December 11th 1886

Walcott has improved by 20%

2010-08-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

Alan Hansen said on BBC Match of the Day that:

"Theo Walcott never makes the right decision when he has to think about it."

There's some truth in that statement.

Mark Lawrenson on Mikel Arteta playing for England

"It's not right Arteta playing for England."

This coming from a man who played many times for Ireland but was born and raised in England. Fuck off Lawro!

Tony Adams and Moldovian goalkeeper Levroji

2010-08-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

So far Tony Adams has had a mediocre start for his new club Gabala FC: Played 4; lost 2; won 2.

He has also convinced Deon Burton and Terry Cooke to play for him in the Azerbaijan Premier League.

Below is an article about a goalkeeper Arsenal are rumored to be signing from Moldova:

(AP- MOLDOVA) THE Moldovan international goalkeeper Nilain Levroji has lashed Manuel Almunia, saying that the Arsenal keeper has “gotten worse” in terms of positioning since last season, adding that his father’s prize-winning pigeons are better than the Spanish international.
Levroji has played twice for the Moldovan national team but has been rated as one of the top young keepers in European football.
Levroji who is tipped to move to the Emirates from Moldovan club Iskra-Stal Ribnit is unlikely to endear himself to Almunia after his comments on his Facebook page last evening.
The page and the comments were removed this morning.
Levroji’s father Igor is the top pigeon racer in Moldova and recently won the European Grand Prix event in France — the celebrations of which forced his 23-year-old son to postpone his trial at Arsenal for two days.
However, Almunia and probably Arsenal will be unhappy with the manner in which the Moldovan stopper was outspoken about his potential squad colleague.
Posting on social networking site Facebook hours after Liverpool and Arsenal drew 1-1, Levroji blamed Almunia for the LIverpool goal, saying that it was poor positioning that allowed the the ball to get past him from a tight angle.
“The goal that he conceded is typical Almunia. He conceded a very similar one against Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] in the Champions League last season and if anything his positioning has got worse and not better.
“I know that I would offer much more stability to the Arsenal defence than he does. In fact, father’s pigeons flapping their wings wildly would offer more solidness (sic) than Manny Almunia.”
The comments were reported in Moldovan media on Monday afternoon and Levroji was refusing to make any statement about them. The deal to bring Levroji into the Arsenal squad in the light of the expected departure of at least two goalkeepers is believed to be almost finalised.

Premiership goalkeeper ratios from last season

2010-08-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Finally found the goalkeepers’ save ratios for last season. Almunia’s performance took a dive needless to say. Interestingly enough Shwarzer did better than Given:

1. Brad Friedel, Aston Villa – 80% of 157 Shots
2. Marcus Hahnemann, Wolverhampton Wanderers – 80% of 128
3. Edwin van der Sar, Man Utd – 80% of 61
4. Joe Hart, Birmingham City – 79% of 181
5. Huerelho Gomes, Tottenham Hotspur – 79% of 99
6. Thomas Sorenson, Stoke City – 78% of 141
7. Craig Gordon, Sunderland – 77% of 117
8. Mark Schwarzer, Fulham – 75% of 143
9. Jose Reina, Liverpool – 72% of 118
10. Tim Howard, Everton – 70% of 147

11. Shay Given, Man City – 70% of 135
12. Petr Cech, Chelsea – 70% of 81
13. Boaz Myhill, Hull – 69% of 177
14. Robert Green, West Ham – 68% of 176
15. Paul Robinson, Blackburn Rovers – 68% of 141
16. Jussi Jaaskelainen – 67% of 184
17. Manuel Almunia, Arsenal – 67% of 88
18. Brian Jensen, Burnley – 66% of 200
19. Chris Kirkland, Wigan Athletic – 65% of 144
20. David James, Portsmouth – 61% of 106

Source:

http://www.plainsoccer.com/2010/04/epl-rankings-gk-save-percentage.html

Spurs Lose. Prince Boateng's Strange Italian Transfer

2010-08-18T05:30:00.000-07:00

Spurs claim that they were not used to playing on Young Boys artificial turf after losing 3-2. I think that they're not telling us the whole truth:

http://www.dessosports.com/en/sports/football/football-projects/tottenham-hotspur/

Prince Boateng who played for Portsmouth last season has been signed by Genoa who are loaning him to AC Milan who don't have the cash for his transfer fee as it would affect their balance sheet. However, they can afford his wages but Genoa can't. Portsmouth wanted cash upfront. Milan will pay Genoa back in installments.

Genoa admit that Prince Boateng will probably never play for them.

Strange deal.

Karma - It's a Bitch

2010-08-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

EXCLUSIVE

2010-08-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

Arsenal are in talks with Manchester City over 25 million pound double swap deal for Given and Kompany. The transfers may not happen before Sunday's away game to Liverpool due to the international break. You can read more at the link below:

http://www.givenco.com/

The Informer

Farewells

2010-08-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

While a new season is about to start, I find myself having to make a decision I have put off at least once before. When I was asked to join forces to help create the charter for 1886, I was honored. I was equally honored when asked to be a regular contributor.

I can speak for my colleagues in saying that the most important achievement for any of our posts is that they support football in general and Arsenal in particular. That more than anything has been exciting and has made every post worthwhile. Let's be clear, some of my posts were, frankly speaking, shit. However, I hope I have contributed a few that were worth your time.

Nothing lasts forever though. Recent events at 1886 have convinced me that something different is needed. Perhaps a different personality, a different approach than what I bring is best for this blog.

I have taken the decision to part ways with 1886. I wish it nothing but the best. It was fun and a good experience. Thanks for the support, we all appreciate it. Keep the faith.

Chat later,

Agent 86

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Echoing my colleagues thoughts, it is time for me to move on from this blog as well. I've been blessed with having enough time to write about Arsenal freely. However, I'm about to embark on the first step towards my ultimate career ambition. That is going to take up more of my time than I can probably even imagine.

My goal with this blog was to provide objective analysis with a keen affinity towards Arsenal. I am an Arsenal fan until I die. I don't take that label lightly. I care deeply for our club, and don't necessarily care all that much about any other football club. I tried to provide a dose of reality for Gooners and fans of other clubs. Sometimes I was successful, other times I was flat out wrong, and a few times there were disagreements.

I tried to write with passion, because anything less would not be worth anybody's time. There are frankly many Arsenal blogs out there.

This blog will still continue, but El Cunto aka The Informer will be the main man. He's entertaining, scandalous, intelligent, and capable of carrying this site forward.

Thanks to everybody who read even one word I wrote for this blog. We didn't have a legion of fans, but I know there were a handful that was devoted to this blog.

I'll sign off as "The One Who Shall Not Be Named."

NYC North London Derby

2010-08-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Talks have been held today via e-mail with the chairman of the New York Spurs Supporters Club.

They are interested in playing in the first NYC North London Derby.

Discussions are still at the preliminary stage with nothing concrete having been decided.

However, the game looks as though it will be a 5-a-side match played at Chelsea Piers.

The age bracket will be over 25 years old.

It will be a charity match with teams wearing their clubs jerseys.

The referee will be neutral.

More details will appear soon.

Keep it Arsenal

New Season Countdown Continues/More Conversations With Dante

2010-08-04T04:41:00.000-07:00

I couldn’t stand the sight of Clown No. 1 raising the Emirates Cup. I’m glad we won but the ceremony had an air of cheapness about it though. It felt like I was watching also-rans from a beauty contest bonding on a night of commiseration. The sad outing was led of course by the homeliest of them all, the unwelcomed poodle walker.

When I see that clown and his understudy, I think of the car bumper stickers that say ‘MY OTHER CAR IS A PORSCHE’. It wouldn’t be so bad if we had a world class no. 1 and those two clowns were just getting some air time to keep their voices fresh. My frustration mounts as we get closer to Liverpool away.

El Cunto asked why that guy is still at Arsenal. I wonder that everyday. Everyday!

He reminded me that my earliest disapproval of the clown didn’t come after failing to hold a lead with only 38 minutes remaining in the Champions League Final. I said he wasn’t good enough and had to go as far back as February 2005, after Man united went to Highbury and embarrassed us 4-2. In Barcelona, he could have made himself an Arsenal legend. He could have shown that being down a man doesn’t mean you have to lose the game. He could have shown some serious spine. He failed miserably.

Two near post goals does not make people remember you for anything but failure. Well, except those who argued with me that he was good enough for Arsenal and that we could win the league with him. And then there were those who said that the goals were not as bad as I was making them out to be. One prominent and very, very successful blogger argued that the goals were not scored at the near post.

That’s when I knew I’d better be more picky about whom I discuss matches with.

The season following the CL disaster, Clown No. 1 and Swiss Miss conspired to lose another final. Two in two seasons! I doubt many people have placed the level of blame on this guy that he deserves for stunting the growth and bashing the confidence of the young players. I state with no hesitation that had we won either or both of those finals – especially the League Cup Final vs. Chelsea because the kids got us there and many featured in the final – the level of belief and resulting thirst for more success could have made all the difference. Instead, we have a group still struggling for identity, a group short on focus and confidence, just like the most fraudulent of goalkeepers to ever wear the Arsenal top. As El Cunto so correctly pointed out, if your spine is weak, so is the rest of your team. We’ve had that mothefrucker at our club for too long.

I seethe when I write anything beyond a few sentences about him. I better move on to another topic. Arsene, PLEASE do something.

I caught up with Dante earlier this week. I could sense the excitement and eagerness in waiting for the new season to start. I could also sense a bit more bite this time from the man who always looks cool but can spew venom with the best (or worst) of ‘em. By mid November, I expect him to be fully lathered and spitting fire.

Dante: We are 11 days away from the start of the season and I cannot wait! One trophy down four more to go (League, UCL, Milk Cup, FA Cup)!

Agent 86: [Thinking; I used to be just as optimistic in past seasons. I want the new season as much as anybody but not with that set of keepers we have right now.]

Yeah, man! It’ll be a very interesting season.

Dante: This is how I saw the Emirates Cup:

Wilshere and Fimpong are BEASTS!!! I know I have said it before but they both keep on impressing me. Yes, Wilshere made a mistake when he was obstructed by Fortune but it came to nothing.

Agent 86: I’m glad you brought up Wilshere. El Cunto has tagged Wilshere as a showboat. I don’t see it. The kid has poise and focus way beyond his years. Our colleague (he who shall remain nameless) at 1886 made a good point, ‘what Wilshere did was not uncommon for a young player in the early stages of his career and certainly Arsenal players [young and old] have been criticized for not hoofing the ball and trying to play their way out of danger’.

I’m not worried about Wilshere being a showboat at all. I’d need to see more than just a questionable example of what might not even be showboating before indicting him.

Dante: [With almost uncontrolled enthusiasm] But that VOLLEY!!!!! And the kid has an attitude. Love it!!! We need attitude in the squad.

Agent 86: We used to have attitude. We used to have swagger. You can’t quantify them but they make a big difference. Imagine what teams felt like when they saw Henry and Pires with Bergkamp standing not far away. We need to get that back. We have a few players who can get us there but only time will tell. I have to say I really like what I see in Frimpong. I know he’s still a pup but…

Dante: Frimpong does not let anyone have time on the ball. He doesn't dribble much but hey, if he loses the ball he will get it back!

The first goal against AC Milan impressed me for a few reasons;
1. Gibbs shielded the ball extremely well while having a player draped over him then to send Arshavin off to the races, this was very good to see from the 20 year old left back.
2. Arshavin; what can I say? What a run! I don’t know what was better, watching that run and final ball to Chamakh or rewinding back to where Gattuso looks like he has been thrown out of a speeding Ferrari. PAAAAAHHH BOSS!!
3. Chamakh's finish; well taken! He did the right thing and looked calm in front of goal.

Agent 86: [My turn to emote.] YES! Gibbs showed tenacity. Arshavin showed strength. Chamakh showed a good finisher’s cool. It was the first really telling highlight of the (pre) season for me. It was all there – industry, strength, and skill.

Dante: Issues I had with the games against both Celtic and Milan; in both games we looked tired after about the 75th minute.

Agent 86: To be expected! They’ve been training really hard and some guys played in both Milan and Celtic matches back to back.

Dante: When Frimpong went off in the second half of the Milan game we lost our possession edge, similar to the way we do when Song is unable to play. Theo cannot cross to save his life! He is dangerous but anyone with that much speed is dangerous with or without the ball. Only positive I can take is that he must have got the same treatment about defending Arshavin did because I saw him next to the right back a few times when the ball was in our half.

Agent 86: On current evidence, I’m convinced Theo is not good enough. I don’t know if he’ll ever get there. He plays like a really good athlete who took up the game later than the other kids. He’s got some ability but like it or not, Chris Waddle made a good point about the football brain.

Some Blame Wenger for bad coaching where Theo is concerned. I don’t. I just feel he is what he is. Wenger coached Alex Song. He coached Robin. He coached Cesc. They haven’t turned out too badly. Theo does track back though. I’ve seen him do it regularly.

Dante: For Celtic's second goal I have two different gripes. Djourou is not ready yet. I have faith he will be later on, but not to start the season with. I know Koscielny will partner The Verminator but no one else has been bought so I shudder to think of Djourou being thrown in early on in the season.

Agent 86: On Djourou; I refer you to what El Cunto posted Monday.

Dante: This passive and active offside **** has to stop. There was a Celtic player off side, being played offside by the whole back line. The ball was played into his general area he ran for it becoming active in the play then stopped, turned around and walked back. Flag never went up another Celtic player ran on and then poor marking after that did us in. What's the point of playing offside when the passive player can pretend to go for the ball and stop, essentially dummying the defense????

The silly way to fix this is to make all passive offside players signal this by having to stop and re-tie their shoe lace on one shoe before joining the play. The easy way is to take this whole passive verbiage out!

My thoughts on Cesc are as follows:
I'm sick and tired of this!!

Agent 86: I have been for some time. I am disturbed by Barcelona’s latest that Wenger was ready to sign for them in 2001. Yeah, right! They’ve sunk to the depths of _pur_ with this almost signed bullshit.

Chat later,Agent 86

Més que un club: They're Assholes

2010-08-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

- The picture above is from an event that Cesc Fabregas attended two days ago. It was in his hometown and he told his adoring Spanish fans that he hoped to see them "more often and closer."

- I've stated this as recently as a few days ago. I do not have a problem with Cesc Fabregas wanting to leave. Do I want him to leave? Of course not. Do I understand why he'd want to go home? Of course I do. A great man once said that Cesc's penalty kick against Barcelona cemented him as an Arsenal legend, even if it was his last kick in an Arsenal shirt. I'd agree with that. He helped keep the club stable and in the Champions League when we could not afford to be major players in the transfer window. That will become apparent in the years to come, when we'll be financially healthy and winning numerous trophies.

- What do I think happened? I think Barcelona has strung Cesc Fabregas out to dry. Read what Wenger said after the match against AC Milan in the Emirates Cup. "Barcelona gave up a long time ago." Their actions don't speak to that of course, with their daily regiment of unsettling Cesc and Arsenal now as routine as a roto-rooter inspection at Captain Caveman's house.

- Today, Andres Iniesta, World Cup hero himself, appeared on Barcelona television and made his views clear. Of course, this was just a week or two after he stated that Arsenal should be respected. It's as if they have nothing better to talk about, they only won the first World Cup for Spain.

- Captain Caveman wrote on his blog that he never said the quotes about Cesc and Arsenal, that an English paper fabricated it. Well, given their history of phone-paper sex they've conducted, why should I believe him? I'll never forget the Champions League Final where Thierry was systematically hacked by Captain Caveman, who looks like a deformed Bret Hart, and Rafael Marquez. If they got the yellow cards they deserved, the match could have been very different.

- Next up is the Lionel Messi aka The Fake Argentine aka Barry Bonds. "When a player wants to come, and a club want a player, a deal can always be reached. And I am still confident he will arrive this summer." Messi should ask his newly elected President how feverishly they're working to deliver Cesc this summer, cause like I pointed out above, Wenger said they've given up. "I think Barcelona have acted in the right way. Yes, of course Barca players have come out and said we want Cesc at the club, but what's the problem with that? Of course we want him to come home." Hey Lionel, I'd like to invent a time machine, go back to 1956 and make love to Brigitte Bardot for hours, it's not going to happen anytime soon. Barcelona are broke, they're desperate, and they've lost the battle. They're playing Real Madrid's game of using the media to pressure us into a sale. In other words, they're acting like scumbags. The only way we sell him is if they pay us what Cesc is worth. Because we know this, Cesc will not put in a transfer request and he will play football to his utmost capacity when the season starts. I am not one to think that Cesc will give it less than his all.

- Finally, the cherry on top of the BarcaShit Cake was from their former president Joan Gaspart. He claimed that Wenger wanted to come to Barcelona but Peter Hill-Wood refused to allow that. Well, if I believed this was true, which I don't, what is the purpose of saying this out loud? If you're a gentleman, you don't kiss and tell. Barcelona have a few gentlemen in their ranks, but it's mostly a pompous club filled with talented, pampered babies. They're an incredible footballing side, but this current crop have no class. But people always like winners, look how many bandwagon fans the New York Yankees have (I forgive you Emmanuel Eboue, but only you). I'm sure Wenger enjoyed listening to that.

- We've ripped Barcelona off before, and we'll rip them off again when we're ready. I guess they have a right to be upset at us, Overmars, Petit, Henry, and Hleb in recent memory. You know what those players have in common? They all love Arsenal more than Barcelona.

- Back to Messi for a moment, he also revealed this:

"Cesc told me about his recent chat with Arsene and the respect Cesc has for his current manager is huge. He says Arsene has the best footballing mind in the world, and that he owes the boss everything for the player he is today."

Do not underestimate what Arsene Wenger means to Cesc Fabregas. Do not take Arsene Wenger for granted. In the rambling pleas for Cesc to return to Barcelona, Messi revealed something that was private and illuminating. It was clearly not an easy decision for Cesc to declare to Arsene that he wanted to leave. He expected Barcelona to make it easy for him by agreeing a fee that he's worth. Instead, they've faxed two offers and conducted a public courtship of him while never seriously wanting to sign him. For his sake and ours, I hope they stump up the 50 million pounds that Cesc is worth and everything can be resolved.

- And if Barcelona can't come up with the money, what part of FUCK OFF do they not understand?

Why is Almunia still at Arsenal?

2010-08-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

A sad sight yesterday was watching Manuel Almunia lift the Emirates Cup for Arsenal. Sad because another season beckons with this back-up keeper starting as Arsenal's number one.

To win anything, a team needs a strong spine. The goalkeeper is the starting point of that spine. If you have an average goalkeeper, you're defence will not be filled with confidence. A back four that lacks confidence will leak goals.

With Fabianski as Arsenal's number two, away games to Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers will turn into a crossing fest, leaving Arsenal with no points because they have goalkeepers who can't punch or catch a cross.

Fabianski is the worst goalkeeper in the Premiership. Almunia is not far behind. With less than two weeks away until Arsenal travel to Liverpool for the season opener, there is no sign of any goalkeeper being signed by Wenger.

That's disturbing.

Mark Schwarzer says he wants to play for Arsenal - well so do I and millions of other Gooners. The fact is Mark, you're not good enough. You're no better than what Arsenal already have. And at 38 you're the "cougar" of goalies.

A lot of Gooners are more concerned about Cesc Fabregas joining Barcelona than a world class goalkeeper joining Arsenal. When I mention Almunia being Arsenal's number one, they shrug their shoulders and say: "He'll do."

Having a goalkeeper who last season cost Arsenal 18 points, will not do. In fact both Fabianski and Almunia need to be sold or loaned out.

Neither one belongs at Arsenal.

Other pieces of deadwood should also leave - Johan Djourou and Theo Walcott in other words.

Walcott hasn't changed. He's fast but has no end product. Someone said that he got two assists yesterday. His first assist was a shot that was so crap that it turned into a cross - if Vela didn't have great instincts then Gooners would have been moaning about how shit Walcott is instead of celebrating a goal.

It's been four and a half years since Walcott joined Arsenal and the man still can't cross. He also has no moves to get past a player - other than speed - and his shots are off target most of the time.

Ryan Smith for Kansas City Wizards is just as good as Theo Walcott.

Johan Djourou is fast becoming Arsenal's Titus Bramble. He's been at Arsenal since 2002. Yet in eight years, he's only played 46 times. True, he's been on loan to Birmingham City and was injured for all of last season. So fans are willing to give him time. I, however, think that it's time to sell him. The man will become a liability.

Wenger says that he's looking for two more signings.

Let's hope that a goalkeeper is one of them.

Keep it Arsenal

El Cunto

Arsene Speaks

2010-07-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

Arsene's post match comments were telling. He has said what I have been thinking for weeks. Cesc must make it clear that he is at Arsenal and end the madness.

That alone won't make Barcelona or Barcelona's players stop making annoying comments about our captain but it will go a long way to help us all move along, even if only temporarily. Arsene has been fed up with all the chatter but what can he do? "There are a lot of things I don't master in football and the rumours are one of these things." He went on to address the tapping up question as well, "They [Barcelona] certainly have a case to answer but it is always the same - how can you prove it?"

So the door remains open for the player to set the record straight. "Cesc has five years to go and that is it...Who can stop the speculation? Only Cesc maybe, I don't know, maybe not even Cesc." Quite unsettling!

Common sense says that Xavi, Puyol, and Lerch (with his fucking US navy style buzz cut) should realize that they cannot afford the player. Until such time - and even then there's no guarantee that we'll sell - you'd think that they'd go about their business. You'd think that they'd be more worried about the upcoming campaign. Jose Mourinho is not an ordinary manager.

I used to have time for Barcelona. Some great players have worn their colors. They are Real Madrid's bitter, bitter rival, a status that would endear almost any club to me but that doesn't make up for acting low-rent and classless.

In other news...

Wilshere's football instincts were glaring yesterday.

The new signings looked comfortable.

Eboue is to be respected - if Sagna goes down with injury, I won't fret.

There were no injuries, not that I've seen reported anyway.

Wilshere/Frimpong got good experience against Seedorf/Gattuso.

Randall may have given Arsene the green light for a permanent loan.

I was exchanging thoughts with Supah Strikah after the match. He felt that Fabianski might have done better on Pato's goal. He felt that he didn't take charge. I commented that it might be harsh to blame him yet I understand the sentiment very well. Let's be clear. When ever a goal is scored against us, as long as those two clowns are in the nets we will always feel that they could/should have done better. That's the kind of reputation and support they've earned.

Interestingly, Arsene made this point about the goal, "You can't fault him [Fabianski] for the goal and he did everything else well. The only thing is there wasn't much command on the free kick. From outside it looked like no-one took charge of the organisation and that's a little bit down to goalkeeper." I would add that organisation is also a captain's job. And it was a bit disappointing to see the taller Djourou mis-time his header and then Vermaelen (captain for the day) beaten to the ball by the admitedlly dangerous Alexandre Pato. Vermaelen can and will do better. Djourou? I'm not so sure.

A fellow Gooner reminded me that he predicted Chamakh would "hit the ground running". He seems to be settling in nicely. I need to see that, as my confidence is beginning to wane after years of supporting this group unequivocally. The addition of an effective striker is a good thing. Big ups Yardie! You're right so far.

I just had a vision of Chamakh going nuts when we play Scum, making their shit stadium what Arshavin has done with Anfield. Hopefully our new striker will continue where Bob left off and score against _pur_ for fun, where ever we play them. Having 'almost signed Rivaldo' once, now they can claim the same about Luis Fabiano. To compensate for losing out on another Brazilian, Harry Redknapp has bought Anapka, which is a bit baffling. Why do you need another donkey when you've got Dawson and King?

So we wait on additional signings as time ticks away. All is not doom and gloom but I'd be really happy if Arsene plugged a few gaping holes. El Cunto said he'd take Friedl. I would too.

Celtic today! The Boss says he'll play his best side. Oxymoronic since Clown No. 1 will be in goal.

Chat later,

Agent 86

No Surprises

2010-07-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

- We've been prepared for this moment ever since Cesc burst onto the scene and announced himself as a super prospect when he started playing alongside Patrick Vieira in 2004. I had heard a story that before Cesc signed for us at the age of 16 that he begged Barcelona for an opportunity to prove himself and his pleas were rebuffed. Now, I don't know if that story is true or not, but I don't remember Barcelona pitching much of a fit when we initially signed him. It's only after his cerebral brain proved to be old enough to play in one of the top leagues in the world at the age of 18 that Barcelona claimed outrage. Regardless, the fact that Cesc would want to return to Barcelona was never up for debate, it was a matter of when.

- Hopeful Gooners wished upon a star that he would stay until he was 30. Most Gooners might have imagined him leaving to replace an aging Xavi. Pessimistic Gooners thought the date was right around the corner. Having just watched the Arsenal Season Review of last year, the last couple of months probably made Cesc more anxious to leave than ever.

- Consider what happened. We were destroyed by Messi in the Champions League. Fabianski singlehandedly exploded a grenade in our face. Barcelona repeated in La Liga. Spain won the World Cup. Pique and Puyol whispered sweet nothings into his ear for the last three months.

- On a complete side note, the subject of Cesc's controversial transfer when he arrived at Arsenal was not controversial at all. In England, anybody aged 16 can sign a professional contract with anybody they want. Not all of Barcelona's famed players come through La Masia at a young age. Puyol was 17 when he joined, Busquets was 17 when he joined, Pedro was 17 when he joined, Jeffren was 16 when he joined, and Messi was 11 when he joined but from a foreign country and mainly came over to enjoy human growth hormone treatment. There's nothing wrong with this at all, but what is the difference with what we did with Cesc and what Barcelona did with those players? Nothing. So, when they claim that Cesc isn't worth more than 35 million pounds because they reared him, it's code talk for "we're broke".

- My colleague stated that he wasn't bothered about Barcelona players talking about their desire for Cesc to join Barcelona. I'd agree with most of that, but I don't appreciate it when the line is crossed. For me, the line gets crossed when Puyol starts to almost refer to Arsenal as a "prison" and when Xavi says Cesc "deserves better than Arsenal". The people of New Orleans deserved better. Cesc is being paid 90,000 pounds a week and plays for one of the most glamorous sides in Europe. I don't mind them talking all the time, but it feels like a systematic ploy to drive the price down. Talk about Cesc all you want, just don't slander our club. Puyol claims we should "show more class". Well, Wenger said he wouldn't complain about Barcelona's constant stream of Cesc foreplay, classy enough for you? They must all have their separate days in which one of their teammates will talk about Cesc. Keep talking, it's not as if Wenger is listening.

