Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas has highlighted exactly what is wrong with English football. Fabregas’ interview with Telegraph should no doubt turn some heads in the FA as to what kind of an approach is needed in England. He explains how constant demand to win neglects what the primary purpose of football is.
“In Spain, we believe in one style of football. The way we play is the most important. It’s about how you do it. You will never play the ball longer or do some things you are not used to. We want to win playing football. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen but we want to be the best this way. We did it last summer and we want to keep doing it”
Footballistically, the culture and expectation around Europe is staggering compared what we witness in England. Bert van Marwijk, the Dutch manager that led them to the World Cup finals was constantly slaughtered in the Dutch media for his style of football throughout the World Cup as was Dunga, though as much as I despise them for reasons unknown, I must admit watching Brazil in the World Cup I thought was fantastic.
The approach we in England take to football has given us no recognition of any sort for years and although the country can boast having the best league in the world, the fact of the matter is that it is the foreign players that light up the league.
Teams can play with defensive long ball tactics against tougher opposition. That is understandable when so much is at stake in the game. Whereas a game watching Stoke play Blackburn can be interesting to see how many players leave unscathed, we can be assured that the rest of the world would be sitting there having a good old laugh at us.
“Here in England it is passion and the fans love it when there are hard tackles and you play long balls and counter-attack. If you do that in Spain they will boo you.”
“…because they are used to another kind of football. Here [in England] if you play good football, good football, good football and you don’t win then they can boo you for the opposite. You have to believe in your style and go for it”
Football is an entertainment business and that is the truth of the matter. In recent days however, we have seen the word “entertainment” removed from the phrase. And it is exactly the reason why England always fail at the major international stage. There is a lack of discipline among the players mixed with a complete disregard for what the game stands for.
Over the past 6 or 7 years, other than Wayne Rooney at Everton/Manchester United and Steven Gerrard, there hasn’t been any English players that would turn a head in World football like Iniesta, Ronaldo, Fabregas and Messi would.
“In Spain they make you study and have discipline,”
“You can be a good footballer, but if you don’t study, if you don’t behave, if you don’t have the discipline to get to training on time and eat well then they don’t care if you’re the best."
“Discipline and humility is very important. If you think you’re better than the others they’ll put you on the bench straight away. "
“They want the kids to be good but they want it to be that when they get into the first team, they behave the same way they did at 16."
"And that’s the most important thing because now it is very easy at 17 to become a first-team player, get some money and to go back down again because you think you have made it. But in Spain they would never let you do that. If that happened you would be out of the team straight away.”
It is hard to imagine how a player like Kevin Davies with some 120 goals and some 112 yellow cards can go home on a Saturday evening sit down and think, “I enjoyed my football today”. How do you enjoy playing football when all you’re doing through a game is watching out for when the long ball comes in and then bask in the glory of beating it past a defender by wrestling him to the ground?
“Sometimes my family couldn’t find me. You are out on the street. you came back at 12 o’clock at night and rested and then got up on Sunday morning and did it again. It was like this. One of the things you see in Spain a lot is that when you go, especially in small towns, on the street you play street football with your friends.”
"You cut your knees badly but you still stand up and play and it’s important to do that at this age. From there, players progress in a certain way."
“You fall on the floor, you stand up, you hit a wall, you sometimes break some windows. That is the beauty of football in Spain.”
There are no technically gifted players in the England team as there is of the robust energy powerhouse players which is useful to have, but causes an imbalance.
Rest assured, the new generation of players coming through to the English team have promising abilities. Jack Wilshere, Rodwell of Everton and Adam Johnson from Manchester City look the part in what is needed start undertaking a new philosophy in football
“I’m sure you have the players, but you have to find your own style. We were not born like it but we were taught to play like it.”
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Resigned to Fate or Deflated
Was it really surprising to have lost that game? No, not really. That still doesn’t mean there isn’t that deflated feeling after that. The same excuses can be thrown again, “we didn’t have van Persie, Verminator, Cesc, Theo etc. etc”. And yes it was “like playing Chavski without Drogba, Terry, Ramires etc.etc.”
It is still more than just a little frustrating to have lost. Other than the first minute where we had the two opportunities, the chavs always looked comfortable sitting on the couch watching us pass till the cows came home. The game went exactly as predicted: We dominate, you score and we lose. Always the same story. The more annoying part is that we KNEW what they were going to do. They’ve been doing this against us for a long long time and we happily played into their hands.
They showed the mentality of champions. They absorbed the pressure and almost nearly fired at will.
It generally seems from the Arsenal blogosphere that most Gooners are not that bothered and expected this. I understand that there is not much else to do but we mustn’t always have to settle for mediocrity by any stretch of the imagination. We should be beating the likes of the chavs, even if it can be argued that we didn’t have our “full squad”. The fact of the matter is that we have had 2 wins in 17 against them.
Gooners must realise now that there is no point shedding tears over the defeat for too long. We are not going to play them every week and we must remember that this fixture last year left us some 9 points behind. So at this stage of the season, 7 points is not an absolute mountain to climb. But there is still work to be done and the team must remain focused and determined.
Every team has a blip or two during the season, let’s hope that we’ve past our blip stage. We’ve got a game against Birmingham at home before Shakhtar and then Citeh. Let’s hope we can put some good performances in; It’s a long season ahead if things do feel THAT bad, spare a thought for the Anfield faithful who find themselves in the bottom 3 with geriatric owners and a Sunday to forget with a 2-1 defeat to Blackpool.
COYG!!!!!!
It is still more than just a little frustrating to have lost. Other than the first minute where we had the two opportunities, the chavs always looked comfortable sitting on the couch watching us pass till the cows came home. The game went exactly as predicted: We dominate, you score and we lose. Always the same story. The more annoying part is that we KNEW what they were going to do. They’ve been doing this against us for a long long time and we happily played into their hands.
They showed the mentality of champions. They absorbed the pressure and almost nearly fired at will.
It generally seems from the Arsenal blogosphere that most Gooners are not that bothered and expected this. I understand that there is not much else to do but we mustn’t always have to settle for mediocrity by any stretch of the imagination. We should be beating the likes of the chavs, even if it can be argued that we didn’t have our “full squad”. The fact of the matter is that we have had 2 wins in 17 against them.
Gooners must realise now that there is no point shedding tears over the defeat for too long. We are not going to play them every week and we must remember that this fixture last year left us some 9 points behind. So at this stage of the season, 7 points is not an absolute mountain to climb. But there is still work to be done and the team must remain focused and determined.
Every team has a blip or two during the season, let’s hope that we’ve past our blip stage. We’ve got a game against Birmingham at home before Shakhtar and then Citeh. Let’s hope we can put some good performances in; It’s a long season ahead if things do feel THAT bad, spare a thought for the Anfield faithful who find themselves in the bottom 3 with geriatric owners and a Sunday to forget with a 2-1 defeat to Blackpool.
COYG!!!!!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
And They Say Being a Journalist is Hard Work…
Defeat against the baggies was surprisingly quite easy to take over the weekend as it’s one of the few occasions when we were outplayed footballistically by a team other than Chelsea or Manchester United and without the boring long ball, push and shove and hard so called “tackling” football deployed by Tony Pulis or Sam Allardyce
Having said that, I came across the article in the mirror by Mike Walter. It contains all sorts of name calling and abuse towards Arsene Wenger and will no doubt have all the Anti-Wenger fans screaming with joy.
While many gooners are getting worked up about the words used to describe Wenger, I frankly find it almost embarrassing that the British media has sunken to a new low of name calling. Isn’t that something that we all remember from primary school days? If the site was blog for writers, then you can understand to an extent. However, reading through the article it seems to get more abusive and one wonders how a so called journalist lacks so much knowledge that he’s called the defeat an “all time low”.
Is Mike Walters serious? Or is he actually a 9 year old child that doesn’t remember recent football seasons. The West Brom defeat ranks nowhere near an “all time low”. Then I began to wonder on why a similar article was not thrown out when Liverpool lost to Northampton at home. Ah wait, of course.... silly me! Roy Hodgson is an English manager. Surely he can do no wrong!
After 6 games into the league we have tasted a first defeat and it was almost as if the media guys at the mirror were just aching to unleash an article that attacks Wenger. Instead all they have managed to do is advertise to the rest of Britain the low level journalism they can produce by gathering together an uneducated bunch of retards calling themselves “journalists” and giving them a piece of paper to doodle on.
They are quite clear in their support of the twitchman Redknapp and seem to believe that he is clearly the manager who’s words hold the trend to be followed in the footballing world. Hence, Harry’s name calling towards Wenger after being humiliated in the Carling Cup has caught on by the Mirror’s retards.
Fact of the matter is that atleast 18 of the 20 premier league teams in the country would jump at the opportunity to have Wenger as their manager and I doubt many would want to go bankrupt by having the fraud Harry Redknapp as a manager. But Harry’s red passport means that he can always have the mirror journalists following him around as if he is the messiah to save football from the cruel hands of evil genius Arsene Wenger.
To more important issues; tonight’s game in Serbia against Partizan Belgrade will be a difficult one. We are short of players that are fit to play. Nasri played 120 minutes in the carling cup followed by a full 90 minutes on Saturday and the same goes for Eboue. Koscielny was spared playing the full 90 minutes on Saturday as we pushed for goals late in the game. Jack Wilshere should be fresh enough to start, as will Rosicky and Fabianski.
This brings me to our once again keeper problems. I am not Almunia’s biggest fan by any stretch of imagination. However, credit must be given where it’s due and he performed well for us this season…up until the West Brom game.
Two big errors ended in a goal and everyone turned against him. It was disgusting to see the so called “Arsenal fans” making sarcastic noises towards him. These lacking 2 brain cells good for nothing fans don’t stop to think what it achieves to intimidate your own player! It’s baffling to even wonder what they expect. THE TRANSFER WINDOW IS CLOSED!!! Look it up in the dictionary if you don’t understand any part of that phrase!
Jeering your keeper will knock his confidence even further and no we DON’T have another keeper to stand in. I don’t understand what part of it all do some fans not understand. You’re not going to get another keeper so atleast support the ones we have. Manuel has done well this season and there is no denying last game he was poor. Further, bare in mind that he WAS injured through the 2nd half of the game.
Personally, I would quite like to see Szczesny play. Many argue that he is young and inexperienced. However, he seems to have faith in his ability and confidence is a very important factor in goalkeeping.
Just to finish off, take note all gooners: we can come out winning or losing by any amount of goals tomorrow but there will be no winning with the media for Arsenal. They will forever hate the Arsenal but it’s no reason to stop enjoying the football or supporting the team whole heartedly.
COYG!!
Having said that, I came across the article in the mirror by Mike Walter. It contains all sorts of name calling and abuse towards Arsene Wenger and will no doubt have all the Anti-Wenger fans screaming with joy.
While many gooners are getting worked up about the words used to describe Wenger, I frankly find it almost embarrassing that the British media has sunken to a new low of name calling. Isn’t that something that we all remember from primary school days? If the site was blog for writers, then you can understand to an extent. However, reading through the article it seems to get more abusive and one wonders how a so called journalist lacks so much knowledge that he’s called the defeat an “all time low”.
