It depends on what happens in this transfer market. These next few months will be absolutely crucial for a successful 2011/2012 Premier League season for the Gunners.

Chelsea (10/11: 2nd Place, 71 Points): 2010's Champions went into this season being strong favorites to clinch the title. Sadly, for them atleast, a mid-season collapse in form saw them struggling and falling into third place behind Arsenal. Trying to fix that dip in form, Roman Abramovich reached into his pockets, took out 50 million pounds, and bough Fernando Torres. Now, despite the hilarious outrage of Liverpool fans on the internet, the Reds were happy thanks to their new purchases of Luis Suarez and Andy Caroll. Meanwhile, over at Stamford Bridge, Torres was failing to make an impact. Despite this, Chelsea's form improved hugely, and made a late run for the title, but still missed out. This year has been quite peculiar for the Blues. No trophies? Strange for them. What's been the problem? My guess is that their once world class stars are beginning to show the signs of their age, and there aren't any young replacements. Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, and Paulo Ferreira are all 30 or older. Granted, they do have Torres, McEachran, Ramires, and David Luiz, but that really isn't enough. Most of the aging players still have a few years in them, but for Chelsea, it's time to start looking for replacements. They can't rely on the players they purchased 5 years ago for the next few seasons. This summer, my bet is on Roman Abramovich, oil magnate and Chelsea owner, will go on a huge spending spree before the Financial Fair Play rules kick in.

Manchester City (10/11: 3rd Place, 71 Points): Like Chelsea, the Sky Blues are another team who basically bought their success. 12 years ago, they were dwelling in the third tier of British football, but now thanks the a Sheik Mansour they're one of the best teams in England. I honestly don't know what to think of it. On one hand, I like how their success finally managed to throw off United, whom they beat in the FA Cup semi-final. On the other hand, they finished above Arsenal in the table thanks to their 400 million pounds of spending. Me no likey. Let me outline their most likely plan on how to improve the squad in the summer: LET'S SPEND SOME MOOLAH. They also better hope that Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko finally step up and fill their potential, because they will also most likely have to fill Carlos Tevez's boots. It seems as if he could be moving away from the Mancs, especially since he was told by Sheik Mansour himself that he is allowed to leave. Recently, the team's squad has really been clicking, and towards the end of the season they were, I hate to admit it, playing some great footy. The midfield trio of Yaya Toure, David Silva, and Nigel De Jong can only improve next season, and can soon look like a formidable squad that any team in Europe would be scared to face, if they aren't already. So what can they do to improve? Other than what was stated above, not much really. Maybe a few big name signings could come in, and knowing City, I'm ready for some crazy transfer news.


Now, time for some predictions. It'll be tough to call a winner for next season's Premier League. Honestly, I believe that Arsene Wenger will make the best transfers for his squad, and will end up winning the Premier League title. As for the other challengers, I wouldn't be surprised if they win other silverware in England and abroad. We'll just have to wait and see.

My Predictions for 11/12:
Premier League Winner: Arsenal
2nd Place: Manchester United
3rd Place: Manchester City
4th Place: Chelsea/Liverpool
FA Cup Winner: Manchester United
Champions' League Winner: FC Barcelona
Premier League Top Scorer: Robin Van Persie
Carling Cup Winners: Liverpool
 Player of the Season: I honestly don't know, probably someone British.
Young Player of the Season: Henri Lansbury

Happy St. Totteringham's Day!!!

Today, May 7th, is St. Totteringham's Day! It is a celebration of Arsenal fans, where Tottenham now cannot mathematically finish above the Gooners in the table. They were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at Blackpool. Baha. All that spending and they're still in Arsenal's shadow. And now, since they most likely won't secure Champions' League football, it looks like good Ol' 'Arry Redknapp's best players, including Gareth Bale, will be leaving the club.

