More of the Same from the Defence

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It was a jolly good weekend in all of Arsenaldom wasn’t it? Not just because the Sp*ds crashed and burned at the hands of Fulham courtesy of their former player and #chokingcockrels was trending in London, it was because we did our job against Swansea. A difficult opponent that has caused us lots of trouble in the recent past.  A trip to South Wales to play the free passing Swansea is not the most anticipated fixture to look up to after an away game at the Allianz Arena in mid-week, but the team came out in flying colours.

One thing that is common in both victories though is the defensive performance from the team. Two away games, two victories and two clean sheets and keep in mind, we used our second choice goalkeeper who hasn’t played in almost a year until the Bayern game.

After the game on Wednesday, I opined that the team had put their 10 day rest to good use to reorganise and hone the defensive aspect of their game. The game on Wednesday and Saturday saw a different approach to defending that we last saw in the opening games of the season against Stoke, Sunderland and Liverpool, where the whole team defends and not just the back four. A performance where runners were being tracked, midfielders were pressing the ball high up the pitch and someone was covering for someone else when out of position. Per Mertesacker perfectly explains this here

The most important thing we learned was to cover each other more. There were a lot of situations where there was no pressure on the ball and the back four was not prepared for any balls between us.
We are always watching videos. That is not the point. Sometimes it is good to see situations and I think the very important scenes against Tottenham made it more clear for everyone.

Defending is the responsibility of the whole team and that includes the midfielders, wingers and strikers, and when we defend as a unit, it makes the job of the goalkeeper considerably easier, which I sort of have pity for Wojciech Szczesny. Being dropped when the defence was in tatters and did not give him adequate cover is a shame when one considers that Fabianski has enjoyed considerably better protection over the last 2 games than he has enjoyed in a long time.

I have to admit though, it does sacrifice the attacking aspect of our game that we and especially Arsene Wenger have become to be known for in his years at Arsenal but any Arsenal fan will take a solid defence that ships in little and scores little over a defence that ships in goals in the bucket load. So big ups to the team and long may such performances continue.

And how quickly do the tides change, we were biting our fingers 2 weeks ago about how far away we are from Sp*ds after the defeat and now with a game in hand, we are four points away and winning our outstanding game will put us just one point behind them and with 9 games to go, the heat is definitely on and the choking cockerels seem to be ones feeling the heat now.

No games next week, the interlull resumes and it comes when the team seems to be putting a little run together. 2 wins from 2 is not what can be categorised as a great run but with this Arsenal team, it looks like it. Sort of.

That's that for this morning, be right back on Wednesday for another piece, sorry for the erratic posts lately, I have had precious little time on my hands and I just try to write whenever I have the chance. Let’s all bask in the glow of a good weekend and y’all should have yourselves a great week ahead.

God bless the Arsenal. 

Monday Morning Football Rant

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It was a very dull week for the Gooners faithful around the world. After swallowing the bitter pill of defeat in the hands of our biggest enemy in the most irritating of circumstances, not much in the way of good news emerged from the Emirates as another weekend approached. Add that to the fact that it’s an FA Cup weekend and we were not involved after being knocked out by a lower division team in another acrimonious circumstance. Relief will most likely not come from our next game either as we travel to Munich to take on Bayern in the Champions league on Wednesday with a 1-3 deficit.

So no Arsenal games last weekend which meant I really sat down and enjoyed the proceedings at my cousin’s wedding without thoughts of hurrying home to see the game. But looking on the flip side we have been in this position time and time again and it just irks that we never learn from our mistakes.

We all know the importance of finishing top in our champions’ league group and we had it in our hands and blew it in fantastic circumstances by losing the final group game in Greece to Olympiacos. As a consequence we went into the draw in the second pot and were drawn against perhaps the second most consistent team in Europe after Barcelona in recent years, lost the first game at home and the second leg seems just like a formality though a senile friend of mine still insists we would qualify. 

The FA cup which represented our only realistic chance of a trophy this season after blowing another glorious chance in the Capital One Cup was against treated like it was some reserve fixture meant for getting game time to some fringe players by the manager. If a top club like Arsenal hasn’t won anything for 8 years, prioritizing the Champions League over the FA cup looks very insensitive to the fans. But that being said, Arsene pointed out after the game that there were 9 internationals on the pitch and were more than capable of defeating a team like Blackburn in a Cup game. A fair assessment in my opinion but that they couldn’t achieve that objective says more of the squad that we have at our disposal than the ability of Blackburn doesn't it?

