Post Match View - Stoke City F.C.

Abou Diaby was first, Eduardo next, and now the rising talent Aaron Ramsey will have to lose a large chunk of playing time through devastating injury. In all honesty, this tackle was reckless but it also looked more clumsy than premeditated. I could be wrong since I've only seen the replay in full speed and couldn't tell if there was intent to injure.

That does not mean that we haven't been the victims of hate from a large section of English football fans and players alike who don't mind Arsenal players being on the end of such challenges. That doesn't mean that match announcers, other clubs' managers, and even the FA haven't been complicit in a sometimes not so subtle anti Arsenal campaign. That doesn't mean that an atmosphere hasn't been created and fueled to lead up to this and the two injuries mentioned above.

I received a text just after the foul saying that the excuses from the English media were already in effect. Arsene has been quite clear on what he feels about this challenge. "Spare me the articles about how nice Shawcross is, please", said the manager.

Can you blame him?

As the scum called Stoke fans chanted 'One Ryan Shawcross' after the player's dismissal, I remembered that Birmingham City fans and fans of other clubs like West Ham for example have been known to echo the same chorus using Martin Taylor's name. Shawcross has taken a large chunk from a fellow professional's career. He is probably just as anti Arsenal as the many who who'll applaud the injury. Let's be absolutely fucking clear - the majority of English football fans hate Arsene Wenger and hate Arsenal Football Club. There are millions of people who would love for Cesc or William Gallas or Alex Song or Niklas Bendtner to lose their leg in a "full-blooded, good old fashioned tackle".

The EPL trumpets itself as the best league in the world. Shouldn't that tag ensure protection for the safety of the league's most attractive team? Shouldn't the league's integrity be preserved beyond yellow cards for dissent to shite refs? Shouldn't thuggery be called what it really is instead of code words like 'getting amongst them'?

Shouldn't the league promote flair and fair play instead of standing by and watching Arsenal's best players have their legs broken? Ok, flair and "pretty" football is not a favorite fare for the robust challenge hungry. I accept that. What I'll never accept is hiding behind the fact that getting sent off with a three match ban is the only punishment for dangerous acts of thuggery.

More attention is paid to diving then to addressing what most sensible people call assault.

Serious injuries happen but they will happen more frequently and will be nearly, if not completely, career ending when an atmosphere that allows them exists. Nobody can convince me that there aren't anti Arsenal sentiments in effect when these types of injuries occur. And when was the last time someone other than Arsene Wenger has stood up to call out the brand of anti football that we face regularly? You are free to choose your tactics but spare me the hypocrisy. Thuggery is thuggery!

A few seasons ago, David Moyes brought Everton to The Emirates and played with no less than nine men in his own half for the majority of the game. He'd been embarrassed 7-0 at Highbury in May 2005. The tactics he used at The Emirates were designed to prevent another thrashing but they were not thuggish. You can stop us playing without kicking us out of the game.

I will be among the first to accept that in recent years, we've been less than capable of matching some of the over the top physical play we've faced. But as I've mentioned here before, the FA dulled our teeth years ago. We were more than capable of being physical within proper limits but a) under Wenger, we've always preferred to play football anyway and b) the league prefers that only the extremely harsh challenges against us are properly punished. What a great way to promote good football!

There's a guy reading this saying, 'Wait, Man United play good football and never complain about being mistreated by the FA or thuggish teams'. That's part of the problem and it proves the point. Arsenal are hated for who and what they are - a flair team with a French manager and mostly non-English players. Spare me the fucking hypocrisy.

It would be easy to say that we've won because Almunia and Clichy have firmed up their game but that would fail to address too many other factors. We've stood up to Toilet Paper's candy striped thugs. We've kept our heads and remained focused. We've shown desire and determination.

As early as the third minute, Ricardo "Pimp" Fuller pushed Bacary Sagna while the RB attempted to negotiate avoiding running into his keeper. Cheap, sly, thuggery! The pimp would get away with a similar push against Song on 7, forcing a throw-in deep in Arsenal territory.

The Rory Delap throw-in resulted in a (very poorly defended) Stoke goal. What was Eboue thinking, moving away from the prolific Danny Pugh as he waited to punish us at the far post? Not the kind of start we needed.

1-0 Stoke

Stoke played a very tight and disciplined midfield pressing game. We hardly troubled them in the first 20 minutes. Before a Cesc volley was forced wide for a corner on 26, the notable action from our end was a brave Sol Campbell header at the pimp's raised foot. When we lost the ball, I wondered why we weren't pressing higher up the pitch as Stoke seemed more content to battle us in midfield. They were never going to split us open with precise passing or neat football so it was a matter of remaining calm, playing our passing game, and making them chase and expend energy.

A goal would help too.

It came on 32 after a more composed spell of Arsenal possession. A Cesc cross was headed inside the far post by Niklas Bendtner. A good striker's goal! That's two in two.

1-1 and game on.

On 33, the Arsenal hating commentator Gary O'Reilly said, "Stoke won't change their game. They'll just keep grinding away at Arsenal". As if Arsenal were suddenly going to stop attacking and let the "grinding" stop them playing. The man's anti Arsenal edge comes through clearly - he's more concerned with what Stoke have to do to stop Arsenal than he is in the changed tide of the match. Arsenal had clearly reversed the flow to take control of the game.

Just as I was thinking that Clichy was playing with more focus and purpose, Delap turned him on 39. No harm done however. The man is in the All-Time World XI of throw-in takers but football isn't his main strength.

The First Half ended with Arsenal in the ascendency as Stoke began to tire.

On 49, Ramsey was fouled inside the Stoke box but no penalty was given. Even O'Reilly found it odd. Not too long after, Clichy forced a save with a good right foot shot from outside Sorensen's box. On 52, we survived three successive Stoke corners. To their credit, they weren't being overrun by our football, but nor were they convincing me that we couldn't match them physically and go on to win the game.

Eboue's low cross on 55 found nobody at the far post but goalkeepers don't like to see balls flash across their goals. On 57, Clichy did well to keep a stray Cesc pass from going into touch. Good work by the LB. The obligatory Almunia scare came on 58 as he dropped a cross but Sidibe had made illegal contact with him as he rose. We were spared.

Eboue began to look more effective. On 59 he peppered Sorensen's hands with a well struck drive from distance. The pimp made space for himself to get off a quick shot that Almunia saved on 65. One minute later, Aaron Ramsey was the recipient of a very bad challenge from Ryan Shawcross after a sloppy exchange of passes in midfield. As Ramsey trapped the stray pass, the Stoke defender put an awkward boot in. The players' reactions and the dangling right ankle was an all too familiar sight.

Straight red for the England defender. A stretcher plus a very long time out of the game for the young Arsenal midfielder. Will the FA take action beyond a three match ban for Shawcross? I wouldn't bet on it.

The game slowed a bit as both sets of players looked to regroup and refocus. On 77, Whitehead put in a dangerous low cross. We dealt with it. There was very little notable action from that point. Not by Arsenal and certainly not by Toilet Paper's side.

On 85, it occurred to me that Stoke are horrible to watch. I know they've done well against us recently but they really are not worth the price of admission. And in advance of their cement-headed fans responding to this post, I'll state now so I won't have to later - shove your comments up your smelly troglodyte arses.

I can't imagine that the additional time from the lengthy injury stoppage made Stoke supporters feel very good about their chances of sending us back home empty handed. We refocused and were all over them. On 89, a Niklas Bendtner pass met with a candy striped thug's hand. It was ball to hand and maybe the ref could have waved play on but no, he pointed to the spot. Cesc duly obliged.

2-1 AFC

FUCK OFF STOKE!!! I could have jumped through the ceiling. But it wasn't over yet. Vermaelen was on the end of a Cesc square pass across Sorensen's goal to tap home the third.

3-1 AFC and three points for sure.

FUCK OFF STOKE!!! Throw in a retribution tackle by Cesc on a candy striped thug 0n 97 for good measure. At the final whistle, our team huddle before exiting the pitch was met by boos from Stoke's filthy racist supporters. Nothing is decided but what a fabulous way to capitalize on Chelsea's debacle at The Bridge.