Is Mike Walters serious? Or is he actually a 9 year old child that doesn’t remember recent football seasons. The West Brom defeat ranks nowhere near an “all time low”. Then I began to wonder on why a similar article was not thrown out when Liverpool lost to Northampton at home. Ah wait, of course.... silly me! Roy Hodgson is an English manager. Surely he can do no wrong!
After 6 games into the league we have tasted a first defeat and it was almost as if the media guys at the mirror were just aching to unleash an article that attacks Wenger. Instead all they have managed to do is advertise to the rest of Britain the low level journalism they can produce by gathering together an uneducated bunch of retards calling themselves “journalists” and giving them a piece of paper to doodle on.
They are quite clear in their support of the twitchman Redknapp and seem to believe that he is clearly the manager who’s words hold the trend to be followed in the footballing world. Hence, Harry’s name calling towards Wenger after being humiliated in the Carling Cup has caught on by the Mirror’s retards.
Fact of the matter is that atleast 18 of the 20 premier league teams in the country would jump at the opportunity to have Wenger as their manager and I doubt many would want to go bankrupt by having the fraud Harry Redknapp as a manager. But Harry’s red passport means that he can always have the mirror journalists following him around as if he is the messiah to save football from the cruel hands of evil genius Arsene Wenger.
To more important issues; tonight’s game in Serbia against Partizan Belgrade will be a difficult one. We are short of players that are fit to play. Nasri played 120 minutes in the carling cup followed by a full 90 minutes on Saturday and the same goes for Eboue. Koscielny was spared playing the full 90 minutes on Saturday as we pushed for goals late in the game. Jack Wilshere should be fresh enough to start, as will Rosicky and Fabianski.
This brings me to our once again keeper problems. I am not Almunia’s biggest fan by any stretch of imagination. However, credit must be given where it’s due and he performed well for us this season…up until the West Brom game.
Two big errors ended in a goal and everyone turned against him. It was disgusting to see the so called “Arsenal fans” making sarcastic noises towards him. These lacking 2 brain cells good for nothing fans don’t stop to think what it achieves to intimidate your own player! It’s baffling to even wonder what they expect. THE TRANSFER WINDOW IS CLOSED!!! Look it up in the dictionary if you don’t understand any part of that phrase!
Jeering your keeper will knock his confidence even further and no we DON’T have another keeper to stand in. I don’t understand what part of it all do some fans not understand. You’re not going to get another keeper so atleast support the ones we have. Manuel has done well this season and there is no denying last game he was poor. Further, bare in mind that he WAS injured through the 2nd half of the game.
Personally, I would quite like to see Szczesny play. Many argue that he is young and inexperienced. However, he seems to have faith in his ability and confidence is a very important factor in goalkeeping.
Just to finish off, take note all gooners: we can come out winning or losing by any amount of goals tomorrow but there will be no winning with the media for Arsenal. They will forever hate the Arsenal but it’s no reason to stop enjoying the football or supporting the team whole heartedly.
COYG!!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Goalkeeper Wanted
Plenty of posts today and yesterday among Gooners calling for all sorts of rubbish – yes, you know what I’m talking about. OH booo hooooo, we didn’t sign a keeper...we won’t win anything. If that is your attitude then why don’t you just give up your season tickets? Why turn up if that is the attitude. The media pigs have been going on all day about how you can’t win a title if you do not have a solid keeper. Someone remind which was Manure’s “solid keeper” when they won the league in 2000 and 2001? Taibi? Van der Gouw? Bosnich? Barthez? Roy Carroll?
Do people actually believe that Arsene badly wanted a keeper and flopped? Does no one think for a second that if we wanted to pay £4m for a 37 year old with a year left on his contract we could’ve done so? Ofcourse we could if we wanted to. But the motive behind the bid may be different to that which meets the eye.
Let’s look at Almunia’s performance against Blackburn. There was determination, and hunger to do well. One which wasn’t seen before because there was no real competition for his position in the first team. Wenger’s repeated £2m bid for Schwarzer was more of a message to Almunia to get his act together rather than a serious bid to secure the player’s service. I’m not disregarding the fact that Wenger did want to secure the services of the player. But to Arsene, it’s about the right player at the right price. Admittedly, £4m for a short term solution is not a bad price. Wenger however does not believe that paying double original bid is any bigger an improvement to what we already have. Only time will tell whether it was the right decision or not.
The professor is not stupid. He deals with players in his own way. He knows what motivates a player to do well and what methods to use to get the most out of someone’s ability. Almunia knows he has between now and January to prove himself. Yes, I hear the shouting towards the screen saying he’s had plenty of opportunities. But cast your mind towards past goalkeepers and think footballistically. Goalkeepers peak after the age of 34/35. Manuel is now at the age where he will begin to peak. He is at the right age and at a club he knows well. The ingredients are there but we must be patient.
Yes admittedly that was during the days when the Premier League was more of a level playing field. But it’s not impossible and nor is Almunia the worst keeper in the world. Consistency is an issue but do the narrow minded supporters help the cause by constantly calling for his head?
I’m not Almunia’s biggest fan. Far from it if anything.
However, it is important to get behind OUR players every match day. Remember how Bendtner missed opportunities so easy that even my gran could’ve put them away against Burnley last season. The fans that day were fantastic and they continued to cheer his name. The next game – hattrick for Bendtner. A little bit of support can go a long way. We have a solid back line and some of the most talented midfielders in the country. We have started the season well and there is every reason to feel optimistic.
Keep the faith!
Do people actually believe that Arsene badly wanted a keeper and flopped? Does no one think for a second that if we wanted to pay £4m for a 37 year old with a year left on his contract we could’ve done so? Ofcourse we could if we wanted to. But the motive behind the bid may be different to that which meets the eye.
Let’s look at Almunia’s performance against Blackburn. There was determination, and hunger to do well. One which wasn’t seen before because there was no real competition for his position in the first team. Wenger’s repeated £2m bid for Schwarzer was more of a message to Almunia to get his act together rather than a serious bid to secure the player’s service. I’m not disregarding the fact that Wenger did want to secure the services of the player. But to Arsene, it’s about the right player at the right price. Admittedly, £4m for a short term solution is not a bad price. Wenger however does not believe that paying double original bid is any bigger an improvement to what we already have. Only time will tell whether it was the right decision or not.
The professor is not stupid. He deals with players in his own way. He knows what motivates a player to do well and what methods to use to get the most out of someone’s ability. Almunia knows he has between now and January to prove himself. Yes, I hear the shouting towards the screen saying he’s had plenty of opportunities. But cast your mind towards past goalkeepers and think footballistically. Goalkeepers peak after the age of 34/35. Manuel is now at the age where he will begin to peak. He is at the right age and at a club he knows well. The ingredients are there but we must be patient.
Yes admittedly that was during the days when the Premier League was more of a level playing field. But it’s not impossible and nor is Almunia the worst keeper in the world. Consistency is an issue but do the narrow minded supporters help the cause by constantly calling for his head?
I’m not Almunia’s biggest fan. Far from it if anything.
However, it is important to get behind OUR players every match day. Remember how Bendtner missed opportunities so easy that even my gran could’ve put them away against Burnley last season. The fans that day were fantastic and they continued to cheer his name. The next game – hattrick for Bendtner. A little bit of support can go a long way. We have a solid back line and some of the most talented midfielders in the country. We have started the season well and there is every reason to feel optimistic.
Keep the faith!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Is the world going crazy or do all England fans aspire to the Walrus’ "footballing philosophy"?
A deserved victory to say the least for the Arsenal today; a difficult game and fat Walrus faced Sam Allardyce’s regular anti-football techniques (surprise surprise) almost got them something from the game.
Supporters and pundits in this country constantly babble on with the same old slur towards Wenger and Arsenal fans about how we want to play “pretty football” all the time and “it’s a man’s game”. Then these same dumb no brain-celled uneducated bunch of assholes complain why England don’t do well. Well here’s a hint – BECAUSE YOU APPLAUD PEOPLE LIKE SAM ALLARDYCE!!!!
Spain, the world cup winners won it because THEY PLAY FOOTBALL!! All this “putting your foot in” and “the English way” will get you nowhere and for the next 40 years England fans can look forward to being humiliated on the international stage as often as Harry Redknapp twitches.
How can you claim a right to even be considered as favourites in a major tournament when teams play route one long ball football?
A more funny story just emerging as I write this is that the gremlin face Tony Pulis complained to the FA because Wenger said Shawcross pushed Gomes in a corner. Oh boo-hoo, poor Ryan Shawcross will now have to be picked up by his mother and taken home to be breast fed incase he cries. Is this Tony Pulis for real? Under which law or rule do Stoke City expect to have Wenger punished? Graham Poll was on the radio saying how the incident should have been punished because it WAS a foul on Gomes. Why don’t they file a complaint against him?
The players from Blackburn and Stoke City and teams that follow the same “footballing” philosophy will never make it on an international stage and if they do, then expect them to make a fool of England in the international stage.
On to the game, credit has to be given to Theo Walcott (brilliant goal that actually made a hole in the net due to the sheer power on it) and more importantly – and this is not so often but Manuel Almunia. His decision making and strength in the box today was fantastic and one would wish if only he could do this well week in week out. His organisation of the defence as well as battling quality with dirty players like Chris Samba showed he may be finally maturing as a keeper. Ofcourse there is still a long way to go and the gut feeling is that he probably won’t be able to reproduce this on a regular basis.
Further credit has to go to Bacary Sagna. He didn’t have the best of seasons last year but he is once again showing the qualities he had when he first signed for us.
It was a sort of baptism of fire for Laurent Koscielny and he was at fault for the goal Blackburn scored. He decided to get too tight to E. Diouf and was left for dead as Diouf cut in to square the ball for the equaliser.
Andrey Arshavin is finally pulling his weight and showing steel rather than being lazy. Though he hasn’t had the best of games against Liverpool, he is putting in the effort and that is very important. If he can utilise the wider areas more often rather than always getting on to his right foot for a shot, he can create more. Nevertheless, he did produce a bit of magic using quick feet to take on 3 defenders within 5 yards and showed good strength being just 5ft 6” and up against defenders over 6ft.
It’s time to relive the game on Match of the Day and the feeling is jealous old Hansen will again slate Theo even though it’s now 4 goals in 2 games.
Supporters and pundits in this country constantly babble on with the same old slur towards Wenger and Arsenal fans about how we want to play “pretty football” all the time and “it’s a man’s game”. Then these same dumb no brain-celled uneducated bunch of assholes complain why England don’t do well. Well here’s a hint – BECAUSE YOU APPLAUD PEOPLE LIKE SAM ALLARDYCE!!!!
Spain, the world cup winners won it because THEY PLAY FOOTBALL!! All this “putting your foot in” and “the English way” will get you nowhere and for the next 40 years England fans can look forward to being humiliated on the international stage as often as Harry Redknapp twitches.
How can you claim a right to even be considered as favourites in a major tournament when teams play route one long ball football?
