Sunday, October 31, 2010

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Arsenal: An Early Preview

Another victory for the Gunners and we would wrap up another Champions League knockout spot. If that happens it will be the Gunners 11th consecutive season in the knockout stage. Not bad for a team that has been fielding a team with an average age of 25 and below for the past couple of years.

This match will probably not be another stroll in the park like the 5-1 drubbing we gave the Ukrainians two weeks ago at the Emirates. The opposition will be looking for revenge at their own patch and are in good spirits coming into this match. Shakhtar are currently top of the domestic league and just beat third place Dnipro 1-0 over the weekend. The defeat at the Emirates is and still remains the only time Shakhtar has been defeated this season. In their eight league matches at home this season, the team has only conceded 1 goal. This match will be a good test for the Arsenal goal machine which has already set the new record for goals scored after three Champions League matches with 14 goals.

Arsenal are also coming into this match in good confidence having stretch their unbeaten streak to 5 matches in all competitions with clean sheets in the last three. Fabianski is starting to repay Arsene Wenger’s faith in him with confident displays since taking over from Almunia in goal. The defence also looks stronger with the return of Laurent Koscielny. The Frenchman was immense in the match against West Ham and hardly put a foot wrong in that match.

Arsene might not want to risk Cesc giving his hamstring injury suffered at the weekend although knowing our skipper, he would probably want to play. However, the squad is deep enough to make do without Cesc and still not looking too bad. We would probably see the return of Jack Wilshere in the starting line-up following his three match ban. The young lad was highly impressive in the reverse fixture at the Emirates and should be a handful for the opposition again.

Up front, I expected Bendtner to be given his chance to start as Arsene needs to manage Chamakh’s appearances before he breaks down as well, given our injury curse. Chamakh has been involved in 95% of the matches we played so it would good to give him a rest. Moreover, the big Dane has not done too badly since returning from injury scoring at Manchester City when he came on as a substitute and Newcastle in the Carling Cup.

All in all, the most important thing about this match is that the Gunner returns home without any further injuries to the players. Three points and a place in the knockout stages would be a major bonus, though.
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Arsenal vs West Ham: The Heart of Champions

It  is always a wonder how mediocre opposition goalkeepers suddenly come to life and produce the match of their year at the Emirates. Time and time again, in the past we have seen great performances from Heurelho Gomez, Brad Friedel and Robert Green all who can be great in one match and dismal in another, choose to have a great one at the Emirates.  On Saturday, Green again choose to be his brilliant best against the Gunners.

If not for him, this match would have been a stroll in the park and we would have added to our impressive goals tally. I counted no less than 6 great saves from the English international, denying Fabregas, Song, Nasri and Walcott clear opportunities at goal. When he was beaten, the woodwork came to his rescue. It was one of those day which everything turned against us. In the past, West Ham would probably have gone right up the other end and nicked a goal but this time we stood firm.

Arsene Wenger, in his post match interview hit it right on the spot when he said the difference this time was that we did not make silly mistakes at the back. The return of Koscielny to the heart of the defence really gave it a much stronger look and we remain solid at the back throughout the ninety minutes. Uncharacteristically, this is Arsenal’s third clean sheet in a row.

Overall, we again showed a gusty display, not giving up when the going was tough. The key to the attack was patience and variety and that was what we showed. The lad played with passion and maturity to vary their attack and continue to probe even at the death, rather than just going for speculative shots or crosses. Unlike previous occasions, we also did not over commit overselves with the two centrebacks holding the fort while leaving the attacking to the others.