As it stands, the only thing we are left to fight for is our annual holy grail – fourth place finish – and it doesn't look rosy either. 5^th with 5 points behind Chelsea and 7 behind Spuds and just 10 games to go till the end of the season, it’s going to be one hell of a run in. They say we have a much kinder run in than Spuds but haven’t we been found wanting when it comes to dispatching the smaller teams?

We would be very lucky if we make the top four this year, and if we do it will not be because we were that fantastic in the final 10 games, it will be because our rivals faltered and for a team like Arsenal, that's a bitter pill to swallow. Who would have thought that 9 years ago, a club that took the world by storm and set history by going through a league season without being beaten will not win another one in almost a decade or even hinge its qualification for the Champions League on the troubles of others. How much we have declined.

News of a certain Arabian consortium planning a £1.5Billion takeover seemed to have mellowed over the past few days and for good reason too. The Chairman of the board has come out to deny such reports and logically, if there was going to be any sort of takeover of that magnitude, newspaper pages will be the least possible venue for such to happen. If I had that kind of money and was interested in buying the Arsenal, I would not call The Sun and tell them of my intentions; instead I will call Kroenke up, table my offer and shove the money down his throat. That's all he seems to be interested in doesn't it?

Why do we need new owners anyway? We got Kroenke, and Usmanov both men who are the largest shareholders but don’t see eye to eye. And both men not willing to give up their stakes at the club. Who profits from this power tussle I wonder sometimes, and who loses. Most people don’t seem to realise how much the standoff between our 2 owners is hurting the club. One thing is sure, Arsenal FC will be the proverbial grass that will suffer when 2 elephants fight and I don’t mean the lush green grass of the Emirates.

God bless the Arsenal. you can follow on twitter @nigeriangunners and I will be glad to follow back

Top 5 North London Derbies in Recent TImes

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It’s the North London Derby this weekend and a good chance to get another one over our less illustrious neighbours. Over the years, Spuds have continuously tried to bridge the gap between themselves and the Arsenal. Last season saw a long battle between the two clubs that went down all the way to the final day of the season and St. Totteringham’s day was finally celebrated by Gooners all over the world.

This season has been no different with the Spurs claiming to having a better team than the Gunners but when both teams met earlier in the season, it was the Gunners that ran riot over Spuds in a second consecutive 5 – 2 win in a calendar year. After Gareth Bale inspired another Tottenham win against West Ham on Monday night, he put up a sign to show that he was coming for Arsenal next.

Coming for A-rsenal?

This has been their inspiration over the past few years. Finishing above Arsenal, it’s an obsession they can’t seem to get over which only proves that they are desperate to come out of our shadows. While they have made impressive forward steps over the years, I still believe that they are still firmly behind the Arsenal and that is regardless of what happens in Sunday’s derby.

But which games stand out in the North London Derby as the best in recent times? Here are my top 5

TOTTENHAM 2 – 2 ARSENAL 25TH APRIL 2004:

The date was 25^th of April and 33 games into the season, Arsenal was yet to lose a single game and was on the cusp of making history. It seemed almost certain that the league title was heading to Highbury and it was only a matter of when and where and what better place to seal an amazing season than the home ground of our North London neighbours, making it the first time we won the league in their backyard since 1971.

We started brightly and by the 3^rd minute we had already gone ahead with Patrick Viera slotting home a Dennis Bergkamp cross. The second goal came just after the half hour mark when Bergkamp again setup Patrick Viera who cut back for Robert Pires to make it 2 nil.

Spuds fought back with Jamie Redknapp scoring from distance and Robbie Keane scoring a late leveller from the penalty spot. But all that was not to matter as Arsenal claimed its third title under Arsene Wenger and they did it without being beaten and above all, won the league right at Tottenham’s backyard. The good memories don’t get better than that.

We win the league at White Hart Lane

TOTTENHAM 1 – 3 ARSENAL 15^TH SEPTEMBER 2007

This one went down at White Hart Lane. The season was in its second month and teams were still yet to fully get their groove on. Spurs started brightly and Gareth Bale scored the opener in the 15^th minute with a well taken free kick + some typical Almunia-ish goalkeeping. The gunners created chance after chance to grab the equalizer in the first half and it only seemed like a matter of time before the visitors were level.