Ha. Here's a wonderful poem:

Twas the night before St. Totteringham's, when all through N5 Not a gooner was stirring, not even a child.
The kits were hung by the front door with care, In hopes that St Totteringham soon would be there.
The gooners were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of Fabregas danced in their heads.
And Madam in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap Had just settled our brains for a long late spring nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the newly-built ground, Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects around
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a shimmering saint, stood there clutching a beer.
With a red and white kit, he was looking so hot, I knew in a moment it must be St Tott.
More rapid than eagles his chanting it came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Szczęsny! now, Gaël! now, Sagna! and Song! On, Nasri! On, Jack! Cesc, now hurry along,
Eboue! Arshavin! Van Persie! Walcott! Speed him along, that splendid Saint Tott!
And then, in a twinkling, we shall hear that cry, That comes every year despite how they try,
As we leap up and down and spin all around, Down to earth St Tott will come with a bound.
He'll be dressed red and white, from his head to his foot, And 1961 embroidered on his boot.
He'll point at the number and say "See here! They failed once again, despite the 'one' in the year!"
His eyes-how they'll twinkle! his dimples how merry! His cheeks are like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth will draw up like a bow, And the beard of his chin will be white as some snow.
He'll be chubby and plump, a right jolly old gooner, "It comes every year, usually sooner,
They spend so much and I hope it's not rude, One time I had to poison some Italian food!"
He'll laugh and he'll laugh 'til his face turns bright red, "Their Euro hopes lying there buried and dead,
You'd think they'd be happy with Old Channel 5, Not keeping those delusional champions' hopes alive!"
He'll spring to his feet, to the team give a whistle, And away they'll all fly like the down of a thistle.
But we'll hear him exclaim, ‘ere he drives out of sight, "Happy St Totteringham's to all, and to all a good-night!"

So, all Arsenal fans, rejoice! Times might be tough, but atleast we know Arsenal are still better than the Spurs.

Arsenal Make Things Exciting

So, without Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal finally defeat Manchester United, for the first time in the season. But, it was a hollow victory, atleast for the Arsenal fans. A few weeks ago, it looked like this match would be a title decider. Instead, it's a stumbling block for the Red Devils. But, it has opened the title race wide open. Chelsea, who in the winter looked completely out of the race, now has a wonderful chance to retain the league title next week, with the Blues visiting Old Trafford in a Clash of the Giants.  But then again, a lot has happened, so.... can Arsenal still win the title? Let's see.

Well, let's start with Chelsea. About 4 months ago, they were down and out. They were defeated at the Emirates by Arsenal, who at the time were arguably the strongest team in England, and people counted them out only half way through the season. Now, thanks to Arsenal's terrible recent form, they're in second, and only 3 points behind the Red Devils. But on Saturday, they were lucky to get their crucial three points against Tottenham, with the first goal never fully crossing the line, and the second being scored by Kalou from an offside position. I hate to say it (as an Arsenal fan), but I feel sympathy for the Spurs. They could have been a major changing force in the title race, but thanks to terrible refereeing, they're now behind Liverpool, who jumped up to 5th place. 

 

 

Now, on to Arsenal. Oh, the Gunners. How sad of a collapse. Despite all of their draws, they were still fully in the race until their loss to Bolton. Let me say that again, BOLTON. But with this win, can they be the dark horse in the race? In a word, yes. They don't play up to their full potential when under pressure, but now that people don't take them seriously in the race, they play freely. And the Gunners showed what they could do with that freedom, defeating Man United despite being robbed of a penalty. Chelsea and Manchester United play next weekend, and if Manchester loses while Arsenal beat Stoke City, the table will read Chelsea-73, Man Utd -73, Arsenal-70. Yes, I am being very optimistic. But why not? The 2010-2011 Premier League season has been absolutely insane, meaning anything can happen. Anything.

A New Era for Arsenal?

6 years. It's been 6 years since Arsenal has won a meaningful trophy, the 2005 FA Cup. Now, in recent times, all that the Gunners have won is the insignificant Emirates Cup. This season, that looked to change, as they entered the League Cup Final against Birmingham City, full of confidence after beating Barcelona with a comeback. Then, disappointingly, frustratingly, and humiliatingly, Arsenal lost to the Blues, with an absolutely horrible mix-up between Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny being the catalyst for another trophy-less season. After that day, Arsenal dropped out of the Champions' League, the FA Cup, and on April 24th, all but guaranteed that they were out of the title race with a 2-1 loss to Bolton.
 