I'm just saddened that Aaron Ramsey couldn't celebrate with his teammates.

This group have learned from seeing those horrific challenges against Diaby and Eduardo that they've had to grow thicker skin. Witness not just the composure and fight back to claim three vital points in a part of the world that would never welcome someone who looks like I do (and I certainly wouldn't visit), but also Nasri's rise to his captain's defence after Cesc had been pushed off the ball by Shawcross. Also recall Samir's stance earlier in the season against Hull City.

Let's not forget to make mention of the steel provided by Campbell and Vermaelen. They were very good. The pimp was useless for most of the match.

All need not be lost from the devastation of losing a teammate in such terrible circumstances. Today's result was just one of the many that we'll need in order to do the improbable. I don't care if the so-called experts choose not to take our title challenge seriously. What matters is that a certain Scot in Manchester and an Italian in London are beginning to sweat a bit. Oh, and that we've beaten Stoke City. FUCK OFF STOKE!!!

Keep the faith.

Stoke Job

If we earn three points against Stoke at the Britannia tomorrow, people will begin to talk about us seriously again as title contenders.

More importantly, the boost it'll give our squad will be enormous. Having failed to beat them twice at the Britannia in two years, the players will be up for it more than ever.

While we do have key players out (Arshavin, Gallas, and Diaby), we do possess the players needed to pull through tomorrow.

The strength will not come from power, as being deprived of Diaby means that our midfield with be lightweight compared to Stoke. That means we have to pass through their team. No silly passes going astray, we must hold possession and ensure that Stoke do not strike first.

In the FA Cup match against them, Fabianski's hesitancy led to a goal. Once behind, we did actually equalize, but got drilled in the final moments when Wenger brought on our heavy hitters.

To beat Stoke, we need to be first to every 50-50 ball and defend set pieces incredibly well. To that end, this is how you beat Rory Delap's throw-ins. The most important player is the goalkeeper, as he has a weapon that can counter Delap's throw-in. That weapon is the ability to catch the ball in the field of play.

We cannot ask Almunia to change his style of play though, so it's going to require punch outs that go past our penalty box. In addition, Bendtner's height, along with Sol, will help a ton.

With Walcott possibly starting, we need to pump balls through the right channel and let Theo do what he does best, beat men with his pace. Eboue may also be an option, as his directness has been a positive force the last few weeks.

We need Cesc to dictate play.

Tomorrow probably will not be a lovely display of football, but if we do what we're capable of doing, the critics will take notice and our players will start to see what Wenger sees.

It's a big, big, big fixture.

Time To Stand Tall

If Arsenal beat Stoke City on Saturday they will win the Premier League. Defeat, however, rules Arsenal out, while a draw only gives slim hope.

Stoke City away is a horrible fixture. It's average footballers using thug tactics, long throws, long balls, aerial bombardment and defensive discipline to the max. If Arsenal are to win they have stand tall, be hard, play ugly and prepare for war. Winning doesn't have to be pretty.

There's two misnomers about Stoke City. The first is that they play football. They don't. Not when you have Rory Delap taking five minutes to take a 25 yard throw in - after he has wiped it with a towel - and not when you have thugs like Danny Higgenbottom kicking, elbowing and stamping anything in his way. If Stoke play football then my penis plays the violin.

The second misnomer is that Stoke is an actual city. It’s not. It's just six shit towns full of white trash or Chavs who hate the smaller Indian/Pakistani community. It's the reason why the fascist British National Party held a rally last month in Stoke, protesting against the rising Muslim community.

So what does Stoke have to offer other than a wide selection of sports shops and pound stores? It has the low grade shopping mall in the cesspit town of Hanley called "The Potteries Center." This where most of the Stoke Chavs hang out in a show of defiance against authorities and the growing asylum seeker population. They lurk around menacingly, with their white Reebok Classics and hooded tops like a verminous disease, creating a shopping experience of loathing.

Hanley at night is another story though. It turns into an STD fest with teenage Chavs lingering around dimly lit bus shelters dropping cigarette butts on the floor and drinking cheap strong cans of Special Brew or Thunderbirds. There are some bars, just like there's corners in Skid Row that people seek for entertainment. Outside the most popular bar/nightclubs are lines of pasty white Chav's, with women wearing next to nothing because they can't afford to put their coat into a cloakroom. Some wear nothing more than a skirt in sub zero temperatures because they feel that flashing a bit of tit and thigh is their way gaining entry with the bouncers. These are bars that seem to be blissfully unaware of things like age restrictions or fire regulations.

Inside the bars is more scary. You will find, loud shite R&B disguised as techno with drunk Chavs practicing their moves for their wishful audition on American Idol or Britain's Got Talent. And the female talent on show is just like Stoke's football - it's horrible - consisting Susan Boyle's in their early 20's with peroxide blonde hair.

On game day, the Brittania Stadium is just as bad. It consists of white men of all ages drinking as much Stella as possible and then singing the Stoke national anthem of the Tom Jones hit "Why, Why, Delilah?" at the top of their voices. Before the game most of these white drunk scum then abuse one of the following: a) away fans especially southern fans; b) non-white people; c) the police; d) the referee and his officials.

After the game most Stoke fans continue their drinking in the pubs near to the stadium. They continue singing their rendition of "Delilah" but some are by now puking up in the street or the bathrooms. Others are hitting on the pasty white, overweight tarts who love to wear big cheap gold rings with their initials on them as well as big hoop earrings that look like curtain holders.

Stoke is hole and needs to go. The same goes for it's horrible football team.

Keep It Arsenal

No Regrets

"Whoever plays must give it everything they've got in these remaining games, and see where it takes us." Sol Campbell

I imagine that when a player looks back on his career, the last thing he wants to battle is regret. Times passes quickly. A professional career should be filled with as many memories of success as possible. Sol Campbell knows what it takes to be successful.

He has stated the need for the players to make sacrifices in order to win the league. He has hinted that belief is not enough. It's going to take more effort than perhaps the team are aware of. Say what you want about him, he's won things and he's made sacrifices along the way. I'm hoping that the younger players especially are listening to him.

The Invincibles era has come and gone. In the same way, this team will have played and moved on before long. The likes of Clichy, Diaby, Nasri, Cesc, and Song will be in their prime in a few years. It is absolutely vital that they win a trophy this season. It could be the stepping stone to many more.

The ultimate shame will be if this lot leave Arsenal without having raised a few pots. Sol is part of the group now. It's his role to be fit when called upon but more importantly, his part is also to make sure the players understand what is required in order to win.

I heard a great man say once to a group of West Ham fans who were desperate to beat us that "it's the hope that gets you". The pain of regret must surely be on a par with despair. I need to know that every Arsenal player understands that he must give his all in every minute of every match. There can be no other approach. Else they risk looking back on an empty period filled with promise and frustration.

It would be criminal if we were to miss out on winning something this season for lack of effort. And how ironic would it be that the inspiration comes from a man who once turned his back on us. Wenger must see more than a convenient, cheap signing in Sol Campbell.

Keep the faith.

Toilet Paper

If you're a true betting man, you need to do all kinds of research before you place a bet. Most people will go the extra mile, then make a decision with their gut anyway. I find it impossible to bet actual money on the Arsenal though, because it's harder to overrule my heart.

Looking at Manchester United's defeat against Everton, you can note easily that they were traveling from Milan and playing Everton at Goodison Park. Everton played a Europa League fixture, but one day earlier. This late into the season, things like these matter. It's not to say that United couldn't have broken through, but there is a distinct advantage held by a team like Everton. Everton did extremely well to break through against United (and getting one over their old mate Rooney), and it's no surprise that against the top three teams in the reverse fixtures, Everton has earned 7 out of 9 points. They're a good side.

Now, look at our fixture against Stoke. This is what counts against us:

1) We have a lot of injuries.

2) Stoke have already defeated us at the Britannia, albeit against a weakened side.

3) We've never defeated Stoke away.

4) At the Britannia, Rory Delap seemingly has never-ending access to towels in order to dry off the ball before throwing it into the box.

