Kru-el Day for Gooners

November rain brought with it the cold climate that is usually associated with the monsoon season. But tonight it was colder than usual to the extend that it sent chills through mad redo1's spine when Andy Carroll's header rolled gently over the goal-line at the stroke of half-time to give visitors Newcastle United the lead at the end of the first forty five minutes.

It was that 'one of those days' feeling that he felt during the West Ham United's visit last time around. Unfortunately, unlike the match against The Hammers there was no last minute goal this time around as The Toons held on against an Arsenal onslaught to register their first victory at The Emirates against The Gunners.

In a nutshell, Arsenal simply did not really turn up in full for the match and for mad redo1, skipper Cesc Fabregas had a really bad day at the office, playing well below his best. To make things worse his team-mates seemed to be infected by the same virus as they could not sustain the pace that was necessary to break down the Newcastle defence.

While it was true that we hit the woodwork twice and forced Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul into making a couple of excellent saves there was no fluidity in our movements. Put that against an away side that was more determined than most of our players today, we just knew how the outcome of the match going to look like, and it was not pretty, not pretty at all.

Was Lukasz Fabianski to blame for the goal?

mad redo1 would have to say yes but just for a small part of it. When the ball is driven into the area the goalkeeper will be in two minds, to stay on his line and react or to come and take it cleanly. Many would say he should have stayed as Carroll's header was hardly a bullet and he would have collected easily. But you just can never be certain of that as under no pressure the striker could have adjusted accordingly.

Fabianski decided to come. There were two options for him, to take the ball at his highest or to take it at his most comfortable height. The risk of the former was he could be a bit under the ball and it could fall loose which could result in a goal and he would be blamed all the same (or even worse for spilling the ball). The latter's risk was having the opponent cutting in front of you and beat you to the ball, which exactly what happened.

As for mad redo1, he would have chosen the former. if you feel that you are not hundred percent able to take the ball cleanly, at least you could have reached the ball with a hand and just push it away from the danger area, thus taking it out from the path of the opponent.

But that is life as a goalkeeper, any misjudgment could be fatal and if you are not strong enough it could affect your confidence. However mad redo1 believes that would not happen to the Pole as from a similar situation in the second half Fabianski came out again and this time he took the ball cleanly. Based on his performance so far I believe Fabianski would have saved Arsene Wenger from spending money on a new goalkeeper in January.

Every Gooner must accept the fact that Arsenal were poor tonight. Theo Walcott who notched a brace in Toons' country in the Carling Cup match was largely anonymous today while Jack Wilshere could not raise his game in front of the watching Fabio Capello. Marouane Chamakh was a bit hesitant to shoot despite having the opportunity to do so on a few occasions. Samir Nasri had a goal bound shot saved by Krul but he and his replacement Andrey Arshavin were able to show just glimpses of their true ability.

The most important thing is to keep the belief that we have the capabilities to end the trophy drought that we have endured for the last five seasons.

And pray for a huge slice of luck for us for the rest of the season.

Come on Arsenal!


...

Ukraine Jinx Continues

Frankly, mad redo1 did not bother to get out from his bed this morning to watch the delayed telecast between Arsenal who were visiting Shakhtar Donestk. But upon checking the result and reading the report on ESPN-Soccernet he found oout that The Gunners failed to win again in Ukraine.

The 2-1 defeat would have put him on a bad mood but this time it was not so bad. Perhaps it was rather expected due to past record there where Arsene Wenger only managed to show a draw as his best result so far. But to give it a positive spin Theo Walcott found the net again with a goal that combined the quick thinking of Jack Wilshere, Walcott's explosive pace and the calm finishing that he executed.


Prior to the match, Wenger had hinted of giving the England international a more central role but if he keeps scoring from the position he is right now by all mean just play him there, especially with the availability of big tall strikers such as Nicklas Bendtner and Marouane Chamakh that he can feed on.

Another plus point was the performance of Lukasz Fabianski who could not be faulted for both goals and for pulling off a few good saves. Perhaps lady luck was not smiling on him today when Craig Eastmond's head deflected the ball past him as the youngster challenged Dmytro Chigrynskiy's header from a free-kick.


However there were concerns about Gael Clichy and his tendency to put Arsenal in danger with his defending. The French fullback should have cleared when Shakhtar's Darijo Srna put him under pressure. But he went on to lose the ball to the Croatian and from his low cross former Gunner Eduardo diverted it past Fabianski.

Once again credit to Dudu, he did not celebrate his strike.

Putting the defeat in perspective, Arsenal are still at the top of their group and the result means The Gunners have the advantage over Shakhtar if the remain tied on points after all six matches have been played with a better head to head record having won 5-1 at The Emirates during their first meeting.

It was a bit of an understrength side with just four players from the hard fought win against West Ham on Saturday started the match at The Donbass. The confirmation of their place in Round Two could wait, at least there will be something to play for when they travel to Braga for their penultimate group match later this month.

Clearly Wenger was thinking about the visit of Newcastle on Sunday when chose the team for last night match.


...

