Where would Cesc play? Let me show you..

Since Barcelona’s new manager Luis Enrique, refused to comment on Fabregas’ future, there has been debate whether Arsenal should sign their former captain. Like most of you (i’m sure) I want him back and the only problem that people were having was, where would you play Cesc?

Going back into this past season, most of us would agree that two main things were responsible for us not taking the Premier League Title, bad performances away to top rivals and INJURIES to key men. At one point, Wenger had to play a team without Ramsey, Walcott, Ozil, Chamberlain and even Wilshere. This made life a bit more difficult as arguably, Ramsey was our best player last season.

I asked myself, what if we had Fabregas in the squad, wouldn’t we have sustained a better title charge? the answer is yes! I would agree that we lacked pace in some games and having Giroud up front when you have no pace is useless, but for the shear ability of creating chances, scoring and running into spaces, Fabregas would have made a difference.

Arsenal fans make me laugh sometimes, one minute they say, “We don’t have strength in depth” and the next minute they say, “we already have a lot of players like him”, make your minds up! Fabregas, like Ozil, can play in different positions but are better as number 10’s. Fabregas on the other hand, will deliver in the big games unlike Ozil did with us last season (yes I know it was first season and things might change). 

My starting line up would be something like this:

Szczesney

Aurier (my choice of RB in the tranfer market) Mertesacker Koscielny Gibbs

Wilshere Ramsey

Ozil Fabregas Cazorla

Mandzukic (my choice of striker in the transfer market)

 

That midfield would be inter-changeable and no one would be too restricted to their positions. In fact, one of my favorite matches of last season was the game against Napoli at home. The midfield was so dynamic and inter-changeable that Napoli didn’t know who to mark.

 

I would then inject the bench with pace and defensive steel, yes the team is not that defensive or pacey, but with these men on the ball, very few midfield would be able to contend with them. That would be one heck of a starting line up, capable of even winning the league. We will need also a defensive midfielder during the transfer window and maybe another pacey winger.

All in all, I think Fabregas is a no brainer and allowing him to go to our Premier League opponents would be as bad as selling him to them directly. I say, BRING CESC BACK HOME!

 

Theo to be “injured” until he signs dat ting

Theo Walcott looks more and more likely to be leaving Arsenal this winter. He has procrastinated with signing his contract for over 2 years now and seems to be looking for greener pastures. Arsene Wenger on the other hand, is slowly realising that Theo is getting influenced by his agents and it is now dawning on him that Theo is better off sold in January. I am sure Theo is not injured and his “injury” is fabricated and it is a way of freezing him out of the team for being stubborn.

On his way out..

Theo is our top goal scorer as it stands and for some reason has improved immensely this season. The question a lot of people have is, will he be consistent like this when he gets a mega deal? We have known Theo all along as one of the most exciting yet frustrating players at the club and this season he has already scored more goals than he scored the whole of last season. It’s easy to forget two very important things, Theo is ONLY 23 years old and he was  NEVER a winger. At 23, he is far from his peak and judging by his rapid rise this season, Theo is going to be one heck of a player wherever he plays his football in the future. If he goes to a club that is willing to use him as a 2nd striker, he will easily be a 3o goal/season player, yes! he has that ability.

Why is Theo not signing? It could be one of several things but we would be kidding ourselves if we took money out of the equation. Arsenal do not pay big wages and they do not pay big transfer fees, double whammy for any ambitious club. The second reason? Ambition! im sure if we had a survey of Arsenal fans on ambition, most of them would say Arsenal are not ambitious enough. As things stand, Van Persie seems well on his way to winning a Premier League title after 8 years on barely anything at Arsenal. Other players look at that and our current plight, mid-table and barely putting two wins together in a row, and think that they might as well go elsewhere, get paid better and win trophies. Our Arsenal board has let us down immensely and I hope they give Arsene the funds to correct our current plight.

Unfortunately, by selling Theo this winter we are going to make a LOSS, considering we paid over £12m for him and will probably sell him for less. Contract negotiations continue for Sagna, Chamberlain, Wilshere and Gibbs but are they going to sign? only time will tell. One thing is for sure, Theo is definitely going to Sign Dat Ting, but unfortunately for another club.

Walcott reveals why he hasn’t signed the Contract

“Make me a striker.. or else..”

