Top 10 Highs and Lows of the 2011/12 Season

The 2011/12 season was a topsy-turvy campaign that engrossed football fans for the best part of 10 grueling months.

 

The Champions League favored the underdog as Chelsea held their nerve to survive a Bayern Munich onslaught before scaling through the lottery of a penalty shootout. The Premier League was won in dramatic fashion from the last attacking surge Manchester City made, leaving their arch-rivals in a state of sheer bitterness.

 

The FA Cup was also sealed by a team that has more or less made the competition theirs in recent seasons. The mere fact that Chelsea has appeared in four FA Cup finals in the last six years is a testament of their love for the competition.

 

On this front, it’s fair to say that money made the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup “blue”. A “Red” side enjoyed success in the Carling Cup but a very disappointing campaign by their standards saw the gaffer lose his job.

 

From an Arsenal perspective, it was another painful campaign that had its fair share of drama in all competitions the Gunners played. This season, some Gooners lost patience with their gaffer and expressed their disgust requesting his head on a plate while others kept the faith because they were resigned to the statement that “Arsene Knows Best”.

 

The Gunners shot themselves in the foot in the Champions League, losing woefully in the first leg to AC Milan. A valiant second leg performance restored back some pride but it wasn’t enough to put Arsene Wenger’s men through.

 

A shocking performance at the Stadium of Light cost the Gunners the FA Cup while they were also ousted from the Carling Cup by Manchester United.

 

The main drama unfolded in the Premier League as the Gunners put their faithful and undying fans through rigorous heart-pumping moments that saw them fall as low as 17th to the final third place finish.

 

This season, the fans were subjected to moments of despair, disappointment and frustration as well as sheer elation, merriment and joy.

 

Without further ado, here’s my take on the top 10 Highs and Lows of the 2011/12 season.

 

Enjoy!

 

THE LOWS

 

THE DEPARTURES OF “NASREGAS”

 

Arsenal finished last season on a low and it was very evident that an injection of fresh blood was needed for the Gunners to fight for all fronts in the forthcoming campaign.

 

The introductions of Marouane Chamakh, Seb Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny filled up a few gaps created with departures, but the club was hit hard when midfield juggernauts like Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas served new employers.

 

Like Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry before them, the Gunners had resolved their football around Fabregas and his departure was certainly a bitter pill to swallow. Nasri was touted as an able replacement but he chose the greens of Etihad.

 

THE WORST START IN 58 YEARS

 

The exits of the midfield duo saw Arsenal hand over the burden of creativity to new personnel but they failed to deliver.

 

The start of the campaign saw Arsenal draw with Newcastle before suffering stinging defeats to Liverpool and Manchester United, handing them a 17th place position in the log.

 

MANCHESTER UNITED 8 ARSENAL 2

 

“I 8-2 be an Arsenal fan”

 

This quotes reached legendary status as the fans of Arsenal were subjected to vitriol and endless taunts following the shambolic performance against Manchester United.

 

I’ll forever live with the memory of my dear Arsenal spanked eight times from a club that could be considered as their “equal”. This remains an all-time low in my opinion.

 

THE BELOW-PAR PERFORMANCES OF ANDREY ARSHAVIN AND AARON RAMSEY

 

Andrey Arshavin was once a feared name in Europe. His four-goal haul at Anfield gave him a cult hero status at Arsenal but the way his form waned was no different from a player will countless injuries or drinking problems.

 

Arshavin was given a run for his money by Theo Walcott and he went down the pecking order in the wings. Nasri’s departure was supposed to be a new lease of life for the Russian assassin but he was unbearable to watch on the pitch.

 

After months of classic torture, he was shipped back to Zenit to rediscover his form and he has been pretty impressive there.

 

Aaron Ramsey on the other hand, did very well to fight his personal demons and come back strong from an injury that threatened to end his fledgling career.

 

However, Arsene Wenger’s faith in the young lad was put to the test as the manager failed to sign any replacement for “Nasregas”, handing Ramsey a starting berth.

 

I really suspect that the burden of expectation was too much for Ramsey to bear, because he endured a very disappointing campaign by our standards.

 

Words can’t still explain the “occurrences” that happened a day after Ramsey manages to get a goal though.

 

THE FALL FROM GRACE OF MAROUANE CHAMAKH AND LUKASZ FABIANSKI

 

10 goals in his first 21 appearances with a few penalties won for his team. At the tail end of November 2010, every Arsenal fan out there waxed lyrical on Arsene Wenger for his shrewd signing, Marouane Chamakh.

 

2011 was certainly a year to forget for the Moroccan as Robin van Persie pushed him by the road side, but he chose to “remain there”. 2012 was no different as Chamakh continued to disappoint with the meager appearances he managed and he’s no longer wanted at the Emirates by the fans.

 

Lukasz Fabianski on the other hand, arrived as a second fiddle to Manuel Almunia, and he waited patiently for his chance to come someday. After fighting hard, Fabianski got his chance last season and grabbed the bull by it’s horns.

 

However, a season-ending injury paved the way for Wojciech Szczesny, that never looked back. Fabianski has openly stated that he needs to leave the club to revive his career.

 

What a shame.

 

THOMAS VERMAELEN’S SUSPECT DEFENDING

 

I may probably get some stick for adding a classy player like Thomas Vermaelen in this category but I’ll throw some light on the reasons for his inclusion.

 

Don’t get it twisted, Vermaelen is one of the best things that happened to Arsenal in recent years. He came from a highly technical league and he hit the ground running right from the start.

 

His stellar performances earned him a place in the 2009 Team of the Year but he couldn’t build on it as a suffered a lengthy injury layoff the following season.

 

This season, Vermaelen contributed immensely to the attack with six goals but there were games when he was needed to do his primary job but he was found wanting. The game against Queens Park Rangers will be one he’ll want to forget quickly.

 

However, Vermaelen is still a great defender but he’ll have to work on his positioning next season.

 

THE MONTH OF JANUARY

 

Arsenal began 2012 in shambles with a 2-1 loss to Fulham and followed it up with another disappointing 3-2 defeat to Swansea. Manchester United came to town to inflict more pain in a game that will be fondly remembered for the fans reaction to the withdrawal of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

 

The month ended with a boring stalemate against Bolton.

 

DEFEATS TO TEAMS WINNABLE “ON PAPER”

 

Arsenal ended the season with 10 Premier League defeats to their name and it was really shameful to know that they lost to some teams that weren’t in the same “class” with them.

 

The 4-3 defeat to Blackburn left fans puzzling and they were also the plotters of their own downfall in the defeats to Fulham, Swansea, QPR, Wigan among others.

 

Had Arsenal secured maximum points from these encounters, it would have been a different ball game.

 

INJURIES TO JACK WILSHERE AND ABOU DIABY

 

Jack Wilshere endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful with his performances in the 2010/11 season that earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

 

However, a stress fracture to his ankle hindered his progress for an entire campaign and he mysteriously failed to grace the pitch throughout the season.

 

Abou Diaby on the hand, has been consistent in getting niggling injuries and this season was no different. Despite his globetrotting antics in his bid to “save his career”, Diaby failed to get 90 minutes in his collective games all season long.

 

TROPHY-LESS YET AGAIN

 

*sighs*

 

It was a classic tale of the same ol’ shit, but it was a different year.

 

The hunt for silverware has reached its home stretch and Arsene Wenger must be thankful for the kind of club he manages as well as the kind of fanbase he has created with his previous exploits.

 

In my opinion, he still remains the best man for the job.

 

Now that I’ve shared my top 10 occurrences that filled me up with despair, it’s high time I bring up those fond memories the 2011/12 campaign had to offer.

 

THE HIGHS

 

THE INPUT OF THE DEADLINE DAY SIGNINGS

 

After the spanking in the hands of Manchester United, Arsene Wenger removed the dust from Arsenal’s cheque book to make five signings that contributed to the team’s cause in one way or another.

 

Andre Santos made the fans forget about Gael Clichy because he offered a lot going forward and he was adept defensively as well. In the final game against West Brom, he took some initiative to waltz forward and score what proved to be a crucial goal in the run-in. Laurent Koscielny had the final say though.

 

Yossi Benayoun began on the fringes but he stepped up his game in the tail end of the campaign with some very important goals that helped the team with a third place finish.

 

Per Mertesacker arrived in England with a good reputation preceding him and he didn’t disappoint on the pitch with his composed and coordinated style of play. His injury paved the way for Koscielny to excel but his contribution this season was fully appreciated.

