Happy New Year

I am drinking and spliffin my way into 2010 and celebrating Arsenal being in a title challenge. The fact that a bunch of teenagers are challenging old cunts like Ryan Giggs, Edwin van der Wank and the Thirty Somethings at Chelsea is a major reason to get smashed tonight.

Not only are we saying goodbye to 2009 but also to the past decade. It was a decade of George Bush, Iraq War, Abramovich, the Glazers, the oil owners that control Man City and cunts like Ashley Cole.

A lot of Gooners have been debating who is the best Arsenal player of the past decade. Pires, Bergkamp, Henry and Fabregas have been mentioned. True, all are great players but the players that I want to remember are: Lauren, Keown, Parlour and Grimandi. Without hard men you have nothing.

Here are a couple of items that I want to address with regards to our rivals:

Harry Redknapp talks about breaking into the top 4 like a crack addict talks about getting clean.

Manchester United's Dimitar Cuntatov says that the title race is only between Chelsea and Manchester United. There was a time when my cock thought that the only way it could have fun was with my hand. That was until I met a naked woman - one to one.

Happy New Year

Keep it Arsenal

Identity, Maturity, Stability

One of the reasons why Arsene Wenger had a terrible time with The Negatives last season is that most of the players he's chosen to rebuild the team with are still developing their identities as footballers. The non-believers felt great disappointment that The Invincibles were replaced by a bunch of kids. Many came to the club with ample skills, a good reputation, and the potential to be very good footballers. Some even look like they can become excellent players but that is not enough.

The Negatives want success now. They see United and Chelsea lifting trophies year after year. Ferguson's teams have always been identifiable. Chelsea have become a powerful force. We haven't won anything since Patrick's last kick in an Arsenal uniform.

Identity comes through a combination of repeated actions and a sameness in character that typifies an individual. Consistency is a major part of building an identity. Believing in yourself also plays an important role in defining who you are. Wenger has unwavering belief in his players - partly because he doesn't want to undermine their psychological development and partly because confidence is contagious.

The Negatives might argue that the only consistency they've seen in recent seasons is the lack of success every year we've used kids.

The time has come for this group to develop its identity. Alex Song, Abou Diaby, Aaron Ramsey, Armand Traore, and Samir Nasri were all outstanding today. We've seen injury after injury threaten our title hopes but here we are, still right there apace with the leaders. Of course it helps that the teams above us are dropping points but nobody can deny that this group is handling its business pretty well at the moment.

Another key factor is the young players' maturation process. It is helped by Wenger's willingness to play them young. The introduction of Craig Eastmond will add to his confidence while at the same time provide him with a sense of accomplishment.

Accomplishment brings responsibility. Responsibility brings maturity. Wenger is a serious man. He doesn't have time for the Qunicys of the world.

Stability is the hardest of the three. We seem to have a little more of it recently and much more of it than last season. We've been winning and showing the firm character that champions must have. Sunderland, West Ham, and Burnley must not be repeated.

Avenging defeats to Man City, United, and Chelsea will be a test that establishes this team's identity, shows maturity, and helps establish stability. Those fixtures are down the road. Next is West Ham in the Cup. We must punish them.

Having A Laugh

Ian Wright is recognized by most Gooners as an Arsenal legend, but he only played for Arsene Wenger for one season. For that reason, his prolific goal scoring record does deserve recognition coming under the more conservative football of previous regimes. After a dispute over playing time, Wenger promptly sold Ian Wright to West Ham and that pretty much ended his career.

Since his playing days have ended, he has become a peddler of comedy football DVD's, columnist for The Sun, and occasional media pundit.

Occasionally, he entertains me. For an example, during the 2006 World Cup coverage by the BBC, they sent Ian Wright to a German modern art museum. Watching Ian Wright examine and analyze art pieces was hilarious. Perhaps his best moment was when he looked at a painted Volkswagen and claimed that "he liked it."

The problem is, Ian Wright has stopped being a Gooner first and foremost and become a pundit instead. Sometimes, giving a voice to somebody who should not have one proves to be a major irritation. Obviously, I just choose to ignore these opinions, even though I read them all. In today's Sun, he addressed the potential return of Jose Mourinho to the Premier League. He asked, "can you honestly tell me Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and even Manchester City would not be tempted by the chance to get Mourinho this summer?"

Replace Wenger with Mourinho? Are you having a laugh?

If Mourinho is in such demand, why is Arsene Wenger the number one managerial candidate for both Real Madrid and Manchester City? Mourinho is a backup choice for those clubs.

Ian Wright publicly clamored for Arsenal to move for his adopted son Shaun. That transfer may have occurred had Wright-Phillips waited a bit longer, had more sense to reject Chelsea, and was actually an Arsenal level player. Instead, his career was stunted and only after he moved back to Manchester City did he find any semblance of form.

Ian Wright is frequently wrong.

In addition to his baffling Mourinho piece, he states that he "never expected Arsenal to be so close in this year's title race." He goes on to say that Arsenal cannot "afford any more slip-ups." That completely ignores the idea that Chelsea and Manchester United could slip up as well. In this crazy Premier League season, it's silly to assume anything.

The real difference this year is not solely down to the weakening of other top teams. Yes, Manchester United has suffered injuries and defense and lost the supreme flat track bully Ronaldo. Yes, Carlo Ancelotti may prove to be the second coming of Luiz Felipe Scolari. But those aren't the only reasons.

Last year, Hull City showed up to the Emirates looking to win instead of park the bus and achieve a draw. This year, more teams are learning that Arsenal aren't the only ones who are vulnerable to those type of tactics. Novel idea, isn't it? You know, trying to actually win three points in every game (well except for that coward Mick McCarthy). Ironically, the most defensive team I've seen against Arsenal all year has been Chelsea.

So, today, Portsmouth, at Fratton Park, will attempt to win three points. I don't feel that Portsmouth is a relegation team, but their results will tell you otherwise. They've played well enough, but never quite broken through at times. They've played better than Wolves, but they're in a far worse position. Their team is a patchwork squad filled with other team's rejects, only they've proven to be worthwhile players. Kevin-Prince Boateng and Frederic Piquionne can be dangerous players.

But the reality is this. They will be relegated. And we cannot afford to drop a single point against a team that will be relegated. Not if we want to be champions.

Lauren

Gooners ask each other what striker should Wenger sign in January. Huntelaar, Carlton Cole or Dzecko.

I say none of them.

We need another Lauren. A man who stands up and fights till the end. This Arsenal team needs grit. We don't need Stephen Cunt of Hull City calling us pussies by saying that Arsenal players cannot cope with the physical side of the game.

I have two words for Stephen Cunt - FUCK OFF!

Here's what the diver Wayne Rooney had to say about Lauren who played for both Arsenal and Wednesday's opponents Portsmouth:

"About 15 minutes from the end of the Manchester United Arsenal game (that ended Arsenal's 49 game unbeaten run) we were given a penalty which was lucky for us. Ruud (van Nistelrooy) scored, which made them (Arsenal) even more furious. As we came off the pitch there was a lot of jostling. The Arsenal lads seemed to be most worked up about Ruud, accusing him of cheating. There had been a bust-up between him and Patrick Vieira in a previous game which had lingered on.

I was in the dressing-room, taking off my shirt, when I heard shouting outside in the corridor. I went out and a scuffle was taking place between some of our players and the Arsenal team. Everyone was shouting and pushing and yelling. Perhaps a few haymakers were thrown as well, although nothing serious. An Arsenal player threw a piece of pizza at Sir Alex. It must have been lying around, left over from a buffet, and it hit Sir Alex and made a right a mess of his suit jacket.

I then piled in, looking for a piece of action, preferably with Lauren. He was right in the thick of it and seemed to be causing all the trouble, after making sarcastic remarks throughout the game. I tried to get at him but was pulled off. Eventually, though, the security men broke it all up and we filed back into our dressing rooms."

Lauren is a hero. He had balls. The current Arsenal team is crying out for a Lauren. Song is the exception - a man also from Cameroon.

Keep it Arsenal

Post Match View - Aston Villa F.C.

'From now on until March in this championship the consistent team will get it.' - Arsene Wenger

Cesc played less than 30 minutes. Nevertheless his quality was clear to see. Two chances, two chances taken. Thank you very much!

Earlier in the year I called for him to regain proper form, to show consistency. He has done that and more. Unless my count is wrong, he's on 12 goals and seven assists in 22 appearances so far. His cameo today showed what he means to this team. We might have beaten Villa anyway but Cesc's contribution ruined Martin O'Neill's day. For me, that was special.