Personally I felt it was a matured display and showed how we have improved over the years. As we step into the dreaded month of November, I hope we can continue to show the heart of champions throughout the match.
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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Arsenal vs West Ham: An Early Preview

Since the defeat by Chelsea, Arsenal has gone on a four match unbeaten run in all competitions and scoring fourteen goals and only conceding two in those matches. Arsene Wenger’s side is growing from strength to strength with players returning from injuries to give the manager a selection headache. Both  Walcott and Bendtner will be pushing for a start in this match after the fine showing at St James Park but Bendtner will probably start on the bench again with Chamakh retaining his spot as the lone striker. Lauren Koscielny will return to partner Sebastian Squillaci in the heart of the defense where the Gunners have been shaky all season and especially in the last few matches as young defender Johan Djourou started in place of the injured Vermaelen and Koscielny.

On the other hand, West Ham is still struggling to find a foothold in this season’s campaign. The Hammers just narrowly missed relegation last season but this time around looked favourites to go down with only six points from the first nine games. Supporters were chanting for Avram Grant’s head during last weekend’s home lost to Newcastle. Although they managed to beat Stoke City 3-1 to progress in the Carling Cup, the pressure of the manager is unlikely to get better unless they can managed a win at the Emirates.  To make things even harder for Grant, key players Matthew Upson and Frederic Piquionne will be not available for the match.

Arsenal have not lost to West Ham in over five years and things are unlikely to be any different this time around
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Ramsey scheduled for reserves run-out on Nov 8th

Aaron Ramsey, who has been out with a broken leg since February, will take part in his first game since that unfortunate incident in a specially arrange reserves match against Everton at Colney on November 8th.

However, the Welsh star is not expected to make a push for the first team at least until the start of the new year.  Arsenal’s medical staff are wary about pushing him too fast too soon and hope to ease him back to the team with a couple of run-out for the reserves squad.
The player himself is very optimistic of being back to his best soon.

“I’m doing what the staff are telling me here. I trust them and I think I’m on track,” Ramsey said recently. “I’m just doing my pre-season work now, trying to get a bit of spring back into my right leg. I’m outside training with the fitness coach and I feel good.
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Walcott impresses but defense still remain a concern

Theo Walcott shows that he has not lost his goal-scoring touch after time out with injury as he scored two brilliantly taken goals in Arsenal 4-0 drubbing of Newcastle in the Carling Cup. With that victory, the Gunners are now through to the last eight of the competition for the eighth successive season.

Walcott’s first goal came in the second half with Arsenal leading 1-0 courtesy of an own goal by the Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul at the end of the first 45 minutes. Walcott raced on to a clearance by Johan Djourou to beat both central defenders who were caught trying to play the offside trap and calmly chipped Krul from the penalty spot. It was the mark of a goal taken by a calm and matured player who would otherwise have missed this opportunity in previous seasons. There will be shouts of protest coming from the Newcastle side for a foul on Williamson by Bendtner in the approach to the goal. They may have a case but we have been at the wrong end of things as well so you take every chance you are given.

Walcott’s second goal was almost a carbon copy of the first as the pass intended for Jay Emmanuel Thomas was missed by both centrebacks near the halfway line and rolled nicely into the path of Walcott. With his pace, the defenders didn’t have a chance and this time, he chose to sidefoot the ball pass the goalkeeper with the same results.

Nicklas Bendtner scored the other goal in between the two from Walcott after being released by Fabregas, who came on as a substitute for Vela. Again, Bendtner like Walcott is showing a more clinical side to his play needing only one chance to convert.

It was a good win for the side but I am still very concerned about the defence and Djourou. Gibbs injury problems continue and he had to leave the game in the first half due to an ankle injury. The one person I worry the most in the defence is Djourou. The way he was constantly beaten by the Newcastle attackers, first by Haris Vuckic and later by Andy Carroll probably means Arsene might need another centreback in the January transfer window. Truthfully, if the Newcastle attack was as clinical as Arsenal’s then the scoreline would have been much closer.
All in all it was a good win and we are now one step closer to winning our first title in six years. Arsene promised a strong side and he delivered with Rosicky captaining the side and Walcott, Bendtner, Eboue, Denilson and Koscielny all in the starting line-up. Even then the average age of the squad was about 23 years, showing the strength and depth of the Arsenal squad.
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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

A quarter of the season gone, who's your best player so far?