- Perhaps the thing that really bothers me is that there's clearly truth behind these words. Cesc does want to leave. There's no doubting that. His respect for Wenger and the fans are what's preventing him from going even more public or handing in a transfer request. All we had heard from Cesc is that he had a conversation with Wenger that was one of the hardest things he's ever had to go through. We can infer all we like, but Wenger is not talking about it. Instead, Arsene is adamant that he'll stay. Taggart did this two years ago with Cristiano Ronaldo.

- My colleague has also raised the point that this saga has done harm to our team. He's asked whether or not Cesc will be fully committed and whether or not the other players will fully trust him. It's a valid thing to consider, but I think once Cesc knows he's going to stay for the year, he'll buck up and give it his all. He's a true professional and he's not going to sulk; he simply respects Arsenal too much. Kobe Bryant requested a trade from the Lakers a few years ago. In his first game, he was booed at Staples. Regardless of that, he played to his full capacity and the team performed so well that he rescinded his trade request and started a run of three consecutive Finals runs culminating in back to back Championships. That saga tested me fully as a sports fan, because that was the same summer that Henry left Arsenal. When the word circulated that Cesc wanted out, I wasn't pleased, but I wasn't crushed.

- As much as we do not want to have an unsettled player on our squad, what is most important to me is establishing a hard line of negotiation. Quite simply, we hold all the cards and Barcelona knows it. Take a club like Lyon for example. Jean-Michel Aulas is amongst the best transfer operators in the business. He extracted 26 million pounds for Michael Essien and 26 million euros for Diarra. Both players stated that they wanted to leave and he still got those fees. To accept anything less than 50 million pounds is an insult. There are only a handful of players who have a higher transfer value than Cesc Fabregas. I do not mind him leaving, but I do mind him leaving for less than he's worth.

- If that doesn't happen this summer, then it'll happen next summer. Something inside me (and this 100% pure speculation) thinks that this may Wenger's final season. That's not to suggest the board will fire him. It's also not to suggest that if he wins, he'll come back. I just have a feeling that he wants to have his squad together to mount a challenge for the Premier League and the Champions League and that's why he's desperate to hold onto Cesc. Let me repeat that I'm just making a guess and that I hope he'll stay for many more years. But if that was the case, it would signal his intention to go out with a bang.

- Either way, this whole Cesc saga has been a chore. What I know is this. If we don't get proper value for Cesc, it's bad for the club. If we sell him for the proper amount, we can replace Cesc (Ozil and Hazard come to mind, not on a one for one basis, but just talented players who are out there). If we keep him for another year, I know that Cesc will be as committed and will want to go to Barcelona with a Premier League medal in his wardrobe; that'll have to be good enough for now.

Atlanta

2010-07-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

I've left Boulder, Colorado and have moved to Atlanta, Georgia.

There are 11 good reasons for this:

I prefer the east coast. Boulder is in the mid-west...not the west as it so often claims. It is a "liberal" bubble in the middle of a conservative wasteland of dried up praries and pre-fab homes. I will take humidity over thin air any day.
Being only 5 hours time difference from London is better than being 7 hours. It means that if Arsenal have a kick-off at 12:30 pm GMT then I don't have to get up at some hour that only crack heads or heroin users are awake at.
Women of Boulder are disgusting. They just let themselves go all fucking natural. To the extent that they either look like a used yoga mat or a fucking herbal tea bag. Their legs look like moss on an ancient tree stump. This is because a lot of them don't shave their legs, whereas the men who bike everywhere thinking that they're in the Tour de fucking France - wearing tight fluorescent cycling shorts and wank cycling helmets - do shave their legs. So the women don't shave their legs but the men do. Boulder needs to get its priorities straight.
In Boulder, it snows in May and is known to snow in September and June. That means that it has worse weather than Stoke on Trent. Fuck that!
Don't hate normal women because they're hot. The truth is they're not 'naturally' hot. Thank God for $150 high-lights, $60 haircuts, eyebrow waxing, Brazilian waxing. These services are mainstream except in Boulder where they are shunned. Most women embrace these and look forward to them but not in Boulder. Giant bush no thanks!. Grey hair at 30 not a chance! Boulder women stop looking like grey haired badgers!
I climbed a mountain - The Twin Sisters - it's 11,500 feet up in the air. I got to the top and was surrounded by clouds. There was no vegetation at the top. I was freezing cold and struggled for air. Then it started to snow. It was early September. It took me 3 hours to run down to the bottom. When I got home I was depressed. I vowed never to climb a mountain again. Rambo I'm not.
Denver is the Sheffield of the USA. It's full of white trash meth heads walking around in over-sized black clothing with pasty white skin. Their skin reminds me of Marilyn Manson - it's so white, they could smuggle talcum powder. Then you have the Latino gang bangers and their white T-Shirts and barrio attitude. Take away the backdrop of the Rockies and you're left with industrial New Jersey and the most overrated weather on the planet.
If you're a woman, you'll get a dirty look for wearing lipstick or heels.
Patagonia, North Face, Columbia and REI are not stylish. Please don't shop for formal wear in these locations. A 'cocktail' dress from Patagonia will not cut it on the East Coast.
Back in the 90's tanning salons popped up all over the country like zits on a pre-teen face. This phenomenon does not compare to the rate at which Marijuana dispensaries appeared in Boulder. One block could contain up to 5 of these joints (no pun intended). They supply weed for every walk of life and every situation imaginable....and all it takes is $90 and some flimsy card from your weed friendly doctor. You've got: weed for waking up, getting ready for work weed, at work weed, fuck weed, pre-pregnancy bud, breast-feeding friendly weed..you get the drift. The entire city was stoned. Which you may not think is a bad thing, but honestly it gets old- fast.
Oh and about that breast-feeding. In most of the US, breast feeding is reserved for the crowd under 1 year. Well, at any given day in Boulder just head on down to the local YMCA and there you will witness what to the average person is a freak show, some gray haired hippie nut-job breast feeding her 4 year old kid- her nasty breasts on display, free of charge. It's like watching Spurs qualify for the Champions League!

Keep it Arsenal

El Cunto

El Cunto the Promoter and the Debut of Conversations With Dante

2010-07-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

The Informer has not retired. I sense that he’s not far away, refining his methods, bullying his sauces to get it right, wiping that dried yolk off his handsome face. Trust me. He’ll be back bigger, better, stronger.

Meanwhile, his alter-ego El Cunto is trying his hand at promoting. I began training Monday night for the NYC North London Derby. The herniated discs, pinched nerve, and tendonitis will not stop me playing in this match. If I have any semblance of fitness, I will suit up. It’s that important. Even if I play just ten minutes, I’ll be happy.

We’ll see if I can find enough straps and braces to make a difference. Youth is wasted on the young. Xbox playing, phone text addicted, Facebook junkie little cunts!

The little voice inside my head is saying to forget about playing and go on living relatively pain free. It’s probably right but if this match does happen and is anything like the last time I joined El Cunto for a game, it will be memorable. Two years ago, he organized a 5-a-side that I played in. The temperature was hotter than I’ve ever experienced on a pitch, seriously. Definitely not football weather! To make matters worse, the opposition had three subs for the two 20-minute halves. We had no subs. Nevertheless, despite being down something like 8-2 at Half Time it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my entire life.

El Cunto was nutmegged by some ponytail wearing cnut in the First Half. I could hear the 1886 man, “Oh, It’s like that!?!?” He was not pleased. A Half Time chat, some rehydrating, and a nice breather helped us refocus. El Cunto ran the show. I got stuck in on the ponytail wearing forward – his threat died like a candle blown in the wind but I have to give it to him, he was a decent player.

We pressed on and equalized. El Cunto was on fire. They capitulated. We wound up winning 15-10.

If this NYC North London Derby does happen, put your money on him to shine. And the Bermuda boys are eager to play so it should be fun if nothing else. Me on the other hand, well, just make sure EMTs are on call nearby.

Dante and I chatted the other day. He, like most Arsenal fans these days, has much to say about the current squad. Here are a few samplings from the conversation:

Agent 86: What has stood out for you so far this pre-season?

Dante: Arshavin gets it, after being blasted by an 18 y/o midfielder (Wilshere) for not getting back and doing his part I have seen a slight change in him.

Agent 86: I expect to see serious changes this season where he’s concerned. He owes us. He can be our Messi. I really believe he can be as good as any player in the game today if he puts his mind to it. I suppose it’s about motivation with him. I can’t hide how disappointed I’ve been. I thought we signed a legitimate world star, a football genius.

Dante: Against SK Sturm Graz I watched him point and speak to players about where to be when defending rather than trudging back on the wing head down. This ever so slight change if continued throughout the season could help to ease pressure on the back four.

Agent 86: I agree. There are times when all a defender needs is that little bit extra from a forward or a midfielder to get into a position that changes the opposition’s point of attack and kills a threat. It can be that added effort that gets us a result. Think back to Denilson’s jog back as Rooney and Nani broke away at The Emirates last season.

Switching gears, I‘ve noticed that Frimpong has gotten some very good reviews so far.

Dante: Wilshire/Frimpong instill fear! Not only to opposing pre-season teams but to my delight, in our own players. Our experienced midfielders know Jack is coming, Frimpong is coming, and if it hadn't been for [insert any number of expletives that equal Northern troglodyte masking as a footballer in a candy-striped top], Ramsey would have arrived! Knowing that these Young Guns could replace you like for like in a game helps to remove complacency from the equation.

Agent 86: Well put! Wenger recently mentioned how you can’t be a top flight footballer without the expectation of having to compete for your place. That as much as anything needs to be addressed. We should have players who’ve experienced competition for places long enough by now. In the recent past, we haven’t had that ‘fear of losing your place’ factor playing in our favor. In fact, it’s time to just stop the general excuse that we are not experienced enough. Even our youngest squad players have gone out on loan and know what’s required of them.

Dante: All the pundits keep on harping on experience, all experience is (these are my [Dante’s] own words not quoted from anyone) is "knowing what you are up against and not fearing it". Some players in our squad should take a lesson from Mr. Wilshere and Mr. Frimpong.

The conversation moved along swimmingly but we returned to ‘Arshavin the salesman’:

Dante: I think the thing that will make Arshavin into an unstoppable machine is something simple, A FRIEND!!

At that point, I wandered away in thought. Wow! Could this be the key to sparking our Ruskii genii into action? The idea intrigued me.

Dante: He needs another Russian who is not a female or a pig - as we all know he hates them. He knows Clown 1 is on his way out. Everyone on the squad knows this. That’s why he has never featured*. Arshavin is about himself but when he sees that he can help himself and help the team he is in hence; "I have spoken with Arshavin about Arsenal and London life. He has only had good things to say about the club and the city. He said some very nice things about me going on to be the best goalkeeper in the world - and that he would like me to reach that goal at Arsenal with him."

Agent 86: I hear you! And if the woman doubles as a pig, keep her from him at any cost. Seriously speaking though, I know that at least one of my colleagues at 1886 has expressed less than positive thoughts on signing Akinfeev but I’m willing to pay for his first 20 minutes’ wages if we sign him. I’d pay the entire first week but with economy and all…

[Clearly not moved by my pathetic attempts at humour] Dante: I watched some of the MLS vs. "The giants of Europe" such as Man City, _pur_, and Manure. _pur_ will always look bad even if they win 100-0. Thierry did the business again against them on his debut. City looked pathetic and didn’t win a game the whole tour, and United lost to 10-man Kansas City. Now everyone will say, "Oh it's just pre-season and the stars were not playing."

Berbatov, Gibson, Giggs, Scholes, Fabio, Rafael, Nani, Welbeck, Macheda, Diouf, Evans, if you know who these players are then SHUT UP!!! STOP CRYING!!!

Agent 86: Cheers Dante! We’ll catch up with you real soon. I’ll work on the jokes if I have time after training for the derby. I promise. Buy the rest of the boys in Bermuda a round for me.

Finally, I found this bit by Arsene interesting:

"Djourou has a small hamstring problem but it is not bad. He should be available for the weekend. Rosicky had a small, small alert. He was supposed to play in the first half but he could have played. I didn't want to take the gamble, it is only a little problem on his groin and I decided to replace him."

It reminded me of when a very cynical Gooner (a guy we all at 1886 have butted heads with) once said that Wenger rushes players back from injury. He has far, far fewer sauces than The Informer (who at least can be entertaining) yet was convinced that Wenger was his own players’ worst enemy in that he will make them play while not 100% fit.

I wondered if there has ever been any truth to that when I read the quote above, which clearly shows that Arsene will err on the side of caution.

Chat later!
* Clown no. 1 started the match against SC Neusiedl 1919. Hopefully it will be his last start in our uniform.

Breezy Austria

2010-07-27T12:20:00.001-07:00

- What can we really tell from these pre-season fixtures against lightweight Austrian opposition? This isn't to slight our opposition or our approach to pre-season. I'd argue that the matches are good for building stamina levels, but the training is what is actually most important.

- Tonight we faced Neusiedl 1919 and never got out of second gear. What did we learn today?

- Carlos Vela really loves to score chipped goals. In fact, I'd argue that 75% of his goals for Arsenal have been off chips.

- Johan Djourou went off injured in the first half. He was not limping badly, so it might have been precautionary. He spent all of last year recovering from an injury. Sol Campbell is heavily rumored to be signing with Newcastle. That leaves us with three regular CB's (four if you count Alex Song, which I'd rather not). We need to sign defenders. People may be happy to be rid of Gallas, but I'd kill to have him back on the squad. With van Persie given the No. 10 jersey, that's not going to happen.

- Which naturally leads to Koscielny. He is what every Arsenal blogger has pointed out; he has a slight build. But we can't really tell anything in these games. We're not facing class opposition, he doesn't have much to worry about, any lapses could be due to sheer boredom (even if that's unprofessional). Point blank, we're not to learn enough about Koscielny until we see him in the Premier League.

- Wilshere and Emmanuel-Thomas continue to impress. Wilshere's deft touch is a sign of true skill. Emmanuel-Thomas is a battering ram up front and is an alternative to both Bendtner and Chamakh. Emmanuel Frimpong is also making a case that he's moved up in the queue past Craig Eastmond. Frimpong's assured defensive shield duty was noticeable, he snapped into tackles and chased until he won the ball back.

- Manuel Almunia finally started in goal. Vito Mannone saved a tame penalty.

- Nasri is pulling all of the strings in midfield right now, but Cesc is taking a holiday in Spain hearing sweet nothings from his best friend Gerard Pique.

- The Emirates Cup is very soon, we'll learn more then.

The NYC North London Derby

2010-07-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

So I'm trying to organize a 5-a-side match in New York against the NYC Spurs Supporters Club. They hang out at Floyds in Brooklyn next door to the Chip Shop which is an Arsenal bar.

The match - 1886 v NYC Spuds would be a first in America and if popular would attract interest and attention from Gooners around the world.

The ideal time to play this match would be either when the real North London derby is taking place or on a U.S. public holiday - like Labor Day.

Players of 1886 would be representing Arsenal fans of New York.

So far we have three players.

We need a keeper.

All players must be Arsenal fans. Your nationality doesn't come into the equation.

We will be wearing the traditional red Arsenal tops.

A trophy will be awarded to the winning team.

Bermuda Boys - are you in?

Keep it Arsenal

El Cunto

Random Musings and A Tribute to Thierrence

2010-07-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Emmanuel Frimpong look like they are progressing but we really haven't played anybody of note this pre-season. It's still nice to see though. And of course we all want to see Lil' Jack remind the world that despite everything, England (Arsenal) does produce skillful players.

Ricardo Carvalho has called Jose Mourinho "the best manager in the history of football". Can he win a few international tournaments first before we say that? Clearly Carvalho is eager to join Jose at Real Madrid. I am eager for us to face them in the Champions League at some stage. I would love to see Wenger thrash The Special One.

Yaya Toure has joined Manchester City for footballing reasons. And if Kolo were at United and they were swimming in money, he'd probably join them for "footballing reasons" too. This is a good chance for me to reiterate that you couldn't get me to join Manchester Fucking United for anything - well, perhaps to save my nine year-old nephew if that's what it came down to but for nothing else. Besides, they don't need another crocked, old defender with a dodgy memory. They already have the absent-minded hoover.

Eduardo has left for a new challenge. Some people might argue that he has already faced the ultimate challenge after nice guy Tiny so uncharacteristically put in a (perfectly fair) challenge that just happened to threaten the native Brazilian's career. As El Cunto has said, it is a shame we never got to see Eduardo's best at Arsenal. Thank you very much English football. Take a good long look at the entire saga and you will find some helpful clues on the things that hurt the game in England.

Laurent Blanc has suspended the French players in response to their protest against the real "best manager in the history of football", Raymond Domenech. As I understand it, he is still unemployed. I would recommend him highly to any English club that doesn't already have a French manager.

Not to take any arm in arm solidarity stance with Chelsea and _pur_ but via Top Four Club membership, football has migrated south. Fuck off Stoke and the rest of you Northern cunts. Ooooh, I can barely wait to face you poor excuses for footballers.

France and England drew 1-1 at the U19 UEFA Championships Saturday. Coquelin came on for Sunu on 73. Tom Cruise played the entire match for England. Both teams are in the last four. England face Spain as France take on Croatia Tuesday.

A few people I've spoken to seem to feel that I have been harsh on Thierry Henry. Quite the opposite. He is a legend and will always be one. The man has made more happy moments for me than any athlete that I can think of.

THAT is saying loads.

He just doesn't wear the Arsenal uniform any more hence he is off my radar. Besides, he plays in a league I do not follow. I did like this quote, "Whatever it is I want to come back [to Arsenal], maybe as a waterboy, I just love this club".

Wicked!

Nasri Is Ready

2010-07-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

- Nasri's World Cup omission worked out for the best. He wasn't involved with the French debacle, which also means he's a guarantee to be called up after Blanc axed the entire squad for one match. He took the omission personally, and he's bulked up quite a bit.

- When we signed Samir Nasri, I was honestly shocked. It wasn't cause I doubted his natural ability or thought he was a bad signing. It's just that Arsenal are linked with young prospects so frequently that it was quite surprising that we actually signed one. Think about all the names that Arsenal are loosely linked with, mainly for the fact that we're viewed as a club that gives young players opportunities.

- Nasri's first season showed promise, but shunted out to the left wing, it was mostly a season of adjustment.

- Nasri's next season started on a bad note when he broke his fibula during training. He sparkled sometimes (against Porto) and inconsistent at other times. When Cesc went down with the injury that finished his season, he was handed the keys to our midfield and didn't do enough in my opinion.

- In this preseason, he's been Arsenal's best performer. He has a chip on his shoulder, and he better. I believe Nasri's best position would be to play foil to Cesc Fabregas in the centre of midfield. This will be a big season, and he looks to be up for it.

- One can only hope that Theo has that same burning desire. To be fair, I've seen more from Theo, but it's still not enough. But preseason has just started, it's time to crank things up a bit.

Andrei Arshavin

2010-07-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

Some Gooners at the end of last season wanted Arsenal to sell Andrei Arshavin. Their argument was that it was better to sell now before his stock falls. What was their reasoning?

One good game in four isn't good enough for one of Arsenal's high profile and experienced players. They wanted to find a player who was more consistent. A player with a higher work rate and better attitude. Many Gooners didn't like the fact that Arshavin was using his personal website to voice his concerns on controversial subjects relating to his Arsenal career.

The fact that he said that he has always wanted to play for Barcelona at a time when the Spanish champions were openly and illegally trying to sign the Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, was one of many comments by the Russian that irked Gooners around the world.

It's like telling your girlfriend that you think her friend is sexy.

My problem with Arshavin is his work rate. The man has a weakness - its tracking back and helping your team out by defending and winning the ball back. Then there's his lazy attitude that suddenly appeared in the second half of last season. The West Ham game at home last March was a prime example of this.

Arsenal were chasing for the title. After five minutes Denilson puts Arsenal 1-0 up. Just before half-time Vermaelen gets harshly sent-off for tangling with the Mexican Franco. West Ham came out in the second half pumped up and ready to test Arsenal's 10 men. They were after all fighting against relegation.

Song put in a man of the match of performance. Cesc rallied the troops. Arshavin disappeared.

During the recent pre-season friendly against Barnet, I noticed Jack Wilshire berating Arshavin for not covering or tracking back. Two minutes later, the ex-St. Petersburg player cracked shot against the Barnet bar with barely any back lift.

Those two minutes said everything about Arshavin. Here's a man who can conjure up a moment of magic out of nothing but who is also not willing to graft for the team.

Against Barnet, Arshavin was voted Man of the Match by Arsenal.com subscribers even though he only played half a game. Against Sturm Graz on Wednesday, Arshavin went missing again.

Rumors are abound that the Russian play maker will be offered a new improved contract by Arsenal.

Perhaps this might inject some work rate into his game. If it doesn't, Jack Wilshire is waiting - biting at the leash.

Keep it Arsenal

El Cunto

News? Really?

2010-07-21T03:51:00.000-07:00

I apologize for picking on you Mr. Henderson but you’ve presented a good case for the point I’d like to make. Maybe Wickham will join Arsenal at some point, we shall see. Nevertheless, here is a classic example of what I mean when I say “news” stories are often not:

By Mel Henderson
15th July 2010

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1294916/Arsenal-Tottenham-set-8m-battle-Ipswich-striker-Connor-Wickham.html?

MH: Arsenal are ready to take on bitter rivals Tottenham in a bidding war for rising Ipswich star Connor Wickham.
Me: Where does this come from? Has someone at Arsenal revealed that they are ready to do this? If so, why has Henderson been told?

MH: Spurs, who have already had a £5million offer rejected, have upped their bid to £8m and are willing to loan the prodigious 17-year-old back to the Tractor Boys next season.
Me: Fuck _pur_!

MH: But Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger is also a big fan of Wickham, whose goals saw England crowned European Under 17 champions in May.
Me: Again, how does Henderson know who Wenger is a big fan of? It would help if you printed the quote where Arsene is stating that he is a fan of the player.

MH: Wickham netted both goals in the semi-final win over France and then the winner against Spain in the final, following up his three goals in four games for Ipswich the previous month.
Me: Oh? Maybe Fabio should have taken him to S. Africa. He may be good but those goals were scored against a handful of kids who might not even be in football in five years – some will become accountants or pimps or altar boys or journalists or drunks or rappers.

MH: Wenger is desperate to add firepower to his attack and does not want to lose out on Wickham, especially to Spurs.
Me: Wenger "is desperate to add firepower to his attack”? Even when his publically stated, no. 1 priority is to add a defensive player? Even after he has already bought a striker? Maybe I’m thick but the math doesn’t add up. And the bit about losing out “on Wickham, especially to Spurs”. How gratuitous can you get!?!? An Arsenal manager who doesn’t want to lose out to _pur_? Really???

MH: Hard-up Ipswich, whose latest accounts will reveal a debt close to £50m, are under pressure to sell.
Me: I dare him to call Ipswich “hard-up” with Roy Keane in the room.

MH: They have not made any signings this summer and boss Roy Keane has transfer-listed eight senior stars [stars???] in an attempt to raise much-needed funds.
Me: Maybe they really are cash-starved but he probably put them on the transfer list because they’re fucking soft. This is Roy Keane we’re talking about. It should never surprise you if he puts a player on the transfer list.

MH: But he knows that only by cashing in on Wickham will he be able to target the reinforcements required to turn the Tractor Boys into promotion challengers.
Me: Henderson says, “only by cashing in on Wickham will he be able to target the reinforcements”. Well what if some rich Russian does a Roman? What then?

And a reply from the Supah Striker down in Bermie:

The sad thing is that this guy thinks he wrote a wonderful article. All those rags in the UK hide behind the bullsh*t of “can’t reveal my source” in order to cover up the fact that their stories are purely fictional trash. He’s a two-bit clown that read some pathetic story in another rival heap of sh*t paper and thought “oh goodie, here’s some juice! I can use this!” he slurps down his juice and coughs up this rubbish. It’s really quite easy. I could get a couple of facts in 30 seconds on the internet (Wickham scored goals in these games over this time period and he’s 17). Now I take a known fact (Arsenal – Spurs animosity) and chuck in Keane given his former club’s poor relationship with Wenger, a few grainy pictures of my nephew to pass off as so called Wickham in training as a prodigious youth and BLAM! I’m a magician – just filled out a whole page for the paper in 10 minutes flat. I then sign it “Cunt” and I’m a rag star celebrity. That’s my route to the top. The guy’s a loser and was 100% definitely bullied by even the softest pansies in the playground. If I saw him today, I’d just take his lunch and walk away laughing.

Implicit Assessment

2010-07-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

- The players who were taken to Austria for the intensive pre-season training were listed today on Arsenal.com.

- The players who are left behind are usually considered too young or that they're not quite good enough for Arsenal. There are a few names amongst the omissions that are interesting.

- Jay Simpson - He's done okay for teams on loan. He works hard, but perhaps he's too one-dimensional for the team. It seems as though he scores goals on most pre-season friendlies, but it hasn't been enough for him to impress Wenger. Verdict: He will leave Arsenal this summer.

- Sanchez Watt - It wasn't so long ago that Watt was included in the first team squad for Champions League fixtures. Wenger called him a "street smart" striker, and he can glide across the pitch such is his pace. This could just be that Wenger considers him too green and not ready to contribute yet. Verdict: He will go on loan this summer.

- Gavin Hoyte - He went on loan last year, and we've heard very little about him since. He has been given a new contract though. Has he improved his defending? Is he better than his older brother? Verdict: He will go on loan this summer.

- Nacer Barazite - He's talented, but way too frail. He's been out numerous times with lengthy injuries. Calling him mercurial would be a complement, he's not consistent enough. Verdict: He may stay, but he'll never make the First Team.

- Mark Randall - An almost man. He can't contribute much to this Arsenal team other than a decent passing range. Verdict: He may stay, but he'll never make the First Team.

- Not all is lost though. Frimpong did well enough against Barnet to suggest that he could eventually be Alex Song's understudy. Henri Lansbury was one of Watford's most important players. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is a man without a position, but will be given a chance to prove his value. Conor Henderson is an unknown quantity, but Wenger rates him. Nordtveit is either going to show he can play for Arsenal or will be sold to a foreign league.

- With the pre-season camp underway, this is where Wenger's influence on the team will be felt the most. It's unfortunate that Robin and Cesc are still on holiday, but that's what happens after major tournaments.

- One final note, hopefully van Persie's switch to No. 10 will end his injury problems and he will become the player we know he can be.

The Informer Retires

2010-07-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

I apologize to French Lovin Cunt (FLC) and any 1886 reader for wrongly announcing that Arsenal had signed Joe Cole on a free transfer.