The equalizer came in the second half though. Steed Malbranque fouled Fabregas and from the resulting freekick, Adebayor rose above the Spuds defence to power home a header. Spuds tried to regain the lead but it was Arsenal that got the third goal of the game in the 80^th minute after Fabregas’s crashing drive from long range found the top left corner of Paul Robinson’s goal. It was the Fabregas dynamite. Adebayor was to have the final say in the game with another goal on 90 minutes, a goal will go on to win the goal of the season award and again Fabregas was the architect. He found Adebayor on the edge of the box and with his back to goal, the striker flicked the ball in the air and met it with an amazing volley on the turn. It was an amazing goal and even the staunchest Spud supporter had to stand up to appreciate the goal and ultimately the Arsenal performance. It was indeed first class.

ARSENAL 4 – 4 TOTTENHAM 30^TH OCTOBER 2008

On a fine Wednesday evening in October of 2008, Arsenal and Tottenham took to the lush green of the Emirates in what was going to become one of the most breath-taking derbies of the modern era. It was Harry Redknapp’s first week in charge and he was keen to make a good impression on the Spurs faithful. The game started with both sides testing each other out and not wanting to make any mistakes but the first goal of the game came from former Gunner David Bentley who unleashed a cracking shot from 40 yards into Manuel Almunia’s goal.

The Gunners did not let their heads drop and in the 37^th minute, Arsenal got the equalizer from the most unlikely of players. Mikeal Silvestre; who rose to head in a Van Persie corner. The first half finished and in the first minute of the second half, Arsenal were ahead. This time it was William Gallas that powered home a 

Van Persie freekick. Emmanuel Adebayor scored to extend the lead in the 64^th minute. 

Darren Bent reduced the deficit for Spurs with just his first touch of the game when Tom Huddelstone’s shot fell to him and a minute later, Van Persie restored the 2 goal lead, firing past Gomes from an Adebayor pass. 

It looked all well and truly over as the Gunners tried to play keep ball with their opponents but the Spurs were just ready to give up yet and as the clock wound down to the 89^th minute, Jermaine Jenas found Almunia’s top corner with a swirling shot. 4-3 to the Gunners and all they had to do was to keep the ball and run down the clock but alas! Tottenham was to have the final action in the game with the 94^th minute approaching, Luka Modric shot from outside the area, his shot hit the post and the rebound fell to Lennon who made no mistake as he tapped into an unguarded net. Heartbreak for the gunners but the Spurs fans were delirious and the overall winner was indeed football.

ARSENAL 3 – 0 SPURS 31^ST OCTOBER 2009

What stood out at the end of this game was the 11 seconds between the first 2 Arsenal goals. In fact this game is now popularly known as the 11 seconds derby. Spurs were level on points with us in the league and they arrived with high hopes of upsetting their hosts in the league for the first time since 1999. The game started in typical big game fashion with both sides being cautious and trying not to make any mistake. But fast forward to the 43^rd minute, Eduardo and Sagna worked out space for a cross and as Sagna delivered the cross into the box, Van Persie was quickest to the ball as he guided it into the net. The Emirates was still celebrating as spurs brought the ball back to the centre circle. And as they restarted the game, Van Persie robbed Wilson Palacios in the centre circle fed the ball to Fabregas and the midfielder danced his way through the Spurs defence before firing past the goalkeeper. Exactly 11 seconds were between the 2 goals. Even the replays for the first were still being shown when the second goal was scored.

Van Persie made sure of the points in the second half after getting on the end of another Sagna cross to put the game beyond the Spuds. Another amazing derby, the 11 seconds derby.

ARSENAL 5 – 2 SPURS FEBRUARY 26^TH 2012

Another brilliant derby was played out at the Emirates here. Spurs were flying high in the league and were 10 points ahead of the Gunners going into the game, they bragged and boasted, this was their best team in history and that they would definitely finish above Arsenal in the league for the first time in 17 years. They even had good reason to be confident. In the same fixture the previous season, Tottenham over turned a 2 goal deficit to win 3-2. The first time they have managed a league win in our backyard since 1999. The build-up to the game was tense. With 10 points behind their opponents, Arsenal couldn’t afford to drop points. A loss would mean a 13 point gap will be opened between the 2 teams going into the run-in and it would have been near impossible to catch them.