Since February 23rd, their 1-0 home victory against Stoke City, Arsenal have had only one league win, and that came against a relegation battling Blackpool. They passed up numerous chances to close the gap to Manchester United, only to draw against the likes of Sunderland, West Brom, and Blackburn. Not exactly teams that would frighten a team who is supposedly one of the world's best. But, with Arsenal, now every game is one where the supporters grow frightened, thanks to the fragility of Arsenal's defense. Yes, many will point to referee's mistakes, or just bad luck, but it's really only the squad to blame. So, this makes many ask the question, is Arsene Wenger really still capable of winning the league with his current side?

Will the stubborn Frenchman change his frugal ways? I can only hope so. Yes, he has been great at spotting and raising young talent, with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Cesc Fabregas, and Aaron Ramsey regularly being important parts of the Gunners' squad. But, what the team lacks is a leader on the field. Ever since the "Invincibles" era, there hasn't been anyone who will get up and shout into someone's face after they make an Almunia-like mistake. The quiet Cesc Fabregas has been the captain of the club since the 2008-2009 season, and he hasn't been the best driving force behind the club. Even Robin Van Persie has been more vocal, criticizing the way that other clubs play and act, and, along with Jack Wilshere, has openly supported and pledged his allegiance to Arsene Wenger and his club.

Despite being captain, even Fabregas has commented on Wenger's tactics and philosophy. Like many supporters and pundits, he believed that Arsenal can't win trophies with just kids out on the field, and that they need experienced and committed players. So, what will Wenger do this summer? The players that I believe  the Gunners need to purchase are obviously a central defender or two, an experienced 30-something midfielder, and a clinical striker who can provide great cover when Robin Van Persie is injured. Per Mertesacker, Gary Cahill, Phillipe Mexes, Diego Milito, Eden Hazard, and Karim Benzema have all been linked to Arsenal constantly. Will the adamant Arsenal manager change his ways and buy a few players with the 40 million pounds now at his disposal?

Finally, I just have one more thought on my mind about Wenger's managerial ways. He absolutely needs to sell the under-performing players. Diaby and Denilson started their Arsenal careers strongly, but recently, have been totally ineffective. Along with those two, Tomas Rosicky, Manuel Almunia, and Sebastien Squillaci should be put on the transfer market in the summer. Along with being ineffective, they constantly make mistakes that continually cost Arsenal important points in the title race.

So, that's all that I have to say about the current Arsenal "crisis". After six years of trophy-less, but wonderful football, it seems that Arsene Wenger has been thinking about purchasing a few experienced players who should help the Gunners finally win a title again. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Wenger said, "We have to strengthen the squad where it needs and make the right decision on that front (transfers)." So, the outlook looks good. This will be an interesting summer for Arsenal fans. But, if next year Arsenal comes out empty-handed, then it will surely be time for Wenger to leave his post.

Premier League Title Race: Oh, It's ON!

Well, the last few days have been quite eventful in terms of the Premier League title race. On Saturday, Chelsea comfortably defeated West Brom with a score of 1-3, and in doing so, made the gap to Arsenal only 2 points. But, the Gunners, instead of being inspired by Chelsea's closeness in the table, only managed a home draw against Liverpool on Sunday. Arsenal's attack was slow, sluggish, and was actually very predictable. The wingers, Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri, couldn't even create many chances because they couldn't get past Liverpool's fullbacks, who were both from the reserves. Then, the magical moment. Arsenal got a penalty, and Robin Van Persie coolly put it in the bottom corner, thinking that he secured the 3 points. But, at the other end, Eboue had other ideas. He fouled Lucas, who wasn't even threatening Arsenal's goal, and gave the Reds a penalty. Dirk Kuyt put it away, and also basically put Arsenal's title hopes away for another season. 