In a blink of an eye, a quarter of the Premiership season has passed. Although all the players gave a good showing in most of the matches, a few of them have caught the eye with their outstanding performance thus far. Now it's time to chose your choice of best performing player in the first quarter of the season. Vote wisely





Who is the best Arsenal player so far this season
Marouane Chamakh
Jack Wilshere
Samir Nasri
Cesc Fabregas





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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Arsenal's play is not rocket science, just simple mathematics

I don't understand why the football pundits and commentators keep saying that the Arsenal players tend to over elaborate when attacking. Often they would use their favourite phrase "walking the ball into the net” when our boys don’t shoot when they have the goal in sight, even though there might be couple of players in front of the goal or when the player is in an acute angle for the shot. These commentators tend to like players who just shoot on sight. However doing that when there is a better opportunity to create even better chance is just wasting your possession.

In the real world, we use a mathematic term which any high school student can teach you. It's called PROBABILITES. In an Arsenal player’s mind, he is always thinking: pass or shot? His selection boils to the probability of his choices? Which is the better pass? What is the probability I can score for this angle or is it better to pass? All these are choices the players make in the split second. Most of the time the players get it right. That is why Arsenal has the best percentage of shots on target than any other team in the Premiership. We also lead in the goals to shots ratio. In others, we are just more efficient in our attacking play than all the other teams.

We don’t go whacking the ball goalwards at every opportunity like other teams do and hope for the best. Yes, it will come out once in a while but for the majority, the ball goes out of play and you lose possession. It is just very inefficient.

Arsene Wenger is the most astute manager in the Premiership and he understands all about efficiency in shot selection. He has drummed this mantra into all his players and it is evident in all his teams from the juniors right up to the senior squad. This mentality has also not changed in the 16 years than he’s been with the Gunners. The simple reason is the efficiency works and there is no reason to change it. It is better to educate the pundits and commentator who are totally ignorant of this simple concept.

At the end of the day people like to watch Arsenal play because we play intelligent football. However, there’s nothing so rocket science about it. It all boils down to simple mathematics and any child can explain it.
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Monday, October 25, 2010

Final thoughts from Sunday's match

It was definitely a marvelous result on Sunday. The lads really socked it to the Citizens and came back with three very important points. Also we saw how far-sighted the manager was to have sold off the Emmanuel Adebayor. As I said in my post before the game, the beanpole  striker needs a least a couple of chances before he can convert one. Well you all saw the game, he had three or four opportunities and how many did he score: Zero.

Another thing that caught my attention that night was the way the team committed those cynical fouls which we have not always done. There were a couple of times when the City players were embarking on a quick break, our lads in midfield just took them out. This is an important step in the team's progress. It shows we can beautiful football but at time when we need to be intelligent and cynical, we can do that as well. I agree with the manager when he said that this match showed how the team has matured . I do hope it continues.

Have anyone noticed how opposition players are getting sent off against us. I am sure it must be some kind of record but in the first nine games we already have 3 teams who didn't finish the game with their full complement of players. This is a good sign cause we have not lost a game in 12 years when the opponent goes down to ten man in he first half. With the way we attack and move the ball, I am sure this trend would not end anytime soon.

Lastly, amidst the euphoria, just a word of caution. I said before the match the central partnership is the weakest link in the team. I have not seen anything in the match to prove otherwise. He may improved in the future but Djourou is looking very much like Senderos 2.0. Huge potential but cannot do business on the field. I just hope Koscielny or Vermaelen return soon cause having at weak central defensive partnership could derail our championship hopes this season.
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Newscastle vs Arsenal: An Early Preview - Carling Cup

Traditionally, this is one competition where Arsene Wenger bloods his next generation of stars. Throughout, names like Fabregas, Clichy, Wilshere, Walcott et al got their debut in this competition. However this year there may not be so many places available for the younger generation as the Professor is under pressure to deliver some form of silverware to the club after six barren years.

