Asier Illarramendi: Thoughts on Arsenal’s Transfer Target

Don’t be deceived, he’s not a fullback

As football fans are waiting patiently for the 2013/14 season to get underway, there have been some welcome distractions, as international football has been on the spotlight all summer.

The recently-concluded European Under-21 Championships in Israel will be remembered for more reasons than one.

For starters, the tournament was almost boycotted when the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK demanded for UEFA to move the tournament to England but after sorting out every issues, the tourney went underway with the hosts, Israel salvaging a 2-2 draw with Norway.

After three weeks of entertaining, exhilarating and enthralling soccer, no eyebrows were raised when a Thiago Alcantara hat-trick put Italy to the sword to retain the title for Spain. The same player scored a wonder goal in the final against Switzerland two years ago.

While this would be a tournament England would want to quickly forget after a string of appalling performances that saw the young Lions lose all three games in their group, Spain’s Under-21 Class of 13’ were in a world of their own as Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata swooped the Golden Boot with four goals while Malaga’s Isco earned the MVP award.

The Spanish Under-21 team oozed with class in every position.

Manchester United’s David de Gea manned the sticks while Barcelona’s young contingent of Martin Montoya, Marc Bartra, Thiago Alcantara, Cristian Tello and Marc Muniesa flew the Catalan flag. Real Madrid’s Nacho Fernandez, Alvaro Morata and Dani Carvajal joined a host of La Liga’s finest such as Iker Munuain, Sergio Canales, Ignacio Camacho, Isco, Koke, and Pablo Sarabia as the young Spaniards swept through the tournament grabbing maximum points in their group before easing past Norway and Italy in the knockout stages.

The tournament-winning team also had its fair share of unsung heros, and an avid watcher of the Under-21 European Championships must have been awed by the performances of Spain’s holding midfielder, Asier Illarramendi.

Last season, the Real Sociedad midfielder enjoyed a good campaign that saw his team seal the final qualifying spot for the Champions League – a monumental achievement in every sense of the word.

According to WhoScored, Illarramendi made 121 tackles in 32 La Liga games, averaging 3.8 per game, 75 interceptions (2.3 per game), committed 49 fouls, made 50 clearances, supplied two assists, completed 1,606 passes with a pass completion percentage of 80.7 percent and according to Squawka, Illarramendi created 31 chances, won 61 percent of his duels with the opposition and he was booked on 11 occasions without getting sent off all season long.

However, Illarramendi caught the eye in Spain Under-21s’ opening game against Russia Under-21s where he made 131 touches with an astonishing pass completion percentage of 93 percent. Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe offered more insight on that game and he even tagged Illarramendi as his Man of the Match.

Throughout the tournament, Illarramendi was a class act and his style of play was quite similar to Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets as he was always available for a pass in the middle of the park, covered every blade of grass and he instigated a lot of attacks from the back, offering his team a pivot as they continued their fluid movement on and off the ball.

He was ubiquitous in midfield and his positional awareness was worth commending throughout the tournament. He always knew when to commit himself to a tackle, he was as sleek as grease on the ball, his passing was top-notch and his creativity from midfield reminded me of a quarterback, as he preferred to supply passes to his teammates with pin-point accuracy.

While he was deployed primarily as a holding midfielder, Illarramendi also operated as a deep-lying playmaker which made him a joy to watch.

According to WhoScored, Illarramendi had a stunning pass completion percentage of 95.1 percent throughout the tournament, which ranked him as one of the very best passers in the competition.

Illarramendi against Norway

His performances in the tournament put him on the spotlight and according to the Daily Mail, Arsenal has placed him on their radar. It has been reported that he could be available for £10 million.

Judging from Illarramendi’s performances I witnessed in the European Under-21 Championships, I won’t even think twice without splashing the cash for this starlet. Arsenal has been linked with a move for another holding midfielder in the form of Everton’s Marouane Fellaini but with his release clause valued at £24 million, this could be a challenge in some aspects.

For starters, Arsenal’s rivals, Chelsea and Manchester City are also aware of this clause and they could hijack the Gunners to sign the Belgian powerhouse. His former boss, David Moyes, who is now at the helm of affairs for Manchester United would also consider taking a punt for a player that served him really well, and I would expect Fellaini to welcome another chance to play with his former manager.

Another factor worth noting would be where Fellaini would play for the Gunners if they want to acquire his services. Despite the fact that the Belgian can be deployed as a holding midfielder, injuries and other factors forced Moyes to deploy him as an attacking midfielder in the hole behind the striker, and Fellaini thrived admirably in that position, scoring 11 goals and supplying five assists.

This means that Fellaini has become very comfortable playing as a traditional No. 10 and there were even games where he spearheaded Everton’s attack.

Now that he had become very adept playing as an attacking midfielder or even playing as a center forward, sending him back to his primary holding position would feel like a wrong step. He may want to play as a No. 10 if he joins Arsenal but we have to also bear in mind that this is a position where Arsenal has a lot of personnel in its disposal with Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey and even Abou Diaby getting stints there.

Fellaini certainly has more experience and exposure than Illarramendi but the young Spaniard could thrive in the holding midfield alongside Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey or Jack Wilshere, as his great technique on and off the ball as well as his other impressive football attributes will make him blend into Arsenal’s style of play.

With age slowly creeping in on Arteta, a player like Illarramendi can be nurtured and mentored by the Lego-haired Spaniard, ensuring that he feels right at home before passing the baton to him on a full-time basis. Arteta has been a very inspirational player for the Gunners and he must be commended for agreeing to curb his attacking instincts for the good of the team.

You may not rank Arteta as a natural holding midfielder but his stats paint a different picture as his defensive side showed some improvements last season with 108 tackles (3.2 per game), 97 interceptions (2.9 per game), 74 fouls conceded (2.4 per game), 46 clearances (1.4 per game) and seven blocked shots.

