William Gallas

Seldom are players swapped stirring so much controversy as happened when the top-2 from London exchanged the pro-libedo might of Ashley Cole for the grumpy, sulken skills of William Gallas. Both proven performers in search of fresher challanges.

Conor Valentine is back with views on his favourite defender. And mind you, he’s Irish! (Follow him on Twitter @Gunnerman911)

William Gallas, Arsenal’s number 10. A player who is prone to controversy, Arsenal fans should remember what happened on 21 November, 2008. Comments made by Gallas in the media led to him being stripped of the Arsenal captaincy.

There were other instances, of course, such as the ’sit-down’ at Birmingham, being caught smoking, the list goes on. A lot of people expected Gallas to leave the club this summer. His relationship with Kolo Toure was publicly bad.

However, Toure and Adebayor left. And Gallas stayed, Wenger had done it again! Gallas has been a revelation this season. His form has been undeniably outstanding. One of the leagues best players, this season.

How? He has a new centre-back partner, in Belgian Thomas Vermaelan. And the two have been arguably one of the best pair of centre backs this season. Not just defensively. But on the offensive side, a total of 9 goals. 6 from Vermaelan, 3 for Gallas. But the centre-back is a defensive position, and both have excelled.

What has changed in the Frenchman? His mentality? His effort? Yes, everything about Gallas’ game has improved, he goes into games knowing his position is not guaranteed, he knows he cannot assume he will be started week in, week out. Before Gallas was cocky, he believed, because he was captain, he was all which mattered. Having made those infamous comments, he now realises that he must earn his position, by performing.

The fact it is a World Cup year, may also be a factor, every player wants to play at the top level, in the top competition. Gallas in fact, scored the very goal which sent France into the finals, a header vs Ireland, after Henry had blatantly hand-balled. Nothing taken away from Gallas, a well timed run, to the back post, and a simple finish.

Speaking of the day, Ireland played a great game, and unfortunately, came against UEFA and FIFA president’s Sepp Blatter, and Michel Platini, in the draw for the game.  But let’s be honest. France are a side who should be in the World Cup. Gallas also deserves the trip to South Africa, due to his performances this last year.

Vital back-up to the pair has arrived, Sol Campbell returning to the club he joined from spurs in 2001. Sol may have been a signing the pundits laughed at, but, apart from a slight touch of the ball in Oporto, he has rarely put a foot wrong in his brief appearances.

This is an important factor when you think back a year. When Gallas, Clichy and Sagna got injured for the season run-in.  Hopefully Gallas will remain fit, but it is good to know there is a back-up better than Silvestre in our ranks.

Gallas also has a great quality, versatility. He can play as a centre-back, or a full-back on either flank. Considering Arsenal will be without Kieran Gibbs, Gallas’ ability to play left-back may be useful if Clichy gets injured again. Although Vermaelan may be the first choice for left-back if Traore is left out, considering the Belgian’s history of playing left-back for Ajax.

Overall, Gallas is a player who has majorly improved his game. Upped the effort put into games, and, possibly most important, kept away from commenting in the media. May he remain gallic in times to come.

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STOP, it's Eboue!

Some players just pull on their jocks, ride on the pitch, do their bit & happily recline once the final whistle blows. While the other few prefer divide opinions while they are at it. Be it their on-field demeanour or off-field persona, the media just can’t have enough of them. Emmanuel Eboué is one such kind.

Conor Valentine explains.. (Follow him on Twitter @Gunnerman911)

Emmanuel Eboué. Full-back/Right Midfielder. He has come in leaps and bound since the infamous game against Wigan, last season where, having come on as a first half sub, Eboué played so poorly that Wenger was forced to take him off. The fans were not afraid to show the Ivory Coast man how they felt, a loud chorus of booing while he exited the pitch.

Since then, Eboué has come along massively, every single aspect of his play has improved, and that includes him tripping over the grass less often, looking for free-kicks. Eboué is the kind of player, who fans do love to see, the footballer who will literally run his socks off, giving every ounce of strength and energy for the team. Eboué is a player who simply loves to have a ball at his feet, and run at defenders, or on the overlap when played as a full-back.

As fans of Arsenal, we have all seen players who will give everything for their club, and I don’t recall one who the fans did not admire for it. Eboué may not be the best passer, but, taking a game like the one against Sunderland, on Saturday, Eboué showed how well he can play when given the ball to run with, his passing game was up to the mark, and, of course played the ball into Bendtner waiting at the back post for the first goal.

On the defensive side, Eboué may not be the best tackler, but that does not mean he will give up, in fact, most of the time, if he has been beaten, he has the pace to get back and possibly prevent a cross. And to the offensive side of things, it is commonly acknowledged that Bacary Sagna lacks the ability to deliver a pin point cross. Eboué, while not pin point, can deliver a good ball for a striker, to nod home.

We were all shocked when Wenger decided to place Eboué as a natural replacement to Hleb once he bid adieu. Eboué did struggle to settle as an attacking player, because he was used to getting up, then back to defend; now he wasn’t required to defend as much. This clearly affected his performances, but he grew into his new position, posing an attacking threat. Soon after Theo Walcott made the Right Wing spot his own, demoting Eboué to the bench a lot of the time, but amazingly, he never let his head drop, he kept at it, every appearance giving his all.

Now the focus goes to this season, an important one, since we have not had a regular Right Wing player. Theo has made few appearances due to injuries; Rosicky has been placed out there when fit. Nasri too, has played as the right winger.  Eboué has generally been the late substitute, on with 20 minutes to go, not enough time for a major impact. He ha been subjected to minimal starts, but I don’t feel that he has played a horrible game this season, a few odd stray passes, dives etc.

Last Wednesday’s loss to Porto signaled a major change in the supporter’s attitude. I heard a lot of ‘Eboué has to start, Sagna cannot cross’. And these supporters were perfectly correct, Eboué has had little chance to impress, and I believe Right Back is his best position. Wenger made his mind up, Eboué started, and was instrumental in Arsenal winning the game, 2-0. An all action performance, played with a huge grin on his face, is why Eboué is a fan favourite, and hopefully, he will be subject to more starts after his recent, and quite obvious improvements in his game play. Only this time, the Arsenal faithful would prefer crooning:

‘We Only Came To See Eboue..’

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We Miss You Robin!

Arsenal until recently, were the leading goal-poachers not just in England, but in the whole of Europe. Now that is a remarkable stat if you consider the acute paucity of goal-guzzlers at the Emirates this season. For a while Wenger had a full repertoire to choose from, in likes of Van Persie, Bendtner, Arshavin, Vela, Eduardo, & we are not even counting Walcott here! Injuries ripped right through our front-line & left us seriously short on armory. The transfer window came & bid adieu, but Arsene didn’t flutter one bit, much to the dismay of the faithful. He stuck by his guns & is now supposedly through the so-called ‘striker crisis’ facing his ranks.

Conor Valentine, a fiercely avid Gunner from Dublin, shares his views on the same right now. You can Follow him on Twitter @Gunnerman911.

Arsenal’s ’striker crisis‘ is not so much a crisis, in my opinion. Yes, without Van Persie, who is undoubtedly one the Premier League’s best strikers, Arsenal does lack a properly proven finisher. But when you look down the entire team,  it ain’t that bad?

In every position are players who can, and will, score goals. Whether that’s Vermaelen, in the centre of defence, Diaby, in midfield, Cesc, in an attacking midfield, or even Bendtner who, despite what some fans believe, I think will have a huge future at the club. Arsenal is of a team which lacks height, but Bendtner an exception. He can head the ball alright & can also run all over the pitch, pressurizing the opposition. He may not be able to do justice to the lone striker’s job despite his strength and ability to hold the ball up, but  makes up for it with his mobility. However, I think him and Van Persie together up front can make a good partnership. And in Bendtner, we know we’ll get a triker who’d give it his all & has his best years ahead of him, is neither lazy nor selfish, unlike a certain ex-Arsenal player (Mad-e-Bye-Whore who!?).

We also have Eduardo, who, on his day is a clinical finisher and also a provider of goals. Both have lacked confidence recently, along with a surprising number of players. But back to Eduardo, who has not had many games to perform in, up until the Van Persie injury, he was mainly a substitute in the last 20 or so minutes, but when he got into the side due to the injury, he was clearly lacking the sharpness of an in-form striker. He got many opportunities to score, which he would have converted had he been playing regular football, but he just could not score. Eventually, he got off the mark, with some slightly lucky goals, but still, you could see he wasn’t confident, and when he scored, every time it required a bit of luck. But at least he was scoring, as opposed to just being on the pitch running around with no impact.

With news that Van Persie could be back by late April (if we are ever going to get any luck) then what was a crisis, has suddenly become a situation where we have 2 strikers who have been getting games (Eduardo has just a niggly injury) and one other striker who was both scoring and creating for fun, before a certain Italian tried to take his leg apart, which can only mean one thing, Goals, and hopefully, plenty for all to see.