 

Park Chu-Young’s arrival caused a commercial windfall in Asia as Korea’s captain graced the Emirates wearing the caused Number 9 jersey. Despite the fact that he failed to get many minutes on the pitch, Park kept a cool professional head and scored one hell of a goal against Bolton.

 

Mikel Arteta was undoubtedly Arsenal’s Signing of the Season and his importance to the team was unrivaled. The fact that Arsenal failed to win a game without him (except West Brom) proved his value to the team.

 

THE RISE OF THE YOUNG GUNS

 

In my honest opinion, I’ve always classified Arsenal as the mythical creature, “Hydra”, because if you take one head out, another pops up.

 

In the absence of Gael Clichy, Arsene Wenger kept the faith with Kieran Gibbs who turned out to be the player that guaranteed Arsenal Champions League football with that tackle that was worth its wait in gold, or £30m to be precise.

 

Despite the pleas from the fans for Arsenal to sign a new goalie, it took some nerve from the manager to stick with an unproven yet confident 20-year-old goalie that kept 13 clean sheets in the league this season.

 

Having played in the Reserves for a large chunk of his short career, Arsene Wenger handed a debut to Francis Coquelin in Old Trafford and the midfielder showed his class and talent in subsequent games. He’ll surely be one to watch next season.

 

When Arsenal blew the best part of £12m for an unearthed talent from Southampton, the fans were bewildered as they believed that the money would have been better suited elsewhere. These same fans castigated the manager for removing this youngster for Russia’s captain in January.

 

Like seasons past, this has been another campaign where we saw Young Guns rise to glory.

 

THE METEORIC RISE OF KOS THE BOSS

 

This bloke got a red card in his Arsenal debut and went on to amass the highest amount of football minutes last season. This year, he adapted well to the English game and he has been a colossus in the heart of Arsenal’s defense this season.

 

THE EPIC ENCOUNTERS AGAINST CHELSEA, SPURS AND AC MILAN

 

This was yet another fruitless campaign but the Gunners can take some pride in their tremendous victories of Chelsea, Tottenham and AC Milan.

 

Van Persie was on supernova in Stamford Bridge with a scintillating hat-trick and the entire team was faultless in the North London Derby. The first half against AC Milan was simply enthralling and for once, defeat never tasted so good.

 

THE CONSISTENT RUNS IN AUTUMN AND SPRING

 

Arsenal had patchy runs in the summer and winter, but they blossomed in the Autumn and Spring with consistent winning runs that saw them have more W’s than Wily Ol Woy Hodgson and the Wild West West combined together.

 

THE RESURGENCE OF THEO WALCOTT AND TOMAS ROSICKY

 

Theo Walcott missed out on the 2010 FIFA World Cup and he was widely accused for having “no football brain”. However, he stepped up the plate last season with 13 goals and 11 assists and went even better this concluded season by top-drawer performances.

 

Tomas Rosicky’s career was done for at some point but the exits of “Nasregas”, the injury suffered by Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey poor form paved the way for Little Mozart to get a run-out in his favored playing position.

 

Rosicky rolled back the years with breathtaking displays and can give himself a pat on the back for a campaign he excelled admirably.

 

THE RETURN OF THE KING

 

He thought he had ended his Arsenal career with 226 goals in 369 appearances but in a twist of fate, King Thierry Henry graced the Emirates in a brief spell that solidified his legendary status.

 

His placed effort against Leeds still remained a fairytale moment but his classic finish against Sunderland showed the fans what they had missed since his exit in 2007, va va voom football.

 

ALEX SONG: “HE ASSISTS WHEN HE WANTS”

 

Cesc Fabregas had been the creative lynchpin of Arsenal in the eight years he played at the Emirates. 57 goals and 100 assists in 303 games painted the picture vividly for everyone to see.

 

As expected, his exit was accompanied with a measure of panic but another player handed himself the responsibility of create goalscoring chances for his teammates, despite the fact that it wasn’t his primary role on the pitch.

 

From his performances this season, it’s fair to say that Alex Song assists when he wants.

 

THE THIRD BEST TEAM IN THE LAND

 

Against all odds and despite the numerous shortcomings, Arsenal finished the Premier League in third place. Credit must to the boss and his Gunners for fighting to the very end.

 

With this finish, the Gunners have been assured of Champions League football, despite Chelsea’s antics in Munich.

 

The finish also meant that the Gunners finished above Tottenham yet again, who will forever be in “our” shadow.

 

GOALS, GOALS AND GOALS FROM THE MAN THAT SCORES WHEN HE WANTS

 

Technique, class and precision. These are the words used to describe Arsenal’s perpetual goalscoring machine of the first kind, Robin van Persie.

 

A shroud of mystery currently clouds his future but I’ll be forever grateful to van Persie, whose 30 league goals propelled Arsenal to a third place finish.

 

Besides, he scores when he wants.

 

****

 

This has been one hell of a post and I hope you enjoyed reading it as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

 

I’m going for a training far away from civilization so I won’t be around to give your daily Arsenal digest for three days.

 

Please bear with me.

 

Till then,

 

Sayonara.

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by enigma106 on May 20, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Champions League, Football, Premier League
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Posted by enigma106 on May 20, 2012

http://goonerdaily.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/top-10-highs-and-lows-of-the-201112-season/

Thoughts on the Champions League Final from an Arsenal Perspective

The Champions League is regarded as one of football’s biggest spectacles because it showcases Europe’s elite teams on the biggest stage of them all, with the sole aim of winning the trophy that would earn the club that right to be called the Kings of Europe.

The enthralling 2011/12 season reaches its climax with the world waiting eagerly to know who the new kings of Europe would be. Barcelona has had a stranglehold of the Champions League in recent times and it took a nervy, dogged, disciplined and valiant performance from Chelsea to knock them out. Bayern Munich on the other hand will be forever thankful to Sergio Ramos that launched his penalty into orbit.

It was fabled that Ramos’ penalty was pelted so far into the galaxy; it gathered some matter along the way and formed a new planet after Neptune called Planet Ramos.

Football readers love stats and my pal, eromzy, culled up some interesting stats with every one of them favoring Chelsea, and it’s worth sharing:

The last team (Inter Milan) to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League went on to lift the trophy winning Bayern Munich in the process.

The last English team (Manchester United) to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League went on to win the trophy

The last time Atletico Madrid won the Europa League (2010), Chelsea won a double.

An English team (Manchester United) has previously won the FA Cup and went on to win the Champions League, beating Bayern Munich in the final, which lost the DFB Pokal final that same season.

The last time Manchester City won the League, an English team (Manchester United) won the European Cup.

All Champions League finals played in the city of Munich produced a winner of the competition for the first time in their history (Nottingham Forest, Olympique Marseille, Dortmund)

The last time Manchester United ended a season without a trophy, another English side (Liverpool) won the Champions League and they didn’t finish in the top four.

The Champions League final is on 19-05 (19th of May) and Chelsea was formed in 1905.

Finally, Chelsea were quarterfinalists in 2000, semifinalists in 2004, finalists in 2008 and could be _____ in 2012.

Jack Wilshere offered his support to Chelsea on Twitter and urged his followers to follow suit. With Arsenal’s third place finish good enough to hand them an automatic Champions League slot, fans of Tottenham will be hoping for a Red night today.

In this situation, many Arsenal fans are placed between the Devil and the deep blue sea as a chunk of them are hoping for a Chelsea win because it would relegate the enemy, Tottenham, into the Europa League while others (me included), want Bayern Munich to win because Chelsea would become the pride of London if they attain victory.

There are also the fits of arrogance, vitriol and taunts we will have to face from them in the coming days, weeks, months and probably years from those goons that support the club.

Sitting on the left corner, is the Arsenal fan that wants Chelsea to win the Champions League. If his wish comes true, Tottenham goes to the Europa League. He tends to forget that there’ll be that Chelsea fan that can come up with quotes like,

“Shut it mate, go and win the Champions League before you argue with men like me.”

There are also the pundits, journos and media vultures that will feast on it like flies on shite, run out of superlatives, wax lyrical about Chelsea and painful quotes of how cash can buy trophies will surface yet again with every line aimed at yours truly, Arsenal.

Sitting on the right corner, is enigma106, a proud Arsenal fan that hates everything Tottenham stands for but he’ll prefer to see Bayern winning the competition, thereby granting Tottenham a place in the Champions League playoffs. Chelsea will also reap the rewards of their shambolic Premier League season, the Europa League.

Like in their maiden competition, the Spuds might win their fixture (or lose too) to qualify for the Champions League proper, but they could be paired in a group were their shortcomings could be exploited. Hopefully, there’ll be no Maicons or Internazionales that will make that Chimp, Gareth Bale, feel like the world’s best player for a night yet again.

