Catalan C*nts

“..I do however have some interesting facts for you, which for some reason oblivious to me; have been hidden from the public domain. These facts include the following..”

Over the past month or so, we Gooners, have been at utter loss of words given the very nature of scathing verbose showered at Cesc, courtesy the courtesy-less Catalans (read: C*nts). Left, right & center, they’ve left no space uncovered in teaming up against our charismatic captain, in a bid to lure him back to what they wrongly believe his home. Let’s face it; he learnt all his craft under the able tutelage of Arsene at London Colney. He might have been team-mates with Pique & Messi when in diapers at the Cantera (read: C*nt-era), but if it were not for Arsenal, he’d be rotting on one of the many crocked benched at Camp Nou.

All that is history though, & it looks very likely that we’re gonna procure the services of Fabregas for yet another season (one of many I hope). Amidst the entire melee, modern football was introduced to a very new kinda parameter to negotiate, re-negotiate a possible transfer. Usually it’s the money & the number of years left in the contract which matter; players can now even buy themselves outta a contract if they really want to move on. Fair enough I reckon. But never before in the history of football, a person’s DNA decided which club he should go to, did it!? In one of the feedbacks on 11G, I found this really intuitive take as to why exactly are these Catalans so obsessed with the tiny threads called DNA. Read on & hope you like it

“..The reason why Xavi is an expert on DNA, and coincidentally the reason why he is pasty white, is because he constantly consumes it, when he isn’t smearing it all over his face.

Puyol on the other hand, uses DNA to maintain his magnificent samoan-esque locks; no doubt a direct result of an irregular pay-cheque from El Catalans.

Manure-reject Pique utilizes DNA as face balm in order to grow a fuller beard; in an effort not to end up with what is commonly known as a ‘Gary Neville’ rat beard.

And how can one forget Lionel Messi. Since his arrival at Barcelona as a twelve year old, he has had daily injections of DNA direct from source, which I believe is the prime reason behind his vertical might. 4 ft 2 inches no less.

The source has been unofficially confirmed as being that of Joan Laporta. Injection duties were due to be transferred to his successor Sandra Rossel. However upon inspection by Barca’s medical’s staff it was determined that he does not possess the necessary equipment in order to undertake said duties. Thus finally explaining why he has a girl’s name.

Seriously though, now that my rant is over, I have a couple of corrections for you. See as I am feeling a little “anal” today (pun intended); it should be UEFA & not FIFA who should intervene in this matter. This has to be the most blatant & public tapping up scandal since I cannot remember when; as this is a matter between two clubs of the separate domestic leagues & it falls under UEFA’s remit. However we cannot expect ‘puppet’ Platini to take any action, as in the past he has been quite vocal in his dislike for Wenger’s methods acquiring young European talent. Also I wouldn’t expect Barca’s players to be sanctioned for their part in this saga, as those bloody twats get away with saying & doing what they want. I would however have expected Barca’s elected & official representatives to have been reprimanded for their part as theoretically they should know better. But then, it’s in their blood. Can’t really help.

I cannot agree more with your last statement that we should hate Barcelona for this fiasco, and not Cesc. Should any fan at the Grove, give him an Adebayor-esque reception; we would be giving Barcelona exactly what they want & that’s the last thing we wanna do at this moment of time. Hopefully you will all join me in giving him a rousing reception & that we remind him of how much he is loved & respected at the Grove; so that he then knuckles down & finally leads us to some silverware this season.

As for Cesc’s retail price, Arsene should tell Barcelona to put up or shut up. And if they cannot meet our valuation, then they should start tapping up other ready-made players like the Rooney’s, the Torres’s & the Drogba’s of this world. And yeah Xavi, you can either go back to Ice Age or rot in hell..”

I’m sure the above re-iterates the view of every Gooner out there. Btw, Xavi’s latest theory prescribes Cesc being on a loan at Arsenal & will be Barca-bound one day. For once I agree with the knob-head. Yeah Cesc has been loaned to us for the next 14 years. After that Xavi is free to tally Cesc’s DNA with his or do whatever he wants to. One reminder though, the threads would’ve turned ‘red & white’ by then. Like Titi once famously said, ‘Once a Gunner, always a Gunner’.

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El Capitan is a 'Gunner for life'

We all know of the Star Wars saga; multiple movies that stretch out over a long period of time. And eventually those characters grow old. Gooners have been involved in a different type of saga, the Cesc saga, where multiple transfer rumours have stretched out over a few years. And the rumours, too, have grown old; to the point of frustration for all Arsenal fans.

Conor Valentine in tandem with 11G; explains how FC Barcelona have taken their CQ (C*nt Qoutient) to previously unknown levels. Follow him on Twitter @Gunnerman911 Read on..

The worst part is obviously the fact that FIFA have allowed the Barca players get away with such blatant tapping up, and even ignored a few newspaper articles about how Cesc has been tapped up. I personally don’t understand how they can themselves get away with ignoring it. And if Arsenal weren’t such a dignified club, I’m sure we would have reported the Catalans.

