Bleacher Report - Articles by Jam

Ten Reasons Why Arsenal Lost To Sunderland

Jam — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:07:35 -0500

Ok, so we lost a game after a 14-match unbeaten run...big deal, get over it.

Arsenal did not lose to a poor team, Sunderland are a match for anyone, especially at home (go ask Fergie and Rafa Benitez).

The defeat at Sunderland didn't come as surprise to me because we should've lost there last year, but saved thanks to an injury-time goal from Cesc Fabregas. And the Sunderland team the Gunners faced that day was actually worse than the current one.

Overall, although the Sunderland team hustled and bustled very well, Arsenal created the game's best opportunities, especially in the first half. The Black Cats had few half-chances and created very little themselves.

The only goal of the game was scored by the excellent Darren Bent, who worked his socks off for the team; and deserved his goal.

The goal itself was a touch fortunate as the ball came to Bent courtesy of Fraizer Campbell's shin.

To be honest, after an hour of play, i couldn't see either side scoring so i expected a stalemate. A draw would've been a fair result, but well done Sunderland, Steve Bruce has managed to attract quality players and I'm sure they will take few more big scalps this season.

I wrote an article few weeks back after the Fulham game, in which i declared that Arsenal had finally learned how to ' win ugly' away from home.

The difference that day was one Robin Van Persie and, had he been playing yesterday, I'm sure the gunners would've got something out of the game.

This brings me to the ten reasons why Arsenal lost at Sunderland:

1) No Robin Van Persie (RVP). The injury to the Dutchman was a big blow to Wenger and the team, because he had adapted to the lone-striker role magnificently.

And with the Bendtner also out, the only other option for the boss was Eduardo;

2) Eduardo is not a central striker. Eduardo found the front man role very tough yesterday. He couldn't hold the ball up, and his link-up play was poor.

Also, he doesn't have the physical attributes to fend-off big centre-backs. Thus, he should never be used as the lone striker again;

3) Lack of width. Nasri and Rosicky provided little to no width for Arsenal. Not once did either of them took on the full-back and crossed the ball. In other words, they offered no penetration on the flanks and kept coming inside all the time.

This meant that everything Arsenal played was in front of the Sunderland players, which made their job that much easier.

When Arshavin came on, things started to happen because he gave the team width and penetration;

4) Walcott not starting. Theo was finally fit and he needs games so why not play him? I really don't understand this one, especially with Eboue also on the bench;

5) Lack of pace up front. Arshavin, Walcott, Eboue and Vela were all on the bench. This meant that there was an obvious lack of pace in the team, especially in the final third.

As a result, creative players, like Ramsey and Fabregas, were unable to hit the front men quickly.

This made the Arsenal passing game slow and predictable;

6) Not enough steel in midfield. Alex Song was absolutely outstanding, yet again for the Gunners. His tackling, passing and overall contribution was top-notch.

However, he needed help alongside him, another defensive midfielder perhaps.

Denislon was fit and available; and should've played alongside Song instead of young Ramsey;

7) Tiredness and Fatigue. It was obvious that a lot of the Arsenal players were a little tired from the recent International matches. Gallas, Sagna, Fabregas and Ramsey all looked fatigued;

8) Poor finishing. Rosicky, Eduardo and Song all had great chances to score, but failed to do so. Eduardo, especially, looks nervous in front of goal recently - he needs to get his groove back;

9) Denied penalty decision. Eduardo had a strong shout for a penalty late in the second half, but the referee thought otherwise. Replay showed that the Croatian international had his legs taken away, and therefore, was unlucky not to get the penalty;

10) Darren Bent. The former Tottenham striker has been sensational for Sunderland this season and is an early contender for the golden boot this season. He's also making Spurs boss, Harry Redknapp, look very foolish indeed.

Harsh words by Wenger

After the game Arsene Wenger was unusually critical of his teams' showing at the Stadium of Light. He said:

“It was very harsh to lose the game because Sunderland did not create a lot. But we did not create enough chances either and there was a lack of penetration.