5) Stoke get away with certain things merely because of their reputation. Once you're labeled as a tough, hard-working team, the line between a foul and a yellow card is sometimes blurred. Credit to them that they can take advantage of that.

But here's what works in our favor.

On Wednesday, Stoke plays Manchester City at the Britannia in the FA Cup replay. That match may have the potential to go into extra time as well. Stoke will absolutely attempt to go all out and win this match. Consequently, due to this replay, I believe Faye will be able to suit up against us and he plays a big part in Stoke's contain and batter strategy. Regardless, they will feel more fatigue than us on Saturday. That's a clear fact, whether you let your mind believe it or not.

For that reason, time is ripe to place a stamp on this season.

You'd rather not have to analyze the physical evidence like a bookie, but sometimes it helps to gauge what kind of game we'll be in for. It's the same reason managers cite international fixtures as momentum disruptors.

I hope the game between Stoke and City go to extra time, and that Stoke are knocked out on penalties. From an Arsenal perspective, that'll do nicely.

And one last thing, Ricardo Fuller deserved to get a retrospective red card for his foul on Jamie O'Hara this past weekend, where O'Hara's shorts were torn after Fuller drag his boot around his groin area. But hey, that's Stoke. They're hard working battlers. Everything they do is within the rules.

That's what toilet paper is good for, wiping the shit from your ass.

Please Eat Me Out

It's strange how a man can fuck up his career by where he puts his penis. Take the Arsenal reject Ashley Cole. Married to pop singer and X Factor judge - whatever that is - Cheryl Tweedy, whose name sounds like a cartoon character but whose marriage has turned into a comic strip. Why? Because of her husband's infidelity. Let's take a look at the shortened list of Skank Ho's that Ashley has shagged - among many:

• There's the trog that he fucked two years ago while boozing with his obnoxious DJ mates in London.
• Then there's the blonde secretary that he shagged at the hotel that the Chelsea team were staying in.
• Page Three Girl Sonia Wild was next. Ashley sent her a picture of his cock via a text message. Classy!
  
• And what about the Seattle bird Ann Corbitt who works for some Senator who Ashley fucked while Chelsea were on tour in the US last summer. Chelsea tried and failed to cover that affair by getting their PR chief to advise the Yank political aide. But he failed at his job and the affair is now public knowledge.
  

Cole and his wife Tweedy are now living separate lives and a divorce is imminent. Judging by Ray Parlour's divorce - and remember Ray never cheated on his wife - Ashley will get killed financially in the divorce court.

To add to his woes, Cole is facing a £400,000 fine from Chelsea over his private life, which has heaped further embarrassment on the club. Alternatively, Cole could also be transfer listed by Chelsea following an investigation by the club. Owner Roman Abramovich is understood to be furious at the way Cole's alleged behaviour has damaged the reputation of the club.

Cole is the third Chelsea player to be involved in such a scandal - Lampard and Terry were the other two. Abramovich ruthlessly got rid of Mutu and Mourinho, so it wouldn't surprise anyone if he got shot of Cole.

It's funny how it's Chelsea's English players that are making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The England manager Fabio Cappello must be shaking his head in disbelief. It's why buying foreigners makes more sense.

Keep it Arsenal

Post Match View - Sunderland A.F.C.

There's a woman in Haiti who has never questioned why she became a devout catholic. She has never questioned how The Lord has allowed an earthquake to devastate the lives of so many people. She has never once dared to think that it is unfair to lose her two children, her husband, and the majority of everyone she has known for her 46 years on this planet.

She is the poster child for blind faith. Things happen for a reason, she reasons. For good or for bad, she carries on believing in The Lord. Her religion and her saviour come before all else.

I respect that kind of devotion but at some point, a logical approach would ask why catholicism? Why any religion? Why blind faith? Why have I lost everything and everybody?

Some might call her a fool for believing.

I ask myself similar questions about Arsenal - why so much faith in players who've consistently let us down? Much like that Haitian woman (granted not nearly on the same scale) I have suffered but I still believe. It defies logic but the parallels are there. She never misses church. I rarely miss an Arsenal match. Even when she cannot afford to, she adds to the collection basket - she cannot afford to not give. I buy every shirt and travel thousands of miles every year to watch our boys in person. I see it as the least I can do.

In the face of trauma, she carries on believing. I might question certain decisions but my trust for Arsene is unwavering. It shall remain so.

Who's the real fool some might ask.

Our 2-0 victory over Sunderland has moved us closer to the top. We cannot worry about what other teams do, we just have to win. We must not worry about individual performances, we must play for and support one another. Witness Cesc doing just that on 34 when Walcott had characteristically dribbled himself into trouble. The captain read the situation, ran over to help Bambi keep her legs, and although the attack fluttered, we managed to keep possession.

Much is made of Niklas Bendtner's confidence. I'll be the first to admit that he hasn't exactly delivered in a manner commensurate with all the chatter but let's be clear, his presence in the team makes a difference when we play the more physical sides. Read as desperate sides who prefer an aerial approach.

Nik's goal was overdue. On 8 minutes I thought, 'Wow! Sunderland haven't touched the ball in nearly 8 minutes'. On 15, I thought, 'Wow! Sunderland haven't touched the ball in nearly 15 minutes'. I felt that it was just a matter of time before we'd score. For all our possession and directness, the floodgates I expected never really opened.

Eboue was clearly the Man of the Match. Theo looked better than he has in a long, long, long, long, long time. But then again, how could he not? Cesc was not on his game but he did manage to help us seal the deal and close the gap with a late penalty. Wins don't have to be pretty at this point.

Mickey Slivestre played well enough but struggled most of the match to convince the referee's assistant that Sunderland really were offsides. We were fortunate when Kenwyne Jones failed to take advantage of one of those moments. Perhaps Almunia deserves some credit for closing the angle but a top striker should at least force a save when he's one on one with the keeper. His effort was embarrassingly poor.

A bit less clownish in his last two starts, Almunia's run off his line on 41 might have ended in disaster but we survived. Credit to Sunderland for making it difficult for us but if they don't take their chances, relegation will continue to look more likely than not. Darren Bent was once on fire. He failed to impress the England manager in attendance at The Emirates. No shock there.

Stoke away next. I can hardly wait. Tough test but winnable.

Keep the faith.

It's Mental

It's mental.

I'm not just referring to the situation of our goalkeepers. All of our problems are mental. We seem to possess players who do not have a big game mentality. They must have all the talent in the world during training, because Wenger speaks so positively of them over and over again.

Andrey Arshavin said he was puzzled by Clichy's form because he could never beat him during training. I've read many reports about how calm and decisive Fabianski is during training matches. If what we're hearing is correct, what we can assume is that these two players do not possess the mental concentration needed to perform at the very highest level. And playing for Arsenal FC is the very highest level.

At this point in the season, faced with an increasingly mind-boggling injury list, we're still in contention for the Premier League title and can still progress in the Champions League. Yet, it feels as though everybody has just about given up on our side. They figure we can progress past Porto, but anything further than that is fantasy. And on current form, they may be correct.

Do we possess the concentration needed to put up clean sheet after clean sheet? I'm certain we have the ability; I'm just worried about what our players are thinking out there on the pitch. Wenger suggested as much when we got tactically dismantled by Manchester United at the Emirates.

We're at the point of the season where determination helps make the final push. Everybody knows about my love for the basketball player Kobe Bryant. After a loss in the NBA Finals in 2009, a reporter suggested that Bryant had hit a wall. He had played in the NBA Finals the year before, the Olympics after that, a full 82 game season, then progressed once again to the NBA Finals. It was reasonable to suggest that he was fatigued. To that, Kobe answered, "As far as me hitting the wall, so what if I did? I didn't, but so what if I did? It means nothing. Because I'll run straight through it."

How many of the Arsenal players have this type of mentality? I can name a handful, but I can't be certain of the rest.

People have been questioning our players left and right, but I still believe this team can achieve great things. But it won't be until they wake the fuck up and realize that football is a 90 minute game and it's played by warriors.