The biggest culprits in this crime are Pique, Xavi, Puyol and one certain Lionel Messi. Messi was one of the first to speak out, but has kept quiet since talking about how he was texting Fabregas and telling him that he wanted Cesc at Barcelona, which is pretty obvious tapping up.

Then came Pique, who has basically not shut up, at any time. He’s constantly talked about Barca being in Cesc’s heart, and that he belonged to Barca, almost like telling Cesc he has to go, or he’s not being a good person, or something.

Xavi is actually not a footballer. We’ve found out that he is in fact an expert on DNA. And of course he has found out that Cesc actually has a Barca DNA; he’s made that information public. But I’m also a DNA expert and I’ve discovered that Messi, Pato and Joe Hart, all have an Arsenal DNA. So they rightfully belong to Arsenal FC, right? On field, he may be good, who cares. But off it, he’s a knob. A bigmouth who’s more into others than worry about his shit-like hair-do.

Puyol has just been his typical self, ugly and stupid. Yes, he even speaks like an idiot. He’s accused Cesc of spending the last 6 weeks of the World Cup action complaining about how he wants to join Barca. And said that he will come and that he would be perfect for Barca; which isn’t true because ‘check your mailbox Carles, you didn’t recieve your paycheck, did you’!?

Iniesta has joined in as well. He’s been talking up a move for Fabregas & said that he would “love Fabregas to come to join him at Barca”.

Pedro, the Spanish winger has also been talking, because according to him “Cesc would be fab at Barca”.

Guardiola, the main man, the manager, however, has been quiet on the issue; Until today ie. “I think bringing in Cesc will cost a lot” was the official quote, kind of assuming that the deal would happen, right? Well, I can at least say that Pep is perfectly correct. And if Barca even want to dream about taking Fabregas back to Spain, it would cost a lot more than the £40 million maximum bid limit they have in mind. But they appear to be under an impression that we need to sell to him in the first place. Unfortunately for them, that’s wrong.

So basically the entire Catalan entourage has been talking almost non-stop over a whimsical matter. It’s their brainchild to try & unsettle Cesc. The important thing for fans, however, is that we should not be angry at Cesc for all this. It’s the Barca players who have annoyed us; and for that reason, we have to give him the correct reception when he returns for next season. Or else we’ll be pushing our captain away. So remember, we hate Barca, we love Fabregas.

Also Read by Conor:

8 Players Wenger Should Consider Signing For Arsenal

6 Players Wenger Should Consider Kick’n Outta Arsenal

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Back off you Barca Cu*ts..

Greeting fellows! It was a wonderful day, until now. And it’s not only my day that has been ruined but of a lot of gooners around the world. And all of this has been due to some PARASITES who feed off others’ prowess and treat ’success’ as their own. They don’t care to behave themselves and consider themselves above EVERYTHING. It’s none other than Puyol, the caveman and Pique, the Man U reject. I feel pity for those guys. I really do. Read on..

Lets start with the Puyol, the caveman. The caveman has won a lot of medals but “coincidentally” he never won any without Ronaldinho & Deco or without Messi & co. They had 6 barren years. Yes that is right. I repeat, SIX barren years. Were they building new stadium?? NO they were not. Were they giving the winners a run for their money?? NO they were not even doing that. Actually, they were a mid table team. Yes that’s right. Simply put they were not good enough. Now they are challenging for top honors domestically and abroad. Yet the mentality has not changed. He has remained CHEAP. Poor chap. We gooners pity him.

Pique, The jumper. Yes, he jumps ships. This guy talks about loyalty and stuff. Was his ‘loyalty’ on leave when he left Barca for Man United? And then, did his ‘loyalty’ for Barca come back when he decided to return to the promised land and ’surprisingly’ at the same time his ‘loyalty’ for Man U took off. That’s is hell lot of co-incidence. The real story was a bit different. This guy left Barca because he felt that Barca was a not good enough. He believed that Man U was a ‘bigger’ club. But, surprise surprise, the tables turned. Thanks to Ranaldinho & Co. and and to put the icing on the cake, he could never break into this Man U squad. These two factors came together which led to the switch. And the prodigal son returned, to collect his medals, not to earn them because it is Messi & Co. who do the ‘dirty work’.

But rather surprisingly these two ‘Parasites’ haven’t had enough. They want another host to feast upon, FABREGAS. The guy switched to Arsenal and became a star. He earned his respect through the system and did all the hard work to blossom into a beacon of magnificence. He was ably supported by Arsenal football club and most of all by his pseudo father, Mr. Arsene Wenger. And now after all this, against the player’s wish, these ‘parasites’ are trying to push this kid too far. Fabregas wants to stay but these ‘parasites’ won’t have any of it. They pushed him to wear a Barca in the midst of a party. Come on guys, GET A LIFE.

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Grow up BABY!

Will he, wont he? Sounds more like a melodramatic series than anything else. And its latest season is on. Unlike other series, this one comes on air bi-annually. And this story has drama, pain, emotions, relations, love, loyalty and the most important one – MONEY. We are talking about FAB : THE DNA GUY. Yes, the prodigal son wants to return and rightly so. Surprised to see this @ 11G? Read on folks..

