Monthly Archives: January 2012

Transfer News: Eisfeld, Mariappa, Ryo Miyaichi

  By jtom | 31/01/2012 - 7:20 AM | Transfer News
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Arsenal are very close to signing Borussia Dortmund midfielder Thomas Eisfeld. Watford defender Adrian Mariappa also interests the Gunners. Winger Ryo Miyaichi is expected to sign on loan with Bolton for the rest of the season.

We may actually make a signing on deadline day, though you probably have never heard of Thomas Eisfeld. He’s a 19-year old attacking midfielder from Borussia Dortmund. His Wikipedia page was literally created today, and it already lists him as an Arsenal player. Officially, no deal has been completed yet because the Gunners want Eisfeld to pass a rigorous medical first.

Although he has not played for the Dortmund senior side this season, Eisfeld is regarded as a hot prospect. His lack of playing time is largely down to the players in front of him, including young star Mario Gotze. In 12 matches for Dortmund’s Under-19 team, Eisfeld has six goals.

Eisfeld tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 2009, so Arsenal want to be sure that he is fully healed. Stereotypical Arsene Wenger signing: young and injury-prone. At least that’s what the critics will say. Even so, Wenger and his team of scouts have proven to be experts in luring young talent to North London. Eisfeld’s contract with Dortmund runs out at the end of this season, and we will likely have to pay a transfer fee of £400,000.

According to The Sun, Watford defender Adrian Mariappa has impressed the Gunners with his recent performance against Spurs in the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger is ready to make a move for the 25-year old, who has also been linked to Newcastle, Swansea, and Wigan. He’ll cost £2m-to-£4m.

Instead of quickly flaming out like most Arsenal rumours, this particular story has gained steam since the first report was published.

Hailing from Northwest London, Mariappa can play at centre-back or right-back. Unlike Eisfeld, Mariappa has been a consistent starter for his club, albeit most of his appearances have come in the Championship.

Arsene Wenger said in his press conference after the Aston Villa match that he would make a decision on Monday regarding the fate of Ryo Miyaichi. If the Japanese youngster is loaned out, it will definitely be to an English club because Wenger wants Ryo to keep his status as a homegrown player.

Partly due to the emmergence of Oxlade-Chamberlain, and partly due to injury problems, Ryo has not been able to break into Arsene Wenger’s first-team picture. Bolton have been linked with a loan move for Miyaichi for quite some time, but now Fulham have entered the mix. I tend to think that we will send him to Bolton, given Wilshere’s successful loan spell at the Reebok Stadium. Also, Owen Coyle usually has his team play an attractive brand of attacking football.

No major moves seem to be on the cards at the start of deadline day, but, then again, no one expected any big changes. Still, there may be a couple of new faces at London Colney on Tuesday.

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Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa

  By jtom | 30/01/2012 - 6:34 PM | FA Cup, Match Report
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After sleepwalking through the first half, Arsenal scored three goals in less than ten minutes to beat Aston Villa and secure their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Fortune was finally on the side of the Gunners as they rightfully won two penalties and scored another goal on a lucky deflection.

Darren Bent stuck the ball in the net in extra time of the first half, and it appeared that the Emirates Stadium would again be the scene of unrest. And it was, as the Gunners were booed off the pitch as they headed into the tunnel for the break. Arsene Wenger’s side came out with determination to start the second period, and they were awarded with three goals in the space of seven minutes.

The referee made the correct decision on both penalties that went in our favour. For the first one, Dunne foolishly took out Ramsey when it was clear that Given was about to pick the ball up. It probably wasn’t a clear goal-scoring opportunity but definitely a foul. Laurent Koscielny was brought down in the penalty area by Darren Bent for the second penalty, which was also an easy call for the match official. Robin van Persie expertly converted both penalties by picking the opposite side for the second spot-kick.

Despite the celebration that followed, Theo Walcott’s goal, which evened the score at two goals each, had little to do with skill and was very much down to luck. To Theo’s credit, he did drive down the flank to create the chance. Former Spurs defender Alan Hutton attempted a clearance that deflected off Walcott and into the net.