Beating Villa has sent them a message of intent and perhaps also to those above us. Considering our injury situation, Almunia's mistakes, Eduardo and Theo being off form, we've made a point about our quality. Real consistency however is shown over time so let's watch and see how things develop.

Abou Diaby has played another good game. The way he shut the door with that excellent run through Villa's midfield exposed their soft center. I'd be very concerned about how easily that happened if I were a Villa fan. I'd be looking for answers if I were Martin O'Neill, but considering he didn't mind conceding the last two goals because they "were chasing the game", maybe he won't be.

No matter what the score, when a player runs through you like Cesc did against Tottenham earlier this season and how Diaby has done versus Villa, questions must be asked. O'Neill also stated that "even at 1-0 the game could have gone either way". Maybe! But what he failed to admit is that if Eduardo had taken his chance in the opening minutes, his side would have had a mountain to climb right from the start.

We'll pay a price for Cesc's heroics. How long he's out for is up in the air - a week, ten days, 3 weeks. Given the result, the risk might turn out to be a chance that was well worth taking.

Aston Villa - I Can Hardly Wait

Yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever, it doesn't matter when. The anticipation leading up to kick off is almost indescribable. I won't waste time trying to find words. Chances are that if you're reading this, you know just what I'm feeling. The difference today is that this particular fixture has taken on an entirely new meaning since 15 November, 2008.

When I took my seat at the Emirates that night - wicked seat by the way, thanks to fellow Gooner Rich - I felt no different to any other time I'd been to an Arsenal match. I was excited, pumped up and ready to go. I was equally confident, even if quietly so. My view of the opponent is always the same. I never think of losing.

I'd never seen Arsenal lose a match before, not reserves, not first team, never. We'd drawn here and there but never lost. It was a record in which I took as much pride as a non-playing participant could do.

Aston Villa were never a club that gave me much angst. I even pulled for them to win it all back in '93 when they finished second to United. We were not even close that season, finishing 16 and 18 points behind third placed Norwhich and second placed Villa, respectively. The Champions finished 28 points ahead of us. I desperately wanted someone to catch them. As long as it wasn't Spurs, I didn't care who did.

I've dealt with last season's defeat to Martin O'Neill but let's be clear, the bitter taste lingers even if the pain has subsided. The fact that there was a significant amount of turmoil going on inside our club at the time, some of which we'd learn more about after the fact, hasn't helped me accept that we were soundly beaten that day.

I remember the mass hysteria amongst a large section of Arsenal fans last season as much as I do the humiliating defeats to Chelsea and United. I remember the cries for Arsene to step down. After Agbonlohor scored the second Villa goal, a guy seated near me stood up and shouted, "WHAT NOW WENGER?" The look on his face was representative of how a lot of Gooners felt. I remember having to accept another season without a trophy. It all hurt. Walking back to the tube station that night was awful.

There are a few new faces in both sides this time around. Most notably, Villa have a resurgent Richard Dunne. We have Andrei Arshavin. Alex Song was an unused sub last season. Oh how things have changed where he's concerned.

Gareth Barry was very good for Villa that night. Agbonlohor was at his Formula 1 best. Gael Clichy and William Gallas were not. Alex Song's and Andrei Arshavin's presence will make a significant difference tomorrow. I also feel that Friedel is not the same keeper who kept out Thierry Henry efforts for fun over the years. He pulled off one of the best saves I've ever seen in this fixture last season when he palmed away a superb header by Togo. The big keeper has still got loads to offer but we've also seen some erosion of that ability.

There's the pride factor on our side. Villa came into our homes and spanked us good. That needs to be addressed. We were all pretty bad that day.

I've called for more urgency, more heart, more commitment from our boys in recent weeks. They've responded but the consistency of a champion is still missing. Villa is a must, must win tomorrow. It's a fantastic opportunity to put some distance between us and a team that can boast victories over Liverpool, Chelsea, and United.

They've also lost to Wigan, Blackburn, and West Ham so they aren't all they're cracked up to be. And after all, they are managed by Martin O'Neill. Nuff said!

COME ON ARSENAL!!!

Eboué Says

Confidence Returns

"Cunt" is a misunderstood word. When I think of a "cunt" I don't think of a female vagina. Instead I think of Phil Brown, Wayne Rooney, Nick Barmby, David Bentley or Gary Neville. The list is endless.

On Sunday, Gabby Agbonlahor - a man who looks like an abortion that survived - will try and replicate his goal at The Emirates last season. Villa beat Arsenal 2-0 that day with Agbonlahor's pace causing all sorts of problems. Villa also missed a penalty and deserved their victory. This time it's revenge.

I've never liked Villa. In the Christmas game of 1998, I watched Arsenal lose 3-2 away at Villa Park after leading 2-0 at half-time. At half-time, Villa had hired a team of skydiving Santa's to parachute onto the Villa pitch. One of the Santa's on his approach hit the roof of one of the stands and dropped to floor like a dead stone. He was hospitalized with half-time being extended by an extra 30 minutes. This worked well for Villa who came out flying with Stan Cuntymore scoring twice in a game Arsenal should have won. In the away section, we Arsenal fans were pelted with coins by Villa fans in the seats above us. They also sang England songs all afternoon as well chants about Arsenal being a bunch dirty foreigners. To add insult to injury, we were kept behind by stewards and police who treated us like concentration camp prisoners.

Villa are a team of divers. If you breathe on Heskey,Agbonlahor or Ashley Young they will fall to the floor like that skydiving Santa did back in 1998. Especially the latter two. Petrov also likes to take a tumble but usually outside of the penalty area. From the resulting free-kick by Milner or Young, Villa will try and score from a header by Carew.

Defensively, Villa are good. Brad Freidel is better than Almunia and Richard Dunne seems to be having some sort of revival.

But I feel Arsenal have turned a corner with their victory over Hull City. The ruck seems to have galvanized the lads and confidence seems to have returned to certain players. Almunia played better after his penalty save. He looked more confident on crosses and started to command his area with authority. Eduardo needed a goal. As a striker, doubt creeps in when you have a scoreless streak. His goal will bring back his self-belief which should lead to the Brazilian/Croatian going on a scoring spree.

Diaby last Saturday won the free-kick that led to Arsenal's first goal. He then assisted in the second goal and scored the third. Not bad for a man coming back from injury. I always feel that Diaby plays better when Cesc is not playing. His best position is the one that Cesc plays in. He seems to be a player that does well in a more attacking role.

Many Gooners are looking at the January transfer like a man on death row looks at a pair of perfect breasts. They are drooling over signings in the striker department.

I'm not. We are covered in that area.

But in the center-back area we are not. If Gallas or Vermaelen get injured Arsenal are fucked. We only have emergency cover. I hope that Wenger signs a center-back otherwise Arsenal will be like a man who has just been diagnosed with cancer but who has no medical insurance.

It worries me.

Last word: Tomas Rosicky is stalling on signing a new contract. Fucking unbelievable! The man should be begging Arsenal for a new contract not the other way around.

Keep it Arsenal

Wrong Decision, Right Decision, Unanimous Decision

By essentially fielding his reserves against Manchester United, Mick McCarthy made the wrong decision on many levels. For one, with United suffering from a depleted back four, Wolves could have battled to a draw and gotten a morale boosting result. Instead, McCarthy gifted three points to Manchester United. When Wenger was asked about this, he honestly said that it simply means that we compete with Manchester United over 37 games instead of 38. Many pundits criticized Mick McCarthy as well. In response, McCarthy claimed that he had more integrity in his finger than the people who criticized him did.

By winning against Burnley, he probably feels that he was vindicated. It doesn't vindicate anything. The fact remains that Burnley had one less day of rest and is poor on the road. Had Wolves fielded a full strength side against Manchester United, odds were still decent that they would have gotten three points against Burnley. So, that's no justification for devaluing the Premier League.

Now, I know what people say, people field their reserves from time to time. Teams that win the Premier League with games to spare do this occasionally. The difference between those instances and what Wolves did is that it was highly selective. If they were not playing Manchester United or perhaps another Big Four side, Mick McCarthy would not have fielded his reserves. He was choosing to essentially forfeit based on the side he was up against. When Manchester United fielded their reserves in the last game of last year, they did it blindly. They would have fielded the reserves regardless of who they would have played. That kind of selective decision is dangerous, and it can possibly impact the league.

