Fabianski is not the reason for our defensive frailties

I just can’t stand how some soccer pundits have the audacity to constantly berate Arsenal for still persisting with Fabianski in goal. In his latest article for Eurosport,  ex Manchester United player Paul  Parker seems to suggest that our defensive frailties stems from our Polish goalkeeper.  Parker said, “any defense will struggle if they are not confident with the goalkeeper’s decision making.  In another show, Jason McAteer blamed Arsene for not going out to and splashing the cash for a big time goalkeeper.

I have categorically stated in my previous posts that I am not a big fan of Fabianski. However I believe, he is not the one to blame for the current state we are in. In fact, if not for his performances, we would have lost a whole host of other matches. No doubt he has had his calamitous past, but bar the Andy Carroll goal at the Emirates, I don’t think he has made another major blunder since he replaced Almunia as the new No 1.

For the pundits to go on and on about Fabianski is costing us points is not fair to the goalkeeper. I don’t see anyone putting the blame on Petr Cech for his performances this season when Chelsea is not doing well. Cech is undoubtedly a great keeper but his blunders this season has cost Chelsea points, with his most recent blunder coming at the weekend against Newcastle.

In fact, all the goalkeepers we have been linked to have cost their teams more points than Fabianski has for Arsenal. Remember Reina’s blunder in the opening game, or Mark Schwarzer  and Robert Green’s blunders in the early part of the season. Every goalkeeper is almost certain to make a mistake in any given season so we should not keep harping on Fabianski when he has done so well up to now.

Our defensive problems have been well documented and to put Fabianski as the scapegoat is totally unfair to him. The three centrebacks we have available at the moment still needs time to gel and especially for Squillaci and Koscielny, more time to get used to the league. It is just unfortunate that we are missing Vermaelen for so long. No doubt he would have made a difference in our defensive stance. In the meantime, we need to defend as a team so that even if one defender makes a mistake someone else is there for cover.

So a message to the pundits, get off our goalkeeper's back!

Arsenal vs Wigan: Match Preview and line-ups

If there is going to be a finish article to Arsene Wenger’s youth project, then this is absolutely a match that the Gunners have to win. Not only this match, the lads have to gone and win this trophy to silence the many critics out there.

On paper this match should be a stroll in the park. However as we learnt from the past weeks, our form at the Emirates is hardly anything to shout about. In fact, it might even be detrimental since we have lost the last two games at home. Also, how can we forget the capitulation last year at the DW Stadium. We can say last April’s performance was due to the lack of senior players in the squad. This time around, Arsene has promised a strong squad in this Carling Cup quarterfinal matchup.

Traditional up and coming stars like JET and Lansbury would get a chance but this time around I expect to see more familiar faces. Certainly the Professor would rest some who have played at the weekend but players like Van Persie, Arshavin, Nasri and Walcott should all start the match.

The probably line-up: Almunia, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Gibbs, Denilson, Wilshere, Nasri, Walcott, Eboue, Arshavin, Van Persie.

A win and all is well, or is it not?

I missed the live game against Villa as I was on a plane coming back from a trip. Throughout the plane ride, the only thing that was going through my mind was: please don’t let the Gunners lose again. I don’t think I could take another loss this week.

Luckily, the powers above must have heard my prayers and bestowed upon the Gunners a gallant win. I managed to catch a replay of the match and from what I saw; we seemed to have some of our zest back. That we were facing a depleted Aston Villa might have something to do with that but it was a much needed victory nonetheless.

I said in my match preview that we might do better without Cesc. The result and performance of this game could be early signs that I am right but since the skipper will be missing for another two weeks, we should have plenty of evidence to see if his absence is really better for us. On Saturday, we certainly looked better without him as Arshavin and Nasri took turns to orchestra the offence. This allowed the offense to be less predictable that it has ever been in the past couple of weeks.

However, we should not get carried away with this win. Yes we scored four goals but we also showed our defensive frailties again. At 2-1 and then 3-2 up, the opposition could have scored and we would have dropped points again. We just cannot keep the opposition from scoring. Seriously I don’t know why. It just seem like we cannot defend for the whole ninety minutes. I don’t think we learnt anything from our defeats so far. It seems like this season, we just have to score a lot more goals in a match because a one goal lead won’t be enough to guarantee us the points in any game.

Tomorrow, we host Wigan in the Carling Cup quarter-finals. My match preview will follow but this is one game which we really don’t want to mess up. Arsene has said he will field a strong side and he must. This is the best chance for our first title in 5 years and the boys better not ****up this opportunity.

Samir Nasri reminds me so much of Robert Pires

This weekend we could possibly see the return of Robert Pires in the Premier league. It would be difference for him definitely to go up against Arsenal in an Aston Villa shirt but we wish him all the best.  With so much interest in him since his return to England, I couldn’t help but notice how this Arsenal legend’s career is now being mirrored by another star Frenchman in the current squad: Samir Nasri.

Nasri’s career thus far has taken a similar direction to Bobby’s. First and foremost, both of them joined us from Marseille. Pires came in 2000 with a price tag of 6.5 million pounds while Nasri cost us double that at 12 million pounds (due to his age and inflation, I guess)when he signed in 2008.