Despite starting the better of the 2 sides, things went bad for the Gunners as Louis Saha’s shot deflected of Vermaelen and looped over Szczesny in the 4^th minute. Arsenal did not let their heads drop, they took the game to their opponents but when Gareth Bale was sent clear by Modric, he would show off his impressive diving skills by stumbling over from Gibbs close watch. Emmanuel Adebayor would send Szczesny the wrong way to put them 2 goals up.

Half time was approaching and in the 40^th minute, Bacary Sagna would stay in the box after an Arsenal attack and as Mikel Arteta delivered a cross into the box and Sagna powered home a fine header. It was no less than they deserved but they were not done yet for the first half. 3 minutes later, Arsenal will get the equalizer through Van Persie who curled a left footed beauty past Brad Friedel in the Tottenham goal.

Van Persie celebrates his strike against Spurs

Spurs were now a shadow of themselves and the half time break did nothing to instil some needed confidence and the gunners would run riot in the second half through a Tomas Rosciky strike in the 51^st minute and a Theo Walcott brace. Scott Parker would later get his second booking for all his troubles in the afternoon but it was the Gunners faithful singing to high heavens after a thrilling comeback victory after 90minutes. Tottenham will later capitulate and surrender the remaining 7 point lead as the season wore on but that hammering at the Emirates was surely the turning point in the season for both teams.

Those are my top 5 North London Derbies in recent times, you can add yours in the comments section of if you have any other North London memories you will like to share with fellow Gunners. Follow on twitter as well @NigerianGunners and I will be glad to follow back.

Good luck in the Derby tomorrow and God bless the Arsenal.

Arsenal vs Bayern: A Damning Verdict

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So the highly anticipated Champions’ League game ended in a defeat to a honestly superior team in every aspect of the game. They had a plan, stuck by it and it paid off. we could go on and on about what if we had done this or what if we had done that at regards the goals we conceded, but the bottom line is they were a better side and when you play a team of that quality it really is no shame if you lose but it is a shame if it could have been avoided.

We started ok, we had a good first 5 minutes with good movement in the midfield but wen Bayern settled, their quality became apparent. The first goal came in the 7^th minute, Thomas Muller whipped in a cross from the right to the edge of the box and an unmarked Toni Kroos slammed the ball into the net.

Fast forward to the 17^th minute and Bayern have a corner an unmarked Van Buyten wins the header, Szczesny parries onto the path of Muller who pokes home from close range. Another avoidable goal, the likes of which we have conceded time and time again this season.

The second half was a much better showing from the team. They worked hard, and pressed the Bavarians all over the pitch but by then the Germans were content to let us have it, soak up pressure and hit us on the break. We got a deserved goal though through controversial means, Carzorla’s shot was blocked out by Podolski but the card totting referee gave a corner instead and the German headed home from the corner after Neuer fluffed the cross.

The team pressed hard for an equaliser, Giroud came closest to getting it after getting on the end of a Theo Walcott cross but his shot was straight at the goalkeeper. And as we poured men forward, we opened ourselves to the inevitable counter and it came. Arjen Robben broke down the right and laid a pass unto Lahm who drilled a cross across goal and the impressive Mandzukic scored. The goal knocked the wind out of the Arsenal players and honestly, Bayern should have scored more as Mario Gomez misses a good chance late on.

Arsene said after the match

Bayern was fully confident and we paid for it. At 2-0 down of course it became very difficult, but we put in a good battle in the second half and came back to 2-1. It looked like we could come back to 2-2, but unfortunately we conceded another goal. The 3-1 was a big blow for the team. From that moment on, you could see that we might even concede one more because we didn't keep our structure anymore. The last 10 minutes were difficult, once it was 3-1. As much as 2-1 looked like possibly becoming 2-2, at 3-1 it looked more like we might concede another one.

