Monthly Archives: February 2012

Arsenal announce profit of £49.5 million

  By jtom | 28/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | Uncategorized
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Arsenal Football Club announced their half-yearly financial results on Monday. The overall before-tax profit for the six months up to the end of November was £49.5 million, which is much more than the Gunners earned during the same period last season.

The most important information regarding the financial side of the club was posted on Arsenal’s official website on Monday. In the same six-month span last year, Arsenal’s total before-tax profit amounted to a loss of £6.1m, while this year the figure came to a profit of £49.5m. That dramatic increase was caused by a number of factors.

Last season, there was a loss of £5.9m in the player trading sector. The profit from player trading this year was an astounding £46.1m. The turnover from football rose from £97.6m in 2010 to £113.5m in 2011 due to more home matches and increased commercial income streams. Many Arsenal supporters have spoken about our massive cash reserves. The amount currently in the vault is £115.2m, which is up from £110.4m.

Cheif executive Ivan Gazidis addressed concerns over whether Champions League qualification will be necessary in order to spend money in the summer:

“We cannot gear our entire financial model around that [Champions League] expectation because that would place the club in jeopardy if we did not qualify. So we have always got to keep something in reserve. I can assure fans that we would be able to be resilient and reinvest in the squad if things didn’t go our way so that we get back into the competition in the following year.” (Source: The Telegraph)

He also believes that we will have no trouble attracting new players if we finish outside of the top four: ”In terms of players selecting clubs based on the Champions League, I think there are very few clubs in the world you would go to ahead of Arsenal in terms of consistently being there. So I do not believe it affects our ability to attract top players and in fact, our Champions League record is a fantastic advertisement for this Club and a reason to come here.” (Arsenal.com)

Furthermore, Gazidis said about the recent criticisms of the club: “Well, we hear the noise and we understand the concerns of the fans. We know there are issues and we know we are not where we want to be. But I can tell you that the manager and the players are absolutely united behind what we have to do before the end of the season, which is to finish in the top four. That is not out of our hands in fact it is very much in our hands. We have had unbelievable support from our travelling fans – they have been to Sunderland and Milan just last week. Our supporters have put aside the questions, put aside the doubts and put aside the differences of opinion and got behind the team. If that can happen between now and the end of the season, I know that we can achieve Champions League qualification for next year, we can rebuild and regroup in the summer and come back strong next year.” (Source:

Some were expecting a massive outcry from Arsenal supporters when the financial results were released, but I’ve not heard too much. Perhaps the victory over Tottenham on Sunday has kept the mood of most fans positive. Even so, there is not much to be mad about.

As we have seen with Rangers and Portsmouth, a club spending beyond their means is putting itself at danger. Just because we have been a top Premiership side for quite a long time does not mean that we are immune from such a financial disaster. In fact, Chelsea and Manchester City could be in the same position as Rangers ten years from now.

While the press mocks our club for our self-sustaining financial model, they speak about the situations at Rangers and Portsmouth as tragedies. All of the misfortunes of both clubs were brought upon themselves by poor management. Sure, it is sad for the supporters, but the whole situation could have been avoided had they adopted a system similar to ours. More clubs will face the same fate as Rangers and Portsmouth unless football clubs across England and Europe attempt to solve the debt problem. It is a question that many countries in the European Union are facing and, sooner or later, football clubs will need to take on the same issue.

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Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham: Gunners crush Spurs

  By jtom | 27/02/2012 - 7:50 AM | Match Report, Premier League
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After Tottenham scored the first two goals of the match, Arsenal came roaring back to destroy their North London rivals. Arsene Wenger said that his side’s performance was “perfect.”

The press were ready to pronounce the Arsenal dead following Emmanuel Adebayor’s strike from the penalty spot that put Spurs up by two. Then, rather miraculously, the Gunners opened their collective eyes and stormed the pitch. They overwhelmed Harry Redknapp’s side all over the park, but especially in the midfield, where Tomas Rosicky, Yossi Benayoun, and others put an immense amount of pressure on the Tottenham players.

While Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie will be pictured in the Monday morning papers, Rosicky was the man of the match. The Little Mozart conducted Arsenal’s attack as well as any of the directors nominated at the Academy Awards managed their films . Not only did Rosicky play several fantastic passes, he was working and running about for the entire ninety minutes. Spurs could not have expected such little time on the ball after watching our two previous matches.