 

Theo Walcott today gave a big hint as to why he has not yet signed a new contract. He refused that his motivations have never been money over football and that he loves the club and wants to stay. When he was quizzed further as to why he hasn’t signed if he wants to stay and his issues are not monetary, he replied, “ask the Boss!”, throwing the issue back to Wenger.

“You have to ask the manager [why I haven’t signed a new contract],” Walcott said. “It’s his decision.

“In the summer I had opportunities to leave but I didn’t want to go and I have never said I wanted to go.

“I’ve always wanted to be an Arsenal player and hopefully something can be sorted.

“It is going to take time, my last contract took over six months to happen and it is one of those things where you just have to be patient. It is going to take time.

“It has never been a money situation, I am not that sort of player. I have always made decisions about football. If it had been about money I would have gone in the summer.”

He then concluded by giving probably the biggest hint that he hopes that the issue is resolved quickly so that he can get back in the team and play UP FRONT!

“I love Arsenal and I love playing with my teammates and hopefully something can be sorted and I can get back in that team and get a chance to play up front.”

Theo has ALWAYS insisted that he wants to play as a striker all along and has often refused to be described as a Winger. He has said several times that he hopes that he can emulate his hero Thierry Henry, turning from a Winger to a Centre Forward. Could Theo be trying to force the matter by wanting it in black and white? He obviously has become impatient in his 6 years at Arsenal without getting a single sniff at the Striking position.

We all know Wenger HATES to be told how to use his players even if it’s from the players themselves. He probably doesn’t want to be forced into agreeing something that he is not yet comfortable with, therefore bringing the deadlock. Even Arshavin admitted last year that Wenger doesn’t take kindly to tactical advice from players, good luck Theo.

I personally think it wouldn’t hurt to let Theo play as a Striker, his finishing is miles better than our current strike force options. Is Wenger just being stubborn? Again? Looks like..

Theo is just trying to keep up with his expenses

The drama has been dragging on all summer, Arsenal and Theo Walcott are failing to reach an agreement on a new contract. Wenger wants to keep Walcott and Walcott (apparently) wants to stay, so what is the hold up? Of course, Theo wants more money than his current abilities deserve and, rightly, Arsenal are not having any of it.

Theo now wants to get a big pay-cheque like Van Persie but does he deserve it?

As far as I am concerned, from reading several reports in the newspapers, Theo has had a contract waiting for him from the 27th of August and it is NOT going to be improved anymore. A deal of £75 000/week for someone who rarely starts for club and country is not bad at all but Theo somehow thinks he deserves more. Are those Ferrari’s demanding more money for servicing Theo? Theo is known within the Arsenal ranks to be a chap who loves his cars, apparently, he has the best line of cars at the Emirates. It seems the wrong financial decisions are going to ruin Theo’s career. Once you start putting money before your progress then you end up thwarting the thing that earns you that money, your career. Theo must have received some financial advise at Arsenal, about how not to rush into buying material things like really expensive cars before you have saved up and invested it. Look at the sad case of Fabrice Muamba, he had a heart attack at the tender age of 23 and had to retire. The question for him is, did he save and invest his money earlier in his career so that he can, at least, maintain the same lifestyle he had. How many people know a retired 23-year-old? Unfortunately, in football, that is very possible. You can get injured on the pitch and never play football again, no money plus depression can be a nasty mixture.

Some would argue that, “maybe that is why Theo is bargaining for more money!”, fair enough, but what about if you move to Manchester City for a weekly wage of £180 000/week and fail to play 10 games a season. After your contract expires, who is going to take you? You would have wasted all that potential for just your pocket. A player like van Persie at the age of 29 can have an excuse for a big money move, he knows by the time his contract is over, he can retire, what about you Theo? Theo is trying to keep up with his expenses and not his talent and that is going to be one of his biggest regrets.

You can imagine that he saw Robin’s exit and thought, “WOW! I would be happy to earn half of that if I get a new contract or leave on a free transfer!”. Whoever is advising Theo must be equally as greedy as he is and are not seeing the bigger picture, that’s why I can see Theo going in January. If he wanted to sign that last offer from the club he would have done it already and maybe, that is why Wenger is not playing him much, to make him think about what is important.