Otherwise, it'll be just me and Wenger who continues to believe that. Wenger is being criticized for things he cannot control. Myles Palmer must love seeing Arsenal lose, just cause he knows he can get more hits on his website that way. He openly wondered who was on Ivan Gazidis's short list for replacing Wenger, as if Wenger had anything to do with Fabianski's two howlers.

The players owe Wenger more than such language from a twat like Myles.

The players need to look at the table and realize that errors are made by mental mistakes. When will this team figure that out?

Goalkeeper Crisis

Last night was amateur night in Portugal with Arsenal's goalkeeper being the major culprit.

In an earlier post I wrote that Manuel Almunia will make a high profile mistake in a high profile game. But then I forgot about Lukasz Fabianski.

Sure Almunia is prone to errors that have cost Arsenal goals, but Fabianski's mistakes go to the next level. If Almunia has the goalkeeping skills of a drunk then Fabianski has the goalkeeping skills of a crackhead. With Almunia, you hope that he doesn't fuck up but with Fabianski - you know that he will.

However, Fabianski has produced some fantastic saves for Arsenal. You only have to go back to the stunning double save he made against Wigan Athletic in the Carling Cup - first denying a shot from Daniel de Ridder and then showing exceptional reflexes to push Amr Zaki's follow up shot onto the underside of the crossbar. But unfortunately, it's Fabianski's costly mistakes that will always be remembered.

The list is starting to get long: the Carling Cup quarter-final against Blackburn Rovers in 2007, the FA Cup semi-final last season against Chelsea and the 3-1 away defeat to Stoke City last month are games that show why Fabianski is not Arsenal class.

Maybe one day Fabianski will show the world why Wenger rates him so highly, but I'm afraid it will have to be at another club. Perhaps a loan spell at another club is the answer, but it's hard to see any Premier League club wanting to take him on. Almunia is 50/50 for Saturday. This means that Fabianski may get another chance for the home game against Sunderland. It's a tough decision for Wenger. Play the Pole and risk him making another costly mistake or he keeps a clean sheet and restores some of his damaged confidence. On the other hand you drop him and play Mannone, thus damaging Fabianski's confidence even further.

Last season after the semi-final defeat against Chelsea, Wenger decided to play Fabianski at Liverpool. He conceded four goals that night. Let's hope that history doesn't repeat itself because Fabianski's mistakes certainly will.

Keep It Arsenal

Sad, Just Sad

Arsene Wenger has a very serious matter to confront when the season ends. It's not if William Gallas should be offered more than a one year contract. It's not whether to cut his losses with Theo Walcott. It's not whether or not Pedro Botelho should be brought in to compete for the left back post with Kieran Gibbs - Clichy is awful. Arsene's problem is who he will sign to replace the two clowns who pose as goalkeepers.

I feel no need to analyze the match. At times it was fairly entertaining. Mostly, it was sloppy and hard to watch.

We went to Porto knowing that defensive mistakes would be unacceptable.

We conceded two goals from defensive mistakes.

We went to Porto after keeping a clean sheet against a resurgent Liverpool.

We conceded two goals from defensive mistakes.

We went to Porto with an ever narrowing margin for error.

We conceded two goals from defensive mistakes.

It's quite sad what's happened. The only positive is that Sol Campbell seems to have repaid Wenger with a vital away goal. Of course that also depends on how we do in the second leg.

Fabianski may have impressed Arsene enough at some point to sign him. I haven't seen anything to convince me that this clown is any better than Almunia, himself a clown of the highest order. How can we win if our keepers are so shite?

It's hard to stand by these guys. I do so simply because they are Arsenal players. I'm not advocating undermining the manager but enough is enough. We can count ourselves lucky to still be in contention for anything this season considering the way the goalkeepers (and Clichy) have performed.

Can you think of the last time a goal came from Sagna's side of the pitch? Can you think of the last time you watched us and felt convinced that we wouldn't concede because the keeper was solid? Can you think of any reason why I should trust our keepers and first choice left back?

As usual, you can say that we've lost as a team - the contributions of Denilson, Cesc, and Vermaelen were clearly not their best. Rosicky failed to do enough for the manager to allow him to finish 90 minutes for the first time this season. Bendtner did some things well but overall was not a major threat. Nasri was ok. Sol Campbell, Sagna, and Diaby were the only ones who had decent games. I understand not saying so publicly but at the end of the day, it was the keeper who let us down AGAIN.

It has got to be dealt with at the first opportunity. Unfortunately that cannot happen until the close season. I'm looking forward to signing two reliable keepers. Our stature and ambitions warrant a world class no. 1. I'd keep Mannone and Szczesny to battle it out for third choice and let Almunia and Fabianski go.

Go as far away from our club as possible, please.

If you're thinking that there are no keepers available, I say there can't be many worse than what we have. For starters, Mark Schwarzer is far better than our frauds. Outside England, the France no. 1 Hugo Lloris and fellow countryman Sebastien Frey are good enough. From Spain, Diego Lopez has always impressed me. The Italian Gigi Buffon needs no introduction. That's a very rough and short list right off the top of my head.

Come on Arsene! Surely the Arsenal scouting system can find us two keepers. I can only imagine how many Arsenal goalie jokes that must be making the rounds.

The Squad

The last time Sol Campbell played for us in the Champions League, we were mere minutes away from winning the trophy with the big ears. It would have completed Wenger's quest for European glory. Alas, due to two goals which could have been prevented by a better goalkeeper, we were defeated by Barcelona and it led to a night of heavy drinking on my part.

Despite the fact that Sol Campbell walked out of Highbury against West Ham, he eventually returned to the side and started for us in the Champions League Final. Instead of players like Flamini, Senderos, and Lehmann, all players who were crucial to the CL run that year, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, and Manuel Almunia played large stretches in that match. Now Almunia was down to Jens being sent off, but Ashley Cole and Campbell were picked over two players who helped to set a Champions League record. That is some mark of the faith Wenger has in Campbell, regardless of his terrible past deeds.

Today, we'll face Porto, a dangerous side, without our "spine." Arshavin, Alex Song, Gallas, and Almunia are all injured. I'm almost glad that the latter is out, but the former three players are all crucial to our side and it will most certainly be a loss.

When critics judge our side as one that lacks depth, today is the match where we can prove them wrong. Fabianski has been unconvincing, but yesterday Wenger once again stated that he believes in him. It's time for him to show us what Wenger sees.

Porto's most dangerous player is Radamel Garcia, not Hulk. Garcia has been a prudent buy, and he'll be sold off to a bigger European club sooner than later. Porto, as fine a side as they are, tend to be a bit of a feeder club, although that charge could (inaccurately) be leveled at us as well. Bruno Alves provides a dangerous option on set pieces, and he tends to score important goals.

Perhaps though, our injuries will cause FC Porto to be slightly more ambitious than usual. Last year, after mauling them at the Emirates in the group stage, they played for a draw at home and they got it. If they want to get on the front foot, they would be wise in trying to attack us, but a nil-nil draw would do fine for them as well.

Diaby and Cesc must provide the thrust for the team, and Denilson MUST give a performance if called upon today.

Sol Campbell returns to the Champions League. Let's hope this time, with a different goalkeeper, the result won't be the same.

When In Porto...

I've talked about my admiration for pre-1998 German football. That is not to say I have ever been a fan, just that I respect the way Germany (West Germany and the current united version) were so efficient. The run of dominant Mannschaften ended in 1996. Before winning the European Championship at Wembley that year, they'd won five major international tournaments and finished second in four others in the previous 25 years.

They reached the FIFA World Cup Final three consecutive tournaments from 1982 to 1990.

There's been talk of a resurgence in German football off and on over the past ten years. A closer look reveals just two runners-up spots and a third place finish in major tournaments that have been more a sign of decline than any real upturn. When you compare the class of successful teams of the '70s, '80's, and '90's with recent versions of the Mannschaft, you can see why German successes have declined.

Just from the 1996 version, the likes of Jurgen Kohler, Matthias Sammer, Thomas Hassler, Oliver Bierhoff, Hans Moeller, Stefan Reuter, and even Jurgen Klinsmann could walk into any team today. Mighty Barcelona included! Those guys had everything needed for winning big matches. They were highly technical (except Klinsmann who was more of an amazing athlete than technically sound), tactical, and thoroughly professional. Most of all, they had a burning desire to be the best.