A more funny story just emerging as I write this is that the gremlin face Tony Pulis complained to the FA because Wenger said Shawcross pushed Gomes in a corner. Oh boo-hoo, poor Ryan Shawcross will now have to be picked up by his mother and taken home to be breast fed incase he cries. Is this Tony Pulis for real? Under which law or rule do Stoke City expect to have Wenger punished? Graham Poll was on the radio saying how the incident should have been punished because it WAS a foul on Gomes. Why don’t they file a complaint against him?
The players from Blackburn and Stoke City and teams that follow the same “footballing” philosophy will never make it on an international stage and if they do, then expect them to make a fool of England in the international stage.
On to the game, credit has to be given to Theo Walcott (brilliant goal that actually made a hole in the net due to the sheer power on it) and more importantly – and this is not so often but Manuel Almunia. His decision making and strength in the box today was fantastic and one would wish if only he could do this well week in week out. His organisation of the defence as well as battling quality with dirty players like Chris Samba showed he may be finally maturing as a keeper. Ofcourse there is still a long way to go and the gut feeling is that he probably won’t be able to reproduce this on a regular basis.
Further credit has to go to Bacary Sagna. He didn’t have the best of seasons last year but he is once again showing the qualities he had when he first signed for us.
It was a sort of baptism of fire for Laurent Koscielny and he was at fault for the goal Blackburn scored. He decided to get too tight to E. Diouf and was left for dead as Diouf cut in to square the ball for the equaliser.
Andrey Arshavin is finally pulling his weight and showing steel rather than being lazy. Though he hasn’t had the best of games against Liverpool, he is putting in the effort and that is very important. If he can utilise the wider areas more often rather than always getting on to his right foot for a shot, he can create more. Nevertheless, he did produce a bit of magic using quick feet to take on 3 defenders within 5 yards and showed good strength being just 5ft 6” and up against defenders over 6ft.
It’s time to relive the game on Match of the Day and the feeling is jealous old Hansen will again slate Theo even though it’s now 4 goals in 2 games.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Gunners Await Another Year of Mediocrity in 2011
The moment is finally here. Despite the poor World Cup witnessed, most fans have waited for this moment in particular – 2010/2011 season!
As glad as I am with the start of the new season, this is the most pessimistic I have been for years about the current squad at our disposal. In terms of attacking talent, there are very few teams that are blessed with talent going forward as we currently posses in our squad. The addition of Chamakh will no doubt give us depth and a varied attacking option up front.
And after a poor season in 2009/2010, Samir Nasri is looking more mature and hungry to prove himself after being left out of France’s disastrous World Cup campaign (a blessing in disguise I’d say). Andrey Arshavin could not have asked for a better fixture to kick off the season and most Arsenal fans are sweating on the fitness of van Persie even before a ball has been kicked.
Our cause for concern is our defence. Arsenal lack depth at the back and the acquisition of Koscielny is not going to be enough to compete. It is highly unlikely that Koscielny will produce the same quality as the Verminator did last season. He has played in the French second division for some time and has not spent long in Lorient – who are not the most attractive of contenders in the French league. It will take Koscielny time to adjust to the premier league and it seems the only other defender we have is Djorou.
The goalkeeping issue has been a major problem since Jens Lehmann left. Almunia and Fabianski have easily cost us enough points last season to hinder our challenge for the title and it is about time Wenger realised that neither are anywhere near good enough. He has insisted for a long time about how good Fabianski is in training. However, it means nothing to pull off world class saves when it doesn’t matter if you cannot repeat this on match days. His goalkeeping has been nothing short of abysmal in pre season and let’s not forget the poor display he put in Anfield when Andrey rescued us the unforgettable 4-4 draw. As an Arsenal fan, the summer has been most frustrating as the first issue that needed dealing with was the Goalkeeping position and on the eve of the opening game against Liverpool, most fans are unsure as to who is going to start between the posts.
Arsenal have been linked with Schwarzer and one of the Manchester City keepers. It is a sad time when fans get excited over signing Schwarzer who isn’t the greatest of keepers. He is however a lot better than Almunia and Fabianski combined.
Those of you cursing the screen to see one of Joe Hart or Shay Given in an Arsenal shirt can save your breath. Man City will never sell to a rival club and it is understandable too considering the millions they spent for success.
Finally, we come to the issue of the captain. Cesc has more or less made it clear where he wants to be. A lot depends now on how the players around him react to what happened over the summer. It leaves a sour taste in the dressing room to know that your captain is packing his bags for next summer and this may impact on players minds. Whether they respond positively or negatively is one that only time will tell. We do however have very few players that play for the passion of the club. Players like Denilson, Diaby, Almunia, Nasri and co do not know what a London Derbies mean to the fans and so they are vulnerable to any negative issues surrounding the club. They lack fighting spirit and passion and all await the "magic phonecall" from the Nou Camp on which of our players have new DNA discovered so Barcelona can claim a divine right to the player.
To finish off, my prediction for the coming season (assuming we don’t sign any more players and go with this current squad is as follows:
1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Arsenal
4. Manchester City
5. Liverpool
----------------------------
18. West Brom
19. Wolves
20. Blackpool
It's a pessimistic view ahead of our campaign, but as always, Keep the faith.
As glad as I am with the start of the new season, this is the most pessimistic I have been for years about the current squad at our disposal. In terms of attacking talent, there are very few teams that are blessed with talent going forward as we currently posses in our squad. The addition of Chamakh will no doubt give us depth and a varied attacking option up front.
And after a poor season in 2009/2010, Samir Nasri is looking more mature and hungry to prove himself after being left out of France’s disastrous World Cup campaign (a blessing in disguise I’d say). Andrey Arshavin could not have asked for a better fixture to kick off the season and most Arsenal fans are sweating on the fitness of van Persie even before a ball has been kicked.
Our cause for concern is our defence. Arsenal lack depth at the back and the acquisition of Koscielny is not going to be enough to compete. It is highly unlikely that Koscielny will produce the same quality as the Verminator did last season. He has played in the French second division for some time and has not spent long in Lorient – who are not the most attractive of contenders in the French league. It will take Koscielny time to adjust to the premier league and it seems the only other defender we have is Djorou.
The goalkeeping issue has been a major problem since Jens Lehmann left. Almunia and Fabianski have easily cost us enough points last season to hinder our challenge for the title and it is about time Wenger realised that neither are anywhere near good enough. He has insisted for a long time about how good Fabianski is in training. However, it means nothing to pull off world class saves when it doesn’t matter if you cannot repeat this on match days. His goalkeeping has been nothing short of abysmal in pre season and let’s not forget the poor display he put in Anfield when Andrey rescued us the unforgettable 4-4 draw. As an Arsenal fan, the summer has been most frustrating as the first issue that needed dealing with was the Goalkeeping position and on the eve of the opening game against Liverpool, most fans are unsure as to who is going to start between the posts.
Arsenal have been linked with Schwarzer and one of the Manchester City keepers. It is a sad time when fans get excited over signing Schwarzer who isn’t the greatest of keepers. He is however a lot better than Almunia and Fabianski combined.
Those of you cursing the screen to see one of Joe Hart or Shay Given in an Arsenal shirt can save your breath. Man City will never sell to a rival club and it is understandable too considering the millions they spent for success.
Finally, we come to the issue of the captain. Cesc has more or less made it clear where he wants to be. A lot depends now on how the players around him react to what happened over the summer. It leaves a sour taste in the dressing room to know that your captain is packing his bags for next summer and this may impact on players minds. Whether they respond positively or negatively is one that only time will tell. We do however have very few players that play for the passion of the club. Players like Denilson, Diaby, Almunia, Nasri and co do not know what a London Derbies mean to the fans and so they are vulnerable to any negative issues surrounding the club. They lack fighting spirit and passion and all await the "magic phonecall" from the Nou Camp on which of our players have new DNA discovered so Barcelona can claim a divine right to the player.
To finish off, my prediction for the coming season (assuming we don’t sign any more players and go with this current squad is as follows:
1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Arsenal
4. Manchester City
5. Liverpool
----------------------------
18. West Brom
19. Wolves
20. Blackpool
It's a pessimistic view ahead of our campaign, but as always, Keep the faith.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Barca - prepare to face further embarrassment from Arsenal!
After Barcelona were slapped in the face as they skipped towards claiming their “easy signing” Xavi Hernandez has once again revealed how desperate he is to play with Fabregas (note sexual innuendo).
It seems all Xavi can think about is how to get Fabregas to go Barcelona and the number of times he has mentioned it, I’m starting to think that there is more to it than meets the eye. While he repeatedly mentions how it would be great to see Cesc in a Barcelona shirt, it is not normal for a player to talk about someone so much that it has now come to a point where I actually think that Xavi is just sexually attracted towards Fabregas and that is why recently he spoken more about Cesc’s “DNA” than he has about the Spain’s chances in the World Cup.
Admittedly, Xavi is the best midfielder in the world in my opinion. However, he really needs to think of other methods of coming out the closet than to use Cesc as a tool. Saying it once is enough – yes we get it, you want Cesc to succeed you at Barcelona. But to repeatedly talk about a switch to Barcelona when WE HEARD HIM THE FIRST TIME is just annoying and sick.
Clearly, the presidential candidates and the Barcelona staff are using Xavi to make the noises in case allegations of tapping up comes in to play, at which point the club cannot be penalised directly. However, it seems now that it is Barcelona that are playing into Arsenal’s hands. Confused? Let’s break down the events of the rumours regarding this transfer since they kicked off in the summer.
Arsenal FC kept quiet and watched all along how the Catalans started their dirty tricks by unsettling the player. While some Gooners were scared to death and some already deciding that Arsene Wenger had killed the team and calling for his head, the club have been keeping note of what movements Barcelona have been making. They kept on making noises in papers and the radio stations which they have “influence” over since Cesc said IF he left Arsenal he would go to Barca (find me ONE Arsenal fan that DIDN’T know that...wasn’t exactly shocking news – there’s more chance of finding Chamakh’s signing a surprise a month ago).
Cesc then revealed vague details about his conversation with Arsene Wenger. There is only speculation regarding what was said in that conversation. Everyone has their own version regarding what may have been discussed.
Having thought about the situation and the way pieces of the puzzle have been laid out, it seems that Wenger’s message to Cesc was, “let’s see how bad they want you”. Do they want to sign Cesc as a tool in the presidential election game? Or do they truly believe that Central Midfield is a position they need to strengthen for next season? They have Xavi, Iniesta and the young man Pedro who scored over 20 goals for them last season. So do they really need Cesc. And if they do, where do they plan to play him?
Cesc repeatedly mentioned that Arsene told him to “concentrate on his football”. Is it worth for a 23 year old bright talent to go Barcelona and sit there on the bench pondering what could have been like Alex Hleb once did? Personally, I think Wenger said to him, “let’s see what price they put forward for you. If it’s a healthy one (£50m+ in my opinion), then they really do want you and we can discuss a deal should you wish to move. Anything lower and the message is clear that they are putting a front to the rest of the board in order to gain votes in the elections.”
Cesc, Wenger and all the Arsenal fans know that he will go Barcelona one day. But it is more important for Fabregas that he leaves at the right time when he knows he will be playing lots of football at his peak and that the first name on that team sheet is his.