For what it’s worth, Arsenal has all the bragging rights in the pre-Mourinho era but the Special One came around to shift the balance a bit. After his exit, managers like Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti have gotten their fair share of success but Arsenal still has a bigger trophy cabinet than Chelsea, if you want to judge by the numbers.

However, it’s the Highbury cabinet that’s laden with trophies of all sorts. The Emirates Stadium’s trophy cabinet is currently occupied by a Black Widow Spider that has spun webs large enough to make Spiderman feel at home. I heard he’s still pissed that he wasn’t called up to join the Avengers.

Bayern’s run to the final saw them top a relatively tough group containing surprise package, Napoli, newbies, Manchester City and the recently relegated Villarreal. The Bavarians ran riot against FC Basel before strolling past Olympique Marseille. A true test sufficed in the form of favorites, Real Madrid, but they excelled admirably.

Chelsea on the other hand eased past Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Genk in the group stage before suffering defeat in the first leg of knockout phase against Napoli. If Andre Villas Boa Constrictor was still at the helm of affairs, nobody would have been singing their tunes so credit should be rightfully given to Roberto di Matteo.

After seeing off Napoli, the Londoners ousted Benfica and outfoxed Barcelona.

Both sides would be without so key players courtesy of suspensions but we can only hope for a great game of football.

Chelsea’s Ashley Cole has lost two Champions League finals (2006 with Arsenal, 2008) and I’m hoping for a hat-trick of losses tonight. At least, he can sleep well at night knowing that he has won seven FA Cups winners medals.

These are my thoughts on the Champions League final, feel free to share yours with your comments.

Sayonara

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by enigma106 on May 19, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Champions League, Football
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Posted by enigma106 on May 19, 2012

http://goonerdaily.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/thoughts-on-the-champions-league-final-from-an-arsenal-perspective/

Arsenal 2011/12 Season Review: Part 2

Picking up from were I left off, here’s the sequel to my review of the season.

JANUARY

Arsenal kicked off 2012 on the wrong foot with a stinging defeat right at the death to Fulham. Thierry Henry graced the Emirates with a fairytale moment when he came off the bench to score a match -winning goal against Leeds in the FA Cup. Two quick-fire defeats against Swansea and Manchester United followed, unleashing Hell in the process.

The fans wanted the manager’s head on a plate but the team’s misery was almost compounded by Aston Villa. However, the Villans plan was thrawted by a valiant second half performance. The Gunners ended the month with a boring stalemate against Bolton.

 January Match of the Month

Arsenal 1 Leeds 0 (Henry): Arsenal huffed and puffed for the best part of a hour before Thierry Henry graced the pitch yet again for his “second debut”. Ten minutes after entering the pitch, Henry received a brilliant pass from Song and placed his effort past the goalie.

It’s fair to say that the Emirates went into raptures.

January Goal of the Month

Thierry Henry against Leeds: In a moment of never-ending 12s, Alex Song fed Henry with 12 minutes remaining, the legend scored his 12th goal against Leeds in 12 appearances wearing number 12 on his Arsenal shirt in 2012.

The trademark sidefooted curler was a goal made in dreams and the Gooners celebrated like they had won the FA Cup..

January Save of the Month

The month of January was pretty poor from a goalkeeping perspective. I can’t think of any stand-out save.

January Player of the Month

Laurent Koscielny: Injuries to the regular fullbacks took its toll on the squad but Laurent Koscielny’s performances were eye-catching to say the least.

FEBRUARY

Arsenal rained goals past Blackburn in the start of the month and Thierry Henry gave the Gunners a befitting Premier League farewell gift in the win over Sunderland. Gloomy times arrived again after consecutive losses to AC Milan and Sunderland (FA Cup) but the Gunner began a resurgence with an epic 5-2 victory over Tottenham.

 February Match of the Month

Arsenal 5 Tottenham 2 (Sagna, van Persie, Rosicky, Walcott (2) ): Arsenal overturned a potential 13-point deficit to kick-start a run that saw them leapfrog Tottenham to third place. The Spuds were two nil up when Bacary Sagna drifted infield to power in a header that created the spark needed for a revival. Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott also got in the act.

February Goal of the Month

Robin van Persie against Tottenham: Benoit Assou-Ekoto sent a panicky clearance that arrived at van Persie’s feet. Surrounded by Spuds, Arsenal’s talisman still managed to find some space before curling the ball sweetly past Friedel.

February Player of the Month

Mikel Arteta: The Spaniard stepped into the fray to become a key figurehead in Arsenal’s midfield. While Song forayed forward, he maintained the team’s balance and joined the party when Arsenal became one of the 7-1ders of the Premier League against Blackburn.

MARCH

Arsenal “marched” on like soldiers taking on every enemy, coming out triumphant in the end. The month started with a Robin van Persie inspired 2-1 victory over Liverpool and it was followed by a scintillating display against AC Milan. Newcastle, Everton and Aston Villa were also brushed aside but the Gunners were humbled by Queens Park Rangers.

March Match of the Month

Arsenal 3 AC Milan 0 (Koscielny, Rosicky, van Persie): The Gunners made things difficult for themselves in the 4-0 loss suffered at San Siro. However, the display against AC Milan at the Emirates gave the fans a sense of pride and for once, defeat had never tasted so good.

March Goal of the Month

Robin van Persie against Liverpool: Arsenal was on the back foot for a large chunk of the game but van Persie became the difference between a point and three points when he connected well with Alex Song’s sumptuous pass to volley the ball home late on.

March Save of the Month

Wojciech Szczesny against Liverpool: Luis Suarez deceived the ref to win a fictitious penalty but Szczesny was on hand to save Dirk Kuyt’s penalty. Kuyt went for the follow-up but Szczesny covered some distance to parry the ball to safety.

March Player of the Month

Theo Walcott: The young winger went on a very consistent run that saw him get his fair share of assists as well as a couple of goals. His performance against Newcastle was epic.

APRIL

The month of April had a good beginning but a very shaky ending. Manchester City’s title aspirations were put in jeopardy after a Mikel Arteta piledriver dent a serious dent in their hopes. They put up a professional performance to outfox Wolves but Wigan to London to silence the Emirates faithful.

Two nervy draws against Chelsea and Stoke followed and the race for third place intensified.

April Match of the Month

Arsenal 1 Manchester City 0 (Arteta): Arsenal had disappointed their expectant fans against QPR and a response was needed against Manchester City. Arsenal defined perfection that evening and the team’s collective effort was rewarded with a moment of brilliance from Mikel Arteta.

April Goal of the Month

Mikel Arteta against Manchester City: Arteta scored his eight goal of the campaign (two for Blackburn) wearing his Number 8 jersey in the 88th minute against Manchester City. It was a surface-to-goal rocket that almost handed the title to Manchester United, before they fluffed their chance.

April Save of the Month

Wojciech Szczesny against Wolves: Wolves enjoyed a brief spell of possession and some intricate passing in Arsenal’s danger area saw Matt Jarvis swing a cross that was headed goalwards by Kevin Doyle. Up stepped Wojciech Szczesny to add another spectacular save to his impressive collection.

April Player of the Month

Laurent Koscielny: Kos the Boss was in great form in April, shadowing his defensive partner, Thomas Vermaelen, in the process. The defender was unlucky not to hit the back of the net when his header hit the cross bar against Chelsea.

MAY

The climax to the Premier League season brought fits of anxiety, fear and the prospect of playing Europa League football,  from an Arsenal perspective. The Gunners relinquished third spot with a draw against Norwich but their fellow Champions League contenders failed to capitalize on their shortcomings.

However, Arsenal had the last laugh against West Brom (courtesy of Martin Fulop’s howlers) and celebrated St. Tottenringham’s day with the outgoing stalwart and true Arsenal legend, Pat Rice.

May Match of the Month

West Brom 2 Arsenal 3 (Benayoun, Andre Santos, Koscielny): Arsenal knew what was at stake but they made hearts pump faster with their shaky performance against West Brom. I wonder what the outcome would have been if Ben Foster kept in goal.

Nonetheless, it was three goals scored, three points gained and third place secured.

May Goal of the Month

Yossi Benayoun against Norwich: Early on, Benayoun took the ball, shimmied past some defenders before curling the ball superbly into John Ruddy’s goal.

May Save of the Month

Kieran Gibbs against West Brom: Keepers usually receive accolades for stunning saves week in week out, but when you make a “save” with your feet worth it’s weight in gold, or £30m to be precise, you deserve a honorable mention.