His contributions in the passing department was unrivaled as he notched up three assists and sprayed 2,750 passes with a pass completion percentage of 91.5 percent.

He still remains an indispensable player to Arsenal and bringing in a player like Asier Illarramendi would be welcomed by the elder statesman, as he will be odds on to pass his knowledge to his younger compatriot as well as rubbing off his influence on the lad.

At a bargain price of £10 million, Illarramendi fits the bill go a classic Arsene Wenger signing – relatively unknown, well-thought of and a shrewd signing.

Feel free to share your own thoughts on Asier Illarramendi.

Sayonara.

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Arsenal Transfer Rumors Intensify: Who Can Fill The Striking Void?

El Sharaawy and his Mohawk of Life

The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup has taken center stage with the world’s finest nations battling hard to attain supremacy in the prequel for the big tournament coming up next summer. From an Arsenal perspective, things are relatively quiet as we await the potential signings of Gonzalo Higuain, Chuck Norris, Bo Rai’ Cho from Mortal Kombat and Vybz Kartel.

However, today’s post is from Julie Sanders, a graduate in business and journalism that has a lot of writing skills in her Arsenal. It’s only befitting for her to write a guest post in the blog about…you know, Arsenal!

****

Although Arsenal yet again qualified for the Champions League, their status was not secured until the final game of the season with a one nil victory over Newcastle. A run of just one defeat in the final sixteen games was enough to secure fourth spot ahead of London rivals Tottenham Hotspurs, a position that was all but written off earlier in the season.

A lot was made about how the Gunners celebrated their final outcome in the table like they had won the league but judging from how bad things were (10th place after that disappointing defeat to Swansea in December), finishing fourth ahead of a Tottenham side flying high with the unstoppable Gareth Bale was a success.

Former Arsenal talisman, Robin van Persie, spearheaded the challenge of Manchester United to the Premier League title and despite the Gunners signing established internationals Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, the loss of Van Persie was a big factor in the performances last season.

Podolski and Giroud notched up eleven Premier League goals each but Van Persie won the Golden Boot with twenty six, four goals short of the Premier League goal tally he amassed in his final campaign with Arsenal. Theo Walcott was Arsenal’s leading scorer in the Premier League with fourteen goals but it was evident that greater success would have been achieved had one player stepped up with over twenty Premier League goals.

With Arsenal notoriously reticent in the transfer market compared to other big clubs it is always difficult to predict where the club will turn to in the search for goals but one name has been linked to the club recently in the form of AC Milan player Stephan El Shaarawy.

Although aged only twenty, El Shaarawy has completed an excellent season in Italy scoring nineteen goals in all competitions and since January, he formed an excellent partnership with former Premier League star, Mario Balotelli. He is also a full Italian international having represented his country at junior and Under-21 levels, and scored his first international goal against France in November 2012.

Arsene Wenger is desperate to replace the goals of Van Persie and may be tempted to invest the 30 million pounds plus needed to prize El Shaarawy away from the San Siro. The signing would impress the Board of Directors as El Shaarawy already has some lucrative sponsorship deals and is considered to be a bankable star.

The fans are also keen for the club to shed the tag of cautious investors and yearn for the days when the board splash the cash on a young starlet as they did in 1999 when they signed Thierry Henry for eleven million pounds.

Even if it seemed like a gamble signing Henry from Juventus, it became a move worth its weight in gold as the Frenchman went on to have a glittering career with the Gunners, smashing goalscoring records on the go and even ended up being immortalized with an elegant bronze statue.

Arsenal have also been linked with Gonzalo Higuain and top clubs in Europe are aware that Arsenal has a very large transfer kitty, which ultimately means that Higuain is within Arsenal’s reach, as Ivan Gazidis’ Q and A session with the fans proved so.

Any top striker who is not a regular starter for their club such as Higuain will be odds on to seek a move elsewhere and the Argentine is no different as he publicly declared that he wants to leave Real Madrid. In previous seasons, Arsene Wenger may have chosen to wait and see whether any of the players that hit double figures last term were able to develop and hit the magical 20-goal mark in the coming season. He clearly feels that Higuain is worth the punt.

With Arsenal failing to secure any silverware in the last eight years, the pressure on Wenger will be intense in what could be his final season with club (except he signs a contract extension) as the race to be in the top four was so tight during the last campaign and competition is likely to be high once again.

While the Gunners are still waiting on signing a player, Manchester City has already thrown the gauntlet splashing out an excess of 45 million pounds for Jesus Navas and Fernandinho.

The club have announced a number of preseason games that will allow any new signings to fit into the squad once they return to the club after the summer break.

Traditionally, players return to training on July 1st and the squad will embark on a tour of the Far East which commences on July 14th with games in Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan. The intensity will be greater in August with games scheduled against Galatasaray, Napoli (both in the Emirates Cup) and Manchester City. These ties will provide tests for the side ahead of the forthcoming domestic and European campaigns.

With Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal participating in this summer’s Confederations Cup, they could be given some time off to recharge their batteries ahead of the new campaign. In his short stint with the club last season, Monreal’s blended into life in London and provided stiff competition for the incumbent left back, Kieran Gibbs. Santi Cazorla on the other hand has become indispensable to the club after an amazing first season in England’s top flight.

This brilliant piece by Dave Seager, or @GoonerDave66 as he’s known on Twitter, showcased how important Santi Cazorla was to Arsenal last season. Trust me, it’s worth a read.

When the squad return to preseason training at their London Colney base Arsene Wenger will be keen to assess the fitness of his squad, particularly key players who have been prone to injury in prior seasons such as talismanic midfielder Jack Wilshere. In recent times, injuries have plagued Arsenal with Abou Diaby being the latest victim after rupturing his cruciate ligament in his knee, sidelining him for a lenghty layoff.

It is a difficult balance for any Premier League manager to achieve the right levels of fitness in the squad. Sunderland manager, Paulo Di Canio, complained at the low fitness levels of the players he inherited when he took over at the Stadium of Light and has vowed to give his players a tough preseason workout to improve fitness levels.