If Rosicky deserved the prize for best directing, Gareth Bale deserved the Oscar for best actor. Bale again displayed his incredible ability to flop and fabricate when he tumbled to the ground in the 32nd minute. Unfortunately, referee Mike Dean was fooled and pointed to the penalty spot and Adebayor took care of business.

Still, even after that bit of injustice, Arsene Wenger’s men did not quit. The Gunners showed the fight and fire that they had lacked against Milan and Sunderland. Clearly, the players understood the importance of the North London derby and the increased significance of this North London derby. The effects of a loss would have been very detrimental for the supporters, manager, and confidence of the squad.

More surprising than Arsenal’s comeback was Theo Walcott’s contribution to the turnaround. He was completely silent in the first half, which was not astonishing considering his recent form. Arsene Wenger boldly decided to leave him on for the second period even after Theo received heavy criticism from some supporters. Two goals later and Theo became one of the primary heroes in this chapter of the North London derby.

Regarding Walcott, Arsene Wenger said after the match: “The crowd was starting to get on his back and you wonder if [it won’t] do him a favour by leaving him on. But I felt that he has the qualities that, considering the rest of the team, are highly needed. He is a player who can be straight and go behind the defenders – nobody else is like that. He is a very direct player, he can sometimes miss a first touch but considering the balance of the team I thought it was important to keep him in the side.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Another protagonist was the captain Robin van Persie, who issued a call to action before the game. The other players may have responded to van Persie’s words by exhibiting so much urgency. And of course the Dutchman was brilliant. His equaliser was the goal of the match- an exquisite curler. Late in the game, Robin danced around a few Tottenham clowns, which drew loud cheers from the crowd.

The individual stars were many, but the overall performance was extraordinary. Arsene Wenger reflected after the match:

“Arsenal are alive more than anybody thought before the game. Today we gave a performance that on the spirit side, the technical side, the drive of the whole team, on the style of the game we want to play everything was perfect despite a very bad start.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

Our great display forced the man anointed by the British press as the next England manager to panic. ‘Arry Redknapp made two substitutions at half-time when the score was 2-2, and then we went on to put three past Brad Friedel in second half. Expect the media’s golden boy to fall under far less criticism than Arsene Wenger would in a similar situation.

With the victory, we have cut Tottenham’s point advantage over us from ten to seven- a manageable amount. Arsene Wenger believes it’s possible that the Gunners could catch Spurs before the season expires: “It is still possible. I felt even before the game that it was possible if we keep our consistency. Everyone in the Premier League can lose points. They have a difficult schedule, and we have a difficult schedule, but if we continue to play like that, why not?” (Source: Arsenal.com)

At the moment, we are ahead of Chelsea for fourth but just barely. Chelsea’s point total and goal differential is the same as ours, but we have scored more goals. Another difficult tests presents itself in the next match against Liverpool, but for now, let’s just bask in the glory of this wonderful 5-2 win.

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Arsenal v Tottenham: The big match

  By jtom | 26/02/2012 - 7:42 AM | Match Preview, Premier League
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Sunday’s North London derby may be Arsene Wenger’s most important in his 15 years at Arsenal. The Gunners will either bounce back from two terrible performances or slide further towards total disaster. No pressure.

As always with our club, there are multiple injury updates to catch up with before a match. On Friday, Arsene Wenger said that both Kieran Gibbs and Laurent Koscielny face late fitness tests to determine their availability. Aaron Ramsey, Francis Coquelin, and Sebastien Squillaci are definitely out after all suffered injuries at the Stadium of Light last week.

The captain has sent out a rallying cry ahead of the derby. Robin van Persie wrote a piece that will appear in The Sun on Sunday morning. In the article, van Persie stressed the need for the players to make it up to the fans for all of the recent disappointments. He also dispelled any rumours about his future by making it clear that he is fully focused on Arsenal.