April Player of the Month

Yossi Benayoun: Saved his best for last and stepped up when Arsenal needed him the most. Scored two crucial goals in May.

This was certainly a season we’ll struggle to forget.

My 2011/12 End of Season Awards come up next

Sayonara

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by enigma106 on May 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Champions League, Football, Premier League
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Posted by enigma106 on May 18, 2012

http://goonerdaily.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/arsenal-201112-season-review-part-2/

2011/12 Season Review: A Campaign We Will Struggle to Forget – Part 1

PFA FWA PDP RVP

Arsenal suffered a shambolic end to the previous campaign and the summer became the perfect period to escape from another painful season that ended with no silverware yet again. The Gunners ended the season in fourth place with 68 points to show for it in the Premier League.

Last season, Manchester United ended Arsenal’s FA Cup aspirations with a 2-0 victory in the quarterfinal stage. That game was marred by a gruesome injury suffered by the team’s best defender by a far mile, Johan Djourou, who turned out to become an aberration this season. FC Barcelona handed the Gunners a footballing lesson in the Champions League, ousting Arsene Wenger’s side in a game where Arsenal failed to make any attempt on goal of any sort.

The Carling Cup provided Arsenal with a chance on a platter to end its never-ending trophy drought. With juggernauts like Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool out of the way, the Gunners had the threat of Birmingham City to contend with. In one of the most painful nights of my Arsenal fandom, I saw Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny cock up late on and the rest they say was history.

As expected, Arsene Wenger, his players and the fans began the 2011/12 campaign with great optimism but the shenanigans in the summer didn’t leave any fond memories. However, it started on a bright note with the acquisition of an Ivorian winger from LOSC Lille Metropole and his signing was followed by a relatively unknown right back from Charlton.

With pleas for a new center back started rocking the ground larger than an earthquake, fans expressed their disgust and disappointment when Arsenal signed an unearthed talent from Southampton for a fee that was certainly good enough to secure the likes of Chris Samba, Gary Cahill and other decent center backs out there.

The futures of Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri were put under question as they had only one year left in their contract while the Fabregate saga with Barcelona entered its final gear. The stalwart, Clichy, packed his bags and waved his goodbyes after eight years of loyal service and he was followed by El Homesickla, Cesc Fabregas.

Samir Nasri was heralded as the next best thing but he put the club in ransom with his antics while he continued flirting with predators out there. He left for the greens of Manchester City and earned a status as Judas, the pantomime villain.

After Arsenal endured its worst start since the days Merlin was the Chief Wizard of Camelot, Arsene Wenger waited to the transfer deadline day to sign five players who contributed immensely to the team’s cause this season…with the exception of the Korean captain that couldn’t grace the Emirates with his Shaolin Soccer on a consistent basis. That superb curler against Bolton in the Carling Cup Third Round was orgasmic to say the least.

Arsenal began the new campaign with a tour to the Far East, taking on Malaysia’s XI and Hangzhou Greentown. This was followed by a friendly fixture with Cologne and it’s heart-warming to know that their best player is now in the club’s ranks.

King Thierry Henry and his Red Bulls basked the Emirates sunshine and went home with the trophy in the Emirates Cup and the preseason adventure ended with a loss to SL Benfica in the inaugural Eusebio Cup.

In a chronological order, I present to you an entire review of the season revealing my take of the match, goal, save and player of each month from August to May.

The first instalment of this series will review the season from August 2011 to December 2011. Arsenal’s performance January 2012 to May 2012 will be published in tomorrow’s post.

You may not agree with my pick but feel free to share yours with your comments.

Enjoy!

AUGUST

Arsenal kicked its competitive campaign with a goalless stalemate against Newcastle and followed it up with a 1-0 win over Udinese in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs. A disappointing 2-0 reverse to Liverpool was followed with qualification to the Champions League after a second leg victory against Udinese. However, the month ended on an all-time low with the 8-2 drubbing in the hands of Manchester United.

August Match of the Month

Udinese 1 Arsenal 2 (van Persie, Walcott): Despite the team’s torrid start to the campaign, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott came up with the goods in a crucial Champions League playoff second leg tie against Udinese. Wojciech Szczesny will also be remembered for his role in that victory.

August Goal of the Month

Theo Walcott against Udinese (Second leg): With Udinese playing with the unorthodox 3-5-2 formation, there was certainly going to be a point when they’ll be exposed for the lack of standing full backs. Walcott used his pace to evade the wing back and was closing in on goal and one of the center backs was trying to close down on him. He sent Handanovic the wrong way and the joyous screams from the Arsenal fans in Frulli could be heard on the Moon.

August Save of the Month

Wojciech Szczesny against Udinese: Minutes after Arsenal had gone ahead on aggregate, Udinese were gifted a penalty. Antonio di Natale had a chance to score from 12-yards but Szczesny pulled off a save of the highest quality.

August Player of the Month

Theo Walcott: The young winger scored 60 percent of Arsenal’s goals in August and he played a role in the Gunner’s qualification to the Champions League with his goals in both legs against Udinese.

SEPTEMBER

Arsenal licked the wounds of August and began September with a fictitious 1-0 win over newbies, Swansea. Borussia Dortmund fought hard to secure a 1-1 draw in Group F’s curtain raiser and a somewhat mysterious 4-3 loss to Blackburn followed in a game where Arsenal scored five goals but ended up losing.

Shrewsbury was swept aside in the Carling Cup before Robin van Persie joined the 100-club with a brace in the 3-0 thrashing of Bolton. The newcomers, Andre Santos and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, got in the act in a 2-1 win against Olympiakos to end the month on a good note.

September Match of the Month

Arsenal 3 Bolton 0 (van Persie (2), Song): The Gunners were on “Song” when Bolton visited the Emirates in a sunny afternoon. Van Persie bagged a brace to hit the 100-goal mark for the club while Alex Song scored what turned out to be his only goal in the campaign. The win also propelled Arsenal to 12th place on the log.

September Goal of the Month

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Olympiakos: Shortly after receiving the ball, Oxlade-Chamberlain marked his European debut with a mazy run that saw him evade two markers before slotting it past the goalie that was rooted to the spot.

September Save of the Month

Wojciech Szczesny against Bolton: Early on it the game, Bolton’s Pratley flicked the ball goalwards and the odds of the ball hitting the back of the net were as sure as Gareth Bale going into the zoo to receive recognition from his fellow apes. Up stepped Szczesny to make a top-drawer save.

September Player of the Month

Alex Song: Alex Song was on scintillating form in September with his brilliant play as well as his assists for his teammates.

OCTOBER

Arsenal kicked off October with a painful 2-1 loss to archrivals, Tottenham Hotspurs, in the North London derby. Robin van Persie spared Arsenal’s blushes with a brace in the 2-1 win over Sunderland.

Aaron Ramsey put his name in the spotlight after notable figureheads met their demise a day after he found the back of the net with goals against Tottenham and Marseille. Korean captain, Park Chu-Young scored a beauty in the 2-1 win over Bolton and the month ended with an enthralling 5-3 win against Chelsea.

At that point of the season, van Persie had scored more goals in Stamford Bridge (3) than Fernando Torres in the entire campaign.

October Match of the Month

Chelsea 3 Arsenal 5 (van Persie (3), Andre Santos, Walcott): In a period where Chelsea became a mere shadow of the side that scared Premier League teams in the yesteryear, Arsenal visited Stamford Bridge facing a wounded lion but the Gunners ended up inflicting more injury.

Goals from Andre Santos, Theo Walcott and a marvellous hat-trick for van Persie drove more nails into Chelsea’s coffin

October Goal of the Month

Park Chu-Young against Bolton: Andrey Arshavin invited the Bolton defense to him leaving Park Chu-Young free on the edge of the area. A simply weighted pass followed but Park scored the type of a goal that the Arsenal fans witnessed week in week out from the great Thierry Henry. It was a first time sweetly curled effort that eased past Alan Bogdan before hitting the back of the net.

October Save of the Month

Wojciech Szczesny against Sunderland: Carl Jenkinson allowed Stephane Sessegnon to send a cross to the Szczesny’s far post with Lee Cattermole set for the kill. Sunderland’s captain headed the ball towards goal but Arsenal’s goalie developed the reflexes of a cat to make an unbelievable save.

October Player of the Month

Robin van Persie: The Flying Dutchman smashed in seven goals in October and ended up giving the fans the opportunity to create a tune they sang all season long, “He scores when he wants”.