Of course, Wenger was told to mind his own business. Gary Neville said Wenger should mind his own business; considering that Manchester United were the team that solely benefited from this, he should shut his mouth. People have cited our final fixture against Olympiakos as an example of doing the exact same thing. The difference is massive however. First, it only involves four teams. Second, all the teams had control of their own destiny both because of the small number of games and because they all played one another twice. Third, Arsenal were going to finish on top regardless and thus were not throwing away points which is what Wolves were essentially doing. When we rotate players, it's always done with the intention that we'll try to win the game, Wolves did not do that.

Mick McCarthy was wrong to do what he did, but what does he care? He thinks he made the right choice. And making such a ridiculous choice and subsequently taking the heavy criticism pretty much ensures that no other team will do this again anytime soon.

Sacking Mark Hughes was the right decision by Manchester City. Some claim that it came too soon, but Hughes had 18 months to make an imprint. Manchester City has no identity as a footballing team. After 18 months, they're worse off than they were when managed by Sven. He brought in expensive talent, and they've largely failed to perform for him. He didn't get his first choice transfer targets in Kaka, John Terry, and David Villa, but he could have easily molded a team to challenge the Big Four. Instead, he bought poorly and his team can't defend.

The outrage from the British media is farcical. They mourn the loss of another British manager, and call Manchester City the new Real Madrid. Give me a break. They've been patient enough with Hughes and they seem committed to winning. Roberto Mancini has been disregarded as some kind of minor manager, but he's won three Serie A titles and done well with Lazio as well. His teams play better football than Mark Hughes's teams do.

Did the sacking come too early? I think giving Mancini the opportunity to shop in January is more meaningful than allowing Hughes to attempt to win the Carling Cup.

Mark Hughes was an overrated sack of shit who is more of a firefighter than an architect. Sacking him was absolutely the right decision.

Barcelona have won every competition they were involved in this year. They are the undisputed best team in the world. For this year. They deserve all their plaudits and are going to give it a good go this year. In my book, Pep Guardiola can come manage Arsenal when Wenger retires. In fifty years.

That being said, I'd like to think the Invincibles could give them a good run. Boy, that would be some match for football fans.

Gifts and Staying Up At Night

Christmas means very little to me but I have no problem with people celebrating it. Gift giving is a good thing. The anticipation is like watching a 15-pass sequence built from the back. Spotting a well-wrapped gift with your name on it is like seeing an inch perfect, defence-splitting through ball being delivered. The finish is like the moment you finally hold the gift that you really wanted, smiling from ear to ear.

If I had to make a wish list, the top five things that I would want are:

1 - World peace

2 - Mass distribution of a free anti cancer pill

3 - Free food for all the children in the world

4 - Free education for all the children in the world

5 - Seeing Arsene Wenger raise the EPL trophy this season

The likelihood of seeing the first four things happen during my lifetime is even less than Arsene signing me to replace Alex Song next month. The fifth is realistic. It would be even more realistic if we had a top class goalkeeper. It would be probable if we got that goalkeeper and a top striker to complement Andrei Arshavin in Robin's absence.

I wonder how many keepers and strikers with the required ability, temperament, and class wish that they could join Arsenal. You hear name after name mentioned as potential targets. The closer we get to the new year, the more names we'll hear but only Arsene knows what/who he wants.

Will we get a good keeper?

Will we get a goal scorer?

Will we get gift no. 5?

It's just past 3 a.m. Now you now what keeps me up at night. I'll probably be here at the same time tomorrow thinking about the lineup for Sunday. If you're reading this, I'm sure you can relate.

Happy Holidays everybody!

Peace

Ban Nasri - Then Ban Barmby and Stephen Cunt

If Samir Nasri gets a three match ban for his light stamp on Richard Garcia, then half of the Hull City team deserves equal punishment. The Hull City players behaved like a pack of bullies. You had six Hull City players surrounding Nasri, four of them causing actual bodily harm.

Let's start with Stephen Cunt. Grabbing Nasri's shirt, using threatening behavior and acting like a possessed drunkard. Who does this Irish lout think he is? Disgusting behavior by a man whose only skill seems to be closing the opposition down and running all day long.

Nick Barmby will get his head kicked in if I ever see the ex-Spurs cunt. The mother fucker forcefully pushed Nasri with both hands on the side of the face. That act deserves a three match ban alone.

Then there is Chris Fagan. A nothing footballer who should be playing in Division One. How this man is a Premiership player beggars belief. His blatant dive that won Hull a penalty was cheating at it's best. A shocking decision by the referee. But his aggressive actions towards Nasri deserved a yellow card at the least. I am glad that Danny Guthrie of Newcastle broke his leg last season. Shame it didn't end Fagan's football career.

Richard Garcia caused the melee or ruck by deciding to be unsporting and not give Nasri the ball so that he could take the free-kick. When Nasri lightly stepped on his foot, Garcia, shamefully reacted as if he had been hit by an Israeli bullet in the Gaza Strip. And the Hull City goalkeeper Boaz Myhill cannot get away with his aggressive acts either. Regardless of what he did on Saturday, he needs a ban for having the unfortunate name Boaz.

But the fact is that none of these sly, no-nothing, useless pieces of Hull shit will ever face a ban. The FA will just ban Nasri for three games.

Double standards. But what do you expect from the FA.

Keep it Arsenal

Post Match View - Hull A.F.C.

After what some call a good result away to Burnley on Wednesday, we returned home to face a Hull City team that provided many highlights last season. From an Arsenal point of view, those highlights were almost all for the wrong reasons. Whether it was the home defeat, the alleged Cesc spitting incident, or William Gallas's controversial goal in the FA Cup, we seemed to always have problems with Phil Brown and his club. This recent fixture matched each of last season's for talking points.

Last Sunday's victory against Liverpool showed that we can respond when we need to. It also showed that we might possibly lack the intensity and focus required of a champion. I was very concerned with how little desire there seemed to be in an Arsenal side that claims it wants to win the Premiership. In the end, it would take Arsene Wenger's wrath to inspire them to victory.

I was not impressed with that so-called good result at Turf Moor in midweek. Sure, one point is better than none. And yes, Manchester United lost up there this season. So what! Burnley should be three points when and where ever we play them. Champions beat the teams that they are clearly better than. I may be oversimplifying things with that kind of thinking but you just can't accept dropping points to sides you should beat. The same lack of intensity as in the First Half against Liverpool last weekend made me question how badly this team wants to fight for the title.

Hull was a good test for what I needed to see from this team. Would they stand up and say that injuries will not deter them from their goal or would they show the required desire? Would they play to the opposition's level and risk not capitalizing on United losing to Fulham or would they take the game to Hull?

Manuel Almunia's form has been erratic at best. He was and remains under the microscope despite making a key penalty save against Geovanni. Steve Bennett was wrong to give a penalty. Silvestre did nothing to gain an unfair advantage. And I wonder why there were no red shirts reacting to clear the rebound? Only Hull's ineptitude saved us from the embarrassment of seeing the rebound being put away.

Thankfully Almunia did his job. Overall he was far safer than he's been lately. Which wasn't hard to achieve to be honest.

Initially it looked as though Hull's approach would be to go at fourth choice left-back Mikael Silvestre as often as possible. On 6 A Stephen Hunt free kick from that side was dealt with at the near post by the Arsenal keeper. On 8, he left his line to reach a stray ball before Gallas. The half was more about Arsenal's inability to create much of a threat to Hull's goal despite having more possession. Diaby, Eduardo, and Arshavin efforts were either off the mark or easily dealt with by Boaz Myhill.

We had nearly twice as much possession as did Hull but nothing to show for it. Worse was that I still hadn't seen the type of urgency I would like from an Arsenal that cannot afford to drop any more points. That and the mood of the game changed with a series of controversial moments. On 43 Geovanni brought Arshavin down from behind with a crude challenge. The infraction was about 25 yards outside of Myhill's box, to the right of his goal.

During the usual period of protest and delay that happens after all fouls that close to the goal, Hull's Richard Garcia went down abruptly. Replays showed him pushing Samir Nasri away as our no. 8 came to claim the ball for the free kick. Nasri then responded by squashing a cockroach on the Hull midfielder's ankle. It must have killed the roach because it sure looked like it hurt Garcia. Rather than thanking Sam for his efforts to prevent the filthy bug from crawling into the guy's boot, Garcia's teammates became very angry.