One (from their many impressive displays) that sticks out in my mind is the 1990 clash with Holland in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. The two bitter rivals met that day in Milan. Rudi Voller and Frank Rijkaard were sent off - spitting on an opponent is unforgivable. Klinsmaan played the game of his life. Brehme was exceptional. The entire German team were, to be fair. For strength and efficiency on a football pitch, that game was like no other I've ever seen.

When Arsenal go to Porto Wednesday, they will face a very good team, a team that can run through us if we aren't careful. If we make the mistakes we've made against United and Chelsea, we'll have no chance. Wenger has commented on the need to play well defensively, "We know that when you go to Porto you need a solid defensive performance. I was reassured on Wednesday - that was maybe the biggest part of our game against Liverpool. We looked solid defensively for the first time in the last three big games, and that was vital before you go out for a Champions League game."

We'll need to stop the stupid mistakes. We'll need to be efficient. We'll need to fight for the right to say we can win the Champions League. I'd like to send a DVD of that West Germany v Holland match to the players as a reminder of what it takes to be successful.

Keep Talking

"We can go on and finish third."

- Harry Redknapp

That was comment was made before we beat Liverpool and they lost to relegation battling Wolves.

Predictions on where the season will go are oftentimes foolish, because you cannot predict the unpredictable. And the unpredictable is injury.

Had Tottenham had Aaron Lennon, perhaps they would have handled Wolves. But he hasn't been in their lineup for a while now.

I don't even want to go into the Robin van Persie discussion, because it's irrelevant now.

And now we have news that Ashley Cole will be out for three months. Who knows, one swift tackle, and Wayne Rooney could be out for two months.

That's not something I wish for, but it's just to say that anything could happen.

The only thing we know is what we have to do, and otherwise it's just about having a feeling.

I know we have to win at least 10 of our next 12 games in the League without suffering defeat. I have a feeling that this race isn't quite over.

So, while people like Harry Redknapp talk rubbish, let's just continue to pile up points and let the two clubs above us try to prove that they can actually be Champions.

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. Every football fans best moments - other than his/her own team winning - is when their rivals are losing or having a bad time. When Arsenal are having a bad time, it seems that everyone that isn't a Gooner starts to experience schadenfreude.

I expect this from fans and certain thick players like Michael Ballack or Steven Gerrard. Ballack said that Arsenal are predictable, Wenger is a bad loser and that his team are not good enough to challenge for the title. Three days later, Chelsea lost 2-1 to Everton who Arsenal annihilated 6-1 on the opening day of the season. Chelsea are only six points ahead of Arsenal with a much tougher run in.

Steven Gerrard called Arsenal a wounded animal after defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea. He insisted that Liverpool have scented the chance to take advantage by overhauling Arsenal and securing third place. He believed that Liverpool would beat Arsenal especially after their Merseyside derby victory on Saturday. Gerrard's fantasy is akin to a man who fucks three crack heads in an alleyway and then thinks he has a chance with Jennifer Lopez. Beating Everton in a UFC style cage fight and beating Arsenal away are not the same.

What Gerrard has become is a diver. Immediately after Arsenal had scored Gerrard did a pathetic dive to try and win Liverpool a penalty. He also dived last Saturday to get Tim Cahill sent off. In fact, the man has dived all throughout his career but the English media say nothing because Gerrard is key to England winning the World Cup. Pathetic.

Now Gerrard and his team mates are moaning that they should have got a penalty in injury time due to Cesc's alleged deliberate handball at Liverpool's free-kick. This moan diverts attention away from the fact that Liverpool have once again lost and look no closer to making the top four at the end of the season. Besides, Liverpool don't seem to realize that Dirk Kuyt dived to get the free-kick in the first place.

The biggest tosser of all with regards to schadenfreude is Spurs manager Harry Redknapp. Here is a man who was in court over tax evasion, who claims that Spurs are capable of taking third spot this season - ahead of Arsenal - in light of Arsenal's recent defeats. What happens next? Arsenal win and Spurs lose to Wolves - again - and fall nine points behind third place.

St Totterinham's Day can't come soon enough.

Keep It Arsenal

Football Is A Funny Old Game

Not long ago, I heard someone say that Abou Diaby was a waste of space at Arsenal. The guy was adamant that the player is worthless. He didn't even give an allowance for Diaby not having been able to put in an uninterrupted run in the first team.

I understood and even accepted the latter part as legitimate - part of being a good player is to stay healthy. I didn't buy the part about him not being worth a place in the squad. He is worth a place and more. It's taken a while for him to show why but Wenger has trusted him for a reason. He delivered tonight. I was especially pleased to see his celebration with pumping clenched fists. I haven't seen that much emotion from him.

His header on 72 put us ahead of Liverpool and proved to be the difference. He and Gallas were outstanding. Eboue played well and Almunia also helped our cause. His fantastic fingertip touch on a Ryan Babel effort was enough to ensure that the crossbar did the rest. It was a well earned victory from a fairly difficult game.

Bendtner and Gerrard looked to have dived in search of an advantage. It wasn't pretty. Diving never is. Until there is a Draconian response from the authorities, it will go on. Sometimes we'll benefit from it sometimes it will hurt us. Shame on Niklas! Business as usual for Gerrard.

Cesc raised his arms to deflect a Liverpool free kick in injury time. I'm not sure if Howard Webb didn't see it or if time just ran out. He blew the final whistle, much to Liverpool's ire. Maybe not exactly poetic justice but there's some twisted kind of justice there, for sure. Those Champions League memories still linger. And had it been Arsenal players remonstrating with the ref on Full Time the way Kuyt, Gerrard, et al have done, we'd hear another round of Arsenal-hating rants for the next few days.

With United drawing at Villa Park and Chelsea losing to Everton, we have hope. Our remaining fixtures read as follows:

Sunderland H

Stoke A

Burnley H

Hull A

West ham H

Birmingham A

Wolves H

Harry's Scumbags A

Wigan A

City H

Blackburn A

Fulham H

If we can't beat Chelsea and United on our way to the title, a back door route would be fine with me. I normally like to beat the best to be the best but a run of 13 wins to close out the season will be impressive. It would surely put serious pressure on the teams above us. You never know!

We need to focus on winning and fighting and doing the things that we haven't done against United and Chelsea. We need poise and the heart of a lion. Is the hunger truly there? Can the mistakes stop or at least be reduced to a minimum? Three points from Liverpool is a good start.

Do players like Walcott, Clichy, Rosicky, Nasri, Bendtner, Ramsey, Denilson, and Almunia feel that they can win a title? I did see a better display tonight. If they look at the remaining fixtures and are not energized by a strong sense of belief then they should all be sold.

Wednesday, 10 February could be a pivotal point in the season. We shall see.

Anti-Arsenal Football

After Arsenal achieved immortality in the 2003-04 season, there was bound to be a change. For Arsenal, it proved to be the peak of that combination of players, something that may not have happened had Manchester United not been allowed to cynically foul our players and been awarded a penalty courtesy of a Wayne Rooney dive. For the rest of English football, they needed to figure out how to play against this behemoth of a team.

Claudio Ranieri's disastrous managing of the Champions League semi-final match against Monaco proved to be his demise. Following his departure, Abramovich landed the hottest young manager in all of football, Jose Mourinho. His arrival would signal the introduction of tactical football amongst the elite clubs. Let me explain what I mean by that.

One of Jose Mourinho's right hand men, Andre Villas Boas, was a scout who would compile mountains of data on opponents. An avid Championship Manager player as well, he would literally provide Mourinho the blueprints to each specific match, allowing Mourinho to delegate specific roles to players. Jose would provide certain instructions to his players, always maintaining a defensive shape and relying on that foundation to win titles. And win he did. The only time Arsenal beat Jose Mourinho in the Premier League was near the end of his reign, and in that match neither Didier Drogba nor Michael Essien started in the match.