Late Song of Joy

As expected the London derby between Arsenal and West Ham at The Emirates turned out to be a nervous affair for many watching Gooners around the world. On paper Arsene Wenger's men should not have much difficulties in disposing the bottom side but this being the Premier League, one is never certain of the outcome of any match.

Wenger's Arsenal were on a four match winning streak and were looking forward to making it the fifth. Of course, West Ham being West Ham, they just would not lay down and play ball. After creating a few openings the feeling was we would be celebrating an Arsenal goal soon.

Unfortunately Robert Green in the Wet Ham goal had other ideas. Why it is always against Arsenal that goalkeepers tend to show their best? (with the exception of Tim Krul on Thursday) Green performance should catch the eye of Fabio Capello in the stands saving from Cesc Fabregas and Sebastien Squillaci.

Based on this he should be back for the next England squad for the friendly against France. Another player who should be in that squad too is Theo Walcott. His introduction after 67 minutes caused more concern for the visitors and many Gooners thought he had scored soon after coming on but his attempt despite beating Green hit the post and the loose ball went safely into the goalkeeper's hands.


Earlier Samir Nasri had hit the bar with a long range effort and this had the fans thinking this could be one of those days. Nasri who had a good scoring run coming into this match would likely to be in the French squad facing his team-mate Walcott during the friendly.

If this was a drama, the scriptwriter could not have written it better. With just minutes before normal whistle was blown a cross from Gael Clichy found it's way into the six yard box and looked like it had evaded everybody until Alex Song stooped low to divert the ball past Green.


It was cruel for the goalkeeper but as a Gooner I was glad to be cruel just as long the three points were safely on the board in order to keep up the pace with other contenders.


...

Clean Sheet in the North-East

You might feel that Arsene Wenger never really put a serious assault on the League Cup since taking charge of Arsenal. His usual line-ups would consist of squad players and promising youngsters that have excelled in the reserve side.

However he has proven so many times that his belief in the ability of young players at his disposal is not an act of blind faith. The have dispatched quite a number of big name sides in recent years such as Liverpool and Manchester United and a few sides that fielded their strong sides when facing The Gunners in that competition such as WBA and Wigan Athletic.

This morning Carling Cup tie at Newcastle saw Wenger continued playing his young players. Craig Eastmond and Kieran Gibbs continued to feature while Havard Nordveit made it to the bench. But for me the most important player starting the match was goalkeeper Wosciech Szczesny who has been crying out for a chance to prove his worth for Arsenal.

The Polish youngster certainly did not disappoint with a few good saves against a Newcastle side that was not really at their full strength, with Chris Hughton clearly putting his priority to the weekend North-East derby against Sunderland at the same venue.

The emerging Szczesny, whose display during his loan spell at Brentford really showed his potential to become a good goalkeeper; will now make the contest for the spot between the sticks even hotter at The Emirates between him, Lukasz Fabianski and the 'injured' Manuel Almunia. Of course, the three of them will have to content with Vito Mannone once the Italian loan spell at Hull City ends in January.

After a long period of feeling vulnerable with their goalkeepers, Arsenal fans can now breathe a bit easier knowing that Wenger is right after all by sticking with the ones at his disposal. Fabianski certainly growing with confidence during each match he played and he would have to work hard in order not to make any mistake, knowing that his place could be taken by others.

I am very pleased with the developments as I have been a fan of Fabianski since he first came to the club. His erratic displays prior to this season really made me wonder whether he is just a good goalkeeper in a low quality league in Poland or he really is a great goalkeeper in the making. Right now my opinion is of the latter and I really hope that he will keep it up for years to come.


The 4-0 win against Newcastle also marked good return to the side by Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner. The England international brace sandwiching another good strike by Bendtner who has scored twice in as many matches after a similar strike against Manchester City on Sunday.

It was a match with a lot of positives for Wenger and he will be looking forward to Saturday London derby against West Ham United at The Emirates as another potential three points on the board even though matches against The Hammers were never easy.


...

It's The Drog... Again!

After witnessing a 2010 Malaysia Cup match between T-Team and Selangor at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, mad redo1 proceeded to the McD 'drive-thru' outlet to catch the visit of Arsenal to Stamford Bridge. Unfortunately, all seats in front of the TV were taken. Thus when another Gooner, Ahmad Arif arrived we decided to adjourn to the nearby T-Cafe.

It was still 0-0 but Arsenal already asked a few questions about the home defence. Both Marouane Chamakh and Laurent Koscielny should have put The Gunners ahead but both were unable to find the back of the net with their effort.

Arsenal were matching the home side but as always there was the question of luck that became a crucial factor in these kind of matches. Perhaps I am a bit bias but the feeling was Arsenal were not getting the break when playing against the so called big teams. Whether it was decisions by the officials or the bounce of the ball.

And tonight, it was no exception.


Our nemesis Didier Drogba connected with a low hard delivery from Cashley Cole and it hit the post before going in. It could have hit the post and rebound to safety but no, it went in off the post. During the build up to the goal there was a foul on Abou Diaby but it went un-noticed by the officials (not saying they did it intentionally but just failed to spot it).