“They were organised and defended very well and we lacked the sharpness to make a difference. In some positions we were not strong enough.

“It is a massive setback because you need consistency to win a title. And today we were not capable of doing that and it raises question marks.”

The last sentence was clearly aimed at his top players, who had a poor game by their very high standards. He is calling for consistency in results, especially away from home.

Arsene Wenger knows what it takes to win the title as he's won the Premier League three times as coach of Arsenal. He knows that you need to get results at places like Sunderland, if you have serious ambitions for the title.

No matter what the circumstances may be (injuries, suspensions, International break..etc), the team must always find a way to win. That's what champions always do.

Now, don't get me wrong, we have an excellent shot at the title. Its a matter of sorting-out minor details and ironing out the flaws, but its important to get back to winning ways.

And this means that, to offset this result, we need to beat Chelsea next week.

Sunderland 1 Arsenal 0: Match highlights.

The Hand of Henry: Why the Former Arsenal Star Is Not a Cheat

Jam — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:01:25 -0500

First things first, the Irish boys were magnificent last night. They showed desire, passion, belief, bottle, and everything else you'd want in your national team.

If England showed a third of that passion and commitment, they would be very hard to beat in South Africa next year.

Unlike the first leg, Trapattoni's men came out to play and attacked the French at every given opportunity. Time and time again they cut through the fragile French back-four by exposing the obvious weak link—Julien Escudé.

Simply put, Ireland deserved to win the game last night.

However, the game will not be remembered for the way the Irish team played or the magnificently worked goal by Robbie Keane.

Sadly, the match will be remembered for one thing and one thing only:Henry's own version of "La Main de Dieu".

Minutes before this incident, the French players felt that they were denied a penalty when Nicolas Anelka dinked the ball past the on-rushing Shay Given, goes down under what looked like a foul from the keeper in the Irish penalty area.

The referee was having none of it and gave a goal kick. However, replay showed that Given had a sneaky grab of the striker's ankle as the ball went past him. To be fair to Anelka, he didn't complain about the referee's decision, but one thing's for certain - I've seen penalties given for a hell of a lot less.

Minates later, William Gallas nods a Thierry Henry cross into the net, prompting wild celebrations from players and fans alike.

At first, when the goal was scored, I was convinced that William Gallas scored with his hand, but the frame-by-frame replay clearly showed that it was, in fact, Thierry Henry that controlled the ball with his hand before feeding the Arsenal defender.

At the this point the linesman should've flagged, and the referee should've chalked off the goal. But they didn't, and the rest, as they say, is history.

However, to listen to some of the anger and indignation which spewed out in the aftermath of the incident, you would think that the Frenchman had invented a whole new way of cheating.

Or even worse, that he'd killed someone.

The sad truth is this: every striker in the world would've done the same as Henry.

Robbie Keane himself claimed that he felt "cheated" by Henry and that he "wouldn't expect it from anyone."

Thats hypocrisy at his finest because Keane himself "cheated" in the past to win penalties and free-kicks and, given the chance, he would've definitely played-out his own version of the infamous Hand of God routine.

Furthermore, this hypocrisy also exists among fans, managers as well as the British media.

The collective thinking is this: "Cheating is terrible, we should get rid of it, and anyone caught cheating deserves to be punished, shamed, ridiculed....Unless its us."

Had Robbie Keane scored the winner last night in exactly the same circumstances, I'm fairly certain that we would not be seeing the same venom and vitriol from the British media aimed at Henry.

And this is basically what ensures that the culture of "cheating" continues to thrive in our beautiful game, never genuinely addressed or challenged.

In addition, the chances are that, next week, your favourite player will be rolling around, diving, faining injury, and doing whatever it takes to win a game, even if that mean blatantly cheating.

And will you be disgusted, ashamed or even call for his head? I very much doubt it.