So, it looked like today, Manchester United would finish off any chance for Arsenal to come back and cause a huge upset in the title race. But, Tim Krul, the Magpies' number one, had other ideas. Putting in a Man of the Match performance, he kept the Red Devils at bay and earned Newcastle a 0-0 draw. Because of Man United's naive performance, the gap is now 7 points, but Arsenal have a game in hand. Will this be an impetus for the Gunners? Will they now play the wonderful, attacking, and clinical football that they showed earlier in the season? Time will only tell. I think that players like Jack Wilshere and Robin Van Persie will play their heart out during Wednesday's game against the Spurs. It won't be easy, with Gareth Bale and Rafael Van Der Vaart constantly threatening to score. 

With 5 rounds to go, Manchester United still has to play Arsenal at the Emirates and both Everton and Chelsea at home. Compare this to Arsenal's fixture list, with tomorrow's game against Tottenham and the game against the Red Devils being the matches where Arsenal could truly lose points. But who knows? There can be many, many surprises to come until the last match of the season. Both teams could potentially drop points, and of course, no one should truly rule out Chelsea.

Haha. Just kidding. Those chavs are out of it.

Looking Forward to the Weekend, Weekend

This weekend, there will be a few matches in both La Liga and the Premier League that are sure to entertain. Now, I don't normally cover La Liga, but El Clasico is certainly a great occasion to do so. Let's preview some of these matches, shall we?

Real Madrid v. Barcelona (La Liga): The clash of the Spanish titans. Last time Los Galacticos met the Blaugrana at the Camp Nou, Barcelona completed dominated Jose Mourinho's side with their tiki-taka style of play. However, with this match being at the Bernabeu, things could be a little different. With Barca being 8 points ahead of Real, this could be a pivotal match in the title-race. A win for Barcelona, and they have basically won the league. Unless of course, they have a terrible slump in form. But c'mon, it's Barca. But, a win for Real, and they're only 5 points behind. If that happens, all it takes is a Barca draw or two for Real to be firmly back in it. This will be the first of four matches that these two will play in a matter of 18 days, with the other matches being the Copa Del Rey final and the Champions' League semi-finals. My prediction? A 3-3 draw. I don't think Barca will be able to overcome the atmosphere of the Bernabeu. Heck, they let Arsenal come back at the Emirates. And yes, I did just take that as an opportunity to brag. This game will kick-off at 3 p.m. Central US time on Saturday.

Manchester City v. Manchester United (FA Cup Semi-Final): Anyone remember the gem of a goal above? Of course you do. It's most likely going to be the Premier League goal of the year. And, it was also the winner for the Red Devils the last time they met the Citizens. Did I also mention that Rooney isn't going to be playing. That's right, his ban will keep him out of this match. But, it isn't all bad news for United. City's main man, captain, and goalscorer Carlos Tevez will be out with a hamstring injury. That leaves either Mario Balotelli to start or Edin Dzeko. Balotelli's a little baby and Dzeko's still adjusting to the British style of play. So it looks like a tough choice for Mancini. I just hope that Roberto Mancini doesn't put a defensive-minded squad onto the field, which would ruin what I'm anticipating to be a fantastic match. Hopefully, Mancini will play around with his squad and play both of his center forwards. They'll be looking for a positive result, following their 3-0 defeat at the hands of the rejuvenated Liverpool, who will be facing Arsenal on Sunday. I honestly can't make a prediction for this one. After all, anything can happen in cup matches. This match will kick-off at 11:15 Central US time.

Arsenal v. Liverpool (Premier League): Finally, the third, and final of this weekend's "Clashes of the Giants". With both teams slightly ravaged with injuries, this could be closer than most expect it to be. The players out for Arsenal: defenders Bacary Sagna, Johann Djourou (most likely). But, with Emanuel Eboue having a fantastic match against Blackpool, his presence will be welcomed. What I'm fearing is a Squillaci-Koscielny backline for Arsenal. "Squicielny" as they're affectionately known by the Gooner faithful aren't exactly the best back line in the League. In fact, together, they're pretty terrible. This could be a huge disadvantage for Arsenal, with Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll firing on all cylinders for the Reds. It's kind of a scary situation. But, Liverpool's midfield, atleast in my opinion, pales in comparison to Arsenal's. With Steven Gerrard being out, Lucas, Jay Spearing, and Raul Meireles pitted against the likes of Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, and Jack Wilshere. However, under "King" Kenny Dalglish, the Reds have beaten both Manchester sides by the score of 3-0. But then again, those were home games. Arsenal have looked a bit weak at home lately, but this will be an amazingly crucial game for the Gunners. If they win, they're back in the title race, being only 3 points behind Manchester United. I predict a 3-1 win for Arsenal. I think that the squad will realize that this is the pivotal point of the season, and they'll play their hearts out.