In the second half I thought for a long period of time Arsenal could have leveled the score from their dominance but they just could not find the crucial breakthrough. Samir Nasri was very lively and so was Jack Wilshere. Andrey Arshavin whose attempt forced Peter Cech into making a good save in the first half, faded in the second.


Then came the moment when the home side put the match just a bit beyond our grasp. A foul by Koscielny as they broke through meant the referee Mike Dean had to award a free kick, which was centrally located of Lukasz Fabianski goal.

During the build up Florence Malouda joined the wall. Now, when I was at school, the coach taught me when an opponent joins your defensive wall during a free-kick, make sure have a team-mate covering behind him and do not say 'welcome to our defensive wall' to him at all time.


Unfortunately, the entire Arsenal squad did not go to my school. Thus when Malouda stepped aside after the referee had whistled, there was this big gap in the wall and for a Brazilian like Alex it was like a Grand Canyon opening up for him to slot his thunderbolt, which I doubt even the best goalkeeper in the world now would have difficulties in reaching it.

That it. We are now seven points behind the league leaders. But so what? We have been adrift before but on many occasions we managed to find ourselves in the mix right to the death. With many personnel coming back from the treatment room in the next few weeks, our squad will look much stronger.


The most positive aspect from the match at the Bridge was Fabianski. He looked confident throughout the match and if he is given a run of matches during which he does not court any 'incident', then Mark Schwarzer's dream of playing for a top club will remain just that, a dream.

Keep on Goonering you ARSE-s!!!

...

Fruitful Trip to Lancashire

At the time of writing mad redo1 has not seen the goals from the Arsenal visit to Blackburn Rovers last night. After the conclusion of Terawih and Witr prayers he immediately took Mortimer to the McD Drive Thru Restaurant where Eezmo has been watching together with returnee GanuGooner, Spalding.

What left on the clock was just minutes and the score was 2-1 in favour of the visitors. Then Arsenal broke on the right and in the end the ball reached Jack Wilshere who only had Paul Robinson to beat. However the teenager's attempt was blocked by the veteran custodian and shortly after the man in the middle blew for full time.

It is good to know Theo Walcott keeps scoring goals for Arsenal and his opener certainly shows his continuous development as a forward which will bode well for Arsenal challenges on all fronts this season. However there must be a bit concern about Laurent Koscielny ability to withhold the physical nature of Premier League after he was shouldered off the ball by El Hadji Diouf en route of the home side equaliser, which was scored by Mame Biram Diouf.

Arsenal defended stoutly for the rest of the match in the face of Blackburn's direct route football and Manuel Almunia performed efficiently despite the uncomfortable nature of the match which saw heavy rain pouring down in Lancashire in the early part of it.

Andrey Arshavin's winner just six minutes into the second half did not kill off the match as the home side tried to force an equaliser. But the resilience showed by the Arsenal team was enough to ensure all three points went The Gunners' way, much to the delight of all Gooners around the world and especially the three at kT's McDonald's Drive Thru Restaurant.

However, there was some concern when Robin van Persie hobbled off with an ankle injury and according to Arsene Wenger the Dutchman will be out for ten days. Van Persie started his first match of the season and so was skipper Cesc Fabregas whose blocked shot led to Arshavin's winner in the second half.

Arsenal fans could be reunited with their former skipper William Gallas as early as September when both North London clubs were paired together in the Third Round of the Carling Cup competition. The match which is slated for 20-09-2010 will be at White Hart Lane. Arsene is expected to field his youngsters while Harry Redknapp will do otherwise, seeing the competition as one where his side could get their hands on a piece of silverware this season.

That will be a fodder for another day. For the time being just enjoy the fruit of labour from the trip to Ewood Park. It is certainly a good birthday gift for mad redo1 who turned 41 on the 19th day of Ramadhan.

...

Reunion in the Champions League

Arsenal will be reunited with one of their alumni when the Gunners face Shakhtar Donetsk of the Ukraine in the Champions League Group H campaign. Arsene Wenger's men will also travel to Portugal and face their doppelganger side Sporting Braga who also play in red and white kit. Then another trip to one of the former iron curtain countries to face Serbian side Partizan Belgrade.

Many would say it is a relatively easy group but Arsenal do not have a good record against sides from the former Soviet bloc. In fact they were beaten 3-0 against Donetsk in 2000 before a Martin Keown stoppage time header in the return leg at Highbury secured their trip out of that group. Then another thing to be vary about is former Arsenal players tend to do well against their former club, thus I really hope that would not be the case for Eduardo, who has scored three so far for his new club.

Followings are Arsenal Champions League fixtures:

15-09-2010 SC Braga (h)
28-09-2010 FK Partizan (a)
19-10-2010 Shakhtar Donetsk (h)
03-11-2010 Shakhtar Donetsk (a)
23-11-2010 SC Braga (a)
08-12-2010 FK Partizan (h)

In another development, ESPN-Soccernet reported the completion of Sebastien Squilachi's transfer from Spanish side Sevilla to Arsenal despite no announcement has been made by Arsenal.com. The addition is certainly a welcomed one by many Gooners as the defensive unit looks a bit lightweight after the departure of Sol Campbell, William Gallas, Mickael Silvestre and Phillip Senderos.

