Gooners Archives - Arsenation

Consistency and a bit of luck

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Mar 242013

So I’m sitting here playing fifa with a couple of mates that just happen to be Arsenal fans, yes I surround myself with good company. Whilst using Arsenal I can’t help but ponder on whether we can finish in the top four or not. At the moment we are sitting 5th on the log with just four points behind Tottenham Chokespurs. They are not used to playing in Europe and it’s showing with their current dip in form. I did get a message via the grape vine (twitter) that the White Heat Lane talisman, Gareth Bale is not feeling very well during this International break. That’s good news for us provided we can capitalize on the fact that we play Reading when we get back on the 30th. We do have the advantage of a game in hand but that’s probably against Manchester United so its probably not a game in hand. If you are the betting type I would no doubt back United and take advantage of some great deals at FREEbets.org.uk. No, I am not undermining my team at all it’s just that it is very hard to believe that we can beat them at the moment. They have build up some sickening momentum and from here on end its just full steam ahead for them. With them being 15 points of Man City (sitting at 2nd place with 59 points) I just don’t picture them losing to anyone for the rest of the season.I’m starting to notice a pattern here, over the past two seasons we sold Nasri, Clichy, Cesc and Van Persie and all four of those players have won some sort of Cup with their new clubs having on their first season. Now I’m not speaking against the club so please don’t send out a mob. I’m just pointing out the errors within the club. We have so much talent but there is no support

structure to help us win the Cup.

Back to the topic at hand. . .

I have said this before that we have a very temperamental team and that is concerning for me. We have shown that we have what it takes, the problem is showing it with every game we play. While watching the game against Swansea last week i noticed that after we went a goal up we took it DOWN a notch and that would have been okay if we were sitting in first place with 20 points ahead of second place. You see how ridiculous that sounds? That is the only time you can ever take it down a notch in a game, and even then you should think twice. It’s almost like we just don’t want it bad enough, granted we won by two goals to nil but I just can’t help but think that it could have been a lot more if we just worked harder. A little side note: Carzola is working very hard lately and I am loving it.

We had a rumor that Jack would be out for about 6 weeks. I am glad, happy, over joyed and all those other nice words. No, not at the fact that he is injured but the lad need rest and he needs to pipe down a little. Yes, he is a vital part of the team and he is absolutely brilliant but u was starting to wonder if maybe he wasn’t getting a little bit overrated as a young player. Again please do not send a mob just read what I have to say here. If you look at Jack Rodwell, his transfer to City was a huge deal in the media but now look he is sitting and watching them play from the side lines. Is he a bad player? No, he just needs to learn his place. Please, I know jack is well beyond his years for the amount of talent that he has but he needs to know his place. With a little less pressure he would be 10x the player he is now. I’m sure he also gets tired of feeling like he has to carry the Pride of London on his shoulders. His injury will give Rosicky the game time he deserves. I think our squad at the moment has the quality to finish fourth with a little luck. The consistency part of the game has to come from us but the luck, well that’s really dependent on whether Spurs continues to lose and dip.

I’m Excited for the game against Reading. We have a good chance, we have a good side all we are missing is the raw hunger for that Champions League spot next season.

There’s so much more that I want to say but i know reading long articles has no swag

By Ntokozo Hlongwane

Remembering Rocky – A touching tribute

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Mar 192013

March 31^st 2001 is a day that will stick long in the memory. Another win over the enemy, another North London derby to get excited about.

Travelling from Dublin as part of the supporters club, we arrived in London on the early flight, talk about the imminent game and the pending win, we hoped, travelled to the ground to take in the atmosphere, stock up on the Gooner magazines that I missed out on since my last trip, spend endless pounds on souvenirs and eat my fill of match day hotdogs!

What I never expected was what happened next. A phone call from my wife to tell me that, my idol and Arsenal Legend, David Rocastle had passed away. The atmosphere changed. Looking around, you saw people in tears and staring in disbelief at the news filtering around the ground. For me, and so many gooners alike Rocky was a player I had always idolised and respected.

The atmosphere in the stadium near kick off with an emotional tribute on the screen to Rocky was surreal. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the stadium. Even The enemy stood silent in respect. A fitting tribute to the great man. Chants of Rocky’s name continued around the ground for the whole game and added to the atmosphere you’d expect for a North London Derby. Very fitting that a future Legend Robert Pires should score wearing Rocky’s famous no7 shirt.