With players running around ten kilometres during a typical game, endurance training is essential but the fast pace of the modern game means players must also do strength training. It is essential that players learn how to get big arms and legs because strength is such a key attribute for a Premier League footballer.

Van Persie’s game developed immensely when he gained in strength and was able to hold off defenders successfully whilst at the back strength is a key attribute of top players such as Per Mertesacker.

Despite the names being linked with the club it always remains possible that new signings may be a surprise for all watching Arsenal. Sometimes deals are concluded without the aid of weeks of courting through the media and Arsene Wenger is unlikely to want the asking price for any player to be inflated by an early expression of interest.

Despite the fact that Arsenal is renowned for taking a conservative approach when making signings, the past has shown us that the club can act swiftly when the need arises.

With Kieran Gibbs suffering an injury close to transfer deadline day, Arsenal wasted no time in delving into the transfer market to swoop for Nacho Monreal, as Arsene Wenger had clearly lost all faith in Andre Santos’ abilities, which was proven when he allowed him to go back to Brazil on loan.

Shortly after the 8-2 mauling from Manchester United, Arsenal astonishingly signed five players on transfer deadly day. Two blended into the team and have become indispensable, one had a somewhat satisfying loan spell and the remaining two have plummeted into mediocrity.

That’s the transfer window for you – some work out fine, others don’t.

With Liverpool making the early running in terms of preseason signings along with big spenders Manchester City, fans will be keen for the club’s board to match that ambition but will be confident that Wenger can source the best talent European football has to offer whist developing young players already at the club such as Alex Oxade-Chamberlain.

A trophy is on the wish list for next season in any competition but the board will once again be hoping for a season that brings rewards in the form of another Champions League qualifying campaign.

Stephan El Shaarawy would be a welcome addition to the squad but further signings will be required to consolidate the position of the club and build for the future. Signing Gonzalo Higuain and/or Stevan Jovetic will be a major plus for the Gunners but at the moment, we have to make do with what we have.

The hunky French legionnaire called Olivier Giroud.

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10 Things You Need to Know About Gonzalo Higuain

I hope he comes to the Emirates

In recent weeks, Arsenal’s Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, has spoken about how the club has become financially capable to compete with the big boys for top talent in world football. He also conducted a Q and A session with the fans, where he gave a listening ear to their thoughts and responded in the manner you would expect from a skilled orator like him.

Many top European teams have gone through transitional phases this summer as some football managers have found new employers ahead of what would be one hell of a 2013/14 campaign. In the Premier League, the three teams that finished above Arsenal saw their managers depart after last season ended with fresh yet familiar blood coming in to replace them.

David Moyes spent 11 seasons with Everton and the stage has been set for him to take over the reins of one of the most successful football clubs in the history of the game. After changing more managers than babies change diapers, Chelsea’s Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich, rolled back the years to sign Jose Mourinho, a favorite with the media vultures. After completing the signings of Jesus Navas from Sevilla and Fernandinho from Shakhtar, the oil sheikhs of Manchester City are set to sign Manuel Pellegrini that recently vacated his post in Malaga.

Mourinho’s departure from Real Madrid has left the club with a decision to make regarding the next manager to challenge Barcelona for the Liga BBVA next season but with no manager at the helm of affairs in the Bernabeu, transfer business cannot take place as the new man will have to access his squad before taking a decision on the players to keep and offload.

Tell that to Manchester City…

Ivan just said we haven't signed players because we're targeting players at managerless clubs.—
Le Grove (@LeGrove) June 10, 2013

Gazidis has stated that the club is targeting players in manager-less clubs and you don’t need any soothsayer to tell you that a player from manager-less Real Madrid is among this lot. At least, the Evening Standard, Daily Mirror and Goal have all published articles linking Real Madrid’s star striker, Gonzalo Higuain, to Arsenal.

Gonzalo Higuain is one of the hottest prospects in the transfer market at the moment, and like Arsenal, he’s also linked with a move to Italian giants, Juventus, that have already completed the signing of Fernando Llorente from Athletic Bilbao.

The prospect of signing Higuain will certainly make Arsenal fans lick their lips in anticipation of what they would herald as a very good signing but some fans have taken the news with a pinch of salt.

Without further ado, here are 10 things you need to know about Arsenal’s potential acquisition.

He Wants to Leave Real Madrid

Perhaps, this is the most important thing you need to know about Gonzalo Higuain.

This season, Higuain faced off with arch-rival, Karim Benzema, for the right to be Real Madrid’s alpha-dog in spearheading the attack. Jose Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 formation permits the use of only one striker and he favored the French maverick ahead of the Argentine poacher which yielded in Benzema scoring more goals than Higuain.

After opening the scoring in Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over Osasuna, Higuain waited for the game to be over before dropping a bombshell to the Madrid faithful,

“I feel like my time here has come to an end, I want to go where they show me that I’m really loved.

“I need a change of scenery. The decision has been made.

“I want to go where I can prove myself really. I have several offers. I hope that [Madrid] do the best for me and for themselves.

“I was never given anything here, I always had to fight to the death. I came for €12 million but I think I will sell for more.”

Hallelujah somebody!!!

He is a Lethal Finisher

I once described Robin van Persie as a perpetual goalscoring machine of the first kind. I would describe Gonzalo Higuain as a device that delivers at least 20 goals per season with clinical accuracy.

In his past five seasons with Real Madrid, Higuain always surpassed the 20-goal mark (smashed in 29 goals in the 2009/10 season) with the exception of the 2010/11 campaign when he was diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disc that required surgery.

After spending a considerable chunk of the season out recuperating from his successful operation, Higuain returned back to the pitch in stunning fashion by smashing a hat-trick in 6-3 win over Valencia. He also supplied assists to Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka in the same game.

Higuain’s composure in front of goal is very outstanding and he’s up there with the best finishers in the business today.