The Starting XI that will make Arsenal Champions

Having stated the 10 players Arsenal players that need to go rid of and the 5 players to replace them, it was expected we would come up with the envisaged starting XI. The thing about the starting 11 players is that we put the best player in each position on the team sheet and then work from there. I am fully aware that this list will bring up a lot of debate but that in its self is a positive. So here we go..

SZCZESNEY

SAGNA  KOSCIELNY  VERTONGHEN  GIBBS

M’VILA  WILSHERE

BELHANDA

WALCOTT  VAN PERSIE  DEMPSEY

Substitutes: Fabianski, Vermaelen, Mertesaker, Song, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky and Podolski

Szczesney had an average season in 2011/12, he had a few moments of brilliance and a few questionable performances but at his age, you can bet that he will be a better player next season. I feel he needs to work on his concentration and long-range shots, otherwise he is bound to keep Fabianski on the bench again next season.

Sagna is arguably the best right back in the league and he probably did not get much recognition this season because he did not play much because of injury. He looks likely to miss the first part of next season because of that nasty tackle he got at the Emirates. Carl Jenkinson did show how good he can be in the same position when he covered Sagna, but you get the feeling that he might only be able to compete with Sagna maybe in two seasons time.

Koscielny was by far last seasons best defender and I think he deserves to get his place back in next seasons team. “Bosscielny” to many, played the most games by a defender and had a very few bad games compared to Vermaelen and Mertesaker. For Vermaelen you could argue that he was a bit unsettled by having to play in a different position, but I feel he tries too much to attack and leaves his partners exposed. Mertesacker had an average first season and you could see that he was a bit frightened by the speed of the Premier League. I think Mertesacker would definitely not make it into the starting XI.

Vertonghen is rated by many in Amsterdam as ‘Vermaelen+”, this is because he has an eye for the goal, comfortable on the ball and is excellent at tackling and intercepting. Vertonghen would be one of the new players to step into the starting XI.

Gibbs is an excellent defender if he can avoid injury and Santos is not far off but Santos os not on the bench because I believe that Vermaelen could easily come in to replace Gibbs. Gibbs, also being young, has got loads of room to improve compared to Santos.

M’Vila is prefered to Sing because he is a far better defensive midfielder. He is the second signing who I think can walk into the arsenal team in front of Song. Do not get me wrong, Song was amazing last season and is World-class but Yann M’Vila is the better player.

Jack Wilshere will regain his place in the team in the same position he used to play when we had Fabregas, the midfielder would feature along M’vila and Belhanda in the “Fabregas” position. Belhanda will add the much needed dribbling, assists and goals needed to fire Arsenal to the summit of the Premier League.

Walcott and Van Persie will keep their positions and will be aided by the last addition from the transfer window, Clint Dempsey!

Clint Dempsey had 17 goals and 6 assists last season playing as a winger, attacking midfielder and striker. his CV speaks for its self and would probably have the same effect to Arsenal as Arteta did this past one.

Conclusion

Any team that wants to win the League should have strength in-depth. This means the best players slugging it out for a starting places in that team. This team has that aspect in it, I know some people will ask, “where is Coquelin, Ramsey, Frimpong etc?”, my answer is simple, can those players win you the league? were they exceptional last season? where they ranked amongst the best players in the league? if the answer is no, I suggest we send them on loan and let them develop or use them as squad members. We need a team that is strong and has high quality replacements if any of the star players are injured. We can not keep on saying that, “We have failed to win a trophy this season because player X & Y were injured”, we need players that willl step in and compete. This squad can win the totile in my opinion and even though some of these players are already being linked to other clubs, Arsenal need them.

Arsenal v Manchester City Preview: All or NOTHING

So, it’s that time again where we play our second most hated rival in recent seasons. The relationship between the two clubs on the pitch has become worse by the season, from the infamous celebration of Adebayor at the City of Manchester stadium, to the sale of Samir Nasri. Not only has city promised a bigger pay cheque to our players but they have also promised trophies… The later can be judged at the end of Sunday’s fixture, if City lose, they are more or less out of the title race and would end the season TROPHY-LESS!