I remember buying “The Rocky Road to Success”, a video tribute which was made to show the world his talents and a glimpse into his home life. The respect and adulation from his fellow footballers, managers and peers alike was incredible. Video tributes are not something that was made for all footballers, just the special ones, and Rocky was a very special talent.

Rocky was the kind of player who put a smile on the face of all who watched him play. A gentleman both on and off the pitch. He had silky skill on the ball that is, (unlike Bale) reminiscent of Messi or Ronaldo and most goals he scored were astounding. He could take on anyone and make a fool of them. If Rocky was playing in the premiership now, you wouldn’t be hearing the press talking about Bale all the time, believe me.

As a player, Rocky spent from 1984 – 1992 at Arsenal making over 200 appearances and scoring 23 goals. He has as much legendary status as Bergkamp Adams and Henry. All had respect for the badge and always have ours. “Remember who you are, what you are and who you represent”…. We had the honour of him representing us.

All that’s left to honour the great man is his statue outside the Emirates along side other Arsenal legends. I don’t think there would be one objection.

My final Highbury Jersey has Rocky’s name and number on the back. This is my tribute to him. Rocky will remain in the hearts of all gooners and is truly missed but will never, ever be forgotten. R.I.P Legend.

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Stop Bale – Stop Spurs?

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Feb 282013

For the first time in a long time Arsenal go to White Hart Lane as the weaker of the two sides. For the first time in a long time, there are at least five Spurs players who could get into Arsenal’s first team, unpalatable, but it’s a fact, Dawson, Defoe (if fit), LLoris, Dembele and Bale would all get a start if they wore red and white. In Gareth Bale, they have a genuine world class player; I both love and hate watching Bale, when he seesaws through the opposition’s midfield and defence I know what it must have felt like to have been a Spurs supporter watching Thierry Henry, appalling, but he’s a fact of life. Okay, in the summer, if Real Madrid pitches up with £40 million, Levy will snap their hand off and he’ll be off to La Liga, but in the meantime, he’s the best player in the country.
So it doesn’t take a genius to work out that we stand a better chance of walking out of the Lane with three points if we select a team to nullify young Gareth. If this were the 70’s we could have Peter Storey to “pay careful attention” to Bale and make sure that after the first tackle, the young Welshman didn’t fancy it for the rest of the afternoon. In the Graham era, the manager would spend all week working on drills to rehearse how to strangle the supply to the player and ensure that he had no time to settle on the rare occasions he received the ball. However, this isn’t the 70’s or the 80’s; Mr Wenger will probably have different ideas.

Nevertheless, I would suggest the following set up: bench the big German, we’ll need mobility across the park on Sunday, pair Vermaelen with Koscielny at centre half. Play (if fully fit) Diaby, Ramsey, Wilshere and Arteta in midfield with Diaby deeper to patrol the areas that Dembele and Bale break into. Giroud up front, vital for the out ball (which we shouldn’t hesitate to play) and Walcott playing off the big target man to stretch the Spurs back line when we do have the ball. Demand continuous movement and concentration from the starting eleven, it’s critical that we look sharp and competitive from the off and don’t be overly focused on keeping possession, if the ball needs to be cleared and there isn’t a clear option, don’t worry about putting it out. We need to break up Spurs rhythm.

On the positive side, I think we can surprise some people in this game. Commentators dribble in their admiration of Manchester United (I think Real will destroy them at OT), but when faced with these matches, Ferguson packs his midfield, and plays on the break; we should do exactly the same. Bale is good, very good, but I think this is one of those games we can win from the bench. Knowing the manager he’ll pick an attacking team out of a mixture of stubbornness and defensive naivety, but I’d keep Cazorla back for the last 30 minutes and I’d like to see Alex and Rosicky kept in reserve too. A quick point, I think that Tomas has been excellent when he’s come on recently. This may be the best Spurs team for a while, but we have more potential match winners on the bench than they do, 2-1 to the Arsenal.

By Ian Byrne

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Has the 4-3-3 ship sailed?

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Feb 272013

Saturday saw us win a game of football against an Aston Villa side that were on a fairly reasonable run of form. I know it was far from perfect, and yes, several of our recurrent problems, most notably our defensively susceptibility to the counter attack, were obvious. However the side did show a lot of character, they rallied when it would have been far easier to let their heads drop, they fought back to get a vital win and the three points which keep us well in the race for the Champions League spots.