There are two points of view in this saga- Cesc’s point of view and Arsenal’s point of view. Cesc is a the top dog @ N5 but @ Barca, he won’t even get into the 1st team as is evident by the playing time that he is getting during Spanish WC campaign. All he is getting is one substitution here, one pass there. Is he bad enough that he need to go to the Barca to warm their bench. I don’t feel so. He deserves more, and rightly so. As long as Xavi plays, there can’t be a place for our li’l Cesc and he needs to accept that.

The timing is the problem. Three years down the line this transfer will make perfect sense but not now, puhleeeeeeezzzzz. I know that his family stays there but will he be happy with daddy time without any playing time. I don’t thinks so. He will become another Arsenal player ruined by Barca as many have been before him. Dear Cesc, it’s for your own good that Daddy Wenger won’t sell you. So, stop being a ‘crybaby’ and wait for your time. Be a MAN

Now, the Club’s point of view. Lets put this in some perspective. Yaya Toure was sold to Man Arabs. His age is approaching 28 something. He is a defensive midfielder and is going downhill. His price tag was around 30 millions. Cut. Cesc Fabregas is a play-maker. He is arguably the most exciting prospect on planet. He has just reached his puberty. He has his best years ahead of him. And the same people who valued Yaya for 30 million believes that Cesc is worth the same. Spanish hypocrites. Get a life, you D*&kheads. His worth is no less than that of Kaka’s and if you want a Rolls Royce, You better pay for a Rolls Royce than for a Tata Nano.

On a nut shell it’s a bad deal for both, the player and the Club. So let the good sense prevail and no love should be lost over this episode. We all know that Cesc is still a young kid and kids at this age do make mistakes. Lets welcome Cesc as a WC winner (with no substantial contribution from him) or as a WC runner. We are fine in either case. And best of luck to RvP and Cescy for the finals. May the best team win. Adios amigos..

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Fabre-class!

The Fifa World Cup is on with all it’s pomp & grandeur. Amidst the melee, we at 11G decided to delve into something fun, something other than just football, something to do with fashion! So we hand-picked 10 squad members, 5 who were selected for the World Cup by their respective countries, & 5 who missed out due to injury or plain bad luck. In the first part, we look-in to those who made it.

Shilpi Bose (Fashion Expert/Writer/Homemaker) from Hong Kong, takes time out & comments on the ‘FQ’ (Fashion Quotient!) of Cescy, Robin, Willy, Eboue & Song in this exclusive. Follow her on Twitter @shilpiiz

Cesc Fabregas (Spain)

• Cesc Fabregas, aged 24 years, is the very symbol of Arsenal FC – ‘El Capitan’ as they call him.
• He is one of the most coveted midfielders in the world and a creative genius when on the football field.
• He has a very casual and relaxed way of dressing – neither too bold nor too classy.
• Being a youth icon, he has a perfect style of his own. He looks his best in leather and sweat jackets.
• He has his initials C.F. tattooed in script on his wrist. And the other ‘Polynesian’ tattoo on his right arm, which I like the most.

Robin Van Persie (The Netherlands)

• Robin Van Persie, aged 27 years, is the most prolific & arguably the most talented forward Arsenal have at their disposal.
• He has a lethal left foot with plenty of tricks and turns to ward off supposed defenders.
• RVP has a simple, yet a very decent sense of dressing.
• He looks best in formals – shirts and trousers. That said, this guy is bold enough to wear white trousers with huge black stripes. A faux pas of sorts!
• His elegant dressing style reflects his persona off the field as well; that of a doting father & a loving husband.

William Gallas (France)

• William Gallas, aged 32 years, is a solid defender with part-time ego problems.
• An ill-tempered player, Gallas was a failure as a captain. Although he had the talent required to thwart his obvious flaws, the fans never wamed up to him post his disgrace at Birmingham back in Feb’08.
• Willy has a garish way of dressing – loud and flashy.
• His dressing style reflects his mood –  ‘flashy’ almost filling in for his high temper.
• Another big ‘thumbs down’ is his inclination towards visible ornaments, he loves flaunting them alright. Something I strictly dislike with men, a big NO for me.

Emmanuel Eboue (Ivory Coast)

• Emmanuel Eboue, aged 30 years, is the most versatile and the most loved Arsenal player.
• His ever smiling face coupled  with his joyous nature and his being a utility man in the squad; augurs real well with the Arsenal faithful. This chant epitomises the aformentioned - “We like Eboue- boue We like Eboue- boue We only came to see Eboue- boue”
• He’s by far the funniest Arsenal player & also dances the best amongst his fellow squad members, but it’s the dressing sense which lets him down.
• Eboue enjoys dressing in a trendy style but it usually turns out to be gaudy & not too impressive.
• His resemblance to Kayne West makes him look like an uber-cool rapper though!