NOVEMBER

Arsenal began November with a boring stalemate against Marseille and followed it up with a 3-0 win over West Brom. While Robin van Persie came up with the goods yet again with braces against Norwich and Dortmund, his second-in-command, Thomas Vermaelen, scored on both ends on the pitch in a 1-1 draw against Fulham. The Gunners ended the month with a Carling Cup loss to Manchester City.

November Match of the Month

Arsenal 2 Dortmund 0: With the Bundesliga champions riding high on a domestic front, they visited the Emirates high on confidence but a brace from Robin van Persie brought them back down to Earth. The game will also fondly remembered for Lionel Messi-esque run Alex Song made to supply an assist for van Persie,

November Goal of the Month

Robin van Persie against Norwich: In a season that will be remembered for Alex Song’s numerous assists, he supplied another brilliant pass to van Persie who wasted no time in dinking the ball over Norwich’s John Ruddy.

November Save of the Month

Wojciech Szczesny against Fulham: Thomas Vermaelen stole the headlines for his goals at both ends of the pitch but the save Szczesny pulled up from Moussa Dembele was simply astonishing. The Belgian forward was left with a clear-cut goalscoring opportunity but the big Pole was equal to the challenge.

November Player of the Month

Robin van Persie: The striker was breaking records on the go and he managed to score five of the eight goals Arsenal amassed in the month of November

DECEMBER

Arsenal was simply on fire in the cold month of December and they kicked off with a 4-0 demolition of Wigan Athletic. An irrelevant defeat in the hands of Olympiakos turned sour when Andre Santos suffered a long-term ankle injury.

Robin van Persie marked Arsenal’s 125th anniversary with a goal of the season contender against Everton but it was followed with a defeat to Manchester City despite a valiant display. A late victory against Aston Villa was accompanied by a goalkeeping clinic set up by Wayne Hennessey when the Gunners hosted Wolves.

Robin van Persie ended a remarkable 2011 with his 35th Premier League goal against Queens Park Rangers.

December Match of the Month

Arsenal 1 Everton 0 (van Persie): Arsenal made its manager, the players and the fans proud by marking its 125th anniversary with three statues to the club’s legends. The business still had to be done on the pitch and it took an Alex Song projectile to supply Robin van Persie with the gunpowder he needed for one hell of a cannon.

Robin van Persie scores when he wants but Alex Song also assists when he wants.

December Goal of the Month

Robin van Persie against Everton: When the chips were down and it seemed like it was going to be one of those days for Arsenal, Laurent Koscielny picked the ball further up the pitch before feeding Alex Song. The Cameroonian gem looked up to see his captain before lofting a carefully-weighted ball that was executed magnificently by Robin van Persie.
It was a goal that epitomized everything van Persie stood for in 2011; technique, precision and class.

December Save of the Month

Wojciech Szczesny against Manchester City: Arsenal’s defending at the Etihad was very resolute but a scary moment arrived when a cross into the box wasn’t dealt by Per Mertesacker and Johan Djourou only for Mario Balotelli to steal it from them superbly but Szczesny was on hand to make a great save..

December Player of the Month

Robin van Persie: He started 2011 with a bang and eyebrows weren’t raised as he continued his consistent and stellar performances all year long. He smashed in four goals in the month of December and it’s worth noting that van Persie scored the first and last Arsenal goals of 2011.

This is the halfway point of this season review and it would be concluded in tomorrow’s post.

Sayonara.

You can follow Gooner Daily on Twitter @goonerdaily. I’ll follow back

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2 Comments
by enigma106 on May 17, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Champions League, Football, Premier League
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Posted by enigma106 on May 17, 2012

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West Brom Aftermath, RVP on the Spotlight and Podolski Eager For Action

Lukas Po-Goal-ski

“I’m going to find it hard serving two masters, very hard.”

“The marriage between me, my future wife and Arsenal is a somewhat polygamous lifestyle which is certainly unhealthy, but it can’t be stopped. I’m scared I may love Arsenal more than her and it’s already trumping my nuclear family.”

“Sunday’s game against West Brom was heart pounding as the game progressed but the end was no different from ‘orgasm’. I’m still feeling the effect of this entire campaign and it will last in my heart forever.”

“The tension Arsenal gives is a drug. The drug could kill but it has become an addiction to me.”

“The love I have for Arsenal is unrivaled” 

****

These are the words of Bobby Agulanna or @dkingpin as he’s known in the Twitterverse. This season has been one hell of a roller-coaster ride and it’s fair to say that the Gooners have seen it all.

In Arsene Wenger’s news letter, he commended the team for their performance on Sunday and was proud of the fact that Champions League berth was achieved again for the 15th year in a row. He also paid a befitting tribute to his trusty side kick, Pat Rice.

Wenger isn’t the only Gunner that has been in the act on the aftermath of the West Brom game. Theo Walcott has spoke about his admiration for Kieran Gibbs over that match-saving tackle that was worth its weight in gold, or £30m to be precise. That tackle was trending on Twitter, as many timeline went haywire with Gooners showering praise on Quickie Gibbsie for his heriocs

For those that were probably drunk or had something in their eyes at that precise moment, this is for your viewing pleasure,

Elsewhere, Laurent Koscielny dedicated the winning goal to the team while Jack Wilshere taunted Tottenham fans on Twitter, declaring that North London is Red and it will always be. Let’s not forget that he also won the £3,000 bet he placed with them last year with the ultimate winner being charity. However, Wilshere was calling on every Gooner to support Chelsea in the forthcoming Champions League final in the Allianz Arena, Munich.

Arsenal’s participation in the Champions League is irrespective of Chelsea winning it or not, but I’d rather see Spurs to go the qualifiers to lose to some random team, than to root for Chelsea winning the Champions League before “us”.

The last time I checked, I bleed Red and that’s the color of Bayern Munich.

After a campaign that would be fondly remembered by him, Robin van Persie went home with the Golden Boot, after scoring 30 goals in this season’s Premier League. Manchester United’s Shrek was close in second place (27 goals) while Sergio Kun-Aguero (23 goals) came in at third place.

With this season done and dusted, Arsene Wenger, his teammates and the fans are waiting patiently to see how his contract situation will be addressed. However, van Persie remains coy on his future but he said that he’ll always love the club whatever happens this summer.

A pivotal meeting has been scheduled in London at a neutral location for Van Persie’s camp to begin face-to-face negotiations with senior club officials, Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis and it is rumored that the club is set to hand him a bumper £130,000 per week deal with a £5m signing-on fee.

To whom it may concern, cult-hero Emmanuel Frimpong featured in a Lethal Bizzle rap video about Robin van Persie.

Trust me, its #deeeeeeeench.

Lukas Podolski suffered the ignominy of relegation with FC Cologne but he did his bit in attack with 18 Bundesliga goals while the defense remained shambolic. The world’s worst-kept secret was unveiled when Arsenal announced his signing and the forward has stated that he’s eager for action wearing the sacred Red and White:

“I had a very good season with Cologne, I played well and as a result I’m now going to Euro 2012 with lots of confidence. After that, I will be joining up with my new team-mates at Arsenal and it is my goal just to do my best and be successful there.”

“For me it doesn’t really matter when you take such a step in your career, whether it is now or a few years earlier, it’s difficult to say when the time is right. But I’m now 26, and nearly 27, so this step in my career might just be the right time to do it.”

The striker also revealed that Per Mertesacker told him all about Arsenal, making his decision to move to North London easier. He has also declared that he’ll play anywhere. Podolski is an efficient center forward that’s also adept playing on the wings.

His versatility will play a key role next season and he’s odds on to relieve the goalscoring burden off van Persie as the Gunners banked heavily on the Flying Dutchman in this campaign.

The Gooners believe that Podolski came to Arsenal to support van Persie.

Let’s hope that he’s not his replacement.

Sayonara.

You can follow Gooner Daily on Twitter @goonerdaily. I’ll follow back

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8 Comments
by enigma106 on May 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Football, Premier League
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Posted by enigma106 on May 15, 2012

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3 Goals Scored, 3 Points Gained and 3rd Place Secured

Kos the Boss with the winner after a Fulop assist

A season that had engulfed football lovers and neutrals alike was finally coming to an end and I must say that yesterday’s games were the most epic I’ve ever watched in my entire life. Never has there been so much at stake at various positions in the log, ranging from the very top to things down below.

Queens Park Rangers had it at the back of their minds that a defeat to Manchester City was going to cost them their top-flight status but they gave the oil moneybags as run for their money. New signing, Sergio Aguero, put his name in the Etihad folklore with that amazing strike right at the death.

In as much as I was happy to see the Premier League taken off Manchester United’s grasp, the fact that $amir Na$ri justified the noise he made was certainly a bitter pill to swallow. However, it was nice to see ex-Gunners like Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy get that “feeling” yet again.