Some seem to think that games against Villa should be ‘big games’, the breathtaking arrogance shown by this kind of Arsenal supporter is demonstrative of a quite remarkable hypocrisy, as this brand of Arsenal fan is often quick to accuse our own players of complacency, their complacency is assuming that not every league game is a big important three points for the taking is so deeply hypocritical. It is also this breed who never gives any credit to the opposition, any game not won in style is always to be blamed on someone from our own camp, it is the blame game, never show humility and never show any respect for the opposition.

Villa did well, their tactics were spot on, and although one can make a very strong argument that we should have been far wiser in our dealing with their swift counter attacks, credit must go to them, they also defended well for the most part. Lambert does appear to be building a good young side and it will take him time, if they can stay up then they will only grow, the problem for them is that it is very much touch and go as to whether they will stay up, their lack of an ability to hold on to leads has cost them so many points in recent weeks.

I think Arsene needs to wake up and realise that the way we have played 4-3-3 is defensively extremely naive. My personal view is that we do not have the correct players to play 4-3-3 adequately, and that Arsene has used it because it allows him to play numerous attacking central players. The problem is that this has meant our side has frequently lacked defensive balance and often attacking width. We were simply leaving ourselves outnumbered at the back on too many occasions yesterday, defenders were bombing forward and the gaps were not being plugged, so Villa often countered with a numerical advantage and this had to tell at some point, it has been a recurrent problem at the Emirates for many months now.

Whatever the manager’s failings and whatever the inadequacies of certain players, it certainly does the team absolutely no good to get on their backs, everyone would benefit from the support of all the fans for all of our matches. Unfortunately this isn’t happening and a negative minority of our own support are really harming our chances. Players like Gervinho may not be good enough, but do people honestly think it helps anyone other than our opposition to boo and barrack these individuals? It is so so depressing and so so counter-productive. I wonder how many of Bergkamp/Pires/Anelka/Wiltord/Henry/Toure would have been booed by this current crop of spoilt supporters, it is worth remembering how many of our greats took a long time to find their feet and benefited from the patience of our ‘supporters’.

One player that it is absolutely vital the supporters get behind is the goalkeeper, especially when this goalkeeper is young and relatively inexperienced. Some would do well to remember that Wojciech Szczesny has only player just over 70 first team games, and overall he has done a damn fine job for one so young. He is the best young keeper out there for me, of course he has made errors, even the best experienced keepers will do this and every keeper goes through a bad run of form. His error against Blackburn was poor, however he was not to blame for Munich’s second goal, and yesterday he was given far too much criticism for Villa’s goal, it was a belting low shot from Weimann, maybe he could have saved it, but it was certainly not a howler. Our young keeper needs our support not the fickle criticism that he is getting from some of our ‘support’.

So there you have it, I am sorry if I am short circuiting some of your ‘Wenger Out’ brains by criticising the manager and also urging you all to support all of our players all of the time, but frankly I am fed up to the back teeth with the fickle arrogance that some of our spoilt supporters are showing. It is not big, it is not clever and most importantly is is not helping the club, in fact the only people it is helping is Tottenham and Chelsea in battling us for the CL spots. So grow up, support the players when they are on the pitch and stop moaning like spoilt babies. I have no problem with criticism of the manager, players and the board, but is must be done with respect, and at the right time and in the right place. Abusing our own during home games is simply not on.

Ronnie Piper

Celebrations and clean sheets at Stoke!

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Feb 042013

Finally!! A clean sheet for Arsenal. The Gunners had quite a good game on Saturday in all aspects of the field. A solid back four, a good balance in the middle and a surprisingly an impressive attack force with the Ox claiming that left wing as his own. This time I will starts with Stoke. They looked very solid at the back and at some point i did not think we would score at all. Every time we went on the attack they would have 10 men behind the ball and that made it impossible for us to find a gap in open play.

I don’t know what Arsene said to the boys but they came out and they were ready to give up life and limb for that win. The Ox looking absolutely sensational on the left, doing exactly what was expected of him. The combined pace of Walcott and Chambo was a serious problem for Stoke. The Ox had two chances to convert but it just was not his day to add to his goal tally. Keeper denied the Englishmen twice when it looked certain that the ball was net bound and we would take the lead. Walcott looked Good, not great just good this time. The physical presence of the stoke defence was just enough to agitate him and it looked like he was just losing focus at some point. He was kicked and pushed around with no calls being made for fouls by the linesmen. Stoke are a very physical side, not much else is going for them besides that, so they use it to their advantage. You are almost guaranteed to come off second best against a stoke player in a one on one contest. I think that all the refs had a meeting and decided that it was okay for them to be so physical .

