Arsenal's Problems All Down To Teeth, Bring in Lorik Cana

Morning all. How are things? I'm doing just swell, except the whole not having any money thing is getting a little old. So when you're wondering, "Hmm, I wonder why the ArseNole hasn't posted in 3 days..." it's probably because I'm sitting around trying to think of a way to make money without getting a second job. I tried the lottery, but amazingly I did not win. I think I'm going to branch out into sketch comedy or something else that will be completely hilarious and cause people to throw kajillions of dollars at me, so I can just sit around and write about Arsenal all the time. That's the plan.

So what's new with Arsenal, you ask? Well, not a lot really. Not a lot besides discovering the cause of all of Arsenal's problems! Actually just Robin van Persie's injury problems, but if you figure we have a fully fit RvP for the full season, it could definitely solve some of the problems we have had. His doctors say that the reason he suffers from so many muscle injuries is because of his wisdom teeth.

"I fear I'll be forced to drink porridge through a straw. My osteopaths think there may be a connection between my teeth and the muscle injuries I suffer."

That's a bit odd isn't it? How bad does that suck that you get a couple more teeth in and suddenly you're pulling groins and hamstrings and every other muscle that isn't anywhere near your teeth.

"It could have an influence on the recovery time my body needs after an injury. Three of the four specialists I chose were rejected by the club."

Both of my Grandpa's are dentists, so I wonder if the club would approve either of them for the operation. I know they've done a lot of wisdom teeth in the past so maybe we can get RvP over here to Florida and get that done. If somehow this has been contributing to his muscle injuries and removing the teeth makes him stay more fit, I'll be absolutely amazed and thrilled. We all know what an important player he is when he's fully fit so let's hope he gets this done and it has the effect they say it will for him.

The other news is not really news at all, but Cesc wants Xabi Alonso at Arsenal. Of course we've heard this before, just last summer, but we didn't get him or anyone else for central midfield.

"We need someone in the middle to make competition and make a difference, plus give us a new dimension. I think that is all we need. The rest is perfect. Xabi would be great. He's experienced and can score goals. I'm sure the boss is aware of that fact."

Yes, Xabi is a good passer, he does have experience, and he can score goals. However, he does not kill people. I'd like to have someone in our team that loves killing. Patrick Vieira would not have hesitated to kill someone, and we need that mentality in the team. Lorik Cana is exactly the type of player I'd like to have. He's the captain of Marseille currently and he pretty much smokes chumps and lights up fools all over the field. He's a f***ing animal really and if you don't believe me watch this video. I've watched him in several Marseille matches and I just really like what he does on the field. Who knows if Arsene thinks he's Arsenal material though.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is all I have today. I'd like to say I'll do a podcast soon, but I pretty much can't guarantee anything with how my schedule is lately. Class every day, Karaoke on Tuesday, Poker Wednesday, the Baseball all weekend. It's hectic I tell you. I need to get a sponsor for that thing. Or sell drugs. That would make it way easier.

Alright, I'll get back to you all tomorrow. Subscribe to the website if you haven't already. Follow me on twitter, for the good of your souls. Follow Miley Cyrus too, cuz she is my future baby mama. Hit me up on my Myspace. Or Ole Ole. Or join the forums so we can get those started back up again. Just do all of the above. It will make supporting Arsenal THAT much more fun for all of us.

Gloom and Doom in the Arsenal Camp

Morning everyone. I could definitely use some coffee. Hang on I'm going to go make some. Alright, got that going now. On to Arsenal. Arsenal have been a bit puzzling lately to me. We'll start with two weeks ago at Manchester United in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. The lineup we sent out onto the pitch that night was one that none of us would have picked in a million years. Putting Nasri in the center wastes his skill that he has the chance to use out in the wide spots, putting Cesc as a support striker wastes his ability to pick out a brilliant pass, and Diaby is just a waste period. United ran us into the ground with a lineup clearly designed to defend, and only some brilliant work from Manuel Almunia kept us in the tie. Yet we all know what happened in the second leg. In between those though, we played Portsmouth away in the league. With what you'd probably consider a "reserve lineup" with all eyes on the second leg against United, we wiped the floor with them 3-0. I know it was only Portsmouth but when you see how well players like Vela and Bendtner played, it makes you wonder why on earth they didn't get a chance against United. You can't tell me that Vela doesn't bring more to the team than Diaby does, and you can't tell me that Adebayor (even though I still do support him, mind you) is in better form than Nicklas Bendtner right now.