But for now, we must make do with Bendtner probably Wenger’s first choice, and Eduardo as the backup. There is the possibility of playing Walcott through the middle, which so many Arsenal fans would like to see, considering the hat-trick versus Croatia for England. However I believe Wenger would sooner have Arshavin playing centrally, although our little Russian claims he cannot play there. Despite this crisis, Arsenal have kept themselves in the running for both the Premier League, and the Champions League, proving that life without a striker, even for a top European team like ours, is possible. And that only because of our desire to win at any cost. Keep the faith guys, this one’s not done yet!

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They Are Same-Same But Different!

I have had this thought lingering in my mind for quiet some time now. Barcelona play the same style of football that our beloved Arsenal plays. They attack, attack and attack, just like we do. But they are sitting on a pile of trophies and we, on the other hand, are sitting on our arse, for half a decade now. What is the reason behind this unfortunate disparity. We @11G dwell into the same..

First of all lets look at the similarities amongst us, apart from our style of play i.e. They develop players, and so do we. They rely heavily on their youth set up, and so do we. Technically, both the teams have the most gifted players in European circuit to choose from. But this is where the similarity ends. They don’t fear losing out on a transfer recruit & back themselves to get the next one come what may. We instead, go for a hiding every time the window opens. They have democratic set up to run their team, unlike ours. For them winning is more important than the business of football. In fact, there is no better way to make money than to win. If a team wins, their financial assets  automatically go on an upswing.

They bought Ronaldinho, who went on to become the best player in the world. They bought Deco who went on to play a major part in Rijkaard’s Barca. They never lost money on these players even when they paid highly for their services. They never fixed a salary structure for themselves but paid their players as per their abilities. They never told Messi that they can’t pay him beyond a certain limit even if he is the best player on the globe unlike what we did when we allowed Flamini & A Cole to leave. And yes, back then, Ashley was as good a LB as any.

Agreed that we have managed to lure away one of their own, in Fabregas, but how long can he stay here if other clubs are willing to pay thrice the amount he currently earns. Put yourself in his shoes & decide for yourself. Right now, he is as good as anybody in the EPL, if not the entire continent. In spite of that he is paid peanuts when compared to someone like Rooney or Drogba. Barca is not afraid to bring in players from outside to support their youth set up and that is where they beat us. They brought in Henry when they needed a striker. They brought in Alves when they needed a right back. Last season they bought Ibra, who is again a world class player. They buy according to their present needs, forgetting the finances in the interim. They win trophies by the dozens & inturn balance the balance-sheets! Simple, aye!? A subtle mixture of youth & experience is what adds both flair & steel to their ranks.

Arshavin and Vermaelen are the only world class players we have bought over the past two summers. Just not ambitious enough for a club of our stature. Economics dictates that spending brings in more money to spend and not otherwise. It is about time that we pumped in some serious cash to buy ready-made talent. Only then will the exuberance of youth at our disposal, fully blossom. Else we may always remain a profitable club but never become a GREAT one. Take your chances Mr. Wenger. Economics, like football, is your forte, remember!?

PS: Arsenal face first of the so-called easy games in Sunderland, tomorrow evening. Almunia or Fabianski or Mannone, god willing, it shall be a clean-sheet. I’m going for a 3-0 trashing. Thoughts?

Viva Arsenal!

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One Nil To The Opposition!

“Buy a striker Arsene.” “Why doesn’t Arsene buy a winger?” “Wenger should seriously fish in the market for a strong, tough-tackling midfielder.” “Arsenal needs a mean defender if they are to remain in contention this term.” And as we were busy quoting, re-quoting the above, another one flew in our net! Hell, the ‘one nil to the Arsenal’ coinage has now become ‘Arsenal one down’ & the prime reason behind this is not the paucity of forwards, or the inability of our mid-fielders, or for that matter the brawn of our defence. More often than not, it’s the custodian who has let the team down. 11G probes the case of ‘The 3 Muskepeers’ right now..

Not since the eccentric Jens Lehmann guided us to Paris for the Champion’s League decider in ’06, can we claim to have had the sight of a domineering man as our No. 01. Two instances apart, it’s been a rather shoddy story. Let me remind you of the two games I am referring to here. First would be the CL Semis, 1^st leg, against United last season. Saying, our keeper was ‘high’ that night, won’t be an exaggeration! Although we were duly mauled in the 2’nd leg, it was a hearting performance from the Spaniard. Next up would be the game against Fulham this season. Save our save after save. Boy, it was reminiscent of the show orchestrated by on certain Edwin Van der Sar, when the ‘Invincibles‘ met the Cottagers (at the Cottage of course!),  a few years back. I still remember the Dutchman pulled off no less than 23 saves that evening, phew. I doubt all our keepers combined have managed that much this term. No kidding, we have been that bad in the goal-keeping department. Simply put, we suck. Or let’s just stay, we’re stuck with ‘The 3 Muskepeers’ namely Manuel Almunia, Lukasz Fabianski & Vito Mannone. Ok, I have now repeated the attempted spoof on Alexandre Dumas three times(!), so moving on; let’s focus on the three men individually:

Almunia first up. Love him. Hate him. You just can’t ignore him. Get him in the team, & he guns are placed right at him. Kick him out, or he gets injured, & everyone wants him back right away. Ok, the latter is more due to the inability of his replacements, yet his case is a curious one. This season he has been pathetic more than anything. He exudes almost zero confidence in his back-4, & his gaffes just keep stacking up by the day. Ronaldo’s free kick from CL Semis last season, his lunge which led to Rooney’s penalty @OT this season, or lately the atrocious back-flap from Nani which again handed United early advantage against us. Big players turn up in big games. He quiet clearly, doesn’t. He is still riding the crest of his performances from last term, & it baffles how Wenger can be so naïve in persisting him all along. He is no junior, which makes it all the more intriguing. Forget making the English squad, at 32, this guy can’t make the cut for Ecuador. Or Estonia. Or El Salvador.

Lukasz Fabianski has been reduced to the role of a ‘Cup Keeper’ under the Wenger regime. Wonder if he’s even good enough for that!? The first time I chanced upon the Pole, was in a tie against Chelsea in he FA Cup. Didier Drogba owned him that evening. Switch to Premier League. Same story. 4-1 to the ‘Blues’. Switch to Carling Cup. A 5-goal trashing at the hands of, wait for it, Spurs. Last night against Porto, & ‘two school-boy errors’ (quoting Captain Cesc) later, he remains in tatters. He is young (i.e. 24), & has a career ahead of him. Agreed that one gains big game temperament only after testing oneself in match day environs, but lack of basic know-how is just not accepted. Seeing the 2’nd goal from last night, you’d wonder if the guy were nuts (Watch the Highlight’s here!). Either the nerves got to him, or he was a sea. Both ways, not a trait, a keeper with potential is supposed to possess. He clearly needs more games to strengthen his case. Till then, I’d prefer not seeing him at all.

PS: And please don’t start him in any game against a team featuring Didier Drogba. The guy is a demon & is very efficient at ruining the very psyche of cute/lost-looking players. Ask Senderos (Added ‘lost’ to include him in!).

At 21, ‘Don’ Vito Mannone is far from a finished product. It was the Italian who btw enacted a Van der Sar, if it wasn’t already obvious. One of the more stellar shows by an Arsenal keeper, in any era I dare say. He was insurmountable that day. Inexperience got to him & ended up giving away silly goals in the subsequent fixtures. His biggest shortcoming seems to be keeping mum in the gravest of situations. ‘Dons’ do that, but c’mon, its football babes. Unless you shout at your defenders, how will they ever know what your plans are!? Again, full of promise & poise, but needs time to stand a chance & be counted. All in all, not eligible enough to man one of Europe’s top teams presently. Hope he gets there soon. I seriously do, especially after watching the other two ply their respective trades, at the Emirates for a while now. Love his name though. So close to Don Vito Corleone, aye!?

If these three are not worth a shot, then who is? Doesn’t a Club as big as Arsenal, deserve better keepers? Don’t world class players like Arshavin, Fabregas, Van Persie, Gallas, etc, deserve more assurance at the back? Don’t the faithful in you & me deserve to see Arsenal complete clean sheets game afte game? Arsene, for once has got it horribly wrong. His track record with goal-keepers has been torrid to say the least. Except for perhaps Seaman, whom he had inherited, he has seldom brought a decent custodian. Jens Lehmann, for all his achievements, remains an enigma to date. Other include Rami Shaaban (who?), Richard Wright(who?), Mart Poom (who?), & our present 4^th choice keeper, Wojciech Szczesny, who again is highly rated by the wily Frenchman. Let’s face it, Arsene doesn’t ‘know‘ the code as far as No. 1’s are concerned. With all due respects for the Professor, if he will please see things as they stand, & opt for an experienced & proven GK, I’m sure it would serve for the greater good. Ok, we can have all these potentially fulfilling players in our ranks, but only for the Reserves side. Not for a team vying for 4 trophies, at least on paper i.e. C’mon Arsene, get flexible & buy us a good, steady & above all, a non-eccentric keeper this summer. Please!

Now let me leave you guys with a Poll to decide for yourself, which of the three, is our best bet till the end of this term. Here we go:

Poll: Who Should Be Arsenal’s First Choice Goal-Keeper?