Alex Song (Cameroon)

• Alex Song, aged 23 years, is another of Wenger’s prodigies.
• He is an upcoming, & already one of the finest defensive midfielder around. As a result, over the course of last season, he established himself as one of the first names in the starting XI.
• Now about his dressing sense – I would say that he is usually seen in casuals & is not much of a trendsetter.
• What I dislike the most about him is his hair style. He must cut short as it doesn’t look too pleasing.
• He likes to wear his hair-bands & his wrist-bands, which I think, go well with his rugged image.

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Cesc Fabregas

Seldom do games with huge pre-match euphoria, live up to the billing & provide the quality of football expected of them. That said; seldom do teams of technical expertise as high as Arsenal & Barcelona square up. Unlike the finals in ’06 when Jens Lehman was sent off early in the game, there were no such anti-climatic blips this time around. Not initially at least. The quality of football served over the 90 minutes, was what dreams are made up of. The ‘beautiful game’ had its finest hour (and a half!) by the time the game ended with two goals apiece. Wenger said before the game that it had ingredients to be the ‘best of the decade’. Boy was he right or what!? 11G delves in..

All the hoopla regarding the home-coming of Titi & the supposed conquering of ‘Emirates’, by Mr. Messi were put shut by two players from the team in ‘red and white’. Now any Barca fan reading this would surely gun for my life, but then, I AM GOONER. Can’t help!

“Cesc reiterated his ‘legend’ as Walcott began his.”

Cesc Fabregas re-bonded with his childhood club & proved all his detractors wrong, of his decision to choose Arsenal over Barca, by a second-half showing as good as any seen in recent times. No he didn’t score a blinder, or skip past 5 people like Leo does, to set up someone, or for that matter ran the show like the likes of Zidane used to do in their prime. He is a CAM & he didn’t do any of the above, and yet he stole our hearts by fighting till the end. A lucid combination of ‘graft & craft’ is what makes him the champion that he is.

After having received a yellow just before the first half drew close, his exasperation could be felt, as he knew right away what implications that booking had. He was denied a chance to play at Camp Nou, with his family and friends in audience, as a result of the subsequent one-match suspension. Mere mortals could have withered away in agony & allowed the mighty Catalans to further tighten their grip on the game. He chose to write a script which had the word ‘legend’ written all over.

Over the course of the next 45 minutes, he ensured that both Pique & Puyol too missed the return leg with bookings of their own. A yellow & a red respectively, with the latter leading to a penalty which helped Arsenal draw the game by a whisker. Who took the penalty? No prizes for guessing, El Captain himself. A ‘Cescy’ display from our skipper indeed.

Thierry Henry

Next player to have made an impact was the guy with No. 14 on his back. Yes, Henry was influential when he came on, but only to the Emirates crowd! He was fittingly given a rapturous applause as he joined his team with some 15 minutes to go, & almost comically was booed right after, as he led a Barca attack. I’m sure he got the pun behind it.

“No issues Thierry, we have never seen anyone like you, & will forever love you.”

But Henry was not the only one donning No. 14 behind his back. One certain Theo Walcott came on for Sagna & changed the game on its head. Up to then it was all one way traffic as the Catalans ran riots at the ‘Grove’. If it were not for Almunia’s pyrotechnics, the tie would have been over in the first 16 minutes itself.

It was fantasy football as Messi & Co. totaled a staggering 12 shots in the first quarter. It was ‘men v boys’ all over again. Save after save, the Spaniard took us back to the CL Semis, first leg, from last season, when he single-handedly kept us alive. It was history repeating history.

Apart from a snap shot courtesy Nasri, & a missed header from Niklas, we had nothing to show from the half. The yellow to Cesc further compounded our problems. Wonder what Le Professor had to say to the lads at HT.

22 seconds into the 2’nd period, Ibra picked a long-ball & lobbed a dead-for Almunia like he would’ve done a 100 outta 100 times. If that was not all, the second Barcelona goal came courtesy a through ball which Ibra latched onto with equal aplomb. Two neat finishes from the Swede.

Now I won’t blame Almunia for either, as he could have done little. With a defence as profligate as ours, what more do you expect. Ok, he could have made a better judgement with the first goal by not coming forward like he did, but after his heroics in the first half, let’s allow him the gaffe. He is Almunia after all!

Coming back to the No. 14 conundrum, the introduction the Englishman gave Arsenal an urgency they were looking for all along. He found acre full spaces behind Maxwell to run onto & that he immediately did after coming on. Minutes later, Bendtner slipped in a delightful through ball for Theo, at which he took a shot early, much to the surprise of Valdes. Arsenal got the goal, against the run of play if anything. If that was not all, with some 10 minutes to go, Puyol nonchalantly fouled Cesc in the penalty area. A red card later, albeit harsh, Arsenal made one of the greatest comebacks in recent times, against a Barcelona side at its prime.

It was heartening to see the Gunners keeping at it till the very end, like it has been a trend this season. This further highlights the new-found resolve & resilience in the present edition of Wenger’s youthful ensemble.