In the second leg, Kieran Gibbs made a crucial error at the beginning of the match that allowed United to score. I don't blame him at all though, it happens to everyone. The problem I have is that Gibbs was having to play in that match in the first place. An 18 year old should not have to start at left back in the Champions League semi-final facing off against arguably the best player in the world. If Wenger didn't want to bring in someone as cover for Clichy, then he at least could have used Eboue at left back, who played well there against Portsmouth and has shown himself to be quite a capable full-back against top opposition, including the clean sheet streat in the 2006 Champions League. Silvestre as well, is not someone who I'd ever dream of lining up to face a team like United in such a big game, yet a refusal to buy last summer when everyone knew we needed to left us in such a position.


My main issue with how Arsenal have been managed though in the last few weeks is Arsene Wenger's prioritizing of competitions. He seems to be quite willing to give up some competitions to have more of a run at others. We already know he plays a bunch of kids in the Carling Cup, and I'm fine with that because I like to see what they can do against some top clubs and it is good experience for them. The FA Cup being pushed to the side though, is something that does not sit well with me. Wenger's quote to Sky Sports was this:

For me there’s two trophies really. The Premiership and the Champions League.

It shows why, even though Arshavin couldn't play in the Champions League anyway, he didn't play against Chelsea. Alex Song, who has been in the best form of his life, was left out in favor of Abou Diaby. We were in the FA Cup Semi-Final. A match that all of us were excited about, with the hopes of our first trophy in four years if we could just win the last two matches of the competition. Yet Arsene never cared if we won the cup at all. His thoughts were on the Champions League, which we went on to get crushed in anyway. So instead of having the FA Cup to still look forward to, our season, yet again, must be marked as a failure.

I've always enjoyed the FA Cup. It was the first trophy I ever saw Arsenal win live. It isn't like the Carling Cup where nobody really cares and not many teams put out their best sides. This is a prestigious competition that has gone by the wayside for Arsene Wenger's dream of winning the Champions League. When you prioritize competitions, you need to make sure you are winning the ones that you make a priority, or else your strategy was a waste. If we are not going to play our best team that gives us the best chance to win a trophy, why not just send the team out to lay down on the pitch? Because that's essentially what we were doing.

This isn't a bash Arsene Wenger post, but the signs are worrying that his stubborness has gone too far now. His refusal to buy in the summer when it was SO clearly needed still irks at me, and probably at the rest of you too. Imagine if we had bought Arshavin in the summer, so he wasn't cup-tied in the Champions League and we had had him against United. Does anyone think that that tie wouldn't have gone differently with him in the lineup? Yet we waited till January so we could save a few quid and we couldn't use him for our most important match of the year. In fact, we didn't use him in our second most important match of the year either, the FA Cup Semi. If we bring in some players for next season, should we expect them to start the year or just wait until halfway through? The youth project is not a failure, but it is not a success either. Success would be titles and trophies, none of which we have since the old guard left and was never replaced.

The upcoming offseason troubles me greatly. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't worried about the potential of Cesc Fabregas leaving. He clearly needs and wants help in this team, and even asked for it in the for of Xabi Alonso, but help was never given to him. Lose Hleb, lose Flamini, lose Gilberto, and replace with only Nasri. That's never a good move, no matter how good you think your team is. If a bid comes in for Adebayor, I'd expect him to be sold. I've always thought he was a good player, unlike the majority of Arsenal supporters, but a decent offer for him won't be refused. I don't know that Bendtner is good enough to lead the line for us, which means we might need a striker in the transfer market too. I'm at the point though where I don't expect one to arrive. I don't really expect a midfielder, or a defender either. I'm getting to where I'm resigned to sending the same team back on the pitch to watch them fall short yet again.

It's painful as a fan, one who lives and dies with the club, to see them continually miss out on it's goals and nothing be done about it. We had to sign Arshavin just so we could finish in the top four this year, and that just isn't how it should be. I don't buy that this club has no money for signings, it just doesn't make any sense. It's just stubborness that says this team is good enough, and Wenger wants to prove every doubter wrong by winning with this young team. The problem is, when these young players get sick of not winning, they won't be in this team anymore. Just like Flamini, they will be seeking greener pastures. The time to win is the year that you are in. You can build to the future and still have a great squad. Look at what United have for example. They play a 35 year old in Ryan Giggs, who is a cunt of course but they still get the best out of him, and also have young players like Nani who can play in his spot. It gives them options and versatility that we don't have, and allows players to develop in training instead of on the spot like Kieran Gibbs had to. I'm sick of the excuses about how he doesn't want to stunt the growth of the young players, because competition only makes you better, not worse. And if bringing someone in the compete DOES crush their development, than they weren't good enough to play for Arsenal anyway.