Match commentator Craig Burley felt that it wasn't a free kick, even after his partner (seated next to him) stated that Arshavin had been "clattered from behind". Burley nor his partner made any mention about Nick Barmby raising his hands to shove Nasri in the back of the head. They also must have missed Myhill leaving his line to shove Song in the head. They chose to stress how stupid Nasri was and how Almunia had run 100 yards to essentially help keep the peace. Burley's comments were nothing short of what I expect from an ex-Chelsea thug who looked and played more like he belonged on an NHL ice hockey rink than on a football pitch.

Several minutes later, Abou Diaby won a free kick in almost exactly the same position. That too was deemed a non-foul by the expert Burley. Replays showed that it was indeed a foul - Diaby would probably not have gone down if Boatneg hadn't reached his arm across the body of our no. 2 as he ran towards the Hull goal. Denilson stepped up to bury a perfectly taken free kick.

HT, 1-0 AFC.

The Second Half featured the urgency I've wanted to see. I accept that it was only Hull City. It was not Chelsea or United but it was a needed improvement from recent displays.

On 48, Arshavin fed Eduardo who's run and shot led to a poor finish. Soon after, Diaby shot Eduardo's square pass straight into a defender. Our no. 9 moving to the middle was having good effect.

On 55, Steve Bennett proved again that he is an awful referee. He called a penalty that clearly was not. Up stepped Geovanni. Almunia saved it but questions remain about why there were no red shirts on the screen when the ball rebounded to the Stephen Hunt. If it weren't for his ineptitude, Hull would have equalized.

At first I thought maybe the Arsenal players were poorly positioned as the penalty was struck. Then I thought maybe Bennett had missed the amber shirts entering the penalty area before the ball was struck. I was wrong both times. Our boys were just being lazy ball-watchers. Shame!

The replay confirmed that Almunia moved forward a fraction of a second before Geovanni kicked the ball. Please correct me if I'm wrong but was the same angle shown when Sorensen saved Cesc's penalty a few weeks ago? He moved forward illegally as well.

On 59, the excellent Abou Diaby worked a sweet one-two with Alex Song. Diaby penetrated the Hull back line as he received the return. His pass across the Hull goal was tapped in by Eduardo.

2-0 AFC

On 61, Eboue whacked Stephen Hunt. I enjoyed that as much as the fine effort the boys were putting in. The Second Half was an awakening in some ways. I hope it lasts.

On 61, Cousin was brought on for Garcia. I'd like to hear Phil Brown explain why he picked the shorter Fagan instead of the man who scored against us last season. And knowing that he had the towering Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink available adds to my point. Almunia's poor form has been there for all to see. Challenging him with cross after cross to a tall center-forward might have caused us more problems than the chosen formation.

Hull's lineup is not my issue. Phil Brown is Hull's manager, not Arsenal's. Thank goodness for that!

Credit to Zayate for good defending on 69. Silvestre had done well to put in AA23. Ramsey came on for Nasri on 69. It's funny how early in the game, Burley had voiced his preference for Ramsey to Man of the Match Abou Diaby.

On 78, Bennett once again showed why he should not be an official at the top level. Denilson fouled George Boateng as clearly as Phil Brown is a f*&^#ng fraud. Bennett didn't even attempt to go for his whistle.

On 80, I reflected on how well Diaby, Song, and Denilson had done. No sooner than my reflecting was done, Diaby exchanged successive one-twos with Song and Arshavin. His finish capped a fine display.

3-0 AFC

On 87, I saw a good sign. Vermaelen ran the length of the pitch to force a corner. The points were safe but the effort was no less notable.

On 88, Theo chipped toward an open net but failed to punish Gardner's error. On 90, a good build up ended with a shot by Ramsey. The movement and passing brought a smiling and applauding Arsene Wenger to his feet. One of the many differences between our manager and Hull's is the commitment Wenger has to playing the game the way it should be played. In the dying minutes Hull almost farcically chased a consolation goal by repeatedly looking for the head of Daniel cousin. They finally connected but only for the 6'2'' striker to head well high.

The Second Half offered a glimpse of the effort required to convince people that we really want to win the title. Controversy notwithstanding, we did the minimum I expected. Come on West Ham!

To Hull and Back

On September 27, 2008, Hull City A.F.C. threw us for a loop when they scored with a Geovanni thunderbolt and a Daniel Cousin header. Had we won that day, we would have gone top of the table. Instead, we suffered the second defeat at the Emirates ever.

We didn't exactly go into a complete tailspin after that; the Tottenham 4-4 draw would see to that. But it did dent the belief of our young squad. As Wenger stated in his press conference, he said that the result made the squad question whether or not they were able to win the league. Hearing such comments disappoint me, but I guess I can understand his thinking.

We should not have dropped points against Burnley. Consistency is what will win us the Premier League title, and we cannot afford to go up 1-0 and drop points. To be fair, we did have a nice purple patch after Cesc's goal, but we have to learn how to finish off games.

Such is the state of our squad that when something goes against us, it tends to make us wilt rather than galvanize us. It is an incredible positive that we have Andrey Arshavin, because he doesn't seem to be a character to be affected negatively by blips.

And with that, we welcome Hull City and Phil Brown back to the Emirates. The last time we played them, the Cesc Fabregas spitting row dominated the headlines. Even though Cesc will not play tomorrow, feelings still linger and a part of me did not want Phil Brown to be fired just so we can annihilate them at the Emirates.

The players must view this as an opportunity to seal old wounds and establish real consistency. As hurtful as the Burnley point was, we still were able to get 4 points in two difficult away fixtures without playing particularly well. Hull will be looking to "get in" on our players, and we'll have to show that we're game.

That's how things will be reflected. If we win games, everybody talks about how the opponents gave us far too much space. If we drop points, analysts talk about how teams got in our face and refused to give up any ground. The difference doesn't rest with the opposition. It has more to do with how well we play. We play well, we create that space. We haven't been as brave anymore in doing that, looking tentative while holding possession of the ball and having strikers who are frankly off colour right now.

We fail to get anything less than three points tomorrow, and I will have serious doubts to our title challenge.

Briefly, let's discuss the Champions League drawing. I fear no team, but FC Porto is a favorable draw. It's not an easy matchup, but they have lost influential players from last year's team. Hulk has developed, but is no Lisandro Lopez. They did perform admirably in the Champions League group stages, but they currently lie in second place in their league behind Benfica. We should be able to edge them in the Round of 16.

Additionally, Mick McCarthy should really shut it when talking about issues of integrity. He can do whatever he likes with Wolves and I understand that his primary objective is to keep them up, but what he did does set a dangerous precedent, albeit I'm surprised it hasn't happened before. First off, he sends a negative message to his own squad, but more importantly, what's to stop other teams from not sending out full squads against Manchester United in the future. It is what it is, but I for one am rooting for Burnley to demolish Wolves this weekend.

Walcott

If you don't recognize the man above then then don't worry. His name is Stephen Jordan. He's a 27 year old, professional footballer who plays for Burnley. He started his playing career with Manchester City but after seven years and 51 appearences he was released.

Stephen Jordan is what is known as a "journeyman footballer." A man who will never play for his country, never play in the Champions League and who will spend most of his playing career outside of the Premiership.

Theo Walcott is meant to be England's big hope in the World Cup this summer. He has blistering pace, scored a hat-trick against Croatia and was the youngest member of England's last World Cup squad in Germany.

Yet on Wednesday night, Walcott could not get past Stephen Jordan. Trevor Francis claimed that Stephen Jordan had an excellent game. Walcott made Jordan's job a lot easier when he decided to run into Jordan every time he got the ball. If Frosty the fucking Snowman was playing left-back for Burnley I'm sure that even he would have had a good game if his opponent just ran into him.

Walcott must be thick.

He has no footballing brain. But he's fast - so is Usain Bolt. So instead of signing a world class striker, why not sign a world class sprinter!

Eboue or Walcott? Eboue please. His passes are better, he keeps possession of the ball more and his "give and go's" are more effective.

The fact that Chris Eagles was more effective than Walcott says it all. At this rate Walcott will not be traveling to South Africa in June. He has just come back from injury, he's still only 20, so he has time. But not much time.

Manuel Almunia on the other hand has no more time. He's 33 in May. He is worse than Emma Byrne the goalkeeper for the Arsenal Ladies.

Late on in the second half of Wednesday's game, against Burnley, the ball was hit high into the Arsenal penalty area. Sagna watches the ball drop, expecting Almunia to collect. He doesn't. Instead he stays on his line. Sagna then rushes to clear with a Burnley attacker right on him. Facing his own goal, he tries to clear the ball on the turn while being challenged. The referee gives a foul, Sagna is nearly injured. Almunia is still on his line. Sagna then picks up the ball, holds it out in the the direction of Almunia and shouts something at him in French. Something along the lines of: "Why didn't you come and take this when it landed in your box?"