They are a team of class. In patches in the first half, it was a difference of quality in their display compared to ours. In the second half I believe we were close and you could feel we were becoming dangerous, but after that they changed, became more defensive and played on the counter-attack. It was difficult for us create chances

Like I said earlier, their difference in quality shone through. But its worthy to note that Arsenal and Bayern play a very similar pattern though much more efficiently. They play the same 4231 that we play and one very big difference in the sides is the pressure on the ball when they don’t have it. 2 Bayern players are always charging down the ball every time an Arsenal player has it especially in the first half. This hard work was one of the differences between the teams on the night. We were stand-offish and let them pick us out. It was a very hard working and technical performance from the Germans and much credit and congratulations to 

them.

Their performance last night reminded me of the showing we put up earlier in the season at Anfield against Liverpool. We battled for every ball in the midfield kept the ball moving at all times and created chance after chance.

As it stands, its safe to say that we are already out. The odds of us going through are 150-1 at the moment and not many sane people would put their money on us. We have already lost 6 times at home in all competitions this season that includes defeat to teams like Swansea and Blackburn and twice in the champions league to German teams.

No matter how hard or how well you put the positives into context - which isnt much or stale - the truth is that the team is in a decline. You only need to see the trend of negative records that we have created or broken in the past few years to agree. Lost for the first time at home in the league to Spurs since 99, lost a very impressive home record in the Champions league earlier in the season to Schalke, conceded the most goals in a single league season last season, currently leads the league in number of individual errors leading to goals, I could go on and on. And in all these while, there has been very little to cheer for Arsenal fans.

I said in my last blog that we entered one of those weeks where the next 7 days would determine the season and after blowing a glorious chance in the weekend, we proceeded to end all hopes of a silverware dis season last night just as we have done in seasons’ past. In the midst of all these, the manager believes that the team has the mental strength required to go through the rigors of a season. I beg to differ

Follow on twitter @nigeriangunners and I would be glad to follow back and reply your comments as well as in the comments section.

God bless the Arsenal. 

Good to be Back

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First of all, it’s good to be back blogging, secondly, apologies for being away for so long. As my National Service year came to an end, I became more involved in a lot more activities that really took a lot more time that I could imagine. Glad to have all that out of the way now and I have a shiny new certificate to prove it.

Right down to the Arsenal, after going through a January full of speculation about who would join or not, followed by 2 catastrophic first half performances against Manchester City and Chelsea, we finally got some oil in our gear by earning a creditable draw against Liverpool. Then all the drama of the transfer window was laid to rest as Nacho Monreal was signed from Malaga on transfer deadline day after Kieran Gibbs picked up a six weeks injury.

The new lad seemed to settle in quickly as the team earned a deserved win against Stoke and an even more impressive win away to Sunderland after playing most of the second half with 10 men and Bacary Sagna played CB and Aaron Ramsey played RB.

Then we moved onto this week, where it was one of those weeks where the hopes of the season rested on 7 days. Blackburn in the FA cup and Bayern Munich in the Champions League and didn’t we blow that first part in a spectacularly typical Arsenal fashion. It was one of those games where you watch the first 30 mins and one feels like tearing ones hair out at the staunch lackadaisical manner with which they approach the game and when the goal was scored, I be like ‘oh dear, here we go again’

Its funny how we can be having a couple of good games and after just one defeat, the whole world seem to be coming down. Its like we are a defeat away from crisis every time. I had no problem with the team selection on Saturday, and like Arsene said, we had 11 internationals on the pitch, my problem as with many Arsenal fans is with the attitude of the team to matches. Especially the supposed smaller teams. They seem to believe that all they had to do is show up at the Emirates and victory was assured. Remember Bradford?

Am not sorry to say this but Gervinho has proven time and again that he is NOT Arsenal quality and should not be an option even from the bench not to talk of starting for the club while Alex Oxlade Chamberlain needs to prove to the fans that he indeed has what it takes to play for the club. After an impressive debut season, he has found the going really hard this term. Szczesny’s role in the goal scored shows how desperately we need a backup goalkeeper that can really challenge him for the first team spot. He seems to be too relaxed in his job sometimes.

We play Bayern tomorrow in the Champions’ league. Our only remaining hope of any silverware this season. its our last shot, and we just have to go for it. No one expects us to go far or win it but the team just have to quit being sorry for themselves and do this for the fans. If we don’t win the champions’ league, we would have played 32 consecutive competitions since 2005 without winning and no matter which way you look at it, it’s a terrible record for a club like Arsenal.