Injuries to Arshavin & Gallas rule them out for three weeks at least, whilst latest reports suggest Cesc is out for the season. What a tragedy would that be.

Clichy, Song & Nasri pulled off performances to remember. Diaby needs a shaking though.

Whatever it be, the duel between Arsenal and Barcelona was a ‘treat to the eyes’ with everyone returning home happy. Barcelona got the away goals they wanted, Arsenal made the comeback it needed to re-instill the faith. This sets up the second leg beautifully.

Fabregas, Gallas & Arshavin will be notable absentees for the Gunners, whereas Pique & Puyol will join them in the stands for the Catalans.

How Arsenal line-up for that game, we’ll take that soon, for now time to ensure a victory at Wolves. Go Gunners..

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]]> http://11gunners.com/opinion/cesc-lives-up-to-his-name-theo-to-his-number/3341/feed/ 3 http://11gunners.com/opinion/its-arsenal-its-barcelona-the-game-gets-beautiful-again/3320/ http://11gunners.com/opinion/its-arsenal-its-barcelona-the-game-gets-beautiful-again/3320/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:56:59 +0000 GuestGooner http://11gunners.com/?p=3320

Fabregas vs Messi : Who'll Triumph?

I got into a conversation with 11Gunners on Twitter and after exchanging views on our beloved Arsenal I offered to do a preview of the Arsenal v Barcelona Champions league quarter final first leg at the Emirates on Wednesday night. At the time my feelings on the Barcelona tie were that the two games were more or less free games for Arsenal as we are not expected to beat Barcelona and in my opinion the Premier league was a much more realistic target. However the events of Saturday afternoon at St. Andrews may have changed my mind just a little.

It has been five years since Arsenal won a trophy and a lot of their fans are of the opinion that that is too long a gap between trophies. We have of course been spoiled in recent years since Arsene Wenger took over and we won trophies almost every season under him. He told us at the start of this season that he genuinely believed that we would challenge for the league this season and despite countless setbacks he has been proved right. However Saturday’s draw with Birmingham leaves that challenge hanging by a thread and the blow of the injury time goal we conceded so sloppily won’t be easy for the players to overcome.

After a blow like that we could do with a home game against a team who aren’t particularly good at defending as our next game and we have just that on Wednesday night. However, Barcelona don’t have to worry too much about their defending as they would seem to be an irresistible attacking force and for every goal they concede they usually score three or four. They won the Champions league last season in superb style and they also won five other trophies to accompany it while Arsenal could only manage to finish fourth in the Premier league and had to be content with semifinal exits in the Champions league and FA cup as the closet they came to winning a trophy.

In the summer we lost two senior players in Adebayor and Toure and we only brought Vermaelen in which would appear to have made us weaker on the surface but it would seem that the opposite has in fact been true. An argument can be made that if Arsenal hadn’t suffered with the incredible amount of injuries that they have this season that the Premier league title would be all but over by now with Arsenal as the winners. Unfortunately that is not the case and the absence of Van Persie since early November is a blow that could prove to be the most expensive of all to them. A fully fit Van Persie would be an ideal player to cause problems to Barcelona but instead the attack will be led by Bendtner who, in my opinion, has a long way to go to reach the level of Van Persie.

Arsene Wenger has a few big decisions to make before 7.45pm on Wednesday night and the biggest one of all will probably be which position he plays Alex Song in as long as Song is fit after picking up a knock on Saturday. The obvious choice would seem to be to play him in his best role as a holding midfielder but as William Gallas is injured there have been some calls for him to play alongside Vermaelen in central defence. Sol Campbell came back from the wilderness to rejoin us in January and at the age of 35 he finds it hard to play more than one game in a week. He played against Birmingham on Saturday and the thought of Campbell not at 100% having Messi run at him with the ball is one that should frighten any Arsenal fan.

Messi has been in incredible form this season and he seems to have got even better in recent weeks as the goals have flowed from him. He didn’t manage to score at the weekend as Barcelona won 1-0 away to Mallorca and no matter how good he is any player can have an off game at any time. Last summer Barcelona decided to offload Eto’o and replace him with Ibrahimovic and from what I’ve seen he doesn’t exactly fit in with their style of football. A lot of their moves break down when they reach him and I’ve always thought he was a player who could lose his temper very easily. If our players can wind him up just enough he’s liable to react and that could give us an advantage that could to be very costly for Barcelona.

Arsenal have suffered at times this season when teams have got in their face and kicked them from one end of the pitch to the other but Barcelona are like us and they play the beautiful game the way it is meant to be played. I have no doubt that we will get the opportunity to play our football and if Barcelona are in any way complacent they could be forced to pay a heavy price for it. I expect Arsenal to try to play at a very high tempo and force Barcelona on to the back foot but it is a very risky policy against a team who can be so deadly on the break. The manager has to play his strongest team possible and that means that Nasri and Arshavin will both start although Arshavin’s recent form has been anything but impressive. To be honest Rosicky is probably more deserving of a place in the team but I am fairly sure that Arshavin will play. It’s the type of game where he could decide to shine and if he does he’s good to enough to cause any team problems.