 When he first came to Arsenal, Pires found it difficult to get going and was harshly critized for his early performances in an Arsenal shirt. However,  in his second full season, he quickly struck his legendary partnership down the Arsenal left with Ashley Cole and Thierry Henry to bring the glory years to Arsenal. He was also awarded both local Player of the Year awards that season.

Nasri signed on in 2008 and similar to Pires, struggled in his first season as he failed to come to grip with the physical demands of the English Premier League. He missed a large chunk of his second season through injury although he came back strongly to finish the second, scoring what was Arsenal goal of the season against Porto in the Champion’s League. This year, he is arguably the best player in the Arsenal team and could possibly be an early contender for Player of the Season come May.

Robert Pires went on to become a legend winning every domestic title with the Gunners so if all things remain equal, Samir Nasri will bring us back to the glory years we enjoyed during the Robert Pires years.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Match Preview

This match is going to be another tough test for the Gunners. After two disappointing back to back losses to Spurs and Braga, the lads would certainly need to pick themselves up to win this match at Villa Park. The Gunners are in a confidence crisis and their play on the field reflects that.

In the game against Braga, there was hardly any creativity even though we had the majority of the possession. Losing Fabregas to injury is certainly a blow to the them but in may be a blessing in disguise. Our captain have hardly been the player he was last year and a part from the first half against Spurs, he has been disappointing in our losses so far. With so much of our play going through him, it is no surprise that we struggle when he does turn up.

Without him out injured, Arsene can play in the in-form Nasri in his place. As he shown in France’s victory over England, Nasri is brilliant when playing down the middle. He is easily our best player this season and I hope that with him in the centre, he can galvanize the attack with has been lacking in sharpness recently.  Also without Fabregas, the team tends to look for other options to attack rather than seeking the easy option of playing the ball to Fabregas to work his magic. This will ensure that our attacking play becomes less predictable.

After a week’s rest, I certainly believe that Van Persie will start the match this time around. Although Chamakh has done so well since joining the club, RVP provides another dimension to the attack and I think he may be the catalyst to reinvigorate our title hopes.

There is never a good time to visit Villa Park but this weekend is as good as any. Although their injury problems have somewhat abated and players like Agbonlahor and Carew are back, the squad hasn’t really gelled into place under Gerrard Houllier. Moreover, their in-form winger Marc Albrighton will be out after undergoing surgery recently.

As I said, the lads are facing a confidence crisis currently. Now more than ever, we need to put in a good performance to bring back the zest in our play and support from the fans.

It's getting from bad to worse in November

Well, the month of November is getting from bad to worse, isn’t it? And they are still two more games to play before we see the end of the most unsuccessful month in our history.

A Champion’s League campaign that started so well is in tatters after yesterday's away defeat to SC Braga. Remember this is a team which we thumped 6-0 at home and are now lying in mid-table in the Portuguese league. How did we lose this match?

Again, we had some much possession in the match; almost double that of the home side. Yet we failed to create clear cut opportunities that threatened the opposition keeper. I don’t think Felipe had to make a save at all in the match.  This has got to be a worrying statistic for Arsene and his staff. It's no point having the ball without any end result. This has been our achilles heel for so long yet we can't solve this problem

We have been playing the offensive system with one tall centre forward up front for some time now. Yet in this match, we failed to do the most basic thing needed for this system; getting a high cross for the striker(Bendtner in this instance) to attack. On numerous occasion, Walcott showed his lack of a winger's instinct by crossing it low when we all know how poor Bendtner is on the ground.

As for Bendtner, I think this game shows how poor he is in this system. He may win a some headers but there is no directionality in his headers. Contrast that with Chamakh first headed challenge which he won and directed it to Vela who was brought down.

Arsene will go on to blame the officials(what's the point of the guy behind the goal anyway) but the truth is we were again very poor in the match. I don't think we deserved to lose but certainly we did nothing to warrant a victory.

How will we line up tonight?

How will we line up tonight?

Tonight’s match is pretty important for the future of our Champions League campaign this season. Braga is only three points behind us and a defeat will put us level on points with the Portuguese side. Although theoretically we should not have any problem beating Partizan at home in the next match, our home form dictates that we should get the business done in Portugal before heading home.

Nicklas Bendtner, who has been moaning about his lack of opportunities, will most likely start tonight’s match, flanked by Walcott and Nasri. I am pretty disappointed with Walcott over the past two or three games. He seems to have slipped back to his ineffectively form of previous season after coming back from injury. 

We have our strongest midfield players back from injury and suspension so I expect Arsene to start with the trio of Wilshere, Song and Fabregas. After about a week out through injury, I want to see Wilshere geared up for this match. He can be the one to sparked the team and bring back confidence to the squad. I agree with Kenny Daglish when he said Jack will be as good as Gerrard.  At times during the games, he seems to defer to Fabregas and Song to run the midfield while he steps into his position based on their movement. With Fabregas not firing on all cylinders, it is up to Jack to take charge of the midfield and run the offensive strategy. I have confidence in the boy.

With Clichy back home at the Emirates, Gibbs will have his chance to convince the Arsenal faithful that he has the goods to take over from the Frenchman on a permanent basis. However it would be great if he could just last the entire match without getting injured.