His Chance Conversion Rate is Remarkably Impressive

According to stats king, Orbinho, Gonzalo Higuain had a chance conversion rate of 43 percent in the 2011/12 season and 32 percent last season (no penalties, Cristiano Ronaldo was going to play them anyway). The chance completion rate for an average Premier League striker is 16 percent.

Higuain smashed in 26 goals in the 2011/12 campaign which also included his 100th goal for the club, in a game against Osasuna in March.

Imagine if it was Higuain that received that late through pass from Santi Cazorla against Sunderland (home), that late chance against Chelsea at home and the early chance against them away, Aaron Ramsey’s inch-perfect through ball against Everton (home) or that one on one against Newcastle (away).

We all know how the outcomes would have panned out.

His Goalscoring Record for Argentina is Awesome

Higuaín is one of only three foreign-born players to have played for Argentina in a FIFA World Cup and he had initially rejected call-ups from the Argentine National team and France (country of his birth) as he was largely undecided on the nation to represent.

His father, Jorge Higuain, was an uncapped Argentine defender that plied his trade in prolific Argentine outfits like San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors and River Plate but he made a rear move to Stade Brestios in France, where he gave birth to his son, Gonzalo.

Gonzalo Higuain marked his debut for the Argentine National team with a brace against Guatemala in 2008 and he has gone on to score 20 goals in 32 appearances for the team, making him the 10th highest goalscorer for his nation. The only player above Higuain in the goalscoring rankings still playing is that wizard, Lionel Messi, that has 32 goals in 81 caps.

However, it would take some stuffing from Higuain to displace the current top three goalscorers for the country, Gabriel Batistuta (56), Hernan Crespo (35) and Diego Maradona (32). There’s still the goalscoring threat of Lionel Messi to contend with.

Higuain celebrating his hat-trick against South Korea in the 2010 World Cup

He’s Very Good at Tennis

For those that don’t know, Gonzalo Higuain, like many footballers like him, also has a life outside football.

In his spare time, he likes to play some tennis, and he claims that he’s damn good at it.

“I love tennis and would be a good idea to practice given the level that is in the circuit.

“Yes, I would have liked to be a tennis player, but my dream was to be a footballer and I got it.

“It would be great to exchange blows with Rafael Nadal, which I love his delivery, Roger Federer, as well as my fellow compatriots, David Nabaldián and Martin Del Potro” – Gonzalo Higuain

He has French Roots

Jorge Higuain (aged 56) played some competitive football from 1976 to 1992, stamping his authority in the defensive lines of several Argentine clubs in the Apertura.

He began his career in Neuva Chicago before moving to Gimnasia La Plata in 1981. After stints with San Lorenzo and Boca Juniors, Jorge Higuain made a move abroad to Stade Brestois 29 in 1987, the year he gave birth to his son, Gonzalo.

After spending one season with Brest, Jorge and his family relocated back to Argentina, as he was signed by River Plate. This meant that Gonzalo was just 10 months old when he returned to a place he could call home. As a young lad, Higuain played in the youth teams of River Plate before breaking into the first team in 2004, when he was 17.

Higuain in River Plate

He played for two more years in River Plate before he was snapped up by Real Madrid.

With a manager like Arsene Wenger known for having a penchant for signing French players, someone should tip him off that Higuain actually has some French roots in him, and he even holds a French passport as well.

This is a player that was stuck in a crossroad on whether to represent France or Argentina. He chose the latter, and has flourished ever since.

His Technique On and Off the Ball is Pleasing On the Eye

Football has really evolved in recent times and one of the traits every player needs to have on a basic level is technique, except you’re a certain Gervais Yao Kouassi.

Gonzalo Higuain is widely known for his clinical ability in front of goal, but his positioning and off the ball movement for a pass is exemplary. He also possesses a decent amount of pace and his ambidexterity with both feet makes him a very good asset as he can finish with both feet with consummate ease.

Higuain’s first touch is a key attribute that he uses well to get on the end of somewhat difficult passes from his teammates at times. There are times when the Argentine treats the football like a pet especially when he wants to put it in a position to pull the trigger.

His Personal Approach to Life is Worth Emulating

Footballers grab the headlines for their on the field as well as off the field antics. While a player like Bacary Sagna is known for his ambassadorial positions with Grassroots Soccer, a player like Cristiano Ronaldo is renowned for his escapades with the opposite sex.

Mario Balotelli is certainly in a world of his own though. No arguments here.

Gonzalo Higuain on the other hand, is a sincere man, likes video games, takes a lot of time to relax, likes travelling, loves music and he has no folds when talking about people dreams and their preferences when forced to choose priorities in his life.

Most importantly, places a high priority when dealing with his family and friends,

“For me, family and lifelong friends are the most important thing you have. When I’m with them I forget everything, and I hope to have them always at my side, that’s my dream.

“It’s something I can not quit. To the family, because it is my blood, because true friends are treasures to be carefully watched, since they are going to be with you through thick and thin”

He Will Blend Easily in Arsenal’s Style of Play

A highly technically-proficient player like Higuain will fit into Arsenal’s fluid and intricate style of football that involves the use of a steady passing play, great off the ball movement, the use of a playmaker, target man and a patient build-up while frustrating the opposition defense.

Higuain is a technically adept footballer that is good with the ball at his feet. He knows how to link his teammates up, how to hold up the ball to bring his teammates into the game and he lays assists to his teammates making him a complete all round center forward.

It’s more than likely that if bought, Higuain will spearhead Arsenal’s attack alongside Theo Walcott on the right and Lukas Podolski / Santi Cazorla on the left. Arsenal is blessed with a plethora of creative midfielders, so Higuain will feel right at home, as he will be odds on to receive those defense-splitting through balls that are like a hot knife cutting butter.