With all of the talk about leadership, perhaps the Dutchman is a true leader. He’s not English and he’s a striker, so the pundits almost immediately discount his abilities as a skipper. A worry that has been expressed by some Arsenal supporters is that the current crop of players do not grasp the importance of the game against Spurs, but, judging by his article, van Persie clearly understands that the clash on Sunday is vital for several reasons, including pride, form, league position, and etc.

But van Persie is not the one I’m worrying about; He’ll be fine. It’s the others I’m fretting over.

The back four was ripped to shreds by AC Milan and made to look foolish by Sunderland. Lee Dixon made several interesting points regarding the current state of our defence on the Arseblog podcast on Friday. He basically said that our defenders are talented but lack the teamwork and organisation to perform as a unit. While supporters only see what happens on match-day, Dixon believes the most important work in done in training during the week.

The former Arsenal left-back also said that chemistry between defenders takes a long time to develop. Unfortunately, based on the last two matches, our back four has little organisation. It won’t magically appear on Sunday, but hopefully some of the defenders have learned valuable lessons in recent weeks and will put their new-found knowledge to use.

The midfield needs to do a better job of helping out the back four. Mikel Arteta, Alex Song, and the third man in the centre-midfield trio (probably Rosicky) have to limit the cheap methods of giving away the ball. Tottenham are a quick counter-attacking side, so there will be no room for error. When it comes to stray passes, Ramsey is usually the worst offender, but no one in our midfield is completely innocent of this charge.

Our front three also have plenty of issues. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is almost an automatic selection at this point because Theo Walcott has been so poor. Gervinho did not show much last week against Sunderland, but that was his first appearance since his return from the African Cup of Nations. If I were the manager, Ox and Gervinho would be in the starting eleven, with Walcott on the bench.

Despite the heavy amount of the criticism towards the players, Arsene Wenger will be under the most pressure on Sunday- the most pressure he has ever had to endure. A loss to Spurs may be the final straw for some at the Grove, and the scene could get extremely ugly.

Most of us have already come to the realisation that Tottenham currently have a better squad than us, though that means nothing in a derby. We’ve already lost at the Lane by a narrow margin, and it is imperative that we not let them do the double over us for the first time in ages. If only because they will be gloating about it for the next twenty years.

During his pre-match press conference, Arsene Wenger said, “I do not want to speak too much. I believe I can talk to you today for two hours, at the end of the day what will count is how we turn up on Sunday.” (Arsenal.com)

That’s what it’s always about in the North London derby.

Match: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Location: Emirates Stadium

Kickoff: 13:30 GMT, 8:30am EST

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

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Arsenal send Arshavin on loan to Zenit St Petersburg

  By jtom | 25/02/2012 - 8:00 AM | Andrey Arshavin, Transfer News
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As the Led Zeppelin lyrics go, "Good times, bad times, you know I had my share."

Andrey Arshavin has completed a loan move to Zenit St Petersburg. The little Russian’s time with the Gunners can only be categorised as a failure, though he did have a few special moments.

Arsenal announced on Friday that Arshavin will join his former club Zenit on loan until the end of the English season. In the final minutes of the 2009 winter transfer window, Arshavin became Arsenal’s record signing at approximately £15 million. Similarly, the deal sending Andrey back to Zenit was completed in the final hour before the Russian transfer deadline. During his career at the Emirates Stadium, the little Russian scored 30 goals and collected 35 assists.

The Arsenal website states that Arshavin accepted the transfer “in order to maximise his opportunities for regular first-team football ahead of Euro 2012 in June.” Perhaps Arshavin will regain his form while at Zenit and star at the European championships before rejoining Arsenal at the start of next season.

While many of us would love to see the little Russian make the most of his talent in North London, Arshavin may have already played his last match for our club. According to The Guardian, he is aiming for a permanent move to Zenit in the summer. He has played sparingly since the emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and both wide players were involved in THAT substitution against Manchester United. That moment seems now to be the beginning of the end of Arshavin’s stay at Arsenal.

And Arshavin did produce several flashes of brilliance during his career as a Gunner. Most will remember his four-goal masterpiece at Anfield. Last season, Arshavin was responsible for my favourite moment of that tortuous campaign when he scored the winner against Barcelona at Ashburton Grove.

However, these fantastic displays were few and far between in the last two years. Many pundits, fans, and writers have criticised Arshavin for his laziness and general defensive ineptitude. I believe that he has greatly improved his work rate this season, but once a first impression is imprinted on the mind, it is hard to remove it.