The combination of Jack, Diaby and Arteta worked really well in the middle. With Jack being the English bulldog that he is, we know for sure that he is always willing to fight for the ball. Arteta is back and we really did miss him. As an attacking mid he also knows how to defend and hold that mid tight. At the moment I do regard him as the last of a dying breed and an important part of this new Arsenal team. Abou Diaby was not looking bad at all, his game at this weekend reminded me of the one he had against Liverpool in the beginning of the season. With him wining the ball in the middle, making some good runs and most importantly releasing the ball and passing on time. He looks to be on the way to gaining his good form back and at the moment that’s exactly what we need. We have about thirteen games of the season left and we are sitting 6th on the table.

Defensively, we looked unbeatable. I’m seriously getting worried that the keeper is getting way to comfortable out there. I think he needs some serious competition to keep him on his toes. Sagna proving to us once again why he, is the first choice for Arsenal and heading off to play for France in the friendly. We need to re-sign him, two more years just so Jenkinson can get a bit more experience on his boots. Merti and Koscienly looked amazing. At the moment I prefer Koscienly to Vermaalen. Good game for Monreal.

When the super-subs came on, the difference in class was quickly revealed. Podolski and Santi came on first in the last quarter of the game and caused some serious havoc on the left side of the pitch. Then Podolski caused some more havoc on the right side of the pitch with a well struck free kick and with some help from the Stoke defender an unlucky deflection, putting the gunners ahead buy a goal to nil. I have never asked for Ramsey to come on but this Saturday I did, but I did not think it would be for Walcott. The Welsh international stood his ground and I think at the moment with his current form, he may very well be amongst the season’s most influential players in the team.

At the end of it all, I left the pub sober and with a beautiful song on my lips.

ONE NIL TO THE ARSENAL

By Ntokozo Hlongwane

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Come on Wenger, Buy that Guy

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Jan 312013

We all know that our beloved Arsenal played Liverpool last night and it was seriously an annoying game. Not because we drew (okay that’s part of it) but because we just weren’t clinical in front of goal and now we dropped 2 crucial points. Even though it’s not a laughing matter, I did find myself release a painful laughter at the blunders made by our most experienced defenders (No Santos is not one of them). Watching Sagna trip over his feet and Vermaalen taking a huge strike at the ball to clear it but getting a whole lot of fresh air instead was rather painful to watch. The second goal was just karma biting me in the butt. When the player line ups were on screen I may have hinted at Henderson being the most useless £20million signing ever, then karma showed me that Andre Santos was more useless.

Going straight to the 2 goals we took back with a beautiful ball from Jack and a tight angle strike by Mr Walcott. Giroud looking good at the moment with five goals in three games, it looks like the French international is settling in nicely at the Emirates.

My main concern and I know I’m not the only one that thinks that time is being wasted in this January transfer period. Gibbs is injured now and unless Wenger can find a SUITABLE replacement for the young left back we are going to suffer for the next month with a below average back four. In my opinion, Carl Jenkinson is the only player at the moment that would do well on the left so loaning him to Stoke would be a huge mistake on the Managers part.

We have been linked with about 10 players and most have been taken from right under our nose and all because we will only sign quality players. I agree fully, quality players only but then a sense of urgency is needed as we are not the only club that can spot quality. These are the players we have been linked with and have lost; Loric Remy gone to QPR, Mbiwa gone to new castle, Zaha gone to United and Yann Mvila gone somewhere is Russia and the latest news is that West Ham’s Diame could extend his contract with the London club. This could leave us a little bare in the middle in terms of defence.

Priority has to be a new left back. I know we have Ignasi Miguel and he can play on the left but he has no experience just a lot of potential. If by 11pm we can secure a good left back to cover for Gibbs, a solid Defensive mid-fielder, a clinical finisher (not urgent but would be a great help) and sell Santos, we would have had a successful business month this January. The three attackers we have the moment are looking good. Finding each other when it matters, I just don’t know why they don’t shoot at all. Reina was not looking good at all last night, the game should have easily been in our hands but the constant passing and not enough shooting is killing us.

