No New Signing After All

Morning all. While for most of the summer I have been so supportive of Arsene Wenger and figured he would certainly improve the squad and make it competitive before the transfer window closes, I've found myself drifting further and further over the other side, and today is no exception.

After the first leg against FC Twente, Wenger had this to say to Arsenal.com:

“Will something be done ahead of the second leg? Certainly yes, but before Saturday, no.”

Yet the match is today and there isn't a new signing here. Don't tell me about Silvestre because he doesn't count. There is no improvement on the squad from the time of the last leg until now. Not only that, but the transfer window closes in four days. I know Wenger likes last second deals but why wait so long? It never seems to be the case at other clubs who come in and buy our players all summer. When you wait till the last minute you can't always get the player you want at the price you want, and it seems like it would be much easier to start earlier so you have time to negotiate and get exactly what you are looking for.

I don't know why Wenger has consistently misinformed us about the transfer dealings this summer. Very early on in the transfer window he said we would have a signing in the next couple weeks, and that didn't happen. Also, he said we would sign a "creative player and a powerful defender." Well we got our creative player in Samir Nasri, who I think we're all happy with, but we haven't gotten anywhere close to a powerful defender. There is just something shady about all these quotes with no results to follow them. I'm starting to think that it may actually be the board that is causing all these problems. I know Arsene likes a youth policy but this is getting ridiculous.

When asked about any new possibilities for signings today he had this to say:

“There are no names and there is no news,” he reported.

“We do not have to worry about too many other players. I believe we have the needed squad and a strong squad. I believe in the players I have instead of always looking at who might be coming in. It is not one player who makes a difference. It is up to us as a team to show personality, strength and belief. If we can find one more, we will do it, if not we will not limit our ambitions because of it."

Don't you think something is wrong there? He's said all summer we need a couple of signings and every time he says it he changes it to how we don't need any new players, we just need strength and spirit. Either Arsene has gotten too stubborn for his own good or the board isn't letting him spend any money.

Arsene also spoke about Phillippe Senderos being sent out on loan. You already know my feelings on that, I think it was a bad move for us.

Today we face FC Twente though in the 2nd leg of that tie with a 2-0 lead. It shouldn't be an extremely difficult fixture for us with the lead and the home field but you never know. Cesc Fabregas is back fit so hopefully we'll get to see the return of our savior tonight. I'm hoping for a 3-0 or 4-0 win to get the confidence back up after Fulham. C'mon you Gunners!

Working With What We Have

First things first my fellow gunners, Don’t Panic. There is no need for some of this in-fighting that I have witnessed on different blogs and message boards between those of us who truly love the sport and are passionate about the Arsenal. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, regardless or not if it questions the wisdom of our fearless leader Mr. Wenger. He has been doing this a long time and our season is just getting started. Remember if you will last season, Chelski and ManUre both got off to rocky starts and finished above us in the table whereas we shot out from the gates untouched and did not falter until the second half of the season. Perhaps we need some perspective on the fact that this is a really long season with plenty of opportunity to right the ship.

That being said, I do not think that I have EVER seen the Gunners play so poorly in my life as they did against Fulham. We should give credit to Hodgeson and his squad, they came out and put pressure on our inexperienced midfield, causing havoc on any and all attempts to play out of the back, and forcing our boys to play the same kind of calamity football that we make other teams play.

The most disturbing thing about Saturday was the passing completion rate, only Nasri’s 81% (53 passes) was of the level that we were used to seeing last year whereas Walcott’s 81% (16 passes) was basically a waste of space on the field. He is still not in form yet this season and I am not sure when and if he is going to be able to cut it at this level day in and day out. I think he adds a great spark off the bench but as a starter he just does not have the muscle.

I must agree with Arsenole about one of his latest posts, Gallas is shit. Why he has the armband I will never know. I wonder what it must be like on the practice pitch everyday. From all of my days of playing football, the captain must be the engine on the team, the one least likely to make mistakes, and the one who inspires greatness. Gallas is none of those things. Toure should have the band but I also feel that Cesc could also carry that weight especially since in his absence the wheels have come off the bus. He should be back soon so… DEEP THOUGHT #1- Cesc is coming back! I know that we should not be so dependent on one player but shit ya’ll, he is Cesc-fucking-Fabregas! This is a player who can change games and get everyone on the pitch involved in a positive way.

Keeping up with the positives, Adebayor can still play and he will get goals when he gets the service. We all know how good he is, we all know how fast he can change a game. So here it comes…DEEP THOUGHT #2- Our target man up front is still of the highest quality! Let Cesc give him a few well placed balls and watch him blow up the back of the net. We can put the off season drama behind us and get behind him despite his greed. Not all of our players can be like Cesc and we must accept that.

Of all of the points I could make to lift the spirits of those who still get goosebumps when Arsenal take the field, this is my favorite… DEEP THOUGHT #3- We got NASRI!

This kid is good. He has almost made me forget about Hleb leaving us (although I almost cried when I heard he was leaving, he is a remarkable player). The way that Nasri cuts and attacks will be such an asset once we get our midfield sorted and I have a really good feeling about the partnership between him and Clichy. One would be hard pressed to find a better left side of the pitch than when those two are firing on all cylinders.