Whenever we win, articles start popping up with titles like, “Arsenal Victory Papers Over the Cracks.” Of course, as evidenced by the first half performance, there are still several major problems. Aston Villa exploited our difficulties defending set pieces by executing a training ground move that set up Richard Dunne for the first goal of the game. Still, all of Arsene Wenger’s talk about the spirit and attitude of squad really shone through on Sunday. When we were down by two, I honestly thought we would go out of the FA Cup with a whimper, and our third consecutive defeat.

Arsene Wenger was proud of the fight in his players: “I was very impressed because I felt that when you come out of a bad period like we are, and you are 2-0 down, you can feel sorry for yourself or you can show you have the mental qualities to play for this club. I was very proud that the team came out and showed they are not ready to lie down.” (Arsenal.com)

After the match, Alex McLeish seemed more worried about Robin van Persie than his side’s epic collapse: “I thought it was an elbow in the face, a clear elbow but the referee didn’t seem to think it was anything. I thought he hit him. I thought he put an elbow towards his face. He is not a guy to lie down and would get up quickly.

“Would I like them [The FA] to look at it – if it was an elbow in the face – then yes. It is dangerous and I don’t like to point fingers at players but it has happened to me enough times. I never mentioned it to the referee. I saw it in real time and it looked like a gesture.” (Source: The Telegraph)

McLeish is right in that it was a clear elbow to the face of Carlos Cuellar, but only van Persie knows if there was any intent behind it. In my opinion, it looked like an intentional elbow, and the Dutchman was lucky that he was not punished by the referee. However, if Lescott was not given a suspension for his elbow incident against Spurs (which was far worse), then Robin should not be touched by the FA.

Even if McLeish’s complaint is well-justified, it is not an excuse to let a two-goal advantage slip. Being the defensive guru people claim him to be, he should be very upset about Villa’s shambolic attempt at defending in the second half. Only when Barry Bannan came on late in the game did Villa impose even the slightest bit of threat to Fabianski’s goal. We rose to the occasion in the second half, while Alex McLeish’s side fell from grace.

Most importantly, we are in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Our opponents will be either Sunderland or Middlesbrough away, depending on who wins the fourth round replay at the Riverside Stadium. Not the most difficult draw for us, but certainly one that needs not to be overlooked.

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Match Preview: Arsenal v Aston Villa

  By jtom | 29/01/2012 - 8:15 AM | FA Cup, Match Preview
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Arsene Wenger and Arsenal will look to quiet the critics against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The Gunners must take the FA Cup very seriously, as it looks to be their only realistic chance at silverware this season.

Wenger’s job may be made easier by a host of returning faces. Thierry Henry, Bacary Sagna, and Mikel Arteta were all scheduled for fitness tests on Saturday, and all could feature on Sunday. One who is definitely back from injury is midfielder/full-back Francis Coquelin.

The return of Sagna is huge. The French right-back is one of the best wide defenders in the league because he has the ability to lock down even the most talented wingers. Before suffering a leg fracture at White Hare Lane, Sagna virtually took Gareth Bale out of the match. Surely, if Sagna had been present last week, Nani and Giggs wouldn’t have caused so much havoc down the right side.

Arteta was sorely missed in the defeats to Swansea and Blackburn. The Spanish midfielder directs the attack and keeps possession. Perhaps it would be a good idea for Mikel to teach Aaron Ramsey some of the finer points of the passing game. Because of the injuries to Wilshere and Diaby, Ramsey has been forced to play too many minutes, but he still needs to improve his performances.

Arsene Wenger said in his pre-match interview that he “doesn’t think” he will rest his top players, namely Robin van Persie. Taking into account all of the players that are out, Wenger really doesn’t have much choice. We do have to play Bolton away on Wednesday, but there is no way we can afford to start a reserve side against Alex McLeish’s team.

Starting the reserves would put many already annoyed Gooners into a dramatically worse mood. The atmosphere at Ashburton Grove on Sunday may quickly turn poisonous if the Gunners struggle.