Uncomfortable territory

Samir and his friends come to the Emirates on the back of two straight draws against Stoke and Sunderland last week and will be hoping to get back to winning ways against the Gunners. City are further boosted by the return of players such as Tevez, Aguero and Nasri himself, who has been out with illness. They do know however that coming to the Emirates stadium will not reap an easy 3 points, considering their last game at the Emirates, in the Carling Cup, needed a late Aguero goal to qualify into the next round. That was after playing against a youthful Arsenal side that had players like Frimpong and Chamberlain who both impressed immensely. Last season, Manchester City was criticised for playing a defensive game at the Emirates last season of which they might employ something slightly similar tomorrow. I don’t see them going Gung ho against Arsenal at the Emirates, especially on current form. They have too much at stake on this game to do that against an Arsenal team that has won 7/8 of their last games. I see them taking advantage of counter attacks of which Arsenal are prone to conceding because of their attacking game. Manchester United usually employ such a stance which has a good success rate.

Considering our current form, with the exception of QPR where I felt they suffered from complacency, I can see Arsenal giving the Sky Blues a rough ride at the Emirates. We have players like Theo Walcott who are having the form of their lives, Rosicky, Song and you can always expect some magic from van Persie, even though he has gone through a small “drought” of goals. I would expect Oxlade-Chamberlain to start ahead of Ramsey, who has been abysmal of late when he starts. I think Ramsey is going through a rough patch and should be used as a substitute than a starter in our games. I hope Vermaelen has improved from his nightmare of a performance last week, we can not afford off days against teams of this quality.

Probable line-up

SZCZESNY

SAGNA  KOSCIELNY  VERMAELEN  GIBBS

SONG  ARTETA  ROSICKY

WALCOTT  PERSIE  CHAMBERLAIN

WLYA Match Prediction

Arsenal 2-2 Manchester City

I have no doubt this will be a very entertaining match to watch for the neutral, both teams seem to play the game the way it is supposed to be played. I hope Arsenal come out victors but I think because of both teams qualities it could be a draw. I do hope I’m wrong and we beat them, that would be absolutely splendid!

Don’t ride the Van if you can’t chip in…

It’s official, Arsenal are going through a tough patch. Never mind not having any full-backs, Arsenal are finding it difficult to put more than two goals past the opposition. The last time we scored more than two goals was the 0-4 away win at Wigan on 3 December, a month ago. Gervinho has scored just 4 goals in 16 Premier League games, Ramsey 1 in 19 and Walcott 2 in 19. All these players are willing to chip in with an assist but are never brave enough to just shoot. It is definitely time for the attacking players to start chipping in with the goals…

Van Persie has scored 47% of Arsenal's goals this season....

 

Robin Van Persie is a great player but we can’t keep relying on him like we do, sometimes in a game you can see Gervinho through on goal and instead of testing the goalkeeper, he searches for Van Persie. I do admit that maybe Gervinho is aware that he is not the best finisher in the team but having a go will not hurt. As long as you hit the target, one of four things can happen, you miss, its caught, you score or it bounces off the goalkeeper of the post, which can be an opportunity for another team-mate to score.

We then have The Walcott who insists he should be a central striker, not with your current tally mate! In all honesty, unlike Gervinho, Walcott does have a go at times but not enough. If Theo really wants to be a striker he should prove it with the goals, a tally of 2 goals in 19 games is never good enough to convince the boss. The Emirates faithful are always shouting “SHOOT!” but sometimes you feel it falls on deaf ears.

Aaron Ramsey has some big boots to fill, he is now playing the same position that Fabregas was playing and  even though he covers every blade of grass running up and down the pitch, he needs to assist and score more. His shooting accuracy has to be one of the worst of these three  players, he always seems to hit it straight at the goalkeeper or over the bar. A tally of 1 in 19 is just not good enough for an advanced player playing in an attacking team like Arsenal. Ramsey should be doing at least four times that number at his position and making far more assists.

As I said in my last post, Oxlade-Chamberlain will probably be introduced slowly this year into the first team and he seems to be a more direct player, he has scored 2 goals in 5 games, if that’s not direct, I don’t know what is. You just get the feeling this team needs something to freshen it up offensively, maybe Henry will be one of the things we need.

Manchester City is THE Acid test

We have had quite a run in the Premier League and Champions League this season, since the loss to Tottenham away, we have bulldozed our way into touching distance of those top four positions. Many believe that our 3-5 win away at Chelsea was proof that this team can beat anyone in the league, but on Sunday, the truth shall come to light.