Cesc & Xavi : Midfield Maestros

It’s vital for us that Cesc recovers from the knock he took on Saturday and plays as this game is made for a player of his skill and intelligence. He will be up against the man who is still ahead of him in the pecking order for his national team and it will be fascinating to see whether Cesc or Xavi has more influence on the game. The news that Barcelona will be without Iniesta is very welcome for Arsenal as his partnership with Xavi is quite outstanding and it will surely decrease the workload for our midfielders.

I’m a little worried that our moves seem to break down all too often when they reach Bendtner as his touch isn’t at the same level as the other players. I would prefer to see him in the box on the end of any moves rather than taking part in the buildup. It’s annoying at times to see him crossing the ball when he should be the man on the end of those crosses instead. I think Barcelona are suspect defensively and if Puyol plays I think we will get some joy out of him. He is prone to making mistakes and although he is a whole hearted player I think his best days are behind him.

That’s not to say that our defence is exactly strong and with Almunia in goals anything can happen. The defenders don’t have any confidence in him and quite rightly so as he does nothing to inspire that confidence. With Barcelona playing their one touch football and Messi running at us with the ball I will be shocked if we keep a clean sheet. I think we can get a win in the home leg but it will be by only one goal if we do. Barcelona’s form in Europe this season hasn’t been great and even though they won their group they struggled at times throughout those group games.

There is sure to be a fantastic atmosphere at the Emirates on Wednesday night and I will have goose bumps when I hear the Champions league music being played. We will need huge games from Vermaelen, Cesc, Nasri, Song and Arshavin and whoever has the job of marking Messi will have to play out of his skin to keep him under wraps but all of that is possible from an Arsenal team who have beaten AC Milan, Real Madrid and Juventus in the Champions league in the last few years. It’s time for us to gain revenge for our defeat in the 2006 final and I hope we can do it in style on Wednesday night.

Even Henry Wants Arsenal to Win!

When the teams take the pitch on Wednesday night the chances are that a certain Thierry Henry will be in the Barcelona team. It will be a strange thing to see him take the field against Arsenal in the colours of another team but if he does play I am certain he will get a fantastic reception from every single Arsenal fan in the stadium. He is our record goal scorer and an absolute legend at Arsenal and we all know that he still loves the club and its fans too. If he had his own way he wouldn’t be playing on Wednesday night as he finds the thought of it too difficult to handle but as a professional footballer he will still do his very best if he is called upon by his club. I can only hope that the occasion gets the better of him and he does nothing to inflict pain on the Arsenal fans that he loves so much.

Go Gunners..

Michael Sheehy (Follow him on Twitter @JamrockRover)

Note: If any of you want to share your views/opinions on the club from N5 (read: Arsenal!), leave Us a comment at the bottom. We’ll get back right away & be glad to give you a chance. Keep Gunning..

Henry & Campbell: Friends Turn Foes!

Arsenal v Barcelona is without doubt the biggest draw of the Champion’s League quarter finals, commencing later this month. Henry vs Campbell, Messi vs Clichy, Fabregas vs Xavi, Arshavin vs Puyol, Wenger vs Guardiola, and we can go on & on & on. Almost each position has a rivalry of its own. It’ll be a game of galactic proportions without a shadow of a doubt.

We @11G ( Do Follow Us on Twitter!) decided to commission a Poll in order to try & comprehend which of the aforementioned duels, will after all, be detrimental to the final outcome. Have your say RIGHT NOW:

Thierry Henry & Cesc Fabregas

The ‘beautiful game’ just got more beautiful after the draw for the Champion’s League Quarter’s was made earlier today at Nyon, Switzerland. The room was filled with gasps as the 3’rd draw was made with holders Barca tied against the equally-graceful Gunners. 11G sums up the different ties right now..

The ‘dream game’ purists would have hoped for, was duly awarded; it really doesn’t get any bigger than this. The two most stellar exponents of the ‘one-touch’ brand of football, will be facing each other for the first time since the Finals in Paris, circa ’06. The game will also be noteworthy for the homecoming of two of the most famous sons from either side of the ‘Channel. Whilst Thierry ‘God’ Henry will be heading back to his spiritual home i.e. the Emirates, Cesc ‘Supreme’ Fabregas will be Catalunya-bound, over the two legs.

Can’t wait for the game to arrive, but before it does, here’s the complete line-up for the Quarter’s:

Olympique Lyon (France) vs Bordeaux (France)

Bayern Munich (Germany) vs Manchester United (England)

Arsenal (England) vs Barcelona (Spain)

Inter Milan (Italy) vs CSKA Moscow (Russia)

Note:

The first leg of each quarter final tie will be played on March 30-31, while the second leg will take place on April 6-7.

The finals will be at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid’s home turf. It’s a shame they are no more in contention!

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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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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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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/news/ruud-defour-krikic-cesc-cole-freddie/2893/ http://11gunners.com/news/ruud-defour-krikic-cesc-cole-freddie/2893/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:12:56 +0000 Tazz http://11gunners.com/?p=2893

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..