Tomorrow morning is the Champions League draw but with Theo Walcott and Manuel Almunia in the Arsenal team we may as well keep our expectations low.

Last word.

Tony Pullis: Fuck-off back to Championship you four eyed wank!

Keep it Arsenal

What Would Patrick Do?

The win at Anfield was a very good one but we need to toughen up. We need to let teams know that we are up for it. We need to let them know that we will give as good as we get and more.

Arsene’s second successful side contained many of the most skillful players to ever play in the Premiership. It contained men who played hard and fought hard - men who would go to Burnley tonight and do the business. It contained men like Patrick Vieira.

Circa 2003, the league clamped down on what was perceived to be a “dirty” Arsenal side. Patrick was the poster boy for that so-called dirty side. I heard someone say the other day that perception is the progenitor of reality. If you don’t change perception, reality will not change. For me, it was more of a perception than anything that we were dirty.

When Wenger could choose players like Denis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Edu, and Kanu, it was a luxury not many EPL managers have ever had. They were among the most technically sound to ever wear an Arsenal shirt. At the same time, he could also choose men like Ray Parlour or Lauren (and Gilles Grimandi, and Oleg Luzhny before them) as enforcers to protect the more creative types.

Patrick was the main cog in everything we did. Such were his abilities that he added a chapter in the evolution of the central midfielder. If Claude Makelele meant destroyer, protector, and foundation, then Patrick defined the box-to-box player who’s role was all of the above plus starting (while often finishing) attacks. When Patrick was at his best, Arsenal were almost untouchable. When Patrick was at his best, he struck fear in our opponents.

And then things changed. The cry to curb Arsenal’s aggressiveness was made repeatedly and loudly. We were put under a microscope. We were accused of being overly physical. Multiple red cards and a “poor disciplinary record” became part of our profile. Even when we finished top of the Fair Play chart, we were still seen as cheaters, whingers, or that French team with an arrogant manager who had to be stopped.

Soon enough, perception became reality.

Our teeth were dulled by what was clearly an anti-Arsenal agenda. We could no longer rely on the hard men in our squad to keep the balance right. Previously, when Thierry was kicked he knew Lauren had his back. If Denis was punched off the ball, he would either address it himself or Ray Parlour would sort it. The closest thing we’ve seen to that recently was in Sagna’s first North London derby when he let fat boy Tom Huddlestone know what’s what.

Our attacking flair was limited. Our thrust was halted. Patrick’s game was compromised.

Look at how Sam Allardyce’s Bolton, Mark Hughes’s Blackburn, and even Manchester United kicked our players all over the park match after match, season after season. In fairness, United could play football with any team but let’s be clear, when Ferguson felt we had an advantage in football terms, he unleashed the hounds.

Those teams were rarely punished. In fact, a large portion English football fans welcomed their actions. They felt that we needed to accept the treatment as part of the game. If you think that I sound like a deluded Arsenal fan, your memory is short. Announcers and pundits would state with no reservation that you had to “get in amongst them” if you wanted to compete with Arsenal.

Getting in amongst them is another way of saying if you can’t keep up with their pace, if you can’t win the ball back from them, if you can’t match their ability, you have to kick them, push them, punch, elbow them. Essentially, they were not only condoning but promoting the same thing we’d been accused of – being overly aggressive. The difference is that those teams’ approach (United notwithstanding) left no room for football. It was tactical and premeditated. Forget the pretty stuff. Beat them up. The ref will allow it.

How much more cynical could you get?

As I type I can visualize the blood dripping out of Robin’s mouth from a Ryan Nelsen blow in an FA Cup tie. I can see Paul Scholes and the Neville boys abusing Jose Reyes. I remember clearly in Match No. 50 how Horseface attempted to snap Ashley Cole’s leg in two.

Whether those actions were punished or not – and I seem to remember only Ryan Nelsen receiving a ban – we didn’t retaliate. Worse, we were perceived as a side that you could beat up and get away with. At worst, a few yellows would be the consequence. The FA were complicit. Why were those widely judged to be the best footballing side, the most pleasing for the neutral to watch, being trampled on instead of protected? We were disarmed and our opponents were allowed to push matters as far as the ref would allow. Opponents who embraced an often violent approach were pardoned.

I say all of this to call for stronger, firmer displays from this current Arsenal side as we go forward. Cesc said this week that size doesn’t factor in a team’s success as much as it has been portrayed to do. I agree but we have to change the perception that we can be a soft touch.

We will get no help in our quest to raise the EPL title. Instead we will find it increasingly difficult as the likelihood increases. And I believe that likelihood will increase if we address key areas – goalkeeper and center forward. We also have to stay free of any more long-term injuries. And I stress again that we must firm up physically.

Burnley will be a good test of our ability to continue our title challenge. Denilson, Diaby, Theo, Almunia, Nasri just to name a few must be reminded that this is as good an opportunity as they might get to be a winner with this club.

Stand up for yourselves. Stand up for Arsene Wenger. Stand up for Arsenal Football Club.

Somewhere in Northern Italy, Patrick is watching. Make him proud.

Turf Moor

A little over a year ago, our Carling Cup team played Burnley at Turf Moor. Amongst the highlights of their season, they dumped us out of the competition by a scoreline of 2-0 with Nicklas Bendtner guilty of missing a number of chances against their "beast" goalkeeper Brian Jensen.

A few months later, we were gifted another match against them in the FA Cup. We beat them comfortably at the Emirates, but they would go on to comparatively bigger things. Achieving promotion through the playoffs, they have sustained an up and down season where survival solely depends on home form and six pointers against teams fighting relegation.

Away this year, they have played eight and lost seven. At home, they have played eight and won five. One of those victories was against Manchester United. They only lost to Jekyll and Hyde side Wigan.

They often seem to score goals of extreme class, even though they're usually dominated by most clubs. They do try to play football on the ground, and they have their share of unheralded players (Wade Elliott being one of them).

On short rest, all of the above may give you an indication that today's fixture may indeed be a difficult one. Make no mistake, there will be a battle at Turf Moor.

But there are two general truths behind this fixture as well.

First of which is that Burnley themselves recognize the uphill battle they face when playing a team like Arsenal. Matches away are generally regarded as fixtures that will result in zero points. At home, they can hope for a draw while playing for a shock result. These kinds of results happen very rarely. Look at Wolves yesterday against Manchester United. Mick McCarthy is being torn open for fielding a reserve side, but he's well aware of the primary objective, survival. Whether Owen Coyle will feel the same way tomorrow is not for me to say. He'll try to go for the three points, but he's not counting on them. He's trying to keep Burnley in the Premier League. He needs to achieve consistency at home and against the relegation zone teams. We are trying to win the league, and that results in a different sort of expectation, which leads to the second truth.

"If you want to win the league, you must go there and win. That's what it is about in the Premier League." - Arsene Wenger

That, my friends, is the bottom line.

Winning the Premier League is about consistency. And consistency really means beating all the teams you should be expected to beat.

With Andrey Arshavin's rocket shot, our title hopes have been vigorously resuscitated. If we drop points, our confidence will dip once again and we will dither some more.

The visit to Turf Moor will be an important marker as to whether or not our title raid is for real.

Almunia

"The goalkeeper is the jewel in the crown and getting at him should be almost impossible. It's the biggest sin in football to make him do any work." ~George Graham, 1997

Almunia has got to go. The man is not going to improve at 32 years old. He has done a decent job for Arsenal - like any back-up goalkeeper should. But that's all that Almunia is and should be at Arsenal - a back-up or good No.2.

I remember in the 2005 FA Cup 5th Round replay away to Sheffield United. Arsenal dominated the game and should have won in normal time had it not been for the crossbar and some fine goalkeeping by Paddy Kenny. Arsenal eventually won the tie on penalties thanks to Almunia who won us that game. Ten months later in the Carling Cup quarter-final against Doncaster Rovers, Almunia pulled off more goalkeeping heroics in the penalty shoot out, which saw Arsenal advance to the semi-finals.

Yesterday, Almunia saved point blank from a one on one with Torres. Almunia is very good at shot stopping. But so was Jens Lehmann who could also save penalties - remember the last minute penalty save in the Champions League semi-final against Villarreal? Or the 2005 FA Cup final? Or the penalty save at Anfield in February 15, 2006? A game which Liverpool won 1-0 after Garcia scored with three minutes remaining.