As soon as the transfer window opened, Barca faxed in a piece of paper with approximately £30m on it.
With that figure, they will be HIGHLY lucky if we returned to them a reply with Cesc’s left boot in a parcel. It was an insult of a bid to say the least - both cheap and disrespectful to Arsenal FC and Cesc Fabregas. They further happily announced to the world they have made the bid and all anti Arsenal fans were so excited you would think they were all about get laid with Miss World).
The speculation and Barcelona’s “glorious” bid lasted less than 24 hours as Arsenal came out to with the statement of rejection. The reply was so direct and “shocking” to some quarters of Catalonia, the media tried to resurrect the story by saying we are entering a bidding war with Barcelona. Apparently, Arsenal’s statement of “we will not make any counterproposal or enter any discussion” and that we expect Barcelona to respect us as they have stated seems to have come across as “please make another bid because we are ever so desperate to ship out our captain.
It’s disgusting and sickening how the media try to manipulate direct statements to cater for their sick fantasies. The words were loud and clear and to Barcelona, it was almost public humiliation. Kind of like proposing to a woman in public and see her say, “Yuck!! No!”
Barcelona are now acting like a pack of dogs by recreating media noises and in doing so, they are damaging their own reputation. They may be a club that produces bright talent and try to show what happens when you do things “the right way” but the tapping up and unsettling of other players is the same old dirty tricks Real Madrid have used for decades and Barcelona are no better.
And in doing so, I believe they are playing into our hands as I don’t think that Arsenal will let the self respect of our club fall by letting this go. It will now be a matter of time before Barcelona reap the “rewards” of what they earned by facing some disciplinary from football’s governing body. The calm manner in which we said "no" in the first place gives an indication that we already know they will not respect our position and Arsenal will take action. It is unsurprising that UEFA have not stepped in already as we all know Mr. Platini’s dislike of the Premier League
However, if we can launch an official complaint, Barcelona can be put into their place albeit on a temporary basis because as we all know, “once a c*nt, ALWAYS a c*nt”
Keep the faith!
It seems all Xavi can think about is how to get Fabregas to go Barcelona and the number of times he has mentioned it, I’m starting to think that there is more to it than meets the eye. While he repeatedly mentions how it would be great to see Cesc in a Barcelona shirt, it is not normal for a player to talk about someone so much that it has now come to a point where I actually think that Xavi is just sexually attracted towards Fabregas and that is why recently he spoken more about Cesc’s “DNA” than he has about the Spain’s chances in the World Cup.
Admittedly, Xavi is the best midfielder in the world in my opinion. However, he really needs to think of other methods of coming out the closet than to use Cesc as a tool. Saying it once is enough – yes we get it, you want Cesc to succeed you at Barcelona. But to repeatedly talk about a switch to Barcelona when WE HEARD HIM THE FIRST TIME is just annoying and sick.
Clearly, the presidential candidates and the Barcelona staff are using Xavi to make the noises in case allegations of tapping up comes in to play, at which point the club cannot be penalised directly. However, it seems now that it is Barcelona that are playing into Arsenal’s hands. Confused? Let’s break down the events of the rumours regarding this transfer since they kicked off in the summer.
Arsenal FC kept quiet and watched all along how the Catalans started their dirty tricks by unsettling the player. While some Gooners were scared to death and some already deciding that Arsene Wenger had killed the team and calling for his head, the club have been keeping note of what movements Barcelona have been making. They kept on making noises in papers and the radio stations which they have “influence” over since Cesc said IF he left Arsenal he would go to Barca (find me ONE Arsenal fan that DIDN’T know that...wasn’t exactly shocking news – there’s more chance of finding Chamakh’s signing a surprise a month ago).
Cesc then revealed vague details about his conversation with Arsene Wenger. There is only speculation regarding what was said in that conversation. Everyone has their own version regarding what may have been discussed.
Having thought about the situation and the way pieces of the puzzle have been laid out, it seems that Wenger’s message to Cesc was, “let’s see how bad they want you”. Do they want to sign Cesc as a tool in the presidential election game? Or do they truly believe that Central Midfield is a position they need to strengthen for next season? They have Xavi, Iniesta and the young man Pedro who scored over 20 goals for them last season. So do they really need Cesc. And if they do, where do they plan to play him?
Cesc repeatedly mentioned that Arsene told him to “concentrate on his football”. Is it worth for a 23 year old bright talent to go Barcelona and sit there on the bench pondering what could have been like Alex Hleb once did? Personally, I think Wenger said to him, “let’s see what price they put forward for you. If it’s a healthy one (£50m+ in my opinion), then they really do want you and we can discuss a deal should you wish to move. Anything lower and the message is clear that they are putting a front to the rest of the board in order to gain votes in the elections.”
Cesc, Wenger and all the Arsenal fans know that he will go Barcelona one day. But it is more important for Fabregas that he leaves at the right time when he knows he will be playing lots of football at his peak and that the first name on that team sheet is his.
As soon as the transfer window opened, Barca faxed in a piece of paper with approximately £30m on it.
With that figure, they will be HIGHLY lucky if we returned to them a reply with Cesc’s left boot in a parcel. It was an insult of a bid to say the least - both cheap and disrespectful to Arsenal FC and Cesc Fabregas. They further happily announced to the world they have made the bid and all anti Arsenal fans were so excited you would think they were all about get laid with Miss World).
The speculation and Barcelona’s “glorious” bid lasted less than 24 hours as Arsenal came out to with the statement of rejection. The reply was so direct and “shocking” to some quarters of Catalonia, the media tried to resurrect the story by saying we are entering a bidding war with Barcelona. Apparently, Arsenal’s statement of “we will not make any counterproposal or enter any discussion” and that we expect Barcelona to respect us as they have stated seems to have come across as “please make another bid because we are ever so desperate to ship out our captain.
It’s disgusting and sickening how the media try to manipulate direct statements to cater for their sick fantasies. The words were loud and clear and to Barcelona, it was almost public humiliation. Kind of like proposing to a woman in public and see her say, “Yuck!! No!”
Barcelona are now acting like a pack of dogs by recreating media noises and in doing so, they are damaging their own reputation. They may be a club that produces bright talent and try to show what happens when you do things “the right way” but the tapping up and unsettling of other players is the same old dirty tricks Real Madrid have used for decades and Barcelona are no better.
And in doing so, I believe they are playing into our hands as I don’t think that Arsenal will let the self respect of our club fall by letting this go. It will now be a matter of time before Barcelona reap the “rewards” of what they earned by facing some disciplinary from football’s governing body. The calm manner in which we said "no" in the first place gives an indication that we already know they will not respect our position and Arsenal will take action. It is unsurprising that UEFA have not stepped in already as we all know Mr. Platini’s dislike of the Premier League
However, if we can launch an official complaint, Barcelona can be put into their place albeit on a temporary basis because as we all know, “once a c*nt, ALWAYS a c*nt”
Keep the faith!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Theo better than SWP, but does not deserve to go to South Africa
Theo Walcott was the “surprise” omission
from Capello’s 23 yesterday. Many pundits and journalists agreed while others disagreed with the decision.
Walcott is miles better than Wright-Phillips and has made more significant steps at the age of 21 than Shaun Wright-Phillips (SWP) has at 29. However, he's not in form and the first game is 10 days away which was a worrying factor for Capello.
Personally I could not be happier that Theo has been left out of the final team. He doesn't deserve to go for his ignorance of the manager’s advice last summer which has resulted in his omission from the final 23 for South Africa.
Large sections of the media have pointed the finger at Arsene Wenger for Theo’s lack of development. It’s as if any player that plays in Wenger’s team must without fail turn into world class material and if they don’t, then “Wenger destroyed his career”.
When Arsene signs a player, he tailors an individual development program for them that will see them rise to the top of their game. It is the reason Ramsey chose Arsenal over Manchester United. Wenger showed him his plans to develop his abilities that will see him play at the highest level. The program is in no way a guarantee or indication that the player will turn out great. The hunger, desire and motivation MUST be there. If the player does not have the motivation to do well, then their training counts for nothing. Why is it that players like Clichy, Gibbs, Fabregas, Bendtner and van Persie have all made it but Theo hasn’t? It’s because they have all showed the desire and passion to become a great. Many criticise Bendtner for all his arrogant talk yet not ONE person, Arsenal fan or not, that has watched Bendtner play can ever criticise him for the effort and determination he shows on that pitch.
Theo IS better than SWP and his omission from the squad will only do him good. He has had everything his way in football and it is now time he had a set back (that wasn’t another injury) to get him to think about his career and double his work rate on the pitch.
So far in his football career:
- He got his move from Southampton to Arsenal.
- He got into the England World Cup squad
- He got chance after chance to play for England despite not always having earned his place.
- He got Champions League football
I disagree with those that say he hasn’t made progress. Let’s have a look at his seasons since his move to Arsenal
2006/2007 he went to the World Cup in Germany at 17 but didn’t get a chance to play. Once he returned, he started to make some appearances for the Gunners in our first season at the Emirates Stadium. He will notably remember that season for that goal he created against Liverpool, running past 4 of their defenders to set Adebayor up for a tap in. He will also remember that fantastic goal in the Carling Cup final against Chelsea.
Then in 07-08, he very much looked the part to say the least. Theo scored some really good goals against Birmingham City, ripped AC Milan’s very experienced defenders to shreds.
After a quiet summer due to England not being involve in the Euro’s, September 2008 saw Walcott make his mark on international football when he scored his hat-trick away against Croatia. It was the moment when although the rest of England were amazed and talking about how he has developed, Wenger said he was unsurprised by what happened.
Now come last summer (2009) Walcott decided to play for BOTH the England senior AND the U21s team. That was the beginning of the end for Walcott’s chance to play in South Africa. He had no pre-season rest, nor preparation. And it is clear that playing well for England does not necessarily guarantee a place in future teams, but playing well over a season for your club can!
To sum up, he tried to play two full seasons with Arsenal with two summers of competitive games at international level for 3 different teams. He was warned by Wenger not to play for both England sides. Yet, Theo insisted on doing so and it proved to be the main reason for his injury problems this season. He went to matches lacking fitness and to add insult to injury, got his ankles taken by that dirty Liam Ridgewell (unsurprisingly plays for Birmingham City) and more shoulder problems.
Theo needed a negative twist in his career to get him thinking about his game. He knows he is better than SWP and also Lennon (anyone else notice he runs like a girl?). Walcott can sit back and watch the world cup and watch how the passion and desire to do well on the pitch made Capello pick SWP ahead of him. This could be the best thing that happened in his career and he needs to learn to draw strength from disappointments. Wenger has always said he is mentally strong and he now has the opportunity to show that.
The plus side for Arsenal is that he can be fresh for the new season (unless he decides to enter some England Reserves tournament somewhere).