He Will Give Arsenal Another Dimension in Attack

At this point in time, Olivier Giroud is Arsenal’s No. 1 center forward with a style best suited for the target men of world football. He’s very good in linking up play, has a great build to bully opposition defenders and he’s a massive threat in the air, both defensive and offensively.

In his debut campaign with the club, Giroud scored 17 goals in all competitions, as well as creating 12 assists for his teammates. While this may be widely regarded as a success by some margins, Giroud still has his fair share of critics as he failed to step up when the Gunners needed him in critical games against stronger opposition.

While we may have to cut him some slack for trying his possible best to fill van Persie’s shoes, signing a player as renowned as Gonzalo Higuain will be an eye opener for Giroud, and the competition for first-team places will certainly bring out the best in the Frenchman as it worked a treat with Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal.

Unlike Giroud that plays like a classic target man, Gonzalo Higuain offers Arsenal a different approach as he’s more like a predator in the box, sniffing on half chances and through balls before dispatching the ball past the opposition goalkeeper. This certainly indicates that opposition defenses will have more things to worry about when playing Arsenal.

Arsenal will have to break bank to sign Higuain, so that burden of expectation will spur him to deliver, and there will also be the threat of Giroud to contend with.

Conclusion

The fans have wailed for the Arsenal hierarchy to sign a striker in the molds of Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie. Gonzalo Higuain ticks all those boxes.

At 25, he’s young, his past records speak in volumes and his capture could bring a change in Arsenal’s fortunes, as signing a player of his caliber will make the fans and players believe that the club is ready to challenge for titles this season.

'We look at talent first, wages second. Arsene decides talent. He decides if we keep that top talent, we pay market rate.' really…—
Le Grove (@LeGrove) June 10, 2013

We need to hold Gazidis to these quotes.

Higuain’s talents are undoubted and unrivaled. Let’s pay the market rate!!!

Let me wet your appetite with a nice meal of Higuain on YouTube.

Sayonara

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Q & A with Ivan Gazidis: Thoughts, Opinions and Hopes for the Future

Thoroughbred Gooner, Tim Payton, sharing a photo of the Q and A session

With the season done and dusted, transfer speculation and international fixtures have taken center stage with the media Vultures and their keyboard warriors linking Arsenal with several intergalactic players all over the Milky Way.

With deadwood like Andrei Arshavin, Denilson and Sebastien Squillaci shown the exit door, it is believed that a whooping £180,000 in wages has been freed up and hopefully, it would be reinvested into the squad to those that actually deserve pay-rises.

Prior to yesterday’s annual Q and A session, Arsenal’s Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, spoke about how the club was beginning to reach the upper echelons in flexing its financial muscles, as the club has always been on spotlight for its thrifty nature in the transfer market. He boldly spoke about the club’s transfers, competing with the juggernauts of European football, winning trophies, changing the wage structure, Arsene Wenger’s future and of course, that epic quote about breaking bank to sign Shrek.

“Of course we could do that, we could do more than that. We have a certain amount which we’ve held in reserve. We also have new revenue streams coming on board and all of these things mean we can do things which would excite you.”

Even if it sounded cliche, the Chief Executive blew his horn about how money was available for the manager, how the manager had the full backing of the Board to make those moves that would benefit the club in the short and long-term, how the club longed for trophies and the whole nine yards.

The recent chain of events from the Arsenal hierarchy also showed how things have improved massively from a financial perspective. The Emirates deal was renewed, some more business was conducted with those chums from the Far East, the potential bumper kit deal with Puma (hoping for Nike to match the bid) and of course, the coffers still overflowing with profits from the past.

All these set the tone for the Q and A session that was chiefly focused on the club’s finances, that has become the talk of the town.

With a Gooner like me chilling in Lagos, Nigeria, there was no way in Hell I could attend the Q and A session, even if I wanted to borrow a flying broomstick from those world-famous witches in Swaziland that have been banned from flying over 150m above sea level.

However, I monitored the Q and A from Twitter with Gooners like Tim Payton, DarrenArsenal1, Le Grove, Gingers for Limper and Andrew Allen providing live updates as the event progressed.

According to Tim Payton, the AST questions included ticket prices, wage bill structure, Board membership & governance, Members Day & financial strength for new signings.

Gazidis confirms that Arsenal will have revenues of £300m per annum come 2014. Huge financial capability & will compete at top level again—
tim payton (@timpayton) June 10, 2013

With revenues of the astronomical amount stated above, it’s not hard to dare to dream this time. This also means that the club won’t have any excuses when they will be faced in paying huge transfer sums for players that will improve the squad. I know that we live in a world where you pay £35m for Andy Carroll and £50m for Fernando Torres but to buy a quality striker like Gonzalo Higuain, you’d have to break bank, and it’s heartwarming to know that Arsenal is capable.

#IGQA Ivan"RVP one of most difficult decisions we had to make,we thought hard to keep him to contract, motivation wasn't to pocket £24m….—
Darren (@DarrenArsenal1) June 10, 2013

This transfer epitomized Arsenal as a “selling club”, and it was really painful seeing Robin van Persie seeking greener pastures in the red half of Manchester. He went on to win the Premier League and while many fans feel he was “vindicated” for securing a move away from the Emirates, I’ll let you know when I give two fledgling _____ (fill in the blank).

Ivan just said we haven't signed players because we're targeting players at managerless clubs.—
Le Grove (@LeGrove) June 10, 2013

The term “manager-less” clubs painted an picture that had Everton, Manchester United and Real Madrid splattered all over it. In recent times, those keyboard warriors have linked the club with Marouane Fellaini from a manager-less Everton (Roberto Martinez’ arrival imminent), Shrek from a manager-less Manchester United (David Moyes’ arrival imminent) and Gonzalo Higuain from a manager-less Real Madrid.

Interesting times ahead as Gazidis says Wenger preference for paying all players similar wages has to change. Can Wenger adapt to new era?—
tim payton (@timpayton) June 10, 2013

This is really interesting because I really can’t see how Wenger wants to change from his current style of paying his players similar wages. When a certain Olivier Giroud’s salary is in close proximity to a wasted Marouane Chamakh, it would take some stuffing to change this approach in a club like Arsenal.