We have a good chance against Stoke on Saturday. If we can prevent the early conceding and switch it up to some early game goal scoring, then I’ll be brave and say that we can finish in the top four and play Champions league next season.

I will be watching that clock tick and keep a close eye on that transfer news. Fingers crossed we can make it happen. ARSENAL TILL I DIE!!!!!!!!!!

By Ntokozo Hlongwane

Wenger – Transfer Tease…

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Jan 302013

As I’m writing this, there are just under 38 hours left of the transfer window. The window has been open for over 4 weeks and in that time we have signed nobody and in the 38 hours left, it’s highly likely that we will sign, nobody.

I think that as a group of supporters we are well used to the usual tactics deployed by the club’s hierarchy to deflect criticism of their core policy, whereby player acquisition is paid for from natural income. This must be a wonderful position to be in, the vast majority of businesses have to adopt the “speculate to accumulate” model and gamble with going into the red to acquire assets which transform their business prospects. Arsenal prefer not to do this, having reached a position of financial stability, we are like an old lady sitting at home on a mattress stuffed with cash which is never spent.

The usual tactics are:

The CEO (Kroenke’s voice box) re-iterates that “the manager has funds available”.
The manager tantalises the supporters by talking about strengthening the team through buying “one, maybe two players”.
An Arsenal “source” leaks that the club has made a massive (30 million this time around) bid for an unnamed world class player.
The manager re-iterates that “we are working very hard to do deals”.
The manager stresses that the “deals are very complicated”.
The manager reminds that the players we have returning from injury (Diaby, inevitably…) are like new signings.
We sign nobody.

Like most of the people reading this, I’d like to think that I’m a pragmatic soul; I fully understand that the building of the new stadium with everything it entailed, principally the huge cost, would lead to the transfer budget being curtailed for some time. However, we played our first game at the Emirates over six years ago, and it’s fantastic, supporters from other clubs are genuinely impressed when they visit for the first time. But what’s the point of building a sparkling seven bedroom mansion and then sitting around on tea chests?

I agree that Mr Wenger should not spend our hard earned cash for the sake of it, but when I look at the squad, it’s clear to me that we need the following players:

Ball winning central midfielder
Striker
Left back
Keeper

The first two could go straight into the starting eleven if they were of requisite quality. We have players in those positions, but at the moment we have Aaron Ramsey (and good luck to the lad, he’s all heart) standing in as a deep lying midfielder, but that is a position that requires a specialist. The forwards are beginning to gel, but we could do with the type of forward that young Theo wants to become – someone to play off the “shoulder” that can make runs beyond the opposition back four. Kieran Gibbs needs an understudy, Santos should never have played for the club after the away game at United, oh, and he’s crap. We also need a new ‘keeper to give young Szczesny a challenge and also some support. These are players that we need now, avoiding the obvious forces us into a position whereby the best we can hope for is our annual “will we or won’t we qualify for the Champions League”.

Mr Wenger made a very telling statement in the press conference yesterday:
“If I say that somebody is not for transfer, I expect other clubs to not to try to buy him”.

What??!? He’s been managing clubs for almost 30 years, how can he operate in such a position of naivety? How does he think the market works? Michel Platini said that “Wenger is just a business man these days”; well if that’s true, he’s not a very good one. If Arsenal is restricting itself to the players that are available, we are limiting ourselves to the Squillacis and Santos of the world. Did Internazionale ring us up one morning and say “hello, we think Denis Bergkamp is surplus to requirements, give us a few quid and you can have him”? I don’t think so; Arsenal needs to be more aggressive, people like doing business with gentlemen, but they don’t fear or respect them.

38 hours Mr Wenger….

Thank you for reading this, please feel free to comment or to follow me at @cmjianb

A Look At What The January Transfer Window Means For Arsenal, Theo Walcott and Who Arsenal Could Sign This January?

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Jan 042013

David Villa Sanchez

With the transfer window now officially open clubs around the world will be looking to strengthen their squad or move players on. However, the January transfer window is not favoured by most managers with several teams unlikely to conduct much transfer business at all, if any. I can understand why some managers and clubs opt against splashing the cash in January but there are always a few bargains available if you look in the right places. There are players with genuine quality and big reputations out of contract in the summer who are well worth a looking at. The likes of: Fernando Llorente, Keisuke Honda, and Moussa Sissoko amongst others could well be picked up for nominal fees in this transfer window, as they are all out of contract in the summer.