When asked if he would send out a strong team for the match against Newcastle during the post match interview on Sunday, Wenger said that he is definitely sending out a couple from the team at the weekend to face the newly promoted side.
From the manager’s words, my guess is he would be playing most of the players who sat on the bench on Sunday.  That would mean a start for Rosicky, Walcott, Gibbs, Bendtner and Eboue. Having said that I am sure the manager will pepper the squad with some youngsters so expect to see Szczesny and Lansbury included as well. Lansbury gave a good account of himself scoring the first goal against Spurs in the last round so he would be expecting a prolonged run with the team in the Carling Cup.
I know he won’t start but I do hope the manager gives Benik Afobe a chance to show the fans what he is capable of against established stars. Afobe has come in for some great reviews from the academy coaches, even Arsene is captivated the young man and has predicted him for stardom in the near future. The last time he was so upbeat about a player was Jack Wilshere and look how he turned out.

Newcastle would not be an easy opponent to take on especially at St JamesPark. They beat Chelsea away in the last round and confidence is high after the weekend’s 2-1 away win to fellow relegation contenders West Ham.  Their dangerman Andy Carroll is a talented centre forward would give our defenders a hard time. Former Bolton hard man Kevin Nolan is another threat .

It is an excellent chance for the Gunners to go all the way and claim their first title in six years given the competition this time around have already seen the top teams like Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs all fall by the wayside.

Go Gunners!
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Sunday, October 24, 2010

Manchester City 0 Arsenal 3: Hats off to Fabianski

I never thought I would say this but what a game by Fabianski. He certainly prove the manager’s confidence in him with his performance in this match. I counted no less than 3 big saves that he made at critical junctures which could have change the whole complexion of the game.

His save in the first minute from the Silva backheel was instinctive and kept us from chasing the game. The save he made from Silva shot’s early in the second half was equally important as the Citizens were in ascendancy and who knows what would have happened if they had equalized.

His last save from Jerome Boateng was not insignificant as it took away any chance of a late Manchester City revival. All in all it was the best performance I have seen of him in an Arsenal shirt since he came to the club.

It was a good win for us against an opposing side full of confidence being unbeaten at home so far. The early sending off certainly had an impact in the game but I am sure even without the advantage we would have given them a run for their money. Cesc was instrumental in very part of the pitch and showed that he is back to his best following time out through injury. Nasri continued his good scoring form and even Arshavin showed signs of becoming a more diligent player. The way the Russian covered for Clichy in the first half when Micah Richards was marauding down the line was a pleasant surprise. It was also good to have Bendtner back and scoring a goal with his first opportunity as well. That really is a surprise.

It was a good win of a championship challenger and the three points carried us to second in the table. As the Professor said in his post match interview,

“It is always a burden on your shoulder because if you don’t do it, people will 
remind you of your record so once you get it off it becomes easier”

Let’s get on and charge ahead with our challenge on all fronts.

Next up: Newcastle in the Carling Cup on Wednesday
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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Manchester City vs Arsenal: It's time for PAYBACK

Flashback to September 12, 2009 and one of the most sickening moments for an Arsenal fan. The sight of Bloodybayor running the length of the field to celebrate his goal in front of the Arsenal fans was just purely sickening. Really, I felt so bad after watching the match that I nearly gave up my dinner.

Today we have the chance to make amends. Although I thought he would not be playing but it seems that the greedy Togolese have snatched a place in the starting line-up for tomorrow’s match. As far as I am concerned, this is bloody good news for Arsenal. With him in Manchester City’s line-up, our chances of winning have improved dramatically.

Why you ask? The answer is very simple. With him in the team, it takes away one spot from a more talented player from the wealth of City players to choose from. Either Silva or Johnson or Milner will have to make way for him. If Mancini thinks that scoring three goals against third rated opponents would give him a boost against the Gunners, I thank him for that. I want the chance for the team to really pour salt into his wound when we beat him at Eastlands.