The tall French international will add reinforcement with his good reading of the game and man-marking skills even which would make up for his lack in speed even though the pace in the Premier League is a notch higher than it is in La Liga. Thus it will take a while for Squilachi to adapt to his new environment.

Another development in the transfer front is the availability of Newcastle defender Steven Taylor after the player fails to agree terms for a new contract with his hometown club. However, I do not see Arsene making a move for the English defender, especially with his defensive unit is already full with French speaking nationals.

The manager also calls for more protection for goalkeepers during set-pieces, especially corners when opponents have a specialist in obstructing goalkeepers from getting to the ball fairly. This is especially true when facing physical sides such as Bolton Wanderers and this weekend's opponent Blackburn Rovers.

Former custodian Jens Lehmann was the favourite among opponents to use this tactic as the goalkeeper could be easily provoked just by having a player standing in front of him. However current short-stopper Manuel Almunia is more stable in that sense. However after seeing how Stoke City scored against Sp*rs last weekend, Arsene feels more protection is needed against such unfair plays.

The trip to Ewood Park will see the return of midfielder Denilson from injury while Laurent Koscielny who was suspended against Blackpool should take his place alongside Thomas Vermaelen. Thus there would be some changes in the midfield with Alex Song is expected to take the role as the enforcer in front of the back four. If Cesc Fabregas is fit, then the skipper is expected to take his place alongside Tomas Rosicky which will see Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby dropping to the bench.

With an early kick-off time it will be interesting whether mad redo1 will place his butt in front of the telly or otherwise. Whatever it is, C'mon Gooners!

...

April Gloom

The month of April could be a time for jubilation or the beginning of despair until August. For many Gooners, it has been the latter for the past five Aprils that we been through. It does not look like it is going to change this April too.

We have been dumped out from the Champions' League in the early part of the month. Then we lost a League 'derby' for the first time in a decade, which did not spell the end right away for the title challenge as other contenders suffered setbacks in the programme too.

Unfortunately, when we thought we have shown enough character to remain in the hunt, we also showed that we also have the other side to our character. Losing 3-2 after leading by two goals with just about ten minutes left at Wigan certainly ended our faint hopes of a silverware this season.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez who in some quarters believed to be a younger clone of Arsene Wenger due to his belief in playing the passing game would be very glad to get one over the master himself. I would not be surprised if he is being earmarked to fill the hot seat at the Emirates if Wenger himself decides to leave for a new project.

Since his arrival I have been a keen supporter of Lukasz Fabianski and would not have any qualm in defending him for his so called 'blunders'. However, it seems the frequency of these blunders have been quite high and most of the time would be costly. Wenger may have his own opinion but right now I feel we need a more solid goalkeeper at the heart of our defence.

The review has been good about another Pole custodian, Wojciech Szczesny currently on loan at the lower league with Brentford. Like another young goalkeeper in the Gunners' book Vito Mannone, he seems to benefit from playing in the lower divisions where the game is more physical in addition to more playing time which for a goalkeeper is very important to keep him in match shape.

Hugo Lloris or Manuel Neuer would be most welcomed by many Gooners but the asking price would probably turn off Wenger. But with many Belgians currently plying their trade in the Premier League and the success of Thomas Vermaellen this season there could be a hint of possibility that Wenger would attempt to bring Belgium current #1, Logan Bailly from German club Borrusia Monchengladbach.

Many would say that Arsenal lack the strength in depth and this season's injury list seems to be giving the statement its credence. But with many youngsters going out on loan this season to gain the necessary experience they would add more strength to the squad next season. Thus I would think there would only just be two new signings, three at the most be made during the close season.

Right now Wenger would be focusing on this weekend clash Manchester City. A win would certainly cement their grip on third place which is essential in order not to rush players too soon after their World Cup campaign in order to play in the play-off matches before the group stage. As for me, a win is just perfect after the suffering that we have endured at the hand of City in the league and cup this season.

C'mon you Gooners!


...

November Rain

October has passed with Arsenal quietly making their way into the top four. Unbeaten during the month which started with a 6-2 demolishing of Blackburn, the 3-0 win over Sp*rs is certainly the best way to end it.

However, events in between the two results certainly raise doubts whether we can sustain a meaningful challenge for the Premier League title and also the Champions' League this season. The win over Blackburn is followed by a 3-1 win over Birmingham City while the young Gooners' victory over Liverpool in the Carling Cup precedes the win over the neighbours.

But it is the draws at AZ Alkmaar and West Ham that really put the question mark whether Arsenal could maintain their challenge this season. In both matches, Arsenal are cruising at 1-0 and 2-0 respectively when they fail to deliver the knock-out punch, a goal that would ultimately seal the match on both occasions.

Despite the draws do not really bear any bearing at this stage, it could be detrimental to the Arsenal cause in the long run. Drawing too many matches certainly cost us dear last season and we must avoid the same thing happening again.