All football supporters have this in common: They don't care about cheating at all; what they actually care about is being cheated against.

When their own players cheat, the talk is usually about how they were clever, streetwise and cute;or they simply smirk to each other, barely a peep about it.

Thierry Henry is a truly great player—one of the best players we've seen in the Premier league - but because of this one controversial act, many in the media are already trying to destroy his reputation.

And sadly a lot of arsenal fans are falling for this. Any notion that the "Hand of God" incident somehow diminishes anything he did for Arsenal is so hysterically fickle it’s untrue.

What caught my eye after the game was the sight of Thierry Henry and Richard Dunne shaking hands, and even hugging at one point. Dunne is an experienced professional and therefore knows that one of his own players could've easily profited from a similar incident.

After the game Kevin Doyle told Sky Sports:

“It is just instinctive on his behalf, but it is that obvious that I'm sure he expected the free-kick straight away,” the Wolverhampton Wanderers forward stated.

"I don't blame him as much as how it's not seen to be honest."

Henry is not the first and, certainly, will not be the last player to benefit from a handball incident.

Football history is littered with such controversies: Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal against England in 1986; Alan Hansen's handball clearance off the line against Everton in the League cup; and Henry himself was denied a goal via Stephen Henchoz's hand on the line against Liverpool in the 2001 FA Cup final.

Last Wednesday night, William Gallas scored a goal that shouldn't have stood. the referee, who's been excellent on the night, together with the linesman, failed to spot the handball by the French captain.

On any other day, the referee would've awarded an indirect free-kick to Ireland.

However, he didn't, and the goal stood. Thus, the blame lies squarely at the feet of the match officials, not Thierry Henry.

Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen: A New Breed of Attacking Libero

Jam — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:59:42 -0400

I published an article on Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen about three months ago, before he was officially signed by the club. In that article, I outlined pretty much all you needed to know about the young Belgian.

Even back then, there were several question marks regarding his size and his readiness to play for Arsenal in a physical league like the English Premier League.

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams, after watching him on several occasions, advised Arsene Wenger not to sign Vermaelen.

"I think Thomas is a very good player but I don't think he's ready for Arsenal," he told Setanta Sports. "I don't think the punters at Arsenal would like another small one."

Wenger had been monitoring the player for a few years, and after receiving several positive reports from his chief scouts, he ignored Adams' input [collective sigh of relief] and decided to make a £10m offer for the player, which was accepted by Ajax.

Thomas Vermaelen has turned out to be an inspired signing by the boss. He's added much needed steel to the back four and made a mockery of those who questioned his credentials as a defender.

Not only is he top scorer with four goals so far, but Vermaelen is proving to be dominant, solid, and reliable at the back.

Goalscoring Ability

In the game against Wigan last week, Thomas Vermaelen's all-round game was there for all to see.

One of his best attributes as a defender is his proactive approach to defending—he is prepared to meet strikers higher up the pitch. The Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega was a victim of this and was on the wrong end of a series of crunching challenges early in the first-half.

Time and time again Vermaelen showed his excellent positional sense and awareness as he broke up the play, and then used his sweet left foot to distribute the ball out of defence.

With his battle with the strikers won, Vermaelen showed the punters at Arsenal that there's an extra dimension to his game—goals from set-pieces.

For his first goal, he rose high above Wigan defenders to crash home a header from a Robin Van Persie corner. This was his second header from a set-piece this season, the first was against Everton in his debut match.

Arsenal have lacked a goal threat from set-pieces since the departure of Sol Campbell back in 2006, and with Vermaelen's aerial ability, the Gunners have solved a long- standing problem.

Furthermore, his threat from set-plays is not restricted to heading as the following clip shows. He can improvise in tight spaces, like that wonderful backheel against Standard Liege in the Champions League recently.

However, for me, his most impressive attribute is his ability to advance from defence to exploit spaces that open up in midfield.