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Is Walcott Good Enough For No. 14?

You shouldn’t be surprised if faced with a question similar to the one above i.e. Where is our No. 14!? Answers may range from, ‘We had Thierry Henry playing there, aye (!?)‘ to ‘It was this real fast guy‘ & so on. You shouldn’t also be surprised if few fail to remember this guy completely. But then pardoning them would be much easier than forgetting the promise one English teenager had shown signs of, months before WC ‘06. It’s that time of the year again, & we @11G rewind time to get up-close with Theo Walcott. Our No. 14 btw..

Aged 20, Theo Walcott, the current Arsenal No. 14, has already seen more twists & turns in his rather nascent career than most see in their lifetimes. After all, not many kids are possessed with pace as raw as his. Not many are hand-picked by one of England’s premier club’s aged merely 16 (which made him the costliest teenager ever is noteworthy here). Not many get a free trip to football’s biggest draw, the World Cup i.e., that too as a player, without even making a senior debut with his club. Not many are Theo Walcott anyways. Welcome to his life, a life lived in the fast lane.

He has been the protagonist in each of the aforementioned situations. History will tell you that he didn’t get a single minute of playing time in Germany with the English side, but what he gained on experienced can’t be denied either. With expectations as huge as a monster-ball, he eventually made his bow with the Gunners in the season that followed. Still a naive teenager, he showed glimpses of sheer brilliance every now and then & continued to hone his skills under the able tutelage of Professor Wenger. ‘That’ goal against Chelsea in the Carling Cup final (his first for Arsenal) or ‘that’ run against Liverpool in the Champion’s League quarters (a 80-yard surge like no other), the faithful had their hands full times over. Whilst Stuart Pierce & Sven Goran kept assigning him different roles with the national side (U-21 or the senior side), his involvement as a full-time member was far from proven. All that changed during the September of ‘08. Against Croatia, in Zagreb, he bagged a hat-trick, no less, & put to rest all the skeptics doing rounds. His pace, strength & finish had the Croats in a state of delusion. The ‘boy-wonder‘ had arrived. He finished the season with Arsenal scoring 7 goals, & more importantly looking a menace every time he came on. Everything seemed in place for the kid from St. Mary’s (read: Southampton). He re-joined the national side for the U-19 Euro’s during the off-season, much to the angst of Arsene, & risked picking an injury ahead of the new season. Thankfully he returned safe but that was that. A fresh season began soon after, but the decline of Theo, it seems, had already began somewhere in the interim.

Season 2009-10 has been a disaster even by his standards. Knee, shoulder and ­hamstring injuries have ­restricted Walcott to just six starts for Arsenal this season. Arsenal switching to a winger-unfriendly 4-3-3 has also contributed to his supposed wilderness on the pitch. He seems unsure whether to attack or to recline back & help out the full-backs as they overlap him. Wenger, meanwhile, has been adamant in his backing the young prodigy, & maintains that he will  get back to his best once he out-do’s his injuries. Theo himself recently spoke of his frustration at having picked minor niggles all season, something he felt was very unlike him, & reiterated Arsene’s faith by echoing his thoughts.

England have a healthy mix of RW/RM’s & Fabio Capello will have his job cut out in choosing from David Beckham, Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright Phillips, Theo Walcott, amongst others. With competition as high as this, Theo must be praying to have seen the last of the treatment season, for this season at least. Else he might go the Michael Owen-way & fade out of public memory sooner than later. Let’s not forget, Owen had a fairly successful career with the Three Lions. Theo has barely begun & has a long distance to cover.

Pace is something he relates to like fish to water. Time, like his runs down the flanks, too, is running equally fast. For the first time under public glare & scrutiny, he must now rise up to the occasion & shut his detractors once and for all. He must not forget that he gets paid to represent England at football tourneys & not just run & run to try and make the English sprint squad for the London Olympics 2012! We have had enough of ‘the next superstar‘, ‘talented but needs time‘, ‘his time will come’, rhetoric. It’s about time Theo Walcott out-paced the other contenders & booked his place on the flight to South Africa. And that, only after guiding the Gunners to silverware before the season bids adieu. Oh, did I just go over-board with my optimism here or what!?

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@The Emirates: Mr. Top Gooner!

It’s a proud day for us Indian’s as one of our very own, i.e. A B Kuruvilla, has been conferred with the ‘Barclays Fan of India‘ piece & thus the unofficial tag of being India’s No. 01 Arsenal Die-Hard. Now I know many would dispute the aforementioned, but let’s face it, it’s him who gets the plaudits this time around. Maybe next year, lesser mortals like you & me, can get lucky! For now, we @11G celebrate Aby’s triumph & entail his journey thus far. Here’s to Aby Baby Kuruvilla ladies & gentlemen. Enjoy..

24 year old Aby, hails from the football-crazy Kerela & currently earns his bread in Bangalore. The judging panel, which included Manchester United legends Gary Pallister and Bryan Robson, selected Aby from the thousands of entries that poured in from all corners of India. Contestants from 80 cities sent in photographs, videos and scrapbooks to support their entries. This is what Bryan Robson had to say about Aby Baby (God I love this name!):

“We were over-whelmed at seeing the response from the contest. I would like to congratulate Aby, who obviously adores Arsenal Football Club. It was a tough decision to choose only one winner from the thousands of entries we received but Aby came across as the most passionate of all.”

Even Arsene had nice things to say about all this:

“We are proud to have so many fans all over the world supporting Arsenal Football Club. We are delighted that Aby has won this special prize and we are truly grateful for his support towards Arsenal from so far away. We hope that Aby has a memorable trip to Emirates Stadium.”

Now with all these legends speaking, how can we discount the man-of-the-moment from the  melee. Here’s what Aby was qouted saying before he embarked on a journey to Arsenal’s cathedral:

“Winning the contest is a dream come true. It hasn’t even sunk in that I’ll be travelling to the Emirates Stadium – the home of the Gunners – to watch the team play live. I’ve always supported Arsenal and will continue doing so until the end of time. I haven’t missed a single game of the team on TV for years. Thirty eight games a season is just not enough!”

How true is that!? No wonder this guy has made it to the top of the heap amidst so many ardent Gooners across India. Before we leave, have a look at the interview he did with guys at Arsenal FC (phew!) & right after is the video which eventually made him Numero Uno.

Way to go Aby, Baby you’ve done Us Proud! Keep Gunning for now..

Q. Aby, welcome to Arsenal. Tell us about yourself.

A. I am from Kerala, I am doing a software job in Bangalore and this is my first trip out of my country and it is very, very cold! I can feel it and I need to get some gloves!

Q. How did you become the Barclays Fan Of India?

A. I saw about the Barclays Fan Of India contest on a website and then I submitted my entry which had text and photos and a video entry. I was singing Arsenal songs in the video.

Q. Why is Arsenal your team?

A. They play beautiful football, really attractive football. They are a great team from London. People in India like Arsenal because they play a good, passing game and are very difficult to stop. My favourite players are Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas.

Q. What have you done on your first visit to London?

A. I went to the London Eye and Madame Tussauds and then I came to the game. Yesterday I came to Emirates Stadium and was given a tour. I sat in Arsène Wenger’s seat and had a look around. It is a very beautiful stadium. It is a privilege to be here. My family and friends are happy for me and they are all watching me at the game tonight.

Q. How do you usually follow the games in India?

A. I normally watch the games with my friends from my home town and I also follow the games on Arsenal TV Online.

Q. And how do you expect tonight’s game to go?

A. It has been disappointing recently but they can come back strongly against Liverpool. I think it will be 1-0, I am confident of that. (He even got the result right, woo!)

Proverbial Chain Around Arsenal

Just before the break Andy Gray said that Arsenal has been better than Chelsea in just about everything except the only thing that matters – goals column. Arsenal played great football between the two goals, after the second goal and even in the second half. We know that the striking has been a problem for us ever since that unfortunate injury to RvP. But there is more to it than lack of quality striker for us. There is a problem with the mindset of our players and we @ 11G urge Mr.Wenger to hire a specialist to deal with this issue..

This Arsenal team is a great footballing squad developed by Mr. Wenger in a very organic way. This team is not a pack of mercenaries. A lot of the players who are playing in this squad have been together for quiet some time. So team spirit is not an issue. The flip side to this fact is that they have not won anything and that too for an extended period. A lot of players were exposed to rigors of premiership at a very early stage in their career. They have  had very tough times against Jose’s mercenaries and don’t forget the battering that they received from Rijkaard’s all conquering team comprising of Ronaldinho in full flow and Messi giving him company.

So, I feel that this team has a more of a psychological problem than a footballing problem. This team has lost consistently to teams like Chelsea, Barca, Utd. for quiet some time. Now, since it started happening when these players were not even out of their teens, it has had a very damaging influence on their psyche. It is a perfect case of “elephant syndrome”. In zoos or in other controlled environments, elephants are tied to a chain when they are young. At that age those creatures are not good enough to break those chains. But as they grow bigger and stronger they become more than capable to break out of those chains. In spite of them being capable to do so, they don’t do so. It is because of their mindset which still believes that they are not good enough to break free of those chains. And same is the problem with this Arsenal squad.