It could be a tough transfer season this summer yet again, but I hope, for the club's sake and for the fans' sake, that Arsene Wenger decides enough is enough and makes some changes. Cheers.

Leave your thoughts. I'm going to try to do a podcast later today too on the new computer, so I'm hoping for some good quality. If you have any ideas or things you want to hear on there, leave them in the comments or email me. Peace.

Arsenal Transfer Window Preview Part 1- January 2009

What's up everybody? As there is only one day left in 2008 and we move to 2009, I figured I'd take the time today to put together a little bit of a transfer window preview, looking at some options that could come in. Obviously Arsene is one who normally surprises everyone and buys players that nobody expects and/or have never been heard of before, so this could be way off but like I said, it's just possibilities and will hopefully start some good discussion.

So to start off, we have to figure out which areas of the squad need to be addressed. I think the two glaring holes are in the center of defense and in midfield. Some people say we need a keeper but I think Almunia has shown that he is a quality keeper worthy of his spot in the team.

So for the defender, we have to look at what we have and what we need in turn. William Gallas is a 31 year old smaller center back who has shown a penchant for scoring goals and also allowing goals on set pieces. Sometimes he looks great and others he looks like the worst player on the pitch. He's not getting any younger, and his leadership has certainly been questionable. Kolo Toure used to be a very stable defender for us and is in the same mold as Gallas in terms of size and style. He seems to have lost some of what he had before in terms of quality in the past year. Mikael Silvestre is pretty bloody awful and shouldn't really ever play in a team that has title ambitions every year. Johann Djourou looks quite good and is still young. He's bigger than Kolo and Gallas and should only get better with time. Fairly good on the headers and pretty good at marking.

I think what we need in defense is another player in the style of Djourou who can win the long balls that have become a staple of the Premiership. An experienced player who maybe wouldn't command a huge fee. Sol Campbell's departure, while he was getting old, really did take a lot of experience and physicality out of our defense. We need somebody who can rough up opposing strikers. Now who that is I don't know. In the summer we were linked with Raul Albiol, who plays for Valencia. He's got good size and speed and can play in defense or as a defensive midfielder. Valencia have also had some finanacial troubles so they would probably sell if the right offer came in. Steven Taylor is a young player with Premiership experience that has good size and strength and looks to have a bright future as well. Hard to tell how much he would cost but it could be an option. Cristian Zapata is another player we have been linked with in the past year and could still be an option. I think any of those three could be real possibilities due to the fact that they are all currently playing at top level clubs in top leagues which gives them the experience to play for a club like ours in a league like the Premiership. They all have size and strength and will probably all get better over time.


If you have any others you can think of feel free to leave them in the comments.

The other main area we need to address as soon as possible is in midfield. We've been sorely lacking in the holding role since the departure of Mathieu Flamini AND Gilberto Silva left in the summer. Looking back, that was not the best idea to let Gilberto leave after Flamini left, but now we have a hole there that needs to be filled. I have seen mention of Scott Parker, since he can play in that role and he is used to the Premiership since he plays for West Ham. He's 28 years old so that might reduce the fee for him some, but I don't know how he would fit into the Arsenal style of play. Of course we had all the talk of Xabi Alonso in the summer, but it never worked out, reportedly because of a 2 million pound difference in what they wanted for him and what we offered. Let me tell you, it's not going to happen. Liverpool are fighting for the title and he's been playing quite a lot for them this season. I doubt they'd sell him and even if they wanted to then the fee would be higher now than it was and I don't know if he'd want to come and battle for 4th instead of a title. Marcos Senna of Villareal has also been linked with us, and he could be an affordable option because of his age. He wouldn't be a long term solution by any means but he could be at the top of his game for another two years or so.

That's about it for part 1 of the transfer preview. I'll get to part 2 tomorrow. If you have any ideas of who YOU would like to sign, feel free to leave it in the comments or any other thoughts you want to put out there. One more day in 2008, enjoy it!

No Signings Before the Deadline...What's Your Response?

Hello all. I'm still alive if anyone was wondering, I just haven't had a good chance to write in ages. Since I last posted we won 3-0 against Newcastle which was a great result, and the transfer window closed last night. I waited up watching the news tickers on and off all day hoping for Xabi Alonso, or anyone else for that matter, and it just never happened.

So we're stuck with the squad we have. Heaven forbid we get an injury to Fabregas or Denilson because then we're stuck with Diaby/Denilson/Eboue/Ramsey starting against Manchester United, Chelsea, etc. We're too weak in midfield and we all know it. All of us, it seems, except for the boss. I know I have never been a proffessional football manager but I have watched a lot of football and I know when there is something needed in a squad. I think Denilson and Diaby can become great players for the club, but they aren't there now and if they get injured the squad just isn't deep enough.