The difference between Lehmann and Almunia is how they deal with crosses, how they command their penalty box and the confidence they give to the defense.

Lehmann could pick a cross out of the sky, punch the ball far while under pressure and commanded his penalty box like a lion. This instilled confidence in his defenders who didn't have any uncertainty when a high ball was delivered into the Arsenal penalty area. Lehmann was prone to some erratic goalkeeping. Sprinting off his line and only half clearing the ball. The Champions League group game away to Panathinaikos is a great example of Lehmann costing Arsenal a goal due to a sudden rush of blood.

The winter in the north of England is cold and windy. High balls carry venom with the wind behind them. Burnley players will know this and that Almunia is weak on crosses. The combination of a swirling cold wind, high balls and Almunia and doesn't bode well. Owen Coyle tries to make his team play football on the ground but Burnley scored against Fulham on Saturday from a cross.

Almunia's punch or lack of, against Liverpool yesterday was pathetic. He was being challenged by Lucas. If he was being challenged by John Carew then I would argue that Almunia would have a difficult job punching the ball away. But Lucas is 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 74 kg. Almunia is 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 86 kg. If you are 12 kg heavier and six inches taller than Lucas, why did you struggle to punch the ball away?

That mistake could have cost Arsenal the game.

Against a team with more confidence it would have.

Almunia is obviously very uncomfortable with any type of high ball into his penalty area. Against Stoke City, he flapped when ever Rory Delap sent in a long throw-in. The man is a liability and Burnley on Wednesday is a real test for him.

Look at the two Doncaster Rovers goals in the Carling Cup quarter-final four years ago to look at two clowns who should not be at Arsenal - Senderos and Almunia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i2BRoncNng

Brian Glanville wrote about Arsenal's goalkeepers in the latest edition of World Soccer:

"You have to go back to Bob Wilson to find an imposing Arsenal goalkeeper, followed majestically by Pat Jennings. Such goalkeepers today are thin on the ground."

And therein lies Wenger's problem. Who can you replace Almunia with? I would sign Tim Howard and promote Fabianski until that signing is made. Just before the transfer deadline ended in August, Wenger made an equiry about Robert Green the West Ham goalkeeper. Nothing came from it. But is shows that Wenger is not oblivious to Arsenal's goalkeeping problem.

Keep it Arsenal

Post Match View - Liverpool F.C.

Before the match, I reminded a fellow Gooner that it would be an opportunity for those whom Arsene has believed in to repay the faith. I singled out Theo Walcott. Let's be clear however, almost the entire team need to show their worth now more than ever.

United and Chelsea dropped points in dramatic fashion yesterday. The trip to Anfield became crucial in how we see ourselves and in determining what role we will play in the title race. We just could not afford to do any less than take all three points. Being an also-ran this season is simply not an option.

The match was billed as the return of Andrei Arshavin. It would prove to be an appropriate description. Steven Gerrard stated in the build up that Arsenal were as afraid of Liverpool as Liverpool were of Arsenal. We certainly started the game like a team that looked afraid but regardless, I'm sure even the bravest Liverpool supporter was mindful of Andrei Arshavin's presence and what it could mean.

The home team started as the more effective side. They were quicker and fought harder than we did. It seemed like they wanted it more. Why were we not winning the 50-50s? Why were we being second best in the battle for midfield? Did our players realize what was at stake?

Almunia was up to his usual act as early as the 10th minute when he kicked a safely delivered back pass from Traore straight into touch. There was no pressure on him. He just kicked the ball into touch, gifting possession back to Liverpool. Later in the broadcast, one of the match announcers mentioned that he doesn't take pressure off his back four. How true!

It was an excellent point. He reacts well to shots but he doesn't do the things that help the men in front of him. Invariably, it leads to more pressure back on him.

In the 12th minute, Torres was put through by Gerrard. It was the kind of chance that Fernando Torres usually buries. We escaped.

A minute later, an attack that looked like offsides in its construction (as Vermaelen and Gallas would question after the play) led to Gerrard breaking into the Arsenal penalty area. He was chopped down by Gallas but only after a hard first touch. Howard Webb did not point to the spot. He could easily have done. We escaped again.

The Kop were in fine voice.

Liverpool were the better side.

Arsenal were playing with fire.

We would respond however, even if not in the most convincing manner. On 14, Cesc's free kick was headed high by Vermaelen. On 19, Sagna's excellent low cross won us a corner.

On 25, Gerrard's free kick was punched by Almunia. Heart in throat every time the ball is sent into our box. What a shame! A club of our stature needs a much better keeper.

On 28, our First Half effort was encapsulated in a moment that made me cringe. Cesc and Nasri tracked back to help Traore. Fine! Johnson won a throw-in deep in our half. Still no harm done, but when the ball found its way to an unmarked Dirk Kuyt, and then to Steven Gerrard who was free to shoot from the top of the box, I wondered how Cesc, Nasri, and Traore could allow it to get through. Losing a one v three situation signals very poor defending. That is unacceptable in a game that you cannot afford to lose. Our performance overall was unacceptable.

Nonetheless we managed to escape, again. How many more chances would we get? 'Firm the @#$% up', I thought. 'Get in the game and fight for your lives', I pleaded silently.

Within minutes, I saw some semblance of urgency even if it was nothing to shout about. Nasri and Denilson shot but did not trouble the gigantic Pepe Reina. He's not even be 6' tall but he's better at crosses than our no. 1. Sad!

On 39, Gerrard gave Neves an embarrassing sombrero reminiscent of PV4. He fouled Gerrard by sticking out his rear as the Liverpool captain went by. It was a stupid foul. Even if he'd allowed Gerrard to play on there were five blue shirts in position to help defend any threat. The resulting free kick reached Almunia at face level. Face level! It wasn't fiercely struck. It didn't swerve. It was kicked directly at him.

He chose to palm it away when he could have caught it. The ball landed directly in Dirk Kuyt's stomach. He brought it down and shot past Gallas who had no chance to make a heroic goal-line clearance. And did I mention that the sequence was precipitated by Almunia's horrible clearance from another well delivered back pass?

1-0 Liverpool!

'WTF is going on?', I thought. A friend who is usually very supportive of the one-time candidate for England's no. 1 jersey sent me a text at that point, questioning his ability to help us achieve the big things we're trying to achieve. I didn't want to say I told you so. It would have been gratuitous if not just plain cruel but you've read my feelings on Almunia here before.

Half-Time came and we had not made a convincing show of intent. Our season, if not the careers of some of those Arsene Wenger has trusted in the face of harsh, sometimes vile criticism, was in the balance and THAT is all they could come up with?!?!

In April 2004, we'd just lost to Chelsea in the Champions League, to Man Utd in the FA Cup before that, and had fallen 2-1 behind Liverpool at Highbury. The Arsenal haters were rubbing their hands as a week that started with a chance at a treble now looked like a week from hell. Our EPL title chance was in jeopardy as we went into the locker room at Half-Time.

Robert Pires would later reveal that Arsene said nothing during the break. He just let the players contemplate what seemed to be on the verge of happening. The Second Half was an entirely different story. We'd eventually win 4-2 with Thierry Henry contributing a hat-trick which included what was voted the 10th best goal in Arsenal history.

Fast forward to Anfield, December, 2010. It was revealed after the match that the manager laid into the players with some serious venom. "The boss screamed", said Cesc. "I've never seen him like that before. He was really disappointed in the First Half and said we didn't deserve to wear the Arsenal shirt. And I think he was right."

The Second Half was started with more urgency from Arsenal. We looked more lively. We made space where we couldn't find any in the First Half. We looked much better but how could we not? On 50, a good Arsenal build up would lead to the over-rated Glenn Johnson knocking the ball into his own net.

1-1 and GAME ON!

On 53, I noticed Sagna being a bit lazy. Let me correct myself - he was very lazy. I wanted to yank him through the screen by his blond mane but I refuse to buy another television right now. I'm saving for a trip into space.

Torres took advantage and rounded the once nearly faultless Arsenal right back into the box after turning him like a top. He shot from a tight angle. Thankfully, Almunia saved when Kuyt was arriving in a frighteningly dangerous position. How Sagna can call that defending is beyond me.

On 57, Almunia took a booming goal-kick that was half cleared by that Liverpool defence. The ball landed to Benayoun who botched it up even further by sending it straight to Alex Song who was standing inside the center circle. Two passes later, Sagna squared to Cesc. Our captain lofted the ball across the Liverpool 18. Walcott jumped but did not make contact. Johnson had lost sight of Arshavin. The Liverpool full back stuck out his right foot and the ball seemed to bounce straight to our little the genius. He unleashed one of his trademark short back-lift rockets off the post and into Reina's net.