Top earners like Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski, Mikel Arteta and Thomas Vermaelen all earn salaries that are within the same range, and judging from their performances this season, it’s fair to say that they deserve to be in the same range (bar Vermaelen, that had a stinker this season. However, his performances in the past earned him a mega pay-rise that puts him in parity with this lot).

'We look at talent first, wages second. Arsene decides talent. He decides if we keep that top talent, we pay market rate.' really…—
Le Grove (@LeGrove) June 10, 2013

Arsene Wenger decides talent.

That’s part and parcel of his job and while there have been times he struck gold with some, there have been others where he was better off shooting his foot with a rifle. In simpler terms, for every Santi Cazorla, there’s a Gervinho and for every Laurent Koscielny, there’s a Seb Squillaci.

In terms of the “market rate”, it’s fair to say that Arsenal made an absolute bargain with the acquisition of Cazorla and he was a revelation since joining the club. For players coming from different footballing cultures, Podolski and Giroud did pretty well in their debut campaigns but more will be expected of them next season.

#IGQA Ivan "its clear we've had players who have not contributed,important with ltd budget, its something that needs to be addressed"—
Darren (@DarrenArsenal1) June 10, 2013

Despite playing second fiddle to Jens Lehmann when he arrived at the club, Manuel Almunia worked hard to displace the German before allowing complacency to creep into his game when he realized that Lukasz Fabianski offered no threat. As the years went by, Almunia’s form waned and he became a liability to the team but he preferred to sit on the bench and collect his salary till his contract expired. The same can be said above Arshavin and Squillaci last season.

Players like Nicklas Bendtner, Carlos Vela (before he was sold), Denilson (before his contract was rescinded) and more recently, Andre Santos and Marouane Chamakh earn big greens from the Gunners, but they plied their trades at different club and a part of me strongly believes that Arsenal pays a considerable chunk of their wages throughout the duration of their loan spells.

This trend has to stop and I strongly believe that Gazidis will put his money where his mouth is on this issue.

Feel free to check out the Twitter timelines of Tim Payton, DarrenArsenal1, Le Grove, Gingers for Limper and Andrew Allen to review more on the Q and A session with Ivan Gazidis.

This is by far his best performance of him in any Q&A I've been to, (so far) has to be said—
Darren (@DarrenArsenal1) June 10, 2013

If there’s any season Arsenal has to challenge for the Premier League title, it has to be this campaign with the three teams above them going through transitional phases while the Gunners’ stability remained intact. Gazidis has preached about how much money the club has in its coffers and chunk of it has to be directly invested in the club if we want to see progress.

The media Vultures have done their bit to create a host of articles linking the Gunners with some players that would add some value to the squad and I sincerely hope that Wenger would have the balls to make those bold moves in the transfer market.

With Fabianski’s future on the balance, his mind is probably made up with plans of getting regular playing time elsewhere, so the Gunners have to find a goalie that would give Wojciech Szczesny a run for his money because thoughts of Vito Mannone in goal are no different from thoughts of seeing Freddy Krueger in your dreams.

With an experienced head like Julio Cesar linked with the club, I’ll be glad if the Gunners make a punt for the shot stopper, as he would be there to provide some guidance to Szczesny that is touted as Arsenal’s custodian between the sticks for years to come.

In defense, the Gunners need to hold on to the French duo of Bacary Sagna and Laurent Koscielny, as well as bringing in a commanding center back like Swansea’s Ashley Williams. Having four quality center backs will definitely give the boss some selection headaches but that competition will bring out the best in all four center backs, as the duel between Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs has proven.

The Gunners are blessed with a vast array of midfielders but it’s high time Arsene Wenger opts for some muscle, tenacity and doggedness in the middle of the park, as age is slowly creeping in on Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard did a stellar job in his debut campaign as a holding midfielder but the Gunners need a rugged defensive midfielder that would be the water-carrier of the team.

In attack, I can look no further than Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentine goal-getter has been stunningly consistent smashing in 107 goals in 187 league games for Real Madrid. According to stats king, Orbinho, Higuain had a chance conversion rate of 43 percent in the 2011/12 campaign and 32 percent in the 2012/13 campaign. The average Premier League striker amasses only 16 percent.

With Giroud and co. missing some shocking chances last season, I’ll invest some smart money on the Argentine poacher that has announced that he intends to leave Madrid after playing second fiddle to Karim Benzema all season long.

The summer is young.

Take a bow for Ivan Gazidis that has shared his thoughts and opinions, while we all hope for the future.

Sayonara.

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Arsenal’s 2012/13 End of Season Awards

In yet another fruitless campaign by our standards, Arsenal secured a fourth place finish right at the death in the Premier League but the Gunners didn’t fare too well in other competitions football had to offer in the 2012/13 season.

The Capital One Cup adventure ended in the quarterfinals after losing through the lottery of the penalty shootout against lowly Bradford City and they managed to reach the Fifth Round of the FA Cup after a disappointing loss to Blackburn. The Gunners bowed out of the Champions League in the first knockout stage following a two-legged affair with eventual winners, Bayern Munich.

At the end of each season, Gooner Daily will publish a list of its personal awards for the Gunners in that campaign. There are awards for the good, the bad and the ugly.

The criteria include:

• Save of the Season
• Goalkeeping Blunder of the Season
• Goal of the Season
• Assist of the Season
• Match of the Season
• Worst match of the Season
• Most Improved Player of the Season
• Most Disappointing Player of the Season
• Player of the Season

Each criterion will have a top three listing from the third to the first.

These awards are the results of the End of Season nominations poll I created a while ago.

Enjoy!

SAVE OF THE SEASON

Despite the fact that a goalie might have one of the most “boring” roles in football, his importance to the team is unrivaled. As one of the essential components that form the back bone of any team, he can be the difference between three points and one point. Here’s Gooner Daily’s top three.