On Friday, Wenger told the media that the team need to give the supporters something to cheer about: “I always believe the fans’ reaction depends on us. It is the team that has to get the fans behind them, and the fans have to be proud of the team. The vibes have to come from us.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Alex McLeish is a manager who certainly knows how to stop Arsenal. Pile men behind the ball. Go in for hard tackles. Get the ball in the air. While his success against us came when he was at Birmingham City, McLeish said that Aston Villa are not afraid of the Gunners:

“I don’t see why we should be fearing Arsenal. I am sure the lads will remember what they have done at the Emirates before. Statistics don’t determine the outcome of this latest encounter but it does offer the players evidence they can do it against the best of the Arsenal teams.

“There is a good bit of confidence going into this next game. It’s the FA Cup, we are away, the pressure will be more on the home team Arsenal to win. I’m sure they are under pressure with the fact they’ve lost two or three games. You rarely see the top clubs losing four in a row.” (Source: The Press Association)

Given our recent results, no Premier League club should fear facing Arsene Wenger’s side. Villa have only lost one match in January, while we have been defeated three times. Last week, they beat Wolves 3-2 with two goals from Robbie Keane, who was making his Villa debut.

Interestingly, our chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has suggested that introducing a safe standing area at the Emirates would benefit supporters. If the Premier League allows it, Villa will add a safe standing zone at Villa Park in the coming years. Gazidis told the Daily Star:

“It is something that I find attractive because it gives a certain group of fans who like to stand another way to be in our stadium.” My opinion is that terraces should be installed at the Emirates in order to help the atmosphere and allow for the purchase of low-priced tickets.

A victory over an Alex McLeish-managed side is alway more special. Hopefully, the Gunners will be able to achieve that feat while also advancing to the Fifth Round of the Cup. With both Manchester clubs already eliminated, there could be a relatively painless path to Wembley. Of course it’s too early to talk about a final, but, with the situation so dire at the moment, that’s what it’s come to.

Match: Arsenal v Aston Villa

Location: Emirates Stadium

Kickoff: 16:00 GMT, 11:00am EST

Television: ESPN (UK), Fox Soccer (USA)

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Jack Wilshere suffers injury setback

  By jtom | 28/01/2012 - 8:32 AM | Injury News, Jack Wilshere
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Wilshere will be spending more time at the new medical center.

Jack Wilshere could miss the rest of the Arsenal season and Euro 2012 due to a setback in his recovery from an injured ankle. Arsene Wenger described Wilshere’s mood as “gutted.”

On Friday, the Arsenal manager revealed the disappointing news about the 19-year-old English midfielder:

“He has had a little setback that is under investigation at the moment so I cannot give you how long he will be out for. At the moment he is seeing a specialist and as soon as we know more we will communicate. It sets him back a little bit but for how long I don’t know.  It is the same foot but a different problem to the injury he had surgery on back in September. But is it an inflammation? We have to wait a little bit.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Apparently, Wilshere damaged the already tender ankle in training this week. While the seriousness of the setback is not yet known, Wenger said Jack will not return until March at the earliest: “It’s impossible [for him] to play at the end of February. Even if we have some good news, I would say that’s impossible. From day one, when you are completely fit to practice again, to be match fit you count at least six weeks. [He is] gutted.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Wilshere confirmed the news via Twitter:  ”It is true I have had a setback I can’t tell you how long I have been set back because I don’t know! I am very annoyed but will stay strong.”

Completely devastating. Many supporters have been pinning our chance of finishing in the top four on Wilshere, but it now appears that the versatile midfield man will not be available for quite a long time. Just last week, everyone was expecting Jack’s return to come sooner rather than later. Now, it is not certain whether Wilshere will even contribute to our 125th season at all.

Since the pre-season, Jack has been marred by a series of setbacks to that maligned ankle. In August, it was expected that the problem would only keep him out for the final pre-season match or, at worst, the first couple games of the season. Then, in September, Arsenal announced that Wilshere had surgery on the ankle and would miss “four to five months.” After a terrific breakthrough campaign last year, it seems Wilshere’s second season as a prominent Gunner will be ruined by injury.

In light of the situation, Arsene Wenger may need to sign a midfielder before the end of the transfer window. If one of the current midfield three (Song, Arteta, Ramsey) is forced to miss significant time, we could face real problems. Just the absence of Arteta in the last two matches has had a clear negative effect on the team. Benayoun and Rosicky are really nothing players in my mind because they usually contribute next-to-nothing and neither is all that concerned with tracking back. Both will have their moments, and Benayoun works hard, but surely neither player can hold up as a solid starter.