Eboue, poor guy, has had to go from right back to right winger to center midfield. This just shows how thin the squad really is. Versatility is great but forcing a player to play in positions where he is far worse is a bad sign.

I'm not preaching doom and gloom here, I'm just awfully disappointed. I think 95% of Arsenal fans expected some sort of move before the deadline, but the only move we made was to re-sign Mark Randall and Kieran Gibbs. Sources say that Arsene tried to make a move yesterday for Xabi Alonso, but they couldn't sort out a fee before the deadline passed. This brings up the question though, why didn't Arsene try to work it out before 10pm on deadline day?

But that isn't even my real complaint. My real problem is that there hasn't been ANYONE brought in at all. There are players out there who would be cheap and could deepen the squad at very least. Marcos Senna was out there for a good price, and there were a lot of other players who could have at least added depth even if they weren't ready-made superstars.

I'll admit I'm nervous. I'm a member of the Arsene Wenger Fan Club but he has really puzzled me lately. Danny Fiszman said the money is there for him, yet none has been spent. Has he gotten so stubborn that he just wants to be the complete opposite of the other Top Four clubs and spend ZERO money while they spend big? I don't want to spend zillions either like I said, I just want a deeper squad, and maybe a good defender.

There is good news, however, as Arsene Wenger says Emmanuel Eboue has become a "pass master." Is there a more clear hint that Arsene is failing to see a lack of quality in the team? Eboue is not, and will not be, a pass master, ever. He isn't the solution to the midfield problem either, but it sounds like Arsene is making him out to be just that.

But that's about it for the day. Are you disappointed or just fine with the lack of moves? Let's hear your thoughts. Cheers.

Oh yeah, and please for the love of God nobody try to convince me that Amaury Bischoff will be the answer. He hasn't played in ages and he isn't the answer. Don't be a moron.

Cesc Makes Me Forget About Fulham...Well, Almost

Morning all, or afternoon or whatever it is where you are. Yesterday was a miserable day for us. I'm sure you read my rant about Captain Gallas, and that about summed up my feelings for the day. Gallas shouldn't be playing at all and Eboue shouldn't have to play central midfield. Robin van Persie seems to have forgotten how to score and overall the whole thing was bloody awful. But today something made me smile, and who else could it be but Cesc Fabregas.


Cesc gave an interview to The Guardian's Amy Lawrence and it really was wonderful to read. Regarding the current state of the squad, he said:

“We have to accept we have lost some big players who are difficult to replace but the boss knows what he’s doing. For me, Arsenal is Arsenal and this club has something special that no others have. We have to take care of it, that’s why you have to be intelligent in your decisions.”

But the best part was when he spoke about himself and his love for Arsenal Football Club:

“I have friends in Spain, in Italy — and they speak to me about other clubs and I know that I’m privileged to be where I am and I don’t want to lose it. I’m still young, I want to win things for the club, I want to get experience and I want to compete. Because when you see football around the world you see very few teams that play the way that we play. And I just enjoy the way we play."

“I came here when I was 16 and I feel it’s my home now. I think I will be lucky to be here as long as I can, to play for Arsenal. I don’t even want to think about whether I would find a similar environment elsewhere because I’m happy where I am. Whenever people say another team is the best in the world, I know where I am and how I feel here — which is the most important thing.”

Is there anything you could hear that sounds sweeter to your ears? You want club loyalty, well there it is. He knows his place, he loves the club, and he wants to do the best he can to bring trophies home to OUR club, not to whichever club will pay him the most. A lot of other players would do well to learn a lesson from our young prodigy. Gallas could learn from his dedication to work hard for the club, and Adebayor, Hleb, and Flamini could do with a lesson on not always just going for the most money.

He also spoke about the possibility of Arsenal signing Xabi Alonso:

'I'd love it!. What can I say. He is my friend and apart from that he is a great professional, a great passer of the ball, he works hard defensively, he's scoring goals now, he's experienced and he's only 26. For me he would be perfect.'

If Cesc wants him, everyone should want him. Let's get him in here. Obviously I wanted Alonso even before Cesc mentioned him but let's think about it, who would possibly be better for us? They play together in the same national team, they are friends, he has Premiership experience at a top club, and he can play the Arsenal way. Sounds like the perfect signing doesn't it? Let's make it happen. You know Marseille fans tried to raise money for the club to buy Didier Drogba from Chelsea...maybe we could put together something similar for Xabi Alonso! Seriously imagine all the Arsenal fans that could pitch in and then we could just give Liverpool a check courtesy of Arsenal since Arsene Wenger doesn't seem to want to do it. Just an idea.