The Real Romford Pele believes that Arsenal Can win the Champions’ League this season while Jack Wilshere wants the team to emulate the exploits of Chelsea in the competition.

I think that was an inspiration for everyone, They weren’t having a good season and they got a bit lucky in some games but showed great character.

We need to do that now. We need to come together as a team. We’ve got good leaders here. We’ve got a good team atmosphere here and I think that’s going to help us now.

They actually are not alone in this line of thought. I have a friend who vehemently believes that come May 25th, Arsenal would be crowned Champions’ League winners in Wembley. I have tried hard to convince him its mission impossible but the weed he smokes is from Jamaica and he just wont be discouraged. Only God knows how secretly I wish he is right.

Be back on Wednesday for a review of the Bayern game. Follow on twitter @nigeriangunners and I would be glad to follow back. God bless the Arsenal. iree o 

Calling for More Jacks Please!!!!!!!!!!!

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When on Monday morning I got to work and my boss outlined various responsibilities that would keep me busy throughout the week, I threw myself at the work gleefully, I wouldn’t have to join in the post mortem of the Man City game. I was glad. In my free periods, I read some of my regular blogs and the general consensus is that this team is deficient in almost every position on the pitch, bereft of confidence and overall, new and better players should be bought to stem this trend of deterioration that has crept into the club. Some even went as far as renewing their claims for the manager to throw in the towel.

I am yet to join the band wagon though, as I still believe that Arsene IS the right man for the job, after all this is a manager that went through a whole season in the English top flight unbeaten, a feat that is unrivalled in the English game, and the same man that gave the world Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and turned Cesc Fabregas from a from a talented free scoring midfielder to statistically the world most creative midfielder.

But what has happened to him? Why has our most successful manager in history not won anything in 7 seasons? Why have we been progressively retrogressing every year? I many times wonder why everyone can see what is so apparently lacking in the squad and the manager says otherwise. Its perplexingly frustrating. We that we are known worldwide for playing the sleek, passing game that is based on keeping the ball, and literally passing our opponents to submission. Yes we were proud of the way we play our football and that's why many fans have been calling for ‘wanting our Arsenal back’. And truth be told, that Arsenal is not the one that grace the lush green of the Emirates these days.

This Arsenal is timid and lacks belief in its abilities. I have no doubt in my mind that the players in this squad want to do well, but for some reason, they are not playing to their full potentials or maybe what they give is the best that they can give and you can’t give more than you have.

So why does the manager still keep faith with this bunch? I think Arsene Wenger is a victim of his own successes, a slave to his own abilities and to some extent, his own good luck. What do I mean you would ask, and the answer is really simple.

Fans have always called on the manager to splash cash and spend on proven players but a look at Wenger’s spending habits in the past reveal that he has not always spent on players that were considered as world class players. For example, the clubs transfer record is the £15.5million transfer of Andrey Arshavin from Zenit St. Petersburg to Arsenal in 2009 and prior to that was the transfer of Sylvain Wiltord for £13million from Girondis Bordeaux in 2000. But people won’t consider these players as Wenger’s best signings would they? In fact, these 2 players won’t make it into an Arsene Wenger best purchased XI side.  

Arsene Wenger's Best Purchase XI

 Jens Lehman – free transfer from Borussia Dortmund

Ashley Cole – Free Transfer (home grown from the club academy)

Sol Campbell – Free transfer from Tottenham

KoloToure - £150,000 from Asec Mimosas

Bacary Sagna - £9million from AJ Auxerre

Robert Pires - £6million from Marseille

Patrick Viera – £3.5million from AC Milan

Cesc Fabregas – Free Transfer (home grown from the academy)

Freddie Ljungberg –£ 3million from Halmstads BK

Robin van Persie – £3.5million from Feyenoord

Thierry Henry - £11million from Juventus

Total…………………… £36,150,000

Think about it for a second, a manager of Arsene Wenger’s calibre with all his successes, have his best purchased XI totalled at £36million. In fact only Thierry Henry cost more than £10million and four of the 11 players on that list came in for free. If I can notice it, you can bet the man knows it as well and probably the basis for one of his most recorded statements

 I believe spending big has not always been the solution

Wenger’s successes with this method of player transfer in the past have probably stuck with him despite the changing football financial climate. The Emirates Stadium development project can be a ready-made excuse for not spending big but history suggests a deeper reason.