So we suggest Mr Wenger to hire a sports psychologist. And for god’s sake, please don’t buy any greenhorns. We are not asking for a “superstar” but we want someone who has won something of significance so that his confidence can rub upon the others. The time has come to act and we hope that Mr Wenger is listening to us.

Wishing for a brighter “Red & White” future..

Time To Give Chelsea The 'Blues'!?

Whilst many a faithful have been busy cursing the cruel fixture list which entitled us to face the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea & Liverpool over a span of little under three weeks; the optimists would have seen this as an opportunity to break from the pack & stamp one’s authority on the ever-so unpredictable nature of the league. Two games down the mini-league (i.e. the quartet of AVFC, MUFC, CFC & LFC), we see ourselves up by a solitary point, & down by more than just moral. As we build up to the massive duel with our trans-London rivals Chelsea, 11G looks into this game with the ‘6-points’ at stake, & the 6 things Arsenal must set right if they are to regain their momentum & with it, their aspirations to become ‘Champions’ come May.. 1. Almunia Can’t Judge For His Life

The involvement of a modern-day goalkeeper has been largely left to the miser task of picking the ball from the back of the net. Exceptions like Buffon, Casillas, Van der Sar et al, are few and far in between. At Arsenal, our No. 1 is more of a former. Not since David ‘Safe Hands’ Seaman, has Arsenal seen a custodian who infuses confidence in his ranks. Almunia, for starters, infuses fright amongst his back-4. The last time he actually turned up and played, was against United in the CL Semis 1’st leg. Injury kept him out of the first half of the current season, & ever since winning back his place from Fabianski & Manonne, he has been gravely inconsistent.

He was dreadful against United last week & was at fault for their first goal. If Arsenal are to have even a  sleight of a chance against the robust attack of Chelsea, then he better prove his detractors wrong come Sunday. Let’s hope he does.

PS: Personally I’m not yet convinced of his goal-keeping credentials in the first place. To see through the might of Drogba & Co., especially the corners & set-pieces will require more than Godly-intervention.

2. Is He Clichy Or Silvestre In Disguise!?

With likes of Anelka & Malouda marauding down the flanks for the Blues, the pair of Clichy & Sagna will have to be at their livid best. While Sagna has been his regular self all season (one tends to take him for granted at times), Clichy has been a misnomer vis-à-vis his former self. Injuries have denied him a longish run-in with the first team. He made Nani look pseudo-CR07 last week. Here’s hoping Malouda doesn’t turn into a ‘Ribery’ overnight!

3. They Better Stay ‘Gallic & Venomous’

Yes I’m referring to the most stellar defensive partnership the Grove has seen, since the ‘Sol-Kol’ days of yore. Vermaelen in particular has been the ‘Signing-of-the-Season’ (not just for Arsenal, mind you!) thus far, & has reinvigorated Gallas’s desire to keep performing at the top level. Last time these two faced Chelsea, Drogba literally shredded them apart. The Blues will stick to their tight play down the center & will rely heavily on ‘long-balls’ to frighten the fragile Arsenal Back-4. I say fragile in reference to their ability in dealing with the long-balls & physical play, which btw largely forms the fulcrum of Chelsea’s attack. If Arsenal are to stop Chelsea from running away with the match, these two will have to STOP Didier Drogba, come what may. I wish them luck. Although, they’re gonna need hell more than plain luck in this one. L

4. Diaby for Denilson. Eboue for Denilson. Hell, Anyone But Denilson!

One Gunner, not many are fond of. He topped the charts last season, when it came to accuracy (i.e. % distribution) with which a footballer passes the ball. Did anyone care to question where those passes actually went? I have the answer: sideways or backwards. Very seldom does he thread forward, even scarcer is his role in shielding the back-4 back, by making those last-ditch lunges. In fact, he only excels in passing the ball (sideways or backwards only!). He was woeful against United, & 2 screamers apart, has been woeful all season long.

Diaby, on the other hand, has been a breath of fresh air this term. Not only has he found his long-lost vigour for the game, the abundance of raw talent that he possesses, makes him all the more dangerous. His decent goal tally, as well as filling-in for Song if & when required, speaks volumes about the form that he is in. Wenger must start him alongside Alex Song this Sunday. This will not only make our mid-field slightly heavy-weight but will also provide the much-needed height dealing with the set-pieces.

One probing question here is Diaby’s fitness. Not sure if he is making the squad as of now. If not him, Arsene should opt for Nasri, even Eboue. Anyone but Denilson, on current form.

5. Time For Some Russian Roulette!?

Wenger’s decision to play Arshavin all alone at the top seemed to have paid off during the holiday period, but then time caught up with the little Russian. Despite his technical brilliance, he is clearly not made for leading the line. It’s unfair on him & his talent. He is best when he runs rings around defenders with the ball at his feet & creates the space to feed-in the approaching mid-fielders. We all know his ‘big-game temperament’ after scintillating Anfield on consecutive occasions & Old Trafford once. He was in mood to light the Emirates as well, against United the other day. But his lack of decision-making cost Arsenal dear. He could have brought Nasri or Cesc into play but went for solo-glory. So unlike him but that was that. Let’s look ahead.

I personally feel, Bendtner should be started for this one & supported by Arshavin & Rosicky from the flanks. Theo can come in for Rosicky at a later point. Niklas has been very vocal off-late & wants to prove his mettle, so let’s try him out. After all, the result can’t be worse than the 3-1 last week!

6. Self-Belief Answers Half The Problems

When the Gunners march onto the pitch this Sunday, they must carry pockets full of desire, courage & determination with them. They must remember it was them who ended Chelsea’s winning streak last season with their backs to the wall. Arsene should be prepared with another of his ‘Boys, You don’t deserve the Red n White’s of Arsenal’ tirade, just in case the fellas are found faltering at the break. A victory in this one is a must.

The likes of Nasri, Rosicky, Gallas, Vermaelen & above all Captain Cesc must rise to the occasion & make this one count. Fabregas, has in him to single-handedly destroy the ‘Blues’, like he picked out Villa not long ago. But he’ll need his team-mates to anchor along. Arshavin too, is one to watch out for.

Full points at the ‘Bridge’ will see us go just 3 adrift of the league leaders, whereas another loss, will surely quell our chances, as the gap would then further swell to 9. With 13 games to go after this one, it would be very difficult to close-in again.

This is by far the most important 6-pointer we have faced in season’s. So C’mon You Arsenal. Do Us Proud.

Arsenal To Give Chelsea The ‘Blues’

Prediction: Mighty Gunners 2 – Meeky Blues 1

Read On:

The Best Anti-Chelsea Jokes: Part 1!!

The Best Anti-Chelsea Jokes: Part 2!!

NOTE: Originally Published for Square Football.

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New Recruites? 'None'!

There are few football managers who never fail to surprise you. Take Benitez & his eccentric team-selection. Take Sven Goran & his audaciously picking Theo for WC ’06, or for that matter take Mourinho & his pre-match banter. And then there are some whom you can bet your lives on, that come what may, they won’t ever change. Arsene Wenger belongs to the latter few.

With the introduction of the so called ‘Transfer-Window’ at the start of the decade, everything pertaining to the way transfers were carried out in English football, took a flip. As soon as the season ended, managers wore their thinking hat to pluck out the best deal, agents went over-board to ensure their cadets bag the highest package & they in-turn the maximum brokerage, & even the players themselves gave their best to ensure possible suitors kept an interest. Although the winter transfer-window was never the one making the headlines, the trend of suddenly ‘coming-alive’ per say, was still to be found prevalent amongst players. But all this & more till Arsene arrived on the scene. With him around, transfers were never a routine. He never bought players for the sake of it, & to the astonishment of the faithful, didn’t buzz even when his Arsenal were found floundering, getting trashed by Chelsea & United, or constantly flattering to deceive in Europe et al. But then he is the Professor for nothing & as another winter window bids adieu, we @11G look forward to the reminder of the season with his sole recruit this time around. You guessed it, it’s NONE!!

Let’s dwell into the different catalogues a football team is made up of & try to analyze the impact of our new signing!

GK

This was perhaps the only area where no one expected Arsene to consolidate during January. Although options like Almunia, Fabianski & Manonne, should fright any top manager, Wenger chose to look otherwise. Whilst Almunia is not the keeper we saw in the CL Semi’s 1’st leg vs United, Fabianski has yet to down the demons of injury. Manonne, in his brief spell with the first team, did impress, but the angst of top flight got the better of him. After dismal show against United the other evening, Wenger should not hesitate once & duly pass the baton to Fabianski for the duel against Chelsea. Let’s hope he isn’t as bad as Almunia was. ‘None’ not good enough, We needed someone here.