November will see us travelling to Moulineux and the Stadium of Lights to face Wolves and Sunderland respectively. On paper these two matches should be just a walk in the park but in football just about anything can happen. Champions League campaign will see AZ and Standard Liege coming to the Emirates and at the end of the month it will be another London 'derby' with Chelsea being the visitors.

Nine Premier League points in November could be a tall order but in order to cement their credentials as genuine title contenders this season, Arsene Wenger's boys and men have no choice but to push for it, and push very hard.

C'mon Arsenal!

...

Half Dozen of Delights.

Arsenal showed their patience and persistence during their Champions League match against Olympiakos by constantly bombarding the Greeks' goal which was well kept by the greying Nikopolidis (A reminder of the state of mad redo1's hair). He was finally beaten by Robin van Persie's goal created by substitute Eduardo. There was a big hint of offside with the second goal scored by Andrei Arshavin but at the moment mad redo1 will take it any which way they come.

Then the visit of Blackburn Rovers on Sunday. It is never easy against Rovers, and Arsenal struggled most of the time when they came up against Sam Allardyces' Bolton Wanderers in the past.

Going a goal down inside four minutes was not what many Gooners had on their mind. Vito Manonne conceded his first Premier League goal as Steven Nzonzi looped over him from a long punt by Paul Robinson. The equaliser which came nearly quarter an hour later was the prelude of how Arsenal will score goals for the rest of the match.

The unlikely topscorer, Thomas Vermaelen tackle gave Arsenal possession and when it fell to skipper Cesc Fabregas, the ball back to the central defender was like serving it on a plate. His left foot drive saw Robinson grasping air and mad redo1 hi-fiving Nina at home.

It was completely opposite the way Blackburn regained the lead though credit must be given to David Dunn who made the extra man as they hit Arsenal on the break. Manonne seemed to have the shot covered but William Gallas's thigh got in the way. The deflection was enough to wrong foot the Italian custodian and mad redo1 found himself not laughing.

This could turn bad for the home side.

Fortunately, Fabregas decided to seize the day. After setting up Vermaelen for the first equaliser, his pass opened up the Blackburn defence for van Persie to equalise for the second time. In a similar move, the Spaniard found Arshavin whose shot gave Arsenal the lead for the first time during the match.

Blackburn had a good case for a penalty when Vermaelen seemed to have brought down Dunn but the referee waved it away and Arsenal just romped away. Fabregas continued trying to create chances for others but he had a go himself just under the hour when the ball fell kindly to him. His half volley left Robinson rooted as the ball went in the top corner.

The Fabregas show did not end there and Arsenal could have blew away Blackburn for double figures. But Robinson performed credibly and the visitors were also let off by some poor finishing by Arsene Wenger's charges. But there was nothing poor about Theo Walcott's finishing as he finished off a breath-taking Arsenal counter attack started by Fabregas in his own penalty area.

His introduction in the 69th minute was Walcott's first competitive appearance this season. Another substitute, Nicklas Bendtner got his name on the scoresheet as well with ten minutes to go when he cut across the field from the left after receiving a long pass from the right. His right foot shot sizzled past Robinson before going in off the post as The Gunners completed the half dozen.

With the kind of momentum they are on now, the international break is certainly not a welcome disturbance. However, it is hoped that it will continue for the visit of Birmingham City in a fortnight.

...

Viva Mannone!

Craven Cottage is not an easy place to visit, especially for Arsenal for the past few seasons. Despite getting the required results most of the time from there, it also witnesses heartbreaks when Arsenal fail to reach their level of football. Even though a rarity but Arsenal are also known to grind out results despite not reaching that level.

Last night was one such cases. Fulham 'in-your-face' attitude did not allow Arsenal to really settle down and the trip to South London could have been a disastrous one if not for the heroics of an Italian young goalkeeper, Vito Mannone.

The saves he pulled from the likes of Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora were first class and it kept the hopes up for Arsenal who scored the winner when Robin van Persie's deft first touch enabled him to deliver a quick finish just before Mark Schwarzer could deny the Dutchman. It was skipper Cesc Fabregas's vision and delivery that opened up the stout home defence.

It is still very early to judge Mannone even though the signs are good. I am sure Arsene Wenger will revert to Manuel Almunia once the Spaniard recovers from his illness. But one thing for sure, the competition for the place between the sticks will heat up, though I hope it would not escalate to a 'Lehmanesque' proportion.

Andrei Arshavin had a quiet match though there were a few moments that could have turned the match in his favour. But it was good to see him coming back especially with the Champions League match against Olympiakos coming up on Wednesday morning.

The three points from Craven Cottage are sure sweet but Mannone certainly provided the icing on the cake for me.

Go Gooners!

...

To a More Consistent 2009!

If this blog reflects the performance of the Arsenal team, then I will be responsible for the inconsistent performance of the Gunners in the Premier League this season. So many matches that I have failed either to preview or to review.