Lastly he spoke about the possibility of becoming Arsenal captain:

'I would love it. I respect all decisions. I am a player that accepts nearly everything. I am happy with everything, my No 4, playing for Arsenal in centre midfield and giving 100 per cent every, every game. But if the boss thinks in one or two years I am ready to be captain, I will take the armband.'

I wanted Kolo to be captain this season, but I have to say at this point I'm convinced that it has to be Cesc. While Kolo also loves the club and gives his all, I just think Cesc has the raging fire within him to lead the team with passion and fervor. How about we just sit Gallas the rest of the season and give Cesc the armband today? Sounds good to me.


In other news, Arsenal legend Tony Adams talked about how he would love to succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. Arsene quite possibly has lost his mind recently, and while Tony Adams hasn't been the most successful manager in the past, I think he has probably learned a lot from his time under Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth and maybe when Arsene does end up leaving he could be a possibility.

Alright that's a lot for one day, I'll get back to you tomorrow. Let me know what you think. Cheers!

Why I Love Arsenal and Hate Fake Fans

Sometimes when I write the blog, I scour the internet for news on arsenal.com, NewsNow, a bunch of other Arsenal blogs, etc. trying to find the latest Arsenal stuff to present to you all. Sometimes something just comes to me that I think I should write. This is one of those times.

I live in Jacksonville, Florida, in the United States of America. I have never been to the Emirates Stadium, or indeed to Highbury, the home of football. In fact, I've never even made it to anywhere in Europe at this point. So why do I write this blog about a team I've never even seen? Because I love this club with all my heart, much more than some who get to go to matches every single week. When I read the shite that's been posted all summer on some sites it makes me wonder why these people ever started watching Arsenal or any football at all. Isn't football supposed to make you excited for new seasons to start and happy even if your team only scrapes a 1-0 win over West Brom on opening day? Arsenal used to be a team with seasons full of 1-0 wins, yet now to many it seems more like a loss. No, we haven't won a trophy in the past three seasons, but isn't trying to achieve that trophy the whole point of it? Everyone says they don't want to be Chelsea and buy a title, yet when the squad isn't exactly as they think it should be then the solution is to buy, buy, buy. My enjoyment from Arsenal comes from winning yes, but also from watching players like Theo Walcott, Gael Clichy, and Cesc Fabregas develop from school boys to what they have become now.

Is complaining all summer about the lack of new signings really going to make people loathe the new season as much as it seems by what some write? Yes, there is a very real chance that Arsenal will not win the title this season. In fact, only one out of twenty teams will win it. I'm an optimistic supporter though so I think we have a good chance to pull it out. I don't think we've gotten any worse than we were last year and we did pretty well then didn't we? If van Persie can stay healthy, Eduardo can come back, and Rosicky can play a couple of matches in a row it's like three new signings that we didn't have at the end of last year. Xabi Alonso is a great player, no doubt, and he'd be great at Arsenal, but if we don't get him it isn't going to make me dread every match day. When you read daily batches of shit from sites like Le-Grove and other blogs that clearly hate themselves as well as just watching football for the fun of it then it is sometimes hard to be optimistic about anything with the club, but we must push on.

Maybe the reason the noise in the stadium is an issue is because too many fans don't really look forward to being there. As someone who hasn't ever gotten to go, I can tell you that when I do get there I'll be fully dressed in red and white and will be signing every Arsenal song I know the whole match, because that's how I support this team, not by bitching about off season transfers and complaining about an incompetent manager. Instead of singing about how greedy Adebayor is, maybe we should try cheering our own players to encourage them to perform for the club? What a novel idea! At the end of the day we all (supposedly) support Arsenal, and should always support Arsenal. I'm not a fan of Arsene Wenger, or Cesc Fabregas, or Gael Clichy, or Kolo Toure ahead of being an Arsenal fan. If any of those guys ever left the club, I'd still be here supporting Arsenal. So why are we getting oh so upset about our team instead of looking forward to another successful season?

My point is that I'm sick of everyone being down on Arsenal and feeling like the season is a wash already. Are you supporters or not? If so, then you should be happy the season has arrived, happy we won the first match 1-0, and thinking that with a little bit of luck, maybe we can bring home that title to the Emirates. And for those of you that continue on with your downtrodden attitudes about the club you "support," I know for a fact that Chelsea still has lots of tickets available, so please go park yourself in one of those seats.

Cheers.