Defence

Some of you might object to the post-heading with reference to the re-induction of Sol Campbell in our squad, but let’s not forget he was a free transfer. So literally speaking we never bought him! But his presence has added the much needed steel & experience in the ranks. Where Gallas & Vermaelen have been rock solid at the back, Clichy has been indifferent all season. Where Sagna has been the epitome of consistency that he is, back-up in the form of Silvestre & Djourou is pretty ordinary to say the least. Djourou btw is injured for the season. How I wish same were the case with Silves. Perhaps Arsene would have gone ahead & pressed the issue for Smalling! Again our best hope here is that both Gallas & Vermaelen remain fit for the remainder of the season, & most importantly Clichy regains his form from last season. Else mediocre players like Nani, will continue to make a mickey out of him. We do have the options of Gibbs & Traore at LB, but aren’t they even worse!? Eboue has been the preferred option in mid-field all season, but he is always available to fill-in for Sagna. No issues there.

Mid-Field

Now this is one area which has performed way beyond expectations this term. Song in particular has been a revelation & has reiterated the faith the gaffer had in him down the years. Not only has he taken to the defensive mid-field position like fish to water, but has also found a solution to the much-debated want for a new recruit. Diaby as well, has done well to plug in the gaps & when given a chance, has not been shy of popping up with a few goals. One failure here has been Denilson. Agreed injuries have been his nemesis for some time now, but haven’t we given him enough time already!? He can neither protect the back-4, nor bump in the final third. All he does is pass & that too backwards. One signing not many are impressed with till date.

On the attacking front, one name has stolen the march on others. Captain Cesc has been splendid thus far. Arguably the player of the season. If not that, then most certainly the play-maker of the season. 14 goals, 17 assists, need I say more!? The new 4-3-3 formation has allowed him the creative freedom he never found in the routine 4-4-2. He now plays without the fear of tracking back & hence is the genesis of almost half of Arsenal’s goals this season. Ramsey has impressed in the limited time given to him. Two peculiar cases just don’t refuse to give in. Rosicky & Nasri, ‘brothers in crutches’ anyone!? Both class players no doubt, but recurring spells of injury have limited their involvement to a bare minimum. Now that Wilshere is loaned away from the Emirates, one might wonder if we missed out signing another attacking mid-fielder. Only time will tell. Again ‘None’ should have been ‘Some’.

Attack

Just one name rings the bell up here. Robin van Persie. While he was around, he was unstoppable. 8 goals & similar amount of assists in under two months & we knew he was reaching the heights his talent deserved. And bam, on away duty with the Netherlands, off he went. Then was the turn of Bendtner to take some nursing & little Theo, well he has been on the crutches for some time now. So Wenger trusted to the wily Russian, Arshavin, to play up-front all alone, & asked the likes of Nasri & Rosicky to support him through the flanks. Highly technical, but a very light attacking force meant we would always struggle against the mean defences around. Defences who excel at intercepting the sleek one-touch passing that Arsenal are master components of.

Right from Balotelli, to Chamakh, to Cole, to Gignac, to Huntelaar, to Van Nistelrooy, to Dzeko, to even Villa, every, major name across Europe was rumoured to have interested Arsene, but he stuck with ‘None’. After the mauling at United, skeptics were out all guns blazing pin-pointing our inadequate attacking force, as the sole reason for the loss. They can’t be wrong after all. While Arshavin is best suited to run at defences with the ball at his feet, & not collect passes with his back against it, both Nasri & Rosicky, too, best work when they come from deep. With RvP out until April, Theo sorely out of touch, & Bendtner being himself, this is one area where I feel Wenger has just missed the bus. Instead of ‘None’, he should have opted of someone.

So there we are. Another window went out of the door, & here we are knocked out of the so-called ‘Mickey Mouse’ Cup, humbled at Stoke in the FA Cup, 3^rd in the League, with Chelsea 6 adrift, & the CL knock-outs soon to begin. We can remain pessimists & continue to rant & rile at why Arsene is wrong at having not signed anyone, continue to sulk as we approach the business end of the season, or instead we can all back our Professor, trust him, his ideals, his genius, which has brought so far. We are no more the ‘1 Nil to the Arsenal’ we were during the early nineties. We are no more the ‘long-ball’ experts we once were, we are no more the ‘bulky & boozy’ squad we were once infamous for. ‘We are now the Arsenal’ who play the most attractive football in Europe. ‘We are the Arsenal’ who have a sound financial set-up & despite having raised the magnificent Emirates, are still not heading towards bankruptcy, like most of our rivals are. And above all, ‘We are now the Arsenal’ which has a team capable enough to decorate our dust-laden trophy cabinet with multitudes of silverware in time to come.

So stop sulking, start supporting the gaffer. Up the Arsenal everyone & never forget:

“In Arsene We Trust. Forever & Ever.”

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Roon (read: Run) Over!

Lets forget whatever happened @the Emirates two days back and look forward to the road ahead. Is this team a ‘title contender‘ or a mere ‘pretender‘. The Gunners has been losing consistently to top sides and inspite of that, we are supposedly having a ‘good’ season. Let’s face it, the pundits doubted out top-4 finish not long back. 11G analyzes the season from my perspective..

We have been losing these ‘6 pointers‘ for some time now and a serious analysis is needed to get anything positive outta this i.e. if there is any. We can say that we were without Van Persie but we have been without him for quiet sometime now and it never bothered us whilst facing a weaker side. Our team was more or less full-strength (barring Robin, Diaby, et al!), despite which, we were taken to the cleaners by Rooney & Co. Wenger has been saying that if Bendtner gets fit then he won’t dip into the transfer market but is Bendtner good enough to act as Van Persie’s replacement for virtually the whole season from here on?’ I don’t think so. Agreed, that he has talent in him but he needs more time to become a complete player and we need someone of Van Persie’s class to replace Bendtner as our premier marksman. We can’t keep playing without any quality striker against top teams like Manchester United.

CHARACTER. Does this team have enough character in it? There is no question mark on the technical prowess of these  players, but do they have that extra zing in them which can see them through in such high profile encounters? Can they rise to the occasion when the chips are down? Do we have enough ‘Big Match‘ players? After seeing Arsenal’s credible performance (read: winning streak) after the defeat to Chelsea last November, I  had started believing that Arsenal had grown as a team. They showed great character as a team and it was a proud patch of season for Gunners like us when Arsenal bounced back to take the pole position. But the listless performance against United and the missing X factor against Villa suggests that it was false dawn and this team has a long way to go. It is obvious that there are more question than answers with this Arsenal team.

This season is not yet over for us and we might still put up a string of good performances to get back in contention. If and when that were to happen, I just pray that it won’t lead to another false dawn. The onus is on the boys to perform against the Blues and show the world what they are capable of. They can either stand up and be counted or can remain in their comfort zones and continue complaining. Signing off with a wish for a better tomorrow. Up the Arsenal..

The Titans Are Back!

Before I even begin with my piece tonight, let’s take a moment & delve into what’s in store for the Gunners over the next two weeks. Manchester United – Home. Chelsea – Away & Liverpool – Home. I have been following the game for some 8 & a half seasons now, and never before in my rather recent memory has any team faced such a daunting run-in of games. Not to forget the stalemate against Aston Villa two days back. By the end of it all, clarity will be restored as to whether they are fighting for the title for the first time in 5 seasons, or it’s back to ensuring a routine top-4 finish. Any which way, it’s gonna be a roller-coaster ride & We@11G are here to guide you through all this.

~So let’s get it started in here..~ <BEP anyone!?>

Let’s analyze the clash against United in detail first up..

Arsenal vs Manchester United

Over the past decade & more, if there has been one fixture in the league which has never failed to ignite passion amongst the die-hard’s & entice the neutrals with equanimity, then it has to be the ‘Gunners vs Red Devils’ showdown. We have seen Arsenal winning the title@OT in ’01, the 0 – 0 draw which saw Van Nistelrooy literally being hacked by the likes of Keown et al, Ruud van Nistelrooy & Co., in turn, destroy the Gunners at Highbury by a flattering score line of 4 – 2, Rooney’s dive which helped United kill Arsenal’s 49 game unbeaten run & the subsequent ‘Pizza-gate’ controversy, whose instigator, to this day remains, elusive! Sources claim it was Cesc who had the privilege to hurl ‘that’ slice of pizza@Sir Alex. Whoever he was, we say ‘Bravo’! Another game worth remembering was the one in which King Henry, with almost the last kick (in his case, head!) of the match, helped Arsenal register a famous victory against their old nemesis. And I can go on & on & on with this one..

Who'll Have The Last Laugh?

Getting back to present times, this fixture has become of paramount concern all over again. Despite Arsenal always remaining a top-4 team through the noughties, it would be foolish to suggest their duels over the past 4 seasons were anything but mere formalities in terms of the overall league table. Agreed the venom & the ferocity were never lost, but something was missing. That ‘something’ is back. Arsenal, like United, is very much in the thick of things as far as the title race is concerned. We were hugely unlucky to have not won, let alone drawn, the game at Old Trafford tie earlier this season. And that effort came without our talismatic captain Fabregas, who picked up an injury just ahead of the game. This time, another charismatic figure will fail to wear the famous ‘red & white’s’. You got it, I am referring to the Dutchman Robin van Persie. His absence, Eduardo’s unavailability, & Vela’s indifferent form, means Arsene will have to thrust the attacking role to the ‘just-arrived’ Bendtner. Again, a physical presence that he is, his technical abilities in tight spaces has much room for improvement.