Arsene Wenger was faced with a monumental task of rallying his troops for one final surge against West Brom with Champions League qualification being the ultimate price. Elsewhere, Tottenham hosted Fulham while Newcastle visited Everton.

Early on, the gauntlet was thrown by Tottenham when ex-Gunner, Emmanuel Adebayor, showed off his technique with a good finish to put the Spuds ahead. Arsenal responded back, thanks for Yossi Benayoun’s determination and Martin Fulop’s stupidity.

The goalie had a moment Manuel Almunia would have been proud off when his decision making got the better of him on the edge of his own box and Benayoun was on hand to punish him. In what might probably be his last game for Arsenal, the Rabbi’s efforts to the club will forever remain in our hearts and we can only wish him the best in his future endeavors.

West Brom almost pegged Arsenal back through a quick shot from Marc-Antoine Fortune but Wojciech Szczesny was on hand to make a good save in his near post. However, Szczesny’s decision making played a quick one on him when Shane Long, that was clearly offside, broke through to place a shot past the goalie.

The hosts took the lead courtesy of a cliche Arsenal fans have become accustomed to, suspect defending. An over the top chip from Morrison was controlled by Graeme Dorrans, that used his head to evade Laurent Koscielny before rifling the ball past Szczesny.

Benayoun was one of the livelier figures in the Arsenal forward line and he connected with some nice Carl Jenkinson crosses but the end product was lacking. Andre Santos showcased his attacking prowess, shimming past a handful of defenders before drilling the ball past Fulop.

Wenger showed his intent after the interval, introducing Theo Walcott for Tomas Rosicky. The Czech dynamo wasn’t the usual vibrant Little Mozart we’ve seen in recent weeks. After some intense pressure, van Persie swung in a corner kick that was within Fulop’s range but he chose to flap at the ball towards Koscielny’s direction, that wasted no time in flicking it home.

I’m the Boss…Kos the Boss

Wenger brought on reinforcements in the form of Kieran Gibbs and Aaron Ramsey but the home side looked more likely to score a goal with every attack they launched. Keith Andrews let one rip from some distance but Szczesny was equal to the challenge.

The fact that Jermaine Defoe made it two for Tottenham increased the pressure in my blood and certainly some Arsenal fans out there. Last week, we were in a familiar situation where Benayoun scored early, only for the opposition to score two. We pegged them back and got the lead only to surrender it late on.

An epic moment arrived when the tension was unbearable, even for a manager with an elephant’s skin, Arsene Wenger.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3yyu6ASd61qhaz39o1_r1_500.gif

The words uttered by Major D’Sun shortly afterwards are certainly worth sharing:

“It finally got to him (Wenger), this job is not easy. If people did not die from heart attack today, whoever that discovered football needs to be blessed.”

“I hope we have learned our lessons and I don’t want to be put through this kind of tension again”

Late on, Koscielny put his body in the line to block a tackle but the key moment of the day belonged to Kieran Gibbs, that gave everything in him to block a goal-bound shot. The sound of the final whistle was like music to my ears, Arsenal had their destiny in their own hands and they fulfilled it.

Szczesny (7.0) put up a good shift despite a disappointing first half. I also learned that he was nursing a shoulder injury for weeks but he had made himself available courtesy of pain killers.

Jenkinson (7.0) sent a boatload of crosses into the opposition area but he sent chills down my spine with his shirt tugging antics in Arsenal’s box.

Andre Santos (7.5) supported the attack well and had a well-taken goal.

Vermaelen (6.5) was caught out of position for both goals. In as much as I love the Verminator, he needs to improve on his positioning next season.

Koscielny (8.0) covered Vermaelen’s tracks, scored the match winner and made an absolutely important block late on.

Coquelin (6.5) was a bit sloppy in midfield but he held the fort well.

Song (7.5) enjoyed the free role he was assigned too and distributed great passes as well.

Rosicky (6.5) lacked his usual spark.

Gervinho (6.0) pressed and probed but offered nothing in the final third.

Benayoun (7.5) showed his determination in getting Arsenal’s first goal and used his versatility to great effect in the second half.

van Persie (6.5) didn’t get on the score sheet but he held up play well.

Walcott (6.5) added to some wit to Arsenal’s attack.

Gibbs (8.0) will be forever remembered for the tackle that saved Arsenal’s season.

Ramsey (6.5) didn’t put a wrong foot after coming in.

Martin Fulop also deserves a honorable mention for a 10.0 performance against Arsenal. If you take out the “U” in his name, a new word would certainly be formed.

While Manchester City had the last laugh for their stellar performances all season long, the balance was restored in other positions as Arsenal secured what might be an automatic Champions League spot or a Champions League play-off spot.

A few months back, Rafael van der Fart opened his pile hole to say that he’s confident that Tottenham will finish above Arsenal. Despite the fact that I gave 11 reasons why Tottenham can never finish above Arsenal, here are a few more points for van der Vaart and those 5pur2 out there:

  • Arsenal made its worst start in 58 years
  • Arsenal sold last season’s most influential player
  • Arsenal sold its homesick captain
  • Arsenal lost its most promising player to an ankle injury for the entire season
  • Arsenal lost 8-2 to Manchester United
  • Arsenal didn’t win any league game in January 2012
  • Arsenal suffered a mysterious injury crisis that saw the team lose all recognized fullbacks for a month
  • Arsenal were 10 points behind Tottenham before the North London Derby.

Despite all these shortcomings, the Gunners still finished above Tottenham.

I indulge you to check out this amazing article by Poznan in my Pants where Pictures Speak Loudest.

In all my years as an Arsenal fan, I’ve never seen the Gunners finish below the Spurs.

I’ve also been very confident with this assessment to the stage that I’m still in the opinion that if Arsenal ever ends up in 17th place, Tottenham will get relegated.

Happy St. Totteringham’s day.

Sayonara.

You can follow Gooner Daily on Twitter @goonerdaily. I’ll follow back

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by enigma106 on May 14, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Football, Match Review, Premier League
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Posted by enigma106 on May 14, 2012

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Bendtner’s Ambition, Euro Selections and Saturday’s Roundup

The Self-proclaimed World Best Striker

The Premier League reaches its climax tomorrow and the tension from the viewing world is unbearable.

While the fans of Wolves and Blackburn are set for a Summer where they’ll lose all their best players to the predators out there, fans of Bolton and Queens Park Rangers will certainly have their hearts in their mouths in their team’s bid to stay afloat relegation waters.

However, the hierarchy of Wigan Athletic should give Roberto Martinez a pat in the back for another pulsating campaign that has seen his Latics stare relegation in the face only to become triumphant in the end.

Things may be hot at the bottom of the table, but it’s even hotter at the top. The destiny of the Premier League will go down to the wire as the clubs from Manchester are set to lock horns with other sides to decide the fate of the title. A draw will certainly not be good enough for either side.

The fact that Chelsea has a 50 percent change of winning the Champions League has made the battle for third place more intensified with Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle still potential suitors for the third place maiden. Getting this position will secure an Champions League slot, irrespective of Chelsea’s antics in the Allianz Arena.

Arsene Wenger also believes the Champions League football will certainly play a key role in retaining Robin van Persie’s services, that’s on the verge of making history against with a landmark goal against West Brom. However, there are doubts over the fitness of Wojciech Szczesny in the crunch encounter.

There’s also some tidbits on Arsenal’s rivals for a Champions League berth. Newcastle’s manager, Alan Pardew, has rightfully received the Manager of the Season award while Arsenal’s transfer target, Jan Vertonghen, is set to sign for Tottenham over the Gunners.

Arsenal’s bad boy, Nicklas Bendtner, has come into the fold yet again with more rambles about his future. The Great Dane has revealed his desire for a new challenge away from the Emirates:

I am ready for new ­challenges. I have heard about concrete interest from other clubs, who sound interesting, but I can’t say more than that right now.

After all, I am still under contract with Arsenal, so I have to get back to Arsenal and talk to them first.

On the specific matter of staying with Arsenal, I have to say I need something new to happen for me. There is no panic thinking about my future. Now, it’s all about Euro 2012 for Denmark and afterwards I can look at my club future.

I’ve shared my views about Bendtner in the past, I’ll certainly prefer to see him ahead of the likes of Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-Young. Lukas Podolski’s imminent arrival will further diminish Bendtner’s chances of getting playing time but the cards still remain in Arsene Wenger’s deck.