Coquelin, who is currently injured, has displayed grit and determination in the midfield. He may be able to fill a role if needed, but his experience is an issue. It is a shame that Frimpong had to be sent on loan because he could definitely help the squad at the moment. Since moving to Wolves, he has proven to be an extremely influential player for Mick McCarthy’s side. Sadly, Frimpong was kicked in the face against Villa and sustained a brutal eye injury. Even though he is in Wolverhampton, Frimpong still has Arsenal DNA.

Perhaps Wenger will make a move in the waning days of January to acquire a midfielder. The dilemma will be finding a quality player by Tuesday, which is a tough task considering the lack of good footballers usually available in the winter window. My prediction is that transfer deadline day will be a quiet one for Gooners, though there always is a chance…

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Camilla, Walcott promote reading; Redknapp can’t write

  By jtom | 27/01/2012 - 7:40 AM | Uncategorized
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Ironically, the Duchess of Cornwall visited the Emirates Stadium to promote literacy in children with Theo Walcott on Thursday, while Harry Redknapp told the court he “couldn’t even fill in a teamsheet” because he doesn’t know how to write.

Theo Walcott and Camilla partnered up to encourage reading in schoolchildren. The pair held a meeting at Ashburton Grove with children and talked about the importance of reading at a young age. While many Gooners call Theo clueless, he is actually the author of four childrens’ books. We’re still waiting on the book about advanced football tactics and positioning.

At the event, Walcott said: “I love working with children. I think it is important for kids to read. For a lot of kids, we are role models to them, so anything I can do to encourage that, which hopefully my kids’ books have anyway, anything I can do to help them out.” (Source: The Press Association)

Instead of helping children, Theo and Camilla may need to teach a 64-year old man the basics of writing. Of course, Harry Redknapp is not a disadvantaged or mentally ill (debatable). The manager of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is currently on trail for tax evasion. In court on Thursday, he said:

”I can’t work a computer, I don’t know what an email is, I can’t, I have never sent a fax and I’ve never even sent a text message. I have a big problem, I can’t write so I don’t keep anything. I am the most disorganised person, I am ashamed to say, in the world. You talk to anybody at the football club. I don’t write. I couldn’t even fill a team sheet in.”

”I pay a fortune to my accountant to look after me you know. He writes all the cheques for me and my wife. He pays my bills. He runs my life basically.” (Source: ESPN)

Redknapp is trying to get out of trouble by claiming stupidity, which could resonate with the jury given his obvious lack of intelligence. In fact, Redknapp’s dog has even taken advantage of the Spurs manager by running off to Monaco to set up a bank account. One wonders how (or if) ‘Arry even ties his own shoelaces.

In reality, this is a sad story of discrimination. According to Redknapp himself, he has only been charged because of his name and Cockney accent.  Nothing to do with corrupt transfers or foreign tax-free bank accounts holding large amounts of cash in a dog’s name.

Isn’t it odd that our French manager has a much better understanding of the English language than Redknapp? Many in the press have called Redknapp a genius for what he has accomplished at Spurs this season while calling Wenger delusional. The man with a master’s degree in Economics and another degree in Engineering, who also speaks six languages, is the fool while the man who cannot write is the mastermind.

Spending loads of cash has been key to Redknapp’s relative success as a manager, but it may also be his downfall. If nothing else, this recent fiasco will keep him out of the England job. Hopefully, he will leave Spurs in ruin when he leaves White Hart Lane just like he did when he left Portsmouth and Southampton.

If the Duchess and Walcott are looking to further their charity work, they may want to venture down to White Hart Lane to help a future convict learn to write. The children can wait because Redknapp is growing old and heading to prison. If he is to ever learn to write, it has to happen now. Perhaps someday, if all goes well for ‘Arry, he can further his education by receiving an advanced macroeconomics course taught by Arsene Wenger.