In the mid-field, despite Rosicky & Nasri’s presence, their slowly getting back to full-flight means, the play-making role will mainly be shouldered on Fabregas. Song & Eboue are back from their respective duties away in the African Cup of Nations, & the former can expect a start in this much-awaited encounter. Theo Walcott makes an interesting case for himself, despite his precarious talent, he has yet not realized his full potential. Something the Professor will have to think about. But let’s not underestimate him, because he has in him to surprise on the big stage. So keeping the fingers crossed with that one.

And finally our defence. We all know how much of Arsenal’s title credentials this term has to do with the dominant pairing of Gallas & Vermaelen right at the back. They have been omni-present & very sound in sorting out our defensive vows. Not since Sol left the club, could we boast of having a tight backline. And how things turn, surely there’s someone writing the script for each one of us. While Vermaelen picked a slight niggle againt Villa, it’s ‘the’ Sol Campbell who is tipped to replace him in his second Arsenal homecoming. His duel with the current hot-shot Wayne Rooney, will be one to watch out for. They have a history between them, & it would make for a telling story if Campbell can out-smart his former English team-mate. Wenger reckons he will be up for the challenge but his team-mates will have to rise to the occasion alongside the veteran. None more than the ‘Russian Assassin’ in Arshavin. United faithful would remember his thunderbolt early this season, & ask anyone who hails from the Kop, they’ll bloody remember him alright! This man has the aura about him to do the unthinkable, come with the unimagined & en route leave the goal-keeper with no option but to pick the ball from his own net.

If Andrey & Cesc have a  solid game, & likes of Song, Diaby or Denilson can do their duties well, given Arsenal’s home advantage, one should expect the Gunners to knick this one by a goal or two.

Arsenal 2 – Manchester United 1

C’mon You Arsenal, Do Us Proud. Go Gunners. Whoop Whoop..

The Assassin Is On A Prowl. Beware.

Read On:

What If..AW Out, SAF In!?

What If..Rooney Had Not Dived??

AW & SAF – From Rivalry To Chivalry..

It's Arsenal..It's United..It's 3D!

This coming Sunday, the battle lines will be clearly ear-marked as the Gunners face the ‘Red Dolls’ on their own turf i.e. the Emirates. Unlike the last few seasons, when the fixture was of not much consequence, it will be this time, if bare statistics are to be kept in mind. Points or otherwise, this rivalry has been the cream of the lot, right through the noughties, & it shall be no different in two days time. 11G looks forward to the ‘big one’ with the latest filtering in..

The times that we live in,  even the street dogs these days know how big a rage has the James Cameron megalith, Avatar, become. The spectacle that it was, experiencing it in 3D was quiet literally an ‘out-of-the-world‘ experience. Keeping that in mind, just imagine what it would be like for us ‘football-fed & bred fans‘, to see the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Andrey Arshavin & Wayne Rooney, come up with those pile-drivers time & again in real-time 3D. Wow, is all that comes to mind.

It’s official folks, for the very first time ever, a football match, any football match for that matter, from any part of the world, would be telecast Live across 9 centres (read: pubs) in UK, in 3D. This is an initiative by BSkyB, a prominent satellite brodcaster, ahead of it’s full-time 3D channel launch this coming April. No better occasion to do a pilot than a ‘Arsenal vs Manchster United‘ showdown. Can’t wait to lay my eyes on one of those sometime soon. Till then, an Avatar re-run can fill in!

Getting serious again, the game also marks the re-igniting of a rather famous all-English rivalry, in the form of Sol Campbell & Wayne Rooney. No one has forgotten the unethical dive Rooney won a penalty from, against the Gunners way back in ‘04, ending their 49 game unbeaten run. Campbell was at the receiving end back then, & those two have been at each other ever since. Although it’s circa ‘10 now, whilst Rooney is at the top of his searing best, having already bolted 20+ goals this term, Sol on the other hand, is slowly easing into his second Arsenal homecoming. After two decent displays against Stoke & Aston Villa, he looks good enough for a start & thus make his 200th league appearance for the Gunners. Injury to Vermaelen might just force Wenger to do that you know. And if that were to happen, it would be his 3rd straight outing in just over a week, something the Professor was quiet apprehensive about in some of the pre-match scribbles that came by. Realistically speaking, it would be Gallas marking the top man, with Sol given charge of the likes of Berba, Giggsy, et al. But you’d bet old-Sol to come to the fore & take command if things go haywire. We know what he is made of alright. Either way you look at it, it will be an intriguing battle, one that might jus live up to the billing ala ‘04.

'That' Dive..

It’s not just Sol who is bothering Arsene at the moment, the likes of Eduardo & Vermaelen, are both out of this important fixture. Just not what the doctor ordered, but that’s how Arsenal’s season has been thus far. They have bounced back each time, defying the skeptics, no point why they won’t in this one. Sol is tipped to replace the ‘Verminator’, whereas Bendtner should cover up for Eduardo. Both Nasri & Rosicky have been injury-starved all season, & despite their availibility, one would be a fool to expect miracles from them. So like most games this term, the onus to lead the line falls on the ‘out-of-position‘ shoulders of Arshavin & Fabregas. Let’s not forget, Fabregas missed the last encounter against United way back in August, he would be raring for this one. We surely are. And I bet, even the Navi’ (from Pandora) would be keeping a tab on this one, after all it’s 3D & it’s as big as the Premiership gets!

“This Weekend, The Red Dolls Will Bleed In Red. C’mon You Arsenal, Gun Them Down. In Arsene We Trust..”

A Tight Affair

On a night when Wenger could have entered the history books by registering his 300′th league win as a manager, Arsenal flattered to decieve & left the gaffer wondering what could have been. With proceedings tighter than ever at the summit, nothing less than a victory was what the doctor ordered. 11G briefs an exciting yet not-so-thrilling stalemate..

Whilst Fabregas & Rosicky hit the wood-work on one occasion each, Arshavin attempted, but in vain, to conjure some of his fabled magic, yet the mean Villian defence lived upto its reputation. Going into the game, if Arsenal could boast  of being the leading goal-poachers across the continent, Aston Villa had in its ranks, the meanest defence in the British top league. A miserly 18 goals conceded all season put them at par with Chelsea. It’s not that it was all Arsenal in yesterday’s game. Villa did show some great attacking intent most notably in the form of Young & Downing, who could blame himself for not converting one of the two good chances he had. Heskey btw was one guy who could have ensured Villa never scored a goal, given his dismal record in fornt of the goal-mouth. Thank god he started for them!

Considering Chelsea won away at Birmingham, we can say it was 2 points lost on the league leaders. United, meanwhile narrowly defeated fellow Manchester rivals, City in another fiesty encounter at the Old Trafford. The point here is, it’s United we face next, & it’s Chelsea which soon follows. If Arsenal continue to not turn up in big games, like the one today, I’m afraid to reach out for conclusions in that case. Another setback we recieved in the game at Villa Park was the minor injury to Eduardo, which keeps him out of the game against United this weekend. Vermaelen also got himself injured, but his status is still unknown. Both Nasri & Bendtner were back though.

It’s still long way to go Gooners, so cheer up. If we can somehow pull off victories in the next three, even two I daresay (but it must be United & Chelsea), then the title aspirations are on. Keep Gunning for now..

PS: Arsene, please buy a hit-man, we need pysical presence up there, especially before the Chelsea game.

]]> http://11gunners.com/matchday-review/2-shots-on-the-post-2-points-lost-2/2994/feed/ 0 http://11gunners.com/opinion/boys-you-completely-deserve-the-top-spot/2973/ http://11gunners.com/opinion/boys-you-completely-deserve-the-top-spot/2973/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:46:37 +0000 Tazz http://11gunners.com/?p=2973

We Are Gunner Be Champions!

It took Arsenal 145 days to regain the top slot from their trans-London rivals Chel@Sea, and boy did they cream it or what!? A colossal display against Bolton in the mid-week ensured temporary stint at the summit for the Gunners. I say temporary as Chel@Sea still have a game in hand, something we prided having for most parts this season. 11G looks back at their story so far..

29′th August was when we faced first of the teams from Manchester in the form of United & despite dominating the game for huge portions, we ended up seeing the other side of a victory. Next up was ‘Shitty’. Same city, same story. Only this time, one certain ‘Madebyewhore‘ stole the limelight kicking Robin in the face, & with that questions were raised in unison at the Professor. The next 9 games saw Arsenal lose twice, in consecutive fixtures against Sunderland & Chel@Sea. It was exactly 3 months to the date, i.e. 29th November, since the game at Old Trafford, when Arsenal were demolished by the Blues. 3 goals and our title aspirations were all but quenched. Once more skeptics were out all guns blazing, only this time even the faithful could see a similar trend emerging. Not since Vieira kicked United & won us the FA Cup in ‘05, did the Gunners build a credible title challenge. Ofcourse in the ‘07 season, we did lead the pack by 5 points until Eduardo lost his leg, but lets not get into that. Wenger remained defiant in his stance that like them, others too would lose points, and he couldn’t be more right. Wenger’s men needed to keep focus, despite the glaring injury crisis, most notably to their ‘Top Gun’ Robin van Persie, and build on a sustained run, and let their destiny take course. 2 more draws, 7 more victories, and ahoy, 20th January did happen. We topped the table again. Arsene lived to his word and Cesc’s team lived up to it’s potential.