Whilst, some football clubs will choose against being very active this January, Arsenal simply have to! There are several players at the club who need to be moved on this January: Squillaci, Fabianski, Santos and Arshavin are all names which spring to mind. Clearing some of the deadwood at the club will both free up squad space and funds for any incomings. Also, loaning out some of the club’s youth players will be beneficial for all parties, with game time important for a young player looking to progress and mature as a footballer. Youngsters including Eisfield and Miguel will be considered for loan moves away from the club in order to gain vital first team experience.

In my opinion, Arsenal simply must target at least 2 quality players in this transfer window whom will make a difference at the club and fight for the badge on the shirt. In addition to this, keeping hold of our best players is a necessity.

The future of Theo Walcott still hangs in the balance although; the striker’s representatives have now held fresh talks with the club. It does appear as though Theo is edging ever closer to signing a new contract at Arsenal Football Club, with the player having previously admitted his expectation to have something sorted out very soon. There seems a willingness from all parties that Theo Walcott does remain a Gunner however, provided certain terms are met. According to widespread reports Walcott will sign a long-term contract for around £90,000 a week therefore, a compromise from the club and players previous demands. Nothing has been confirmed yet though but if Arsenal can tie Theo down this would certainly be a step in the right direction. Walcott has been prolific this season and it has become increasingly important that Arsenal keep hold of one of their prized assets and send out a real statement of intent. Arsenal and Arsene Wenger simply cannot afford to keep rebuilding depleted squads season after season if they want to be successful on the trophy front. Moreover, it also makes more financial sense to give Walcott a significant pay raise instead of shipping him on, in a cut price deal. Primarily, it would be hard to find a quality replacement for Walcott at a good price, available on a reasonable salary and willing to join Arsenal at this stage of the season. Clearly on all fronts keeping hold of Theo Walcott is quite frankly, pivotal.

On the transfer front it appears as though Arsenal are choosing to wrap up Theo Walcott’s future and sell or loan out some of the deadwood first before making any considerable approaches to sign any new players. I believe that this is a wise move as long as Theo’s contractual situation at the club doesn’t hold up proceedings on the transfer front for a lengthy period of time. It is important that the club identifies different targets, as well as pinpointing the positions they feel need strengthening. You would expect that Arsene and the club have an understanding already of whom exactly fits the bill, with talks with players and clubs likely to have started. The club is actively seeking to remove some of the deadwood from the club and the wage bill, with Wenger having admitted that Squillaci and Djourou are free to leave the club. Arsenal cannot afford to waste too much time inactive on the incomings front though, as we will risk missing out on a number of targets.

Moreover, Chamakh has now left the club on a sixth month loan deal, until the end of the season. Chamakh will be looking to impress whilst on loan at West Ham and this move is good all round. Djourou appears to edging closer to a move out from the club on loan now also. Hannover are said to be nearing completion of a loan deal, providing Djourou with the right platform to start playing regularly again. About time! Finally Arsenal and Arsene Wenger appear determined to get rid of fringe players at the club on high wages when you consider exactly what they are offering us. This has been well overdue however, the majority of players Arsenal have let go in recent times have only left on loan. Therefore, the problem is being shifted until the summer with the players long-term futures having to be resolved then. But my opinion is that once they are out of the club, they are out…

Time to get Theo Walcott’s contract rubber stamped and some quality signings signed up please, Arsene.

Who Could Arsenal Sign This January?

Well, if reports are to believed Arsenal fans should expect a minimum of 2 signings in this window although, as we all know nothing is certain in football. And I am sure Arsene Wenger will take into account the return of the likes of Rosicky and Diaby to the squad.

A hatful of different players are linked with January moves to Arsenal each and every day but it does seem likely that Arsenal will move for potentially a: striker, defender, defensive midfielder and possibly an attacking midfielder/ winger.