Many have added Arshavin’s name to the list of Arsenal players who are simply deadwood. At this point, I would have to agree because it appears that the situation had become unsalvageable. The little Russian has been in such terrible form that only a change of scenery can possibly cure him.

The move back to Zenit, where Arshavin spent his first eight years in professional football, is reminescient of Thierry Henry’s short comeback. A club legend returns a bit older with a bit less juice in his legs, but the excitement and expectations of the supporters remain the same.

If Arshavin does not return to our club, he can at least take solace in the fact that his last match was a memorable one. He came on as a substitute at the Stadium of Light and set up Thierry Henry’s winning goal in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory. That goal may very well be the last of Henry’s legendary Arsenal and Premier League career.

Arshavin’s absence will create a new opportunity for another player to prove himself. 

Unfortunately, Arsene Wenger’s squad is weak in the depth department. The departure of Arshavin means that someone else will need to step up and fill his role on the bench. Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gervinho, and Walcott are definitely the top three wide players in the squad. My bet is that Yossi Benayoun will be used more often now that Arshavin is gone. Another possibility, although less likely, is that Wenger will call on a young player such as Benik Afobe.

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Arsene Wenger has up to £100m to spend

  By jtom | 23/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | Arsene Wenger, Injury News, Transfer News
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Arsene Wenger will be able to spend a maximum of  £100 million this summer. It was originally thought that the manager would have £50m available, but Stan Kroenke and the Arsenal board appear willing to spend more on player transfers and wages in order to rebuild the Gunners’ struggling squad.

According to The Telegraph, “senior sources” at Arsenal have made it clear that Wenger will have between “£50 million and £100 million” at his disposal when the transfer market opens in the summer. Despite all of his other engagements, Stan Kroenke can afford and is not afraid to spend big money to help turn around our fortunes.

I’m inclined to believe this report because it was published by the The Telegraph. Their journalists tend not to fabricate many articles.

Kroenke has yet to really make his impression on the club. Arsenal have been performing business as usual since his takeover last season. Perhaps Kronke has taken notice of the recent criticism from some supporters that has been aimed at him. After the loss to Sunderland, some fans took to Twitter to bash Silent Stan, which is odd considering he wasn’t on the pitch and he didn’t fill out the teamsheet.

If these sources are telling the truth, Arsene Wenger may make some big summer moves, but the question is whether he is ready and willing to spend the club’s money. As someone who has a degree in economics, Wenger could believe that spending huge sums in the transfer market is not a wise plan. With all of the talk throughout Europe about austerity, many football clubs have been immune to the economic times. But with the rising debts of clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City, it is inevitable that the bubble will burst. We have already witnessed a big club, Rangers, go into administration.

Still, some squad investment is definitely neccessary. The current crop of Gunners simply cannot compete for the top trophies. At the very least, we should be spending all of the cash we have recieved for the sales of Cesc, Na$ri, and others. Also, if our results continue to decline over the next few years, the money the club is taking in will slowly dry up. For a self-sustaining club, that could spell disaster because less incoming cash results in less spending.

Arsenal season ticket holders are becoming more and more agitated with the high price of tickets. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, who published a fantastic Arsenal financial analysis on Monday, have urged the board to lower the price of admission for European matches if we are in the Europa League next season. The AST also asked the board not to raise the price of season tickets for next season.

Of course, we should not have the highest ticket prices in the known universe given our failures in the last seven years. Perhaps the board will relent and freeze the prices for next season, but it would not make sense economically. Only when the demand for tickets meets the supply will there be a strong reason for the board not to raise ticket prices. Empty seats will do nothing to dissuade the practice of continually rising prices. The board will only pay attention when large amounts of tickets are not being sold at all.

Maybe the members of the board will decide to drop the season ticket prices out of the goodness of their hearts, but billionaires and millionaires do not acquire their wealth by showing mercy.

In other news, full-back Carl Jenkinson could make his return from injury on Sunday against Spurs according to The Press Association. He played for the Reserves on Tuesday night after missing three and a half months with a back injury. Jenkinson told Arsenal.com:

“It is fantastic to be back. It has been really hard coming in every day and doing my rehab stuff, but I am delighted to be back now.