Premier League Injury Update: March 31st

Chelsea: The Blues' recent signing Yossi Benayoun has been out of action since October, after getting surgery on his knee. He played in Isreal's Euro qualifier against Georgia this week, and will be looking forward to return to play for Chelsea. I was actually wondering where he went. 

Arsenal: During today's training session for the Gunners, Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas, Abou Diaby and Alex Song were all seen training at full strength. Arsene Wenger is confident that all four will be ready for Saturday's match against Blackburn. Also, Robin Van Persie should be ready for the match after his injury during Holland's Euro qualifier against Hungary was ruled to be not very serious. This will be a huge boost for Arsenal.

Tottenham: After recently recovering from a groin injury, Jonathan Woodgate returned to play in a friendly against Barnet. But, he was taken off with a calf-problem, and will miss the Spurs' Champions' League quarter-final against Real Madrid. This could be a major setback, despite Huddlestone coming back from injury. Also, Gareth Bale has a hamstring injury which occurred when training with Wales, but he could possibly feature against Real Madrid. Aaron Lennon should also be back after pulling out of England's friendly with Ghana.

Bolton: Stuart Holden will be out for approximately six months after sustaining ligament damage from a hard tackle by Manchester United's Johnny Evans. For the hard tackle, Evans received a straight red. This is a huge blow to the American, who in my opinion was one of Bolton's most consistent players at Bolton and in the USA National team.

Liverpool: Steven "Captain Fantastic" Gerrard could be back from a groin surgery for Saturday's match against West Bromwich Albion. He took part in most of this week's training sessions, but manager Kenny Dalglish will be cautious when considering to play Stevie G. I don't think it's been that huge of a loss for the Reds, with Raul Meireles and Luis Suarez both stepping up recently, contributing hugely to Liverpool's good recent form.

Van Persie Should be Arsenal Captain

Sure, Cesc Fabregas is one of the best, if not the best, players at Arsenal. But, I don't think that means that he should be captain. They need someone who has passion for the club, and is not afraid to speak his mind about other teams and go up and yell in the referees face, hoping to influence his decision. Recently, Van Persie has shown that he has the guts to speak up, saying:

"Barca are a great team, but they shouldn’t overdo the moaning as they become b****y annoying. They dispute every decision, with five  players confronting the referee. I like their style of play, but find them unsporting as well."

Also, his thoughts on Chelsea and Man City: "I still strongly believe in my club's philosophy.
A club like Manchester City change their philosophy every year and Chelsea spent about €80m this season ... two clubs who had a big mouth before the season, thinking that Arsenal wouldn't play a role in the title race but we are still ahead of them. And just by playing our own game, through our own philosophy."

This is the kind of talk that the Gunners need. This man is what the Gunners need. The Flying Dutchman.

Manuel Almunia: The Clown

 

I'll be honest, I used to feel bad for the guy. He got so much stick for all of his mistakes, yet being completely ignored when he actually did shine on the rare occasion. For some time, I understood why Wenger kept giving him chances. After all, at that time, Lukasz "Flappy-hand-ski" Fabianski was the second choice at that time. I understood everything, up until last week's game against West Bromwich Albion. It was his chance to shine after both of Arsenal's in-form Polish keepers, Szczesny and Fabianski, were both injured. And... he screwed up. Majorly.

After a long ball was played, it seemed like Sebastien Squillaci was going to deal with it. But, with his absolutely brilliant thinking, Almunia comes waaaaaay out of his box in an attempt to clear the ball. He didn't even get close, and even pushed Squillaci when he tried to chase the ball. The idiotic mistake cost Arsenal a possibly title deciding two points. And also, some blame was put on Almunia for West Brom's first goal, but I think the second was enough to show just how bad Almunia's judgment really is. How could this man have ever been trusted as the Gunners' number one keeper? It seems like sometimes he actually TRIES to make Arsenal lose, like some sort of double agent for Manchester United.