3.            Wojciech Szczesny against Wigan (May 2013, 25.67%): With Arsenal tied with relegation-bound Wigan at halftime, the Latics had a chance to go two up when Arouna Kone was clear on goal with little time to dwell on the ball. The Ivorian fired a goal-bound shot but Wojciech Szczesny made himself big to block the shot.

2.            Wojciech Szczesny against Sunderland (February 2013, 35.83%): In a game fondly remembered for Arsenal’s resolute defending, Szczesny pulled off a magnificent save from a Steven Fletcher header that was destined for the net

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1.            Wojciech Szczesny against QPR (May 2013, 38.5%): This can be defined as the save that was the difference between three points and one. After Theo Walcott had managed to score QPR early on, the game settled into what would be regarded as a nervy encounter. QPR hotshot, Loic Remy, had a glorious chance to level the contest but Szczesny was on hand to make an absolutely important save.

GOALKEEPING BLUNDER OF THE SEASON

In the yesteryear, Arsenal fans graced themselves to witness horrendous displays from their goalies that always ended up hurting the team. Of course, a season can’t be complete without a blooper or two.

While the likes of Szczesny, Fabianski and Mannone did well to put up decent performances, there were some moments of madness they exhibited that probably made them hope that the ground could open and swallow them up.

Here are the top three goalkeeping blunders this season.

3.            Wojciech Szczesny against Aston Villa (February 2013, 24%): Santi Cazorla will definitely take the plaudits for his brace that granted Arsenal all three points but a low point in the game arrived when Andreas Weimann’s attempt from three blocks away was guided into the net by Szczesny through some weak goalkeeping.

2.            Wojciech Szczesny against Southampton (September 2012, 36.88%): Arsenal had managed to keep three clean sheets in and everyone lauded Steve Bould for improving the fortunes of the defense. Szczesny came in Vito Mannone’s stead to make an unbelievable gaffe that made Arsenal concede its first goal in the Premier League. I’m sure he wanted the ground to open up.

3.            Vito Mannone against Norwich (October 2012, 39.38%): After the impressive away win over West Ham, the Gunners went on an international break before playing a Norwich side with fresher legs. The only goal of the game arrived when Alex Tettey’s shot was parried straight into Grant Holt’s path for an easy tap-in. A very poor piece of goalkeeping by Mannone.

GOAL OF THE SEASON

Goals are the very essence of football. The Premier League is rated as one of the best divisions in world football because of the high-octane football played as well as the entertainment value is brings. In football, one goal is enough to get you three points in a match provided you are rock solid and water-tight at the back. These are the three goals Gooner Daily felt stood out from the crowd in the 2011/12 season.

3.            Kieran Gibbs against Swansea (January 2013, 14.56%): After Miguel Michu put the home side in front, Lukas Podolski came off the bench to score an equalizer. Late on, Kieran Gibbs supplied a pass to Olivier Giroud and made a foray into the box. The Frenchman dinked the ball perfectly for the fullback and he blasted the ball past Michel Vorm in goal.

2.            Santi Cazorla against West Ham (October 2012, 27.67%): The Hammers had grabbed the lead through a sweetly-curled effort by Mohamed Diame but the Gunners equalized through a toe poke from Giroud. Theo Walcott scored the all-important second goal that swung the pendulum to Arsenal’s side but Santi Cazorla’s peach of a finish was the icing on a well-baked cake.

1.            Lukas Podolski against Montpellier (November 2012, 57.77%): Olivier Giroud was instrumental in the home fixture against his former employers, but the landmark of the night was the awesome finish by Podolski. As they say goes, pictures speaks in more volumes than words.

In this case, feel free to feast your eyeas in this beauty of a video…

ASSIST OF THE SEASON

This season, there were three outstanding assists for the Gunners that cut opposition defenses like hot knife through butter. Despite the fact that the end product created the euphoria, three passes were worth their weight in gold. Here’s Gooner Daily’s top three.

3.            Olivier Giroud for Kieran Gibbs against Swansea (January 2013, 15.59%): Giroud is renowned for his technique and his prowess was showcased yet again when his carefully-weighted lobbed pass was finished aplomb by Kieran Gibbs.

2.            Santi Cazorla for Theo Walcott against Chelsea (January 2013, 19.35%): Arsenal were trailing after goals from Juan Mata and Frank Lampard gave Chelsea the onus. Early in the second half, Santi Cazorla threaded an eye of the needle pass to Theo Walcott and the finish matched the excellent buildup

1.            Olivier Giroud for Lukas Podolski against Montpellier (November 2012, 44.09%):  Arsenal needed a victory against Champions League newbies, Montpellier, to qualify for the knockout phase. Two goals from Jack Wilshere and Lukas Podoldki (both setup by Giroud) put Montpellier to the sword.

The Ox used his reserves of pace to great effect on the right before teeing up Podolski. The German forward executed an inch-perfect one-two with Giroud before thumping a thunderous shot past Jourdren.

MATCH OF THE SEASON

Arsenal fans endured the ignominy of another fruitless campaign but there were some fixtures that made everyone concerned with the club proud to feel Red and White. Blazing Cannon has published a comprehensive list containing Arsenal’s10 best games this season, but here are the top three matches that will remain in Gooner hearts forever.

3.            Bayern 0 Arsenal 2 (March 2013, 28.5%): The Gunners suffered a humiliating defeat at home to Bayern but the spirits were high ahead of the return leg at the Allianz Arena. The manager made a conscious decision to axe captain Thomas Vermaelen and Wojciech Szczesny from the team and it paid dividends as the replacements put up stellar shifts in the spirited win over Bayern.

2.            Arsenal 5 Tottenham 2 (November 2012, 33.33%): With the Gunners in a winless streak in November following a defeat to Manchester United followed by two disappointing draws against Fulham and Schalke, Tottenham visited the Emirates to be on the wrong end of a real whooping. A classic case of deja vu.