This morning I woke up and read on Twitter that the cunt had signed for Liverpool on a four year contract. I felt like a fucking a fool and immediately sent an E-mail to FLC saying that I was sorry.

I fucking hate apologizing but when you make bold and foolish statements about who Arsenal are going to sign or have signed - and then you get them wrong - you need to face the music and put your hands up and say "I'm a cunt."

Why Joe Cole has signed for Liverpool is anyone's guess. It can only be for the money. Cole will not be playing Champions League football next season. Liverpool have no chance of winning the title even if they keep Gerrard, Mascherano and Torres. They are in massive debt and are looking for new owners to get them out of debt.

Giving a man who is 29 in three months time, a four year contract worth 90,000 pounds a week and a signing on fee is risky especially with Cole's injury record. On paper, it looks as though Liverpool have a good deal. The signing of Cole will convince the likes of Gerrard and Torres to stay and make Liverpool fans believe that they are ready once again to challenge for major honors.

Liverpool funded the Cole deal by selling Yossi Benayoun to Chelsea for 5.5 million pounds, Emiliano Insua to Fiorentina for 5 million and releasing left-back Fabio Aurelio from the wage bill.

Roy Hodgson was correct when he told reporters that he will need to sell or release players in order to sign players.

As for Jamie Redknapp's assertion that Joe Cole made the right decision in snubbing Arsenal and Spurs for Liverpool is foolish. Both North London clubs are playing Champions League football this season - Spurs do have to get past the qualifying stage. Liverpool, on the other hand, are playing once again in the Europa League.

With Arsenal, Joe Cole has a chance of winning the Premier League. At Liverpool, he has a chance of winning only the cup competitions.

Maybe Joe Cole doesn't have the hunger inside him anymore to win major trophies. He's won every major English trophy with Chelsea and it seems he wants to end his career with one last major pay day.

Only time will tell.

One thing is for sure, Chelsea fans must be slightly aggrieved. Chelsea sign the 30 year old Yossi Benayoun for 5.5 million pounds only to lose a younger - and arguably more talented - Joe Cole for nothing to their hated enemy Liverpool.

Nevertheless, do Arsenal really need Joe Cole? It looks as though Fabregas is staying - at least for one more year - and the emergence of Jack Wilshire has made many Gooners question if we actually need an older injury prone prototype in Cole?

I think that we need a new goalkeeper and central defender than a play maker such as Joe Cole.

I am starting to get very worried about the goalkeeping situation but I won't be checking Newsnow to see if Arsenal have signed one or are about to sign one. Nor will I be trying to wind up FLC by announcing signings that I have no knowledge of.

Instead, I announce my retirement.

Keep it Arsenal

The Informer

It Might As Well Be Me

2010-07-18T04:07:00.000-07:00

General Dante sent me an email Friday listing the squad likely to face Barnet on Saturday. The first name caused a reaction that stopped me reading the rest of the list. The poodle walker's name is one I haven't written or uttered since some time in late April. Seeing him as one of the chosen keepers to face Barnet made my skin tingle but not in an, "ooh, that was nice please do it again" way. No! No way!

I felt like shutting down. I didn't feel right. My frustration levels peaked. Desperation and an anger chipped away at me from inside like that damn woodpecker that woke me this morning.

It irritates me that we haven't sent this guy on his way. I did not watch the first pre-season match. I refused to, thinking that the poodle-walking fraud would play. During and after the match however, I did get updates from one of my colleagues and later got news from the other that the clown didn't play. Let's hope he does not feature in any upcoming matches either.

Could we finally be on the verge of selling the cunt?

I would be happier than a pig in shit were that to be the case. The guy in the picture above will live the rest of his life not knowing I took his picture. He will not know that I would rather he played in goal than the poodle walker. At least I'd be able to laugh at this guy. The incumbent makes me want to cry.

Come on Arsene! Do your duty. This one's a real and legitimate duty. It's not the type that would have you starting fights at MLS matches. Improve the team with a move that will make me whole again. Buy a proper goalkeeper and an able, ambitious understudy to push him while Vito Manone and Wojszczesny battle it out to be the third option, or better.

On another note; I have to say that it would not be easy for me to trust Cesc now if I were an Arsenal team-mate. How do I go into battle with a captain who yearns to be somewhere else? And I imagine that might have applied to Patrick as well all those years ago. I've spoken to people who feel that Wenger is to blame because he hasn't matched the player's ambitions. I wonder if it's not about more than what Wenger has or has not done.

Another guy said that the Arsenal board are afraid of a confrontation. The player is under contract at Arsenal. We don't need to seek a confrontation with anybody. We need to know that Cesc will give at least 100% to our efforts in trying to win trophies. End of...for now.

Chat later!

Wenger Shuts the Door

2010-07-16T19:56:00.001-07:00

- Barcelona have admitted defeat in their chase for Cesc Fabregas. They have also concluded an 11.2 million pound transfer for Adriano (the left back from Sevilla). They won't have the funds needed to buy Cesc, even at their delusional valuation price.

- "Arsenal feel very hurt by Barca. They don't want to listen to offers or sell and they are not putting the player on the market. There was a strong dispute a few months ago and they have not forgotten it." - Sandro Rosell, Barcelona President

- He goes on to suggest that nobody would pay 50 million pounds for Cesc. That's perfectly fine with us. Cesc can leave for Barcelona. In five years.

- Let's be clear, it's obvious that Cesc pined for a return back to Catalunya, but he wasn't desperate enough to hand in a transfer request. That has less to do with his desire as much as his respect for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. Barcelona have basically hung Cesc out to dry, and it's time to welcome our captain back with open arms (if anybody even thought about being overly critical of Cesc).

- This, the act of defying Barcelona, is an action of a big club. We are a big club. It's time for us to act like this all of the time.

- With that, our first preseason game is upon us. The start of the season is merely a few weeks away.

Henry is a New Yorker

2010-07-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

French Lovin Cunt laughed when I told him that I bought a New York Red Bull top from Marshalls for $20. That was two years ago. He laughed when I told him that Arsenal are signing Joe Cole.

You get the picture.

I'm not a fan of the MLS but it's slowly progressing. The Beckham signing was all show - and a piss poor one at that. Beckham has spent more time playing on loan for AC Milan or being injured than he has for the Galaxy.

It serves the Galaxy right for trying to be spoken in the same breath as Barcelona or Real Madrid by signing a fading 34 year old has been. The Beckham signing gave the Galaxy a fake status but was just a marketing stunt - nothing else.

If Beckham and his anorexic wife are all about the jet setting lifestyle - Hollywood, modelling, hanging out with Tom Cruise - Henry is more down to earth. He's more New York.

Footballing wise, LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls are shit and so is the MLS.

Could this all change with the Red Bulls signing Arsenal legend Henry? No, but it will raise the profile of the Red Bulls and the MLS.

Henry is only 32. He still has a season or two of magic in him, but one player can't make a team. I think that the lack of quality in the MLS will frustrate Henry but his time spent in New York will make up for that.

If you live in New York, you have a great opportunity to meet Henry in person. The Scum play the Red Bulls on July 22nd. It will be interesting to see how many Scum fans turn up to see Harry Twitch-face and his Champions League pretenders and how many Gooners will attend to support Henry.

The game could be more interesting in the stands. If you go to the game and meet a Scum fan just remember that cunt Danny Rose and how miserable you were when co-commentator and ex-Scum striker Paul Walsh starting masturbating over Spurs. Think of David Bentley and his horrible smug face. Remind yourself of that 4-4 draw at the Emirates when Arsenal were leading 4-2 with two minutes left.

Then punch the Scum fan as hard as you can in the head.

You are a Gooner. Do your duty!

El Cunto

Is There Happiness Around The Bend?

2010-07-14T03:48:00.000-07:00

Be it Patrick or Thierry or any other player before or after them, the best way to squelch rumours about where you want to play is to categorically state so. “I want to play for Hayes” or “I want to play for Baranquilla” or “I want to play for Arsenal”. I haven’t heard that from Cesc Fabregas stating that he is leaning toward Arsenal or Barcelona. Have I missed the actual quotes that make it as clear as clear can be?

I’ve read what many (perhaps too many) other people feel about where he should or will play. The times I’ve seen direct quotes from the player himself have been few. Yes, I admit to reading far fewer stories about Arsenal than most people do but that makes it worse since I sift through the rubble first and try to read only the credible sources. Cesc hasn’t been clear when he has spoken.

All summer long, others have posted, printed, assumed, speculated, and guessed that he will go back to Spain. The player has said that a pre-World Cup conversation with Arsene Wenger was a moving, perhaps life-altering experience. He has said that his future is not in his hands.

What does all that mean?

He will go home at some point but frankly, I don’t know if he’s coming or going. Meanwhile our first pre-season match is less than a week away. I refuse to read, much less believe, every story written (especially those without quotes) so my sources are not endless. Actually, most people’s sources are limited, even if they would have you believe otherwise. Therein lies the basic problem with transfer rumours. They are seldom credible yet they grow feet on a logarithmic scale.

Nearly every summer, Arsenal were to lose Patrick Vieira. He was reported years later to have stalled on going to La Liga because of the way Real Madrid treated Claude Makelele. Ok! So he did at least consider the move. What irks me to no end is the non-stop media manipulation of situations, making Arsenal look impotent and unable to keep its best players. We kept him for nearly a decade. And like Henry, we got his peak years. Spread that across your banners. Lead with those stories. Obviously, I’d be naïve to expect that. Especially as long Arsene Wenger is still at Arsenal. There are many parties just waiting to heap more crap on him as our trophyless spell continues. Many of them wear the Arsenal top. The other major annoyance is that in situations like this, the player himself can (and should, IMO) state what he wants, clearly. I’d be naïve to expect that too. Agents would surely advise against it. It doesn’t make good business sense.

So where are we with this Cesc thing? Arsenal fans (not excluding myself from that group though I am not in full agreement with the notion that we’ve been wronged, necessarily) are upset that Pique and Puyol draped Cesc with a Barcelona top during the World Cup winners’ celebration. Let’s be clear. That action was not wise but nor was it the worst thing they could do. The pressure is clearly on Cesc now (if not Wenger/AFC) more than ever to stop the madness. I wouldn’t be upset with Cesc and the poodle walker if they put an Arsenal top on Casillas in public. I wouldn’t be upset with them if they put one on Xavi Alonso in public. I wouldn’t mind if Sagna and Diaby put one on Franck Ribery. Perspective must be considered in these cases.

I’m more bothered by Cesc not being forthright than I am by fellow Catalunyans trying to sway him to leave London. Why should we expect them to care about our feelings as Arsenal fans? How many Arsenal fans sent letters of apology to Barcelona fans when we moved Cesc to London? We can complain all we want about other peoples’ behavior – even if legitimately so in some cases - but again, perspective, perspective, perspective. And moreover, why doesn’t Cesc allay Arsenal fans with more directness? Are negotiations ongoing?

Throughout all this, we are seemingly en route to starting a new campaign with Clown no.1 and his ‘exceedingly impressive in training’ understudy as our goalkeepers. It bothers me to no end that we haven’t sent those two cokscuers on their way yet. I have extreme patience for Arsene Wenger. What I don’t have is time for those two poor excuses for bad amateurs. The only bright spot is that they cannot possibly get worse. Right? I am right about that part at least, right?

Concerned! Very concerned!!!

Not Vintage

2010-07-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

- Nobody can dispute the fact that Spain were worthy winners of this World Cup. Additionally, nobody can really say that this was a vintage World Cup champion. If they don't continue this run (and they very well could) and expand upon it, they could be remembered primarily in history books only.

- 8 goals in 7 games speaks for itself. One may say that it's because teams came to frustrate Spain, and that is also true. But observe the Spanish starting lineup and see that they had two holding players, although Xabi Alonso is a fine passer of the ball as well. Additionally, with Xavi in front of them, they were hard to break down as well. Spain set out to win the tournament, and that was their primary objective above and beyond any obligation to play aesthetically appealing football. There is actually nothing wrong with that, but the style that they're being praised for simply didn't come off in this tournament.

- Perhaps if Torres was fit, they could have been more explosive. Perhaps if Cesc Fabregas had played more, they would have banged in more goals. Subsequently, does Cesc actually earn the plaudits he deserves this time around? He is virtually a forgotten man when it comes to Spain's Euro 08 triumph, and this time around he started exactly zero matches. That didn't prevent him from instantly changing matches and providing the assist for Iniesta's World Cup clinching goal.

- I think the Spanish players realize how good Cesc Fabregas is. Just ask Puyol and Pique, who today draped a Barcelona jersey around him, taking their campaign to bring Cesc back to Barcelona to an embarrassing level. They're being counterproductive to Barcelona's scheme to buy back Cesc for as cheap as possible. To me, it's clear that Cesc wants to be back amongst his amigos in Catalunya. And if that's what he wants, the Barcelona brass should pay what he's worth. The market dictates how much a player like Cesc Fabregas is worth. If Yaya Toure (a fine player by the way) is worth 25 million pounds, then Cesc is certainly worth double that.

- Certainly, there were teams that I was pulling for in the World Cup. The World Cup is a spectacle that should be enjoyed. Living in the States, you wish that everything would shut down for a month (as most countries seem to do during the World Cup), just so you could enjoy it all. Let's be clear though, Arsenal losing to Stoke affects me far more than anything the World Cup can offer. And with that, let's shift our minds back to the club we hold dear to our hearts.

- Arsene, we're ready for more. Let's go win trophies.

World Cup is over. Transfer market takes over

2010-07-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Last week, the big rumor was that Arsenal were about to launch another bid for Pepe Reina. Rumors about Reina's transfer to Arsenal started to appear back in April. Then in May, according to certain tabloid newspapers, Arsenal had a 14 million pound bid for Reina turned down.

Now the Reina to Arsenal rumors have resurfaced with Arsenal reportedly about to make a 20 million pound bid.

Reina signed a new 6 year contract at Liverpool before the World Cup and has reiterated his desire to stay at Liverpool despite Rafa Benitez moving to Inter Milan.

Many Arsenal fans are expecting the club to announce the signing of veteran Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. However, no interest seems to have resurfaced since Fulham turned down Arsenal's bid of 2.5 million pounds last month. Nevertheless, the latest rumors are that Schwarzer failed a medical due to his knee.

What is certain is that Wenger is in the market for a goalkeeper, which is good news.

I've been getting a lot of e-mails regarding Joe Cole. Fans have been asking me how do I know that Arsenal have signed him.

Harry Redknapp is the only manager who has made public statements with regards to signing Joe Cole. On June 1st, Mr. Redknapp said that he believed that Joe had already signed for someone else. Today, the Spurs boss claims that his chairman is attempting to talk to Cole's agent and father.

Let's look at the clubs that Joe Cole might sign for.

Chelsea - he's leaving them.

Manchester United - counted themselves out three weeks ago.

Liverpool - they are paying 770,000 pounds in interest every week. They can't afford him.

Manchester City - Cole wants to stay in London and play Champions League football. No go.

Spurs - questions remain on whether they can afford his demands. They might if they can get past the Champions League qualifier and have a successful US tour.

Arsenal - never comment on any transfers until they are signed and sealed. Wenger nor any high ranking employee at Arsenal have said anything regarding Joe Cole. Neither has the player.

The sticking point could be Cole's desire to play in the Fabregas role. Harry Redknapp is promising Cole that role.

Personally, I am more concerned about signing a quality goalkeeper.

I can't take another season with Almunia and Fabianski in goal. It's enough to turn me into a Miami Heat fan.

Keep it Arsenal

The Informer

Dream Come True

2010-07-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

A Post Match View was scheduled but after 120 minutes of less than memorable football, I've opted not to detail the highs and lows. You'll forgive me, please. I felt the football was underwhelming in general and at times embarrassingly subpar, especially for a FIFA World Cup Final.

There are always levels of apprehension and tension - if not in the mind then surely in the tactics - when you play a final. This match was no exception. To make matters worse, neither side featured a real star that could change the game. Sure, Villa, Xavi, Iniesta, Sneijder, Robben, and our own Robin van Persie can add spark to a game as well as any player around but they are not on that true world class level that it takes to save the spectacle from the dour.

What we saw today was not attractive. Do players compete in too many matches with their clubs during the season? Does football just not have the personnel to create and excite on the level of the truly great players of the past? The tournament was a success but what will it be remembered best for? Certainly not the play on the pitch, in my opinion.

Each side had chances. Although Spain did dominate in terms of possession and did take more initiative, Holland could have won the title if Arjen Robben and Joris Mathijsen hadn't wasted their opportunities. Full credit to Casillas for stopping Robben one-on-one not once but twice. Even Johnny Heitinga had a good chance to open the scoring. And a word for Stekelenberg, a keeper I don't rate. He was outstanding today.

A mate asked me at Half-Time what rating I'd give Howard Webb. I said 7.75 from 10. I felt he did a good enough job of controlling the game. The tackles were almost non-stop for long periods. Tempers, frustration, and incessant cheeky fouls could have upset the proceedings. Naturally, I feel van Bommel should have been sent off. I would feel that way regardless though.

Although I approve of Webb's performance, Nigel De Jong's boot to the heart (literally) of Xavi Alonso should give him reason enough to accept that he could have done a better job with his cards. The final tally for yellows was 13 and of course Heitinga got himself sent off when he held back match winner Andres Iniesta in the second period of extra time. It really should have been two reds, in my view. De Jong's was a gutless act.

An ex girlfriend sent me a text saying that the Dutch were playing "savagely". This from a woman who knows as much about football as I do about baking. Almost nothing at all!

I gathered that many people were troubled by Spain defeating Germany. Spain is a team of excellent technicians in midfield, dangerous and usually clinical strikers up front, and an adequate back line with an excellent keeper. Against a team like Holland, a team that came to stifle play rather than to create it, Spain can look less than impressive. Let's be clear though, this Dutch side got to the final because they were either tactically superior when they had to be or individually better than the teams they'd faced en route. Today they only came to nullify Spain, not to take the game to them.

I'm not sure what van Marwijk's thinking was and nor am I second guessing him. What I will say is that he will more than likely never get to another FIFA World Cup Final. Deploying both Nigel De Jong and Mak van Bommel seemed ultra defensive to me.

No team on this planet can out pass or out possess Spain when they are firing on all cylinders. That makes it all the more important to create and finish as many chances as possible. With two destroyers in midfield, they did limit Spain's attacks but created very few of their own. Why not play a more offensive side? Why leave Robin on his own when it became clear that Sneijder was going to play a minor role, thanks to a packed midfield with little space and Xavi Alonso and Sergio Busquets shielding the vulnerable Puyol.

If I hear someone call that guy a great player again I'll kick him. How slow do you have to be to be outrun by Arjen Robben?!?!? Yeah, Robben is quick but fast he is not.

It can also be said that the game was headed to penalties and that Spain did not manage to score. That's half the battle. Mr. van Marwijk has every right to tell me to go home, that I don't know what I'm talking about. Besides, how often does Arjen Robben miss two breakaways?

I'm happy for Vicente del Bosque. His accomplishments make being dismissed by Real Madrid even more absurd. He seems a decent man. Of course I congratulate Cesc Fabregas. Does this mean he's more likely to want to go back to Catalunya? I'm happy for Andres Iniesta. He is an under-rated player.

I wouldn't have been upset by the Dutch winning but that sentiment has more to do with Robin van Persie and the great Dutch players of the past. This collection is severely tainted with the likes of De Jong, van Bommel, and Heitinga (a player I used to have time for). Plus the sight of Arjen Robben diving stays with me. Perhaps justice was served.

One thing for sure, Iniesta's dream came true. Quite a nice gesture as well to commemorate the departed Dani Jarque. Brazil 2014 next. It should be special.

We play Barnet Saturday. Big season ahead. I said that last season, and the one before. Where's our new keeper?

Chat later!

What Dreams Are Made Of

2010-07-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

- Don't let anybody fool you. No matter what people say about the Champions League, the one trophy everybody covets the most is the World Cup. For that reason, enjoy the match.

- The previews have come fast and thick from everywhere, so there's no need to cover it that much.

- The Spanish style has Dutch origins. Barcelona would not be Barcelona without Rinus Michels, one of the three best managers of all time. And Spain would not be the same without him.

- I would dispatch van Bommel to give Xavi a rough time. You can hate him, but van Bommel could care less. He's there to harass and give players a hard time. Dirk Kuyt is not a player I particularly rate, but he brings balance to this Dutch side. On closer inspection, the Dutch have a better balance than the Spanish side.

- The Spanish defense has been solid because they have two holding players in Xabi Alonso and Busquets. Their actual central defenders don't actually impress me. I feel as though they're due a mistake; I hope that happens.

- From an Arsenal perspective, does this World Cup make Cesc want to leave more or less? I can't be sure to be honest. All I know is that I'm sick and tired of hearing all the Barcelona players talk about Cesc wanting to leave. It almost makes me wish we sold him sooner rather than later. I leave it in the hands of Wenger, but I don't doubt that Cesc wants to leave now. He just doesn't want to leave without class (unlike LeBronze James).

- Robin van Persie hasn't clicked in this World Cup. He didn't click during the first games of the last season for Arsenal either. Then, all of a sudden, he started banging them in. This match may come down to whether Villa or van Persie takes their chance.

- Either way, a new addition to history will be made. Spain or Holland. Check back tomorrow to read how it all unfolded.

They Said...

2010-07-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of tomorrow's final, I went searching for some quotes I might have missed during the tournament. I've found several worthy of reprinting. Some are somber and reflective. Some are cutting and direct. Others are seemingly uneventful but did catch my eye regardless.

"But it was a shame for Africa when Ghana did not make the Semi-Finals. It would have been a firework for Africa." Arsene Wenger

"With all respect to the players in Argentina, there is no comparison between the two. At Barcelona, he [Messi] has splayers of his level." Dani Alves

"If you don't understand the line-up then maybe you should change trade and give up being journalists." Marcello Lippi

"Rooney insulted me. He said, 'fuck you'. He must learn to control his temper." Referee Jeff Selogilwe

"I am Dutch but I support the football that Spain is playing." Johann Cruyff

"I prefer a calm coach on the bench like van Marwijk, rather than an idiot like Maradona or Dunga." Wesley Sneijder

"Rafik Saifi slapped the face of journalist Asma Hamili. She hit him back as a reflex. He then threw a bottle of sports drink which missed and had to be restrained from attacking her again." BBC's Richard Connelly on what happened in the mixed zone after Algeria's last minute defeat to the U.S.

"I cannot imagine an international player [Yakubu] missing a goal that was almost two to three meters to a goal post and he was laughing or smiling. There was no sign of regret." Nigerian Minister of Sport Ibrahim Bio

It will be an honour to do the first 1886 Post Match View of a FIFA World Cup Final tomorrow. Cesc is dying to play. I get that but COME ON ROBIN, even if it means that van Bommel gets to raise the trophy.

Chat later!

A message from The Informer

2010-07-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

I am signing for Arsenal. Be Patient.

Joe

On van Bommel

2010-07-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

I have no problem with the Dutch getting to the final. I won’t have a problem with them winning the final. They are overdue. All past failures are now out the window.

What I have a problem with is cheering for a man like Mark van Bommel. He is truly a cunt. His type are the reason FIFA instituted a series of laws that help protect positive, offensive football. No fouls from behind. No “professional fouls”. No repeated, systematic, tactical obstruction of free flowing play, etc.

Poor refeering has undermined the ruling body’s efforts in many ways but more than anything else, I can point to cynical, gutless cunts like van Bommel as petty criminals on the pitch. Cynical because he will foul first and then attempt to play football. Gutless because he doesn’t trust his abilities as a footballer and chooses to play outside or on the edge of the rules.

OK! Everybody cheats. Most people (forget athletes competing for large sums) push the rules as far as they can go. What this Dutch holding midfielder does is absolutely disgraceful. That he has gotten away with it all tournament long is pathetic.

Laurent Blanc was a classy center back - a cool, skillful, tactically and technically sound player. He was forced to watch France defeat Brazil in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final from the stands because a cunt named Slaven Bilic conned the ref into believing that Blanc had assaulted him. Blanc was red-carded and missed the final. Gutted is an extreme understatement. To think that van Bommel has not been red-carded for what he's gotten away with is appalling.

Actual Outrage/British Outrage

2010-07-06T00:04:00.000-07:00

- The yellow card rule in the World Cup is a joke. We will be deprived of watching Thomas Muller take on the Spanish after he received a yellow card for an innocuous handball. With the lack of consistency between refs, to be banned after two yellow cards in five matches is absolutely ridiculous. FIFA have decided to cancel out all yellows after the quarterfinal in order to protect star players from missing the final. They're not doing enough.

- The outrage over Luis Suarez's goal is outrageous. Yes, he handled. Yes, he celebrated with his teammates. No, he is not the devil. No, he did not cheat Ghana out of the World Cup. Ghana was awarded a soft free kick, two Ghana players were offside when the cross came into the box, and Gyan missed a penalty kick. So had Uruguay lost to the headed ball, they could have justifiably claimed that they were knocked out due to a refereeing error. It's the same complaint you'll hear from Arsenal about the Champions League Final against Barcelona. All Arsenal players will tell you that Eto'o was offside. So what? It doesn't change anything. As for this case, Suarez did what he had to do for his country and his teammates. It would be nice if the World Cup was purely an exhibition of stylish football, great sportsmanship, and unity. But above all, it is a competition. Kids shouldn't be concerned with being ruthless warriors fighting for results. Professional athletes should be. Gyan missed a penalty, so the lack of an offside call didn't hurt Uruguay. I have a phrase I like to use, "Ball Don't Lie." If only that was true 100% of the time.

- It seems awfully condescending that the British media would jump all over the handball incident. They did the same thing with Ireland and Thierry Henry. Why the fuck should they care? Aww... poor Ireland. Aww... poor Ghana. It's football. Being sanctimonious about meaningless stuff puts you in a position where you'll end up having a shit pie thrown in your face, and you just might not like the taste of it.

2010-07-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

If Holland win the World Cup, they will have played the following teams:

Iceland

Scotland

FYR Macedonia

Norway

Denmark

Japan

Cameroon

Slovakia

Brazil

and Uruguay

Apart from Brazil and Uruguay, the other countries are hardly world beaters. This is not Holland's fault, after all they've beaten every team that Fifa has put in front of them. The quality of teams that Holland has played is a reflection, however, on the weakness of Fifa.

The qualification process for the World Cup Finals is flawed. Teams such as San Marino, Luxembourg, Barbados, Grenada, New Caledonia and American Samoa should play in a tournament to qualify for the World Cup qualifiers.