In a way it reflects how Arsenal have turned it on in a match and then completely disappeared in the next couple of games. Fortunately, I do not think that has been the case even though there are a number of things that I would do in order to get the lady luck smiling on my beloved Gooners.

The new year begins with us in fifth place, a complete contrast to the previous season when we were at the top seemingly cruising to our first Premier League title since the 'invincibles'. Well, you know how that one turned out.

With a squad younger than last season I was quietly confident that we would be able to emulate our achievement last season and go even better. Unfortunately the early season optimism has all but disappear following the recent last minute 'hara-kiri' at Villa Park against the team that is in direct competition for the last Champions League place next season.

I do not see us lifting the Premier League trophy in May though I really hope we will be able to make it a race all the way. Mathematically we are still in the race but realistically it is a long shot. Arsene Wenger needs everything to be completely aligned and clicked together and on this first day of 2009, I do not see that happening.

But football has this habit of throwing surprises here and there.

I for one would really love to be surprised after the surprises that we suffered at Craven Cottage and also when Hull City made their first trip to the Emirates in September.

C'mon Arsenal!

...

The Villan in Us.

ARSENAL 0
ASTON VILLA 2 Glichy OG Agbonlahor

I just simply do not know how to call the latest defeat at the Emirates.

Is is a debacle?

Is it a disaster?

Is it a setback?

What?

I would not go as far as calling for Arsene Wenger's resignation but the team he put out against Aston Villa was a different team to the one that won all three points against Manure last week.

Different in the sense of attitude.

Do we really motivate ourselves just against the like of Manure, Liverfool and Chelski? And for other matches, we just simply turn up and all the three points will be in the bag.

Of course the lips say 'NO' but the attitude seems to be saying 'YES'.

So it is not fair to blame Arsene as he puts his trust on his players to continue the momentum from getting back to their winning ways. For me, the players really let us down with the lack of hunger against a more motivated team, especially with former Gunner, Steven Sidwell was very keen to prove his worth after being let go by Arsene earlier.

We could just put the blame on luck as Bacary Sagna was down injured when Villa broke through his side and the referee for not awarding a free-kick after Curtis Davies had taken down Carlos Vela prior to the second goal.

But the truth was the visitors who looked more deserving to go home with all the three points.

And I for one, would like to see how are wee going to get back on track.


Again.

...

Delapped at The Britannia

Stoke City 2 Fuller, Olofawhat?
Arsenal 1 Glichy

As an optimist Arsenal fan I would say the latest defeat at the Brittania Stadium came at a very good time, as it is still early in the season. But this was our third defeat and they all came against sides that were not really up there in 'our league', or so we thought.

But if we cannot beat teams that are from the lower league, then are we ready to compete in our own league then?

As it is, we are still just three points off the pace, a bit of gratitude to the boys in white tonight who clearly benefited from our generosity on Thursday morning (Malaysian time that is). Chelski's mauling of Roy Keane's Sunderland meant they went to the top on better goal difference than Liverpool.

Back to the match against Tony Pulis's Stoke City, we started without the injured (allegedly) William Gallas. Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott found themselves on the bench with Nicklas Bendtner, Abou Diaby and Alex Song replacing them in the first eleven.

But watching Arsenal play you could not believe that this is a team who has not won anything since 2005. They lacked the hunger and drive to play the match with a fast tempo, something which I really think was urgently needed in order to get past the ageing Stoke defence.

Then we fell behind when our defensive frailties were exposed again. For the goal I really think Manuel Almunia should have came for the ball as it was travelling right at him, or at least he would have squeezed a foul from the referee with Ricardo Fuller backing into him.

I would have expected that we would show more creativity and pace in search for the equaliser but there was none. Manu Adebayor's body language clearly showed that he did not wish to be there.

Come on! You are a six foot plus striker but did not strike any fear at all to the opposing defenders who are just happy to hassle you into making mistakes with your poor first touch and lately clumsy jumps. The less said about your finishing the better.

I do not think I have ever said this before but seeing Adebayor going off was perhaps my highlight of the match. Last season I was all out defending the Togolese poor finishing, that he would have to have quite a number of chances before finally finding the net. I was proud doing that because Adebayor seemed to give everything he got.

Unfortunately, his transfer episode during the summer has completely turned me against him and I would rather have the millions from Milan or Barcelona than having to see him giving half hearted performance such as the one at Stoke just now.

Credit must be given to Pulis as he maximised the strength that his side has and the home fans deserved to go home with all the three points. It was rather unfortunate that the hunger and drive which was lacking throughout the match from the Arsenal players only came during time added on.

Congratulations to Gael Clichy for scoring his first senior goal with a pinball effort which gave Thomas Sorensen no chance at all. But it came all too little too late.

Arsene Wenger must be counting his woes as Walcott and Sagna went off injured. I really must say that a straight red card for van Persie was rather extreme by Rob Styles and the most the Dutchman should have got was a yellow card.

But as an optimist Arsenal fan, I really believe that there is a silver lining somewhere in the clouds for us Gooners. So just be patient and hope we will see it soon.

Really soon.

...