The goalkeeping situation is going to be interesting now that Almunia is back. I don’t think there is a reason to reinstate the Spaniard as Fabianski is doing extremely well at the moment.

If not for anything else other than getting over the defeat on Saturday, we really need the lads to pull this one off in style.

Probably line-up: Fabianski, Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Gibbs, Song, Wilshere, Fabregas, Nasri, Walcott, Bendtner.

What's happening to us at the Emirates?

I don’t think in recent years, we have had such dreadful home form so early in the season.  Even the last time we threw away the championship in 2006 after the St Andrews fiasco, we didn’t lose so badly at home.

Throughout the past few seasons, our home defeats have come at the hands of Chelsea, Manchester United and the occasional blips at places like Hull, Blackburn or Bolton. Never had we lost at home consecutively to teams like Newcastle and Spurs.

So what is happening to us at the Emirates?

I have watched the second half against Spurs countless times since Saturday and I still can’t figure out how we lost the match.  It is not like Spurs were out-muscling us all over the pitch. For what I saw, they beat us on pure passion and desire. Whereas the defeat at Chelsea and West Bromwich was mainly down to our lack of sharpness in front of goal, we can’t even use that excuse in the last two defeats.

Our performances at the Emirates have been lacking enthusiasm and passion. There was no desire or drive among the players. Leadership from the senior players were also lacking. Cesc’s performance as skipper in the second half was simply dreadful. No only did he gave away the penalty, he did not show enough as a leader to push the team when the going was tough.

This is really disturbing for the fans. In a year where so much is expected of them, they are not showing what they are capable of. Even the victories over Everton and Wolves were labored one and we could have even lost those matches if not for the keeper and the opposition’s weak forward line.

I like to think that this is just a temporary loss of confidence at home, especially in the month of November where we traditionally struggle. However, my gut tells me that there is a deeper problem running through the team.

 Some supporter may disagree with me but I think Cesc is a problem. His performances has affected the team and although he does sparkled at times, he needs to do more as team captain. Arsene has to be brave enough to take out the captain should he not perform up to expectations.  Like it or not, our season is very dependent on our skipper and what the Professor intends to do about him.

Braga vs Arsenal: An Early Preview

This is a chance for the Gunners to bounce back immediately after that disappointing derby defeat on Saturday. I still haven’t come to terms with that defeat and in the midst of analyzing what went wrong in the second half against Spurs. The lads, however, do not have the luxury of brooding over the defeat and have to get over the disappointment quickly as they hope to secure qualification in the knock-out stages.
We only need one point from our remaining matches to guarantee us a place in the next round. We already failed in our first attempt to secure that place when we lost to Shakhtar Donestsk earlier so this is again another opportunity for us. Although we thrashed Braga 6-0 at the Emirates, I don’t think the Portuguese side will rolled over once again for us.

Braga are still in with a shout after getting a precious 1-0 win away to FK Partizan in their last group match. However, that victory was the only bright spark in recent weeks for the side as they suffered three consecutive losses in the league. So this should be a good time for us to visit them and grind out a result.
Besides the long term absentees, the squad is at full force with no major injuries after the weekend. I expect to see Van Persie, Walcott and Wilshere in the starting line-up. In particular, I am excited to see how Van Persie performs after his two substitute appearances since he came back has been far from convincing. Ditto for Walcott. These two are important players for us and they have to buck up if we are going to be challenging for titles this time around.

Although the defeat last Saturday was not totally down to bad performances from the defence, the quartet will again come under intense pressure from the Braga forward line of Matheus and Lima. Matheus in particular was quite a handful at the Emirates with his pacy runs which could expose Squillaci and Koscielny’s lack of pace, which was evident on Saturday.

All in all, inconsistent displays are hurting us deeply this season. However, this is a chance for the lads to forget about Saturday and get on with the job at hand.

Yet again we failed to take advantage of Chelsea's loss

Truly disappointing.

 That’s about sum up the match today. What started as a brilliant afternoon turned sour after 45 minutes of non-performance from the lads. Yes, and yet again we had the chance to take advantage of Chelsea’s slip-ups we failed.

I don’t really know how we could have gifted the Scums their away first victory over us in 33 years after doing so well in the first half. We were cruising with goals from Nasri and Chamakh going into the break and it looked like they were dead and buried at that time.

Yes, wily old Harry made a good substitution in bringing on Defoe but they were hardly menacing all the time. Before they got the first goal, the only time they threatened Fabianski was when Modric had a shot which went over.

Again, defensive lapses caused us dearly for the goals. We had four defenders surrounding Van de Vaart and Bale yet both of them managed to conjure up an opportunity which they converted. I am not sure about rules about handball when you are in the wall but from my perspective, both Chamakh and Fabregas were just protecting their face when they had their hands up. I have seen many cases like that over the years, and this is the first time I have seen it being given.

The true of the matter is we played really badly in the second half and we were punished for it. I have seen this kind of performances from the lads once too often this season, and it is really frustrating. I have to agree with my guest writer two days ago. With such inconsistency running around the team, I really can’t see how we can be taken seriously as title contenders

Laurent Blanc could be a good successor to Wenger, no?

