Arsenal all quiet

Well it's the lull before the summer of hectic buying and selling and of course the Euros. I struggle to watch England play, not for the want of trying but for the fact that they are boring as fuck to watch. I'll watch us over the Euros and want us to win obviously but I'll do it without being particularly entertained.

Anyway onto Arsenal, this is my first post in a while and will probably be the last for a while because quite simply nothing is happening. Contract talks with RVP broke down and he has now set off with Holland in their pre-season preparations for the Euros. There isn't much we can really say about that, we just have to hope that post-tournament he decides to stay on. Elsewhere nothing but rumours. Depending on what paper you read we either: definitely have/definitely haven't/probably/probably haven't signed M'Villa, who quite frankly fails to excite me. I read today that we have also registered our interest in Doumbia who, despite being an absolute machine on FIFA 12, has done pretty much nothing of note.

I'm beginning to wonder whether new players really are the answer looking at the players with been linked with, bar Kagawa who, lets face it when posed with the question of United or Arsenal based on recent seasons only really as one choice. However I can't see Kagawa fitting in with either of our potential systems, without dropping someone. But that poses the question of who do we leave out? Play 4-4-2 with Podolski and (hopefully) rvp upfront and that means that across the middle we have a choice of Song, Arteta, Ramsey, Rosicky and Wilshere along with possibly Diaby and possibly Benayoun. So out of those possible 7 players we need to leave potentially 3 players out. Maybe more if we have Walcott or Gerv or Oxlade on the wings.

Play 4-3-3 and that means that we'd have to play either Podolski or rvp on the wing which is a possibility. The other side is up for grabs between Gerv, Walcott and Oxlade, but once again in the middle we have to fit in 5 players. So who do we leave out? Ramsey, OK maybe, but then Wilshere who we have desperately missed this season is surely a no, Song who occupies that holding midfield role needs to stay in. Arteta who we just signed I also think needs to stay in the squad which means leaving the re-born Rosicky who by the way had a fantastic season in my books on the sideline which Ramsey.

Maybe we need a bit of a clear out but I can't see who we sell apart from possibly Diaby, if he ever gets fit again. We have a midfield full of players who we NEED in the team, players who have signed a new deal and players who could be the best thing since sliced bread. 

Food for thought. I'm not even gonna start on the defence.

Anyway unless anything big happens, its set to be another few quiet weeks. I think my next post maybe a players we might sell type of piece. Have a great few weeks!

Arsenal wield the axe

So the big news coming out of Arsenal this morning is that we have released 7 payers: Manuel Almunia, George Brislen-Hall, Gavin Hoyte, Sean McDermott, Rhys Murphy and Scholars James Campbell and Jeffrey Monakana. I'm sure many of you will only have heard of 2 players there being Almunia and Hoyte but first I think you have to spare a though for the others who are all young, it must be hard being told you just aren't quite good enough. But football is a harsh mistress and I wish them all the best in the future.

So Almunia has left the club after much speculation as to what was actually happening with his future although a move did appear to be on the cards. He's had a bit of a touch and go career with us that to be fair included 175 first team appearances, one of them being a Champions League final, keeping a by no means poor 70 clean sheets. But there was just always that air about him, a question mark over his confidence in himself. There was always that niggling feeling of maybe, he'll make that error. To be honest though after Seaman we did like a error-prone keeper: Lehmann, Fabianksi and Almunia all fit the bill. That said I never particularly disliked any of them, just didn't rate them as great keepers.

Almunia's penalty record is nothing to sniffed at either and on his day he was a fine shot stopper there are no doubts there. I just think with all the recent keeper talk about Arsenal and with Szczesny now firmly in the first choice position I just can't see where Almunia will fit in should we need another keeper, as we have *gulp* Fabianski. So I think a move is probably the best for all concerned, I hope he does well whatever he decides to do next.

As RVP's contract talks rumbled on over the last week and bit nothing has come out of anywhere about what exactly has been said or has happened. Talks have ended for now with Robin joining the Holland team in their build up to the Euro's. So for now we can only hope that something will be sorted. 

I'll keep you all up to date with any big news that emerges. Until then, enjoy the sun!

 

3rd place, relax for the summer

We did it! It wasn't pretty and it wasn't Arsenal football but the result is all that matters. You can say we got lucky and Fulop gave us 2 goals but who cares. We won, the now quiet neighbours down the road can't complain, they fucked it up the week before. It has been an easy week, not having to worry about Chelsea winning the Champions League, which evidently was a good thing.