Frankly I don’t think there is a more hated person on the Arsenal’s supporters’ lists than him. It is good riddance that we got rid of him given his performances for his team since joining them. He wouldn’t care much because he is getting £125,000 every week for strutting on the field. We certainly do not need such a player in our squad.

Chamakh has shown us what a target man should be. Powerful in the air and pressuring from the front, things which you don’t see BloodyBayor doing. Also at least our new striker doesn’t need 10 chances to score 1 goal.

I have a good feeling about tomorrow’s game. The Manchester City team now has a more European feel to it. With players like Tevez, Silva and Toure, they play a more open passing game which suits the Arsenal game plan. We have always been more successful against European type teams that British type game plans, which undoubtedly Mark Hughes version of Manchester City was last year.

So Gunners, please do me a favour and repay the man from Togo for the agony he caused us last year.
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Friday, October 22, 2010

Arsenal's £40 million kitty: keep the lot, only 1 player needed


During the AGM, Arsene Wenger announced that he has upwards of £40 million to invest in new players for the January transfer window. Being his usual self, he was coy on his plans of whether there would be any new additions to the team, choosing instead to keep everybody guessing of his plans.
The £40 million kitty has got me thinking? Who can we add to the team that would be worth the value? Mind you at the January transfer window, we need to consider players might be cup tied and thus not available for certain key matches. So let’s analyse department by department and see if we need any reinforcements.

Defence:
Our defence was one of the weak points in the team at the end of last season with injuries to both centre backs, Gallas and Vermaelen, but with Squillaci and Koscielny brought in and Djourou coming back, we have 4 main centre backs vying for 2 places. I know many might feel that these guys are not good enough and we probably need another world class centre back in the squad. In this case, I don’t see anyone we can bring in for the right amount of money that can help us improve the squad. Yes, I would like Jagielka or Cahill but given that they are English, each would cost in the region upwards of £18 million and I don’t think they are worth that much.
As for the fullbacks, we are covered in both left and right side with 2 world class defenders for each position. Definitely no need for reinforcements here.

Midfield
Whatever formation the manager plays, we are just brimming with talented midfielders. Cesc, Wilshere, Song, Denilson, Diaby, Nasri, Rosicky, Ramsey et al just chasing three midfield positions. Some might argue we need a backup for Song but I think Denilson and Diaby can take that role. Plus we have Ramsey returning. We must also not forget another youngster who is out injured but who is definitely the future defensive midfielder of choice: Emmanuel Frimpong. If not for his injury, I would say he could have had as big an impact as Wilshere this season.

Forwards.
Again, we are blessed with a group of talented forwards who can always give us 10 goals each every season. Van Persie is probably good for 10-15 games a season but now we have Chamakh, Walcott, Arshavin, Bendtner and Vela. Also, we have Benik Afobe who I am pretty sure will make the first team jump very soon.

Goalkeeping
That bring us to the subject of goalkeepers. This is the only position which I feel we need to strengthen and I have just the candidate for Arsenal: Gianluigi Buffon. We are looking for a veteran goalkeeper to ensure that we are well covered while waiting for Szazzy and the Don to mature. Who better than a world cup winning goalkeeper? Buffon is still at the top of his game and probably won’t cost so much given his age. Furthermore he has not played for Juventus and won’t be cup-tied in European matches. 

So Arsene, get out your checkbook and use some of your £40 million to get Buffon and we are all set for a golden time ahead
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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Rooney saga shows why Arsene is a genius

The Wayne Rooney saga which had peppered the front pages of the every newspaper from America to New Zealand is very much a tale that we, the Gunners fan should be familiar with. We have seen how our best players wanting to leave the club because Arsene Wenger just refuses to capitulate on his rigid salary structure. Over the years, players like Overmars, Anelka, Petit, Hleb, Toure and Adebayor have all left in chase of the money. Unfortunately, they have learned the hard way: money does not buy you happiness or success.