For his second goal against Wigan he moved into space vacated by Latics midfielders, played a one-two with Eboue, and unleashed a left-foot curler past the helpless Kirkland in the Wigan goal.

The way Vermaelen took his second goal reminded me of those old-school Liberos such as Franz Beckenbauer, Matthias Sammer, and Ruud Krol.

Libero Function

Tactics in football are all about creating space and exploiting it. Managers and coaches constantly change their formations and systems to allow their players to take advantage of space, or try to stop the opposition by limiting space.

For example, the withdrawn centre-forward role came about so that he could exploit the small pocket of space between the back line and midfield. These players wreaked havoc from midfield in the '50s and '60s. As a result, the holding midfielder role emerged to counter these dangerous second strikers.

However, it's not only strikers and midfielders who exploit spaces, defenders have also been utilised to take advantage of spaces vacated by the opposition team.

We all know about the overlapping full-backs of the Brazilian World Cup winning teams from 1994 and 2002. Players such as Cafu and Roberto Carlos in essence functioned as attacking wingers in a 4-4-2 system, the fullbacks are often the ones with space.

Even in 3-5-2 system, there's always space for at least one of the defenders, and there's no reason why the extra player should only used defensively.

There was an expectation that this Libero or sweeper would advance forward to become an extra man in midfield and attack. Matthias Sammer is an excellent example of this type of player as this video of his goals against Croatia in Euro 1996 shows.

By the 1990s, the use of 3-5-2 formation was in decline as the prevalence of single-central striker formations increased. This resulted in two spare men rather than one.

Furthermore, with wing-backs occupied by wing-forwards, the side playing 3-5-2 had a serious problem with width. By contrast, opposition full-backs (i.e. in 4-3-3 or 4-4-1-1) had plenty of space.

Libero in the modern game

In the last decade or so there's been a clear shift in the use of formations from 4-4-2 to a variation of 4-3-3. This is because this is the most solid and stable formation both defensively and offensively.

This formation also gives the best chance to dominate midfield because in the modern game if you control the midfield, you control the match. This is why the 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 system is so widespread in Europe and also in the Premier League.

However, because there's only one central striker to defend against, there's an opportunity for the spare defender to exploit space in midfield. This is why we will see more and more of these new breed Liberos emerging and taking part in attack.

Gerrad Pique is a good example of this as his forward forays from the back have been a constant feature in Barcelona's treble winning team last season. Brazilian Lucio is another classic example of a dynamic Libero in the modern game.

Thomas Vermaelen is the Premier league representative and his rise as an attacking defender, and others like Daniel Agger at Liverpool and Rio Ferdinand at United, could mean that more and more coaches will recruit attacking central defenders.

And that, I believe, will be good for the game as a spectacle.

Arsenal-Fulham: Gunners Learn To 'Win Ugly' with the Help of a Young Italian

Jam — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:14:55 -0400

Arsenal finally won a game they didn't deserve to win. They need to win more games like this, they said on Match of the day. The need to 'win ugly.'

I always thought that winning ugly was a euphemism for playing really rubbish and getting away with it. Basically, a lucky escape.

This was what happened at the Craven Cottage yesterday. Arsenal played poorly and simply rode their luck. Fulham were the better side and deserved at least a point.

The gunners played some of their best football this season in their last two games, against Man Utd and Man City, and lost them both.

They play their worst football against a determined Fulham side and leave with a win and a clean sheet.

That's the puzzling, unpredictable nature of football for you, the best team sometimes doesn't win. However, after a long season, the table doesn't lie: You finish where you deserve to finish, and that's the simple truth.

POSITIVES FIRST

Vito Mannone in goal for Arsenal, making only his third premier league start, was outstanding for the gunners. He made a string of crucial saves and was solid through-out the game. A '10 out of 10' performance as Arsene Wenger saw it.

I have to be honest here, I wasn't at all impressed by Mannone's previous outings for Arsenal. He was pretty shaky against Wigan last week with his handling and decision-making on crosses really worried me.