On a final note, is anyone else getting sick of the complaints about the football being used in the World Cup? Every world cup Adidas claim to make the most spherical football(wonder what the shape of the others were) and every world cup a host of goalkeepers complain about it. The complaints are obviously pre-excuses in case they make a mess in front of the world during a game and can shift blame elsewhere so a nation of hopefuls are not ready to egg them. All I want to say to these keepers is
- you earn more in a week than I do in one year
- GET ON WITH IT!!!
- They’re not likely to change the balls now
- Maybe its time you grow a pair!
Just before finishing, does anyone see something wrong with this or is it just me??
Rene Higuita – Goalkeeper
69 Caps, 8 Goals
Jose Luis Chilavert – Goalkeeper
74 Caps, 8 Goals
Emile Heskey – Striker
58 Caps, 7 Goals
Keep the faith!
from Capello’s 23 yesterday. Many pundits and journalists agreed while others disagreed with the decision.
Walcott is miles better than Wright-Phillips and has made more significant steps at the age of 21 than Shaun Wright-Phillips (SWP) has at 29. However, he's not in form and the first game is 10 days away which was a worrying factor for Capello.
Personally I could not be happier that Theo has been left out of the final team. He doesn't deserve to go for his ignorance of the manager’s advice last summer which has resulted in his omission from the final 23 for South Africa.
Large sections of the media have pointed the finger at Arsene Wenger for Theo’s lack of development. It’s as if any player that plays in Wenger’s team must without fail turn into world class material and if they don’t, then “Wenger destroyed his career”.
When Arsene signs a player, he tailors an individual development program for them that will see them rise to the top of their game. It is the reason Ramsey chose Arsenal over Manchester United. Wenger showed him his plans to develop his abilities that will see him play at the highest level. The program is in no way a guarantee or indication that the player will turn out great. The hunger, desire and motivation MUST be there. If the player does not have the motivation to do well, then their training counts for nothing. Why is it that players like Clichy, Gibbs, Fabregas, Bendtner and van Persie have all made it but Theo hasn’t? It’s because they have all showed the desire and passion to become a great. Many criticise Bendtner for all his arrogant talk yet not ONE person, Arsenal fan or not, that has watched Bendtner play can ever criticise him for the effort and determination he shows on that pitch.
Theo IS better than SWP and his omission from the squad will only do him good. He has had everything his way in football and it is now time he had a set back (that wasn’t another injury) to get him to think about his career and double his work rate on the pitch.
So far in his football career:
- He got his move from Southampton to Arsenal.
- He got into the England World Cup squad
- He got chance after chance to play for England despite not always having earned his place.
- He got Champions League football
I disagree with those that say he hasn’t made progress. Let’s have a look at his seasons since his move to Arsenal
2006/2007 he went to the World Cup in Germany at 17 but didn’t get a chance to play. Once he returned, he started to make some appearances for the Gunners in our first season at the Emirates Stadium. He will notably remember that season for that goal he created against Liverpool, running past 4 of their defenders to set Adebayor up for a tap in. He will also remember that fantastic goal in the Carling Cup final against Chelsea.
Then in 07-08, he very much looked the part to say the least. Theo scored some really good goals against Birmingham City, ripped AC Milan’s very experienced defenders to shreds.
After a quiet summer due to England not being involve in the Euro’s, September 2008 saw Walcott make his mark on international football when he scored his hat-trick away against Croatia. It was the moment when although the rest of England were amazed and talking about how he has developed, Wenger said he was unsurprised by what happened.
Now come last summer (2009) Walcott decided to play for BOTH the England senior AND the U21s team. That was the beginning of the end for Walcott’s chance to play in South Africa. He had no pre-season rest, nor preparation. And it is clear that playing well for England does not necessarily guarantee a place in future teams, but playing well over a season for your club can!
To sum up, he tried to play two full seasons with Arsenal with two summers of competitive games at international level for 3 different teams. He was warned by Wenger not to play for both England sides. Yet, Theo insisted on doing so and it proved to be the main reason for his injury problems this season. He went to matches lacking fitness and to add insult to injury, got his ankles taken by that dirty Liam Ridgewell (unsurprisingly plays for Birmingham City) and more shoulder problems.
Theo needed a negative twist in his career to get him thinking about his game. He knows he is better than SWP and also Lennon (anyone else notice he runs like a girl?). Walcott can sit back and watch the world cup and watch how the passion and desire to do well on the pitch made Capello pick SWP ahead of him. This could be the best thing that happened in his career and he needs to learn to draw strength from disappointments. Wenger has always said he is mentally strong and he now has the opportunity to show that.
The plus side for Arsenal is that he can be fresh for the new season (unless he decides to enter some England Reserves tournament somewhere).
On a final note, is anyone else getting sick of the complaints about the football being used in the World Cup? Every world cup Adidas claim to make the most spherical football(wonder what the shape of the others were) and every world cup a host of goalkeepers complain about it. The complaints are obviously pre-excuses in case they make a mess in front of the world during a game and can shift blame elsewhere so a nation of hopefuls are not ready to egg them. All I want to say to these keepers is
- you earn more in a week than I do in one year
- GET ON WITH IT!!!
- They’re not likely to change the balls now
- Maybe its time you grow a pair!
Just before finishing, does anyone see something wrong with this or is it just me??
Rene Higuita – Goalkeeper
69 Caps, 8 Goals
Jose Luis Chilavert – Goalkeeper
74 Caps, 8 Goals
Emile Heskey – Striker
58 Caps, 7 Goals
Keep the faith!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
New Rule apparently not affecting Spurs and Theo in the 23
By Adil Khan
Last Thursday, European Football's governing body imposed rules regarding clubs having to spend what they generate per three season figures.
So UEFA have finally decided to put a long time frame that would ensure that clubs with substantial debt (which isn't being managed) are not given European licences.
Firstly, why it has taken that idiotic fool of a president Michel Platini years to enforce this is beyond me as the change in the financial state of football clubs kicked off when Roman FC was found West London in 2003. Any moron with more than a just brain cell could see where the footballing world was heading when big bucks were being dashed out as if £50 notes fly out everytime Abramovic goes to the toilet (I'd like to know what he's having)!
Secondly, this seems more of a ploy against the English clubs and the case has not been helped by Portsmouth FC’s incompetetent financial staff. It is hard to imagine Platini letting his Spanish mistresses get caught up in all of this. After all, can you ...correction... can HE imagine a CL year without Real or Barca? I wouldn't think so. His hatred for the English clubs and football on this side of the channel has been clear to see for many years so excuse me if I'm being slightly paranoid but I for one, hate that moron. One does wonder how he will deal with clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona who have the Spanish government to always bail them out
The hope is that this rule is exercised fairly. It’s certainly hard to see some of these clubs clearing their debt in the next 4-6 years so there must be a loop-hole for them to exploit. As a Gooner this news brings great joy and pride knowing that this will not affect us at all. I am not the biggest fan of our board sometimes but I have to give credit where it is due.
Now while we are on the topic, it has been mentioned that Tottenham will not be affected by this rule.
Can someone please explain how that is the case. Spurs buy a HUGE number of players left, right and centre and its almost as if they’re taking the piss at not being noticed by selling them all and buying them back for bigger prices. In November 2009 it was revealed that they had spent £150m so where do they make a profit? I know many argue and say they sold Berbatov for so and so but let's not forget, they NEVER NEEDED to sell him. They fought till the very end of that transfer window which means they are more than capable of paying him bigger wages to keep him at White Hart Lane AND sign more players. It's only this season that they have a chance to qualify for the Champions League and other than a carling cup, they never really won that much nor got very far in the Europa League, so how on earth are they ok? And it’s baffling as to why no media base ever question neither their dealings nor any word on their financial reports. It’s no wonder that they finally managed to get the fraud Redknapp tax as they’re manager.
Moving briefly onto Theo Walcott, John Cross (Gooner) of the Mirror summed him up nicely on the radio as “almost a very good player”, notice the word ALMOST. It was not until the end of the 08/09 season that many gooners were unhappy after his ignorance of Arsene’s advice. Not only did he play for the U21s that summer but also the first team (yes, once selected he has to play, but he could’ve said no to the U21s and Stuart Pearce would have excused him). So there was no surprise that he got injured after a pre season of no rest which resulted in Theo missing out on a good chunk of the season.
Walcott said recently that he feels he “deserves” to go to the world cup this time. However, watching his performance in the past 2 England games it seems Shaun Wright-Phillips out done all of Theo's work in 45 minutes by showing every bit of determination to make a claim for his World Cup place.
If Theo goes to the World Cup, it will be good for him but on the contrary, if he fails to make the final 23 on Tuesday, then it could be a blessing in disguise for Walcott’s career. He can sit back and have a long hard think about his performances and gain consistency to repeat the performances against Liverpool, Barcelona and AC Milan over recent seasons.
Keep the faith!
Last Thursday, European Football's governing body imposed rules regarding clubs having to spend what they generate per three season figures.
So UEFA have finally decided to put a long time frame that would ensure that clubs with substantial debt (which isn't being managed) are not given European licences.
Firstly, why it has taken that idiotic fool of a president Michel Platini years to enforce this is beyond me as the change in the financial state of football clubs kicked off when Roman FC was found West London in 2003. Any moron with more than a just brain cell could see where the footballing world was heading when big bucks were being dashed out as if £50 notes fly out everytime Abramovic goes to the toilet (I'd like to know what he's having)!
Secondly, this seems more of a ploy against the English clubs and the case has not been helped by Portsmouth FC’s incompetetent financial staff. It is hard to imagine Platini letting his Spanish mistresses get caught up in all of this. After all, can you ...correction... can HE imagine a CL year without Real or Barca? I wouldn't think so. His hatred for the English clubs and football on this side of the channel has been clear to see for many years so excuse me if I'm being slightly paranoid but I for one, hate that moron. One does wonder how he will deal with clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona who have the Spanish government to always bail them out
The hope is that this rule is exercised fairly. It’s certainly hard to see some of these clubs clearing their debt in the next 4-6 years so there must be a loop-hole for them to exploit. As a Gooner this news brings great joy and pride knowing that this will not affect us at all. I am not the biggest fan of our board sometimes but I have to give credit where it is due.
Now while we are on the topic, it has been mentioned that Tottenham will not be affected by this rule.
Can someone please explain how that is the case. Spurs buy a HUGE number of players left, right and centre and its almost as if they’re taking the piss at not being noticed by selling them all and buying them back for bigger prices. In November 2009 it was revealed that they had spent £150m so where do they make a profit? I know many argue and say they sold Berbatov for so and so but let's not forget, they NEVER NEEDED to sell him. They fought till the very end of that transfer window which means they are more than capable of paying him bigger wages to keep him at White Hart Lane AND sign more players. It's only this season that they have a chance to qualify for the Champions League and other than a carling cup, they never really won that much nor got very far in the Europa League, so how on earth are they ok? And it’s baffling as to why no media base ever question neither their dealings nor any word on their financial reports. It’s no wonder that they finally managed to get the fraud Redknapp tax as they’re manager.