1-2 AFC! COME ON!

Liverpool never really threatened our goal after we took the lead. You could see them trying to raise the tempo as time ticked away but it just wasn't in the cards. They simply are not the force they've been the past few seasons. There were substitutions and fouls and more substitutes and more fouls and eventually Howard Webb blew his whistle.

Three must points gained in the manner of a potential champion, a few weeks after losing to Sunderland in the manner of a team that threatened to win nothing. That is not the consistency we need. The manager has talked about the eventual champion being the team that shows the most consistency. We need to make sure that this victory places us on that path. It was a step in the right direction nonetheless on a good weekend for Arsenal Football Club.

I hope Almunia is dropped and Theo finds form, soon. Neither is doing the manager any favors.

Arshavin Returns

1886

Yesterday, was the anniversary of Arsenal's first game. The game took place on December 11th, 1886 when Arsenal were known as Dial Square. The match was against Eastern Wanderers and finished 6-0 to Dial Square.

Dial Square was the name of one of the workshops at Royal Arsenal which was one of the British governments main munitions factories. The Royal Arsenal munitions factory was based in Woolwich, south-east London. Four men (David Danskin, Elijah Watkins, John Humble and Richard Pearce) who worked at the factory decided to form a football club.

Michael Wade argues in the book The Arsenal Story: An Official History that:

"The very first Arsenal side was, in effect, a works side, formed by people who earned their livings in a vast munitions factory... The first Arsenal football team owed more than its name to this place of work - the vast munitions factory helped to supply a steady flow of players, too. In the latter part of the 19th century, the factory was probably as busy as it ever had been, producing weaponry to bolster the forces of the British Empire and caught up in the escalating arms race that preceded the First World War."

After the first game, the workers of the munitions factory changed the name of the club to Royal Arsenal. The name was re-changed again in 1891 after turning professional to Woolwich Arsenal. When Henry Norris took over the club and moved it to Islington, north London in 1913, the name Arsenal was adopted and has stayed ever since.

Let's hope that we can celebrate Arsenal's anniversary with a win tomorrow at Anfield. Results have been good for us today. A win tomorrow means we are only three points behind Manchester United with a game in hand.

The title race is back on my friends.

Keep it Arsenal

Silvestre

One of Arsene Wenger's best ever signings is Mikael Silvestre. Yes, the man who most Arsenal fans think is passed it. You know, that average center-back/cart horse who Wenger signed on a free from the scum called Manchester United. A man who used to mouth off to the press about Arsenal during the 2002/03 season.

Let's face it, Silvestre is average at best. He's just happy to see out his contract that sees him set for life.

But there is another side to Silvestre that the fans don't see.

His influence on the young Arsenal players.

It's no coincidence that Silvestre was the only senior pro to be asked to play in Athens. Silveste has been the link that Wenger has missed since Henry left. His eyes and ears in the dressing room since Wenger sacked Gallas from being Captain.

That hurt Gallas's pride. But Gallas is such a great professional that he never allowed his disappointment to surface or affect his game. In fact Gallas held Arsenal together in the middle of last season. His form was immense and went unreported. It was a massive blow to Arsenal when he injured his knee ligaments against Villarreal in the first leg of the Champions League quarter final.

Had Gallas played in the semi-final against Manchester United, I think Kieran Gibbs would have been mentally tougher and the result a more positive one for Arsenal.

Gallas was never liked by the young mob of Fabregas, Clichy, Helb and Flamini. They thought Gallas was arrogant, aloof, and critical. Gallas thought they were cocky and disrespectful. Now with Silvestre around things are different. The younger players like Silvestre. They don't see him as a threat like the do with Gallas. In fact they seek advise from Silvestre - ranging from advise on agents, transfers and more importantly defending. Kieran Gibbs is apparently a keen student of Silvestre. Ditto French youngsters like Francis Coquelin and Gilles Sunu.

Silvestre now recommends French youngsters to join Arsenal over Manchester United because he is so impressed by Wenger's set-up.

Wenger is so impressed by the life coaching skills of Silvestre when talking to the youngsters that he's done a rethink. He's now decided that he needs more experienced players like Gallas and Silvestre. Vieira fits the bill but I think the move would ruin what great memories I have of the man.

But a Diarra at Real Madrid would be the type of player that fits what we need. Wenger, however, has stated that he's looking for a striker. This is understandable especially with the latest set back to Bendtner who is out until the New Year.

But the position that scares me the most is the goalkeeper. Having Almunia is a fucking disgrace to Arsenal Football Club. Every time Rory Delap threw the ball into Arsenal's penalty area I had my head in my hands. Almunia would punch the ball like an old lady trying to swat flies with her newspaper.

Fucking pathetic.

Something needs to be done about our goalkeeping situation because Arsenal are not going to win the Premiership or the Champions League with Almunia in goal.

Keep it Arsenal

Liverpool Sunday

Olympiakos was a good chance for the youngest team ever chosen in Champions League history to get some useful experience. Giles Sunu is 18 and can say he's played in the Champions League. Thomas Cruise looked composed and like he belonged. Lil' Jack was subbed but we know he's got loads more than what we saw. I was not happy with Vela or Walcott though.

No harm done in the end since we'd already qualified. The first team players were rested for Sunday's visit to Anfield. Like every EPL game for the foreseeable future, this is a must win. We cannot drop any more points.

It's not rocket science - from here on we play like our lives depend on it. We must keep the gap between us and the leaders as close as possible. We must stay healthy and hope that those players coming back can make a bigger difference than Theo has. I'm not picking on him, he has been very disappointing.

This season more than any other, players must play to repay Arsene's faith in them. They must also play to prove their worth. It's an interesting season for more than one reason.

Who will step up and make the boss proud?

Who will make a difference?

Injuries or not, this team must respond.

Disneyland

Tomorrow, against Olympiakos, we will be fielding a side that has an average age of 20.

These players include Gilles Sunu (18), Luke Ayling (18), Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (18), Craig Eastmond (19), Tom Cruise (18), Francis Coquelin (18), Kyle Bartley (18), Jack Wilshere (17), Fran Merida (19), and Aaron Ramsey (18).

There is no better advertisement to a young player than this. Make no mistake, getting a game in the Premier League is special, but playing in the Champions League is something else. It's an opportunity to showcase their talents on the world's stage. It's a chance to show the manager how bright the future really is.

Some of these players may make it in the long term. Personally, other than the players most already know, I rate Bartley and Coquelin. There is word that Bartley will start alongside Silvestre, so we'll get a taste tomorrow.

More importantly though, it'll be a nice rest for our first team, gearing up for a must win at Anfield. The theme of that match: Arshavin Returns.

Sometimes the title of a film or a scoreline can be a bit of a misnomer. The movie Die Hard is one. I thought that this film was about Bruce Willis taking too much Viagra and dying of an erection.

It wasn't

Arsenal losing 3-0 to Chelsea is another. It paints a picture of a completely one sided game in which Arsenal created zero. No-one will remember the disallowed goal or penalty that should have been given to Arsenal in the second-half. Instead they will look at the 3-0 scoreline and say that Arsenal were Chelsea's bitch.

On Saturday, Arsenal ended a three game losing streak by beating Stoke City 2-0. It should have been more. A missed penalty, a goal line clearance, a crossbar and good goalkeeping meant that Stoke's racist fans went home not too embarrassed.

True not all of Stoke's fans are racist, just a minority. But a report by Arsenal Times makes interesting reading:

http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s378/st152244.htm

Back in the early 1990's when I was deciding on what university to apply to, I visited Keele University, close to where to Stoke is. I took a tour of the university, met with professors and then took a visit to Stoke. I couldn't get away fast enough. The place was full of pasty white, malnourished, Reebok wearing Chavs with too much time on their hands. Downtown Stoke was full of 16 year old girls with dark eyes, pushing strollers and prams with cigarettes drooping from their mouths.

The place was a fucking shithole.

Arsenal are away for their next three games. The game in Greece is really a reserve game. Diaby, Walcott, Ramsey, Vela, Silvestre and Fabianski will start. The two games after Athens are in the north-west of England. Liverpool and Burnley. On paper these are games that we should win. Liverpool are off form but they showed against Manchester United that on their day they can beat anyone. Aqualani is likely to start for Liverpool who are fighting for fourth place.