“The injury felt fine; I had no problems with it at all, which is great news because you never know how you are going to react in a game.”

The North London derby may not be the best time to reintegrate Jenkinson into the team. With all of the pressure that comes with that match, it would probably best if he rests on the bench. However, Arsene Wenger is facing another defensive crisis due to injuries, so maybe Carl Jenkinson will get an opportunity.

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Arsenal to open contract talks with Robin van Persie

  By jtom | 21/02/2012 - 12:30 PM | Robin van Persie, Transfer News
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Robin van Persie may finally be prepared to discuss a new contract with Arsenal. Even if the two sides cannot agree on a deal, the Gunners are considering keeping van Persie despite the risk of him leaving for free next summer.

Many Arsenal supporters are concerned about the future of the Dutch striker, and it now appears that his representatives will begin meeting with Arsenal to work on a fresh contract. According to The Telegraph, van Persie is set to hold “provisional talks” with the Gunners.

Although the discussion has started, it is unlikely that van Persie will agree to a new deal until after the season. And who can blame him? Presumably Robin wants to see if we qualify for next season’s Champions League and review his options during the summer.

If Robin chooses to stay at the Emirates Stadium, he will likely recieve a substantial increase in his wages. Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph believes that a new contract could pay van Persie over £100,000 a week. The Daily Mail is reporting that the club is willing to hand Robin record-breaking amounts of money. Whatever the case, Arsenal should pursue all the necessary avenues in their effort to keep RvP.

Even if they are unable to extend his contract past the end of next season, reports suggest that the Arsenal hierarchy would consider holding on to van Persie until his deal expires. It would be an extreme move from our club, though possibly correct if they cannot find a viable replacement. Imagine a scary scenario where we are not in the Champions League next year and we sell van Persie in the summer. Surely, we would not be able to attract a striker of RvP’s calibre even with the benefit of the Dutchman’s large transfer fee.

With that said, it would be difficult allowing one of the top goalscorers in the world to leave for nothing. During the summer Arsene Wenger and the board members should be able to sense whether van Persie wants to stay in North London. What we don’t want is a player who does not want to wear the red-and-white shirt. Even considering van Persie’s immense talent, a footballer with no desire to play for his club is a useless player.

So far, Robin has declined to chat about his future publicly, but it does appear that Arsenal are desperately attempting to open the negotiations. As well they should. This season has been nothing short of a nightmare, but without van Persie, who knows what state our club would be in right now?

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AST reveal Arsenal’s financial situation

  By jtom | 21/02/2012 - 7:15 AM | Transfer News
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An analysis published by the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, a group of small shareholders, has indicated that Arsene Wenger has £50 million to spend on transfers and player wages, but that the Gunners could lose out on £45 million if they fail to finish in the top four this season.

Arsenal will hold a board meeting on Thursday and will reveal their half-yearly accounts by the end of the month. In the meantime, the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust has created a detailed report of the club’s current financial position and also posed questions to the board ahead of the important meeting later in the week.

According to the AST, Arsenal’s transfer profit is around £55m. In their estimation, £50 million is available for Arsene Wenger to spend on transfer fees and wages. A problem will arise if we fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League. If we do finish outside of the top four for the first time under Wenger, the cost will be about £45m.

While we our budget will not be ruined by not qualifying for the Champions League, it would take a signficant hit. As Peter Hill-Wood said, finishing below fourth would not be a financial disaster for Arsenal. But, presumably on the football side, Arsene Wenger said it would be a disaster for the club.  

The AST also raised an interesting concern over the efficiency of the player wages. Our current wage bill stands at £130m- fourth highest in the Premier League. Conversely, Spurs spend 40% less on wages and appear to have a superior squad. The main problem, from my point of view (and the AST’s), is the propensity to overpay fringe players. When a player cannot cope at the Emirates Stadium, it is hard to sell him because no other clubs are willing to pay his massive wages. This seems to be the case with several players currently on loan, such as Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson, and Carlos Vela.