Granted, he is actually a wonderful shot-stopper. As evidenced by his performance against Barcelona in the 09-10 Champions' League Quarter-final. For the first 20 minutes of the match, he stood his ground and kept out shot after Barca shot to help Arsenal earn a 2-2 draw against the best team in the world. That day was definitely the highest moment of his career. However, being a great shot-blocker doesn't necessarily make you a great keeper. Well, maybe in gym class football. It also takes timing, and knowledge of when to come out or stay in your box. That, sadly, is where Manuel suffers. I'm always worried when Arsenal has to defend a set-piece with Almunia in goal, knowing that there is a great chance of him doing something stupid.

So, with that, I want to make a plea. PLEASE Arsene Wenger, sell the man. Send him back to some place in Spain, where he came from. He could be a useful asset for a relegation-battle team, but not a club that regularly challenges for the title. Keep the two Poles in goal as the first choice keepers. They have both been in amazing form recently, and deserve to stay at a club of Arsenal's stature, unlike Almunia. With the rise of Szczesny and Fabianski, Arsenal's goalkeeping woes have been solved. There's no room for this fool and his screw-ups.

Manchester United defeat Arsenal

Before this match, many said that these two giants were the only two teams left in the Premier League title race. Whichever team would win this game, in many people's opinions, would go on to win the league. In contrast to many people's thoughts, Alex Ferguson put out a weak side, similar to the one that struggled to defeat Crawley Town, with the exception of Wayne Rooney starting. Arsene Wenger put out a much anticipated squad, with the exception of Denilson getting a start.

Early on, the game looked to be in a very close balance. Arsenal bossed possession, allowing the Red Devils to only get chances in on counter-attacks. The Reds almost took advantage of a counter attack when Rafael put his twin brother Fabio's cross above the net. Then, on another counter attack, Manuel Almunia saved Chicarito's header, only to put it in the feet of Fabio da Silva, who made no mistake, putting the Red Devils up 1-0. Before the break, the Gunners managed to get two great chances, one from a curling Van Persie strike that forced a save from Van Der Sar, and another from a run into the box followed by a shot from Nasri. At 45 minutes, the score was still 1-0 to Manchester.

Soon after the break, Arsenal went all out attack, with even Laurent Koscielny surging forward, taking two strikes and forcing a fine save from Edwin Van der Sar. The onslaught didn't last long however, when Wayne Rooney put in a second goal from a soft header put perfectly into the bottom corner, out of the reach of Manuel Almunia. With 40 minutes left in the game, the Gunners knew that they needed to continuously attack to have any chance in this game. Knowing this, Arsene Wenger used all of his substitutions, bring on Chamakh for a poor Denilson, the young Ramsey for Diaby, and Rosicky for an in-effective Andrei Arshavin.

The substitutions proved to be a good choice, with Chamakh forcing a wonderful diving save from Van Der Sar after heading Bacary Sagna's cross towards the goal. Tomas Rosicky put one of his finer performances in, also making Man U's Dutch keeper save his powerful shot from outside the box. Still being 2-0 up, Alex Ferguson put experience onto the pitch in the form of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes to make sure the Red Devils would keep their lead. Scholes didn't seem to make a huge impact on the match, with his only contribution being a yellow card.

In the 82nd minute, when scrambling to clear the ball, Johann Djourou was trampled over by his Arsenal team-mate Sagna, which in turn dislocated his shoulder, forcing him to be stretchered off. Having used all of their subs, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey had to play as temporary center-back for the remainder of the match. Despite having eight minutes of added time, the Gunners couldn't come back into the game, again succumbing to defeat at the hands of Manchester United. After the match, Arsene Wenger confirmed that Johann Djourou will be out for the season, only adding to Arsenal's injury list.

Like many of their previous matches, Arsenal once again have failed to produce results despite being the dominant team, with 54% of the possession and 11 shots and target, in comparison to Manchester's 5. In the last two weeks, Arsenal have gone from contention in 4 competitions to just 1, with the Premier League title race only on their minds.