Manchester United had to endure a three year stretch where they didn't compete seriously for the Premier League title. They were near the leaders, but they weren't anywhere near their dominant selves. Were it not for a Carling Cup victory, many people posed the question whether Sir Alex Ferguson was the right man for the job. Having had their asses handed to them by us in 03-04, he started cutting deadweight, one dimensional players like Ruud van Nistelrooy and rebuilt the side.

Meanwhile, Liverpool introduced a tactician themselves in Rafael Benitez. He probably goes the furthest in terms of specific directions to players. If he had his way, he would control the players himself. To be fair, his approach leads to a solid base that keeps them in games (mainly in Europe).

Why do I mention all of this? It's to point out that Wenger does nothing of the sort.

It could be true that Wenger studies opposition teams and tells his team to be aware of certain danger men or tactics, but for the most part, Wenger trusts in his team to play their football and win. His philosophy is simple. Control the game through precision passing and possessing the ball. In other words, if we play our game, nobody can beat us. Barcelona approach the game in the same way. It doesn't matter if we're playing Stoke City or Chelsea, this main idea does not change.

This is not to bash other managers at all. Everybody is free to have their own approach, and at the end of the day, 99% of the time, results are all that matter.

In the last two weeks, we've been subject to a lot of talk about how we're predictable and that there is a clear game plan to beating us. They argue that if you hold your defensive shape and allow Arsenal to try to pass through you, you can break down their attack and fashion opportunities to score by playing counter attack football. This strategy only really works if they convert their opportunities. In the last two games, the opposition has been able to do that through completely faulty defending. Had that not happened, we would have continued to grind out chances and potentially win the game. That did not happen, so we're labeled meek, one-dimensional, and plain not good enough.

Now, at the end of the year, we'll see if the latter part of that assessment is true. I won't lie, after the last two matches, it's caused me to think long and hard about many players in this side. I question whether or not they have the hunger to win desperately for the man who meant the most to them in their professional careers. But, again, I'll address that when this season ends.

Anyway, back to the original train of thought. In other words, when playing against Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea decide to play a form of football they usually do not play. Against almost every other opponent (except Barcelona, once again), they'd just play the way they normally play. Were they to play normally against us, the games would be far different. They know that, and we know that as well.

Tomorrow, Rafa Benitez will probably adopt a similar tactic against us. And it is up to our defense to help keep the game alive. Currently, we have conceded 30 goals in the league. With that type of defense, you cannot win the Premier League.

But like I said, teams are wary of getting into street fights against us. They do not want to exchange blow for blow, because that sort of game will allow Arsenal to eventually carve them open. I do not blame other teams for adopting the tactics of defending as a unit and playing counter attack against us. That's their right, but it's also on us to stifle those counter attacks and keep the pressure on their defense by providing real penetration instead of twiddling our thumbs.

This team is not far away, but until it shows more intelligence on the defensive end, we're going to keep running into brick walls. It's time to start breaking through some brick walls.

7 Points of Interest

1) Alumina is an ordinary goalkeeper. Not good enough as Arsenal's first choice. He makes indecisive decisions that creates panic among the back four. They have no confidence in him, which is making them play with the handbrake on. Almunia is going to get worse and is on the verge of making a major mistake in a major game.

2) Clichy has gone backwards. Two years ago, I thought he was better than Patrice Evra and should have been the 1st choice French left-back. His form attracted solid interest from Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Juventus. Maybe the speculation got to his head, because now he flatters to deceive. Going forward was his forte but not anymore. As for his defending, well if you compare it today to two years ago, well it's like replacing your wife with an inflatable woman.

3) Denilson is inconsistent. On his day, like when we beat Everton 6-1, he looks world class but recently he looks an ordinary midfield player. Ramsey is a better bet.

4) We could have 95% possession against Chelsea and Manchester United and still lose. Foreplay may give a woman an orgasm but it can't get a woman pregnant.

5) What about a world class striker? The last time Arsenal had a world class striker was during the 2005/06 season when Thierry Henry was in his prime. We got to the Champions League final that season but barely finished 4th in the Premiership. Since Henry left, we haven’t had a world class striker. Van Persie is a crock. He can only play half a season but he’s the nearest Arsenal have to a world class striker. But then you look at our rivals and who they have: Rooney, Torres, Tevez, and Drogba - all of them world class. So why then didn’t Wenger buy one in January? Especially when all of Arsenal's best strikers were injured? Tell me, apart from Dzeko, what top quality striker could Wenger buy? Huntelaar wasn’t an option because he has already played for two clubs this season. Carlton Cole was injured and isn’t world class. What about that lanky Ivorian teenager that plays in Romania I heard someone ask? Unproven and Arsenal can’t get him a work visa. Buying a striker – easier said than done.

6) Teams like Chelsea and Manchester United know how to play against Arsenal. Flood the midfield by playing hard working players who close Arsenal down and then hit them on the counter-attack. Arsenal have shown against Everton, Stoke, Manchester United and Chelsea that they can’t defend against counter attacks. We also can’t defend corners and can’t score from corners. The opposite from the 1998 Double winning team.

7) The Wenger Out Brigade now have new members and lots of ammunition. By making Arsenal try to play intricate 5-a-side football, with no forward, with no defensive coaching, no defensive organization, and no muscle is too much for some Gooners. The long-term picture, however, is that Wenger is on the cusp of turning Arsenal into a self-sustaining super club with some of the most exciting players about to make their mark on world football. Arsenal are only three players away from something big.

Keep It Arsenal

Post Match View - Chelsea F.C.

On 8 and 0n 23, Didier Drogba has done what he does best against Arsenal - score goals. When the curse of Senderos was allowed to leave for Everton, I thought perhaps we'd turned the corner where Drogba is concerned. Not to be. He still has our number.

The usual suspects were at it again, aiding and abetting the opposition in making us look bad. Manuel Almunia can be forgiven for the first goal I suppose but if I saw him today my first question would be why he didn't make sure there was a player on both posts. Clichy was originally on the far post when Malouda placed the ball in the arc for the corner. Ivanovic stood alone near the top of the box, to the left of the Arsenal goal. Almunia, near his line, and Clichy from the far post, both pointed to him in a plea for someone to get close to the Chelsea fullback. By the time the corner was taken, Clichy had ventured away from the post, leaving a gaping hole for Drogba to exploit.

Why did he leave the post? Why does Almunia allow such things to happen? How much longer do we have to watch those two clowns drag our club down with them?

The second goal came as a result of a Chelsea counter-attack. Clichy ran back with indecision - he didn't know whether to go wide to pick up Drogba or to stay tucked inside. Anelka's run was always going to be dealt with by Gallas or Sagna so Drogba was in a far more dangerous position because of the amount of space he had to work with. Vermaelen made matters worse by not (I presume) instructing Gael on what the best option was. After all, Vermaelen was facing the play, Clichy's view was peripheral at first and then he became spectator when Lampard changed direction to feed Drogba out wide. The Chelsea striker collected and once again an opponent was allowed to enter our penalty area far, far too easily. Drogba went around Clichy and Vermaelen to shoot past Almunia.

The ball was struck with a fair amount of pace from maybe ten meters but it was not unstoppable. It looked as though Almunia ducked underneath it. I've reached my end with that man. He and Clichy may go home now.

Losing to United and Chelsea the way we have in the span of seven days says that we are not on a par with either team. It hurts me to admit it but I have no choice but to accept that as fact. If we were going to beat them, it was always going to be from their mistakes. We may have had more possession than Chelsea but nothing came from it. And when we did manage to go close, they had a real keeper minding their net. I was also impressed by the way they got numbers back without sacrificing much in attack.

We've dug a very big hole for ourselves. We have played three must win matches in less than two weeks. We've got one point and one goal to show for it. That is just not good enough. Liverpool on Wednesday will be another must win but for an entirely different reason than what we would have wanted.

There have been lessons to learn from this rapid decline. I hope the right people have learned them. We will fight until the end but what good is fighting if you don't get better from battle?

Let's be clear. Giving up is not an option. Today however is a very grim day.