I saw a lot of Arsenal fans supporting Bayern Munich last night and I can completely understand that, but it didn't happen so lets all have a real laugh at Tottenham today, I'm sure their fans aren't in the best mood. But that's irrelevant we have a long, boring summer ahead. The only football being the Euros and lets face it, international football is boring as hell so we only have transfers to keep us entertained (give me strength).

Now is the time where everyone over analyses everything and decides who needs what and where. I'm gonna leave that for a few weeks because the rumours have already started and right now I can't be asked to go into it. So I'll save that for a few a later post. Talking of posts from now they'll hopefully be around once a week but it all depends on what news and rumours are spinning around.


So its over for another year, a difficult year lets say. Its been one that looking at where we were and where we are I'm happy and think the team showed a lot of spirit to pull through it all. Wenger got stick, the players got stick and now they've silenced everyone but simply pointing at the table. I want to thank you for sticking with me throughout and I'm gonna leave you with a picture that I think sums up our final day nicely. Until next time.

 Oh and this one...

Wankers.
   

West Bromwich Albion (A) + the end of the season

Well here we are, our whole season defined by 90 minutes of the beautiful game tomorrow. Tomorrow the title race is irrelevant, the relegation battle is irrelevant. There is only one game that matters to gooners. We travel to the Hawthorns knowing that a win will secure Champions League next year, right now everything else that has come before doesn't matter, the game at Old Trafford, the night in Milan, the comeback against the scum, the victory at Stamford Bridge. None of that matters. 

It's been a difficult season there are no doubts about it, ending it on a high would make up fr the torture it has been. We know the situation: win and we're there, draw and we're at least fourth, lose and well that doesn't bare thinking about. The players will know the gravity of the situation, the manager will know and its up to them to step out there tomorrow and make sure that we do ourselves justice. Does anybody remember the program Dream Team? they were in the situation of playing an FA Cup final with a caretaker manager and when asked about tactics he simply said "win". That is the sort of team talk I would give, but I'm sure Mr.Wenger has other ideas.


Anyway I should probably get onto team news. Walcott faces a late fitness test, hopefully he'll be fit to go because lets face it down the right we do miss something without him, whether its his inconsistency or his link up play, its something. We miss Arteta badly and in situations like this I really wish we had the Spaniard playing. It seems that Coquelin will start at right back, not sure whats up with Jenkinson. Apart from that I think it will be pretty standard. Rosicky slotting in behind RVP.

News earlier in the week suggested that Odemwingie might miss out but he's unfortunately made it. Chris Brunt on the other hand is out which means it looks like James Morrison will slot in. Its hard to pick a weakness in West Brom's team, they have a fairly solid standard of player across the board but we know that we can beat them.

So it really is squeaky bum time now. Tomorrow isn't about pretty football, its not about scoring wonder goals, its all about the result. I'd take the shittiest, scrappiest, bundle of a goal if it meant we won. Its Roy's last game and it's also Pat Rice's last game, lets hope we send Pat off in the way he deserved for all his years of service.

I'm not doing a prediction for tomorrow, in fear of jinxing it or whatever. Come 3 tomorrow I'll find out if that running has paid off and my heart can take it.

For the last time this season. Come On You Gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agony, ecstasy & a second chance

Summing up quite how I felt on Saturday after the result is quite hard. Just a truly gutting feeling. After being informed that we were leading 3-2 I said we'll concede an equaliser now and funny how things work, we did. I'm sure along with many Arsenal fans I was almost sure we'd completely blown our chances of 3rd. At that moment it seemed like everything that could go wrong would. We'd finish 5th, Van Persie would leave, Arsenal would crumble like Liverpool, Sanga had broken his leg and would never play again. Of course I calmed down from this dejected state but it still wasn't a pleasant feeling. 

I sat down to watch the Soccer Special not expecting much, to be honest I wasn't really paying attention. Until of course Ciaran Clarke fired Aston Villa into a lead. I expected Sp*rs to hit back and they did through Adebayor at which point I had accepted that they would win. I turned to Newcastle to see them lose to Man City, almost certainly securing the title for them but hey, you can't have it all. At that point we had a hope if securing top 4 knowing a point would do it. The 6 minutes of added time at Villa Park were absolute hell but eventually the full time whistle went.