Moving briefly onto Theo Walcott, John Cross (Gooner) of the Mirror summed him up nicely on the radio as “almost a very good player”, notice the word ALMOST. It was not until the end of the 08/09 season that many gooners were unhappy after his ignorance of Arsene’s advice. Not only did he play for the U21s that summer but also the first team (yes, once selected he has to play, but he could’ve said no to the U21s and Stuart Pearce would have excused him). So there was no surprise that he got injured after a pre season of no rest which resulted in Theo missing out on a good chunk of the season.
Walcott said recently that he feels he “deserves” to go to the world cup this time. However, watching his performance in the past 2 England games it seems Shaun Wright-Phillips out done all of Theo's work in 45 minutes by showing every bit of determination to make a claim for his World Cup place.
If Theo goes to the World Cup, it will be good for him but on the contrary, if he fails to make the final 23 on Tuesday, then it could be a blessing in disguise for Walcott’s career. He can sit back and have a long hard think about his performances and gain consistency to repeat the performances against Liverpool, Barcelona and AC Milan over recent seasons.
Keep the faith!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Cesc Fabregas - The Arsenal Product!
After 3 years as a steward at the Emirates, I now have a club level season ticket, which now means I can at last go to the game in my Arsenal shirt rather than an orange jacket and celebrate and taunt oppositions like the rest while watching some of the best football on the planet.
The one player that may/may not be with us is El Capitan Cesc Fabregas. He has come out to say his future is in Arsenal’s hand. And bless the predictable media writers getting so excited with the Barcelona rumours you would think they’ve just had an overdose of Viagra pills. Then again, every time Cesc has come out to say he wants to stay in North London, the media somehow interpret that differently to how regular people see it and convince the rest of the world by changing the geography of the planet to say that North London is actually inside Catalonia.
Some Gooners along with myself see his words differently. Undoubtedly, most of the footballing world following this story would love to know the content of the conversation Cesc has had with the manager. Wenger’s philosophy and his trail of thinking is very deep and apart from Adebayor and possible one or two others, every player that has worked with him have had nothing but respect for the man.
Cesc and Arsene have always held a father-son type relation similar to how Alex Hleb saw his relation to Wenger.
Even in such a turbulent point in his career with fans calling for his head, media scrutinising and the Daily Mail going as far as putting him in the list of top 50 flops in the premier league this season, Wenger has asked Cesc not to let his football get affected. Such is his concern for Fabregas’ development, Arsene will not let anything get in the way of Cesc becoming a great footballer and he knows himself that one day Cesc will leave. Nor does he care that when he does become the best midfielder in the world he may have blue stripes down his red top and even be among those that will play against Arsenal in the Champions League.
Arsene will never stop a player from achieving his best and this is a man who doesn’t just work for the greater good of Arsenal, but also for football as a sport which is why he told Cesc that he will deal with the media and the questions thrown and he will bear the brunt of what is to come. And now the media has little choice but to leave Cesc to the World Cup and chase Arsene for answers.
Cesc has been brought up well both as a footballer and young lad. His confidence, passion and determination have given him the stepping stones to become a great of the game. A very large part of the media and even some quarters of the Arsenal fans argue that Cesc is a Barcelona product. But these people donot look at his career objectively. He was at Barca from the age of 9 where they taught him the basics of the game. And a large part of the media and fans believe that is where he became a fantastic footballer.
I disagree.
Wenger has looked for certain elements that make great players and they are things you cannot always teach. A great touch, vision and timing are some of the key elements for Wenger to pick a player that will further develop. Cesc had all of the elements at the age of 14/15 but he was nowhere near a complete player at the time. And there is no better education a player can get than to play in the first team in the most difficult league in the world. Barcelona could not have given him that at the time we did. And I believe that was the making of Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal. From the age of 16 onwards is when a player can really make his future (Wayne Rooney, James Milner, Rodwell, etc) and we gave him that opportunity and showed that faith that Barcelona wouldn’t. By profession, I am a Design Engineer in Control Systems. But I wouldn't say my primary school will get the credit for me being in a job today. They gave me the foundations but it was in University and A-Levels where major development in my education took place.
Someone please explain why Messi, Iniesta, Valdez and co all remained at Barcelona but Cesc chose to leave? Barcelona had a rich culture of promoting within their ranks. Why then did a boy of 14/15 leave his home town, his friends, family and club that taught him the building blocks of football and come to London - which let’s face it, most Europeans don’t like because its “too rainy” or “not enough sun”.
For someone like Reyes and Ibrahimovic who were/are at the peak of their careers, they can make excuses to dislike a city and not move because at that age you are independent and can resettle easily. However, for a boy of 14/15, the same cannot be applied. He left his education at Barcelona at a young age where his hero Guardiola was made and where he got the signed number 4 shirt from Pep. It doesn’t add up that he found it necessary to move to London.
As far as I know, Spanish law does not allow players to sign a professional contract until they are over 17 (correct me if I’m wrong), which is why we managed to sign him from Barcelona. Surely he had been told something different in regards to his future than what Messi and co were briefed. It wasn’t difficult to see Messi was going to be a great player at 14/15 and the same applies to Iniesta. Why then did the top clubs not “steal” them from Barcelona seeing as it was “that easy”!
All that can be concluded from that is Cesc was not put into the same band of players that would graduate from the academy and he felt it was necessary to go elsewhere to ply his trade at that age. He knew who we had at the club at the time – Vieira, Gilberto, Edu, Ljungberg, Romford Pele (Ray Parlour). He knew he wouldn’t be among the first team players in that first year at the very least.
When Wenger wants a player, he will go out of his way to get him. Aaron Ramsey speaks about the extra effort Wenger put in to meet him in person and discuss his development.
And just like when Arsene convinced Fabregas to come to England seven years ago, I do believe that Wenger might just have convinced him to stay another season. Arsenal fans are not stupid. We KNOW he will go back there one day and it is a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. Personally I had hoped for 2 seasons by which time I believed Jack Wilshere and/or Ramsey would be ready to be in the first team. But the last thing we want is someone having to play for us not because he wants to, because a paper he signed 2 years ago said he had to.
I don’t believe that Cesc is a player that kisses the badge as a PR stunt. His passion to fight for the team was demonstrated in the league game against Stoke City away. When we were 2-1 up, Cesc went in with a tackle from behind and fouled a stoke defender facing his own goal. The referee let it pass as the game was heated enough as it was and as Cesc ran back to his own half, he gestured a silence to the gremlin Tony Pulis.
Cesc goes on to say in the interview, "It's not up to me anymore and it's just now about Arsenal and wherever it has to be and that's it. I don't want to say anything else, I just want to be focused for the World Cup because it is the most important thing - the rest is the future and I'm not interested in the future."
He has always maintained that his future will be Barcelona, but it seems to me he’s not quite ready to leave us yet. Perhaps this is just being optimistic and I have my red tinted glasses on. However, there are few that could argue with Wenger when he says that the Spanish league is in disarray. To be in a league where 99 points won the title sounds exciting. But when you look down the list you realise the gap between 2nd and 3rd is nothing short of a joke and the competition is lacking in that league.
Whether the Spanish league picks up again or not, whether Fabregas will be our number 4 or not, the fact is we have moved on from major disappointments in the past and we will move on when Cesc leaves. For a while it may seem like the end of the world but that's just nothing short of a sad feeling which will diminish over time. There is still a long summer ahead and let’s not hit the panic buttons until the end of August at least.
Keep the faith!
The one player that may/may not be with us is El Capitan Cesc Fabregas. He has come out to say his future is in Arsenal’s hand. And bless the predictable media writers getting so excited with the Barcelona rumours you would think they’ve just had an overdose of Viagra pills. Then again, every time Cesc has come out to say he wants to stay in North London, the media somehow interpret that differently to how regular people see it and convince the rest of the world by changing the geography of the planet to say that North London is actually inside Catalonia.
Some Gooners along with myself see his words differently. Undoubtedly, most of the footballing world following this story would love to know the content of the conversation Cesc has had with the manager. Wenger’s philosophy and his trail of thinking is very deep and apart from Adebayor and possible one or two others, every player that has worked with him have had nothing but respect for the man.
Cesc and Arsene have always held a father-son type relation similar to how Alex Hleb saw his relation to Wenger.
Even in such a turbulent point in his career with fans calling for his head, media scrutinising and the Daily Mail going as far as putting him in the list of top 50 flops in the premier league this season, Wenger has asked Cesc not to let his football get affected. Such is his concern for Fabregas’ development, Arsene will not let anything get in the way of Cesc becoming a great footballer and he knows himself that one day Cesc will leave. Nor does he care that when he does become the best midfielder in the world he may have blue stripes down his red top and even be among those that will play against Arsenal in the Champions League.
Arsene will never stop a player from achieving his best and this is a man who doesn’t just work for the greater good of Arsenal, but also for football as a sport which is why he told Cesc that he will deal with the media and the questions thrown and he will bear the brunt of what is to come. And now the media has little choice but to leave Cesc to the World Cup and chase Arsene for answers.
Cesc has been brought up well both as a footballer and young lad. His confidence, passion and determination have given him the stepping stones to become a great of the game. A very large part of the media and even some quarters of the Arsenal fans argue that Cesc is a Barcelona product. But these people donot look at his career objectively. He was at Barca from the age of 9 where they taught him the basics of the game. And a large part of the media and fans believe that is where he became a fantastic footballer.
I disagree.
Wenger has looked for certain elements that make great players and they are things you cannot always teach. A great touch, vision and timing are some of the key elements for Wenger to pick a player that will further develop. Cesc had all of the elements at the age of 14/15 but he was nowhere near a complete player at the time. And there is no better education a player can get than to play in the first team in the most difficult league in the world. Barcelona could not have given him that at the time we did. And I believe that was the making of Cesc Fabregas at Arsenal. From the age of 16 onwards is when a player can really make his future (Wayne Rooney, James Milner, Rodwell, etc) and we gave him that opportunity and showed that faith that Barcelona wouldn’t. By profession, I am a Design Engineer in Control Systems. But I wouldn't say my primary school will get the credit for me being in a job today. They gave me the foundations but it was in University and A-Levels where major development in my education took place.
Someone please explain why Messi, Iniesta, Valdez and co all remained at Barcelona but Cesc chose to leave? Barcelona had a rich culture of promoting within their ranks. Why then did a boy of 14/15 leave his home town, his friends, family and club that taught him the building blocks of football and come to London - which let’s face it, most Europeans don’t like because its “too rainy” or “not enough sun”.
For someone like Reyes and Ibrahimovic who were/are at the peak of their careers, they can make excuses to dislike a city and not move because at that age you are independent and can resettle easily. However, for a boy of 14/15, the same cannot be applied. He left his education at Barcelona at a young age where his hero Guardiola was made and where he got the signed number 4 shirt from Pep. It doesn’t add up that he found it necessary to move to London.
As far as I know, Spanish law does not allow players to sign a professional contract until they are over 17 (correct me if I’m wrong), which is why we managed to sign him from Barcelona. Surely he had been told something different in regards to his future than what Messi and co were briefed. It wasn’t difficult to see Messi was going to be a great player at 14/15 and the same applies to Iniesta. Why then did the top clubs not “steal” them from Barcelona seeing as it was “that easy”!