We may learn more when the official half-yearly report is released and analysed, but the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust has done a good job of shedding light on the financial aspects of our club. Overall, it appears that the club is healthy, though much of the money is locked up in payments for the stadium and real estate. There is cash allocated for Arsene Wenger to spend, but it is unclear whether the money is being held as an insurance policy for the £45m our club could lose if we don’t qualify for the Champions League.

Some information has been supplied, but plenty of questions still remain.

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Sunderland 2-0 Arsenal: Pressure piles on Wenger

  By jtom | 20/02/2012 - 7:30 AM | FA Cup, Match Report
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Arsenal’s performance against Sunderland on Saturday mirrored their dismal display at the San Siro last Wednesday. No longer in the FA Cup, the Gunners will certainly finish the season without a trophy.
 
The 2-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light greatly resembled the 4-0 disaster against AC Milan. And it wasn’t just the terrible playing surfaces. Arsene Wenger’s side showed an alarmingly low rate of urgency in both games. Other troubling signs from the two matches include (but are not limited to) our poor defensive positioning; lack of width; and the creation of too few goalscoring opportunities.
 
While the FA Cup clash at Sunderland was supposed to act as a ‘bounce back’ game, it turned out to be a continuation of that dreadful night at the San Siro.
 
One of the more disheartening factors of the last week has been the sluggish pace of Arsenal’s ball movement. We are accustomed to watching passes zip to-and-fro as the opponent’s defenders are left mesmerized. Unfortunately, much of that beautiful football has ceased to exist this season, but before the Milan match, the ball movement was still fairly quick.
 
As a result of this slowdown, the width of Arsene Wenger’s side has been close to non-existent. When Arsenal have been at their best this season, their wide players have been getting in behind the opposition’s back four. Recently, the wingers have been drifting inside far too much, which has made life easy for the defenders of Milan and Sunderland.
 
Part of the problem is that we have an overabundance of players who are best suited to play in the middle. Arshavin, Rosicky, and Benayoun definitely feel more comfortable in a central position. Arsene Wenger has said that he envisions Theo Walcott as a striker, and the Englishman has spoken of his wish to play up top as well. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has even been called a future centre-midfielder by Wenger.
 
On the subject of Chamberlain, some Arsenal supporters have been too lenient when discussing his part in Sunderland’s second goal. The Black Cats set off on a counter-attack after the Ox gave the ball away. To his credit, Chamberlain didn’t drop his head. Instead, he chased after the play and knocked the ball into the net for the own goal. For scoring the own goal, he is unlucky, but for giving possession away cheaply, he is guilty.
 
Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of the lucky players in that he escaped unharmed from the array of ditches at the Stadium of Light. Not all of the Gunners were so fortunate. Arsene Wenger indicated during his post-match press conference that Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey, and Sebastien Squillaci all sustained injuries that will keep them out of the North London derby. Counting Mertesacker, we have now lost four players to that sorry combination of grass, mud, and dirt.
 
Arsene Wenger stopped short of blaming all of the failures of the previous seven days on the pitches: “I think it was a committed performance, we gave everything we had left but three big games in one week [Sunderland in the league last week, Milan last Wednesday and the FA Cup tie] were too much.
 
“We fought hard but the pitch was heavy and we were a bit unlucky. We gave absolutely everything that was left in our legs. Sunderland left us the ball but we didn’t create a lot due to fantastic defending from Sunderland. They defended very well and scored with their first shot. Then we had to chase the game and take every risk and got caught on the break for the second goal.” (Source: The Guardian)
 
Wenger was more complimentary to his team than he was on Wednesday night, although the performance on Saturday looked far from “committed” to my eyes. The mood at the press conference quickly turned sour after Wenger was asked about the criticisms made by some former players:
 
“People talk and criticise and analyse and destroy and it’s important we face all that and show internal strength and resilience. At the moment I get many lessons from many people. It’s very difficult tonight to say where it leaves us and what we will do. We have to take criticism on board, stay together and face the critics.” (Source: The Guardian)
 
The mood at the press conference turned from sour to ugly when a reporter asked Wenger about whether he would consider stepping down: ”I think it’s better we finish this press conference now.” (Source: The Guardian)
 
In the aftermath of our elimination from the FA Cup, many have gone for Arsene Wenger’s throat. And they are well within their rights to do so, but maybe they should sned their anger in multiple directions. Some fans are placing the blame solely on the manager, solely on the players, or solely on the board. In reality, the pie of blame should be cut in several slices and served to several different parties.
 