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Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United: Sub sinks Gunners

  By jtom | 23/01/2012 - 7:40 AM | Match Report, Premier League
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Arsene Wenger’s decision to take off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in favour of Andrey Arshavin was met by loud boos at the Emirates Stadium, and it soon became clear why. After Antonio Valencia eased past the Little Russian, Danny Welbeck scored the winner for Manchester United.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had been by far our best player in the game when the manager decided to yank him. The 18-year old, in his Premier League debut, set up Robin van Persie’s equaliser. To make matters worse, the man chosen to take the place of the Ox was Arshavin, who has been dreadful this season. Perhaps unfairly, the introduction of the little Russian was met with a chorus of boos.

Interestingly, the television cameras also caught captain Robin van Persie desperately protesting the substitution. It was as if the entire world, except Wenger himself, knew that the change would result in disaster for the Gunners.

Several minutes later, with the score still at 1-1, Valencia maneuvered around a helpless outstretched Andrey Arshavin. After playing a one-two with Park, Valencia passed the ball across to Welbeck, who hammered home United’s second goal.  In the end, the supporters felt vindicated for their decision to jeer the now infamous substitution, and the manager was left looking like a fool.

Still, the poisonous atmosphere at Ashburton Grove cannot be good for the team. As I did not attend the match, I’m in no position to judge the Gooners who were at the match. If they want to boo and whistle, then they should certainly be allowed to do so. Of course, we should all expect the press and other people outside the club to attack the behaviour of the supporters, who happen to pay the highest season ticket prices in Europe.

After the game, Wenger explained the substitution: “I can understand that the fans are upset about the substitution, especially when it doesn’t work, but I made the right decision at the start of the game [in starting Oxlade-Chamberlain]. He had started fatigue, stretched his calf and he was sick in the week.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Part of me wonders whether Wenger was simply making up excuses in the post-match press conference to try to disguise the fact that he made a horrible decision. On the other hand, Chamberlain has not played in quite a long time, so possibly he was tiring as the game wore on.

Wenger became defiant after the press pushed him harder about the decision to make the substitution:  ”Arshavin is captain of the Russia national team. I have to justify [substituting] a guy of 18 who’s playing his second or third game? Let’s be serious. I have to stand up for the substitutions I made. I’ve been 30 years in this job and have made 50,000 substitutions and I have to justify every time I make a decision? I do not have to explain to you every single decision I make.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Clearly, Arsene has problems admitting that he was wrong. As for Arshavin, hopefully, and I say this every week now, he never pulls on an Arsenal shirt again. If no clubs are interesting in buying him or he won’t accept a transfer due to his high wages, then Wenger should just let him rot in the reserves.

To his credit, Wenger did make two very astute personnel moves on Sunday. First, he started Oxlade-Chamberlain, which was unexpected considering the 18-year old winger has played very few minutes in the league this season. Second, Wenger took out Johan Djourou at half-time and inserted Nico Yennaris at right-back. Nani was beating Djourou on the wing time after time in the first period, and Yennaris did a decent job in the second half.

However, only one infuriating substitution has been burned into the minds of Gooners. Years from now, we may look upon the match on Sunday as a turning point. Not because of the result, but because of some of the fans’ willingness to turn their back on the manager. As more and more disappointing results pile up, it appears that more people are jumping on the anti-Wenger wagon. Sunday might have been the day that many Arsenal supporters said, “Enough is enough!”

While I understand the anti-Wenger sentiment, it is not time for Arsene to leave North London. What I see is a very weak squad beset by injuries. Possibly, the squad is thin as a result of Wenger’s stubborn hatred of the transfer market. Or maybe the board is restraining him. Either way, Wenger confirmed that no more spending will be done in this transfer window:

“Spending the money is not the target, to buy good players is the target. We need our players back. People are not conscious that we miss 10 players. When you see what we created in the second half without [those injured] players, it is important to get the players back.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

It may get worse before it gets better.

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Match Preview: Arsenal v Manchester United

  By jtom | 22/01/2012 - 8:15 AM | Match Preview, Premier League
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Emirates Stadium
Arsenal must do better against Man U in front of their home fans.

The Gunners will want to avenge the 8-2 loss at Old Trafford by beating Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but Arsenal’s depleted defence will not make victory any easier this time around.

As always, Arsene Wenger’s injury list is long. Mikel Arteta, who is suffering from a calf problem, will not play against the Red Devils, and Thomas Vermaelen is very unlikely to make an appearance. On Friday, Wenger said that Thierry Henry’s participation would be determined by a fitness test on his injured calf on Saturday.