But why has he found it difficult to achieve the same measure of success as with previous squads? This is where I think maybe he has believed too much on his own abilities. When Wenger arrived, he met a core of British players with a touch of Dennis Bergkamp who were established and knew the ins and outs of the English game. Having these Wenger signings play with the old guard quickly made their abilities shine to the fore on the pitch and maintained a high degree of consistency which ultimately resulted in Arsenal’s most successful period in history.

Imagine the kind of on-pitch training a young Thierry Henry would have gotten from a Dennis Bergkamp or that a Cesc Fabregas would have gotten from a Patrick Viera. Subsequently, imagine how much a talent such as Aaron Ramsey would benefit from a Patrick Viera figure or if we would still see Thomas Vermaelen make such rash mistakes like we see him do if there was a Tony Adams figure at the club.

Arsene Wenger can obviously get the best out of his players tactically but not until each player plays to his full potential and for that to happen, I strongly believe that the manager needs to bring in more established players in key positions. Players that would not only deliver class performances every time they step on the pitch but also bring out the best in their team mates, players that know what it means to be  winners and make sure that goes through the squad in the dressing room and on the pitch. What we need are leaders that would stand up and be counted for the team when the chips are down. Just as Jack Wilshere does

Agree or disagree? Join the debate in the comments section or follow me on twitter @nigeriangunners and I would be glad to respond to your comments.

God bless the Arsenal. Iree o

Arsenal vs Man City Preview + Thank you's on an important milestone

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Needs 3 points for confidence

We welcome Man City to the Emirates this weekend in what will be the biggest game of the year so far and the first in a long list of though fixtures this coming month. And as far as team news is concerned, we might be without Olivier Giroud who the manager has declared to be 50/50 for the game while Abou Diaby got 65 minutes of U21 league game during the week after returning from injury since the end of September. While that is good news, I doubt if the manager would rush him back to the first team especially for such a big game but I bet the thought of Theo Walcott playing alone upfront against the likes of Kompany and Lescott would fill Arsene Wenger with so much confidence about his team’s chances in the game.

Its going to be a tough fixture and everyone not least the manager knows it. He says;

“

We know this a vital period for us, We are on a positive run. We still lack a bit of confidence in some situations and I feel our team will be very dangerous if we have full confidence.

We are not far from it but we need another positive result in a big game to be completely confident and believe in our ability to come back.

The team will have to play at optimum performance if we are going to get anything from the game. City have a bad record against us at the Emirates and if there is any good thing we can take into this game, its right there, in fact they havnt scored at Arsenal since 2007. I don’t expect that to play in their heads throughout the match, they have a lot at stake in this one as they might go 10 points behind United if they loose.  

They would be missing midfield marshal Yaya Toure and his brother Kolo due to the upcoming AFCON 2013 while we would be missing Gervinho though I see that as a blessing in disguise. David Silva would have to be watched closely, he has the ability to make something out of nothing, dribble his way out of tight corners or make that killer pass that could split a defence open like the red sea.

Our midfield trio of Wilshere, Arteta and Cazorla would have their hands full and they would be key if we would get anything out of the game. Wilshere and Cazorla have not really formed the partnership we all drooled about at the start of the season but we know what they are both capable of and if they can get their put up their A game on Sunday, we have a chance of walking away with all 3 points.

I woke up with a warm fuzzy feeling this morning despite the cold and dry winds of the harmattarn. Exactly a year ago today, I wrote my first post on this blog, and looking 365 days on, it’s been a wonderful journey. Prior to my first post, I had no writing experience whatsoever and my only ammunition was my love for the Arsenal and it’s been a priceless one. I guess it’s true when they say, do what you love doing and you won’t be working.

It’s been thoroughly engaging and fun at the same time and I have enjoyed doing it every week and miss it every time I was away for one reason or the other. When I started out, I never thought I would reach this milestone and I am thoroughly delighted nonetheless.

I have made many new friends in the past one year, bloggers,readers and generally fans of the Arsenal, I would like to say thank you to you all. To my delectable and gorgeous Architect with whom I first shared the idea of writing a blog back then, I simply cant thank you enough for urging me on.

Thank You

Thank you all for making it worthwhile. Lets get another 365 days rolling. God bless the Arsenal

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