The captain Cesc has exemplified his leadership by scoring 14 goals & a further 16 assists thus far. And this, despite missing spells with injury more times than one. With Robin, Bendtner & Walcott nursing long-term to very long-term injuries, the little assassin Arshavin poked his hand and took charge. His season tally stands at a decent 9 goals and 7 assists, not to forget he was forced to play out of position over the past few months. As Wenger recently quoted, modern strikers don’t necessarily have to just poach goals, their intelligence in drawing others into play, and creating spaces et al, are equally important. With Arshavin at the top, Arsenal got loads of that. This ensured players like Diaby & Cesc got more involved. The geniuses of Nasri & Rosicky, again, both injury-prone players, were largely subdued over this run, although Rosicky has slowly clawed his way into the team. Eduardo has still not found his Croazillion instincts, something which made him a lethal weapon to possess when he first came in, but in him we believe. He still has loads in his tank. Few more weeks and he shall be firing again. With Bendtner & Walcott almost ready to return, scoring goals won’t be a problem from where I see things.

Coming to our midfield now. While Cesc & the duo of Ramsey/Nasri took care of the attacking third with some credibility, it was the defensive stretch which impressed the most. In fact Song has been a prime reason in Cesc’s blossoming as one of the best playmakers of current times. With his assured & able presence, Fabregas gets a license to thrill, and that he sure does. His array of passes are just a joy to watch. Although Song hasn’t been around off-late, his rock-solid presence shielding the back-4 has been a highlight of our season. Another case of Professor’s intuitive vision. In his absence, both Diaby & Denilson performed the role with aplomb and thus Arsenal could continue to surge forward and please both the purists & the pundits alike.

Now if Song has been the revelation of the season, then what do you call Vermaelen!? The ex-Ajax custodian took to N5 like flies to dirt and things have been safer ever since. His gallic/venemous sojourn with Gallas has greatly helped our cause and formed arguably the best defensive partnership in the League, stats apart i.e.! Sagna has been consistent as ever, and so was Clichy until he got injured. Gibbs came in, then he got injured. Traore came in, and then he got injured. Even the 4th choice full-back in Silves flirted with minor strains. God-forbid, only Wenger could have filled in had he succumbed to the injury fair which the Emirates is the not-so-proud host of, for seasons now. All in all, we should be thankful to the Almighty for keeping the ‘Gallic-Verminator‘ battery in top shape, else the duo of ‘Senderos-Silves’ would have came to the rescue. Even hell would have a better defence than those two in tandem. And pardon my guts, for ignoring Djourou from the mention, oops I just did.

The bottom line is, 22 games are through, and we, despite the injury-mania, despite keeping our transfer budget to a bare minimal, and inspite of Wenger’s “You don’t deserve to wear the Arsenal shirt.” jamboree, are at the top. If it were 1910, we would be Champions by now, but for us to stake claim to the above in present times, another 16 games to go. And yeah, before I forget:

“Boys, You Completely Deserve The Top Spot..”

Keep Gunning for now..

]]> http://11gunners.com/opinion/boys-you-completely-deserve-the-top-spot/2973/feed/ 6 http://11gunners.com/opinion/may-our-sol-play-with-ease/2950/ http://11gunners.com/opinion/may-our-sol-play-with-ease/2950/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:35:33 +0000 Tazz http://11gunners.com/?p=2950

Guess Whoz Back!? It's Our SOUL!! Ole..

Circa 2006. Arsenal 2-0 down at the break. One certain Sol Campbell was to blame for the looming defeat at the hands of West Ham. As a result, Wenger took him off and with it came supposed curtains on one of the more decorated central defenders in recent time.

Cut to 2010. Arsenal 2-0 up at the break. Against who? You guessed it, West Ham! And guess who was taken off at HT this time around? You got it, the good’ol Sol Campbell. Only this time it marked his second homecoming.

11Gunners celebrates his journey back into the Arsenal dressing room..

Controversy and Campbell don’t just have ‘C’ in common, they go hand-in-hand if I may. Although rough and brawny by looks, Sol happens to be one of the most soft-cored guys on the football circuit, but his habits poked otherwise. Most notably his move from Tottenham to Arsenal in ‘01, which made him the ire of many a brunt. His spell at Highbury was a throughly successful one, coupled with 2 League triumph’s and three FA Cup’s. An ‘Invincible‘ that he was, his contribution to the national side was no less immense. He pulled the ‘Three Lions’ jersey in no less than 6 consecutive Fifa tourneys, and was named in the ‘All-Star XI’ 2 times. And ofcourse his goal in the Champion’s League final against Barcelona can not be forgotten by any Gooner, ever. But why are we looking back at Sol’s career? After all 2006 was not when it culminated, right!?

Departure from Arsenal led him to Portsmouth, and against all odds, the winner that he is, he ended up winning the FA Cup yet again. Now that puts him ahead of almost every member of the current Arsenal line-up, as far as tasting success last, is concerned! And if you thought he was done with the ‘I-shall-surprise-you-again‘ bit, you were rightly wrong. Under the disabled tutelage of Sven G Eriksson, he made a move to Notts County, way down in League 2. Money could be the prime motive behind a move as audacious as this, and for most parts it was. £40,000 a week was what he raked down there, a steep £10,000 less than what he made at Pompey, yet more than the combined worth of his team-mates at Nott’s, not bad for a disgrunted 35 year old! But money is not what drives winners, and Sol proved this by backing out from the ambitious project in hand, and instead knocking on Wenger’s door to help his cause. And thus began another journey, only this time he had nothing to lose, and all to prove. And boy, does he love being challanged or what!?

Wenger, like he did with Beckham last season, took him over and helped him get back to shape with his team of unbridled physios et al. 2-3 months of ‘do-it-all kinda’ grinds and voila, Sol was back to his could-be best. And then came the moment no one could possibly foresee. For the first time ever, Arsene offered one of his ex-recruits, a fresh contract, and also for the very first time, he went for a over-35 year old. Rumours were doing rounds that it would be Vieira, if anyone, who shall be brought in to provide some experience right through the spine of the team, but it was not to be. Whilst ‘the Citizens’ procured the services of Patrick, ‘the Gunners’ prized back one of their finest for £20,000 a week, performance-based contract. Skeptics are out and firing all cylinders with their views on this ‘Transfer-of-the-Mid-Season-so-far‘, but take word, its worth the penny.

Wenger bought him for free from the Spuds, sold him for the same to the Pompey, and re-bought him for again nothing from Notts County. How shrewd is that!? Apart from his disastrous eye-opener in League 2, way back in September, he has been a success elsewhere, and no point he won’t be now. Not only did Wenger save on his war-chest by getting him for free, in him, he also got someone who knows how to finish seasons off (on the winning side i.e.). Gallas & Vermaelen apart, our backline is as slim as slime is not. Senderos, being the sulk that he is, wants to move out of N5 with the first suitor that comes along. Silvestre, even in his prime with United, was a liability. And Djourou, well, let’s just say, he is still injured. Also Song is away for the Africal Nation’s Cup. So not only were our options bleak, but also blunt. Rubbish, to keep it short. Agreed, Sol can’t fill in for every League game at peril, but what he will provide is, cover during the Cup games, and if the need be, otherwise as well. Let’s not be fooled here thinking Wenger has signed him for emotional reasons, because that he simply can’t. When it comes to transfers, Arsene is as ruthless as you get. We saw that with likes of Vieira, Pires, Ljungberg, etc. But at the same time, he has an uncanny knack of picking out players and extending their careers by several notches. Ask Keown, Seaman, Dixon, Bergkamp. Having seen him day-in & day-out, for over 3 months now, I am sure Wenger was assured that Sol’s presence will indeed be a helpful one in our case and cause. And we don’t doubt our Professor, do we!? We trust him, right!?

And if the above was not testimony enough, just hold your guns for a few. Sol shall surprise us all over again. Keep the faith Gooners..

Second Homecoming..

Halftime, Shall We???

It has been a long time since our last article on 11Gunners and it was our exams which was keeping us away. A lot has happened during this time and we have come up with lot of new plans to make this portal better than before and you will start getting an idea of our plans in due time. Lets start with some blogging for now. EPL has reached its half time and I would like to analyze it at the halfway..

We have played 19 out of 38 and we have 41 points in the bank. So, if we go by the same rate, we will have 82 points by the end of the season. Can we actually win the title with this kinda performance. Yes, we certainly can. This might sound unrealistic for the time being but lets ponder over it. It is no more a 4 horse race and teams like Villa, City, and Tottenham are gonna have a big hand in the title race this season.