7 out of 12, 38 out of 42

I could care less about John Terry's feelings. Footballers can do what they like in their private lives, but operating as if they can get away with anything all of the time is an increasingly foolish assumption to make. If it were any other week, I wouldn't even be writing about John Terry.

We play Chelsea tomorrow at Stamford Bridge. I don't believe a tight defeat would completely knock us out of the race, but a comprehensive loss may signal the end of our chances. Victory, though, would mean that we'd only be four points behind United and three points behind Chelsea. With our kind run-in, anything is possible.

At the end of last year, Chelsea breezed to a 3-0 victory at the Emirates. After the match, I didn't feel overwhelmingly depressed (as I was last weekend when we lost to United). I felt resigned to the fact that the result could not be overturned, but I wasn't impressed by Chelsea. They seem to have a winning mentality, but they didn't humiliate us, no matter what the score line said. It's often cited that Didier Drogba has a phenomenal goal scoring record against us, and that is very true. However, I believe the key player for Chelsea when they play against us is Michael Essien. I don't think we've ever beaten Chelsea when they've had Essien in their side. He will not be playing tomorrow.

There was a time when we practically owned Chelsea. That shield of invincibility ended when Wayne Bridge (of all people) scored the goal that knocked us out of the Champions League during our Invincibles season. When we drew Chelsea, must of us were giddy. We saw an open route to the Champions League final, and we were clearly the best side in Europe at that point. But, we know how that turned out. Jose Mourinho won the Champions League, and then he left Porto for Chelsea. Our form against Chelsea took a turn for the worst.

I think when we go to watch the Arsenal, most of us expect us to win. I need to start seeing that from our players. The Invincibles team defeated opponents before we even stepped onto the pitch. We'd go from back to front in blazing speed and kill off teams before they had a chance to breathe. The move to the Emirates seems to have changed that aura. Once known as a slick footballing side with a devastating counter attack, we've turned into a possession side particularly vulnerable to counter attacks. Wenger knew what he was doing when he designed the playing pitch of the Emirates. He wanted the largest pitch possible, so he can pack our team with technique plus players who can control the game. He wasn't copying Barcelona, as George Graham has suggested, but he was implementing a more complete game plan for the type of players he likes to select.

However, that game plan requires precision. And precision is what we've been lacking in the big games. How many times have we seen the first big chance fall to our team and it being squandered? Had Andrey finished off his chances (or even passed the ball to a better positioned teammate), the game against United would have been far different. When teams go up 1-0 against us, they set up to play counter attack football and attempt to add to their tally that way. When we go up 1-0, we continue to play the same way. That is why there is a perception that we can't finish off teams when we have to. And they do have a valid point if you observe all the points we've dropped in these big games after being ahead.

After listening to Wenger's press conference, I'm not sure whether Diaby or Bendtner will be available from the start. That changes (or rather, doesn't change) our approach to this match. With Diaby and Bendtner, we'd have a team capable of attacking in a variety of ways while coping with some of Chelsea's brute power. If neither can start, a similar lineup that played against United may be fielded. If that is the case, what we need to see is precision. We need to take our chances when they come. We need to play as a tight unit. We need to play as a team that believes they can actually win this game. I did not see any of that last Sunday.

When people looked at this string of fixtures, they decided it was the make or break period for Arsenal. That could be true, but if we win the next two matches, we'd have 7 points out of 12, a good return from those four matches.

Moreover, the way I look at it, if we gain 38 out of 42 points in our remaining fixtures, we can win the Premier League. That means 12 wins and 2 draws. This season, we've had periods where we were flying, then suffered two bad results back to back, and rebounded. We've had our two bad results once again, now it's time to buck up and show that Arsene Wenger was right to back these players.

Now that the curse of Senderos has officially left our side, we need to reverse everything tomorrow. Chelsea's positive form against us. Drogba's scoring streak against us.

When Fabio Capello stripped the captaincy from John Terry, I'm sure he was wounded by the decision. It probably won't affect his play tomorrow. But what I would like to see is for Andrey and Cesc to strip John Terry's pride from him tomorrow and turn him into a crying mess once again.

We have all to play for. It's time for the players to bleed for Arsenal and to step onto the pitch knowing that they'll get the three points that we desperately need.

Vanessa Perroncel

The woman above is Vanessa Perroncel. She's a French underwear model but has become famous for shagging England and Chelsea captain John Terry while she was dating his ex best friend Wayne Bridge - the Manchester City left back. According to the Daily Mail, Miss Perroncel was caught having sex with married man Terry in Wayne Bridge's bedroom. John Terry also made her pregnant, which resulted in an abortion.

All of this news was initially blocked by John Terry's lawyers who obtained a super injunction preventing the media from reporting on the affair. But last Friday the injunction was lifted. Now all hell has broken loose on John Terry's personal life with Vanessa Perroncel having hired publicist Max Clifford to get her the best deal to tell her side of the story.

According to The Mirror, John Terry's wife has fled to Dubai. He is now fighting for his marriage - by constantly phoning his wife - which has become his number one priority. On Friday, Terry will meet with England manager Fabio Cappello to determine if he will still be the England captain. Then on Sunday, Terry faces an unpredictable and injury hit Arsenal.

Arsenal, John Terry and Arsene Wenger are all hurting right now but for different reasons. Terry's mind is elsewhere. He doesn't want a divorce and doesn't need his personal life to be in turmoil in the middle of the football season.

For Arsenal, the Chelsea game is make or break. Lose and it's all over regarding the Premiership title. Win and Arsenal are right back in the mix.

For Wenger, the Chelsea game is a big test. He gambled on playing a weakened team against Stoke in the FA cup and lost. But most Gooners accepted that sacrificing the FA cup for a shot at the title was fair game. But with 1 point from 6 to show for his last two Premiership games, Wenger needs a result on Sunday - big time. Otherwise the defeat against Stoke will haunt him just like Vanessa Perroncel is haunting John Terry.

Chelsea are weak right now. There is no Essien and John Terry's personal life is not a help. The close shave win against Burnley and the draw with Hull indicate that with the right attitude, tactics and application, Arsenal can get a win on Sunday.

Man United were buoyed by their Carling Cup defeat of rivals Manchester City. It's seems to have kicked started their season. If Arsenal beat Chelsea, it could have the same effect and reenter them into the Premiership title race.

If Vanessa Perroncel sells her story before Saturday's game, then she could be the French striker that Wenger was looking for in January - striking another blow to the Chelsea captain's personal life.

But if Denilson, Clichy and Almunia play like they did against Man United, Arsenal will lose even if Chelsea decide to replace John Terry with Vanessa Perroncel as center-back.

Keep it Arsenal

How Badly Do You Want It?

I’ve been dating a woman with a crystal clear reputation. She doesn’t drink or smoke. She is the antithesis of the promiscuous, orgasm seeking, post MTV woman. I have had a tremendous amount of patience with her. I have had even more patience with this Arsenal squad.

She could be easily swayed by her friends’ daily calls to “loosen up, Jane”. She does not stray. She is discipline and class personified!

I, on the other hand, smoke, drink, and practically live for my next piece. The only things that even come to close new pussy are Arsenal victories, oxygen, good food, and more Arsenal victories. Her parents were reluctant at first but I’ve won them over, even if just so.

After three dates of laughter, good food, long walks by the sea, and extreme sexual tension (mostly on my part), I’ve reset my strategy. Let’s be clear, it’s noble to entertain this woman purely on inoffensive, gentlemanly terms, but I suppress my animal instincts in the process. I want her g-string to go down the way Leeds United dropped down the divisions, and the sooner, the better!

By the fifth date, we’re four months deep and there’s still no sign of access to her front yard so I can stretch my legs a bit. By the fifth month, I’ve seen a glimmer of hope. She’s asked me to join her on a weekend outing. The first image that comes to mind is of her spread eagle like the left side of our defence waiting to be split in half by Johnny Member. I calm myself. I start to lower my expectations but quickly realize that now is definitely the time for heightened expectations.

I’ve earned this moment. I’ve been patient. A trophy is in sight.