Arsene has become the easy target because he is quite simply the face of our club. Fewer people, though still a significant amount, are directing their angst at the board. Even fewer are pointing the finger at the players. In my opinion, the players should receive a more equal portion of the blame because they have appeared unmotivated in the pervious two matches. Sure, part of the manager’s job is to inspire his players, but these footballers should show some life simply in the name of pride. If not for pride, then certainly for their massive wages.
 
The seven-year trophy drought does not bother me nearly as much as the dyer performances we have witnessed this season. The overall situation has to improve. Each time we play like we have in the last two games, I nudge a bit closer towards the anti-Wenger brigade. Fortunately for Arsene, I’m not there yet.

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Match Preview: Sunderland v Arsenal

  By jtom | 18/02/2012 - 8:00 AM | FA Cup, Match Preview
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Wenger said that he will not forget about the Milan defeat until the day he dies.

On Saturday, Arsenal will want to prove that the meltdown at the San Siro was an anomaly and not the start of a trend. Furthermore, the FA Cup is certainly the only piece of silverware the Gunners have an opportunity to put their hands on this season.

First, there is some sad news. Per Mertesacker, who suffered an ankle injury against Sunderland last week, will be out for the “long term” according to Arsene Wenger. Apparently, the big German had the ligaments in his ankle reconstructed during an operation. Sounds very painful.

Another centre-back who will be missing against Sunderland is Laurent Koscielny. The French defender sustained his injury against Milan and had to be taken out of the match in the first half. Fortunately, his injury is not as serious, so he should be back in time to face Spurs next week.

Gervinho will return to the squad for the first time since he departed for African Cup of Nations duty in early January. Wenger did not make it clear whether Gervinho would start, but he did say: “He (Gervinho) was very down when I spoke with him on Monday, now he is better and hopefully he can contribute on Saturday.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

The Ivorian winger was “down” because of the penalty he missed in the final of the African Cup of Nations. The next shooter stepped up and won the trophy for Zambia.

Arsene Wenger said that he will name a strong starting eleven at the Stadium of Light, but he left enough wiggle room just in case he feels like resting anyone: “I will refresh a bit because some players have played many games recently. But we will be full-strength.” (Source: Arsenal.com)

If I were the manager, here would be my starting eleven: Szczesny in goal; Sagna and Gibbs at the full-back positions; Vermaelen and Song as the centre-backs; Rosicky and Arteta as the central midfielders; Coquelin as the holding midfielder; Gervinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain as the wingers; and of course, Robin van Persie as the lone striker.

At this moment in time, I don’t have much trust in Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci. When Wenger alters his formation to be more attacking mid-match, he usually moves Alex Song to centre-back, and the Cameroonian has done a reasonable job at the position.

For the midfield, Aaron Ramsey needs to take a seat on the bench as punishment for his poor performances recently. Coquelin could easily slide into the holding role, with Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta on either side of him.

Theo Walcott, in the same way as Ramsey, may help the team more if he is not on the pitch. Arsene usually winds up substituting for him anyway early in the second half when he is in such terrible form. Having not started against Milan, the Ox deserves a chance, and Gervinho’s best quality is that he is not Theo or Andrei Arsahvin.

Hopefully, when Wenger talked about resting players, he did not mean Robin van Persie. This match against Sunderland is important for so many reasons. Firstly, it provides a chance for us to advance to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. Perhaps more importantly, this game is a great opportunity to put the 4-0 behind us and move forward as we head into a tough set of league fixtures.

The difficult Premier League ecounters begin with Spurs next week. Following the North London derby, we will play Liverpool away and Newcastle at home. In many ways, this stretch (including the Sunderland game) could decide our season.

If we let the negative momentum from the disaster at the San Siro continue at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, we could slip into another dry run of form. We’ve already had two terrible runs- one at the start of the season and the other in January. Arsene Wenger and his side cannot afford another string of bad results.