All that can be concluded from that is Cesc was not put into the same band of players that would graduate from the academy and he felt it was necessary to go elsewhere to ply his trade at that age. He knew who we had at the club at the time – Vieira, Gilberto, Edu, Ljungberg, Romford Pele (Ray Parlour). He knew he wouldn’t be among the first team players in that first year at the very least.
When Wenger wants a player, he will go out of his way to get him. Aaron Ramsey speaks about the extra effort Wenger put in to meet him in person and discuss his development.
And just like when Arsene convinced Fabregas to come to England seven years ago, I do believe that Wenger might just have convinced him to stay another season. Arsenal fans are not stupid. We KNOW he will go back there one day and it is a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. Personally I had hoped for 2 seasons by which time I believed Jack Wilshere and/or Ramsey would be ready to be in the first team. But the last thing we want is someone having to play for us not because he wants to, because a paper he signed 2 years ago said he had to.
I don’t believe that Cesc is a player that kisses the badge as a PR stunt. His passion to fight for the team was demonstrated in the league game against Stoke City away. When we were 2-1 up, Cesc went in with a tackle from behind and fouled a stoke defender facing his own goal. The referee let it pass as the game was heated enough as it was and as Cesc ran back to his own half, he gestured a silence to the gremlin Tony Pulis.
Cesc goes on to say in the interview, "It's not up to me anymore and it's just now about Arsenal and wherever it has to be and that's it. I don't want to say anything else, I just want to be focused for the World Cup because it is the most important thing - the rest is the future and I'm not interested in the future."
He has always maintained that his future will be Barcelona, but it seems to me he’s not quite ready to leave us yet. Perhaps this is just being optimistic and I have my red tinted glasses on. However, there are few that could argue with Wenger when he says that the Spanish league is in disarray. To be in a league where 99 points won the title sounds exciting. But when you look down the list you realise the gap between 2nd and 3rd is nothing short of a joke and the competition is lacking in that league.
Whether the Spanish league picks up again or not, whether Fabregas will be our number 4 or not, the fact is we have moved on from major disappointments in the past and we will move on when Cesc leaves. For a while it may seem like the end of the world but that's just nothing short of a sad feeling which will diminish over time. There is still a long summer ahead and let’s not hit the panic buttons until the end of August at least.
Keep the faith!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
David Moore proves Arsene DOES know best!
The Times newspaper today has published the letter sent to them from David Moores (Former Liverpool owner).
Reading through the letter as an Arsenal man, it just increases the respect for Arsene Wenger and what he has done for our club. Liverpool are a club that has thrown the word "history, tradition, culture and Gerrard" so often it almost makes me cringe to hear those words coming from them now. No denying that they are a top club and have been for the best part of the last 40 years. And with the current situation of the club, you can have nothing but sympathy for their fans and respect for those making movements to do something about the situation.
Reading the letter written by Moores, it highlights the delicate situation football clubs are in today. It also shows the thin line of naivety that people can fall into when they are making sound financial judgements with the passion for greater good of the football club at heart.
Moore says, “Gillett and Hicks produced a very substantial offer document containing all the key assurances RE: debt, the stadium, investment in the squad and respect for Liverpool F.C’s unique culture, traditions and legacy. It was impressive stuff - and it did the trick. For the motion to be carried we needed around 90% in favour. Over 1700 shareholders voted and the result was 100% in favour of accepting Gillett & Hicks’s offer“.
That quote defies everything that businessmen can be. Huge promises only to be left with nothing but media scrutiny, a Europa League qualification place and Insua. And despite Moore’s sincere apology in the letter, it seems he let his emotions get in the way of making a stable decision. And it is not as if he didn’t know who he was selling the club to. He goes on to say “We retained Price Waterhouse Coopers to advise us on the fabric of the deal, and they received assurances from Rothschilds, one of the most respected and respectable names in global finance, who vouched for both Tom Hicks and George Gillett.” That’s TWO large organisations who advised him wrongly and that is why I do hold some sympathy for the man – albeit he should have sniffed some bias as Rothschilds apparently made some money from Gillett and Hicks in the sale.
With the current financial situation globally, it seems almost impossible to be in a situation where a team can go ahead and invest money to get a new stadium and better their position as self financing football club.
Arsene Wenger identified the elements needed to establish Arsenal Football Club as a long term top level club and despite the trophy-less seasons, all Arsenal fans should be grateful to Wenger that we are not in the same situation as Liverpool today. He has established us as a top force in Europe and engineered through a stadium well before the recession that is now the envy of every premier league team (yes I include Manchester United simply because despite their bigger stadium, Arsenal are able to generate more, income due to the London factor).
Moore further states, “Rick (Parry) was always vocal about planning for success, and after much soul-searching from everybody close to the club we bowed to the inevitable. We began to accept that the only way we could continue to compete was by building a new stadium.”
The plan for Liverpool (made in 2001 – I’m open to be corrected on the year) was to have their stadium ready and running for the 2009/2010 season. The season has gone by and they have not yet laid a brick for the foundations, instead finding themselves finishing 7th despite having potentially the world’s best striker (not N’Gog), Steven Gerrard and one of, if not the world’s best defensive midfielder in Javier Mascherano.
It defies belief that fans can be so fickle as to call for Wenger’s head when there is living proof all around them of the situation other clubs are in. I would much rather be where we are today than where Manchester United are in with their Carling Cup, fan protests against the Glazers and Norwich City scarves (seriously United fans - return them to Carrow Road, they’re ridiculous and Norwich isn’t too far from London)
More important that winning trophies in the short term is to know that your football club will exist 2 years down the line (see “Portsmouth FC” on wikipedia).
I am not blind to the fact that Arsene should invest some money into players. I do believe some surgery on the squad is needed over the summer period. However, patience is the key and from David Moore’s letter, it is visible to all what impatience can do to a club that has been on the higher end of one of the best league’s in the world.
Football fans must understand that the game is no longer a level playing field. Huge investments may see short term solutions but eventually, every club will have to balance their books come the 2012-2013 season. And it would be interesting to see then how teams like Manchester City and Chelsea pay their big stars and generate the income.
Moore says, “Anybody who cares to dredge the archive will find myself on record as finding the decision difficult to come to terms with; but looking back now, the thing I was finding most difficult, was the transformation of the game I loved. Football clubs were beginning to be seen as a source of profit rather than a source of pride; they were as much financial institutions as they were sporting legacies. The Abramovich era was upon us, and I knew that I could never compete.”
He makes a fantastic point about how football has transformed as a source of profit. This is something that too many fans of all clubs fail to realise. Everyone is calling for trophys regardless of what it is. Throw a piece of aluminium sheet in front of these fans and they will be stepping all over each other to grab it without dissecting the element.
He does however sound pathetic saying he could not compete. Why not? Is he so afraid of seeing rich men with money that he threw the towel in along with the fate of Liverpool FC? How scared can you be of Abramovic. Does he look so violent to anyone that he will throw some Russian gold coins that will take your eye and blind you forever so you can no longer see Benitez flapping his arms like a duck? I’d be more afraid of seeing Denilson make the Brazil squad to be honest. Arsenal have lived through the Abramovic era without selling out. Yes, changes had to be made but they were the RIGHT changes!
So very few fans know that the prize money of an FA Cup win is less than finishing 17th in the league. How then should a club operate if they are expected to ignore the £30m prize of champions league football for a £3m FA Cup triumph with qualification to the Europa League which hasn’t ever held value?
What Arsene Wenger has done for our club is not something many managers or even a collection of board members with strong economical background has foreseen. We have our stadium BUILT! And yes re-read that word BUILT. We have done it without relying on a single entity that would have held us to ransom for the finances injected and we built it in time and braced ourselves with a fixed term mortgage that has secured our position during global recession.
It is easy to sell a club with such large generating income as ours but it will NOT pay off in the end! There is the easy way and the hard way and the hard way will always be the right way which is why it’s the more difficult route to take.
We should support Arsene Wenger as he has shown he really does know best. I am not saying the man is immune to making mistakes; we did have Igor Stepanovs in our books once and we do need a new goalkeeper. However, it is time some Arsenal fans stopped being intimidated by the media and others around taunting us about trophies and rose above it all to show what being a TRUE fan is.
I do realise there’s no open bus parade for having a balanced book but atleast I’m not walking around like fool wearing a green and gold scarf with riot police standing in front of our stadium with protective equipment ready to clobber me as soon as I take a step forward while I protest against our owners. But criticizing a man that has given a life times hard work into permanently establishing us a top team makes us no different to mercenaries like Adebayor.
We are a club blessed with the opportunity to go to a fantastic stadium and watch the likes of Vermaelen, Song, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin and ofcourse the one and only Emmanuel Eboue.
Keep the faith!
Reading through the letter as an Arsenal man, it just increases the respect for Arsene Wenger and what he has done for our club. Liverpool are a club that has thrown the word "history, tradition, culture and Gerrard" so often it almost makes me cringe to hear those words coming from them now. No denying that they are a top club and have been for the best part of the last 40 years. And with the current situation of the club, you can have nothing but sympathy for their fans and respect for those making movements to do something about the situation.
Reading the letter written by Moores, it highlights the delicate situation football clubs are in today. It also shows the thin line of naivety that people can fall into when they are making sound financial judgements with the passion for greater good of the football club at heart.
Moore says, “Gillett and Hicks produced a very substantial offer document containing all the key assurances RE: debt, the stadium, investment in the squad and respect for Liverpool F.C’s unique culture, traditions and legacy. It was impressive stuff - and it did the trick. For the motion to be carried we needed around 90% in favour. Over 1700 shareholders voted and the result was 100% in favour of accepting Gillett & Hicks’s offer“.
That quote defies everything that businessmen can be. Huge promises only to be left with nothing but media scrutiny, a Europa League qualification place and Insua. And despite Moore’s sincere apology in the letter, it seems he let his emotions get in the way of making a stable decision. And it is not as if he didn’t know who he was selling the club to. He goes on to say “We retained Price Waterhouse Coopers to advise us on the fabric of the deal, and they received assurances from Rothschilds, one of the most respected and respectable names in global finance, who vouched for both Tom Hicks and George Gillett.” That’s TWO large organisations who advised him wrongly and that is why I do hold some sympathy for the man – albeit he should have sniffed some bias as Rothschilds apparently made some money from Gillett and Hicks in the sale.
With the current financial situation globally, it seems almost impossible to be in a situation where a team can go ahead and invest money to get a new stadium and better their position as self financing football club.
Arsene Wenger identified the elements needed to establish Arsenal Football Club as a long term top level club and despite the trophy-less seasons, all Arsenal fans should be grateful to Wenger that we are not in the same situation as Liverpool today. He has established us as a top force in Europe and engineered through a stadium well before the recession that is now the envy of every premier league team (yes I include Manchester United simply because despite their bigger stadium, Arsenal are able to generate more, income due to the London factor).
Moore further states, “Rick (Parry) was always vocal about planning for success, and after much soul-searching from everybody close to the club we bowed to the inevitable. We began to accept that the only way we could continue to compete was by building a new stadium.”