Wayne Rooney’s case might be slightly different in that he is in his prime but again, would he be wanting to leave if he could get the £200,000 plus wages a week that he was looking for. Looking across the city and seeing that a player like Yaya Toure is getting £215,000 pounds a week must be a cause of envy for the lad.

Unfortunately for Rooney, who besides City can pay these kind of wages? He has come out to say he want to get out of United but seriously, where can he go? With the Uefa’s financial fair play ruling coming into effect soon, no major club in the country or the continent can afford Rooney without making sacrificing other places. Even City would have to sell most of their players when the ruling takes effect.

By my reckoning, out of 25 players, only one player in each club can be the marquee player, possibly earning upwards of £200,000 pounds per week. Another group of possibly 6 or 7 players can be in the range of £100,000 - £120,000 pounds. Majority of the team would be in the £60,000 to £80,000 pounds category and the rest under £50,000. Mind you, I am referring to a major club like United or Arsenal.

So for example, Real Madrid, which Rooney has been linked to. Their marquee player has to be Cristiano Ronaldo, similarly at Chelsea where Terry rules the salary scales. In Manchester City, everybody seems to be earning over £100,000 or more so that would probably have to change.

So Rooney has nowhere to go unless he is willing to go to a Liverpool or Spurs where he can be the number one star. But then again, can Liverpool and Spurs give him the chance at winning titles, which according to him, is a main concern with United now.

I am sorry to be talking so much about Rooney but the lesson here applies to Cesc as well. He may want to leave for Barcelona but we have seen in the summer that they can’t afford him. Also if he stays at Arsenal, he will no doubt be the highest paid player possibly moving the salary structure upwards to about £150,000 just for him. However if he goes to Barcelona, unless he is willing to settle for a lower salary, Barcelona would not doubt be unable to fit him into the team and be clear of the financial ruling.

That is why I always maintain that Arsene Wenger is a genius. When the financial fair play ruling kicks in, structural changes need to be made at all major clubs with the exception of ARSENAL. Now’s that’s what I call foresight.
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Manchester City vs Arsenal: An Early Preview


Everybody is talking about how this match is a big test for Arsenal’s title ambitions. While, I would agree that this is definitely a major match, I don’t think we should take it harder than a match against any of the big teams. Manchester City is definitely on the up and looking very much like real title challenges. To be realistic, after spending close to £300 million to assemble the team, you would expect City to be right up there. It is therefore a pleasant surprise that they are not fully developed as a team and it can only mean good news for the Gunners. 

It has not been happy visits for the Gunners to Eastlands since the Gulf owner took over. Last year we were beaten on both our matches there, the infamous 4-2 defeat in the League and another 3-0 reversal in the quarterfinals for the Carling Cup. However, we are on a roll with two victories on the trot and should go into the game full of confidence, whereas when we visited City in the league last year, we were still wondering what went wrong after being robbed the weekend before at Old Trafford.

It is also good news on the team front for the Gunners. Skipper and talisman Cesc Fabregas completed 60 minutes in the Champions League rout of Shakhtar Donestsk and looked in control of proceedings. He should again start in midfield together with Samir Nasri and Alex Song. Jack Wilshere will be missing through suspension and his place should be taken by Theo Walcott, who himself is just returning from injury. Even though Rosicky had a good game on Tuesday night, I believe Arsene Wenger will reinstate Andrei Arshavin to his spot in right midfield. The are no defenders returning from injury so that same back four should be playing their third successive game together.

As for City, I don’t think we will see BloodyBayor in the team or even on the bench given his insipid performance against Blackpool. Mancini would probably start with the formation that ended the game against the Seasiders with Silva playing just behind Tevez. There might be a place on the bench for Barlotelli whom we have not seen in the Premiership since his transfer from Inter Milan.