The Gunners are very short on defenders, especially full-backs. Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, Andre Santos, and Francis Coquelin will be absent from the match on Sunday. The managers said he would review his options after the game against United, but the worry is that Ferguson’s men could reap huge benefits from our lack of experience at the back.

Manchester United will also be missing a few key players. Striker Danny Welbeck’s availability is in doubt, while Anderson, Tom Cleverly, Ashley Young, Nemanja Vidic, and Darren Fletcher will definitely sit out the match. Rio Ferdinand’s involvement is yet to be determined, but, from what I’ve seen, he is on the decline anyway. Usually serving as nothing more than a door-stop at Old Trafford, Michael Owen will play no part in the match. He also has a thigh injury.

Despite all of the talk from both managers, the Gunners will surely be out for revenge after the thrashing that took place in Manchester earlier in the season. The embarrassement that ensued from that humiliating experience has been close to unbearable for many Gooners. We want to put the 8-2 wordplay jokes to bed with a victory at the Emirates.

Robin van Persie made it clear that the Gunners are seeking to settle the score with the Red Devils: “What happened against Manchester United at Old Trafford is a motivation, for sure. I’d never lost a match 8-2 before so I’m hungry to put that right, as is the entire team.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Of course, much has changed since the collapse at Old Trafford. Manchester United, who looked unstoppable in August and September, have been humbled. Arsenal went on to regain form but the scars still remain. Several of United’s stars have fallen to injury, which has caused their robust attack to cool a bit. Meanwhile, the Gunners back four looked as weak as ever against Swansea last week.

Robin van Persie has emerged as the top goalscorer in the Premier League, and Sir Alex Ferguson believes that his team needs to hold the Dutchman:

“It has become a case of stop Van Persie and you stop Arsenal. His form has been fantastic this season and his goal record speaks for itself. I hope he doesn’t add to it this weekend.” (Source: The Guardian)

If van Persie goes up against the young centre-back pairing of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling (which is entirely possible), he may be able to have his way. Jones loves to get forward, which should provide extra space in behind for the Dutchman. However, if Jones and Smalling start, Walcott and the other Arsenal winger (whoever that may be) will have trouble using their pace. If Ferdinand plays, Theo will certainly be more effective, although possibly at the expense of van Persie, who would likely be closely marked by the English centre-half.

One similarity between the two clubs is that both have recently signed a former legend. Henry made his triumphant return against Leeds, while Paul Scholes found the back of the net last week against Bolton. Speaking about Scholes, Henry said that Arsenal sides of the past were “always scared” of the midfielder because he can “kill you.” Although Thierry mentioned the Manchester United man’s skill and vision, Scholes’ method of choice happens to be thrusting the studs of his boot into the leg of an opposing player.

As much as Henry fears Scholes, I fear more the outcome of the match on Sunday. With the exception of Laurent Koscielny, our defenders are no stronger than they were in August, as evidenced by the defeats at Swansea and Fulham. However, Manchester United are decidedly weaker in every way than they were at the start of the season. Still, after all the progress Arsene Wenger’s team has made since the demolition at Old Trafford, Arsenal’s form has reverted back to unspeakable lows in recent weeks. Unfortunately, I can not envision anything other than a Manchester United win, though I desperately hope my prediction is wrong.

Match: Arsenal v Manchester United

Location: Emirates Stadium

Kickoff: 16:00 GMT, 11:00 AM EST

Television: Sky Sports 1 (UK), Fox (USA)

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Wenger: No Champions League would be disaster for Arsenal

  By jtom | 21/01/2012 - 8:00 AM | Arsene Wenger, Champions League
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On Friday, Arsene Wenger said that it would be a disaster if his side finished outside of the top four this season. Earlier in the week, chairman Peter Hill-Wood said it wouldn’t be a disaster if the Gunners miss out on the Champions League.

At his pre-Man United press conference, Arsene Wenger was asked whether finishing out of the top four would be a disaster: “For me it would be [a disaster] because I want to play with the best. We want to be in there, in the top four, and to play in the Champions League. Anything else would not be good enough.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Contrast those comments to what Hill-Wood told the Daily Star a couple of days ago: “From a financial point of view, not qualifying for the Champions League is quite a blow. We have been planning for not qualifying every year, so it is not a disaster, but it would be nice if we could.”