Burnely are a Jekyll and Hyde team. Away from Turf Moor they are crap having gained only one point on their travels. But in front of their home fans they're a diffrent proposition with only one defeat and five wins including a victory over Manchester United.

If Arsenal can get six points from the cold north-west then they are back in the title race. Any defeats will see them scrapping with Manchester City, Spurs, Villa and Liverpool for fourth spot.

Yesterday, I watched Everton come back from the dead to draw with Spurs 2-2 in the last ten minutes. In the last minute Spurs missed a penalty. I don't normally watch other teams in the Premiership but this game proved to be a classic. Spurs must be gutted. They know they threw the win away, which makes me fucking happy.

Last word: Almunia was shocking on Saturday

Next game Olympiacos (9 pm Eastern time Fox Soccer Channel)

Keep it Arsenal

Post Match View - Stoke City F.C.

The match was billed as the 100th at the Emirates, the 250th for Cesc, and the 500th for Arsene Wenger as manager of Arsenal Football Club. It was played against a team that the match announcers often described as dangerously close to equalizing the whole time that they were down a goal. That speaks to our recently unimpressive record for putting matches away when given the chance to because Stoke did not really threaten our lead. It also gives lips service to the aggressive nature of the tactics that inferior teams tend to apply when facing us.

You heard words like "smashed into touch" when a Stoke defender dealt with an Arsenal attack. You heard "no none sense defending" when a Stoke player got away with a foul. You heard them say "good old-fashioned shoulder charge" when the gentle Robert Huth won the ball.

Stoke City are not Barcelona. They are a tough side nonetheless and our victory against them was "needed" as Arsene put it. Let's be clear, the three points were an absolute must. And then seeing Chelsea go down to Manchester City was the mark of a good day.

I spoke to one of my colleagues at eighteen86 for over two hours after the Chelsea defeat last weekend. We discussed the need for Arshavin to take over. His contribution today was clearly a level above what we'd seen in previous matches.

His movement, his touch, his runs are special class. Today, they helped make a difference. In the 37th minute, you could see him direct traffic as he stood on the ball, pointing young and improving Traore in the right direction. That's what I want to see.

His move past Diao into the Stoke penalty area, and then forcing Delap to take him down was more of what I want to see. I also liked the amount of pressure we put on Stoke to win back the ball when we lost it. The boys were focused today. We were all over Stoke for much of the game.

Of note:

Tuncay needs to brush up on the offsides rule. He did beat it once, with Gallas doing well to recover, but he did his team no favors today. I lost count how many times the flag went up.

By the 70th minute, we'd won our 8th corner. I'd like to see a better return from that many corners. Vermaelen went close but we have to do better with that much domination.

Aaron Ramsey took his goal very well with the outside of his right foot. He beat a very good Sorensen intelligently and skillfully.

Pulis substituting Delap on 81 was his way of throwing in the towel. Sad, really, that your main threat is a guy who THROWS the ball far. Equally sad however is how our clown goalkeeper dealt with some of those throws.

It seems that Eboue, Gallas, Rosicky, and Traore are injury concerns. Rosicky being the worst hit. Surprise! According to the manager, he will be out for weeks. I feel bad for poor Thomas. He can't seem to turn the corner injury-wise. The others should be ready for Liverpool.

This is an interesting season.

Arshavin Time

I have no problem when Andrey Arshavin opens his mouth. He seems to be one of the only Arsenal players who aren't specifically drilled by our PR team to say the "right" answers at all times. His views on women driving are controversial to say the least, but he's never afraid to say exactly what he's thinking.

To me, it shows that he cares. In the interview itself, he completely backs Wenger and he talks about pushing forward.

He said a few quotes about us lacking height, but he was really talking about missing the presence of players like Bendtner and Diaby.

What I found most interesting was this quote:

"I'm not Thierry Henry but I'm one of a few experienced players in this team. I can take my young players and make them follow me. But we have other leaders as well like Robin van Persie, William Gallas, and Cesc Fabregas."

Note the inclusion of Gallas in that mention of leaders. But anyway, with van Persie down, he is saying the words I want to hear.

It is indeed time for Arshavin to step up. He'll make no bones about the fact that he's been below his standards, especially compared to last year's blistering form. But he is a player of natural footballing genius, and it's time for him to step up to the plate.

I don't know if we need a direct formation change, but the keys need to be handed to Arshavin. Cesc will not mind. Cesc wants to win, and he cares more about the team than anything else.

The time is now for Arshavin to make a mark.

Colorado Rapids

The Colorado Rapids will play an Arsenal first eleven on March 1st. This could be the come back game for Robin van Persie.

The Rapids will spend a week training at London Colney in early March 2010.

Keep it Arsenal.

A Few Notes On City

- Manchester City decided to do an NBA style, lights out presentation with a Blue Moon over their fans. Incredibly silly stuff. Imagine being an Arsenal player and having to stand there to watch that.

- Adebayor made a big show of hugging all of our players, planting a kiss on Silvestre, and attempting to kiss Eboue. It was embarrassing to witness, but he did relatively little during the actual match. Perhaps it's better to just treat him with indifference than pure disgust.

- Fabianski played well. He was not responsible for any of the goals, and he had a few fine reaction saves.

- Song was culpable for both the first and third goals. Silvestre was to blame for the second. Silvestre is way past his best. I do not feel safe at all when he's in the game, and I've given him more of a chance than most other Arsenal fans. While it's nice that we can count on Song as a backup CB, I'd rather we played Bartley instead of him. Song picked up a yellow card which means he's suspended for the Stoke fixture. That's actually a convenient ban, considering we may not require his services to beat Stoke. Regardless, if we were going to blood the youngsters, I would have preferred to see Bartley.

- We were not protected by the ref. There were several clear fouls that were not called, and we were shown six yellow cards.

- The fact that we could not create a clear cut chance against a City side that lacked balance and was set up to attack was a bit worrying. Wilshere and Merida did not provide a whole lot. Rosicky faded. Ramsey was industrious but not effective. Vela didn't get much service.

- Arsene Wenger did not shake Mark Hughes' hand because he thinks that Hughes is a c*nt. We've lost games before by large margins, and Wenger still shook the hands of opposing managers. Hughes is quickly becoming a major annoyance that must be vanquished much like Sam Allardyce was.

- An away fixture was always going to be difficult for our blend of youth and reserve players. Look back on the past few years and you'll see it's the away fixture that does us in this tournament.

- People will write about this exit as if it's something important. Chelsea have also exited the tournament, but not much doom is forecast on them, and they played Drogba. The Stoke fixture is far, far more important than advancing to the semis of the Carling Cup. Winning a Carling Cup would be a noteworthy achievement, but it would not alleviate the stings of criticism that people give us. They'll just say, "well all they've won is a Carling Cup."

- Stoke is a must win fixture.

Fcuk Off Hughes

Three consecutive matches without scoring and injuries upon injuries have pushed the manager to a point of frustration. Mark Hughes claims that he looked to shake his opponent's hand but saw Arsene Wenger "running" down the tunnel after the defeat to Manchester City. Wenger's response was that he is free to choose who to shake hands with.

This is fuel for those already looking for reason to jump on our manager. In a perfect world, Arsene would conduct himself like an angel. We don't live in a perfect world. We live in a world where a Nobel Peace Prize winner declares that he is dedicated to continuing a war that many millions feel must be stopped. We live in an unjust world with far worse acts than Wenger not shaking hands with a c*nt who probably hates everything about him anyway.

It doesn't bother me what Arsene did after the match any more than it did when he stood up to that other c*nt Alan Pardew. I like that he doesn't have a drink after matches with the opposing manager because most of them can't stand him. Why should he pretend to enjoy their company? Wenger not shaking hands with Mark Hughes is the least of my worries.

Naturally, there'll be any number of views suggesting that we're done, that we never really had a chance to win anything this season, and that we are now out of the competition we had the best chance to win. With RvP likely to be out for the season, Theo looking nothing like a player ready to make a difference, and Eduardo off form, the return of Niklas Bendtner can't happen soon enough. But will he be enough?

The manager has stated that we will be active in the transfer market. If we find a player and a deal that suits us, we will buy. We need to buy. We must buy. There's a long road ahead of us but by no means are we over our heads.

There'll be loads of "experts" saying that they predicted we'd fall short yet again. There'll be loads of "fans" jumping off the band wagon. Good! I prefer it that way.

The season (re)starts Saturday against Stoke. I will drop-kick the first ball boy or girl who hands Rory Delap a towel.