Emirates Cup Round Up

Thanks to astro, the premier (the only one in fact) satellite TV provider in Malaysia, I was able to watch Arsenal matches in the Emirates Cup Tournament which was won by another Emirates sponsored team, Hamburg SV.

It has been typically frustrating at times watching Arsenal when they are unable to finish the many chances created during a match, and this weekend is no exception. Against Juventus they could and should have at least achieved parity and they should have scored more against Real Madrid.

Of course result wise, these are not really important anyway but the way we keep on wasting chances perhaps is a matter of grave concern.

In Samir Nasri I believe we have a very exciting player that could contribute to our goals for tally a-la Robert Pires. I did not recall any shooting chances for the French international during the tournament, but of course against quality opponents such as Juventus and Real Madrid chances are bound to be at premium.

I am not really sure about Abou Diaby though. His tendency to be robbed off the ball has not yet been rectified though the performance of Denilson left me a bit warm inside with the hope that he could be the player to partner Cesc Fabregas in the middle.

Despite him trying very hard I just could not watch Manu Adebayor without some sort of negative feelings burning up inside me. He can say anything that he wants but it is very hard to just think of all the stories surfacing during the summer were mere miscommunications or the work of someone who has some bad intentions to the Togolese.

Just seeing him typically missing his chances during the matches against Juventus and Real Madrid really made me having some bad intentions towards him.

Anyway, other Arsenal players that took the pitch on Saturday and Sunday really made feel good and strengthened my belief that our position is not really that bad personnel wise. Aaron Ramsey, Carlos Vela and Jack Wilshere really impressed me and I would not be surprised if they would appear more frequently rather than just the odd cup matches.

Tonight was a good night for me, winning a bowling competition organised by our local football team Terengganu which just qualified for the last eight of the Malaysia Cup. Supporting Arsenal is one thing but this is where I get my 'live' football fix. Maybe more about this later.

...

All Class at the Mercedez

Finally I got the chance to watch a 'live' Arsenal performance during this pre-season when they registered a 3-1 win at the Mercedez Benz Arena against a VfB Stuttgart side fielding former Gunner goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann in their starting line-up.

A few 'big' names made their return to the Arsenal line-up though I have mixed feelings seeing Manu 'Add-No-Buyer' in the new away kit. Though the feeling was the complete opposite when it comes to Robin Van Persie who I really hope to be able to stay injury free and realise his tremendous potential.

Despite having seen him play before for France, this was the first time I saw Samir Nasri playing in the colours of Arsenal and despite not setting the stadium alight, he showed enough for me to keep looking for more when the real business starts in earnest.

Lehmann certainly did not show any generousity towards his former colleagues, pulling several saves which any goalkeeper would be proud off. However he could do nothing when Arsenal stepped up a gear after falling behind to a Yildiray Basturk goal just six minutes into the second half.

Carlos Vela could be another gem discovered by Arsenal Wenger and his cool finish after shaking off the burly Khaled Boulahrouj and beating Lehmann certainly showed big potential of the young Mexican.

With Nicklas Bendtner continued his fine scoring form with another efficient performance and a sharp finish to put Arsenal into the lead, I really hope Arsene will give the Danish youngster the opportunity to cement his place in the line-up.

A crisp finish by 16 years old Jack Wilshere underlined what Wenger has seen in the youngster, who by being included in this pre-season tour indicated that he could see competitive first team action sooner than his peers. Hopefully he would keep his head firmly on the ground and would not go looking for grandmas in the future.

For the time being there is no indication that the Emirates Cup will be shown on the satellite TV provider here in Malaysia. Last year they did and it was the same for the Armsterdam Tournament. Hopefully this year they will too.

By the way, Chelski dropped by to play against the Malaysian National team and they won 2-0. The goals were scored by two former Gunners in Abdul Bilal Salam a.k.a Nicolas Anelka and by the left-back before Gael Glichy.

It was the second goal scored by the Frenchman, who notched his first during Arsenal visit to Malaysia on 19 May, 1999. The only time that I ever saw the Gunners in action right in front of my own eyes.

...

Three Gooners in the News

Arsenal continue with their training in Austria with a match against a Burgenland Selection on Monday. Interestingly, from the photos taken by the club photographer Manu Adebayor has joined his team-mates in training and presumably already had handed down his 'ultimatum' to Arsene Wenger (note the word presumably).

Obviously Arsene still rate him though he could take a chance on Nicklas Bendtner who stated that he really would like to improve on three fronts - goals, games and silverware. I could not see no harm in agreeing with the big Dane since I already penned him in my fantasy football first eleven.

I really believe that Bendtner would improve more if he is given the chance to start in more matches this season. A decent return of 9 goals from 17 start and 23 substitute appearances last season certainly had me thinking that he would be better this season if given the chance. For me there are not a lot to choose between him and the Togolese though I believe Bendtner possess better first touch and a bit pacier than his team-mate.

Another player who I believe would be an asset to Arsenal is Samir Nasri who is ready to play across the middle for Arsene. With his ability to play on either flanks and also the middle, Arsene will have the choice to tinker with his formation even though the French youngster stated that who would be deployed on the wings with the license to come in a-la Thierry Henry. Hopefully he will find the net frequently a-la Thierry too.