Arsene Wenger is looking at a variety of different strikers with David Villa and Adrian Lopez said to be on the club’s radar. Personally, I have my doubts regarding a move for Adrian Lopez who scored 19 goals in all competitions for Atletico Madrid last season. Whilst, he had a very impressive season last term, he hasn’t featured much at all for Atletico Madrid this season with world-class striker Falcao pushing him further down the pecking order. In fact he has only started 6 of Atletico’s La Liga matches so far, notching 2 goals in the process. He is a versatile player though who can play on the flanks or anywhere upfront. In his native Spain he has been named the new David Villa by some and at the age of 24 he is far from the finished article. He is rated in the region of £10- £15 million pounds but I feel as though Arsenal would be better off looking elsewhere. If the Gunners decided to sign both David Villa and Adrian Lopez then that would be a different matter. As Lopez could play on the wing but it seems more realistic that Arsene Wenger will sign one main striker in January. For me David Villa is pure and simply World Class. He could be available for a fee in the region of £16 million pounds, if reports are to be believed and Barcelona still owe Arsenal money for the transfers of Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song. A compromise could possibly be met over the price then too but Barcelona are reluctant to lose one of their star talents in January. He is out of Barcelona’s first team and whilst Messi remains fit and firing it is likely to remain that way. Villa wants regular football and a move to the Premier League would appeal to him. Even though he is 31 years of age, he is still good value and a player who could really help Arsenal move onto the next level. David Villa still has 2 years + at the top and would be a fabulous signing for any team. If he demands a transfer then he could well be on the way to Arsenal. A Spanish superstar with a proven track record, with the possibility of playing in front of Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere a move to Arsenal could well be a match made in heaven… Wenger sign him up, you know it makes sense!

Arsene Wenger is said to be keen on both Spanish strikers and it remains to be seen whether he will make his interest concrete. If we fail to land either of these players the club may decide to pursue the likes of Remy, Jovetic or Aubameyang etc. David Villa for me is the stand out option for the Gunners upfront though.

With several defenders heading for pastures new as explained earlier a versatile defender would be ideal in January. Someone who can play all over the back four. Montpellier’s French defender Mbiwa is reportedly Wenger’s top defensive target, he is versatile, a leader and a strong defender. He is a very good defender and would be an ideal signing. However, Marseille’s defender and Cameroon international N’koulou would be a decent alternative if we cannot land Mbiwa. N’koulou has in the past admitted to being flattered by rumours of interest in him from Arsenal last season and this could be one move to look out for. He is also versatile defender and both players have been in fine form once again this season.

Lastly, Arsene Wenger could decide to sign a defensive midfielder this month, Yann M’vila continues to be linked with a move to Arsenal however, I would prefer a January move for Toulouse star, Capoue. Capoue is a solid defensive midfielder and statistically the 2^nd best defensive mid in Europe this season. His fine form has alerted a number of clubs and a move to Arsenal would interest the Frenchman. Étienne Capoue is 24 years of age and an up and coming star in French football. A deal could well be on the cards if Wenger does press ahead with a bid in the region of £10 million pounds.

Who Would You Like To See Join Arsenal Realistically In January? What Have You Made of This Article?

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Everton Away – We want our Arsenal back?

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Nov 292012

Goodison Park is one of my favourite grounds; it’s a classic four sided British football stadium, you can get a pint right opposite the main stand and there’s a great chippy virtually next door to the pub. Admittedly, it was better when we used to get the upper stand at the Park End as opposed to being shoved down one corner in the Bullens Road, but it’s still a genuine football occasion when Arsenal visit Everton, you get the feeling that previous generations have experienced football in almost exactly the same fashion.

The evening started really well when, during the pre-match goal keeper warm up, Steve Bould left the pitch, jumped over the hoardings to chat to a group of supporters and sign autographs – class.

I was really pleased with a point last night; your status in football is governed by how you perform against your peers, and these days, Everton are competing with us in the “fight for fourth”. Yesterday, we equipped ourselves relatively well, it was a typical freezing northern November night, but the team (with a few notable exceptions) competed in a manner which supporters have a right to expect. One player should never dictate the outcome of a game, but last night I felt that if Fellaini was wearing a red and white shirt, we would have won the game quite comfortably. In the first half he was exceptional, Arteta couldn’t live with him and Fellaini won just about everything on the floor and in the air. His goal might have been slightly fortunate, Sagna’s clearance (which was poor anyway) went straight to him, but his control and shot were very much of a player in the £20 million + bracket, he’s this season’s Yaya Toure.
In the second half we improved and Fellaini wilted, and without him continuously involved, Everton lost their axis. Jack Wilshere is looking better and better, in the warm up, he was scampering across the turf, always looking for the ball in the short passing drill and his range of long passing in the second half should have been converted into at least one goal. Arteta competed more efficiently in the second half and young Theo seems to be “getting it”, he’s timing his runs better and he took his goal well, though there was a slight deflection. Kieran Gibbs looks recovered and Vermaelen seems to have got over his wobble and is obviously far more comfortable at centre half than at left back. Szczesny looked sound, he could have been closer to the equaliser perhaps, but atoned with a great reflex save in the second half (Fellaini header needless to say…)
Quite a number of encouraging signs.