He has scored eight goals in 27 games for Sunderland, a club that doesn’t really go hand-in-hand with creativity. They are a decent lot from set pieces and they possess a dogged and crafty style of play, yet Bendtner has done well to get in on the act even though he has made his signature misses too.

In other Arsenal related news, six ambassadors have been selected to join their national team’s provisional list ahead of the forthcoming Euros. Robin van Persie and Per Mertesacker were the first to be called up, but Andrey Arshavin, the Polish goalkeeping duo and Laurent Koscielny have been called up as well.

A call-up is no less than Koscielny deserves for his brilliant performances this season. The centre back has also expressed his delight to be considered by Laurent Blanc, and has vowed to keep working hard to ensure that he makes the final cut, although he knows that he is not guaranteed a spot in Ukraine and Poland.

To round it all up, the Gunners have paid their befitting tributes to Pat Rice and his replacement, Steve Bould, has declared that he’s ready for the challenge. In the wake of the Gunners tour to Nigeria in August, the club has reached an agreement with Malta Guinness, a refreshing malt drink served in the country.

The agreement has been reached following confirmation that the Arsenal first team is visiting Nigeria in August for the first time in their history as part of their pre-season build up.  Arsène Wenger’s side will play at the 60,000 capacity Abuja National Stadium on Sunday, August 5, with the opposition likely to be a leading African national team.

As part of this relationship, Malta Guinness Low Sugar will be the Official Malt Drink of Arsenal Football Club around Arsenal’s Nigeria tour.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed ahead of tomorrow’s fixtures.

Sayonara.

You can follow Gooner Daily on Twitter  @goonerdaily. I’ll follow back

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4 Comments
by enigma106 on May 12, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Football, Premier League
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Posted by enigma106 on May 12, 2012

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Wenger Douses M’Vila Transfer Flames and a Tale of Bosscielny

Bosscielny

If I got one pound for every time Yann M’Vila was mentioned in the past week, I would have generated enough funds to match Manchester City’s bid for $amir Na$ri. The French enforcer has been heavily linked with Arsenal and the Daily Mail reported that a deal has been agreed.

That bit of info was like music to the ears of every Arsenal fan and we all licked our lips in anticipation of the prospect of signing a truly world class player. A player with so many good attributes, with the required talent and potential to be ranked among the A-list defensive midfielders in the world.

His discipline is unbelievable too, something that will be extremely valuable to Arsenal over the course of a season as for a player in his role and with so much responsibility at Rennes he has very few bookings.

With Alex Song given license to roam more than usual it will enhance the attack and with M’Vila shepherding the defence as a natural midfield enforcer, then all aspects of Arsenal’s game will improve especially with his superb passing skills which will link the attack and defence brilliantly as well as controlling possession much easier.

Tales of M’Vila joining Arsenal caused an inferno but Arsene Wenger has decided to bring out a big extinguisher to douse those flames:

“It is not true, there is not any interest at the moment. We have not been in touch with anybody, we have not made any offer to anybody and we are nowhere near to buying anybody at the moment.”

“We are focused on our final game of the season.”

Yeah right.

This is the same Wenger that ruled out a move for Lukas Podolski but at this point in time, we are all wondering about the number he’s going to put on his jersey next season.

With the Euros looming around the corner, Wenger must do what is right in terms of business in the transfer window because international tournaments have a way for sky-rocketing player fees, escepially when they shine there. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and you’ll be sure to get an update on the M’Vila issue in due time.

Elsewhere, a lot of news has dominated the Arsenal realm with Arsene Wenger breaking the news that Patty Ol’ Rice won’t grace us with his shiny glasses next season. His replacement, Steve Bould has already been lined up and we will be on the verge of a new era.

Wenger also declared that he was grateful and privileged to have his trusty sidekick, Rice, by his side for what seemed like an eternity. This good article looks back at the stalwart’s illustrious career.

Like Rice, Bould plied his trade as a defender and I’m hoping that he’ll tweak a thing or two in Arsenal’s defensive setup, because that playing position has been suspect in recent seasons. We’ve have conceded a boatload of goals this season which contributed to the Gunners losing as much as 10 games this season, so serious work has to be done over the Summer to right a few wrongs.

Speaking of righting wrongs, Bacary Sagna has been scheduled to have a surgery to right the wrong that was caused by Norwich’s Bradley Johnson. The recuperation process will take as long as six months and I wish Mr. Reliable a speedy and healthy recovery.

Despite Arsenal’s collective shambolic defending this season, one player has stepped up the plate with a string of consistent and stellar performances that has earned him loads of plaudits this season. Laurent Koscielny was undoubtedly Arsenal’s Signing of the Season last year and in my opinion, has been a far better player than Thomas Vermaelen this season.

Vermaelen ran out of superlatives for his defensive partner labelling him as a key ingredient to Arsenal’s success story next season. The Frenchman played a lot of football last season but the way he matured tremendously has been a major jaw dropper

If I had a lice haven like Marouane Fellaini’s hair, I would have shredded parts of the hair to bits when Koscielny didn’t make the Team of the Year and I’ll certainly go bonkers if he’s not selected by France for the forthcoming Euros. Even Arsene Wenger acknowledges the fact that Kos the Boss deserves a place in the French sqaud for the forthcoming Euros.

Koscielny on the other hand, has firmly sight his sights on finishing in third place and he also revealed that some of the players almost lost confidence in Wenger’s ability as a manager during that trying period in the Summer.

Irrespective of how the season ends, Bosscielny can give himself a pat of the back for his performances in the campaign.

Sayonara.

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13 Comments
by enigma106 on May 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Football, Premier League, Transfer Gossip
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Posted by enigma106 on May 11, 2012

http://goonerdaily.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/wenger-douses-mvila-transfer-flames-and-a-tale-of-bosscielny/

Yann M’Vila and His Top 10 Football Attributes

The name on everyone’s lips

Born on the 29th of June 1990 in the city of Amiens, France, Yann M’Vila started his career in Amiens SC and Mantes  before joining the youth academy of Stade Rennais in 2004. After playing with the Reserves for a few seasons, Frederic Antonetti handed M’Vila his debut in the 2009/10 campaign.

M’Vila has been an ever-present force in the Rennes side and he has notched up 128 appearances in just three seasons with the French outfit.

On the International scene, M’Vila has represented France in all junior levels before making his senior team debut in August 2010, in a friendly match against Norway. He hasn’t received any honors in his national team colors but he was part of the France Under-17 side that lost in the semifinals of the 2007 Under-17 Euros to England.

Funnily enough, M’Vila was also part of the France Under-19 side that lost in the semifinals of the 2009 Under-19 Euros to England yet again. However, he has notched up 18 appearances for France and his only international goal came against Albania in a Euro 2012 qualifying match.

M’Vila hasn’t received any piece of silverware in his young career but his splendid performances in the 2010/11 campaign earned him a place in the 2011 Ligue 1 Team of the Year. M’Vila is held in high regard by the Rennes hierarchy, and his manager, Frederic Antonetti, has declared that M’Vila reads the game like Claude Makélélé, has the presence of Patrick Vieira and can pass the ball like Yaya Toure.

The midfield maestro is one of the most sought-after players in Europe and he has been heavily linked with Arsenal. Whispers of him securing a deal with Arsenal caused a serious stir on Twitter and the Daily Mail reported that a deal has been agreed.

M’Vila’s quality is proven and he’ll add his defensive prowess to Arsene Wenger’s team that has been lacking in that department. Arsenal currently has Alex Song as its chief holding midfielder with Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong waiting in the ranks, while the likes of Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta can be deployed in that position.

Alex Song is a good defensive lynchpin but his flair for attacking has left Arsenal short at the back, especially with the likes of Thomas Vermaelen bombing forward as well. Arteta has done well to balance the midfield any time Song forays forward and his injury exposed Arsenal in the worst possible manner.

Unlike Song, M’Vila certainly knows what his primary job is and here’s my take on the top 10 footballing attributes he possesses.

Marking

This is one of the chief features a good defensive midfielder should have at his disposal and M’Vila is one of the better markers in the business. M’Vila is so good at marking that opposition attacking midfielders search for his presence long after the game is over.

When he’s really in the mood, he can frustrate any midfielder he’s coming up against.

Passing

M’Vila is primarily a holding midfielder for Rennes, but he’s also adept as a deep-lying playmaker, a role that earned Andrea Pirlo an immortal status in his AC Milan days. The maestro has a good passing range and his passes can split defenses like hot knife through butter.

Anticipation

M’Vila’s ability to read the game superbly makes him a difficult player to come up against. He’s one player that knows how to anticipate the ball with consummate ease.