Captain Shows The Way 'IN'!

An average of 3.27 goals a game is something even the Invincibles would have been proud of. Its sounds amazing right from the onset, but what makes this all the more intriguing is the fact that the 55 goals we have scored this season, have come from the boots/heads of no less than 17 players.

11Gunners celebrates this ‘Goal-Fest‘ right now..

Every League game@the Emirates has seen atleast 3 goals being scored. The likes Fabregas and Van Persie lead the scoring charts with 9 and 8 goals respectively. Even Vermaelen and Gallas, centre-backs by profession, can’t out-do their tempt and often have found the back of the net. They have 5 and 4 between them, respectively! This proves why the Gunners are gunning like never before and why this is a football team which should be cherished more than criticized.

A target of 100 League goals looks realistic now, more than ever before. The fact that this has never been achieved in the Premier League era, and the last team to have breached that barrier were Tottenham in 1962-63, makes the challenge even more exciting. Wenger, on being asked, if that target was on, said this:

“I don’t know if that is possible. But what is possible is to play even better. The result shows the way we play suits the team. I enjoy the way we play. Different teams try different styles and we manage to find solutions. It’s very good for us because we are not destabilised by the physical style, or when a team drops back. Every time we manage to find a solution and to score goals.”

“We play with three strikers most of the time. We have kept our philosophy to pass the ball at a high pace in very tight areas. The basis of our philosophy has not changed.”

Captain Fabregas, the man who has been at the peak of his powers off-late, was a little circumspect, and cautioned that we don’t get too carried away with the bludgeoning form we are in goal-scoring wise. He said:

“There will be a time when we cannot score goals. It will be maybe not that easy and we will have to be patient. It is in that moment where we have to be strong. That’s why you are always cautious in football because it’s a very fragile sport.”

“We don’t look at what the Invincibles achieved, or whatever the name of that team was. We are Arsenal. We are young and trying to do our best. There will come a time when we cannot score. So we just have to keep going.”

Nice way to put it, I would say. We play the ‘Beautiful Game‘ beautifully, there is no two ways about that. But apart from the pleasure which very apparent at the sight, the effectiveness too must be considered. But as long as the spirit of ‘Joi de Vivre‘ is kept alive, we are not complaining! And didn’t the legendary Herbert Chapman say:

“The team that scores the most goals wins.”

PS: How the English FA didn’t ban Eduardo (for raising in jersey after scoring a goal against Wolves, and endorsing a social-cause pertaining to rise of drug-peddling in his place of birth i.e. Brazil), still baffles me. It seemed to me, those guys ban him for any and everything. All I can infer is, Justice Prevails! Keep Gunning for now..

Running For A 'Cause'

Early Christmas For Arsenal

This match was supposed to test the sincerity of our title challenge. It was a test for sure, but not for Arsenal. And the scoreline suggests that Wolverhampton was found wanting in this test. They still haven’t come to terms with the premiership and if they don’t manage to do so soon enough, they will have to say ‘bye-bye’ to it. Arsenal scored goals for fun and this is not the first time that they have done so, this season. Arsenal’s attack is second to none but clean sheets have been hard to come by this season.

An 11Gunners‘ postmortem of the wolf hunt..

Arsenal started the match in a very un-arsenal way and it looked like they are gonna repeat their mistakes yet again. They have been inconsistent against small sides when playing away from home and this looked another addition to the same series. But the wolves were determined not to let that happen and they made it sure by scoring goals. But they forgot the side of pitch they had to score those and ended up on the wrong side, literally. Had they scored them where they should have, they could have salvaged some points from this tie.

In fact, first 20-30 mins of the game looked like going their way as Arsenal never looked like getting into their grooves. But they dug their own grave and allowed Arsenal to settle down and play the only way they know to play – The Arsenal Way.

First goal was an own goal conceded by Ronald Zubar at 28 minutes from a corner and Eduardo was sportive enough not to claim it. Eduardo’s contribution continued as far as extracting own goals from the Wolvers was concerned. They committed too many men up front when they attacked us 7 mins later and Ramsay raced through the middle of the park when he was given a opportunity to break free. Eduardo came in for support and Ramsey slid the ball for him at the edge of the penalty area. Eduardo chipped the ball only to flick Joddi Craddock’s head on its way to the top corner. A top quality finish by Eduardo-Craddock combine.

Arsenal had started to come into its own and the signs were not ominous for the Wolvers. Early Christmas gifts for Arsenal just eased them into the game. From here on it was nothing but “The Arsenal Way”.Fabregas scored 1 more for Arsenal at the stroke of half time and sealed the 3 points. It was served on a platter by the Dutchman for the Spaniard.

The second half was much more interesting for Arsenal fans though more goals were scored in the 1st half. The silky-one touch passes were a treat to watch and Arsenal kept pressing forward. The goal of the game was scored by Andrei Arshavin at 66 min when he volleyed a rebound from an Arsenal corner. It was vintage Arshavin who followed it up with his famous “Shut your mouth” celebration. Nasri and Rosicky were substituted for Arshavin and Eduardo later in the match.