Fifa need to tell Scotland, Wales and England that they have to join forces and play as Great Britain just like they do in the Olympics. That way the xenophobia and jingoism that comes with the English national team will disappear. The nasty English tribalism that runs through the veins of Stoke fans will be condensed and so will the songs about World War Two.

Key to a British football team is a British Premier League involving 18 teams. Gone will be teams such as Stoke, Blackburn Rovers and Wolves or teams that have an average home attendance of just over 10,000 like Wigan and Blackpool.

Holland have been now won 15 straight World Cup matches, including qualifiers. Their coach Bert van Marwijk won the 2002 UEFA Cup with Feynoord. His son-in-law is the Dutch midfield hard man Mark van Bommel.

In Euro 2008, Holland crushed France 4-1 and Italy 3-0 before they lost to Russia in the quarter-finals. So far in this World Cup they haven't crushed anyone but they got past the quarter finals and Brazil.

Holland have very good attacking options: Van Persie, Robben, Sneijder, Kuyt, Babel, Huntelaar, and Van der Vaart. But in defence they're weak in depth. Arsenal reject Giovanni van Bronkhorst and Blackburn Rovers reject Andre Ooijer are both 35, while their goalkeeper at times plays like Manuel Almunia.

The Dutch have made two finals in the World Cup - 1974 and 1978 - where on both occasions they played the host nation.

This time, 2010, will be different. The host nation are out and if Holland meet Spain we will have new winners of the famous gold trophy.

At least then you can say that international football is less predictable than club.

Keep it Arsenal

And Then There Were Four

2010-07-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

Uruguay - The only person who told me that Uruguay were going far in this tournament is a United fan I know, living in Mumbai. I dismissed the thought in a way but because of football's ever unpredictable nature, I also knew that they have Diego Forlan and he could make a difference. After his sad spell at United, Forlan has become one of Europe's more prolific goal scorers. His strike partner Luis Suarez is also a very capable finisher. Ironically, it's his "defending" that has helped Uruguay reach the last four.

Holland - I've watched the 1978 FIFA World Cup Final many times. The Dutch players in that losing team were quite a cast. How they lost is still hard to understand. How Brazil lost to Robin & Co. this time around is baffling, even if not on the level of the 1978 Argentina vs. Holland result.

All I'll say is Arsene, PLEASE forget about that Felipe Melo character. A great man called him a dumb thug. I've never met Melo but in this case, guilty until proven otherwise. Disgraceful!

The much anticipated Germany vs. Holland final is very possible, maybe even likely. Wesley Sneijder is on fire. Arjen Robben is fit. Robin van Persie is fit. Mark van Bomel is a cunt.

Germany - My colleague pointed out that this current version is one of the most likable German teams that he has seen. No argument here. They are the business, no doubt about it. And what's scary is they will be around for a while. They've been the form team and look a difficult nut to crack. If you don't like their chances to win it all, you are smoking crack.

Spain - This has been a strange tournament for Spain. Yet like other teams that have had slow starts in past tournaments and have gone on to lift the trophy, they can still win it all. I thought after they lost to Switzerland that they would still be difficult to knock out. They are too deep and too talented to take lightly. Spain vs. Germany should be a cracker.

I watched the Paraguay Spain 1/4 final at a Liverpool supporter's bar with a high ranking member of the Bermie Army. The asscrack in the Spain shirt, Cornell baseball capped turned backwards, and vuvuzela slung over his back like a bow was the only negative in an enjoyable match watching experience. I'm not sure if that noise making annoyance knows how many people wanted to crack his head and then shove that thing down his throat. I don't mind the horn (in the stadia) but you need to blow it inside a small space, dude? Really??? Needless to say, Captain Dante was not impressed.

If Africa were to unite on social, political, and economic levels the way the continent supported Ghana on its run to the last eight, such would be the potential for empowering the people of that most pillaged and under-achieving region of the world that we might see certain parties preempt the progress with another round of rumors about WMD's. Football's most precious quality is how it unites people. This tournament has provided dramatic moment after dramatic moment. It has shown the potential in what can be achieved if people unite. That has been as dramatic a result as any other.

On a lighter note, The Informer has released a bit of news that has Denilson being a Barcelona target. It seems that if Mascherano cannot be gotten from Liverpool, the Catalunian side will go after our Neves. Uuugh, ok!

Chat later!

Logic

2010-07-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

- "There is no logic in sports." My colleague texted me that after the Holland-Brazil match concluded. I had picked the Dutch to win this match (and the tournament), but I understand what he's talking about. After a blistering opening 25 minutes by the Brazilians and the Dutch looking completely out of sorts, it looked like the Dunga Machine was going to roll to the semifinal.

- However, in the second half, Holland made a no-brainer tactical shift. They seemingly disregarded the side of Brazil that had Lucio, Gilberto Silva, and Maicon in defense and started to exclusively attack down the right channel against Juan, Felipe Melo, and Michel Bastos. Bastos put in several fouls on Robben and could have been sent off with two yellow cards (additionally, how Van Bommel failed to get a yellow card, I'll never know), and Felipe Melo was sent off for an incredibly stupid stamp on Robben.

- The goal that put the Dutch ahead was scored by Sneijder, the smallest man on the pitch, and a real contender for FIFA World Player of the Year in my eyes.

- Brazil was also apparently undefeated in their blue kit at the World Cup since 1974. The team they lost to in that tournament? Holland.

- The reversal in the first match was unexpected and provided a lot of drama. The second match produced even more drama.

- I'm in a World Cup betting pool with friends. One of my friends is dwelling near the bottom, so he decided to take a calculated risk and picked the Netherlands and Ghana. Were both upsets to happen, he would have climbed back into contention. The Ghana-Uruguay match ended up being a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

- In regulation time, two goals were conceded, both by goalkeeping gaffes. Ghana's goal provided by Muntari, and Forlan dipping a free kick past Kingson.

- Truthfully speaking, it wasn't much of a spectacle and looked to be headed to penalties. Just at that moment, everything kicked off.

- First, Ghana won a soft free kick. They whipped it into the box and chaos inside. Luis Suarez blocked a shot off the line, then a rebound fell to Adiyiah, he shot, and Suarez cleared it off the line with his hand. Red card, penalty, Suarez off in tears, Ghana with an opportunity to be the first African team in the World Cup semifinals. Gyan's attempt bounces off the crossbar. Off to penalties.

- I've heard people calling Suarez a cheat for what he did. I defy anybody to admit that they wouldn't have done the same thing Suarez did. On the replay, you could see Fucile attempt to block it with his hands as well. Suarez was caught and punished for the transgression. The shot came at such pace that it could have been an instinctual reaction. He will now miss the biggest match of his life. He did what he had to do. To vilify him seems like a British thing to do. Is the person committing a professional foul a cheat? I don't think so. There are last gasp measures and severe penalties for it.

- So on we went to penalties.

- Forlan cooly slotted his in. Gyan, showing off a huge pair of balls, kicked a sweet penalty that was not savable.

- Victorino, a Uruguayan defender, stepped up and scored. Appiah, Ghana's shining star, kicked it in as well.

- Scotti, another defender, just about scored. At this point, I remarked to my roommate that I would avoid using central defenders from kicking penalties because they have a tendency to overhit the ball. Mensah took a starting position to do a two step run up, something that prevents a player from generating more power for the shot (Zidane used to do it as well, but he's Zizou). He timidly kicked the ball and Muslera easily saved.

- Incredibly enough, the next Uruguayan player, Pereira skied a kick. Dominic Adiyiah, Ghana's brightest hope for the future, shot tamely and was saved.

- Finally, Abreu scored a cheeky free kick. Uruguay goes insane, Suarez celebrates with the team, Gyan looks suicidal, and the most dramatic finish to the World Cup thus far concludes.

- For my friend who was betting on the match, it literally went from high to low to even higher to even lower to some hope to the elimination of that hope. For Ghana, a team that was one kick away from a glorious moment feels the way Gyan does.

- This is the reason why we watch sports.

New Kit with Joe Cole and England Rumors

2010-07-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

Arsenal unveiled a new home strip. The design and colors are more traditional but as long as the club has the Emirates as its sponsor it will always look sub par.

The Emirates Stadium now has a Clock End. Work has now been completed on restoring the old clock to back inside the stadium. This is part of the Arsenalisation process instigated by Ivan Gazidis.

It looks as though Cesc Fabregas will stay with Arsenal for another season after realizing that Barcelona cannot afford him. Barca are trying to sell Ya Ya Toure to Manchester City and with money from that transfer, might launch another bid. However, reports also suggest that they will make a bid for Liverpool's Maschereno who plays in the same position as Ya Ya.

The latest rumor about Steven Gerrard is that he's got his sister in law pregnant. The repercussions of the pregnancy started to appear when Rio Ferdinand ruled himself out of the World Cup through injury and Fabio Capello made Gerrard the England captain.

This made John Terry unhappy. He felt that Capello was showing double standards having himself been stripped of the captaincy by the England manager last March.

Terry thus fell out with Capello for making Gerrard the England captain even though the Liverpool midfielder had been caught having an affair - just like Terry had been. Terry then held a press conference stating that the England players were not happy - although they later denied this.

Apparently half of the England squad sided with Terry on this matter saying they felt that Gerrard was a disgrace.

The previous rumor regarding Gerrard was that he got a 16 year old pregnant. No smoke without fire.

On Sunday, the News of the World will reveal that Wayne Rooney has been caught having sex with a prostitute in South Africa while on lock down in the England training camp.

The rumor from the 2006 World Cup was that a player from London/South and his family, who had a bad reputation, and a player based in the north of England and his family were all together in Baden Baden, Germany, with all the WAGS and other hangers on. Supposedly one of the players brothers was caught shagging the mother of the other players family. Both players still play for England.

I just want to mention that Jamie Carragher has a brother and John Terry's mum is divorced from his dad.

The other news is that Roy Hodgson is the new Liverpool boss. He has a job on his hands keeping players like Torres and Mascherano at the club. This comment from Hodgson tells me that he won't be going on a spending spree any time soon:

"One thing they (the Liverpool board) made clear to me is we have to work within whatever restraints are in place at the club."

I will be surprised if Liverpool make the top four next season.

Keep it Arsenal

On Lucio

2010-06-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Uli Stielike, Franco Baresi, Fernando Hierro, Marcel Desailly are just a few names that come to mind when I think of the top central defenders of recent times. There was a period in football history when dynamic, skillful, attack-minded yet defensively sound central defenders were in abundance. Today, there remains one - Lucimar Ferreira da Silva or Lucio.

Witness his playmaking abilities in Brazil's opening match against North Korea, when late in the game he ventured forward to set up an attack from wide left (a hint of the real meaning of Total Football, where any player on the pitch can slot in seamlessly for any other). Though the move was cancelled by an offside call, it reminded me of the aforementioned players who themselves stood out for their strength, defensive qualities, and their ability to venture forward to good effect. Witness again versus Chile circa the 81st and 84th minutes. Lucio had the stamina, the skill, and the intelligence to go forward with strength, technique, and application that neither put his team at risk or forced you to question his motives.

The other common trait among the likes of Lucio is their presence. There's something majestic about a confident central defender going forward on a long run from the back. I miss that. Football misses that.

Ronald Koeman was good for a few of those runs too but he was never the model defender. Lucio and the guys mentioned in the opening paragraph were sound defenders who could also play football. With the exception of Baresi (which doesn't diminish his prowess any at all) and I've not seen Lucio deployed in midfield by design, they've all played the holding role as well.

Lucio could quite possibly have been an even more advanced midfielder, such is his quality.

A man who knows the game as much as anyone I can call on once said that Rio Ferdinand is a great player. I objected then and I object now. It turns out that something was lost in translation - his and my interpretations of the word great differ somewhat.

I got the point he was trying to make but I maintain that Rio Ferdinand was never a "great" player. That absent-minded goofball couldn't lace Hierro's boots much less Baresi's. I say that to emphasize that we've seen the decline of the central defender to the point that a Fabio Cannavaro, a John Terry, a Nemanja Vidic, and even Carles Puyol stand out as so-called great players.

I haven't seen enough of Carlos Marchena (Valencia and Spain) to have an opinion of him. I also would like to include Ricardo Carvalho in this discussion but he's been injured too often. I want to say however that he has been an impressive defender when fit, even if nowhere near the caliber of player I'd consider as an outstanding, all-round center-half.

It's important to recognize Lucio for the type of player he is. Football needs more Lucios. Somewhere between 1998 and now, the versatile central defender with the ability to rise above the rest, to make as well as break up play, to dare to be great has become virtually non-existent.

Fucking shame, really! Instead we have the English equivalent of Bill Romanowski in John Terry, the hoover himself in Rio Ferdinand, and the most over-rated defender since Alessandro Nesta in Nemanja Vidic being called great players. Great my left butt cheek! I wonder what The Informer's cooking up. Surely there must be some news on the next Arsenal signing, be it a defender or not.

Chat later.

Correction

2010-06-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

- Yesterday, one of our colleagues claimed that Jozy Altidore was "born and raised in Haiti" and labeled him a "disgrace". That information is completely incorrect. Altidore was born and raised in New Jersey, and he considered playing for Haiti but ultimately did not because he did not want to give up his American passport. Altidore has publicly helped raise charity money for Haitians who have been devastated by the earthquake.

- He may be rapidly becoming an American Emile Heskey, but that merely makes him an average footballer. Jozy Altidore is not a disgrace.

Goodbye Fatty

2010-06-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

Frank Lampard is an overrated Paul Merson. The difference between the two is that Merson was a boozer and a druggie who gambled his wages away. He came across as a man you could have a laugh with.

I don't get that feeling with Frank Lampard.

Here's a man who is an arrogant, narcissist who is completely immersed in believing that he is on the same playing field as Xavi or Zidane. No doubt Lampard is a good player but world class he is not.

Wayne Rooney proved he is a good player in the Premiership but on the World's biggest stage he did nothing except shout profanity into a TV camera. His chances of winning the Ballon D'ore are fucking zero.

Robinho cost Manchester City 30 million pounds. The man has moves and skill like no other. To be able to get past a professional defender you have to be cunning have wit and intelligence. You need to innovate not imitate. James Milner is valued at 30 million by Aston Villa. They bought him for 12 million after Newcastle had paid 5 million to Leeds in July 2004. Milner it must be remembered has never played in the Champions League and only has a handful of England caps to his name. He has one move to beat a defender, it's the fucking oldest in the book - you beat the full back by half a yard and then whip in a cross. This new invention by the most overrated player since Stuart Downing - who also plays on the wing for Aston Villa - is so fucking good that it was copied by Shaun Wank Phillips. Son of Ian Wright you are not. Some other bloke stuck his cock into your mum's vage and exploded his load and then got the fuck out of town - now that's a move that I admire when it comes to England's version of Lionnel Messi.

Wank-Phillips cost Chelsea 24 million pounds. They then sold him back to Manchester City for 9 million pounds. That's a lot of money for a man whose main skill is using his speed to beat a man and then cross the ball straight to the fucking goalkeeper. When Wank Phillips really wants to show the world that he's worth 33 million in transfer fees he saves his best trick of all - using his speed to latch on to a pass and shoot straight at Tim Howard.

The heart of England's defence was a man of 40 that played sporadically for a team that finished bottom of the Premiership. In front of him was a man that played for nearly relegated West Ham. A lot of Arsenal fans a few months ago were screaming at Arsene Wenger to re-sign this slow, clonker, footed cart horse known as Matthew Upson. If these Gooners were in charge of my life I would be living on Skid Row begging to suck your cock so that I could suck on my crack pipe. You would look at my scabby lips, clotted hair and blotchy nuclear infested skin and ask how did I fuck up my life so badly - it's called the Upson effect - leave clueless cunts in charge of something like Arsenal and they will turn it into fucking AIG. If I see these cunts - one of whom text my friend yesterday, going on about Rule Britannia - I will torch them with a flame thrower.

If James Milner is worth 30 million, Shaun Wank Phillips 24 million then what would Ray Parlour be worth today? Parlour never made the 98 World Cup squad even though he destroyed teams during that 98 Double season because of Eileen Drewery. This old tart was a faith healer that Glen Hoddle used as part of his medical team. She cured hamstring strains by putting her hands on your head and chanting some Christian shit that the born again nut Hoddle swore by.

Parlour had a groin problem. Hoddle sent him to Eileen. As she stood behind the seated Parlour, closed her eyes and put her hands on top of his head, Parlour said "A short back and sides please love," and then burst out laughing. Hoddle never picked Parlour for England again.

England are out because they are shit. They have average players that earn excessive amounts of money and who are transferred for egregious sums. England are not out because of a goal that never was. They're out because they will always produce players like Emille Heskey, Stuart Downing, Kieron Dyer, Carlton Palmer, Gary Neville or Gareth Barry.

Gareth Barry - the man who caused so much transfer gossip about his proposed move to Liverpool in August 2008 and then again in the summer of 2009. The man who earns 100,000 pounds a week. Then we have Gilberto Silva - the rock of the Brazilian team who would never commit such a basic error as losing the ball on the edge of his opponents penalty area - for Germany's third goal - knowing that he was the last midfielder. Gilberto earns two-thirds less than Barry, yet is playing in yet another World Cup quarter-final - his third.

I'm glad England have gone out. It's a team of over-paid cunts that is supported by the likes of Stoke and Cuntburn Rovers fans. It has some of the most detestable human beings playing for them. Cunts who kiss the Three Lions badge as if they are Knights of the Templar: John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole - men who would stick their cock in their grandmothers mouth just to get a laugh with their mates after they filmed it on their mobile phones.

US fans have set up a website to get rid of Bob Bradley. They have reason to be upset but at least they don't have overpaid cunts representing their country. England and the US have average players but at least the American's recognize this and make the best of it. This is summed up by Steve Cherundolo - a hard working but effective attacking full-back who put James Milner to shame.

Jozy Altidore, however, is a disgrace. Here is a man born and raised in Haiti - who turned his back on his homeland - who had one assist and zero goals in 4 games, playing against over-the-hill defenders such as Jamie Carragher and Boughera. Then we have the tennis looking, politician sounding, fore-headed Landon Donovan who is every Sarah Palin loving Midwest soccer mom's dream. US Soccer is too sanitized and Disneyfied. It needs to break down more class and social barriers before it can go to that next level. No-one wants to play a sport played by goofy looking cunts called Jozy or Landon.

The arrogance of the English - who claim to have the best league in the world so therefore they have the best players - is replicated by contemptuous so-called football experts like Alexis Lalas.

Before the Ghana match this Ginger haired fool starting talking about the US meeting Brazil in the semi-finals. Fuck me, this is a man who claims he turned down Arsenal for fucking Padova.

Fuck You!

Keep it Arsenal

Don't Forget To Adjust Your Clocks

2010-06-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

This has been an eventful weekend. We saw South Korea, Uruguay, the US, and Ghana play tense matches. We saw England and Germany produce the tournament's most controversial moment. And then we saw Argentina roll on in defeating Mexico.

Themes abound - 'never say die', 'coming of age', 'what goes around comes around', 'too much of a good thing'. You're probably wondering how they all fit. I'll explain but first I must say that El Cunto has had a very moving few days. He texted me to express deep sorrow for the US and England...yeah, and I'm the third Boateng brother.

Never say die - South Korea dug deep to get one by a stern Uruguayn defence. They fell short in the end but credit to them. I salute them for their contribution to the tournament.

Coming of age - Ghana looked poised and in control when it mattered most. They did not lose their nerve, become frustrated, or resort to unsavory tactics when it looked like the US were in the ascendency. Credit to the Black Stars and to Mr. Rajevac, their coach. I believe we could be witnessing another chapter in the evolution of African football. Time will tell. Think about it, they've reached the last eight without Michael "The Bison" Essien.

What goes around comes around - 1966 is best remembered by football fans for the goal that wasn't. England's victory over West Germany on home soil was no less controversial than Germany's in South Africa. Poetic justice? I'm not sure but one thing is certain; it's no longer five past Kahn, it's four past James, and Terry, and Upson, and Johnson.

How bad is Glenn Johnson? He looked lost at times. At others he looked like an extra on a movie set who's been asked to take on a larger role. That guy is England's best right fullback? Pathetic!

And John Terry, you can go home now. It seems that you (and Wayne Rooney) bully your way through teams in the EPL but can't get it done against stiffer competition. The English went to South Africa with very high hopes. They went with a world class manager - a man who's won things for fun. Is it Capello's fault that the goods were counterfeit? Is it Capello's fault that Gerrard and Rooney were shit?

I think not. English football must look at itself and ask some serious questions. The core is rotten. The problems are deep-rooted.

Think about this for a moment; ten minutes into the 2nd half, I received a text from a friend who was watching with a group of hard core England fans. He said that they were pleading with the big screen for Capello to sub Rooney. I understand the frustration but on all evidence prior to this tournament, any half-wit could have told you that Wayne Rooney is good enough to change a game on his own.

He is England's best player since Paul Scholes.

He is ever a threat to any defender.

He is better than Crouch and Heskey put together.

Reading that text, it dawned on me that the England fans wanted to bring on Crouch (or Heskey? Really???) so that they could play route one football. They wanted to "have a real go". What else could it have been?

I might be jumping to conclusions but regardless of how poor his tournament was, Rooney was England's best chance to do the unexpected and change the game. He just didn't show up. Don't blame Capello.

Too much of a good thing - FIFA selects referees as representative of its many confederations. If they don't, there'll be accusations of imbalance and bias. The downside is that many of the refs are not up to it. Moreover, even refs from the bigger footballing nations get it wrong too. After all, Graham Poll gave out three yellows to the same player in the same game in 2006.

The argument that football should embrace the available technology and eliminate the blatant mistakes that keep occurring continues. It is a fair argument. I will address it on a different day. I'm not entirely against it. What do you think?

A few notes:

Miroslav Klose wanted that ball more than anybody in South Africa on Germany's first goal.
When Heskey came on, it was as if Capello had thrown in the towel.
Michael Ballack has never impressed me. That has not changed. He is not missed.
Germany got a break with THAT goal but they also have some very good players.
Barry and Terry went into tackles pretty hard and with intent late on.

As I suspected, the last eight will be interesting. What will also be interesting is El Cunto's next post. I understand he has a few choice words for a certain "American" striker.

Chat later.

A New Champion

2010-06-26T04:11:00.000-07:00

- With Italy and France being knocked out, there will be a new World Champion.

- Observing how Italy and France advanced to the finals the last time around, a scintillating group performance is not necessary to achieve the ultimate goal. Instead, momentum needs to be built and carried through the tournament.

- Today, Uruguay heads into their match against South Korea as a force to be reckoned with. Loaded with gifted strikers, Lugano and the defense has not conceded a goal. South Korea are exciting to watch, but their defense is liable to be split open at any second.

- The United States, fresh off their exciting victory that propelled them to be group winners, face Ghana, the only African team left in the tournament. This is a bit of a revenge match for the United States, as Ghana beat them four years ago. However, that's of no real relevance. These two teams can both win, this one is a coin flip.

- Ah, the World Cup knockout games, don't you just love them?

Special Guest Post

2010-06-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

Because of Rooney’s miss and England’s inability to muster a second goal today, they will play Germany followed by (if they beat Germany) either Argentina or Mexico. On the other hand, the US will play Ghana followed by (if they win) Uruguay or South Korea.

Given the history of success of Argentina and Germany in this competition, versus Uruguay (so they were good in the 30’s, so what?) South Korea and Ghana, it goes to show how important it is to win your group. England failed miserably to capitalize on this goldenopportunity to have a very doable route to the semis. Plus they’re playing in a cool climate etc. so have been gifted every possible advantage there is to have a successful tournament.

You don’t get much more of an “easier” path to the semis than what could have been for England this summer. But as usual, this so-called “golden generation” (which I think refers to the thieved gold in their pockets rather than being a comment on ability) waltzed into South Africa thinking they’re so special and were shown to be an over-hyped bunch of losers. Typical.

Having said that, if they can beat ze Germans and then exorcise the ghost of ’86 and drive that fat little druggie into a late grave, then and only then they would deserve to win it all.

That’s my two cents.

Brazil 2014: Try and Tell Me That You're Not Going

2010-06-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Some mug with a snide German top - the cunt wasn't German - said to me that he won't be going to the World Cup in Brazil four years from now, because the crime rate is too high and he heard a rumor that Brazilian bathrooms don't have any toilets.

I laughed and thought about the women and parties that I will be eating out and snorting my way through - not caring if I got mugged or had to crap in a bush.

You have two choices for Brazil 2014 - watch games with drunk, fat, bores, in a fake, darkened, Irish bar or go and 'slut it' as if you have 10 days left on this planet.

By 2014, Brazil may well have a new head coach. Their 2-1 win over North Korea didn't go down too well with the Brazilian press and Dunga isn't out of the fire yet, even though Brazil beat Ivory Coast 3-1 in their last game.

Today's game is about results. Dunga's Brazil are better tactically but less pleasing on the eye. Dunga is not seeking to win aesthetic approval for intricate midfield interplay; he's more concerned with launching the counter-attack than playing a style that resembles a Barcelona/Arsenal tickle-fest.

Dunga's Brazil sit deep, with defense and midfield close together, drawing opponents forward. For this to work, Dunga plays two defensive midfield players: Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo.

Melo is the younger more aggressive of the two and was on the verge of signing for Arsenal last summer but instead joined Juventus, where he had - by all accounts - a mediocre season.

Gliberto, now 33 years old, was part of The Invincibles and is held in high regard by many Arsenal fans. Some Gooners think that he left a season too soon when he transferred to Panathinaikos in 2008, for just over 1 million pounds.

Arsenal fans affection for Gilberto were so high that eyebrows were raised when William Gallas was handed the Arsenal captaincy over the loyal and quiet Brazilian - a decision that some point to as the catalyst for Arsenal not winning the Premier League in 2008.

Wenger felt that Gilberto was past his best when he sold him to the Greek champions. He felt that Gilberto was unable to accompany the pass and move game of Cesc Fabregas and was also vulnerable when drawn into open spaces.

Gilberto's response was that he wasn't given enough games to play himself into form. Dunga supports his midfielder, saying that Arsenal have become a "timeco" (poor insignificant team) since their former player left for Panathinaikos.

Gilberto, however, has become the symbol of the Dunga regime much to the chagrin of some Brazilian supporters. Over half of his Brazilian caps have come after his 30th birthday - the majority of those with Dunga.