While Wenger stressed the importance of moving on from Milan, he admitted that the memory of that horrible night will never leave his mind:

“It never gets out of your system because you take it with you until the last day of your life. But when you love competition, you always strive for the next one to prove that you are ready for a new fight. That is what competition is about.” (Source: The Telegraph)

Indeed.

Match: Sunderland v Arsenal

Competition: FA CUP- Fifth Round

Location: The Stadium of Light

Kickoff: 17:15 GMT, 12:15pm EST

Television: ITV1 (UK), Fox Soccer (USA)

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Wenger’s tirade could signal summer exits

  By jtom | 17/02/2012 - 7:34 AM | Arsene Wenger, Transfer News
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Arsene Wenger tore into his players at training on Thursday, which apparently stunned many who had never witnessed him so angry. As a result of the 4-0 loss to Milan and Wenger’s subsequent tirade, Arsenal could sell off some of the flops in an attempt to rebuild the team.

According to most of the morining papers (including respected publications such as The Guardian and The Telegraph), Wenger showed no mercy in criticising his players at London Colney on Thursday. The manager described the disaster at the San Siro as the club’s “worst night in Europe.” A source told The Telegraph that Wenger “went crazy” during a ‘clear the air meeting.’ Most of the players were stunned by the outburst as they have never seen him so displeased.

Apparently, Wenger was quiet immediately after the final whistle. This is not a surprise since there is a general impression that Arsene does not care for half-time or full-time team talks. But after watching the match again on Thursday, as he always one day after the game, he must have been even more shocked at the display by his players.

There are also reports that Arsene Wenger is considering the futures of Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky, and Andrei Arshavin, among others. The clubs were thinking about giving Walcott a contract extension, but it now appears that they want to see more from Theo before they hand him a fat deal.

Most, if not all, Arsenal supporters (including myself) have been urging Arsene Wenger to ditch the dead wood. Arshavin, Almunia, Fabianski, Squillaci, Djourou, Park, Vela, Bendtner, Chamakh, and Denilson should all be dumped in the summer. Promising youth players deserve more of a chance than the aforementioned flops.

Rosicky has been playing well lately, so maybe we should hold on to him to keep some depth in the midfield. Walcott’s situation is very difficult. He is just so inconsistent but, at the moment, there are simply not enough quality players to replace him. In fact, Walcott’s good performances seem sprinkled in between mostly ineffective displays. If Wenger can find a proper replacement, then I would have no problem with him selling Theo.

One such replacement could be Lille winger Eden Hazard. It appears that Hazard’s agent has been hard at work recently, as the youngster has been linked to many, many clubs. Arsenal are just the latest in that long list. Hazard told Foot Sport magazine:

“There are several clubs that interest me in England and Arsenal is really a part. Of course, it’s always more fun when the football is beautiful. In addition, at Arsenal, there is a French coach and French players, as well as my compatriot Thomas Vermaelen.”

However, former Gunner Emmanuel Petit believes that we need more than just Hazard: “I like him (Hazard) a lot but what has he done at a high level? Has he been good in the Champions League? We haven’t seen him. Has he been good for Belgium? He’s sometimes even a substitute.

“What’s needed is five or six players of real stature, great experience. Players who are 27 – 30 years old at most. Players with technical qualities, obviously, but also strong character. A group of guys who refuse to accept defeat, who inspire confidence in the rest of the team.” (Source: sofoot.com)

Petit also had no sympathy for some of the current players, like Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.

Overall, this team needs more than just one or two players to compete for the Premier League title once more. A complete reconstruction is necessary, but that doesn’t mean that I’m asking for our clubs to spend as much cash as Manchester City and Chelsea. The Rangers saga should inform every club that they are not too big to fail financially. Perhaps, in twenty years or so, Manchester City and/or Chelsea will be on the verge of going into adminstration as well.

Even if we spend less than some of our competitiors, Arsene Wenger needs to be ruthless when buying and selling players. His keen eye for talent usually shines through, but he has to be more vigilant in offloading players who do not fit the bill.

If we can remain in the top four until the end of the season, it will be a real accomplishment for Wenger and the players considering all of the adversity. Despite the opinions of some pessimistic Gooners, qualifying for the Champions League is still very much attainable for Arsene Wenger’s team. For the rebuilding process to possible in the summer, it is vital that we finish in the top four.

 

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