I couldn't quite believe we had a second chance, one we probably didn't deserve but we'd all take it. It means that once again, we need to win at West Brom to secure 3rd and guarantee Champions League football next year. Although at this current moment I'm not overly confident I'd rather be where we are now. We have been gifted a second chance, if we don't take it then we probably don't deserve to finish 3rd. 

We need to hold our nerve and play the game not the occasion. If we keep our shape and Song covers when Vermaelen goes surging forward then we'll have a chance. We also need to keep it simple, rather than trying to over elaborate things. Song was particularly guilty of this after for their last goal at the weekend. He tried a loopy ball over the top instead of playing the simple ball that would have been far more effective.

So a lot to do in this final week of the season but we have launched our kit for the new season. I'm not exactly a fan at the moment but I'm sure I'll learn to accept it over the season. Check our our 2012/13 home kit.

Check back later this week for all the build up to our huge game at the Hawthorns.

Norwich City (H)

"We have one advantage and that is that it's in our hands"

That was Arsene Wenger earlier today after the midweek games did us no favours. But in football you can't rely on others to slip up and if you asked an Arsenal fan where you rather be in our position or Spurs they'd say us looking at the games we have left. Newcastle have the tougher fixtures on paper with City at home being a crucial game.

Our attention turns to our final home game of the season, Norwich who are on a bit of a bad run as of late and have nothing to play for. But that doesn't mean they aren't going to come and turn it on. Our players need to be aware of the gravity of this fixture and not turn up assuming we're going to walk it. They need to want 3rd place and they need to want this first win. Similarly with West Brom next weekend, although it is possible for us to clinch 3rd this weekend we aren't relying on results going our way so its more than likely we're going to go into the last game knowing a win will secure 3rd. 

 
Team news is nothing new, we now know that Diaby has joined Wilshere and Walcott in being out for the season. So that leaves us lacking on one wing, Wenger has the choice of either putting Alex OC or Benayoun or Gervinho out. I think Alex OC will lose out on one side, its a big game and although he shows that he has plenty of confidence, the occasion might get the better of him. That's another thing we need to remember as the Cardiff manager said "Play the game, not the occasion" its easy for us to get nervy in these last 2 games but we need to stay focused on the task and we all know we can do it.

Norwich do have some dangerous players and have done well this season so players like Holt, Hoolahan and Pilkington need to watched and make no mistake given the opportunity they will punish us. It will be a tough game and we just need to make sure we get up for the game and we do what we need to do.

In some sad news, tomorrow will be the last time we see Pat Rice in the Arsenal dug out at the Emirates. The 63 year old has decided that this will be his last season and there will be many fans that will be sorry to see him leave, me being one of them. I'm too young to remember his hay days but my father has often informed me of how good a player he really was. So farewell Pat, I hope we give him a standing ovation when the team do their traditional lap of honour.

So with 2 games to go its far from over and we know what we have to do. COYG!

Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Norwich  

Podolski comfirmation and midweek clashes

Based on the game and circumstances I think that will certainly be a point gained rather than 2 dropped at the end of the season. The games between us and Stoke are starting to get pretty intense, I read an article on Monday saying that its a real grudge match now and I'm inclined to agree. When fans boo a player who had his leg broken by one of their lumbering players, its a poor effort on their part and I certainly think the games will only get worse before they get better.

Anyway moving on from that and finally it has been confirmed that Lukas Podolski will sign for Arsenal. His club Cologne (Koln) confirmed earlier in the week as did Poldi himself using his website. He seems genuinely excited by the prospect of joining the club which is always a good thing but I think it makes a statement from Arsene for 2 reasons. 1) Showing players that we are serious about growth and improvements within the squad and 2) Sends a message to other clubs that maybe, just maybe, this summer we mean business. In complete contrast to previous windows where we've left signings till literally the last minute, we've made our first signing before the end of the season.

 
Apart from that there isn't much news coming from Arsenal so our attention turns just slightly towards 2 big games in the PL this evening. Chelsea v Newcastle and Bolton v Tottenham. Now it is possible that after these games we can go into the game against Norwich knowing that a win will secure 3rd (bar an 18+ goal swing for Newcastle in the last game). That scenario is as follows: Bolton beat Sp*rs and Chelsea and Newcastle draw. Personally I can't see either happening, but you never know. Either way after tonight we will know exactly what we need to do to secure 3rd.

Of course we know what we need to do already, with it still in our hands we need to win our last 2 games against Norwich and West Brom. It really is that simple but of course if there is a chance of us doing it sooner then all the better. We will only know after tonight.

Till Friday, have a good week.