I was watching how Laurent Blanc’s French side demolish the English Lions and the thought came to me; this French side looks good and is back to playing attractive football. More than that, the French is playing Arsenal's brand of attractive football.

The way Blanc set up his team was an exact replica of how Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the 4-5-1 system. The movement of the players are also typical of how the Gunners would play. Malouda, Nasri, M’Villa, Valbuena were all given interchanging positions at will and running riot around the English midfield who couldn’t contain what they can’t track.

The first French goal coming from the inter-play between Malouda-Benzema was a typical Arsenal move. How many times over the years have you seen, either Pires – Henry or Fabregas – Van Persie performed a similar move to the one that brought Benzema his goal.

All this above similarities bring me to the conclusion that Laurent Blanc would be the ideal replacement when the Professor eventually retires. I know in the pass many have advocated for Pep Guardiola since Barcelona also plays a similar system. However, I personally feel that Blanc’s system is more similar to ours than Barcelona. If he were to come in the, it would be like a continuation of the Wenger’s legacy. Furthermore, we would be treated to years of free-flowing attractive football at the Emirates.

I know this is all a moot point for the time being since Wenger is in no hurry to retire, and I certainly don’t want him to go but we have to think about contingencies sometime. I don’t think Pat Rice is the man to take over as he is more suited as a no 2 man. Of course, we have a couple of ex-players who are pursuing their coaching careers and who definitely love to take over their beloved Arsenal. However right now, my choice is going to be Laurent Blanc.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspurs: An Early Preview

So the distraction of a midweek international friendly is over and we go back to business in the English Premier League. Next up for the Gunners, a clash with our perennial and most hated of adversaries, Tottenham Hotspurs.

As with previous editions of the North London derby, this one is going to be a fire-cracker. Ever since the defeat to the Scums last April at White Hart Lane, we have been looking forward to put them back in their place. Just because they beat us one miserable time and qualify for the Champions League, the Scums suddenly think that they have bragging rights to be the best in North London. Well, you just have to look at the current league table to realize how dumb the other side is.

No doubt they have improved as a team (considering the amount of money they spent, I would expect more than what they are currently doing if I were the owner) but inconsistent displays will ensure that they will again challenge for the final Champions League spot but no further. The Gunners however, are just two points of the top and a win in this fixture will see us overtake Chelsea, at least until they play later in the day.

Last year we gave them a 3-0 roasting at the Emirates off a man of the match performance from Cesc. This year, he has not performed that well but this is the kind of game that needs his leadership and brilliance which I have no doubt he will deliver. We will probably not have Wilshere for this game after he pulled out of the England squad through injury. The same might be said for Arshavin and Rosicky who return to the team carrying slight knocks from their international excursions. Koscielny returns from his two match ban but it remains to be seen if he can reclaim his place in the center of defence.

The Scums have injury problems of their own with Tom Huddlestone joining the long-term injury list. The England midfielder will miss up to two months of league action after his ankle surgery. He joins Jermaine O’Hara, Michael Dawson, Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate on the sidelines. Jermaine Defoe is back in training but he won’t be ready for this match. This match will also bring William Gallas back to the Emirates for the first time since he left on a free transfer in the summer

For the past few years, the North London derby has either gone to the home side or the match is drawn. I don’t see a drawn match this time around and I am sure we will thump the Scums just like we did over a month ago in the Carling Cup.

An Arsenal Fan's Perspective: We Won't Win the Premiership This Year

Article first published as An Arsenal Fan's Perspective: We Won't Win the Premiership This Year on Technorati.


Doesn’t it feel strange that whenever we have the chance to make some headway into Chelsea’s lead, we falter.

Cue back to the weekend when Chelsea lost their match at Eastlands against Manchester City, we could have taken the lead in the Premiership but for whatever reason, we choose to lose at home to West Bromwich Albion.

Last Sunday, Chelsea lost to Liverpool, yet we failed to take advantage of the situation by falling again at home, this time to Newcastle. Both times we were against inferior opposition but we couldn’t make the most of it. It was good that we finally manage to make some headway into cutting down Chelsea lead to 2 points but if you think about it, if we have taken the earlier opportunites, we would be leading the championship by 4 points.

Judging by the inconsistent displays by the team, it would seem like the Premiership title will once again be eluding us. I know it is still early in the season to give up on the title chase but let's face the facts here, does anyone out there really think we can make it this time around.

I am a die-hard fan of both the club and the manager yet I still cannot fathom how we can make take the final step in the Premiership. No doubt we will be right up there and claim another Champions League spot but Chelsea and Manchester United will most likely be the last ones standing.

I have said it once before that the team is missing the winning mentality. We need to win a trophy of some sort and then we will go on from there. That is why it is so important that we grab the Carling Cup this season.

It is the best chance we have of winning something after five years and Arsene has probably realize that. With only Manchester United in our way, we to grab this thing come what may, even at the expense of the champions or Champions League.

This is the first step to the promise of the golden land.
Call me nuts but this is my ambition for the Gunners this season, get the Carling cup and the season is a success, anything else is a bonus while not getting it would be a complete failure of Arsene's dreams.