For my final ray of sunshine, DEEP THOUGHT #4- We have two of the best outside defenders in the world. Sagna and Clichy are still stunning players. Their ability to defend, their speed, and their attacking skills are second to none. Again, once the center of the field is fixed we can go back to dominating our opponents.

So the question is what do we do in the meantime?

The problem is our soft gooey center. Denilson is not ready but he did show signs of quality against Twente in the Champions League. Putting Eboue in the center was Arsene’s biggest mistake. With Cesc back on Wednesday, Denilson will do behind him supporting the attacks. Eboue can sit out wide with Nasri on the other side and Walcott can come on in the 70^th min. I would like to see Adebayor up front with Carlos Vela. Let’s see what this kid has got. Van Persie looks terrible and if he gets one more chance for a free kick and blows it, he must turn in his boots and sit the fuck down. In the center of defense, Toure and Silvestre could be good together, so let’s get a good look during Champions League play when we are up on aggregate and playing at home.

-Contributed by fellow Gooner Paul

Arsene Wenger Has F***ing Lost It

Ok that is just about enough Arsene. I'm one of your biggest supporters and have stuck by you through the summer and every summer before when you have sold and let players leave without sufficiently replacing them, but this is the final straw. Letting Phillippe Senderos go to Milan on loan for the season is absolutely ridiculous. The Kolo-Gallas partnership DOES NOT WORK! And what have we been saying we need next to one of them (Kolo is by far the better choice), a big, strong defender who can handle long balls and headers! That's what Senderos does!

Signing Mikael Silvestre is supposed to be defensive cover, but that doesn't mean you let all the other defenders leave on loan! I wonder what Arsene is thinking...

"Hmmmm...you know our squad does seem a little thin, and our defense is shite, so we might as well let Djourou and Senderos go out on loan."

You've lost your mind Arsene. Big Phil gets a bad rap from a lot of Arsenal fans but he's a competent defender that certainly wouldn't be any worse than the awful William Gallas is doing right now. No, he isn't the fastest player on the pitch and he isn't that assured on the ball, but he can play the high balls and he's the only one strong enough to handle strikers like Drogba, etc. Kolo Toure is there to partner him and provide the speed for cover that Senderos doesn't have. That's why it is called a partnership, and the one we are using now doesn't work. It just doesn't. You can say they are both world class defenders, and some of the insane ones will even say that Gallas is better than Kolo (which he isn't), but they aren't a good pairing. So the candidate that would be the best replacement for Gallas in our squad is now being sent away for the year. Is that going to help his confidence? Certainly not. How much will he even get to play at Milan? I can't see how this benefits Arsenal or Senderos at all.

I'm freaking pissed off. I can deal with having to wait until the deadline to sign a midfielder but this is the last straw for me. Something needs to change. Arsene isn't running this club like he used to when we won things. Give me Tony Adams. This is shite.

Exactly my feelings Phil.

To clarify this post since nobody seems to understand it...I am not saying Arsenal will never win again. I am not saying that I will not support them because even if Arsenal was relegated to the Conference I'd still support them. I'm also not discrediting anything that Arsene Wenger has done for this club. The point of the article is that our defense has been consistently bad and now we are loaning out one of our best four defenders. It isn't a smart move.

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!

I Am SO Sick of William Gallas!

I am. I'm absolutely tired of him playing for Arsenal. After watching his terrible marking allowing a goal versus Fulham yet again today, I've decided I've had enough. I'm not the manager obviously, but if I was I'd sell him right now. I'd rather have Senderos than Gallas back there. He doesn't work well with Toure and he has no commitment to the club. Wondering why we've surrendered so many shite goals the last few seasons? Well look no further.

What does William Gallas bring to the team? You can't say he's bringing leadership, and I don't think many people want him as the captain. A lot of people say he's a "world class defender" but where has that been since he's been at Arsenal? I haven't seen a hint of it. Terrible at marking on set plays and long balls, so what on earth does he do that Toure can't do better? Either Gallas just doesn't care or he's just not as good as he used to be. Give me f'ing Mikael Silvestre partnering Toure for all I care, I just don't want to see William Gallas allowing one more poxy goal for this club.

PSG wants him don't they? If I was Arsene I'd be calling them up at half time to see what they'll offer for him. We're playing a team that lost to Hull last week! But yet again shoddy marking on a set play from our "captain" allows them to take the lead.

I know he isn't solely responsible for us being down, but you can't blame the goal Fulham scored on not having a defensive midfielder or another keeper, it was simply poor marking. He let his man go and he put it away. Honestly I think I would have marked him better. At least I care about winning or losing when I play, I think that's more than I can say for William.

Time to go watch the second half. Hopefully the rest of our team cares a lot more than Gallas does and we'll go on to win this. Come on you Gunners!

Actual quote from an Arsenal season ticket holder I read today, here's what is wrong with our club right now:

"seriously I don't give a fuck about my season ticket i'M giving it up. why would anyone wanna go to a game at the moment our team is fucking wank"