Arsenal To Start Year With West Brom

Morning all. The fixture list for the new season came out today and we've got West Brom at home to start the new year. Could we have asked for anything better really? Our first game is at home and against a newly promoted team. That's exactly what I like to have to start the year, because it gives you a good chance to work out any kinks in your system and if you don't play that well then you can hopefully still pull out a win.

After West Brom we've got Fulham away which should hopefully be a win and then we have Newcastle at home to complete the month of August. If all goes well you'd like to think that would be nine points for us out of the gate but you never know with football. Our second to last game of the year is May 16th away to United, so if we're going to win the league then that will most likely be our most important match of the entire year. I like the schedule they gave us. We don't have stretches like this past season with Liverpool, United, and Chelsea all in a row.

In not so good news, Tomas Rosicky says he probably won't be fully fit for preseason training. He said hopefully he'll be able to start training again when the new season starts. I was really hoping we'd get Rosicky back to start the new year, and this news really disappoints me. From everything I heard it sounded like he was going to come back on time and just fine but clearly he won't be. We can't count on him to ever be in the squad. Maybe we ought to think about trying to sell him. I've always liked him as a player and defended him through his injuries but he got hurt a long, long time ago and still won't even be back for the start of the new season. I'm sick of it.

Apparently Barcelona are getting fed up with negotiating for Alexander Hleb, and they may pull the plug on the deal soon if a deal is not done. I'm fed up with it too. I really wish they'd buy him and take him away as soon as possible. I never want to see Hleb in an Arsenal kit again, not even for pre-season, so please take him away Barca. There is still hope though even if they don't sign him because Bayern Munich are still interested and Hleb always talks about how much he loves Germany. Cross your fingers someone pays for him.


Johann Djourou is not at all happy with Swiss coach Kobi Kuhn in the wake of their exit from the Euros. He had some harsh quotes after he didn't get on the field in the tournament and said there is no competition for places in the Swiss team.

“We knew four months in advance who were going to play. With Switzerland, no need to give the best of yourself, you already know the team."

Switzerland really didn't look good at all in the tournament to me. Once Frei got injured they really didn't have much in attack at all. I didn't get to see them play yesterday against Portugal because I had work but in the other two games they never looked like they would make it through the group stages. You would think though that Djourou should have gotten a chance in a meaningless game as they were already out of the tournament. I don't like to hear player criticizing coaches but maybe he's got a point here.

And in BS transfer rumors for the day we see Robin van Persie linked with Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan. I can't see any truth at all in this. He doesn't seem like a Jose type of player for one and he's been injured almost all year for two. The story says he's stalling on new contract talks because he wants Arsenal to change it's wage structure, but even if they did chance it I wouldn't give Robin any more money. Stay healthy for a year you shite licker and then we might give you more money.

That's about it. Euro matches are starting at the same time today which sucks because i liked being able to watch both individually but oh well. Enjoy the final round of the group stage. Cheers!