What Brazilian fans dislike about Gilberto is that he is a centre-back playing in midfield. Gilberto started his career as a defender but was converted into a defensive midfielder shortly before the 2002 World Cup, where he replaced the injured Emerson. Brazilian purists are upset that both of the central midfield positions are held by defensive minded players with both Gilberto and Felipe Melo not creative enough with their passes - instead usually playing the ball out wide or to the side.

Both Gilberto and Felipe Melo are powerful, strong midfielders with height and strength to form a tight midfield barrier. And with Gilberto's defensive awareness, he is expected to organize those around him - at times slot into the back line to free right-back Maicon to bomb forward.

In this current World Cup, this tactic by Dunga is effective, especially when faced with teams that are grinding out results through determination and team spirit rather than class and skill. Brazil still have the creativity and flair to turn on the style when required, especially with players such as Robinho and Elano.

The more interesting aspect of Dunga's Brazil team is that it will be replicated by Arsene Wenger's Arsenal in the upcoming 2010/11 season.

Wenger realizes that teams like Stoke have lots of determination and team spirit. To beat them, especially at The Brittainia Stadium, you have to match them for effort and determination in order to combat and break them down.

This Dunga style of play - flair backed by experience and defensive solidity - will win Arsenal the Premiership next season and Wenger knows that. Harry Redknapp understands this as well. That's why he signed the Brazilian defensive midfielder Sandro, who will be joining Spurs this summer to form a midfield partnership with the work-horse Wilson Palacios.

It's why Alex Song is so vital to Arsenal

Keep it Arsenal

Really?

2010-06-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

A guy in my office just remarked, “Serbia and Algeria are out. England and the US are in. That’s the way it should be.” There’s so much in that statement that I’ll skip any in depth analysis of it. Besides, he’s probably right, from a marketing point of view.

What I will say is that I don’t like the attitude that a smaller, lesser known country must necessarily make way for mighty Engerland or the big bad US of A. I am largely a neutral if the view of the FIFA World Cup Final tournament is taken from a political angle. Thankfully, I leave politics out of sports.

The only flag I hoist is that of Arsenal Football Club.

Otherwise I’d curse all the colonizing, imperialist bullies who’ve plundered the world and compete for sport’s most prestigious prize. For the record, said guy in my office has Greek roots. Why he feels that England and the US making it to the knockout phase (at the expense of two smaller nations) is "the way it should be" is a little strange. Whatever, man!

With England making through, the Rooney factor is always something to fear if you’re an opponent. He’s been very quiet so far - sorry, he's been dead on his feet - but we all know that he can still end up player of the tournament. The fucker is that good.

If the US get any where near the final, there’ll be so many so-called fans coming out from under couches, out of man-holes, from cracks in walls of abandoned buildings, from just about anywhere you can think of, proclaiming their love for soccer and of the American stars. Oh, and the stripes too. Speaking of stripes, wouldn’t it be special if England and Argentina were to meet?

England will face Germany, and then quite possibly face Argentina if Diego’s boys beat Mexico. Oh how I’d like that! I remember when the US and Iran faced off in 1998. That was a tense battle. Of course nothing I can remember matches the Dutch/German encounter at Italia ’90.

England and Argentina have met before (as you all know) but if they meet in South Africa, it has the makings of a truly special event – Diego is now the manager of course. I get goose bumps thinking about it. We could see every man selected to play raise their game in the name of flag and country. For many, that's what the FIFA World Cup Finals are all about.

Lastly, The Informer insists that Joe Cole has signed for Arsenal. And if he has, great! Wenger apparently doesn’t want to say anything to the press out of respect for the player’s and the team’s peace of mind while in South Africa. Meanwhile, other sauces are saying that Cole is holding out for more cash. Yes, cash. It seems that Taggart has offered to give the ex-West Ham and Chelsea man 50 Euros and a round trip ticket to Amsterdam. Little Joe wants more so he doesn't have to restrict his Dutch excursion to an alleyway.

Chat later.

A Disgrace

2010-06-22T20:10:00.001-07:00

- Fuck off forever, Monsieur Domenech. You're a disgrace.

- Thank God Nasri wasn't exposed to this.

Another Signing

2010-06-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Arsenal have signed Laurent Koscielny . He's just agreed terms and will sign shortly.

I agreed terms about 7 years ago when I was in Amsterdam. No, I wasn't signing for Ajax. I was getting a blow job from some Ho in an alleyway. 50 Euros for three minutes of action.

So what does this Koscielny bring to Arsenal? I have no fucking clue but he looks like a prisoner from some shit hole in California and a twin of that ugly bastard James Milner. So, yes, he's just what Arsenal need at the back.

I got the Chamakh signing right but back in 2005, I said that Arsenal would sign Sean Wank Phillips. Yeah, I got that one wrong - Thank God. But ever since then, some French loving cunt in New York has dismissed my statements as gossip. I think he needs to go down some dark alleyway in Amsterdam with 50 Euros in his pocket.

The other player Arsenal are going to sign is Joe Cole plus a goalkeeper. There's probably another defender or defensive midfielder on his way too. But I'm not going to check NewsNow five times a day to see if Arsenal have signed some cunt who has a name that only my vomit can pronounce after 44 Bulgarian lagers.

Let's face it, the World Cup has been great. I wake up and watch football. Come home from work and watch more football. I'm drinking a six pack a day and going on Stoke websites pretending to be a US fan. Instant abuse and hatred - so much so that I've been banned twice.

Stoke - the club that clings to the Premier League in the same way that excrement soiled toilet paper clings to the bum hairs on your crack. I can't wait for them to be flushed down to the Championship.

If England fail to beat Slovenia, Stoke fans will blame Arsenal. Trust me on this one.

Maybe, it's time for a British team. Wales haven't qualified for a World Cup since 1958. Northern Ireland - who should join Ireland - haven't qualified since 1986, while Scotland last qualified for a World Cup back in 1998. Scotland have never made it past the group stage.

England have made the last four of the World Cup only once in 44 year years.

But a British team needs a British Premier League.

I would rather Arsenal play Celtic and Rangers than Stoke or Blackpool. Or how about just cut Blackpool, Blackburn, Stoke, Wolves or West Brom from the Premiership and have a Winter Break. That way, England will be able to beat the mighty Slovenia 1-0 and advance to the knockout stages where they will lose on penalties.

I mean come on let's get fucking real.

Watching England has been painful and always will be painful. So much so, that if England were a woman, even her tampon would say no.

Keep it Arsenal

Hey Informer, Where's My New Keeper?

2010-06-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

I hate losing. Most of the matches we lost last season were not due to injuries. We lost because of mistakes. The entire team had a hand in the list of errors but nobody more than our so-called goalkeepers caused our season to end the way it did.

Those two clowns called our no. 1 and no. 2 make me sick. I regularly have nightmares in which those two play leading roles. I dream in color so that bleached-haired poodle walker haunts me in vivid sleep HD. As if I needed more to upset me during this most important of close seasons, I now have a self-proclaimed "informer" texting me news about any and everything but a new keeper. Some of you might know him as El Cunto, the scourge of Stoke City, the angry man in the trio that is 1886. Let me stress that he is a good man but he's got sauces (yes, s-a-u-c-e-s) of information that rival some of the biggest cunts who claim to be in the know.

Hey, Informer, I WANT A NEW KEEPER! I don't give a shit about whether or not we've signed a wasteful Dutch kid who is lucky that Japan failed to equalize on a very good late chance. Affelay may be a decent enough player but he had Robin clear in the box and went in alone - wasted chance. A few minutes later, he was one on one with the keeper. He wasted that chance too. As fate would have it, Japan found themselves with an excellent chance to equalize but Shinji Okazaki sent his shot high over the Dutch bar. Let's be clear, the Dutch press would have grilled Affelay if Japan had equalized.

Hey Informer, I support Arsenal. I don't give a shit about who the next Liverpool manager is. Kenny Dalglish, Stevie Nicol, Paul McCartney, Ringo Fucking Starr, Manuel Pellegrini - it doesn't matter a lick to me. WHERE'S MY FUCKING KEEPER?

And now he's texting me that we've signed that Kocielny character. Ok, but 1) I can wait until it's made official by the club thank you very much and 2) WHERE'S MY KEEPER? We need a keeper like England need to show the world that they really do know how to play football. It's dire. THAT is what I care about.

If you want to impress me Informer, find out if we've signed, will sign, or even have designs on signing a new keeper. That would help me get through this summer with less angst. THAT would be splendid. Anything less is wasting my time and your texts.

At least I have Brazil (and more "information" from The Informer) to look forward to later. And wouldn't I love to have their keeper! Arsene, help us out here.

I have books to return to the library now. Chat later!

Refuse to Lose

2010-06-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

- I'm a very big Laker fan. Yesterday's win was one of the most satisfactory moments I've had as a sports fan. Down 13 in the 3rd, the Lakers simply refused to lose to their bitter rivals. Two years ago, the Lakers got demolished and embarrassed by Boston in Game 6 when they suffered a defeat by 39 points. That loss ultimately gave these Lakers a mission and a target. They weren't satisfied after being Champions last year, they wanted the Celtics again and that wish was granted. Grinding it out in a seven game series, the Lakers have effectively finished this Celtics team. They had a three year run, and the Lakers won two titles in those three years. Their team will not be the same, and they could very well just be pretenders for the next few years. And that thought makes me giddy and also think about Arsenal.

- That pure hatred of the Celtics is something that this Arsenal team needs to learn. They need to hate United and Chelsea as much as the Lakers hated the Celtics. Simply put, despite the pretend friendly behavior, these two teams hated each other. Arsenal have been embarrassed by plenty of teams in the past few years, but the hunger to prove them wrong has been absent to me. They feel devastated because they've lost a big game, not because they lost to United or Chelsea. Some of that was felt this year when the Scum repelled a Robin van Persie purple patch. When we lost to Scum this year, I felt the same way when the Lakers lost in 2008. What is missing from this team is that type of passion on a consistent basis.

- Who has that sort of passion in this Arsenal team? Who has the determination to run through metaphorical brick walls the way Kobe Bryant will (admittedly, I really can't think of any athletes who share that same determination)? I see a few players who may be up to that level: Alex Song, Thomas Vermaelen, Cesc Fabregas, and Robin van Persie. I would include Gallas, but he's clearly not going to be around. Wenger is right to bring this team along in a familial way, but the players need to understand just how far that goes. If you have a team that consistently beats you the way United does, that is the target, to beat them at every single thing possible.

- Make no mistake, I want to finish United. I want to finish Chelsea. I want to finish the Scum. In a less restrictive financial world, that's clearly much harder to do in football than in basketball, but that's what I want from this team.

- To that end, I salute the Lakers for accomplishing their task and reinforcing their refusal to lose.

- I've enjoyed the World Cup so far, but I'll be honest and say that I'm starting to miss the Arsenal. After the World Cup finishes, there is only five weeks before the season starts. Bring. It. On.

The 1st Male Camel Toe

2010-06-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

John O'Shea the Manchester United defender refuses to tell anyone the name of his dogs, claiming that they have a right to privacy.

John O'Shea is a cunt.

The 1934 World Cup was held in Italy. Mussolini was Italy's fascist dictator. Hitler was running Germany. America was still going through the Great Depression. I've never known what's so great about depression. When I was 20, this Dutch bird dumped me. She said I was a shit shag. I was depressed for weeks. I wouldn't call it "great."

Anyway, in the 1934 World Cup in Italy, it took the Brazil squad 13 days by boat to get there. On the way they docked at Barcelona and picked up the Spanish squad who duly knocked them out in the second round. Now that's what I call a cunt.

Talking of cunts, Raymond Domenech has a lot to answer for. Here's a coach who has Europe's best players at his disposal, yet somehow manages to make a complete dogs dinner of them. No Nasri, no Benzema, no Vieira in his squad. He never played Cisse or Henry today. In the past he never played Pires because he's a Scorpio. The French FA have a shown themselves up by hiring this weirdo. Tunisian fans must be worried.

So Arsenal face Liverpool away for their first game of the Premiership season. My opinion about playing teams away in the north west - it's better to play them in the Spring or Summer. The weather is conducive to Arsenal's style of play and the pitches are in better condition. One place in particular that has absolute shite weather is Blackburn. I was pleased that we play them at Ewood Puke in August and not November - Arsenal's worst month regarding results.

Well done Lakers

Keep it Arsenal

Win Them All

2010-06-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

- There are 9 players at this World Cup who could achieve the ultimate triumph.

- They are Dejan Stankovic, Samuel Eto'o, Wesley Sneijder, Sulley Muntari, Diego Milito, Walter Samuel, Lucio, Julio Cesar, and Maicon.

- They have won Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League. Additionally, the Brazilians have also won the Confederations Cup to start the year.

- If one of them were to win the World Cup, I don't think you could argue that they've had one hell of a year. They deserve a lot of credit.

Post Match View - Brazil vs North Korea FIFA World Cup Finals 2010

2010-06-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

For the purists, the tournament officially started Tuesday. Brazil won their opener 2-1 over North Korea. The five time, five time, five time, five time, five time world champions did just enough to get by the disciplined North Koreans. Arguments that Brazil can be beaten will be fueled by what some are calling a "lucky" escape.

I wouldn't go that far but the North koreans did make the final few minutes interesting after a very good goal by Ji Yun-nam. Just before that goal, Lucio and Juan had taken part in the attack as Brazil kept going forward in seach of a third. The irony is that Dunga's Brazil will probably not be remembered for attacking flair as much as efficiency. Yet with a two-goal lead they never stopped attacking, even with less than ten minutes left on the clock.

I will remind the anti Dunga brigade that the goals and flair they want more of won't come if they don't attack. I don't care if they conceded a late goal. You can't have it both ways.

Even Franz Beckenbauer has criticized Dunga's approach. He feels that the world want colorful, rhythmic, jogo bonito. Yes, I agree. I want that too but it's time to leave Dunga alone and let him coach his team as he sees fit. The North Korean goal was not from the type of indiscipline that Junior displayed in that famous defeat to Italy in 1982. It resulted from the Asian side playing until the final whistle and not taking anything for granted.

The French would love a Dunga instead of a Domenech. The English were panicking after that dismal display against the US. Some are calling for Capello to change his ways or to step down. What ever that means.

And by the way, the England team (Wayne Rooney included) were their usual disappointing selves against the United States Saturday. I fell asleep during the match. Seriously, it was that boring. I feel that for all the hype, anticipation, expectation, and alleged talent on dispaly, that match was such a disappointment that it set soccer back in the US by about 15 years. I should know. I was there in person in 1993 to see the best US team ever assembled beat an England team that was better than this current version.

Chat later

Fabio, Wayne...Whenever You're Ready Guys

2010-06-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

Whether you like to admit it or not, there's a part of you that likes Jose Mourinho. The man has won Championships in Portugal, Italy and England and the Champions League twice. But this isn't why you like him.

You like his arrogance and the fact that he is a flamboyant exhibitionist. This aspect of Mourinho is a breath of fresh air in a coaching field dominated by stoic men such England's Fabio Capello and USA's ultra boring Bob Bradley.

There is, however, an ugly side to Jose Mourinho. He's a poor loser, his tactics can be extremely negative and he makes caustic statements designed to offend.

In March, 2005, Chelsea lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, Mourinho refused to allow any of his staff to talk to the media after the game and accused the Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard of going into the Swedish referee Anders Frisk room at half-time. Fisk had sent-off Didier Drogba in the match, which led to death threats by Chelsea fans that eventually forced the Swedish official to retire from refereeing early.

In the return leg at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho behaved like a zealot as Chelsea won 4-2.

In October, 2005, Mourinho called Arsene Wenger a "voyeur" after being annoyed by comments from the Frenchman in relation to Chelsea.

In 2007, Mourinho claimed that referees favored Manchester United, which was rejected by Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo. Mourinho then claimed that a lack of education and a difficult childhood were to blame for Ronaldo rejecting his claims. He also suggested that Liverpool's players were going to hunt down Didier Drogba before Chelsea's semi-final Champions League clash with them.

Mourinho didn't take defeat well, when Liverpool won the second leg at Anfield in 2005. He claimed Luis Garcia's controversial goal hadn't crossed the line, even though TV replays proved otherwise. Regardless, Chelsea would have conceded a penalty and their goalkeeper would have been sent-off.

When Mourinho's Inter Milan team beat Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last March, they did so by deploying two strikers - Pandev and Eto'o out wide. This tactic limited the overlapping opportunities of the Chelsea full-backs Ivanovic and Zhirkov. Inter's task would have been more difficult had Ashley Cole or Michael Essien been playing but then every successful manager or team gets luck.

Chelsea should have had a penalty when Walter Samuel hauled down Didier Drogba. Inter were also slightly fortunate against Dynamo Kyiev in the quarter final but you cannot argue that their passage to being Champions of Europe wasn't easy. After all they played Barcelona four times, Chelsea twice and Bayern Munich once.

The President of Real Madrid now has his first Galatico coach. There's no doubt that Mouriho is a remarkable manager, who like Arsene Wenger came from nowhere.

Both coaches are on England's hit list in case Capello fails. Wenger has no interest in the job. For Mourinho, however, the England job is on his "to do list". So is the Manchester United job but the thought of winning the World Cup for England for the first time since World War Two suits Mourinho's ego more.

Mourinho understands that he needs new challenges to stop himself from going stale.

He was forced out of Chelsea because Abramovich insisted on the 30 million pound signing of Andriy Shevchenko, against Mourinho's wishes.

That's something that the President of Real Madrid has to understand. Mourinho, like Wenger, is his own man. But unlike Mourinho, Wenger isn't outspoken or a flamboyant exhibitionist - a trait that they English FA like.

Keep it Arsenal

Who Knew?

2010-06-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

- Who knew that Lukasz Fabianski was English?

- Plenty of people will remember Fabianski's blunder against Porto. The world will remember Robert Green's mistake against the United States. Let's please cross Green's name off of possible transfer targets for Arsenal.

- What is Capello doing? Starting Milner and King and then having to sub them off for medical issues, he could only rely on Crouch as a game changer. Well, come to think of it, Crouch is the only game changer that Capello possesses on the bench. England has no depth.

Post Match View - Argentina v Nigeria FIFA World Cup 2010

2010-06-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

Much like South Africa yesterday, Nigeria could have been blown away in the first half. Defensive blunders, tactical ineptitude, poor concentration, take your pick. The Nigerian defence was guilty of all of the above.

Unlike South Africa though, they did not claim a point from the match. It's not like they didn't have chances. Taiwo went very close and Uche was just a mess in front of goal. His miss on 82 from a fine cross by Yakubu is not what would-be footballers day dream about. We see ourselves placing that shot in the 90.

Diego - who looks as comfortable in a suit as I would have looked in the no. 10 shirt - started Gonzalo Higuain instead of Diego Milito. Higuain did very little to help the world understand that decision.

Carlos Tevez was uncharacteristically quiet. Lionel Messi was typically active. He was too much for Danny Shittu and Joseph Yobo but they were rescued time after time after time by Vincent Enyeama. The Nigerian keeper stopped everything Messi threw at him. He was the difference between an embarrassing score line and a respectable 1-0 reverse.

Some people hate Diego Maradona. I think he's funny. And with a guy who breathes football and lives for it with such passion, it's hard for me to see him in so serious a light that I would judge him as anything but a footballer. I enjoy his enthusiasm. Football is about emotion. Diego embodies that.

As for Nigeria, Yakubu and Martins are a handful for any defence. Lagerback must play them together from the opening whistle. And if he really wants to advance, he must keep the awful Peter Odemwingie off the pitch.

South Korea and Argentina look set to advance from this group but if Enyeama can keep the form he showed today, if Yobo and Shittu get their act together, and if Martins can work with Yakubu from the start, Nigeria could still be in it.

One thing is for sure, they can use a Jay Jay Okocha. This team has no playmaker. If they had someone controlling midfield, Argentina would have suffered a bit more than they did.

England v USA next. I'm looking forward to a memorable one here folks. If the US score first, England could be in trouble. Overall though, I sense that Wayne Rooney is going to leave a mark on Bradley's men that they will not forget.

Chat later.

Post Match View - S. Africa v Mexico FIFA World Cup 2010

2010-06-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Kaizer Chiefs winger Siphiwe Tshabalala has added his name to the record books in grand style. His - the first goal in the first FIFA World Cup Finals on African soil - was as spectacular as the event itself. Mexico would equalize in the second half through a miskick by one of my least favorite players, Rafael Marquez.

If that guy can score in a goal in the FIFA World Cup, anything is possible.

I haven't been my usual self regarding the tournament. I live for this competition. Next to Arsenal, watching the World Cup is as good as it usually gets.

The plight of the poor people who've suffered from the demands of FIFA and the influence of the corporate sector to make South Africa presentable during the month-long tournament should not be overlooked. Yes, that's the way of the world but it is still unacceptable. My ability to separate sport from politics has never been challenged the way it is today.

I don't mean to ruin the experience but it is important to know what happens behind the scenes when billions of dollars are spent yet people continue to go to sleep hungry.

The match was fairly entertaining, even if Giovani Dos Santos reminded Spurs that he really is a decent player after all. To be fair, South Africa should have been blown away in the first half. If the Mexicans weren't so wasteful, it easily could have been 4-0 at the break.

Tshabalala's goal came from a swift South African counter-attack. The finish was top draw. If there are better goals than that in the next month then reserve your tournament review DVD today. Our very own Carlos Vela did put the ball in the back of the net. It was called offsides however. The referee's assistant got it right. In fact, the game was well officiated. Mr. Irmatov and his colleagues did little to suggest they weren't up to the task.

So, France face Uruguay in a little while. As my colleague has pointed out, we are rather partial to Les Bleus at 1886 - not because of the Arsene Wenger/French players connection, it goes back farther than that. It also must be said that as one, we would rather see Raymond Domenech go home.

On a different note, I've heard many references to Thierry Henry's handball even before coverage of the match has begun. I remind people of what Roy Keane said, 'Why did the Irish defence allow the ball to drop in the penalty area?' That was the most apt response in my opinion.

No, Henry should not have handled the ball. Let's not act like he killed someone though. Besides, these things balance themselves in the long run.

Congratulations to South Africa but I imagine they will regret hitting the post in the 90th minute and missing out on all three points.

Last but certainly not least, R.I.P. Zenani Mandela.

Chat later

Watch the Dutch

2010-06-10T23:01:00.001-07:00

- In 2008, Spain broke their duck in international competitions. Cesc Fabregas doesn't get enough credit for their breakthrough. It was Cesc who slotted a penalty past Buffon. It was Cesc's substitution that finally derailed the Russian attack. In 2010, I believe another Arsenal player will have a huge tournament. That player is Robin van Persie.

- Arsenal's loss is Holland's gain. Robin is fresh and ready to prove to the world that he's one of the best players in the world. I believe he has the talent to match Cristiano Ronaldo and others; his problem is that he's frequently injured. That may never change, but the World Cup is only 7 matches.

- With an attacking quartet of van Persie, Sneijder, Robben, and van der Vaart, this team has as much attacking talent as anybody. Their success will also depend on the form of their fullbacks. Gregory van der Wiel is a promising talent, while van Bronckhorst may be past his prime. If you look past the last five World Cup winners, you'll notice they had excellent fullbacks. If the Dutch can stand strong in defense, they can finally claim a World Cup that they deserve.

- Spain and Brazil are strong favorites as well. They cannot be ruled out. I think Spain may be knocked out if they field the wrong personnel, something that may happen because they have so many gifted players. This version of Brazil is what England would like to be. They're remarkably consistent, but I worry about Robinho and Kaka being frustrated during the World Cup.

- As a supporter of Les Bleus, I think you can safely rule out the French as any sort of threat. They could replicate their horrendous 2002 World Cup run.

- Enjoy the tournament. The World Cup is always special.

Suck em' Fabio!

2010-06-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

The last ten finals of the World Cup have been contested by only six countries. That may change this year due to Spain but apart from the European Champions, only countries from the list below will make the final:

Germany

Italy

Holland

France

Argentina

Brazil

The World Cup though, isn't as predictable as some might think. Hungary reached the 1954 final. Sweden the 1958 final and Czechoslovakia the 1962 final. Uruguay beat Brazil in Rio de Janeiro 1-0 against the odds to win the 1950 World Cup.

Upsets do happen.

Twenty years ago, Cameroon nearly went all the way. So did Poland in 1982, Bulgaria 1994 and Turkey 2002.

In 1966, North Korea knocked out Italy after scraping a draw against Chile and then led Portugal 3-0 in the quarter-final, before eventually losing 5-3.

Perhaps the 1982 World Cup in Spain was the most interesting. It signaled the emergence of African football.

Cameroon never lost a game in the 1982 Finals but were still knocked out. They tied all of their three group matches, drawing with Poland, Italy and Peru. Against Peru, Roger Milla had a goal disallowed for offside, even though TV replays showed that Milla was clearly onside when he scored. They were cruelly denied a place in the second round on the basis of having scored fewer goals than Italy, despite both countries having the same goal difference.

Algeria won two group matches in 1982 but were still knocked out. They beat reigning European champions West Germany 2-1 and Chile 3-2. However, they lost 2-0 to Austria, who had also beaten Chile 1-0. Austria were guaranteed qualification to the next stage if they only lost to West Germany by one or two goals. With West Germany beating Chile 4-1, they needed victory in their last group game against the Austrian's to advance. The game finished West Germany 1-0 Austria. The German's scored after 10 minutes and the game descended into a farce, with both teams passing the ball around aimlessly for the rest of the match. It seemed that both the German speaking teams had an unspoken gentleman's agreement, leading to chants of "Fuera, Fuera" (Out, Out) by the mainly Spanish crowd.

This game was widely deplored, even by the Austrian and German fans with one German supporter burning his country's flag in disgust. Algeria protested to FIFA, who once again showed their weakness by allowing the result to stand.

West Germany, however, continued to cause controversy in the 1982 Finals. In their semi-final clash with France, their goalkeeper Harold Schumacher deliberately knocked out the French defender Patrick Battiston. With the game level at 1-1 midway through the second half, Battiston raced clear for a one on one with Schumacher. He poked the ball past the German No.1 only for Schumacher to carry out a flying karate kick on his head, thus breaking his jaw and knocking out two of his teeth. It was arguably the most disgusting challenge in the history of the World Cup. However, Schumacher stayed on the pitch and was not sent-off by the Dutch referee, which to this day is shocking.

In the last minute of the game, France hit the crossbar but went 3-1 ahead in extra time. West Germany, however, came back and equalized with a Klaus Fischer bicycle kick. The Germans then went on to win the penalty shoot-out a feat they repeated against the French in 1986.

Arsenal fans interest in the World Cup starts with Carlos Vela as hosts South Africa play Mexico in the opening game. I have a feeling that this game will be a lot more entertaining than the USA England game the following day.