1.            Reading 5 Arsenal 7 (October 2012, 38.16%): This would be one of the most pulsating encounters I’ve ever witnessed as a football fan.

In all my years as an Arsenal fan, I haven’t seen a game that made me go through so many emotional phases like yesterday’s game against Reading. I started the game with arrogance (simple stroll in the park, I thought), but that was quickly changed to a state of surprise (1 – 0), perplexion, bewilderment (2 – 0) and shock (3 – 0) before getting heavy doses of frustration and despair (4 – 0).

I began the second half with doubt (4 – 1), but it was changed to hope (4 – 2). At 4 – 3, urgency became my watchword and when Walcott made it 4 – 4, my euphoria knew no bounds. 5 – 4 was somewhat orgasmic,  but the equalizer was a bitter pill to swallow. After the final two goals that put the game beyond doubt, the only feeling I had was pride.

What’s not to love about Arsenal?

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Theo Walcott celebrates making it 4-4 at the Madejski Stadium.

WORST MATCH OF THE SEASON

There were also some matches that were very unbearable to watch. While there were games that filled the fans with fits of euphoria, there were other games we couldn’t wait to see the back of. This season, Arsenal has had a plethora of horrible results that dented their chances of winning silverware this season.

Here’s my top three.

3.            Arsenal 0 Swansea 2 (December 2012, 18.46%) : After going through a rough patch of form with draws against Everton and Aston Villa, Swansea arrived at the Emirates and beat the Gunners in their own passing game. Miguel Michu was a standout performer with two late goals that put the game beyond Arsenal’s doubt.

2.            Arsenal 0 Blackburn 1 (February 2013, 26.15%): With Wenger having half an eye on the big fixture against Bayern Munich, he decided to rest some key players as he had expected his team to roll over the Lancashire outfit. 90 minutes later, the Gunners were out of the FA Cup thanks to a Colin Kazim-Richards tame finish.

3.            Bradford City 1 Arsenal 1 (3-2 pens.) (December 2012, 42.05%): Arsene Wenger had singled his intent to compete in the Capital One Cup quarterfinal fixture as he named a strong lineup for the game. The Gunners were very profligate with their chances and had to leave it really late to get an equalizer on the night. After 120 minutes of pathetic football from Arsene Wenger’s men, Thomas Vermaelen missed the penalty that sent his team out of the competition.

Miss of a lifetime

 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE SEASON

This season, many Gunners impressed their manager, fellow teammates and most importantly, the fans with greatly improved displays on a consistent basis. Here’s my top three.

3.            Theo Walcott (43 Apps, 21 Goals, 17 Assists) (13.53%): Walcott was a vastly improved player this season and his output on the field of play was very impressive, with the forward scoring a lot of goals that helped his team’s cause as the season progressed.

2.            Per Mertesacker (44 Apps, Three Goals) (22.22%): Mertesacker’s first season in England came to an abrupt end when he suffered an injury against Sunderland. This campaign, he cemented his status as Arsenal’s No. 1 defender and the Gunners struggled really badly when he wasn’t on the pitch.

1.            Aaron Ramsey (47 Apps, Two Goals, Five Assists) (52.66%): Since his return to the squad in the holding midfield position, Ramsey became a refined player and worked in tandem with Arteta, balancing defense and attack. His performances, work rate and energy were vital in Arsenal’s surge for a fourth-placed finish. It was also good seeing Ramsey get some props from the same fans that rained curses on him in the past.

Ramsey celebrating goal against Wigan

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Arsenal also had its fair share of players that failed to step their game up all season long, and they were often subjected to a barrage of insults and causes from the fans. Here’s my take of the infamous three.

3.            Bacary Sagna (30 Apps, 15.61%): For a player that has been a hallmark of consistency, this has been a campaign Sagna would want to forget quickly. Injuries definitely took its toll on the Frenchman and he struggled for form all season long.

2.            Andre Santos (12 Apps, 31.22%) : Andre Santos arrived as a panic buy following the 8-2 mauling in the hands of Manchester United and he has definitely had his good days in the office but he was an aberration this season. He was appalling in his defending and he offered little or no threat offensively. His stunt with Robin van Persie at Old Trafford was the last straw

1.            Thomas Vermaelen (39 Apps, One Goal, 38.54%): It’s fair to say that if the Verm had remained in Arsenal’s defense in spring, that Gunners might have missed out on Champions League qualification. The Verm struggled badly for form this season and his goal-costing errors were getting out of hand. Bold move from the manager to axe his captain but under the circumstances, it was a highly welcome move.

PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Arsenal fans were given the opportunity to place votes of several polls created on the club’s website and the results were announced a few days ago. However, the prestigious award of the player of the season will be given the Gunners that really deserved it in my opinion.

3.            Mikel Arteta (43 Apps, Six Goals, Six Assists) (7.73%): Arsenal’s unsung hero in midfield did the dirty work for the team using a unique clean style that epitomized his unrivaled importance to the team. He also converted his fair share of penalty kicks, keeping a cool head when the moment arose.

2.            Laurent Koscielny (34 Apps, Four Goals) (19.31%): Koscielny overshadowed his peers in the heart of Arsenal’s defense with consistent displays that saw him humble a host of Premier League forwards as the season progressed. He was instrumental to his team in the tail end of the campaign.

1.            Santi Cazorla (49 Apps, 12 Goals, 16 Assists): Coming into the Premier League and hitting the ground running is no mean feat but Cazorla played as if he had been in Arsenal for years. He grew to become the creative hub of the team and he made things tick for his team through his intelligence, flair, passing range, technique and of course, his ambidexterity. It’s still shocking to know that he couldn’t make it into the PFA Team of the Year.

There you have it folks, the end of season awards for the 2012/13 campaign.

Special thanks to those that voted in the polls I created a while ago.

Sayonara.

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