Written by Terrence Tan, Guest Writer

Squad depth will be crucial in determining this year's title winner

Did anyone noticed how Chelsea performed without four first team players in John Terry, Alex, Mikael Essien and Frank Lampard. Yes they performed abysmally and were soundly thrashed by Sunderland 3-0 at home where they have only lost once all last season.

So let’s rewind back to the end of last season when we were playing without half of our first team in Vermaelen, Gallas, Cesc, Arshavin,Van Persie, Sagna and  Rosicky for the last couple of games. Yes we lost games to Wigan and Blackburn. Yes, the criticisms came in about how we have again bottled our chances and always fade away.
Arsene has never used injuries to key players in the squad as excuses for these losses but clearly you can see how devastating injuries can be when half your team is decimated by it. Last year, everyone was saying how Chelsea can cope without Drogba, but clearly as Chelsea has shown, when you lose all your best players,  you will probably lose a match.

That is why I have always maintained that we could have made a run for the title last season if not for the injuries we suffered. This is now a critical period in the championship. With games coming thick and fast, injuries would eventually creep in to all squads. Chelsea, without Terry and Alex, looked very vulnerable in defence and could possible drop more points in coming weeks.

We are now only two points away from the champions and must take whatever opportunities that come our way. We have missed out on two chances but finally profited when we won at Everton and Chelsea's loss to Sunderland. Chelsea’s squad also lacked the depth so any injury to more of their key players would be detrimental to their team. Looked at who Ancelloti threw into the match when they were down 2-0 in the second half again Sunderland. Whereas previously, he could count on players like Michael Ballack and Joe Cole, he now has to rely on Josh McEachran, Gael Kakuta, Daniel Sturridge. All unproven youths who again failed to influence the outcome of the match. Arsene brought on Denilson and managed to bring home the points.

If you looked at our bench against Everton, they were all internationals giving the manager options to change the team without losing quality. This is going to be an important element in this year title challenge and on which can propelled us to the top.

It's probably time for Bendtner to move on

Don’t know how true were the reports of the Nicklas Bendtner sustaining an injury prior to the Everton match and missing the match or was it down to his outburst about not getting time in the side. Arsene has come out to defend Bendtner and maintained that Denmark’s David Beckham still has a part to play in his plans.

I tend to believe everything the Professor says and give him the benefit of the doubt this time but I do feel that the young Dane’s time at the Emirates possibly coming to an end. Clearly he is does not have the patience to bide his time for the ultimate breakthrough and his misplace confidence in his own abilities may see him being push out of contention.

No doubt he has performed well in patches but he has had the opportunity to seal the main strikers role down but his performances last year was anything but convincing. Even though this year, his finishing has improved but his overall play is still lacking. As the point man in attack, he has to pressure from the front and hold up the ball when it is pump up to him. In his starting appearances I didn’t see any of that compared to those performances of Chamakh.

Now that Robin van Persie is back,  the Dane will likely see even less opportunity to strut his stuff. Young players such as Bendtner need to show their patience and take the opportunity when the time comes. In the past, potential strikers from the academy such as Jeremie Aliadiere, Arturo Lupoli, JeromeThomas  and others have failed to take their chances when it came their way, and have since left Arsenal for less successful spells in other teams. It might be time for Bendtner to walk the talk when the opportunity knocks or move on to let others like JET, Afobe, and Freeman have their chance.

Arsenal win, Chelsea lose, and we're back on track

This is proving to be a good week for us after the disappointment last Sunday. In midweek, we battled to a victory away to Wolves and today we got our second straight away victory in 4 days with another hard earned victory over Everton at Goodison Park. Furthermore, leaders Chelsea suffered an unexpectedly defeat at the hands of Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, putting us just a mere 2 points away from them.

It was again not a vintage performance from our boys but we managed to get the goals we needed and then defended stoutly in the face of a late Everton barrage. Bacary Sagna gave us the first with his first goal for the goal after almost three years and skipper Cesc Fabregas doubled our lead early in the second half. The Toffees have shown that they can fight their way back from a two goal deficit as they did against Manchester United. When Cahill got one back in the last minute of the match, I was afraid we might crumble but the lads held on well to claim all three points.

The team’s performance was way below par in the first half as we were always second best in the 50-50 challenges and the opposition controlled possession. Although we did score but overall we were again poor in our passing and penetration.

We picked up the tempo in the second half and score straight out of the block. From that point onwards, Everton threw more players into attack and had we score the third goal through breakaway opportunities by Nasri and Chamakh, the ending would not have been so suspenseful.

In the late match, Chelsea suffered an embarrassing home defeat to Sunderland, going down 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. Goals by Nedum Onouha, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck tore a hole in Chelsea perfect home record this season amidst a dire injury crisis that they are facing.

Our victory moves us above Manchester United into second place and we are back on track for the title challenge

It would be wrong not to start Wilshere tomorrow

I am not sure if anyone notice that the two times that Chelsea have gone down this season, we failed to take advantage of the situation. This weekend both Manchester teams have dropped points drawing their matches today so we have a chance to move back into second spot with a victory tomorrow over Everton.