However, as a half empty sort of supporter, it’s also necessary to consider the concerns. As a unit, Arsenal are trained, selected and instructed to keep possession and make the ball move, nothing wrong with that at all, that’s why neutral fans love Arsenal. However, I’m concerned that the remorseless pressure to do that sometimes leads to situations where the team seem to create problems for themselves. No other side is less likely to “hoof the ball clear” and in the Wenger era, we’ve had great fun pointing out when other teams resort to that tactic on a regular basis (Houllier’s Liverpool anybody?) Sometimes, however, it’s right to just get rid and clear your line; it’s actually a quality in its own right. Furthermore, and this is being picky, but I’ve noticed more than once, that our centre halves have a tendency to try and nod the ball down to a team mate, as opposed to pushing their neck through the header to clear the opposition players around them. It’s risky and unnecessary; last night, in the first half we gave the ball away far too often in dangerous positions because of our relentless adherence to possession football – is it a price worth paying?

Lastly, Gervinho – why? We could see that his body language was dreadful before he came on! His shoulders were slouched, he obviously didn’t fancy it and we missed a trick when introducing Alex Chamberlain could have made a difference, in the last ten minutes when Everton were struggling, Fellaini was cooked. Is Alex Arsenal’s Darren Bent, frozen out of contention and unsure as to why?

All in all, two tough away games and two points, looking forward to playing a real passing team on Saturday.

By Ian Byrne

Arsenal to make bid for Adrian Lopez – Why we need him!

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Oct 192012

We can all breathe a sigh of relief, the international break is almost over, and doesn’t the West Ham game feel like months ago? However, don’t fret, it’s only a matter of days before the same football media who frothed at the mouth criticising the national team for its inability to pass the ball, will be criticising Arsenal for doing precisely the opposite.

This morning we have been linked to Adrian Lopez, apparently the Atletico Madrid striker has a £14.6 million buy-out clause and Wayne Veysey is also bright enough to realise that by putting a decimal point in a transfer story, it makes it seem more genuine. However, in this case, there are legs in the story. We were apparently (same source) close to buying Lopez towards the end of the summer and even considered dropping the Giroud transfer at the last minute, when it appeared that Lopez was available.

Now I’m pleased we bought Giroud, he’s the type of physical presence that we’ve needed for a while, and probably thought we had secured with Chamakh. There are certain teams you need some muscle up front against but Lopez offers something definitively different. He has the specific ability that we haven’t had since Freddie Ljungberg – he makes runs behind the opposition defence, anticipating a through ball, beating the offside trap – it’s deadly.

I agree that every international striker should have this down pat, but most don’t manage to do so naturally. Ian Wright bagged scores of goals for Arsenal making exactly the same run, and he was very fortunate to have the world’s best number 10 putting them on a plate for him. Thierry Henry wanted the ball in different areas, he’d drift out wide and collect the ball relatively deeply, but he had the type of unparalleled pace that would decimate full backs and centre halves as he ran past them. The awareness to see a space, make the move into it at the right moment, collect the ball with a first touch which then establishes a scoring opportunity – that’s a gift that ensures that players blessed with it usually command £25 million transfer fees. As Mr Wenger won’t pay more than £16 million, when an asset comes on the radar at our comfort level, we should strike. Football is essentially a constant challenge to attract and retain the best players available at your level.

Speaking of which, Robin Van Persie changed his game (or was told to change it) in his final season to allow Arsenal to play more directly, by playing close to the centre half, playing a wall ball with his back to the defender and then taking a touch on the return ball before (often) smashing it in the net. Great to watch and also very hard to defend against. For the record, I was gutted when RVP left, but let’s be fair, without his goals last season we would have finished outside the top 3 places needed for Champions League qualification and would have struggled to attract players like Podolski and Cazorla.

At the moment we are fortunate to have a surfeit of the type of footballer who can complement a system that plays in a striker like Lopez – in particular, we have Santi Cazorla who can spot movement and almost faultlessly deliver pinpoint passes. Recently, it’s what we’ve been missing, so if Mr Wenger really has £35 million burning a hole in his pocket, get on the phone to El Vicente Calderon and get the negotiations moving.

By Ian Byrne

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