More than just a striker....

Manchester City has been breaking goal scoring records this season, they have scored a record 49 goals in 15 games this season. City have also won all 7 of their home games in the Premier League this season, averaging at 3,4 goals per home game. City lost for the first time to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday but you could argue that they were playing with 10 men.

The task in front of the Gunners is immense, we will need to be at our very best to be able to get a result in Manchester on Sunday. We can do it, no doubt about that but the whole team will need to defend and attack as a unit. In our last game against Everton we struggled to score against what was one of the best defensive displays by a visiting team at the Emirates. We also gave them more than enough chances to score where it  not for their bad finishing. Against a good all-round team like Manchester City, we will have to be creatively and defensively outstanding on the day. Going forward we have players wiTh pace like Walcott and Gervinho and of course, the best striker in the Premier League, Robin Van Persie. My only worry will be Djourou, he is our weakest link, not naturally a right back, he has been average at that position, now against the attacking prowess of City, Walcott or Gervinho will have to make sure they support him as much as possible.

Sunday by no doubt, is the “daddy” of all acid tests for Arsenal, if we win, we will be sure that this team can challenge for the title. This is because Manchester City probably want to win this match as much as we want to and by Sunday evening, we will know just how good this Arsenal team is.

Why this Arsenal star is DEFINITELY on sale this January

the most famous sportsmen in Russia

There is an art in finding if a player has become surplus to requirements. First, he does not get much game time, he then vents his frustrations and nothing is done about the situation. I will stop speaking in cryptic terms, the man is Andrey Arshavin.

Andrey came with a bang to Arsenal, his first 6 months and second season, which was his first full one, he performed exceptionally well. We would all be concerned when our favourite Russian was not on the starting line up because that meant the team was weaker. I remember a friend of mine once asking me why Arsenal fans tolerate Arshavin’s inability to elude controversial statements, I simply said, “As long as he performs like he does on the pitch, I really do not care what he says in the media”. My feelings have since changed about Andrey, he does not seem to bother much about playing for Arsenal anymore, he just wants his pay cheque every week. With the Euro’s around the corner, I’m sure his national team coach will demand he gets regular football elsewhere. I expected him to start against Manchester City and he didn’t, only to come in at the last 3 minutes of the game. He is just not getting games anymore and when he does, he does not vindicate his inclusion in the starting line up.

I have been following some of his statements of late and statements made by Arsene Wenger and I have realised that these two are in a some-what broken marriage. Complaining about his lack of playing time, Arshavin recently said:

“It’s true that Wenger has a unique philosophy. Sometimes you know that you will be replaced at 70 minutes, regardless of how well you play. Sometimes you sit on the bench and know for sure you will enter the game at 65 minutes.”

“I still want to play for 90 minutes, but now I am glued to the bench. I wouldn’t like to play for a Russian club other than Zenit (St Petersburg), and there were no contacts with Anzhi Makhachkala.”

“Right now I don’t think about changing clubs. If I will be benched for a very long time, then such an issue might be relevant,” 

My impression is that Andrey, who is one of the most famous sportsmen in Russia, has the impression that because he is “Andrey Arshavin”, captain of the Russian team, he deserves to play no matter his performances on the pitch. In reality, his performances of late have hardly been on par with Gervinho and Walcott. Even though Gervinho needs to work on his finishing, he causes more distress to the Full-Backs than Arshavin at the moment. On his personal website he recently claimed that his performance against Fulham was not good because he did not have enough playing time…. RUBBISH!! In the same game, Chamakh and Diaby played some decent football but have hardly played much this season. Better yet, against Manchester City Frimpong, Coquelin and Oxlade-Chamberlain played exceptionally well, even though they hardly have a sniff at first team football. It all goes down to desire and motivation, if you do no have them, then you will never force your way into the Arsenal staring XI. Wenger did seem to support him (publicly) on his claim of game time, but in the same statement, he lambasted the “hunger” of Chamakh and Diaby:

“I believe it is difficult for a player when he doesn’t play regularly to be absolutely exceptional,”

“I don’t think he (Arshavin) had a bad game but I think he suffered a little bit from the fact we were not as sharp as we might have been.