England give you two things in every World Cup:

i) Very passionate fans that dress up and get hammered;

ii) Unjustified hype.

If England win the World Cup there will be a media love fest, England fans will detonate, Fabio Capello will be Knighted by the Queen, so will Wayne Rooney and you will be bored as fuck knowing that for the rest of your life you will have to endure songs about the 3 Lions and their World Cup win in 2010.

Enjoy the next month.

Keep it Arsenal

Kick ‘em When They’re Down

2010-06-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

I generally don’t care about other clubs’ affairs. As long as their interests don’t interfere with ours, we can live in relative peace. However, if you know me any at all, you know that I detest Manchester United.

I hate Manchester United Football Club more than Ryan Giggs hates Arsenal.

I want to see them fail. I want their arrogant, self-righteous, spoilt fans to suffer. I read with glee, the following bits from a World Soccer article posted yesterday:

· Manchester United's owners are £1.1bn in debt - £400m more than previously known - after borrowing against their shopping mall business.

· Mortgage documents seen by the programme (BBC Panorama) show that the Glazers have borrowed £388m ($570m) against shopping malls and £66m ($95m) against their American National Football League team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

· A portion of the Glazer family's £700m Manchester United debt will soon see them charged interest at a rate of 16.25%.

· Cristiano Ronaldo has not been replaced by a player of similar quality. Yet ticket prices have gone up by more than a third.

Note: It can be argued that there aren’t many players of Ronaldo’s ability but point taken.

· Mr. Green (City analyst Andy Green, 37, is the Manchester United supporter who first uncovered the extent of the Glazers' debts) found mortgages - confirmed by the BBC - on 63 of 64 First Allied shopping centres [owned by the Glazers], totalling £388m ($570m).

· Four shopping centres - one each in Ohio, New Mexico, Texas and Georgia - have already gone bankrupt.

· When they bought Manchester United in 2005, the Glazer family borrowed £500m and paid the remaining £272 million in cash. Mr Green found that the Glazers had remortgaged 25 of their shopping centres in the six months before the takeover.

Am I a spiteful, envious Arsenal fan with too much time on his hands? If you are a United fan, you’ve probably already condemned me as such so there is no use trying to convince you otherwise. For the record however, I am none of the above. I am simply someone who has suffered mightily from defeats and abuse by United and their fans. In general, their fans back and embody the manager’s attitude.

I have witnessed and felt the effects of Ferguson’s disproportionate influence on referees. I’ve seen blind eyes turned by match, league, and FA officials when Horse-face nearly took Ashley Cole’s leg off by the knee, when Gary Neville kicked Jose Reyes out of the EPL, literally, and when Scholes has repeatedly shown that he tackles with as much skill as I (try to) play golf – virtually none. I’ve seen Wayne Rooney dive time after time with impunity. His record for dissent is a joke, even when just a few seasons ago, there was a push to curb if not eradicate the appalling (admittedly sometimes deserved) treatment that refs receive. I’ve seen Ferguson demand extra, extra time when his team are down late in matches. And it has been granted. WTF!?!?

Let’s be clear though, Manchester United have set the standards in many ways and they are managed by a legend in Alex Ferguson, but for every accolade, there are ten negatives attributable to him, the fans, and club. Taggart famously said that he was keen on “knocking Liverpool off their bloody perch”. It’s time he looked in the mirror.

Think back to all the spoilt child-like rants and adolescent petulance we’ve witnessed from that man. At least Wenger admits he is a sore loser. At least Wenger faces the press whether he has won or lost. And what of the kid glove treatment Ferguson gets from the media, regardless of how much enmity he has for them?

I remember being looked at like I had two heads when I announced in a pub that I would rather see Chelsea win the league if Arsenal couldn’t win it. Those who heard me and couldn’t believe that I would say such a thing clearly don’t get the Arsenal/United rivalry. My United wounds are deep. Their fans hate us. Their players hate us. Fuck them!

All is fair in love and war and all that (not that I liken football to war) so I feel no remorse for the unbridled hatred I have for that shit club. I hope that they collapse under the weight of debt the Glazers have craftily put them under.

Goo’on the Yanks!

I am happier than a pig in shit, knowing that our financial position is manageable and theirs gets worse by the day. And again, it isn’t sour grapes and envy for the many trophies they’ve won. We have our issues but finances are not the most dire.

People need to remember that Arsene Wenger may be stubborn to a fault but he is an economist by trade. In the main, he is very level-headed and has the club’s best interest in mind. We’ve not won trophies recently but look at how we manage our money. Unless you’ve been on Uranus for the past five to ten years, you’ll have noticed that the Arsenal’s status as a major force in club football has gained significant momentum. That momentum needs to result in trophies. No doubt about it, but we are not living on the edge like most top clubs are doing. Never take that for granted, especially in the current economic environment.

Would you prefer to be in our position or that of a club with massive, massive debt that they cannot control? Or maybe worse yet, to be like a club with loads of cash but coming from a sugar daddy like Chelsea or Manchester City, instead of having a self-sustainable plan?

We aren’t perfect. We aren’t nearly as successful as we’d like to be. I have lost faith in many players in the current squad, but things could be much worse. United have a massive debt that is growing. I hope it gets even worse.

Keep the Faith.

Someone's Had Their Eyebrows Waxed

2010-06-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm now so bored of stories related to Cesc Fabregas impending transfer to Barcelona, that I don't bother reading any. Arsenal have already been down this road with Nicolas Anelka, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry. The common denominator in all three players being Real Madrid and Barcelona and their illegal tactics to try and force Arsenal to sell a player they want to keep.

If a star player wants to leave, there's not much a club can do to keep him. You can offer him an new improved contract, promise to sign better players or even change the formation of the team to suit him. If that fails, then you have to let him go and try to get a good transfer fee. That's the difficult part.

Arsenal have obviously done their best to keep Cesc but the young Spaniard wants to join his boyhood club. Now it's over to Ivan Gazidis to show us why Arsenal signed him. Business is his forte, being a tough negotiator must be something that he's very good at. Arsenal fans await the results.

With Cesc leaving for a large transfer fee, Arsenal will have to fill a void. The first thing that fans have to realize is that you can't replace Cesc. There is no like for like. But if Wenger is under immense pressure to sign big name players, then when Cesc departs, that pressure will increase tenfold.

Cesc isn't the only jewel in Arsenal's crown. Robin van Persie is the other. His injuries, however, have prevented Arsenal fans from seeing him consistently sparkle. The World Cup will no doubt bring out the best in the Dutchman and perhaps make Arsenal fans forget about losing Cesc. I wouldn't bet against Van Persie winning the Golden Boot - and what you don't get with the ex-Feynoord striker is a desire to eventually move back to his boyhood club.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are detestable when it comes to pursuing a player under a long-term contract with another club. FIFA and UEFA have shown themselves to be weak when it comes to policing the "tapping up" of players. The use of current Barcelona players to "persuade" Cesc to join is a way around this problem but it shows a lack of respect to Arsenal.

The replacement for Fabregas is now the talk of all Gooners. A friend of mine in London told me that Yoann Gourcuff would be signing for Arsenal today. Yesterday, I sent a text to a friend in New York telling him of the news. Gourcuff is in South Africa with the French squad preparing for the World Cup. All French players have been banned from taking part in any transfer negotiations. It's now Tuesday in Europe. Gourcuff still hasn't signed for Arsenal, and I now look like a clown.

The "Silly Season" is addictive but leaves you feeling empty. The best way to get through it, is to ignore it. The January transfer window is a lot easier to handle because the regular domestic season is still being played, but without any Arsenal matches to digest, the summer transfer season consumes most of my attention.

That's why Friday's opening World Cup matches can't come soon enough. Until then the NBA Finals will help pass the time as I try to stop myself from getting caught up in rumors on whether Joe Cole or Joe Hart have signed for Arsenal.

It's now time for me to stop looking like a clown.

Keep it Arsenal

I Can Wait

2010-06-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

Below are two stories that "link" us to Joe Cole of Chelsea. Each one says something entirely different from the other. Take your pick which to believe. If it is going to happen - and yes, I want Joe Cole - I can wait until it is posted officially on the Arsenal website.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=792969&sec=transfers&cc=5901

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1284309/Arsenal-boss-Arsene-Wenger-beat-Manchester-City-race-Chelsea-midfielder-Joe-Cole.html

Joe Cole will bring experience, ability, and versatility to our lineup. He will also add more competition for places. Perhaps that will help to improve Theo. Seeing Cole in training everyday cannot hurt. Being rejected by Capello might not be enough to put Theo at the level we need him to be.

If he does come to Arsenal, Cole will be another Englishman in our squad. I don't care about nationality. I care about Arsenal Football Club. Let's be clear however, another Englishman will help the young English players coming through.

All that said, you are a grade A moron if you think Cole is a priority. Our priorities remain CB, holding midfileder to back up the excellent Alex Song, and TWO, not one, TWO fucking goalkeepers who don't have second jobs as clowns or walk fluffy little poodles with their Mrs.

Keep the Faith.

Fair?

2010-06-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

- Joan Laporta yesterday claimed that a "fair market value" for Cesc is 35 million euros. Sounds like they really want you Cesc. Meanwhile, Barcelona themselves are asking 36 million euros for Yaya Toure, a 27 year old who was virtually a reserve for them last year. They sure have a real grasp on reality. The ugly side of Barcelona becomes more and more repulsive every day.

- Didier Drogba may miss the World Cup. Michael Essien will miss the World Cup. My distaste for Chelsea excluded, it's a shame that two of the finest African players will miss the first World Cup in Africa.

- Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand is also out for England. Now that Theo is out of the squad, I could care less about what Fabio Capello does with this group with zero depth. Just watch the United States frustrate them.

Protests by Liverpool Fans Go Into Overdrive

2010-06-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

Night time protest marches through the streets. The burning of the American flag. Liverpool fans are angry and they blame Liverpool's American owners for their woe.

Liverpool are currently $516 million in debt.

Hicks and Gillett bought Liverpool for $293 million making false promises on building a new stadium and providing a big transfer fund.

With Benitez stepping down, after agreeing a severance payment, Liverpool will now have to find a manger that will provide stability to a club that is on the verge of a crisis. The new manager will have to persuade stars like Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard to stay, otherwise Liverpool's hopes of finishing in the top four will again fade.

Taking on the Liverpool job is not as attractive as it was when Benitez agreed to be their manager back in 2004. Today, the football world is a lot more ruthless. The gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" has widened. You can't stay out of the Champions League for too long, otherwise you will be left behind with the Europa League hyenas - desperate to break into the top four.

A couple of years ago, Jose Mourinho would have taken the Liverpool job. Not now. A manager like Mourinho demands a lot money to buy players, otherwise he won't sign. Liverpool cannot guarantee a big transfer fund.

Instead of being a buying club, this summer Liverpool will probably start being a selling club - a major problem but understandable if you're in the amount of debt that Liverpool are in.

Unless a new mega-rich owner arrives soon - paying off Liverpool's massive debt and also pumping millions into building a new team and stadium - then I can only see decline.

Usmanov and his Red & White Holdings now have a 27% share of Arsenal. Let's hope that they don't borrow money in order to wrestle control of Arsenal. Saddling a club with your own private debt is criminal. You only have to witness the protests by Liverpool and Manchester United fans on that subject to make you realize what a good job Arsenal have done financially. Let's pray that Kroenke and Usmanov don't do a Glazer or Hicks/Gillett and put Arsenal into mega debt.

Last Word:

Chris Waddle has heavily criticized Theo Walcott. True, Walcott hasn't progressed in the way that many thought he would. Injuries haven't helped but Theo hasn't blamed injuries for his poor season. Walcott though can walk with his head held high on one thing though - his England hat-trick against Croatia in Zagreb. What did Chris Waddle do in his career at aged 20? He certainly didn't score a hat-trick in Croatia for his country. People forget how old Walcott is. Perhaps his England rejection will do him good. I think it will.

Keep it Arsenal

Theo Axed by Capello - So What?

2010-06-02T04:28:00.001-07:00

I don't feel sorry for Theo Walcott. I support him as an Arsenal player but indifference is probably the best description for how I feel about him. His exclusion from the England team makes no difference to me. I only care about him living up to the hype that once made signing him seem like a good move.

A guy once told me that I want Theo to fail. Silly! I wanted Senderos to do well for Arsenal, no matter how much I disapproved of him. I want anyone who wears the Arsenal shirt to do well. Theo is no exception.

William Gallas was vilified when he made true statements about Walcott. Chris Waddle has stated that Theo doesn't have a football brain. Fabio Capello has done what any sensible coach would do.

If Theo ever becomes the player we thought we paid for, splendid! But really, would you bet your house on it? Risky at best at this point.

If he learns the things he was supposed to learn from being deployed wide right, tremendous! Maybe then we'll see more consistency from him. That would be magnificent.
In the meantime, he can work on improving his strength. The decision making part is kinda tricky though. I wish I had an answer.

And if all else fails, he can continue writing children's books. Come to think of it, Theo looks like the type who has never been late returning library books. That said, here's some recommended summer reading for our no. 14:

-Bambi by Siegmund Salzmann
-Fox In Socks by Dr. Seuss and Theodore Geisel
-The Good Lion by Don Brown
-The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man by Lloyd Alexander
-My Inner Child Wrote a Best Seller by Joseph Digangi
-Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
-Coaching for Character by Craig Clifford and Randolph Feezell
-The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self by Alice Miller
-The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald and Mercer Mayer
-Tell Me What It's Like to Be Big by Joyce Dunbar and Debi Gliori
-Lift Every Voice: Expecting the Most and Getting the Best From All of God's Children by Walter Turnbull and Howard Manly
-Go for the Goal: Techniques and Strategies for the Complete Soccer Player by Stuart Murray

Keep the Faith.

Walcott Alarm Clock

2010-06-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

- In a huge surprise, Theo Walcott was omitted from the England National Team. Four years ago, he was taken to the World Cup after making zero appearances for Arsenal. Now, after being a staple of Capello’s team, he was brutally axed from the National Team. Was he performing at a high level? Undisputedly not. Did Shaun Wright-Phillips or Michael Carrick do enough to impress anybody at all? Not really. Walcott’s apparently failure to listen to orders is what did him in. Regardless, Theo thought an elaborate prank was being pulled on him when he was told he was being left off the final roster. This is Theo’s make or break moment.

- Chris Waddle’s comments have been thrown around again. Of more interest is Martin Keown’s comments:
“Under Capello it seemed as if he has been getting it right in the main, under Wenger, no, there has been a problem, whether or not that is the coaches’ fault, it has to be the players, he has just not played enough games.”
That in itself is an alarming comment. Theo is in the best possible environment for a young player’s development. The idea that he’s not improving at all is the worst possible picture of Walcott.

- Before the season started, Walcott was engaged in a tug of war between Arsenal and Stuart Pearce. To enhance his profile, Pearce desperately sought for Walcott’s involvement in the U-21 World Cup. The point of the youth internationals is not necessarily to win a trophy, although that is a fine thing as well. It is to produce players for the senior squad, just as it is at Arsenal. Instead, Walcott was taken, he did nothing of note, was benched for a game, and he came back with zero rest. Wenger gave him an extended break, but his body broke down against Valencia and he hasn’t been the same since. Theo didn’t complain when he was called up, he volunteered like the good soldier he thinks he is. What Theo needs to recognize is that the people who care about him the most is Arsenal Football Club. Why? Because we pay his wages.

- I don’t care if Walcott wasn’t good enough for the England National Team. I only care about his involvement with Arsenal. Regardless, he has been patchy and ineffective this year. Everybody knows that to be true. But why did Capello decide to play a ruse on Walcott? Almost everybody in the media believed that Walcott was a guarantee for the National Team, despite his obvious lack of form. Capello recently said that nothing in the past few fixtures changed his mind about who was his first 23 players were. Theo clearly thought he was going to make the squad, and instead, he’s probably devastated. Meanwhile, players who have not shone for England at an international level (Carrick and Wright-Phillips), players who are out of form (Heskey, Carrick, Upson, and more), and a player who has only played six minutes for England in total (Warnock) were picked. What is Capello doing? People can praise his ruthlessness, but he’s doing a terrible job in public relations. Tactically, Capello is one of the best. In the last few weeks, the England curse has descended upon Capello.

- I don’t care if Walcott is out of form; I wouldn’t take Wright-Phillips over him. What made Capello decide that Walcott couldn’t be an impact sub? Who are the players who can change a game for England on the bench? This team is destined to fail.

- Let’s bring it all back to what we actually care about. Theo and Arsenal FC. This is the defining moment in Walcott’s career. He’s hardly done anything of note for Arsenal. He’s been abandoned by Capello and England in the harshest way. It’s time to wake the fuck up or make a career for himself on a team like Aston Villa. He has the best environment around him. He has Arsene Wenger. He will still have Fabio Capello. He has good parents. In the last year, whether it’s because of injuries or something else, he’s not improved at all. His electric cameo against Barcelona lets people see a glimpse into what is possible, but every other appearance shows you just how far he has to go. When a moment like this smacks you in the face, players of the highest caliber decide to run through brick walls. I don’t know if Theo has what it takes, but if this doesn’t wake him up, nothing will.

- I have pity for the boy, but it’s a rude reminder. Time waits for nobody. Theo, next season is your senior year.

Cunt

2010-05-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

The England squad is announced tomorrow - who gives a fuck. I have more interest in Lindsay Lohan's social life.

Mourinho has been unveiled as Real Madrid boss. So now Real Madrid have a Galatico coach. What we are witnessing here is the rule of Conservative coaching in the football world. Brazil have Dunga who is the George Bush of Brazilian coaches. He has picked more defensive midfielders than any other Brazilian World Cup squad. We have Fabio Cappello who was fired by Real Madrid - even after winning La Liga - for being too defense minded. England under Capello will win games 1-0 from corners and having 33% possession. Rafa Benitez is wanted by Inter Milan even though his teams have never played with flair. Giovanni Trapatonni has made Ireland tactically better but as a consequence boring to watch. Then we have Mourinho at Madrid - a man who delivers trophies but whose teams play with the style of Walmart and the swagger of ESPN. Efficiency will rule unless men like Wenger and Pep Guardilola gain control.

Tanzania paying $2.5 to play Brazil in a friendly. The cheapest ticket is $25 for a country where the average worker earns less than $1 a day. The Brazilian football federation should hang their head in shame. Cunts.

Glazers refusing to sell and Red Knights drop "Man United bid." I really don't care about Man United. For all I care, if they end up in the same situation as Crystal Palace - liquidation/extinction - I really wouldn't give a toss. They bought success and became more successful. Their owners then got greedy and sold out to make a fortune. The new owners looked at Man United as a cash cow and borrowed money to buy they club - knowing that mugs like Red Knights will buy a club heavily in debt in order to save it. The Glazers want to make money out of Man United. I hope that Stan Kroenke intentions with regard to Arsenal are different.

UEFA President Michel Platini has passed rules which will mean that football clubs - such as Portsmouth - will have to operate within their means. Clubs will only be able to spend what they generate. Big cash injections from sugar daddy cunts like the pimp owners of Chelsea and Manchester City will be restricted by UEFA's Fair Play Plan. The system will come into full force in 2014 after being phased in. Clubs are required to restructure themselves over the next three seasons so they are financially solvent.

Clubs owning money to their rival clubs, players and staff or the tax authorities at the end of season will be punished. 50% of football clubs in Europe are making losses, while 20% are in financial peril.

There is a downside:

Money invested in stadiums and youth development will not be included in the number crunching. Big transfer fees can still be paid but clubs will need to generate sufficient funds through ticket sales, TV money and commercial revenue.

Joe Cole
If he signs for us great. He is very skillful. He is from Islington/Camden. He has experience. Does his arrival mean the end for Arshavin or Walcott? We need a goalkeeper. Let's stay focused on that position first.

Keep it Arsenal

1886 Salutes The Bermuda Gooners

2010-05-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

I've been fortunate enough to visit the beautiful island called Bermuda. Equally fortunate was my chance to meet some Bermuda Gooners. I'm proud to say that the Arsenal brand is in good hands down there.

Yes Poopah, we are well represented in Bermie.

Safe!

Reviewing the Attack

2010-05-28T23:12:00.001-07:00

- Robin van Persie - The picture above indicates exactly when our season began to go awry. That's not to say that we were in sterling form before the injury. We dropped points in games we should have closed out (West Ham) and lost games we shouldn't have (Sunderland). It's all too clear now that the 4-3-3 system was installed to bring the best out of Cesc, but the player that made it all work was Robin van Persie. One of the best False Nine's in the game, Holland, with all of their prodigious attacking talent, is now effectively built around Robin van Persie. He didn't score for the first few games, but when he got going, he banged in goals and created them as well. Even after missing a substantial chunk of the season, van Persie finished with 9 goals and 7 assists in 16 appearances. He was becoming one of the best strikers in the world. When he got injured, we literally lost the one person that we had no cover for. Not really. Bendtner can play as a target man, but he doesn't link play as well, doesn't terrify defenders when dribbling forward, and lacks the Dutchman's technique. Our scoring ratio dipped massively after his injury, where once people were writing about how we might break a century of goals in the Premier League, Chelsea actually went out and achieved that. The lack of cover is one of Wenger's crucial mistakes. I believe that he wanted to bring in Chamakh before the season started, but refused to be held ransom by Bordeaux, a team we had difficulty with before (the signing of Sylvain Wiltord). Clearly, he has the talent to be one of the finest players in the world, but can he stay healthy enough. It's a real question that needs to be answered. Before this season, he made 28 appearances in the Premier League. That was a career high for him. I love Robin, but going forward, we need a true contingency plan.

- Nicklas Bendtner - When Robin van Persie went down, Nicklas Bendtner was given his opportunity to shine. However, he quickly got injured as well. That is what you call a terrible stroke of luck. After people clamored for Wenger to splash the cash in January, Bendtner's recovery from his injury is what people had to settle for. Bendtner is a player people love to hate. He's confident to the point of arrogance. He doesn't possess a great first touch. He occasionally misses sitters. However, if Wenger had signed a forward that scored 9 goals in 12 appearances, I'm sure people would have been more than pleased with his signing. Because that's what Bendtner did for us when he came back from his injury. That doesn't include his hat trick of missed chances against Burnley. Say what you will about the man. Say that he only scored against teams like Wolves (I don't recall anybody else for us scoring on that day). Say that he isn't as good as he thinks he is. The bottom line is, he's 22 years old and going to the World Cup as his country's No. 1 striker. I don't know what Chamakh's arrival does for Bendtner, but this is not a player you give up on.

- Eduardo - I don't want to bring back bad memories, but to me, it's clear that Martin Taylor effectively ended Eduardo's days of elite form. When he came back, he scored an outrageous goal with his ankle. That could only have given us Gooners hope that he would come back as strong as ever. But do you know what I see? I see a player who doesn't have the confidence he once had, and a player who is afraid when he is on the pitch. He doesn't strike through the ball when he knows an opposition player is near. I'm not saying it's actively on his brain, but it's playing a part regardless. I feel for Eduardo. I want him to come back and be the marksman he was with Zagreb. But being cutthroat, I think his days may be numbered. Between the "new" Eduardo and the frustrating Carlos Vela, I'd have to choose the latter if given a choice for the future.

- Carlos Vela - That's not to suggest that I'm pleased with Vela at all. This boy has talent in abundance. That is clear to anybody who watched the U-17 Championships that he participated in and won the Golden Boot in. It's clear to anybody who's seen all the beautiful goals he scored in the Carling Cup. But take that out of the equation and examine his performances in the Premier League and what do you see? He's missed a few sitters. He's hardly made an impact. He's not been what Wenger thought he would be. This is a player who terrorized Real Madrid when he played for Osasuna. Instead, he missed the biggest game of his life because he misplaced his passport. He's scored more beautiful chips than sitters. I thought he could provide an impact, but maybe it's our formation that's not bringing out the best in him. But, I need to see something before I can judge that. When he plays for Mexico, he is an influential player. He needs to show something next year, or he'll be sold for a nice fee to a La Liga club very soon.

- Andrey Arshavin - Labelled by a disappointment this year by many, he's had the odd distinction of being better immediately on arrival than after the crucial six month adaptation process. I think most people are disappointed because they expect world class performances from Arshavin in every game. That's a legitimate thing to ask since he is world class when he wants to be. When going against a defender like Jonathan Spector, Arshavin should shred him at every opportunity. It just doesn't happen as frequently as we'd like. But, he had 10 goals and 2 assists in the Premier League this year, along with 7 assists in Europe, so he wasn't exactly worthless. His performance against Porto in the second leg was one of the best by any Arsenal player this year. I also have the suspicion that he was injured for most of the year, not in a crucial way, but enough to make a difference. Like his openness or not, he revealed things about the Arsenal medical staff that must be addressed. We've lost two crucial medical members to Fabio Capello and England. It's too early to label him a permanent disappointment, and if Cesc leaves, he'll be one of the player we need to rely on the most.

- One thing needs to be pointed out about this review. Notice how there are only five players listed. Yes, Theo, Nasri, and Rosicky have all played on the wings. I think it's clear though that we need wingers and forwards, especially considering that two of the five are injury risks. People used to chastise Wenger for stockpiling strikers. All of a sudden, on paper, we don't have enough. That needs to be addressed.

If You Spend Too Much Time in Bolton, You Start to Look Like the Locals

2010-05-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

Jack Wilshire wants regular first team football next season with a Premiership club.

Bolton are offering him such a wish.

Arsenal are looking for a centre-back - preferably an English one due to UEFA's home grown player rule, which only affects clubs playing in the Champions or Europa Leagues.

Bolton have Gary Cahill - an Aston Villa cast-off who failed to make the England World Cup squad. This lowers his price in the transfer market.

But what's the going rate?

Chris Smalling, who has only played 13 times for Fulham and four times for the England Under-21's, cost Manchester United 8 million pounds plus a further 2 million depending on appearances for United and England.

Smalling is 20, while Cahill is 24 and only has one England Under 21 cap but over 80 Premiership appearances.

Understandably, Bolton do not want to lose their best defender, just like Arsenal don't want to sell Cesc Fabregas. Sometimes you just have accept defeat and try to get the best compensation package from the resulting transfer.

The possible key to the Cahill transfer is if Arsenal loan Jack Wilshire to Bolton for another season.

The Gunners are in danger of losing their creative midfielders with Fran Merida signing for Athletico Madrid, Fabregas wanting to sign for Barcelona and Aaron Ramsey eight months away from a possible first team action.