The manager seems to have much more ambition than the the chairman who represents the board of directors. With the lack of squad investment in recent years, it would be silly to believe that Arsenal’s entire self-sustaining financial model would come crumbling down just because of the extra cash generated by participation in the Champions League. If we do finish outside the top four, the football side of the club will feel much more of a negative impact than the financial side.

Robin van Persie could be the first to depart if we drop out of the top four. At 28, van Persie is in the prime of his career, so he may not have the patience to wait for Arsenal to rebuild themselves back into a Champions League side. However, the Dutchman may feel some loyalty to Arsene Wenger, who brought the striker to the club at a young age and named him captain at the beginning of this season. Though, based on recent history, these factors alone are not enough to keep a player in North London (see: Cesc).

Apart from van Persie, there are not many other players who would interest Champions League clubs. Some of the current players should count their lucky stars that they are playing for Arsenal because they are already punching above their weight. Surely, Sebastien Squillaci, Andrei Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh, Tomas Rosicky, Johan Djourou, Ju Young Park, and Manuel Almunia wouldn’t interest any top European clubs, especially considering their wages.

The real problem would be luring top-quality players to the Emirates. Liverpool and Spurs have been able to sign a few good footballers in recent year, but neither club insists on running a transfer surplus every season. If we do fall out of the Champions League, there will need to be dramatic changes to our transfer policy. Namely, we will need stop selling our best players without replacing them with similar quality players. In fact, we may even be forced to improve the squad in order to fight our way back into the Champions League positions.

In order to avoid the disaster or non-disaster, depending on your viewpoint, Arsenal will need to avoid a third consecutive league defeat on Sunday against Manchester United, or Wenger’s disaster may become inevitable.

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Injury news: Wilshere, Henry, Vermaelen

  By jtom | 19/01/2012 - 7:30 AM | Uncategorized
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Wilshere could return much sooner than previously thought.

Jack Wilshere has amazed doctors with his quick recovery, which could see him back on the pitch in two weeks. Thierry Henry may miss the chance to face Manchester United due to a calf injury, while Thomas Vermaelen will likely make his return in the big clash on Sunday.

According to The Guardian, Wilshere will start full training next week. The English midfielder has not played yet this season because of an ankle fracture. Arsene Wenger has repeatedly stated in press conferences that the target date for Wilshere’s return was mid-February, but now Jack could play in the Bolton match at the earliest. The goal for Wilshere is to be completely ready for the first leg against AC Milan in the Champions League Round of 16.

Arsene Wenger may not sign any more players in January, but Jack Wilshere could certainly serve as the ’new signing.’ His return will definitely boost the team in a number of ways, not least of which on the pitch. It would be foolish to believe that the 19-year old will be able to single-handedly drag us back in the top four, but Wilshere can aide the overworked midfield trio of Song, Ramsey, and Arteta.

According to The Telegraph, Thierry Henry suffered a calf injury in training on Tuesday which could keep him out of game against Manchester United on Sunday. Arsene Wenger had planned to start the Gunners’ all-time top goalscorer, but the manager will now have to wait for medical staff to scan Henry’s leg.

The worst part of this story is that Andrei Arshavin could end up starting against United. Surely Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be a better option, but Wenger seems to have taken up a policy of easing the English winger into the first-team squad. If Arshavin does start, it will be a fantastic opportunity for the little Russian to show his manager, fans, and critics that he can still perform highly for the Gunners. This chance could be his last.

According to the London Evening Standard, Thomas Vermaelen is on track to play against Manchester United. The Belgian centre-back last featured in the 1-0 win against QPR and has been out with a calf problem ever since. Also, Mikel Arteta, who missed the match against Swansea due to a muscle strain, may also be fit to face United at the Emirates Stadium.