“Your confidence is not at the top as well when you don’t play for one month. You need to play regularly.

“He will come back. He works hard in training and has a good attitude so we just have to keep him tight.”

 “Diaby and Chamakh were fresh and hungry. Hopefully in the coming weeks they will show that.”

If Wenger really wanted to boost his confidence, I don’t think playing him in the last 3 minutes is the best way to do it. To me, it looks like both party’s are ready to part ways, the only tricky thing will be, who to sell him to, considering this statement he recently said:

“I met a man in Miami who said there is no difference where you live — it is important how much money is on your credit card.

“I think this is correct — if you have enough money, you can provide for your family anywhere in the world.”

I can’t see Manchester City breaking bank for you at the moment mate, maybe Anzhi? The fact is, I would be very surprised if Arshavin is still an Arsenal player in February if he keeps performing like this, all I can say is ” Watch out for the OX!”

Arsenal v Stoke Preview: Time for consistency

Arsenal welcome Stoke City at the Emirates this Sunday after some good results in the league and Europe. Arsenal produced a solid yet unspectacular performance in Marseille to top group F and after beating Sunderland in a similar fashion, Gooners everywhere are hoping that the Arsenal of old is coming back. If Arsenal win against Stoke City, they would boost their confidence for the next big clash in the premier League, Chelsea.

Arshavin like the team, needs CONSISTENCY

Arsenal have not blown away teams recently but just like any team that lost its main players, it has taken a while for them to gel properly. Recently they have become solid defensively and do not look vulnerable on set pieces as before. If any team is to test Arsenal;s newly found resolve in set pieces, its Stoke. The giants from the north that I refer to as the Rugby team, will surprise the likes of Mertesacker and Santos who have never played against such teams before. Their physical play and set pieces are particularly unique to Stoke and might come as a shock to the new defenders.

Stoke have started well this season in the league and in Europe, they are currently 7th in the league and top their group in Europa League. The good thing is that Stoke have been bad travellers this season after their newly found European exploits. A good example is their loss to Swansea in their last away game. Also, Stoke have never done well when they visit Arsenal in recent seasons. Good signs, yes but these days, nothing is straight forward for Arsenal and we will need to be 100% up for the game on Sunday to get a win. If Arsenal win, they will move closer to the much coveted “top four” position, which will be a big boost for the team.

Injuries

Arsenal still have Wilshere, Diaby, Vermaelen, Jenkinson, Gibbs and Sagna out. Expect to see crowd favourite Sebastian Squilacci on the bench tomorrow…

Stoke have Jermain Pennant and Higginbotham who are going to have late fitness tests to face Arsenal.

Players to watch

I should say I am slightly concerned by Andre Santos‘s pedestrian approach to the game. He seems too casual and lacks urgency at times. If he is not on his “A” game on Sunday, he could be heavily exposed. Another player to watch will be Johan Djourou, he produced quite a solid performance in France and you hope he keeps up with that. reckless tackles and giving away the ball too easily could cost us the game. Theo Walcott will be also another interesting player for me, is he going to start the game? probably, but his recent performances have not been convincing as yet. Dont be surprised to see him replaced by Yossi. Lastly, we have Andrey Arshavin, he has played like Messi against Sunderland and Messy against Marseille. You just don’t know what you will get from the Russian these days. Maybe he now prefers to come in as a super sub and considering that he passed his driving test this morning, maybe he will be in good form on Sunday?

On the positive side, I think Mertesaker and Koscielny are forming a formidable partnership. That is why I think Djourou will play Right Back on Sunday. If it aint broke, don’t fix it! Rosicky might be rested for the Carling Cup so I expect Ramsey to start.

Probable Starting XI

SZCZESNY

DJOUROU  MERTESACKER  KOSCIELNY  SANTOS

SONG  ARTETA  RAMSEY

WALCOTT  VAN PERSIE  GERVINHO

Trivia

• Stoke have not won at Arsenal for 30 years now
• The last time they scored at Arsenal was a penalty in July 2009
• Van Persie is on a run of 23 goals out of 25 games in the Premier League
• This will be Arsenal’s 100th game at the Emirates (Premier League)
• Stoke have kept a clean sheet in half of their Premier League games this season