If Fabregas leaves then his departure will leave Arsenal with only three attacking central midfielders:

Nasri, Rosicky and Diaby.

Arshavin could play in that role but his tracking back and marking-up are weak, while Rosicky is too injury prone and lightweight, especially in away games.

The other two players whom I failed to mention are Henri Lansbury - who has just spent a season on loan in the Championship with Watford - and Jay Emmanuel Thomas (JET). However, even though Arsenal rate both players highly, they're both inexperienced at the Premiership level and will probably only be used as Carling/FA Cup players or sent out on loan again.

Wilshire is seen as a better fit for the attacking central midfield role. He has an eye for a through ball, he likes to "get stuck in" and has shown with Bolton that he can take the physical demands of the Premiership.

If Fabregas stays at Arsenal, then the Cahill deal looks likely with Wilshire heading off to the Reebok Stadium. If he leaves, then Wilshire will probably stay and fight for his first team place. But Wilshire will demand to be loaned out - Newcastle also want him - unless Wenger can give him first team guarantees.

The centre-back position is now a game of poker. Four senior centre-backs are out of contract in a month. Silvestre and Senderos have not been offered new contracts. Campbell and Gallas have, although the latter will probably reject it. This leaves Vermaelen and Djourou as Arsenal's two most experienced centre-backs. This helps Gallas and Campbell's hand with both players wanting better contracts.

Campbell is now considering a move to Celtic who have offered him a two year contract. However, Campbell would rather stay another year at Arsenal but wants guarantees of more playing time and better bonuses. If Campbell and Gallas both leave then Bolton have the upper hand at the negotiating table regarding Cahill. Wenger, therefore, might decide to go abroad in order to obtain his centre-backs and thus retain Wilshire. It's interesting that Newcastle are offering Stuart Taylor as bait for Wilshire.

The signing of Chamakh has helped Wenger's hand in the strikers department. Wenger tried to sign the Moroccan last summer to replace Adebayor. Both players have a lot of similarities in playing style but Chamakh is a cross between Bendtner and Adebayor. Bendtner showed against Barcelona that he's not world class - even though he thinks that he is. His ego is big and it's not just due to the young Dane wearing pink boots or insisting on having the No. 52 shirt.

In Denmark, Bendtner is a huge celebrity due to his romance with multi millionaire Danish Princess, Caroline Fleming who is 13 years his senior. She has two children aged six and three from her previous marriage which netted her 400 million pounds. Bendtner often stays at her Valdemars Castle, which has four museums and 21 art galleries within its walls. The Danish striker is madly in love and will not be happy unless he starts as Arsenal's central striker. Being a sub and sleeping in Valdemars Castle don't quite match up.

What doesn't help Arsenal with regards to Bendtner is that his dad is his agent, plus he's Denmark's only goal threat in Group E where they will face Japan, Holland and Cameroon. If Bendtner has a good World Cup, his ego will grow, thus hiding weaknesses in his game. His first touch is poor - not as good as Chamakh's - and his chances to goals ratio is average.

The truth is that Chamakh is a better more experienced player than Bendtner and also has less of an ego. The fact that he has played six seasons in Le Championnat and is fluent in French will help him fit in faster. He is currently looking to buy a house in the Hampstead area, and with Morocco not involved in the World Cup, he has nothing to distract his move.

Bendtner is useful. He scored vital goals when Van Persie was injured. He's also getting better but I see danger signs. It wouldn't surprise me if he demands a move next summer. However, I can only see Aston Villa or Everton coming in for him unless he improves dramatically. If he does improve than a club like Bayern Munich would fit his style and suit his ego.

But dating a Princess doesn't make you a King, while scoring against Stoke, Wolves and Hull doesn't suddenly turn you into Michael Laudrup.

Keep it real, Niklas.

Keep it Arsenal

1886 Salutes The Greatest

2010-05-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

Obrigado Pele!

Reviewing the Midfield

2010-05-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

- Cesc Fabregas - Our captain. He apparently wants out of Arsenal, and the last month of the season is probably the reason why. The 4-3-3 formation was installed to get the best out of our Catalan. That's precisely what it did. Cesc delivered with goals and assists. His injury situation meant that he missed crucial stretches, but nobody can forget his thrilling cameo against Aston Villa and inspirational 2nd half against pompous Barcelona. I can understand why he wants out. In all of his years, he's only won an FA Cup and a Community Shield. Meanwhile, everybody whispering in his ear are winning trophies. I think he should stay, but if he really wants out and Barcelona are willing to pay more than they're willing to, then he'll depart. He'll be fondly remembered by me when he does, but his Arsenal career will remain slightly lacking (even if that's not his fault).

- Aaron Ramsey - It seemed as though whenever Ramsey was gifted an appearance with the first choice XI, he failed to impress. He was alright in patches, but he failed to impose himself in any way. He started to deliver on his promise in Carling Cup matches and international appearances with Wales. With Denilson regressing, he was given the opportunity to start alongside Cesc and started to come into his own. He remains very young and is one of the most promising prospects in British football. It's a great tragedy that Shawcross broke his leg and derailed his career for six to eight months. If Cesc leaves, I could see Ramsey becoming an important player for Arsenal in the next two to three years.

- Abou Diaby - This guy is an enigma to me. At times, he's a dominating midfielder who has silky control of the ball. Other times, he's injured, ineffective, or absent. He's made the France World Cup squad though, so this season will be seen as a positive one by some. I would strongly suggest that he faded during the close of the season in a way that was extremely disconcerting. I thought that he could make a vital difference against Barcelona. I was dead wrong. We know all about Diaby's strengths; I'm not sure we know anything about his heart. He should punish the opposition by dribbling forward with power and tackling with precision. I have the distinct feeling that he can only do that against weaker opposition. He has the talent; does he have the willpower?

- Samir Nasri - He missed the early part of the season through injury and has just missed out on a spot in the France national team. Does he belong on the squad more than Diaby does? If you start from scratch, yes. If you look at the needs of the France team, maybe not. Regardless, if the decision was made before the Barcelona match, he would have made the squad. Again, another player who came up short in the period that mattered the most. Often shunted to the wing, his play there has often suggested that we may actually need to sign more offensive players, namely strikers and wingers. He plays better centrally (as every gifted player does due to a wider space to play in), but when he was handed the keys after Cesc's injury, the machine did not run smoothly enough. He may be given that role permanently if Cesc departs, but he's more of a foil player. To be fair, he hasn't been played in a central midfield role alongside a player like Cesc, and that is where he might perform best. On the wing, I'm not certain he provides anything more than good link-up play.

- Theo Walcott - On the plus side, it looks like he'll make a nice living as a writer of children's books. On the negative, he hasn't improved at all. He's brittle, doesn't cross particularly well, and fades during matches. Despite all this, I still feel as though we could fetch 15 million pounds for him if we sold him. I might be delusional, but if he's effective in the World Cup, somebody may take that chance. That would result in a 6 million pound profit. He still retains electric pace and can make decent enough runs. The problem is, there are large stretches where you don't see him on the pitch at all. He's not like Ivica Olic, where he doesn't have to touch the ball as much to be effective. He needs to learn how to stay in games, be alert, distribute efficiently, and be spontaneous. A good World Cup can only help, but he has a long way to go before doing the number on his back any justice.

- Alex Song - He's a favorite of ours and a reminder that you should never completely write off a player that Wenger has faith in. Before the season, Wenger suggested he didn't have the stamina to play in central midfield. Clearly, that was just a motivational jab at Song. Alex Song never backs down, either from Craig Bellamy or Adebayor. He is one of the few players, alongside Nasri, who will stand up for players on our team. He was just as good after the ACN as well. He's one of the first names on Wenger's starting XI. He's two more consistent seasons away from being legitimately world class.

- Denilson - Unlike Song, Denilson has regressed. He was one of the most underrated players two seasons ago; he never looked comfortable during this season. For one, he was playing in a 4-3-3 system in which his old self might have been better suited to. He should have had the opportunity to be creative and tidy. What it resulted in was goals from distance and a lot of sideways passing. For Denilson to play alongside Song and Cesc effectively, he needs to be more of an offensive threat. If he's not doing that, he'll just be embarrassed when trying to track back against Wayne Rooney. Like the others, he is still young, but his star no longer burns as bright. He can be an intelligent distributor, but with his back being a problem as well, he's a question mark.

- Tomas Rosicky - The fact that he played as much as he did should be considered a victory. That being said, he approached nowhere near his old form. When dribbling forward with the ball, Rosicky is a thing of beauty. His willingness to take shots from outside is a plus. Despite the fact that we don't shoot from outside of the box too often, we've actually scored the most goals from distance. Does that mean we take an appropriate amount or that we should take more? Rosicky was earmarked as a No. 10 type player. Because of his frequent injuries, teams should not be built around him. He can pass, he has a decent shot, and he's intelligent. But too often, he's also a non-factor. To be fair, he's just come off from a lengthy injury, so anything we get out of him is a bonus.

- Jack Wilshere - He didn't get many games for the Arsenal First Team. When playing with us, he still seemed a bit frail, but he has some bite to him. A loan move to Bolton under Owen Coyle was probably the best thing for his development. After a few games, Bolton bloggers wondered whether he was actually any good. Now, Coyle is begging us to let him stay. I'm not certain that he'll be ready for the first team, so if a loan gives us a discount on Gary Cahill, then I think another year with Bolton might get him very close to earning a spot near the First Team.

- Fran Merida - He's officially off the Atletico Madrid. The new "Cesc" leaves just as the real Cesc looks to leave. He's had flashes here and there, but we can't make any definitive judgments about this guy. He has a good left foot and is a good signing for Atletico Madrid. Wenger wanted to tie him down to a five year contract. That means he rated him very highly.

- Craig Eastmond - A surprise addition to our midfield this year. It's interesting that he's usurped Coquelin in the queue (Francis is being groomed at RB now), and he's shown promise. For now though, he's not strong enough and can't really last a full 90. His hard work has resulted in Premier League and Champions League appearances. He's being brought up in the right way.

Get Your Tits Out For the Lads

2010-05-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

So I come home from work and turn on the TV to Fox Soccer Channel. On the screen is Sky Sports Andy Gray sitting on a bar stool with Eric Wynalda and that bald, fat, know-nothing, ex-pat Nick Webster. All three are sitting inside the New York bar Nevada Smiths.

Five minutes of watching them talk about a variety of topics, the camera switches to a brunette bimbo with a microphone called Temris Lane. She's standing next to a white mid 30's English woman who has seen better days.

Her name is Miss Manc from Manchester.

Miss Manc question is related to Manchester United. It was a redundantly boring question.

Miss Manc is a Nevada Smiths regular. She's been a regular there for nearly 10 years. I first saw Miss Manc when she was standing on top of the bar showing her small breasts to all and sundry. She was notorious for downing pints and acting like a "lad". It seems she hasn't changed - except that she's well past her sell by date.

More questions came from the Nevada Smiths crowd. Stale, English ex-pats who thought they were Lord of the Manor asked cloying questions about Chelsea and England to Andy Gray. As questions were being answered by Andy and his crew, the Nevada crowd tried to sing lame football chants or shove club scarves and shirts into view of the camera. It was pathetic.

Nevada's has gone down in my estimation. It's now a bar riding on it's reputation.

While some of Nevada's patrons need to grow up, Fox Soccer Channel needs show a bit more class by hosting a soccer show in a better establishment. They're equally as embarrassing as drunks like Miss Manc. They will never gain kudos until they change tact.

Cunts of the Season - Stoke City Fans

After the sickening Aaron Ramsey injury back in March, some Stoke fans chanted:

"He's Only Got One Leg."

This was chanted both in the Brittania Stadium and outside with some Stoke fans shouting "Buy Him a Parrot," "Peg Leg Ramsey" and "I Hope he Never Plays Again."

On the football phone-ins that same night, some Stoke fans called into BBC Radio 5 Live and said that the sooner Arsenal "get lost from the Premiership and have a game of tickling with Barcelona the better." Another caller from Stoke was more forward calling the huddle by the Arsenal players at the end of the match "gay" and claimed that Arsenal were "Kings of being the victims."

I hope that Stoke City get relegated next season.

England 3-1 Mexico

This game confirmed what we already know:

1) England will not win the World Cup but the hype surrounding them will make you think that they will.

2) England are still a set piece team. That's how they will score in South Africa.

3) England are efficient but very dull.

4) Theo Walcott can't cross. Look at Wayne Rooney's body language after another cross by Theo goes nowhere. You can tell Rooney doesn't rate him.

5) James Milner is over-hyped and out of his depth when it comes to England.

Keep it Arsenal

Post Match View - F.C. Bayern München v F.C. Internazionale Milano UEFA Champions League Final

2010-05-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

First, Jose Mourinho is the dog's balls. Many people have expressed their dislike for the man without acknowledging his prowess. The man gets it done. End of!

I salute Jose Mourinho. I hate Inter but I can salute Jose Mourinho. He will probably remind the entire world that he is "the special one" but he has the right to do so. He is amongst those with special abilities, those with license to be boastful if they wish to be.

A few notes on the match:

Samuel Eto'o deferred to the clinical Milito. Milito won Inter the cup. Take that Ibra!

Wesley Sneijder is a fantastic player. If Mr. Arsenal leaves...

Julio Cesar is the kind of keeper Arsenal MUST sign. Class!

Maicon was pretty quiet.

Van Buyten is rubbish.

Walter Samuel has been born again. He was quietly effective.

Demichelis and Samuel could be Diego's answer at the back.

Bayern could have used Franck. Robben huffed and puffed but was not enough.

Possession was in Bayern's favor by quite a bit but Inter play a very sound tactical game.

Zanetti deserves the medal more than anyone else.

Mark van Bommel is a dirty cunt.

I hate Real Madrid so much I almost wish Barcelona had reached the final and won at the Bernabeu. Too bad Marco Materazzi didn't catch a rare disease days before the final. What a despicable human being!

It was nice to see Balotelli and Mourinho hug after the match. It was good to see Lucio win the cup. The pre-match program was well choreographed.

I want Arsenal to win something so baldy that it hurts to think about it.

Keep the Faith.

Three C's

2010-05-21T23:38:00.001-07:00

- Chamakh. He's now officially an Arsenal player. He'll provided needed depth in our forward line. Chamakh was one of the best players in Ligue 1, and that's not a backhanded compliment. From what I've seen, he's a bit of a link player as well. Granted, his strength is his post play and his leap, but he can play a passing game as well. That may end up being very important for us. I thought one of our crucial flaws last season was the fact that we had nobody who could replace Robin van Persie in our system. I'm not suggesting that Chamakh is a false nine, but he's probably a better fit for it than Arshavin was.

- Cesc. If Cesc wants to leave, fine. He can go. But as one of the biggest clubs in the world, we cannot settle for less than 45 million pounds in a summer where James Milner may be sold for 30 million pounds. I don't know what kind of position Barcelona think they have, but it's very weak. All they have is Cesc's desire. It's a good starting point, but they have nothing else. Xavi and Laporta can whine all they want to the press. They have no power. Cesc has four more years, and that's really the bottom line. Barcelona are 400 million euros in debt. They spent nearly a fifth of that money on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, jettisoning Eto'o (a true warrior and winner) in the process, and Dimytro Chrygrynsky. Not very wise moves, you can conclude. They want to include Hleb as part of a swap deal? Are these jokers kidding?

This whole situation kinda reminds me of when Kobe demanded to be traded from the Lakers. Kobe had only a few teams he wanted to be traded to, and he could veto any trade. On the other hand, the Lakers were only going to trade him if they got a king's ransom for him. Eventually, the Lakers front office held firm, a young player developed into a key player (Bynum), the team stepped up, and then traded for Pau Gasol. After a run to the NBA Finals, the trade demand was rescinded and it looks like Kobe will finish his career as a Laker. Looking at that, we can view Cesc's desire in another way. It's a wake up call. It's time to see more consistency from our players. It's time to see Wenger splash the cash he now says he has. Cesc will not take it as far as sulking on a bench if he doesn't get his transfer to Barcelona. Wenger will have the opportunity to show Cesc that we will win trophies. But let's make it clear, no player is bigger than the club.

- Champions League Final. I predicted that Inter would knock out Chelsea and Barcelona. I cannot confidently say that they'll beat Bayern. In fact, I think Bayern will edge it on penalties after they finish 1-1. I just feel as though there's not much between the two sides, and as Wenger has pointed out, Bayern is "scoring goals for fun". Keep in mind that Howard Webb is the referee. That means English style refereeing, and that probably favors Mourinho.

Master vs. Pupil. Sneijder and Robben, the Real Madrid rejects. Eto'o's redemption. The underrated Olic. The Black Italian. Wingers. This game is well worth watching.

There are 2 Sides to Barca - When it Comes to Transfers, They're Cheap and Ugly

2010-05-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

2010-05-19T03:11:00.000-07:00

I've seen this before. Patrick Vieira was rumoured to be leaving for Real Madrid each summer of his peak years at Arsenal. It used to bother me to no end. I had to learn to cope with it.

After Patrick left, it was Thierrence's turn. The rumour machine works overtime. I have dealt with it.

Once Henry had left for Barcelona, the (ever imminent) return of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona became the new bane for the Arsenal faithful. This week has seen headline after headline claim everything from Cesc showdown talks with the manager to mention of Mr. Arsenal in the past tense. The machine has activated the turbo booster. I can deal with it.

There is something that I haven't done in a while. "Five Things" to be exact! It is most appropriate today.

Five Things I Would Never Do:

1 - Worry about links and rumours

2 - Fear that a player cannot be replaced

3 - Keep a player who wants out

4 - Lose sleep over things I don't control

5 - Read a fucking Spurs blog

If Cesc does leave for Barcelona, we will make a hefty profit. I would imagine that there might be a player or two in return as well. An Eto'o/Ibrahimovich/large sum of money type deal would be the minimum requirement. Nonetheless, even if he stays we need to bring in more than just a few new faces in my opinion.

I no longer trust certain players at Arsenal to deliver. They've had time. We cannot afford to wait any longer.

I said five years ago that we were on a four year rebuilding plan. Last summer I called the season just passed the most important in the careers of many players. It has also been the most important for the club since 2006, when we nearly missed out on CL qualification.

Cesc was key to that four year plan. Perhaps more than anybody else. Another four years could see him finally help us win something but let's be clear, the plan has not been successful. Vieira, as hated a figure as he'd become for some fans toward the end of his Arsenal years, and Henry, as resented as he was by some fans, both won things. I would prefer if Cesc stayed and gave it another go. He might be in the best position to force Arsene to buy the players "we think we need".

Keep the Faith.

If Cesc Goes, it's Robin

2010-05-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

If the reports circulating today are true (and that's a big if), Cesc will leave Arsenal for Barcelona. I would like to put emphasis on the word "leave". It needs to be used in place of "sold".

Cesc has stepped up to the plate this year and has actually led like a fine captain. If he leaves, I expect Robin van Persie to be the next captain of Arsenal.

Only the Top Players Can Hang

2010-05-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Theo Walcott has two assists and three goals this season. Not good enough for a man that played 23 times as an attacking midfielder and cost Arsenal 12 million pounds. For that amount of money, Arsenal could have bought a top keeper.

Then we have Harvard Nordtveit. He cost Arsenal over two million pounds back in January 2007 and was meant to be the best young centre-back in Europe. Well he's not.

Nordtveit has just spent a season on loan at German Bundesliga side Nurnberg - the German equivalent to Burnley. For the past three months he has failed to get into their first team and has only started 14 games out of 34.

Before his loan spell at Nurnberg, Nordtveit played at U.D. Salamanca in Spain's Segunda Division. After three appearances they released him.

Nordtveit did have a successful loan spell last summer playing for Lillestrom in the Norwegian Tippeligaen, which indicates that he's more comfortable playing in his home country than abroad.

Apparently, Nordtveit started well at Nurnberg. Under then head coach Michael Oenning he started every game. However, Oenning was fired last Christmas and his replacement Dieter Hecking has not played Nordtveit except for the odd appearance as a substitute.

According to reports from Germany, Nordtveit has been poor. This could be due to the fact that he's been played out of position while at Nurnberg. Instead of playing as a centre-back, the young Norweigan has been used as a defensive midfielder a position that he's struggled with. Nordtveit doesn't read the game well as a defensive midfielder, his positioning is also poor and he fails to break up attacks by the opposition.

Nordveit was also voted one of the 10 worst players in the Bundesliga in the first half of the German season. I watched him play against FC Freiburg a game that Nurnberg lost 1-0 and he was really poor. His passing was off, he looked lightweight and he didn't seem to want the ball.

I will be very surprised if Havard Nordtveit plays for Arsenal next season.

Then there's the left-back Pedro Botelho who was signed by Arsenal at the same time as Nordtveit. Due to work permit restrictions, Botelho was immediately loaned out to Spanish side U.D. Salamanca where he enjoyed a relatively successful season making 37 appearances. He was due to play another season for the Segunda Division side when he was caught having sex with the Chairman's daughter so instead he was loaned out to Celta Vigo.

Arsenal had high hopes for the Brazilian Botelho. The attacking full-back was seen as the next Roberto Carlos. However, recent reports from Spain say that he has fallen out with head coach Eusebio Sacristan after he was substituted and acted in a very petulant manner. Celta Vigo don't want him back next season and Arsenal cannot obtain a work permit for him until he has completed three seasons on loan in Spain. Besides his poor attitude, his form seems to have dipped as his party lifestyle takes a front seat. His defending has been average to poor and scouts say that he's not as good as Gibbs or Traore.

So much for potential.

Keep it Arsenal

Buy a Keeper To Keep the Faithful Happy

2010-05-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Where Are We Going?

2010-05-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

The worst part about being where we are today is that our aura has vanished. It has eroded to the point where teams no longer fear playing against us. We used to go into matches with an advantage because they knew that they would struggle to keep up with us.

Teams knew we could score goals early and shorten the game. Our most recent profile has shown a squad with no more than three or four top level players. Cesc is all-world. Alex Song will have to repeat what we've seen this past season but he is a very, very good player. Robin is arguably as good as the Drogbas and the Rooneys but only if/when he stays injury free.

Andrei Arshavin is a world-class player in under-achieving mode. What has he done of major significance since saving us from dropping out of the top four a couple seasons ago? I am very disappointed in him. It's fair to have expected loads more.

Thomas Vermaelen is another player I rate and who could probably walk straight into most teams, in any league, in any country. The problem there is that we will likely lose his under-appreciated, much maligned partner William Gallas. In a world where top quality CBs are few, we need a player of Gallas's ability. And for the record, I don't see any good reason for Samir Nasri to report that he and others don't speak to Gallas. What is the point?

Sadly, our current squad is comprised of too many players who have either proven nothing, or are running out of time to do so. Some might argue that they've had enough time, no matter what their age. The fact remains that we risk being left behind by the clubs above us and one or two below us with designs on moving into the top tier of English football.

That fucking Spurs have got as close to us as they have should be enough to send Arsene on a major shopping spree. We need reinforcements if not replacements, 8:25 rule notwithstanding. I know we have come close, within a few weeks and maybe a player or two from winning but let's be clear, our players' abilities in aggregate do not match our ambition or our stature.

It's time to fix that. Remove the dead weight. I call for players good enough to push or replace the under-achievers and those who are not up to it. When the player behind you is just above average or a teen who has proved nothing, it doesn't make you better. Fabianski cannot make the current no. 1 better. We've lacked proper competition for places. I know it's been a struggle financially but I am reading regularly that we have money to buy the players "we think we need".

We are a world class football club. The team is a mainstay in the Champions League. We have an A1 stadium that Brazil calls its home away from home. Our global reach and influence is surpassed by few. These are remarkable achivements that signal a commitment to excellence. We have an exceptional if not legendary manager. We are one of the most valued sports organizations in the world.

That excellence must be transferred to the quality of players who make up Arsenal Football Club. The nursery phase is over. Men must separate themselves from boys.

Another trophyless season will be the result if we do not address all of our weaknesses, not to mention the calls for Wenger to be replaced. We are well and truly at a crossroads. How we respond this close season and in the year to follow will shape not just an era but the club's future.

Keep the Faith.

Reviewing the Defence

2010-05-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

- Manuel Almunia - I remember vividly after we had gone up 1-0 against Chelsea two years ago. Bacary Sagna had just scored his first goal for us off a corner. Then, a frequent visitor to the pub I go to said these words, "I feel safe with Almunia." I've never felt safe with Manuel. Ever. At the start of the second half of the Barcelona first leg, he looked like he was going to vomit. Why did he look that way? He had just pulled off a string of saves and the score was incredibly 0-0. Well, soon after, he proved exactly what he is, a shot-stopper and nothing more. He looked the same way before the Roma penalty shootout from last year. Almunia didn't save any penalties, they just missed. It would be foolish to suggest that Jens was flawless as the Arsenal No. 1, but at least he had the demeanor of a No. 1. Almunia was a project, one with very little hype or potential. Imagine if Amaury Bischoff ended up a member of our first choice XI and that's essentially what Almunia is. A nightmare, and one that must be terminated soon.

- Lukasz Fabianski - It is easy to call him a clown. That is easily justifiable. You might call him a bargain basement keeper as well, but here's where I disagree a bit. I've documented before that Wenger thinks highly of Fabianski. He's committed enough errors for Wenger to wave goodbye to him, but something tells me that's not going to happen. The summer we signed Fabianski, we were linked to many keepers and Wenger chose him. He was signed for 3 million euros and a friendly match to be arranged later. At this point, if he turned it around, it would be amongst the most incredible turnarounds in Wenger's history. I don't want to see it even attempted next year. If we had a decent goalkeeper, and I stress the word "decent", we would have won the Premier League. Unfortunately, that is on Arsene nearly as much as it is on Almunia and Fabianski.

- Vito Mannone - He delivered a brilliant performance against Fulham and then showed his years in the subsequent performances. He's raw. He signed a long-term extension, but he doesn't impress me much. I give him credit for having the hunger, but he's the most un-Italian goalkeeper I've seen. I've yet to make a definitive judgment on him.

- Bacary Sagna - He's steady. He's never tipped as the man of the match. He's rarely burned by players. He's an adequate player who hasn't reached the heights of his first year with us. I thought he might have been our player of the year that first season, but for whatever reason, he's failed to find that form.

- Emmanuel Eboue - Once a figure of hate, now he's a lovable fixture. Let's not mistake what he is though, he's a useful squad player. He can be used to solidify a defense or as a blunt, direct weapon. On his day, he's very effective at attacking teams with his forward momentum. When he's left to think about what he should do with the ball though, he struggles. He's a good guy to have around because the players love being around this guy. He's a joy. Not essential to the team, but very useful.