Given our Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde performances, we don't know which one will turn up tomorrow but I am hoping it is the good twin. A lot of talk is still going on about Cesc and how he has to tune up his performance for this game after lackluster ones in the previous two. I totally agree with that but more importantly, he has to show his leadership and drive his teammates on in the game. We need his full commitment to press on and challenge for the championship. I know the fans are still wary about him but I choose to support the skipper and will not question where his heart is.

A bit of news coming from the press conference seems to suggest that Jack Wilshere will not be starting the match tomorrow. It is understandable that Arsene wants to rest his prodigy but can we afford not to have Jack in the line-up. His replacement would most definitely be Denilson, so although he has improved from the past season, I would take Jack over the Brazilian anytime. This game is not for rotating with the squad and I feel the team is weakened without young Jack. I would love to see Ramsey back to challenge Wilshere for the midfield spot because I do think these two youngsters can be the catalyst for the team.

Yesterday, I had poll asking who the fans would prefer as a potential January recruit for the team, Gary Cahill or Neven Subotic. Surprisingly for me, more of you guys prefer Neven Subotic who got 58 percent of the over 200 plus votes registered. Personally I don't think so highly of the Serbian but I guess many of you do. Let's just wait and see if we get our wishes come January.

Cahill or Subotic, Who would you go for?

The past days have been filled with news reports linking us to two central defenders. Gary Cahill and Neven Subotic.  Bolton’s Chairman Phil Gartside have come out and basically put Cahill in the shop window for the January transfer period seeing how his club is up to drowning in over GBP100 million in debt.  According to the news reports, Cahill should be available from 15 million pounds and above, but given the potential interest in him, the price would most likely go over the 20 million mark.

The other defender that we have been linked with is Neven Subotic of Borussia Dortmund. Don’t know how reliable this report is given that Borussia Dortmund is leading the Bundesliga and they are in no hurry to sell any of their stars. Apparently Manchester United is leading the pack for the Serbian’s signature considering they have the other half of the Serbian national team’s central defense in Nemanja Vidic but Arsene is keen on this guy.

I know we have been linked to both of these players before but these rumors come at an interesting time when the transfer window is 6 weeks away and our defensive failings are nowhere solved. The defensive situation was looking better when Arsene signed two centerbacks in the summer but Koscielny is still about a season away from being a great defender while Squillaci is a couple of seasons past his best. No doubt they can perform on occasions such as the game against Sunderland but their inconsistencies are causing us points.

We have the Verminator but who knows how long he would be out leaving us with Djourou as the only other centerback. Having seen Djourou for the past few games, I don’t think this guy will cut it in an Arsenal team for long. Again, I don’t know what Arsene sees in the Swiss but he is definitely fit to be in an Arsenal shirt.

So it leaves us to the question if Arsene would go out and sign another centerback this January. Chances are he will not as he has never signed 3 players in the same position for any given year.

However, should he decide to, which one do you think he should be going for. I am a big fan of Gary Cahill so my answer is obvious. I wonder if anyone else feels differently.

Cahill or Subotic: Who would you sign? Cahill Subotic No one, we have all we need at the club view results

Everton vs Arsenal: An Early Preview

After a hard fought mid-week victory away to Wolves, the Gunners travelled up the M6 for a visit to Goodison Park. Last year, we gave the home team a 6-1 thumping on the opening day of the season but I don’t think it would be that easy again this time around.

Although we prevailed 2-0 against Wolves, the victory was anything but easy. Mick McCarthy’s team was well organized in defence and harassed our players all over the pitch. They could have easily gotten back into the game but for the brilliance of Fabianski in the match.

This game against Everton will most likely be more of the same. However, we know that David Moyes’s side is a technically capable team and would have a go at Arsenal. This would create an open game, very suitable for our players to take advantage of the situation. Everton home form is pretty good and has not lost since going down to Newcastle in September. They have the majority of their players back from injury with the midfield of Arteta, Pienaar, Bilyaletdinov and Seamus Coleman looking particularly threatening.

With the Gunners not firing on all cylinders, this is going to be a tough match. I expect the manager to make a few chances to the first eleven that took to the field at Molineaux. I do expect Arshavin to be benched for Samir Nasri, with Rosicky and Walcott swapping places as well. The midfield trio of Wilshere, Song and Fabregas will most likely be retained although all three didn’t give their best performances against Wolves. Wilshere in particular looked a bit leggy while Fabregas looks like he is still finding his way on the pitch.

Upfront, Chamakh is grabbing the goals that will keep him in the team but don’t be surprise if Arsene starts Robin Van Persie from the first whistle. The Dutchman is back and we definitely need him to be at his best if we are going to go back to London with all three points.

A victory nonetheless but a long way from redemption

We got what we wanted, which is to break the two game winning streak and bounce back immediately after the home defeat to Newcastle. Yes, it was important that we got all three points but the victory was anything but convincing. It was like the previous victories over Bolton, Blackburn, Birmingham and West Ham where we created chances but failed to convert them, thus giving the opposition every opportunity to get back into the game. And they nearly did in this bar for the superb last minute save by Fabianski. I am not a big fan of the Polish keeper but he is starting to grow on me. He made several brilliant saves in the game and quite literally saved us from another drawn game.