The weekend affair was a let down. For all her beauty and splendor, she’s a sad roll in the sack. Maybe it’s down to inexperience. Maybe she’s just rusty and needs a run of games. Maybe she just looks better than she can ever live up to in sexual terms. I fear the worst but I remain hopeful. She’s not lived up to expectation but I’m willing to give her another go.

I tell you that sad tale my friends because I am desperate for an Arsenal victory Sunday. I need to smile again. I have believed as much as anyone has. I have examined bad results and poor performances as critically as my tiny brain can do. I’ve searched for reasons why we haven’t done better.

I have supported every Arsenal player because if you wear our colors, you represent the club I love. I want you to do well. I need you to do well. You must do well, even if just for the manager’s sake. He has trusted you.

I’ve reached the same point with this team as I have with Jane, where I feel no guilt in expecting a fantastic, convincing, and thoroughly gratifying result. I have precious little time and patience left with under-achievers like Samir Nasri and Thomas Rosicky. I’ve lost patience with so-called next great players like Theo Walcott – when was the last time you were the least bit of an offensive threat Theo? I’m finished with clowns like Manuel Almunia and Gael Clichy doing us more harm than good. I’d rather not see Armand Traore in an Arsenal uniform again if all he does is get worse as a player each time I think he’s improved. I’d rather call back Vito Mannone if Fabianski shits himself every time we call on him.

Earlier in the season, I expressed my expectations of certain players. While many of those expectations have not been fulfilled, I feel we still have a chance to do something special. I really believe that, as hard as it is to continue doing so. I believe because these are desperate times and the right reaction could spark an enthralling run-in. I believe because giving up is not an option. The players must live up to the challenge. Their careers depend on it. Wenger’s reputation depends on it. They owe him more than all the under-developed nations of the world combined owe the IMF.

They owe me more than Jane does.

Balance

Before writing about what can improve our team for Sunday, let me briefly mention the three conceded goals against United.

On the first goal, you could identify the five players on the pitch who let Wenger down. Rosicky raises his arms up as if to say "I didn't commit a foul" and allows Evra to dribble into a dangerous area of the pitch. Then, Clichy makes a poorly clearance. The ball comes wide to Nani. Clichy is on him, Nasri appears to support Clichy, but positions himself in a dead zone and Nani bisects the double team with a piece of skill. Nani runs into the box and skins Denilson with one drop of the shoulder. Almunia with his poor positioning backtracks slightly and then tips the ball into his own net. All five Arsenal players mentioned are to blame for this goal. All five Arsenal players mentioned owe Wenger more. All five Arsenal players mentioned ruined our Sunday, Monday, and now Tuesday as well.

The second goal came from an Arsenal corner. When Nani was streaking down the right, I thought to myself, "there are plenty of players in position to defend." That was correct until Denilson failed to notice Wayne Rooney, the most in form striker, running in a direct straight line towards the goal. Some have highlighted this as a fantastic goal. It was a gift. Denilson watched the ball and considering he was never going to get to the ball, he needed to scope out where the danger was. Denilson has regressed this year.

Clichy is taking a fair bit of stick for the third goal. Alan Hansen called it the "worst defending he'd seen in 30 years." Most people wanted Clichy to attempt to tackle Park Ji-Sung and stop the attack. Had he done that, Park would have crossed low and one of two United players would have had a tap in. Instead, Clichy played to take away that option. He counted on Manuel Almunia to bail him out, or at the very least make Park convert a difficult chance on goal. Almunia came out but failed to make himself big enough. As a goalkeeper, you never want to be beaten on the near post. If a player scores on the far post, fine, you take your hat off to him. Park is a right footed player, so he would have had to square his body and curl it into the far side. What happened instead? Park used his right foot to score on Almunia's near post. Clichy is the easy target on this goal, but it was Almunia to blame. I have zero confidence in Almunia. The team has zero confidence in Almunia.

So, that's that. United played well and efficiently, but I'm going to say that all three goals were easily avoidable had the players who had "mental" lapses showed an ounce of intelligence on the pitch.

But enough of that.

On Sunday, we'll have a key player back (at least I hope he'll be fit). Abou Diaby returns. He is a pivotal player in our team. In our current 4-3-3 formation, Abou Diaby is the player that completes the midfield axis with Cesc and Song. His physicality, his skill on the ball, and his directness are all positives. He's also a more forceful player than Denilson. Denilson was hyped as a combination of Rosicky and Gilberto. When he first played for Arsenal, he was a Cesc-lite. He played well in that role, but when Wenger told him to start playing as a defensive shield, he lost most of his passing range. So, as it stands, Denilson is redundant.

The same way that Nasri and Rosicky are redundant when they're forced to play as wingers. Bendtner provides a different option, one that forces opponents to pay attention to him. Looking at football strictly on X's and O's, you want players who want to take away defenders or opposing players from the game. If you have a great player and he needs to be double teamed, that's valuable because you gain a number's advantage. Same thing if you have a wide player with pace, because that action drags a defender away from a comfort zone and stretches the shape of an opposition team. With Rosicky on the wing, our play is often too narrow and there is no impact. Teams have to play Bendtner differently because he's a target man. But The Great Dane likes to pride himself on the fact that he plays better with the ball on the ground. If he can show that that's in fact true, we have the ideal player to complement Arshavin in attack.

I had a feeling that Chelsea would draw against Hull, and that happened. That means that if we win at Stamford Bridge, we'd be 3 points behind Chelsea and 4 (or 2 or 1) behind United.

Nothing is over. Unless certain players don't wake the fuck up, we still have a chance to win the Premier League. Diaby and Bendtner can be major influences. Imagine what Gooners would have said about that only twelve months ago.

Please Get Injured

Having Almunia in goal is like fighting off plaque by brushing your teeth with your finger. The man has got to go because his confidence already has. I can't have a man protecting the Arsenal goal with fucking zero confidence. But Almunia doesn't pick the team Wenger does. Unless Almunia gets an injury or an illness we Gooners are stuck with the clown.

Before yesterday's game, I really thought that Arsenal were going to fuck Man U up, especially after I read their team sheet. On paper, that was the weakest Man U team to visit The Emirates. Little did I know that Clichy and Denilson were going to have games that would make even pub players cringe.

Diaby can't come back soon enough for Denilson. Whereas with Clichy, I would rather play Pat Rice in his position.

"We gave them too much room," said Wenger afterwards. No shit! Every time Rooney got the ball players backed off and let him turn and pick his pass. He could have turned slower than an oil tanker and the Arsenal players still would have backed off. It was disgusting to watch.

Two of Man U's goals came from Arsenal corners. Funny because Everton two weeks ago scored from an Arsenal corner. Every time Arsenal get a corner, I now find myself praying that we don't concede - it should be the other fucking way around!

Park ran half the fucking field, with the ball, unchallenged before passing the ball into the net. Robbers have a harder time stealing from a corpse!

Arsenal's problem against the big teams is that they must score first otherwise they lose all technical discipline and shape chasing the equalizer. The natural instinct of the Arsenal midfield, bar Song, is to attack. This instinct goes into overdrive when Arsenal are a goal down. Nasri, Denilson and Rosicky couldn't protect their cocks with a condom let alone the Arsenal defence. They were fucking weak.

Sure if Arsenal had taken their chances early on it might have been a different game. If Bobby Kennedy hadn't been shot Nixon might not have been President. The benefit of hindsight is always great but I'm not a "what if man." I leave that shit to fortune tellers and losers.

Ferguson got his tactics spot on yesterday. Sit back and hit Arsenal on the break. Arsenal were so susceptible to a counter-attack that it made watching yesterday's game frightening. Arsenal need to take a leaf out of Ferguson's book. Man U attack as a team and defend as a team. Arsenal, however, attack as a team but defend in isolation.

Football has changed but the concept of defending hasn't. If your faced with one attacker, you need two defenders back. If your faced with two attackers, you need three defenders back. If your faced with no attackers, you still need defenders back because if you lose possession against Man U - who are good on the counter-attack - you will get punished.

Yesterday, Wenger played five central midfielders, four of them are attack minded and built like boys. Against Chelsea on Sunday that needs to change.

Keep It Arsenal