- Gael Clichy - I think he may be sold over the summer. Arsenal have three left backs waiting in the wings. He's coming back from a back injury, and those types of injuries never really heal properly. When he came back, he was torched so often that Martin O'Neill called him a joke. Slowly though, he's steadied out and he has been one of our best performers in the last month (which is not really much of a compliment). I can remember at least a handful of goals where he was the direct contributor to. I used to love this guy, but he no longer looks likely to eclipse Ashley Cole as a player. If we could get 10 million euros for him, that would be a good price.

- Kieran Gibbs - Some are unsure of his ability to be our starting left-back. I need to see more, but when he was on the pitch this year, he seemed to neutralize the opposition's right wing quite frequently. He's a better crosser of the ball than Clichy. He has mental strength, seeing how the United Champions League fixture could have severely damaged his career. I like this kid.

- Armand Traore - I admire his professionalism, but that doesn't seem to translate to the football pitch. We can deal with errors, as long as we see real improvement and an attempt to get better. He has speed, a strong left foot, and not much else at this point. He's flimsy and unless he watches some defensive tapes, he's not going to make it with Arsenal. He could be sold to a French club and turn into the D-grade version of Marcelo.

- Mikael Silvestre - I'm sure he's a positive influence in that locker room. But that is as far as it goes. Every time he scores a goal, something disastrous seems to happen (look at the Tottenham 4-4 draw last year and the Wigan match this year). He needs a string of games to approach anything near his best form, and he doesn't get that, so when he does play, he's often exposed. The fact that every back pass he makes is lightly weighted frightens me. This was a gamble that truly did not pay off. He's gone.

- Sol Campbell - I was not a big fan of Sol Campbell after he walked out of our club. He has restored his legacy at Arsenal, but let's be clear, he cannot be anything more than a 4th choice defender for this club. His mountain frame and surprisingly fast pace helps him out, but near the end of his run this term, I saw the chinks in his armor. One of these days, one of his last ditch tackles is going to result in a red card and a penalty. That's a sign that a defender is desperate. He'll be an awesome influence on our squad, and as a 4th choice defender, he'll be of more value than Silvestre was.

- Thomas Vermaelen - Tony Adams was wrong. Vermaelen was in every pundit's team of the season list. Along with his defensive prowess, he chipped in with some beautiful goals. He's angry when we concede. He's professional when a ref approaches him. This is what you get when you pay 10 million euros for a player. This is what you get when you buy a defender who was the captain for Ajax at a young age. This is what you get when you scout a player for two years. Vermaelen could be a future captain for Arsenal.

- Johan Djourou - An incomplete grade. It was revealed recently that Wenger told him that he let Kolo go so that Djourou could play. It's been written that Djourou was a player who was supposed to be kept secret from the entire world, that's how much Wenger rates him. He has the physical tools (not necessarily the strength), but it's yet to be seen if Wenger's faith is justified. He looks like he'll get an opportunity though. One can only hope he's not like his Swiss compatriot, Swiss Tony. Senderos looked the part, but he lacked the heart and the intelligence to be an elite defender.

- William Gallas - It looks like he'll no longer be an Arsenal player. That's a shame because he produced some of his best form this year. At this point though, he is also an injury prone player (the same can easily be said of Robin van Persie though). He does not have any special attachment to Arsenal, and that's not meant to sound like an insult. I mean this in the best possible way, William Gallas is a professional footballer. That may make it sound like I'm calling him a mercenary, but that's not what he is. He truly did care about winning more than anything else. For those that suggest he didn't play because he didn't want to mess up a potential contract, look no further than the Barcelona first leg. He crocked himself because he wanted to play on the grand stage so badly. His loss was as big a reason in our failure as anybody else. I will miss him, but the team may not miss him. Nasri revealed today that five players at Arsenal don't talk to Gallas. He didn't mean to suggest that they hate him, it's just a generational difference. Whether they know it or not, Gallas was one of the finest defenders to suit up for Arsenal during Wenger's regime. It's too bad that too often injuries and petty squabbles came to define much of his spell. I hope he recovers in time to make the World Cup squad and play well for France. I wish him well.

The 60 Million Pound Final

2010-05-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the FA Cup final. The final is already being promoted as a fairytale clash between the Premiership champions and last placed Portsmouth - who are 135 million pounds in debt. For me the FA Cup final is a foregone conclusion. Chelsea will win it and claim their first domestic double. Portsmouth will start next season in the Championship and will inevitably struggle not to get relegated again.

The more interesting game that will take place at Wembley is the Championship Play-Off final between Cardiff City and Blackpool. Neither club has ever played Premiership football and at the start of the season no-one would have predicted that either club would be on the verge of doing so.

Blackpool is England's equivalent to the New Jersey shore - but a lot worse. It has terrible hotels and guest houses. The restaurants are dank, the clubs are crass, the weather is dreary and the food is awful. It's where the northern Chavs of Britain go to get laid or have their Stag Night. Add the Blackpool Tower, an old roller-coaster, a Ferris Wheel and a sandy beach and you've got the Holiday Hellhole of England.

Blackpool used to be a powerhouse in English football. Back in the late 1940's and early 1950's - when Britain still considered itself a world power - Blackpool appeared in six FA Cup finals - winners in 1953 - and came close to being League Champions on several occasions. They also supplied the England national team with several players during that time including Stanley Matthews. However, Blackpool haven't played in England's top division since 1971 and until today have never looked likely to.

Blackpool playing in the Premiership is still unthinkable. Back in 2007 they were playing in Division One where they won automatic promotion to the Championship with current Leeds boss Simon Grayson. The 2007/08 season was the first time Blackpool had played in the second tier of English football for 29 years.

Blackpool has been run by the Oyston family since 1987 when property tycoon Owen Oyston bought a majority share in the club after selling his real estate business for 37 million pounds. In May 1996, Oyston was convicted of rape and given a six year sentence. In his absence, his son Karl was appointed Chairman and still holds that position today.

Blackpool have an average attendance of 8,000 with a ground capacity of 12,555 but they are redeveloping their Bloomfield Road ground to 16,000. Rumors persist that their redevelopment will not be ready in time for the start of the new Premiership season and that Blackpool will have to play their home games at Bolton's Reebok stadium. This is also due to problems with their floodlights and small press facilities.

Cardiff City have no such problems with their new stadium. Opened in July 2009 at a cost of 48 million pounds and with a capacity of nearly 27,000 it is regarded as one of the best stadiums in the Championship. The downside about their stadium is that they share it with Cardiff Rugby League Club, making the pitch bumpy in the latter stages of the season.

Cardiff will be favorites going into the Play-Off Final. Last season, they only just missed out on the play-offs and played in the 2008 FA Cup final losing 1-0 to Portsmouth. Cardiff were last in the top flight back in 1962.

Earlier this year, Cardiff faced a winding up order at the High Court for an unpaid 2.7 million pounds tax bill. The club are still in debt and badly need the 60 million pounds gained from winning the Play-Off final.

That's what is at stake in this final - 60 million pounds.

It's all or nothing, do or die and makes you grateful that Arsenal never have to worry about this kind of headache.

Keep it Arsenal

Post Season View - Arsenal F.C. 2009-10 Pt. 2

2010-05-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

Some have asked if Arsene Wenger is a miracle worker or just a stubborn fool. Considering his ability to reap financial rewards from top four finishes and to manage CL qualification year after year, he might be the former because he spends so little in the transfer market. Considering his general unwillingness to invest in proven players - in a proper goalkeeper in particular - he might be guilty of the latter. It depends on your perspective.

Regardless of your (or my) opinion of Arsene, it's quite clear that we have players at Arsenal who have not cut it. As my colleague has pointed out, transfers will be greatly affected by the UEFA squad requirements that go into effect next term. Nonetheless, if we are to finally win something, a frank and candid statement must be made about current personnel.

Last summer I detailed what I wanted from certain players this past season. I felt that those particular players owed us. Below are those requirements. Let's see who has met them. Let's see who has paid their debt.

Summer 2009: Cesc - Be the player you've shown you can be.

2009-10 season: Jackpot! Enter the new Mr. Arsenal.

Gael Clichy - Stop the mental lapses.

It wasn't until the final few matches of the season that our LB began to show signs of the player we once knew.

Johan Djourou - Make Kolo, Gallas, and Vermaelen fight it out.

You weren't even ready. The swelling in your knee was far more serious than first thought.

Vassiriki Abou Diaby - Dominate the center of the park.

Improved but still prone to frustrating performances, leaving questions about his true ability.

Theo Walcott - Justify the fee please. Decision making must improve.

I'm still waiting. I am not convinced that we've invested wisely in this kid. Christopher Eagles outplayed Theo at Turf Moor.WTF!

Niklas Bendtner - Finish your chances. Make me forget about Luis Fabiano.

Not as prolific as I would like but certainly did his share when he was fit.

Bakary Sagna - Be the best RB in the EPL again.

Not back to the standards of his first season but certainly better than his second.

Denilson - Add more goals and assists to your nice stats.

The stats weren't going to save him this season. He has regressed, despite a few shining moments and some fine long range goals.

The first choice keeper - Be unbeatable.

Begone.

Robin van Persie - World player of the year.

Injured again. Robin has not played an injury free season as a first choice player at Arsenal.

The expectations were high in many cases but we must strive for excellence if we are to win trophies. I have lost faith in some players. Others still have not done enough. I need to see Alex Song type leaps and improvement next season from the team as a whole.

The Invincibles are watching. Make them proud. Make Arsene proud.

Keep the Faith.

25+8

2010-05-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

Before going into discussions about who we need to buy and who we will sell, we need to first examine how next year's new Premier League squad limit and homegrown quotas will affect our team.

All teams will be limited to 25 first team players, and 8 of those players must be homegrown. The definition of a homegrown player is someone who has been trained for three years under the age of 21 by somebody in the English or Welsh professional system.

Arsene talked about how ludicrous this limit is, but we're set up well enough to cover this.

Homegrown Players:

Cesc Fabregas

Theo Walcott

Denilson

Aaron Ramsey

Alex Song

Johan Djourou

Kieran Gibbs

Sol Campbell

Nicklas Bendtner

Vito Mannone

If need be, we can use a plethora of Reserve squad players to fill out the homegrown quota, but that's not going to be a problem.

I expect the above 10 players to be in the Arsenal First Team Squad next year. If that's the case, we have slots for 15 more players.

Definites:

Abou Diaby

Bacary Sagna

Thomas Vermaelen

Samir Nasri

Robin van Persie

Andrey Arshavin

Emmanuel Eboue

Marouane Chamakh

Tomas Rosicky

Most Likely:

Eduardo

Gael Clichy

Maybes:

Carlos Vela

Armand Traore

Lukasz Fabianski

Discounting the Maybes, we only have four open slots for a First Team place. And that doesn't include a No. 1 Goalkeeper, a position we definitely need to strengthen.

My point is, unless we ship out some players, we will not be able to sign as many players as people would like. It's a balancing act. I could definitely see Vela, Traore, and/or Fabianski being shipped out, but I didn't even factor that into my thinking in terms of the overall squad.

I'm unsure if Eduardo is going to stay, while Gael Clichy's name is being bandied about with Barcelona. If they leave, we have more players to juggle.

That's not to mention the possibility that Jack Wilshere being promoted to the First Team, William Gallas (hopefully) staying, and Szczesny returning to fight for the third choice keeper position.

In other words, people expecting major surgery should temper their expectations. This new rule is going to require a balancing act.

There's A Time For Everything

2010-05-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

I don't use Twitter. Myspace is out. I rarely use Facebook. The social networking thing is just not me. I find it rather silly to be honest.

That won't stop me sharing the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-hate-Tottenham/6784684181

Fuck Spurs!

Happy St. Totteringham's Day

2010-05-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

The season is over. Arsenal will not play again until three months time. Until then we have a World Cup to help fill the void. However, the World Cup only lasts a month, so transfer speculation will eventually take hold and consequently bore you to tears.

Most Arsenal die hards will be trying to work out which players will be leaving and which players will be joining. The former is easier to work out than the latter. So let's start with current players returning from a loan spell.

Philippe Senderos

Out of contract at the end of June. Failed to break into the Everton team during his recent loan spell there. Wenger has stated that he will not be offering Senderos a new contract. OUT

Wojciech Szczesny

Just turned 20. His loan spell at Division One side Brentford was deemed a success. Voted Brentford's player of the Year. Touted by many to be Arsenal's future Number One. However, I think Wenger will loan him out to a Championship club next season and see how he progresses and develops. Still too young and inexperienced to be Arsenal's Number One. IN but on Loan.

Jack Wilshire

Bolton manager Owen Coyle thinks that Wilshire should be in England's World Cup squad. He wants Wilshire back at Bolton for next season. Wilshire, however, wants to return to Arsenal and be guaranteed more playing time. There's no doubt that Wilshire has improved and impressed everyone during his four months at Bolton. With Ramsey out injured until November, Wilshire could be recalled by Wenger and given the opportunity to stake his place in the Arsenal first team. IN

Kerrea Gilbert

He's made 10 first team appearances for relegated Championship team Peterborough United since his loan move there in January. His contract at Arsenal ends in June. It will not be renewed. Expect him to be playing for Leeds, Millwall or Charlton next season. OUT

Gavin Hoyte

Plays right back or center-back. Six feet tall and will be 20 in June. Was made Reserve team captain until he was loaned out to Brighton and Hove Albion in October, 2009, where he has made 21 appearances. Also made 10 appearances for Watford in the Championship and played three 90 minute games in the Carling Cup this season for Arsenal. Came on as sub for Aaron Ramsey in the 3-0 Premiership defeat to Manchester City back in November 2008. Represented England at U.16, U.17, U.18, U.19 and U.20 levels and played in the 2007 U.17 World cup. Recently signed a long term contract with Arsenal. IN but on loan.

Luke Ayling

Aged 18. Signed his first professional contract last July. Spent the past month on loan at Division one side Yeovil Town where he has made four appearances and one start. IN but on loan.

Jay Emmanuel Thomas

Central midfielder, aged 19. Height: six feet two and built like a tank. Enjoyed successful loan spells at Championship sides Blackpool and Doncaster Rovers making 25 appearances and scoring six goals. Helped both teams in their play-off bids. Started for Arsenal against Stoke in the FA Cup 4th round. Is seen as the next big thing. IN but on loan but to another Premiership team.

Sanchez Watt

Striker aged 19. Spent 2010 on loan at Southend United and Leeds United. Played mostly as a winger by both Division One clubs. Earned rave reviews by Leeds fans. IN but on loan.

Gilles Sunu

Striker aged 19. Made his Champions League debut against Olympiacos back in November. Recently returned from a loan spell with Derby County where he made 9 appearances and scored one goal. Joined Arsenal at 15 and was seen as one Europe's hottest prospects. Seems to have failed to live up to the hype. IN but out on loan.

Jay Simpson

Striker aged 21. Has been out on loan to QPR where he's made 39 appearances and scored 12 goals. Many Arsenal fans were raving about him after he scored two goals against Wigan Athletic in the Carling Cup 4th Round. He enjoyed a successful loan spell at Millwall during the 2007-2008 season where he was voted their Player of the Season. However, his loan spell at Premiership struggler's West Brom in 2009 didn't go so well. He rarely started games and only scored two goals. OUT I expect him to be sold to a Championship team this summer.

Mark Randall

Central Midfielder, aged 20. Played 10 games for Burnley last season and helped them gain promotion to the Premiership. Has made substitute appearances for Arsenal in the Champions League and started three Carling Cup games. Randall has just finished a loan spell at Division One side MK Dons where he scored one goal and made 17 appearances. OUT: He will be sold to a Championship team or a high flying Division One outfit.

Henri Lansbury

Central Midfielder, aged 19. Lansbury has just completed a season in the Championship with Watford. Described by ex-Arsenal striker, Alan Smith as having "huge potential." Arsenal pinched him from Norwich City back in 1999. He enjoyed a successful loan for a month at Championship side Scunthorpe last season and was rewarded with a new long-term contract last Christmas. Wenger said of him: "Lansbury will be a big player for Arsenal." He came on as a substitute in yesterday's 4-0 win against Fulham. IN

Rhys Murphy

Striker, aged 19. Recently signed a new long-term contract in January. Suffered a bad ankle injury while on loan at Brentford. Expected to be loaned out again once he recovers from injury. IN but out on loan.

Havard Nordtveit

Central Defender, aged 19. Height: 6 feet 2. Spent the past season on loan in the Budesliga with Nurnberg where he made 19 appearances primarily as a defensive midfielder. Signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2007 and was seen as the brightest defensive talent in the whole of Europe. However, his loan spell at Spanish club Salamanca was a failure, so Arsenal loaned him out to Lillestrom of the Norwegian Premier League. He played 17 times mainly as a right-back before joining Nurnburg. Expected to return to Arsenal and fight for a first team place. IN

Kyle Bartley

Central Defender, aged 18. Height: 6 feet 3. Arsenal took him from Bolton back in 2007. Captained Arsenal's reserves and has spent the last three months on loan at Sheffield United, where he was mainly used as defensive cover. United wanted to sign Bartley on a permanent basis and Bartley was tempted to sign. However, he returned to Arsenal last week and is expected to go out on loan again next season. IN but out on loan.

Pedro Boelho

Left-back aged 20. This man is meant to be the real deal and will probably be challenging Clichy for the left back spot. Armand Traore can start looking for another club once this young Brazilian returns from his loan spell with Celta Vigo, where he has played 27 times and scored 1 goal. This came after a successful loan spell at Salamanca where Pedro made 37 appearances. IN

Nacer Barazite

Striker aged 19. Enjoyed a successful loan spell at Derby County during the 2008-09 season. However, this past season he has played only reserve team football. His days at Arsenal are numbered. OUT

Keep it Arsenal

Post Season View - Arsenal F.C. 2009-10 Pt. 1

2010-05-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

We have finished in third place. The big question is whether we have improved or not. By looking at the table - and they say that table doesn't lie - we have improved by finishing one place higher than last term.

Table aside, my feeling is that Liverpool have regressed and United and Chelsea have been better than us, again. We have not improved. I've looked at things as fairly as I think I could have. Injuries have not entered the equation because big clubs are big clubs because they have big squads capable of coping with injuries. Yes, we have suffered an abundance of injuries but I refuse to use that excuse.

My season's analysis is based on what I've seen, not what could have been if we had all our players. It is based on what was required in August and what has been delivered in May. Consider the following comparison to last season:

Goals conceded:

2008/09 - 37

2009/10 - 41

Clean sheets:

2008/09 -16

2009/10 - 14

Points from Big Four matches:

(fuck Spurs, they are not a Big Four club, Liverpool have been ill)

2008/09 - 10

2009/10 - 6

We've done worse than last season in each category. I grant you that it hasn't been much worse (in terms of numbers alone) but the margins are very thin when you are trying to compete at the highest level. Two clean sheets when it mattered most could have made a big difference.

I was impressed by Cesc's return to form this season. He has been the player Arsene hoped he'd become. Alex Song has made us proud at 1886. We always knew he was special.

There's been a lot of talk about Wojciech Szczesny becoming the No. 1 at Arsenal. Let's be clear, the boy has proved nothing. He has not played in any meaningful run of matches. He is the latest young player to show promise. That is all. His case is not different from any of the others - I'm honestly not even sure Kieran Gibbs will be the player we hope for.

I hope they both and all the others prove me wrong because it is well and truly time for a few of these young players to do a Cesc and make a first team place their own. We run the risk of being left even further behind Chelsea and United. The future is now.

I have struggled to find a turning point in the season. Then I realized that there really was none. When we were beaten by United and Chelsea, that's really all there was to know. There were moments when we fought and made things interesting but it has turned out to be a false dawn. I thank the boys for trying but we were never going any where with those two clowns between the sticks.

The worst thing about this season has been that our aura as a dangerous side has faded. Teams no longer fear us. That needs fixing. It really, really does. We've seen our status improve off the pitch but as a football team we've stood still and may have regressed a bit. I trust Arsene to get the balance right though. The man is determined to do so. He will not rest until he does, such is the belief he has in his project. He has learned however, that certain components must be replaced if we are going to see a trophy from this group.

I wonder if Steve Bould isn't a resource we should be making better use of. I love what he's done with the U18s but making fewer defensive mistakes and better organization at the back are areas he can fix. That is certain.

With the added pressure from Spurs (if you want to call it that) Arsene will want to improve even more. I doubt he is looking over his shoulder with fear, just with added purpose. It was a fantastic run that must be restarted. As a great man once said, "It's the hope that gets you." Long suffering Spurs fans will feel that they've got over the hump. No more just hoping. Well, see below:

Burnley 4 Spurs 2. Fuck off Spurs!

Keep the faith.

Theo the Author - Get Your Priorities Straight Son!

2010-05-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Let's give a man a book deal, even though he's won fuck all and is injured most of the time.

His best accolade is Super Sub.

I fucking pray he comes good.

Arsene is sure he will.

Keep it Arsenal

The Finish Line

2010-05-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

- We're finally at the finish line. Even though the team has surpassed most expectations, there is a twinge of disappointment in the air. We cannot feel warm about the past few weeks, but let's not wipe away all of the earlier moments from this year.

- When I wrote that the draw against Barcelona at the Emirates might be the high point of the year, I was right. In the second half of that match, Cesc stood up and played for our shirt. That is something to treasure forever. He deserves a warm round of applause tomorrow when he will presumably take a lap of honor with the first team after the match.

- Suggestions that there should be a mass walkout at the 80 minute mark should be ridiculed on the spot. Nobody deserves that kind of treatment, not even our goalkeepers. Imagine if such a stupid thing did occur, do you think Cesc would want to stay? Would any players want to come to play for a club with such bitter and deluded fans?

- Whether or not Gallas appears tomorrow, it seems as though the next week will tell us whether or not he'll stay with us. I maintain that it would be easier to give into his contract demands than find a player of his ilk, but his mind is his mind. If he leaves, that's another player we would definitely have to replace.

- Mikael Silvestre brief stint looks to be at a close. I was baffled when I heard we had signed him, because it came out of the blue. Regardless of his spotty play on the pitch, he has probably provided wise words for some of our younger players.

- I could say many things right now, but I just want to watch the game tomorrow before I delve into the problems of our team.

- We need a point against Fulham tomorrow, and with that, we would finally celebrate St. Totteringham's Day. It has taken far too long.

Who Looks Stupid Now?

2010-05-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

Manchester City blew it and I am glad.

Back in September, City fans went nuts when their team beat Arsenal 4-2. At the start of the season they viewed Arsenal and not Liverpool as the team they were confident of replacing for 4th place in the Premiership.

Arsenal's only purchase last summer was Thomas Vermaelen for 10 million pounds. Manchester City on the other hand spent 118 million on new players. Their fans became cocky and arrogant, confident that money will buy them success.

City's belief, was that once they had secured a Champions League spot, the superstars would follow. Kaka, Ronaldo, Ribery, Fabregas, and Torres.

This dream will have to wait another season and City will have to make do playing in the Europa League with the likes of Burnley.

I'm not happy that Spurs have a chance of making the Champions League group stages. However, they deserve to finish fourth and have done so without the crass spending power of Manchester City.

If City had qualified for the Champions League qualifiers, there is no doubt that they would go on an aggressive spending spree, using the highest wages and Europe's premier competition as bait. Now all they can offer is the world's highest wages.

A mercenary culture will prevail at City, where players with the same attitude as Adebayor will join, with money their only motivation.

Players such as Stephen Ireland will leave and prove City wrong by prospering at another club, where their talents will be utilized more effectively and where they will feel wanted because they will be an important component in that clubs progression for honours.

City are the Paris Hilton of football - a Paris Hilton that has fallen in love with Prince William, who would never consider dating such a materialistic woman of abundant wealth because she has no class. That's how the likes of Torres and Kaka view City. A club who last won a major trophy back in 1976 and who last played in a final back in 1981.

No doubt City will spend big again this summer, but not making the top four is a massive blow to signing the likes of Ribery et al.

It's also a massive blow to football in the northwest. London now has three clubs in the Champions League next season. Fulham are in the Europa League final. A power shift has occurred. It may only be temporary but with Spurs about to build a new 60,000 seater stadium, it could eventually be permanent.

Spurs need to say a big thank you to Damien Comolli. After all, he only signed 7 of the players that beat City 1-0. Sure, Harry Redknapp has added resilience to those players, but he joined a club that had very good players.

The plus side to Spurs making the Champions League qualifiers is that it will force Wenger to act regarding transfers because he knows that Spurs can now offer Champions League football and a life in the capital.

Keep it Arsenal

The New _pur_

2010-05-06T02:08:00.000-07:00

_omeone told me that _pur_ have clinched a CL place for next term. I couldn't be more apathetic. Yet I am happy that Man City have not. We don't need another Chel_ea.

Yeah, _ome of my key_ broke. I need a new laptop.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

No Mas

2010-05-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

- The Blackburn match was supposed to be televised on ESPN2. Instead, the match ended up not being televised in the US. Somebody at the pub had a laptop, so we used it to stream the match. Fifteen men huddled around a 15 inch computer monitor whose wallpaper was of the owner's Hebrew tattoos. The stream was solid, but I couldn't see much of what was going on. I knew when we scored, I knew when we conceded, and I knew when we lost. And that was that. Usually, I'll try to watch the match in full later in cases like this, so I can get a full impression of the game. But this time around, I chose not to. Can this season please end?

- What more is there to say? Fabianski was fouled by Jason Roberts, who bragged about Blackburn's tactics to The Sun today, on the first goal, but our defense was completely all over the place. Our players don't know when to track players; they only know how to follow the ball. And for the second goal, all I can hope is that Wenger sees that we have to buy a goalkeeper. That unfortunately isn't the public face of Wenger though, but let's hope he's playing poker.

- Fabianski being a lights out goalkeeper in training tells me something else about our team. It means that nobody is giving him a hard time in training. Nobody is challenging him. Nobody is putting their body in the way in the manner these grafting teams will do. We don't want to emulate these teams, but we have to prepare for them. What Blackburn did yesterday was no surprise.

- Vela did nothing. Walcott did close to nothing. It's bad that we have a ton of injuries; it's worse when most of our players who fight back are amongst those injuries. But where is the fight in Samir Nasri that he showed earlier in the season? What happened to these guys?

- As for the picture on the top of this post, you might as well enjoy something right now. Because in terms of Arsenal, it's terrible. Even the almighty ladies lost to Everton yesterday. And now, we get to watch Sp*rs attempt to join us in the Champions League. Lovely. Wake me up when the transfer window opens.