The malaise upfront continues with the Arsenal strike forward with Andrey Arshavin the main culprit. His finishing doesn’t seem a crisp as when he first arrived. Whereas previously he would put his two opportunities away, this season he lacks the composure in front of goal. Much like Fernando Torres earlier in the season, the Russian can’t seem to buy a goal and even when the shots beat the goalkeeper, the post is in the way. He definitely needs a goal badly.

Elsewhere, Cesc is still a concern for me. Although he played well in patches, his passing game is still way off. His partnership with Wilshere and Song which was so fluent and dominant earlier seem to have deserted them. No doubt, Wolves gave it all and closed down the channels aggressively but the lads were just brushed off and giving away the ball with misplaced passes.

Defence was a usual concern with Djourou failing to win headers on many occasions. I have my doubt with him but he is the only available partner for Squillaci at the moment so we have no choice other than playing him. Luckily we have Sagna who is really the standout defender this campaign. He is able to read the game well and helps out in the when both centrebacks are out of position. His intervention in the second half saved a sure Wolves equalizer.

All in all, we got the three points that is what matters. There are times when we need to be grinding out victories such as this but the frequency of this happening is a concern for me.

WIN tonight to make the fans believe again

Tonight match is a must win for the Gunners not because it would cost us the championship at this early stage of the season. It might but more importantly the Gunners need to win tonight to give us, the long suffering fans, the BELIEVE that the team has grown and is different from the ones that failed to deliver at the most crucial times.
Being a die-hard fan, I need to have something to hold on to the believe that we are capable of challenging for the title this year. I was full of optimism even after the defeat by Chelsea but last Sunday’s loss to Newcastle really knocked the stuffing out of my confidence in the team.

Playing at the Molineaux is no easy matter. On paper, they may look like easy meat but as Manchester City has found out, Wolves at home is a tough nut to crack. Moreover we are going into the match with our usual injury crisis in defence. Without Vermaelen and Koscielny, we fall back onto the Djourou/Squillaci partnership which has not impressed at all. The rest of the team should be fine as we are able to field out our strongest team out the but whether the real players turn up for the match is another matter. Cesc, Song, Arshavin,Chamakh all have to redeem themselves so let’s hope they do it immediately.

At the end of the day, the players and the manager need the fans to be backing the team. Our patience and confidence is running on empty and need fuel to keep them going. A win tonight is the minimum to keep the fire burning in the hearts of even the most hardened fans.

JET needs to follow in Jack's footsteps

Jay Emmanuel Thomas’s 2 goal performance against Everton reserves yesterday meant only one thing. He is too good for the reserve league but still a little short of breaking into the first team.

I am a big fan of JET but the couple of times I have seen him coming on as a substitute for the first team, he has not impressed at all. I might be biased but based on his those performances; there is no way Arsene would pick him over Van Persie, Chamakh or Bendtner. Ultimately he would be a big hit at the Emirates but as of now, he is just an unpolished gem.

So it beg the question, what do we do with him? Obviously we do not want to lose him to another club like others before him (Jay Simpson, Jerome Thomas etc). Personally, I feel JET’s situation now is pretty similar to the one faced by Jack Wilshere a year ago.  Back then, Jack was not getting in the first team but was getting frustrated at the lack of opportunities. A loan move to Bolton and voila, he is a changed player. The stint at the Reebok really did him a world of good and we are reaping the rewards out of it.

The same can be prescribed for JET. He has completed a loan move to a lower division team and impressed, so now we have to see if he can cut it in the Premier League. There are plenty of team which are looking for talented strikers and would more than willing to take him in. The selection of the loan team is important as we do not want him to just sit on the bench or play in a team whose philosophy is markedly different from us e.g. Stoke, Blackburn. I guess the obvious choices would be Bolton again, Sunderland or Aston Villa. Arsene Wenger has a fantastic relationship with Steve Bruce and Gerard Houllier so it would be a breeze getting it done.

There are a couple of other players which would benefit from a loan move to a Premiership team besides JET, which Henri Lansbury and Havard Nordveit coming first to mind. The boys have come so far and just need the last step to make a breakthrough. Jack Wilshere has shown the way it is done last season and we would be foolish not to take advantage of this again.

Wolves vs Arsenal: An Early Preview

It was a very disappointing loss on Sunday, going down to a home defeat against Newcastle. It there was a silver lining to this, it is that the next match is just three days down so that the lads have a chance to bounce right back. The team was totally off their game at the Emirates and this next game could go either way.

One, the boys can showed what they are made off and give Wolves a real grilling in front of their own fans, or we can capitulate to another loss and see the criticisms go up another notch. I am more inclined to think the boys will give the supporters a better response and pick themselves up after the demoralising defeat. Even though we missed the chance to close the gap on Chelsea but if there was one thing last season has taught us, the season is long and every team can drop points at any weekend.

Of all the players, I think Cesc needs to really pick up his game in this one. Being the leader, a lot is expected of him to drive the team forward and he has performed well until Sunday. It could possibly be an isolated off day for him so he needs to show that he will give mind and body to the cause.