We never had a joker in the pack like Aston Villa for the seasons gone by. Villa is not only defeating the members of ‘BIG 4′ club but it is defeating the so called smaller teams (if I may say so) also. Fabregas’ inspired contribution against Villa might well turn out to be a defining moment of Arsenal’s title quest. We have not done very well against the ’so called’ top teams this season but the result against Villa might be the ‘defining moment’ as far as our performance against the top teams are concerned. Villa is in fact a better team than the Red Devils, this season and I am not saying this just because Villa defeated them.

Talking about fresh competition this season and ‘tiny tots’ are not far behind. They are giving every top team a run for their money and I count on them to ’surprise us’ with some ’season defining’ upsets this time. They are doing well under old ‘arry and with the kind of investment that they have made over the years, it was just a matter of time before they did come p with the ‘real deal’. Harry is a fox and he wont let this opportunity to go by.

Talking about managers, one needs to feel bad about ‘Sparky’. Just 2 defeats and he has been shown the door. He bought the right players but there is something that you cannot buy and that is ‘coordination’. His offensive team is doing well but his defense looks like a circus of sorts. His defense used to cancel out the progress made by his offense. His team played a lotta draws and that is not acceptable when someone has pumped in that kinda money in the business. When someone spends that kinda money, then it is obvious that s/he is in a mood of ‘instant koffee’. But Manchini looks like a savior for them and though they are outta the title race but I believe that under him they are gonna decide that fate of the Champions in a big way. He does have a feel of Mourinho in him.

]]> http://11gunners.com/opinion/mid-season-is-here/2942/feed/ 2 http://11gunners.com/news/cl-update-arsenal-face-porto-up-next/2929/ http://11gunners.com/news/cl-update-arsenal-face-porto-up-next/2929/#comments Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:50:48 +0000 Tazz http://11gunners.com/?p=2929 The draw for the round of 16 is out & Arsenal have been paired with Porto. This is a rather easy fixture considering we could have faced the might of Inter or Milan! 11Gunners delves into how the entire set-up looks like..

The draw has opened up some real treats for fans, purists & neutrals alike. The best of the lot is unarguably the game between AC Milan vs Manchester United. This marks the return of the ‘prodigal son’ in the form of David Beckham, who will join his alma mater, years after taking the boot from Sir Alex! Another fiesta will be the game between Inter & Chelsea. Both sitting top of the pile in their domestic leagues, and both tactically very strong, will make for a fascinating match up. I didn’t rate this as the ‘most anticipated‘ one simply because the tie could get ugly, and not just football wise. And that because of the self-proclaimed ‘Special One‘. You guessed it, Jose Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge after being ousted from the post of Chelsea manager few seasons back. Him & Carlo Ancelotti are no friends, which makes for a grand sub plot ahead of that one.

Holders Barcelona have been given a walk-over of sorts as they face VfB Stuttgart (Hleb returns to Camp Nou!), meanwhile Real Madrid face Lyon (Karim Benzema makes a return in this one!). Other damn squibs include: Bayern Munich vs Fiorentina (Luca Toni this time!), CSKA Moscow vs Sevilla and Olympiacos vs Bordeaux.

Note:

The draw was arranged so that eight group winners would be paired with eight group runners-up, although no team from the same group or country could meet.

The first legs will be played on 16/17 and 23/24 February 2010, with the second legs on 9/10 and 16/17 March. The group winners will play the second leg at home.

We Are Gunner Win It This Season. Amen!

This is what Wenger felt on Arsenal’s draw:

“It is a 50/50 game. Porto are always in there and always difficult to play against. The little advantage is that we have the second game at home but it’s important that we negotiate well our first game and try to score away from home. It’s a difficult draw.”

Difficult or otherwise, Santiago Bernabeu, here we come. Go Gunners..

Arsha Silences The Kop: Part II

Two weeks ago Arsenal were 11 points behind Chelsea, 6 behind United, and written off by many pundits and fans who had lost patience. In these two weeks the leaders have lost the ‘Moneybags Derby‘ and drawn at home to Everton. Villa have taken three points at Old Trafford. Suddenly, everyone who had written us off is scrambling to save face.

Desi Gunner, one of the most authentic & insightful blogs on Arsenal, takes time out for 11Gunners in this Exclusive. Enjoy!

One important aspect that most people, especially pundits, tend to forget is the game in hand. I thought that given the tight nature of the league this year and our points disadvantage due to having played a game less, it would be interesting to look at the premier league table in a different light.

The following table focuses on the matches drawn, lost and points dropped. This gives a different perspective to the gap between the teams and shows how close the teams really are. I have taken only the top 7 teams as they cover a broad enough range and are generally believed to be competing for the top spots.

Legend: M – Matches; D – Draws; L – Losses; H – Home; A – Away; PD – Points Dropped; T – Total; GD – Goal Difference; %PD – PD as Percentage of Total Points Available; D+L/M – % Games Where Points Were Dropped; PT – Predicted Tally (Based on Same Form)

All columns are quite intuitive except perhaps %PD and D+L/M. %PD is the percentage of points a team has dropped. Arsenal have dropped 14 points out of a total of 45 (15*3), which is just over 30 per cent. The second last column (D+L/M) shows the percentage of games where a team drops points. Chelsea have 25 percent meaning they either draw or lose once every 4 games. Arsenal, on the other hand, fail to win once every 3 games.

Some people believe that Chelsea are clear leaders. Can any team that drops points every fourth game be ‘Invincible‘? However, we can see their dominance from the fact that if the Blues can maintain similar stats till the end of the season, and drop only 23 percent of total points available, they will reach close to 88 points, which would be an achievement and most likely win them the league.

In this regard Arsenal need to make an improvement as we would only reach 79 points based on our present record. United would be around the 81 point mark. Of course, these percentages can change drastically with a couple of losses or a run of wins.

It’s interesting to note that teams from fourth onwards have a D+L/M value of 50 percent or more. In other words, these teams fail to win one in two games or worse. Villa, who have defeated United and Chelsea, have only managed to win half their matches. Citeh, after spending hundreds of millions, are only winning 40 percent of their games. This is the best reflection of how tight the league is this year.

It’s not difficult to understand why Arsene believes that top teams will drop more points this year. Consider our league position with this perspective and there is enough reason to have faith in Wenger and his young squad. We just need a little more consistency.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

A bit of good news everyone, although some may beg to differ with me. Arsene has ruled out a move for one of the ‘Greatest Cheats‘ in the history of the Premier League. We are in dire needs of an established hit-man to marshal our attack, but not at the cost of buying has-been’s.

Here’s to Arsene, as he made another shrewd transfer decision. Only this time by not sighing a player! 11Gunners salutes your guts Mr. Wenger..Out of favour striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy, has been speculated a move to North London, with both Arsenal & Totter Scum being linked with the forward. Arsene took no time to rebuff the rumours, much to the delight of ardent Gooners. This is what he said pertaining to the ‘love-hate’ relation he has shared with the Dutchman:

“It would not be the best of starts, bearing in mind our past relationship! You have my number – you can text me all the names you find!”

He continued saying that Arsenal indeed are looking for someone who fits their needs:

“We’re at the beginning of December, if we are in the same situation with injuries in January then I will see. But we can’t dream too much of finding a world class player because that’s what is needed to strengthen our team. But they also need not to be European cup-tied and who is also free so we must hope Father Christmas is good to us!”

Next up is another bit of news that has just filtered in. Captain of the Belgian side Standard Liege, Steven Defour, is supposedly available to anyone who is willing to cough up £15m for the mid-fielder. Arsenal & Man Utd are early contenders for the much-rated player.

Wenger is also keen to do a ‘deja vu‘ on the Catalans, by luring one of the prodigies from the Camp Nou in the form of none other than Bojan Krikic! Yes, you heard me right. He has been eager to play games, something which is very difficult in the present, all-conquering Barca line-up. He is also rumoured to have fallen-off with coach Gaurdiola. The presence of Cesc@Emirates, his childhood friend, might just tempt him to greener pastures. Hope it does!

Bojan Krikic

Now this one might just piss most of you, so apologies if it does. Both Madrid & Barca are preparing a massive £50m offer for, you guessed it, our captain, super Cesc. Nothing more on this, as we all know by now, that this keeps coming & keeps going. And here it goes: swoooooshhh..

West Ham hot-shot, Carlton Cole, who has scored 7 times already this season, and is physically robust as well, is also one amongst many in the ‘to-be-a-gunner-very-soon‘ list. Now he is someone I personally rate, more for his sheer demeanour than silken touches.

Carlton Cole

And to round-off a slightly longish transfer tete-a-tete, ‘Reddy Freddie‘, who was@the Emirates for the game against Stoke, is also rumoured to make a move back from MLS, during the off season in US. Becks did it last season, no reason why Freddie won’t be welcome for a similar stint.

Hope Wenger makes the right signings ala Arshavin & Vermaelen. Only this time, we need atleast two of them at one go. Arsenal till we die..