Now, that would be the talk of the season, wouldn't it?

...

A Bit of Prediction - Starters for the Coming Season

It is indeed very interesting to predict on how the coming season will turn out for us Gooners. I would not go into predicting of who is going to win what but rather how the new season going to turn out for some of the Arsenal players.

Perhaps it is pretty obvious that I like Lukasz Fabianski and would like to see him between the sticks for Arsenal. The boy certainly has the confidence despite conceding five down the road last season. But his displays in the last few matches last season were certainly enough to convince Arsene Wenger not to shop for a new goalkeeper.

The Polish stopper would warm the bench again this season with Manual Almunia is keen to show he is worth wearing the number one on the back of his kit. But do not be surprise if Fabianski would be given his chance if the Spaniard drops a few clangers the way Jens Lehmann did last season.

Defensively, there are a lot of uncertainties in regard of who would partner who in the middle and most importantly, who would protect them in midfield to ensure the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky are free to go forward without having to worry too much about what's happening at the back.

With Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy are set to be the first choice full-backs this season it would be interesting to see whether Arsene is going to stick with the Kolo Toure and William Gallas partnership. While I do not that much problem with Kolo, I am having a bit of a doubt with Gallas.

We have a number of players who can slot into the central position but we certainly do miss someone who has the towering presence to deal with high ball pumped into our half, such as the one that we conceded against Liverpool when Peter Crouch won an aerial duel to set up Dick Kuyt with the chance.

Unless Arsene brings in someone who meet the criteria I would be forever biting my nails whenever we face teams which possess physical forwards such as Chelski with Dogba and Portsmouth with Crouchie.

With Fabregas is expected to be running the show, many Gooners will be particularly curious to see whom Arsene going to partner the Spaniard with. Remember, prior to last season almost nobody would have thought the departed Matt Flamini would become the almost perfect defensive foil for Cesc.

So, there are a long list of names that Arsene could choose from. My favourite would be Abou Diaby if he can step up his awareness to the surrounding as he has the tendency to be robbed off the ball by opponents coming from the back. He also has weighed in with a number of wonderfully taken goals such as against Derby County and Liverpool last season.

Others would be Denilson if he can be more physical in his approach but the dark horse for me would be Alex Song who displayed a quite competent performance in defence during the last few matches last season. His passing has improved and certainly looked comfortable in the air as well.

As for the foward line, in the wake of his protracted transfer saga Manu Adebayor (if he stays) would have to really step up his finishing touch. As I have stated before, with the number of chances created by the midfield he should have kept pace with Ronalfoo all the way for the topscorer award.

It is hoped that Robin Van Persie would have better luck injury wise and if he is, I believe Arsene would partner him with the Togolese. My preference would be Nicklas Bendtner to partner Van Persie as it is time that he proves his is as good as what he said before. Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri would have to be content with attacking roles from the wings.

I really believe that more youngsters should be given the taste of the Premiership every now and then with many of them are ready to push themselves to be part of the first team this season, according to Arsene.

Any feedback guys?

...

Not This Time.

The new home kit is simply a turn off.

For me an Arsenal home kit would always have white sleeves and a red body. The new one certainly reminds me of the Charlton kit from a few seasons back and also the one worn by Middlesbrough.

Furthermore, taking away the badge and the sponsor's logo, we could have an ordinary shirt that are sported by many teams all over the world. With the white sleeves, the first thing that most likely will come to a football fan's mind is Arsenal.

In this time of crass commercialisation, the manufacturer simply decided to do away with traditions. What else could explain the white away kit from last season. Promoting it as a commemorative to the great Herbert Chapman, it was something that would make him turn in his grave.

I have bought quite a number of Arsenal kits over the years, since they were made available to us overseas supporters. The first one that I bought was for the 1994-95 season at a cost of RM165. It was the first kit by nike after Arsenal decided to move from Adidas.

The last kit I bought was the home kit preceding the new one at a cost of RM240. It looks like that was the last one for quite sometime, unless the rumoured yellow and dark blue away kit materialises.

Now that one, I would not mind paying for.

...

Of Euro 2008 and the Togonator

It has been a while.

The EURO2008 has concluded with Spain emerging from their nearly-men tag to become champions for the first time since 1964. If interested, you could go here to find my views in regards of the competition.

It is most unfortunate that the main news these days are about how Manu Adebayor demanded his salary to match what Thierry Henry earned during his time with the Gunners. I am sure many would have agreed with me that Adebayor is no Henry, unless he could emulate his achievement last season and find the net thirty times or more in 2008-09.

But as someone commented on an Arsenal fansite, with the number of chances created by the Arsenal midfield, Adebayor should have kept pace with manures' Cristiano Ronalfoo all the way for the Golden Boot Award.

For me, he is not a finished article that entitles him to demand a hundred thousand plus pounds weekly wages. Thus, if another club like Barcelona or AC Milan would be able to cough up the dough for the Togolese, then by all means; take it.

...