All in all, this top of the table clash is surely going to be an open contest, with both team aiming to stake their championship credentials over the other. Everybody can remember how explosive the situation was the last time both team met at Eastland. Although the plot isn’t so complicated this time, I don’t think the atmosphere would be any less fiery. 



Match Preview 
by  Prashavin
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Fabregas and Wilshere show Gerrard and Lampard how similar type players can play together

Personally, I felt that one of the best decisions made by Arsene Wenger last year was sending Jack Wilshere out on loan to Bolton.

The manager recognized the talent he had but felt that he was not ready for first team action with the Gunners last term. Whether that was a wrong decision is still being debated as Wilshere would have come in handy given the multiple injuries that we had towards the end of the season last time around. However, I am not one to question the manager and I feel that Bolton gave young Jack a good lesson in tenacity during his time there.

Whereas last term, you saw that the young lad was easily pushed around and often lost concentration during the few matches he played, this season, he has shown the maturity of a season campaigner and is the probably a shoo- in for Young Player of the Year if he can maintain his form.

Last night's match against Shakhtar again demonstrated how far he has come along. Already one of the most important and consistent performer for the Gunners this season, he showed his ability to combine well with skipper Cesc Fabregas to command the midfield. Both player are pretty similar un style yet combine so well during the match, each knowing where to run, fall back and distribute the ball. With both of them, the Gunners rarely gave the ball away unlike the previous matches when the passing have not been up to mark. Because both Cesc and Jack have such excellent vision, it is like having two playmakers in the team and well, the result is for all to see.

The lethal young duo also put paid to the fallacy that two similar players cannot play together. The English national team is still having the problem of accomodating Gerrard and Lampard in the same line-up because of their similar styles of play. Fabio Capello should learn a lesson or two from watching the Arsenal midfield at work because the movement of Jack and Cesc can be emulated by Gerrard and Lampard to the benefit of the national team.

It is a pity that we won't have the chance to see this line-up again until possible the return leg in Ukraine as Jack will need to serve a 3 game suspension following his red card against Birmingham. He has been ever present in the league so far and the team will definitely miss him in the up-coming matches
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Arsenal 5 Shakhtar 1: That’s the way to do it.

A wonderful atmosphere combined with a brilliant performance from the boys. What a Champions League night! 

The Gunners are steam rolling their way past the opponents in this season Champions League Group Stage. The team have now scored 14 goals in 3 matches while conceding only 2 goals. I believe the 14 goals in a Champions League record. Who knows how many goals we would score further with 3 games to go. Shakhtar was no easy meat. In fact going into the match, the opposing side have won all their past seven matches and have not conceded a goal in this season Champions League. That’s what made the victory so sweet.

I believe the key to our success last night was the first goal. Similar to the thrashing we gave to Braga, the early goal calm our nerves and brought the opposing team out of their shell. I believe in almost 99% (if not 100%) of the games when we get the opening goal in the first twenty minutes, we go on to win the game. This was already evident during the days of the Invincibles, when the tie was usually over by the first half hour when the Gunners are already 3 up. 

In the games against Chelsea, Sunderland and West Bromwich, we had the chances to score early in the game but we didn’t because we lack the sharpness in front of goal and ultimately we lost or drew the match. In this game, we took the chances that came our way and was rewarded for it. Our finishing was clinical today with Chamakh and Nasri putting away their chances early on. 

Now I am even more convinced that without the Russian, the Gunners are doing much better. A lot of chances this year have fallen to the feet of Arshavin but he could not convert putting pressure on the rest of the guys. Without him, the chances went the way of other strikers like Chamakh, Nasri or even Wilshere who are better at finishing off the chances currently. Rosicky who replaced Arshavin also showed that he deserved his spot. He was involved in a lot of the play and covered the defence well with his work rate. 