With Van Persie back, Arsene have more options that he have ever had during his long tenure with the Gunners. I am not sure what system the Professor will play but it is likely that Van Persie’s return might come at the expense of Chamakh. This would certainly be something to for in the Everton game at the weekend but it would be too early for Van Persie to start against Wolves.

Our record against Wolves is pretty decent. Bendtner’s late late goal gave us a 1-0 win at the Emirates the last time we played them while we gave them a 4-1 roasting at the Molieux in the same month a year ago. Wolves were unlucky to go down to Manchester United at the weekend having beaten Manchester City at home the week before.

All in all, this is going to be a hard match but one which the lads must absolutely win. Not only that, they have to win in style to appease the fans crying out for blood.

We deserved to lose 'cause we have no HEART

When I wrote about the November curse at the beginning of the month, I certainly didn’t think it would hit us this early, and definitely not in this match.

It was a hugely disappointing defeat, going down at home to a newly promoted side. Even though Newcastle has been in great form coming into the match after their victory in the Tyne-Wear derby, we should have won this match comfortably.

Similar to the previous defeat against West Bromwich Albion, the team played badly with misplaced passes and lack of creativity permeating throughout the entire team. More frustrating for me was the absolutely lack of HEART among the players. There was no passion, no drive, no urgency in the each and every one of the players.

Rub your magic 8 gently

Besides a 10 minute period at the start of the second half when we have two opportunities to equalize, we didn’t trouble the opposition’s goalkeeper at all. There was no slick passing, just mindlessly thumping of the ball into the penalty. By this however, we were already devoid of our best header of the ball. Don’t know why we chose to play this way when RVP or Walcott are not the best in the air, leaving on Bendtner to challenge the centrebacks. I don’t think we won any crosses that went into the box today.

Our skipper Cesc Fabregas must have had the worst game ever since breaking into the team. He was absolutely poor in his passing and looked jaded in his running. Whereas his vision of the game is usually spot on, today his creativity and movement was nowhere to be found. I would dare say his performance affected many of the players.

Our home form is becoming a worry. With only 6 matches played at the Emirates, we have already lost twice. I guess tomorrow’s papers would blast the keeper on his blunder that led to the goal. To blame Fabianski for the loss would be the easy way but as I said, the team played really bad.This is not a good sign for the coming weeks in the month. On a day where Chelsea looks like losing to Liverpool, we could have moved to within 2 points but now find ourselves back among the chasing pack for 3rd and 4th placing.

Afellay won't bring much to the squad

Today's press were all going on about how we were going to sign Dutch star Ibrahim Afellay for free when he is eligible to sign a pre-contract in January. Personally, I don't rate this guy very much and am not sure why we are interested in him anyway. He certainly did not spark the World Cup alight with his substitute appearances.

Afellay can play as a playmaker or in the wide areas, both positions which we have plenty of resources. So does the imminent signing of Afellay mean that one of the existing players is on the way out. I think so and my best guess is either Rosicky or Arshavin to be the ones moving on in the summer.

No doubt Afellay is a good player but is he better than Arshavin or Rosicky? I don't think so. Although the Russian isn't in the best form of his life currently, he still provides the assist and get the goals when it is needed. Rosicky is also coming back from his many injury problems and starting to return to his form when we signed him from Borussia Dortmund.

My guesses may be wrong, and Arsene might get rid of Carlos Vela. The mexican is struggling to get into the side and could definitely leave in the summer but where young ones are considered, we have another two new signings coming in, Wellington Silva and Samuel Galindo. These are done and dusted deals. By the looks of both, they are pretty decent players at their age and would give Afellay a run for his money.

Therefore, I am not excited about this development and don't think Afellay can contribute anything that is not already present in the squad. I would rather Arsene spend the money on the Dutchman's wages to bolster the squad in defense where we are still short of experience back-ups.

Arsenal vs Newcastle: An Early Preview

This is not going to be an easy match for the Gunners. Although we just thrashed Newcastle 4 – 0 in the Carling Cup, both sides peppered the squad with bench players for that match. In the Premiership, you can expect the teams to line-up their strongest side. 

We have already been punished once for talking teams too lightly this season, and I don’t think Arsene Wenger will make the same mistake again. He rested Cesc, Song, Denilson and Arshavin against Shakhtar as these players were carrying minor injuries. I expect to see most of them back at the Emirates on Sunday. We will also welcome back Jack Wilshere after his 3 game suspension for the red card against Birmingham. Although he may not be among the biggest lot, young Wilshere’s positioning makes him an asset when covering in defense as well. With the trio of Wilshere, Cesc and Song, our midfield play become less predictable as each can cover for the other in all part of the field.

I also expect to see Theo Walcott given a starting line-up. He seems to be back to his best and have shown maturity in his performances. His first goal in Ukraine was all down to his calmness in finishing while his speed was constant menace to the opposition defense. Personally, I feel he plays better when he starts rather than coming off the bench. It would be good to pit him against the Newcastle defense not knowing for speed.

The Gunners have not lost to Newcastle since 2005 and the last time they were in the Premiership we thrashed 3-0 at home. We certainly cannot afford to give up any more points at home so a victory on Sunday is the minimum we need to kick off our November campaign this year.