The plan for Liverpool (made in 2001 – I’m open to be corrected on the year) was to have their stadium ready and running for the 2009/2010 season. The season has gone by and they have not yet laid a brick for the foundations, instead finding themselves finishing 7th despite having potentially the world’s best striker (not N’Gog), Steven Gerrard and one of, if not the world’s best defensive midfielder in Javier Mascherano.
It defies belief that fans can be so fickle as to call for Wenger’s head when there is living proof all around them of the situation other clubs are in. I would much rather be where we are today than where Manchester United are in with their Carling Cup, fan protests against the Glazers and Norwich City scarves (seriously United fans - return them to Carrow Road, they’re ridiculous and Norwich isn’t too far from London)
More important that winning trophies in the short term is to know that your football club will exist 2 years down the line (see “Portsmouth FC” on wikipedia).
I am not blind to the fact that Arsene should invest some money into players. I do believe some surgery on the squad is needed over the summer period. However, patience is the key and from David Moore’s letter, it is visible to all what impatience can do to a club that has been on the higher end of one of the best league’s in the world.
Football fans must understand that the game is no longer a level playing field. Huge investments may see short term solutions but eventually, every club will have to balance their books come the 2012-2013 season. And it would be interesting to see then how teams like Manchester City and Chelsea pay their big stars and generate the income.
Moore says, “Anybody who cares to dredge the archive will find myself on record as finding the decision difficult to come to terms with; but looking back now, the thing I was finding most difficult, was the transformation of the game I loved. Football clubs were beginning to be seen as a source of profit rather than a source of pride; they were as much financial institutions as they were sporting legacies. The Abramovich era was upon us, and I knew that I could never compete.”
He makes a fantastic point about how football has transformed as a source of profit. This is something that too many fans of all clubs fail to realise. Everyone is calling for trophys regardless of what it is. Throw a piece of aluminium sheet in front of these fans and they will be stepping all over each other to grab it without dissecting the element.
He does however sound pathetic saying he could not compete. Why not? Is he so afraid of seeing rich men with money that he threw the towel in along with the fate of Liverpool FC? How scared can you be of Abramovic. Does he look so violent to anyone that he will throw some Russian gold coins that will take your eye and blind you forever so you can no longer see Benitez flapping his arms like a duck? I’d be more afraid of seeing Denilson make the Brazil squad to be honest. Arsenal have lived through the Abramovic era without selling out. Yes, changes had to be made but they were the RIGHT changes!
So very few fans know that the prize money of an FA Cup win is less than finishing 17th in the league. How then should a club operate if they are expected to ignore the £30m prize of champions league football for a £3m FA Cup triumph with qualification to the Europa League which hasn’t ever held value?
What Arsene Wenger has done for our club is not something many managers or even a collection of board members with strong economical background has foreseen. We have our stadium BUILT! And yes re-read that word BUILT. We have done it without relying on a single entity that would have held us to ransom for the finances injected and we built it in time and braced ourselves with a fixed term mortgage that has secured our position during global recession.
It is easy to sell a club with such large generating income as ours but it will NOT pay off in the end! There is the easy way and the hard way and the hard way will always be the right way which is why it’s the more difficult route to take.
We should support Arsene Wenger as he has shown he really does know best. I am not saying the man is immune to making mistakes; we did have Igor Stepanovs in our books once and we do need a new goalkeeper. However, it is time some Arsenal fans stopped being intimidated by the media and others around taunting us about trophies and rose above it all to show what being a TRUE fan is.
I do realise there’s no open bus parade for having a balanced book but atleast I’m not walking around like fool wearing a green and gold scarf with riot police standing in front of our stadium with protective equipment ready to clobber me as soon as I take a step forward while I protest against our owners. But criticizing a man that has given a life times hard work into permanently establishing us a top team makes us no different to mercenaries like Adebayor.
We are a club blessed with the opportunity to go to a fantastic stadium and watch the likes of Vermaelen, Song, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin and ofcourse the one and only Emmanuel Eboue.
Keep the faith!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
May 2010 - Victory for Negative football!
There's no need to second guess my general opinion regarding Inter Milan's victory last night. Bayern Munich went in to the game knowing what to expect and yet played into Mourinho's hands. And the special one clasped his hands gracefully as Diego Milito's double strike sunk Bayern.
One can't help but draw comparison between Bayern Munich and the Arsenal when we faced Manchester United and Chelsea early February. Arsene Wenger refused to shift his tactics to accomodate for Rooney and Drogba, which in turn resulted in total capitulation.
Jose Mourinho will go down in history for his triumphs. Unfortunately for him, a majority of the footballing world will be glad to have pages with his name lost in the books. The teams that will be remembered are Guardiola's Barcelona for the brand of football they played. Or the Real Madrid with Di Stefano. Or the many Brazil teams that created history with the football they played.
Players like Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Zinedine Zidane would be faces you expect to see in the Nike or Adidas adverts for the brand of football they so love. However, you would never find a Diego Milito or a Goran Pandev in these.
That is not to say that they are not good footballers. I for one would love to see Wesley Sneijder in the Arsenal team should the worse happen with the Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona issue (notice there are no developments today regarding that. May be because Guillem Balague is off on a Sunday).
The Inter team has been trained to play football without a football. At times during the match yesterday, it almost seemed as thought everytime Bayern lost the ball, the Inter players were puzzled amongst them as to what to make of the spherical object that is at their feet.
Despite all the negativity, Inter pulled off the victory and the Gunners watching last night should take note of how those players battled for each other on that pitch. There was a time when we were reduced to 120 minutes of absolute capitulation by Manchester United and still came out with our 5th trophy in 4 seasons.
Arsene Wenger has to re-build a team that are willing to throw everything on the pitch to achieve the prize. A team that has the determination to turn the dream into a reality rather than sit there hallucinating and imagining what its like to lift a trophy.
It's a long summer ahead so lets hope the stars are lined up waiting for their medicals and ready to be signed.
Keep the faith!
One can't help but draw comparison between Bayern Munich and the Arsenal when we faced Manchester United and Chelsea early February. Arsene Wenger refused to shift his tactics to accomodate for Rooney and Drogba, which in turn resulted in total capitulation.
Jose Mourinho will go down in history for his triumphs. Unfortunately for him, a majority of the footballing world will be glad to have pages with his name lost in the books. The teams that will be remembered are Guardiola's Barcelona for the brand of football they played. Or the Real Madrid with Di Stefano. Or the many Brazil teams that created history with the football they played.
Players like Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Zinedine Zidane would be faces you expect to see in the Nike or Adidas adverts for the brand of football they so love. However, you would never find a Diego Milito or a Goran Pandev in these.
That is not to say that they are not good footballers. I for one would love to see Wesley Sneijder in the Arsenal team should the worse happen with the Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona issue (notice there are no developments today regarding that. May be because Guillem Balague is off on a Sunday).
The Inter team has been trained to play football without a football. At times during the match yesterday, it almost seemed as thought everytime Bayern lost the ball, the Inter players were puzzled amongst them as to what to make of the spherical object that is at their feet.
Despite all the negativity, Inter pulled off the victory and the Gunners watching last night should take note of how those players battled for each other on that pitch. There was a time when we were reduced to 120 minutes of absolute capitulation by Manchester United and still came out with our 5th trophy in 4 seasons.
Arsene Wenger has to re-build a team that are willing to throw everything on the pitch to achieve the prize. A team that has the determination to turn the dream into a reality rather than sit there hallucinating and imagining what its like to lift a trophy.
It's a long summer ahead so lets hope the stars are lined up waiting for their medicals and ready to be signed.
Keep the faith!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Strange Unveiling of Chamakh
After months of speculation and probably one of the worst kept transfer secrets in the history of the Premier League, we have at last finally unveiled our new signing - Moroccan International, Marouane Chamakh.
However, life as an Arsenal fan has been very tough in recent days and with all the circus surrounding Cesc's alleged move to Barcelona, there isn't a massive interest among the Gooners regarding Chamakh's transfer.
It is rather strange that Arsenal have decided to unveil the signing in the form of a private photoshoot and release the video on their website, rather than at the training ground or the Emirates.
As much as we try to not read into it too much, the mind cant help but to think that this is a step the club has taken to avoid being questioned about the Cesc Fabregas saga.
According to BBC Sport, Barcelona's sporting director, Txiki Begiristian, Barcelona have made contact and are waiting for an answer as to whether Arsenal are willing to negotiate a deal. Personally, the feeling is that Arsenal are either discussing a move for Cesc or are much further in negotiations with Barcelona.
If we were fully committed to keeping Cesc and were confident that he would stay, some statement regarding this ugly episode would have been released by now.
I am still in hope that the silent treatment is just a way of Arsenal FC saying "We have had enough and will no longer comment on this stupid rumour".
And as several gooners have pointed out that previously, we have made unextravagant unveiling of Vermaelen and this may just be following a similar pattern.
However, considering the recent events regarding our club captain, everything seems too much of a coincidence if anything.
Many bloggers have shed positive light on the advantage of selling Cesc and using the money to invest towards signing several other key players. And in an ideal world this is what every Arsenal supporter would want, should Cesc return to his hometown club. Arsenal and Arsene Wenger probably do not agree and it should not be too much of a surprise that come July/August 2010, Chamakh is the only signing we complete.
As always, the money we make from Cesc's transfer will be used to pay off the debt and sign a 15 year old midfielder. These are tense times as a Gooner, but most of us would hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Ofcourse, we will only know the reality of it all come August.
Keep the faith.
However, life as an Arsenal fan has been very tough in recent days and with all the circus surrounding Cesc's alleged move to Barcelona, there isn't a massive interest among the Gooners regarding Chamakh's transfer.
It is rather strange that Arsenal have decided to unveil the signing in the form of a private photoshoot and release the video on their website, rather than at the training ground or the Emirates.
As much as we try to not read into it too much, the mind cant help but to think that this is a step the club has taken to avoid being questioned about the Cesc Fabregas saga.
According to BBC Sport, Barcelona's sporting director, Txiki Begiristian, Barcelona have made contact and are waiting for an answer as to whether Arsenal are willing to negotiate a deal. Personally, the feeling is that Arsenal are either discussing a move for Cesc or are much further in negotiations with Barcelona.
If we were fully committed to keeping Cesc and were confident that he would stay, some statement regarding this ugly episode would have been released by now.
I am still in hope that the silent treatment is just a way of Arsenal FC saying "We have had enough and will no longer comment on this stupid rumour".
And as several gooners have pointed out that previously, we have made unextravagant unveiling of Vermaelen and this may just be following a similar pattern.
However, considering the recent events regarding our club captain, everything seems too much of a coincidence if anything.
Many bloggers have shed positive light on the advantage of selling Cesc and using the money to invest towards signing several other key players. And in an ideal world this is what every Arsenal supporter would want, should Cesc return to his hometown club. Arsenal and Arsene Wenger probably do not agree and it should not be too much of a surprise that come July/August 2010, Chamakh is the only signing we complete.
As always, the money we make from Cesc's transfer will be used to pay off the debt and sign a 15 year old midfielder. These are tense times as a Gooner, but most of us would hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Ofcourse, we will only know the reality of it all come August.
Keep the faith.
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