Last but not least, a word of admiration for the fans in the stadium last night. The standing ovation given to Eduardo when he scored the consolation goal speaks well of the Arsenal community. A real touch of class from the fans.
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Final thoughts before the Arsenal vs Shakhtar match


It is close to kickoff time for the match and we are still awaiting the team news. There are a couple of changes which I hope the Professor makes. He needs to rotate the squad as I think the players have become a big leggy over the past weeks. Furthermore we will be having two games each week for the next two three weeks.

For one, I would like to see Gibbs coming in for Clichy. Before his injury, Gibbs was on form and looks a good bet to give the Frenchman a run for the left back position. This can only be good as Clichy is getting a little careless and less focused than he should be. Nothing like a little competition to get the best out of the player.

I am also excited to see Theo Walcott back again. He was in such good goal-scoring form before his injury. It was his best time in an Arsenal shirt since he came into the squad as a 17 year old. Pity the injury wreck a month out of him. Hopefully he can return to the form he had in August and early September. It would be a blessing for us because beside Chamakh none of our strikers seems to be able to find the net.

Lastly, I don’t think Arsene should risk Fabregas for this match. Although a win means certain qualification for the next round, anything other than that would not be the end of the world either. Therefore I would just give the captain a round out after 70 minutes no matter what the result. Many people may disagree with me but the match on Sunday would definitely be more important. I think the Professor may have similar sentiments. Well, that's my hope anyway.
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Mannone's loan move is good for both him and the club

I cannot but feel happy for the young lad as he chooses to join Championship club Hull on loan until January. This is his chance to show the Professor what he is capable of. Mannone has been making noises on how he has not been able to get a game despite the lack than inspiring performances from Almunia and Fabianski.

Szczęsny made a similar rant earlier in the season but both he and Mannone would never get a start in the league this season unless both Almunia and Fabianski were injured. Szczęsny, who went out on loan Brentford last season and impressed, has obviously leapfrogged Mannone as the third choice keeper in Arsene’s mind. The loan move did wonder for the Pole and I would think that Mannone must be thinking of the same thing. If he can put in a good season under his belt, he would just be back in the manager’s reckoning.

Given their age, both Szczęsny and Mannone could have a big future at Arsenal. Szczęsny, obviously has been earmarked by Arsene as the future no 1 but Mannone  can have a say in that as well. His performance against Fulham last season definitely deserves praise and if he can produce that performance day in day out, then we would really have solved our goalkeeping problems.

With Arsene looking for a world class keeper (not to say he would find one that meets his price), many people are looking at Mannone’s loan move as putting him out in the shop window. I choose to disagree. Out all the 4 goalkeepers we have, I think Almunia is most like the one to be shipped out come January. I know he is injured at the moment but Fabianski seems to be the no 1 for Arsene now until the Pole makes a blunder.

If someone like Markus Stekelenburg comes in then, I don’t think Arsene would keep Almunia as his age and ability does not fit into the manager’s plans.
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Monday, October 18, 2010

Arsene, it's time to drop the Russian

He is a quality player and has contributed much to the Gunners cause but I think it is high time for Arsene Wenger to drop Andrei Arshavin from the starting line-up. It is just too hard watching him running aimlessly in the Birmingham match without any form or purpose while the team continue to carry him along.

I have come to his defence many a time when critics slammed him for ineffective performances and less than stellar work rate. One thing that has always pulled Arshavin through is his finishing ability, unlike some of our other strikers do not need 10 chances to convert one. Unfortunately, it is this ability that has deserted him and made him more of a liability than asset to the team.

In the matches against Sunderland, West Bromwich, Chelsea and Birmingham, Arshavin had glorious chances to put the game beyond doubt but his finishing lack his usual sharpness and thus the chances went begging. One thing’s for sure, if he was the Arshavin of old, we would not have lost or drawn the matches above because he would have put away the opportunities and victory would be ours.

With some many of our players coming back, it is high time Arsene give the little Russian some time on the bench, just to give him a kick up the butt and hopefully get his form back. If nothing more, putting him on the bench would show that no player is bigger than the team and if the player does show the commitment, then the jersey would no longer be his.
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