However, Arsenal has its king of anticipation, the Boss himself, Laurent Koscielny.

Composure

M’Vila is very confident with the ball at his feet and he keeps a very cool head in the toughest of situations. Even if the attacker besides to turn into a raging bull and is heading towards M’Vila, he’ll still be as calm and composed as ever.

Concentration

This is one attribute that has certainly being lacking in Arsene Wenger’s squad.

Times without number, Arsenal tends to switch off at vital moments of the game and they always end up getting punished. Despite the fact that fingers were rightly pointed at Song for his sloppy play, the entire team was still at fault for failing to defend well as a unit, allowing Morison to smash his effort past Wojciech Szczesny.

M’Vila’s concentration levels are very high and he knows how to keep them in check when he needs to.

Strength

M’Vila has a strong build and he uses it to his advantage of the field of play. He certainly can’t be bullied on the field of play.

Technique

M’Vila is a midfielder that’s very comfortable with the ball at his feet. His close control is pretty impressive and he has a decent first touch.

Aggression

M’Vila is a midfielder that has a thing for an aggressive style of play. Irrespective of who the opposition is, he takes on all comers and is always looking to be dominant.

The Premier League has a lot of physical players and aggression is a key attribute for any midfielder’s to possess in order to thrive well.

Work Rate

M’Vila has a fantastic work rate in the middle of the park and he covers huge distances on the pitch like no other. His desire to help out his teammates is a huge factor that has earned him plaudits worldwide.

Off the Ball movement

When M’Vila is not with the ball, he’s a constant thorn in the flesh of many opposition midfielders because his of the ball movement is sleek. From throw-ins to more passes from a teammate, M’Vila is a player that can be backed upon to make himself available for a pass.

Conclusion

Yann M’Vila is a player that oozes of quality. His potential addition to Arsenal’s squad would bolster Arsene Wenger’s team with the much needed quality that would go a long way in the team’s hunt for silverware. His arrival will also keep Alex Song his toes, as complacency has started creeping in slowly into his game.

I hope these rumors are true.

Sayonara

You can follow Gooner Daily on Twitter @goonerdaily. I’ll follow back

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6 Comments
by enigma106 on May 10, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Football, Premier League, Transfer Gossip
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Posted by enigma106 on May 10, 2012

http://goonerdaily.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/yann-mvila-and-his-top-10-football-attributes/

Arsenal Makes a ‘Bould’ Move, Euro Selections and Transfer Speculations

The solution to our defensive woes?

Arsenal had the god of soccer and Lady Luck to thank after capitulating against Norwich to lose their stranglehold on third place. In somewhat mysterious circumstances, Tottenham and Newcastle managed to follow suit. While the disappointments of the team’s shortcomings have been very obvious, Francis Coquelin has declared that all focus will be aimed on West Brom.

Coquelin’s reactions are reminiscent of the way the Super Eagles’ captain, Joseph Yobo, reacted after the shocking loss to Greece in the 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage fixture. Nigeria had lost it’s first two fixtures to Argentina and Greece, but a victory against Korea Republic coupled with a bad result for Greece against Argentina would have seen the Eagles end the group in second place.

We all know how the final fixture between Nigeria and Korea Republic panned out with the major highlight being that unbelievable miss by Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who was unfortunately relegated with Blackburn yesterday night.

In the Premier League Form Table, Arsenal is languishing in 10th place with two wins, one defeat and three draws on the trot in their last six games. Another draw against West Brom, coupled with a victory for Tottenham would see the Gunners end in fourth place, putting their Champions League destiny in the hands of Bayern Munich.

Hopefully, it won’t be like Arsenal, like Nigeria.

Patrick James Rice undying and committed service to Arsenal is coming to an end this campaign and his replacement has been announced, Stephen Andrew Bould. The reactions to the announcement has been positive, with Gooners believing the Bould’s defensive background could help the first team fix up their careless defensive attitude.

Reserve manager, Neil Banfield, has also been promoted to the first team setup.

Baldy…Bouldy began his football career at Stoke City as a right back in 1980 but switched to centre back as the season progressed. After notching up 183 league appearances for Stoke in eight seasons, he moved to Arsenal in 1988 for a fee of £390,000.

At Arsenal, he forged his name alongside, Mr. Arsenal, Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn and Lee Dixon into Arsenal folklore winning an amazing haul of trophies along the way. In the 1991/92 campaign, Bould was voted as the Arsenal Player of the Year for his outstanding performances.

After amassing 288 appearances in 11 seasons at Arsenal, Bould made his final football move to Sunderland in 1999. However, his time with the Black Cats was short-lived as arthritis and obviously, old age contributed in his retirement from the beautiful game.

A year after announcing his retirement, Bould got his coaching badges and was signed up by Arsenal in 2001. He has been at the youth setup for many years and he became the Head Coach of the Arsenal Under-18s. He has now taken the ‘bould’ step to become Arsene Wenger’s right-hand man and we can only hope that this change will be a step in the right direction.

This tweet below epitomizes the effects of change,

With the Euros just around the horizon, national team managers are now in the spotlight, as they announce provisional squad members that will be cut down to the last 23 in due time. The last major football tournament, the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw many managers make high-profile exclusions from their squads.

While unfortunate injuries played a part in David Beckham, Michael Ballack, Rio Ferdinard, Luis Nani and John Mikel Obi missing out on their various national team set-ups, the intentional omissions of Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri, Mathieu Flamini, Karim Benzema, Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti and Alexandre Pato et al raised a few eyebrows.

The English Premier League has had it’s fair share of exports to international tournaments and this year will be no different. The manager of the Oranje, Bert van Marwijk has named his provisional squad to represent the tournament favorites in the forthcoming Euros.

The Premier League was represented by Tim Krul, Johnny Heitenga, Nigel de Jong, Rafael van der Fart, Dirk Kuyt and the striker that literally scores when he wants, Robin van Persie.

These Premier League exports in the aforementioned list deserve to be in the Dutch National side because of their outstanding performances all season long. Krul has had 15 clean sheets this season and he’s a forerunner for the Silver Glove as we don’t need a soothsayer to tell us the winner. Heitenga and de Jong have been rock-solid in their defensive duties while van der Fart has been a phenom for those Spuds.

Kuyt hasn’t been getting much playing time this term but he still showcased his effectiveness with that match-winning goal against Manchester United in the FA Cup. I’ve certainly run out of superlatives for Robin van Persie as he epitomizes everything Arsenal stands for this season.

However, Wenger has warned his team not to be over-reliant on the Flying Dutchman in the final game against West Brom.

Germany’s Joachim Loew has also announced his provisional German Machines squad for the Euros with the only Premier League export being the Big F*ckin’ Giant, Per Mertesacker. Arsenal’s new recruit Lukas Podolski looks certain to add to his amazing haul of 95 caps at the age of 26. Podolski even has taken out time to reveal his reason for joining Arsenal.

Moving over to transfer gossip, Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-Young will be on the hunt for new employers this summer. This piece of info will certainly be like music to the ears of many Gooners out there.

The world-best striker, Nicklas Bendtner still remains uncertain about his Sunderland future and I won’t mind him back at our ranks, as long as he keeps his mouth shut and let his feet do the talking, if you know what I mean.

I wrote an article a few weeks ago stating my reasons why I’d prefer Bendtner to stay at Arsenal;

  •  His goal-to-game ratio at Arsenal is quite impressive, considering the fact that he’s not a first team regular. In every season he played for Arsenal bar his first (where he was away on loan at Birmingham), Bendtner closed in on double figures and he surpassed the mark twice with 15 goals (2008/09) and 12 goals (2009/10)
  • He has never said anything negative about Arsenal, its manager or his fellow teammates even securing a move to Sunderland. Yes, he has some off field issues but he doesn’t seem to have any problem with teammates or anything too disruptive (think Balotelli).
  • Last season, he scored nine goals and raked up five assists despite playing on the wing, and usually playing only the final 15 minutes when the team was already losing.  He is way better than Chamakh, and I’d take him over the Moroccan anyday, anytime.

While there was also news linking Demba Ba and Yoann Cabaye to Arsenal, the ground-shaker remained the rumors stating that the club has secured the services of Yann M’Vila.

That’s yer lot for today.

Sayonara.

You can follow Gooner Daily on Twitter @goonerdaily. I’ll follow back

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5 Comments
by enigma106 on May 8, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Arsenal, Football, Premier League, Transfer Gossip
Tagged , , ,

Posted by enigma106 on May 8, 2012

http://goonerdaily.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/arsenal-makes-a-bould-move-euro-selections-and-transfer-speculations/

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