The present attack that Arsenal have at the moment looks like the best in the world at the moment. When players like Rosicky and Nasri wait for their turn on the bench, then it gives an indication of the kind of fire power that is present in the squad. But the same can’t be said about the defensive side of Arsenal and we could not keep a clean sheet, yet again.A late goal was let through by our leaky defense and Wenger needs to address this issue in January.

This victory has ensured that Arsenal will cover serious ground when Chelsea clash with Man Utd tomorrow. If Man Utd lose points tomorrow, the gulf between us and Red Devils will become less than 3 points with Arsenal having a match in hand. And if Chelsea lose points then the gulf  between them and Arsenal will be 3 points at max with Arsenal having a match in hand. So today’s result was very important one for Arsenal. Amen to that. Keep Gunning for now..

Image Credit: Getty Images

"Fab"ulous

Emirates was taken for a joyride last night as Arsenal demolished AZ Alkmaar 4-1 to leave their progress to next stage as nothing but a formality. It was an Arshavin’s show and it was a role reversal of sorts. This time Fab was the scorer and Arsha was the provider for a change. Arsenal finally managed to come out of Ronald Koeman’s hoodoo and defeated a side managed by him for the 1^st time.

An 11Gunners reaction of the match..

Last time when we played them, it was saddening if not a disappointing performance. We squandered a 1 nil advantage away from home. It was down to the inexperience in our side and it initiated a short blip in our campaign. We went on to drop points in premiership as well in a similar fashion but normalcy have been restored since North London Derby.

Samir is back!!!

It was Fabregas who kick-started the party @Emirates. He shot the goal from the edge of penalty area in 24th minute. After this it was an Arsha show completely, though he never made it on the score sheet. (but we all know that in an Arsenal team an assist is valued more than a goal.) He fed Nasri down the middle just before half time and it was 2 nil to Arsenal. Nasri is still not match fit after the injury he sustained in the pre season but such is the quality of the Frenchman that it does make a difference in any case. Another example of Wenger’s shopping skills.

There was no respite for the Dutch side in the 2^nd half and Arsenal welcomed them back with a goal from the skipper himself, Francesc Fabregas. Though, it was a continuation of Arsha’s show. The Russian does sleep walk through some inconsequential games but when in mood, he sends shivers down the opposition. He sprinted towards the penalty area before unleashing the Spaniard. Meanwhile Almunia came up with a superb save to deny AZ. Is he our no.1 for the season or we are in for a round of musical chairs for the keeper’s slot.

Wenger decided to replace Fabregas and Van Persie with Ramsey and Eduardo, respectively, with 24 minutes still to go. Eduardo made an impact when he released Arsha through a clever back heel who served it on a platter for Diaby to make it 4-nil at 72 minutes. Thus Arsha show continued and he was involved in 3 goals out of 4. This is the kind of impact the Russian is capable to make and kudos to Wenger who saw it when he brought him in last January.

After all the good work, we could not manage to keep a clean sheet yet again. AZ scored a consolation goal late in the match and it left a bad taste in the mouth. We need to bring in some reinforcements in the defensive part of the pitch so that a clean sheet becomes a regular feature for us. Wenger was pleased after the match. And when asked about the reinforcements, he said that:

“As many on the creative side? Certainly not. We had still Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott who are offensive players who are not available. Denilson, Eduardo, Rosicky did not start, that is why I was amazed when people said ‘buy, buy, buy.’ And Vela as well, I forgot him.”

We can’t agree more Mr. Wenger but what about defence. We are doing well this season and it is more than 1 reason to make us better defensively during January window.

“We are consistent,” the Frenchman added. “This season we look like we’re getting stronger and stronger in each game. It’s important to keep that attitude to progress, improve and play for each other more. Then we are allowed to believe in our future. “We have quality and I believe in this team but it will be down to us to grow and be consistent.”

Fabregas shares our view that good times are set to roll and there is more to come from this side. He said:

“It’s just the beginning of the season, nothing is done, we want to keep going until the end,” Fabregas said.

“I’ll feel it is something special when we win something. We want to win and if we win something at the end we will say we had a good year. We can still do better so we’ll try to improve in the next few games.”

V for Victory...

When asked about Arsha’s impact on the game, Wenger said:

“He was outstanding, “he gave the ball every time a fraction of the second you wanted him to give it and that is top, top quality.

“Our policy is to produce our own and add players of special quality and Arshavin and Tomas Vermaelen are good examples of that. I am not scared to spend money but what we want is to buy the players who have the needed quality to strengthen the team. We have only players here who can play and pass the ball and score – not only goalscorers but also decisive passers of the ball and he (Arshavin) has shown that against AZ.”

He added that:

“It was a brilliant performance because we dominated our subjects technically, tactically and overall were never under threat. Overall I’m very happy.”

All in all a satisfying performance but defensive frailties exist and we need to address that in January. Keep Gunning for now..