The defence has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks, so the return of a defender is always a positive sign. With five full-backs still sidelined, Vermaelen will likely slide in at left-back, which is a position that appears to be cursed. Regular left-back Keiran Gibbs has had constant injury problems. His replacement, Andre Santos, is out long-term with ligament damage. Vermaelen replaced Santos on the left before succumbing to an injury himself. Midfielder Francis Coquelin was brought in to fill the position, and then he hurt his hamstring. Young centre-back Ignasi Miquel played left-back in South Wales and was exposed on numerous occasions, which was to be anticipated considering his unfamiliarity with the position and his age (19).

Unfortunately, Vermaelen will be forced into the left-back spot even though he is clearly our best central defender. If Wenger had the full squad available, the ideal centre-back pairing would be Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny. However, the return of the Belgian should at least improve the positional sense along the backline.

Arteta was sorely missed when the Gunners fell 3-2 to Swansea. Arsenal had trouble keeping the ball away from the swarming Swans, and Arteta is very adept at protecting possession. His veteran presence in the centre of the park would have settled a very unorganised midfield. Hopefully, he will be available to face the Red Devils.

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Hill-Wood comments + Wenger evaluation

  By jtom | 18/01/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger
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Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood said that it would not be a disaster if the Gunners fail to finish in the top four this season and miss out on the Champions League. Meanwhile, the British press and some supporters are wrongly calling for Arsene Wenger to be sacked.

Hill-Wood has been known to anger many Gooners, including myself, with his comments to the press. On Tuesday, he told the Daily Star:

“From a financial point of view, not qualifying for the Champions League is quite a blow. We have been planning for not qualifying every year, so it is not a disaster, but it would be nice if we could.”

The lack of urgency from the board is astounding. Of course, Arsenal should be able to stay afloat financially without the Champions League money, but, from a footballing stance, not qualifying for the Champions League could have very detrimental repercussions. Arsene Wenger would have trouble luring quality players to North London and keeping the current stars at the club.

Hill-Wood’s words almost sound like the board have been expecting the team not to finish in the top four. Considering the amount of cash spend in recent years, possibly the “plan” is to count on Wenger working miracles year after year. Qualifying for the Champions League consistently has been the manager’s great accomplishment since the move from Highbury.

While many Gooners, myself included, ask for more than just simply qualifying for the European Cup, Wenger’s success in this area cannot go unrecognised. He has had to deal with selling some of his best players and not investing the fees paid for those players back into the squad. Instead, our manager has scouted the globe to find little-known gems in the dust. Whether the board are limiting Wenger’s spending power or the manager is not spending due to his own philosophy matter’s little when considering the club’s performances on the pitch. Simply put, Arsene gets the best out of his players, and, because of that, he is one of the best managers in the world.

After throwing money around for years and after seasons of underachieving, Spurs are finally having some success, which is unfortunate timing considering the state of our club. Manchester City and Chelsea have jumped ahead of us only because of their massive spending over the last several years. It would be unrealistic to ask our club to spend as much as them, and, even then, many supporters would not like Arsenal to become the new club participating in what Wenger calls “financial doping.” Liverpool continue to throw money at overpriced English players in an effort to return to Europe’s premier club competition, yet they still haven’t overtaken us.

We should ignore the silly articles currently running in the papers, such as two stories in The Sun which were published on Wednesday. The first is a great example of lazy journalism. Six sentences reporting that Arsene Wenger will not buy any additional players in this transfer window. Of course, there are no sources, but what do you expect from The Sun?

The second piece is a bit more expansive, but still lacks substance. The column basically calls for Wenger’s head while suggesting replacements such as Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers and Norwich manager Paul Lambert. Perhaps these two managers will someday be good choices but neither are in Arsene Wenger’s class. Remember when many in the press were anointing Owen Coyle as the successor to Wenger? It is laughable now. Until they have extended success in the Premier League, Rodgers and Lambert could very well be in Coyle’s position a year from today.

Judging by the number of comments below each story, it is easy to see why the press choose to publish these absurd hit pieces. The articles are controversial and, because they cover “Arsenal crisis”, garner a lot of attention, both from Gooners and supporters from other top clubs. If only the media was not so sensationalist…

By no means is Arsene Wenger perfect, but he is one of the best managers in world football. He has deficiencies, but not many could do any better than he has done, especially considering the relatively low amount of money spent on transfers in recent years. He has an immense amount of loyalty to Arsenal, and it would be a shame if we turn our backs on him now.

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