However, he came through for Arsenal yesterday and produced a man of the match performance under constant pressure at times. He showed real character for someone so young and i hope he develops into a world class keeper for Arsenal.

Robin Van Persie, also, produced a moment of real class to secure the points for the gunners. He took his goal with expert skill reminiscent of his compatriot Dutch-man, Dennis Bergkamp. The first touch and execution was just perfect. It deserved to win the game.

THE NEGATIVES

The first thing I noticed about the game yesterday was that the defence was exposed in full-back areas too many times, especially down Clichy's left-back position.

Fulham forwards got in behind Arsenal's left on several occasions to deliver some dangerous crosses, which could've easily turned into goals for the home team.

I'm not really surprised by this because this was also a problem area in the Man City game two weeks ago, in which the defence was exposed from the sides by the pace and guile of the City forwards.

This is happening for three different reasons:

1) Gaël Clichy does not look fully fit to me. He picked up where he left off at he end of last season - in terms of performances - before he was out injured for the last two months. Furthermore, he looked half a yard slower and very lethargic yesterday.

Andrei Arshavin also looked below par, but this is understandable as he's fresh from injury.

2) Lack of protection from midfield. I've covered this topic extensively in my last article, which I argued that this team is in desperate need of a world class holding midfielder. I think the consequences of not strengthening in the defensive midfield position was there for all to see yesterday.

For me, Alex Song doesn't have the discipline needed to do the job in big games. This is also true for Diaby, Denilson, and Fabregas. They are not good at the dirty side of the game: tracking back, tackling, fouling...etc.

Don't get me wrong, Song has improved immensely in the last year or so, but it's clear that he's not yet at the high level standard the team requires in that vital position.

This is not a fault of his own. If you look at all the top clubs, their holding midfielders are often quick, strong and very experienced. Song's lack of speed in that area is really hurting the team. I think he, more than anyone, can benefit from an experience player alongside him in midfield.

When Clichy or Sagna bombs forward to attack, its crucial that the holding player has the discipline and know-how to read the game and cover the full-back.

This was not happening yesterday and, therefore, the centre-backs were exposed time and time again.

3) This new 4-3-3 system provides little cover for the full-backs. The new formation is getting the best out of this team offensively with more players getting in the box and scoring goals.

At the start of the season, it also looked like that this formation is making the team more solid, especially in midfield. However, as we've seen in the last few games, this is not the case.

When a team plays an attacking 4-3-3 system, its important that the wide-forwards help out the full-backs and put in a shift. Arshavin and Bendtner are naturally attacking players, and although they try very hard defensively, its clear that they don't provide the same protection that a wide midfielder would.

That's why i would've preferred to see a straight-forward 4-4-2 system yesterday with natural wide midfielders and Bendtner upfront alongside Van Persie. That's the best formation for playing teams like Fulham.

FINAL THOUGHT

What I really enjoyed about yesterday's performance was the level of commitment showed by most players in the team. I thought Fabregas had orchestrated everything in midfield and had his best game since the Everton game.

The center-back pairing of Gallas and Vermaelen looked solid again, but let down at times by the ineffective cover from midfield.

Abou Diaby was pretty average in midfield yet again and if he doesn't sort out his inconsistent performances then I'm sure he'll find it harder to get games in the first team. He needs to get his act together quickly.

If the team manages to 'win ugly' like this in six or seven games from now until the end of the season, then I'm sure Arsenal will have a great chance to be the champions of England for the first time in Five years.

All in all, average performance, clinical finishing and a clean sheet. I'll have that, thank you very much.

Video: see highlights of the game here.

Please leave comments below

Arsene Wenger Must Add Steel to the Arsenal Midfield

Jam — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:56:45 -0400

First things first, it was an amazing second-half of football, which was overshadows by the moronic antics of one crazy man. I'll get to him later but first let me say a few things on the footballing side of the game.

I must say that I wasn't really shocked that Arsenal lost at Eastlands on Saturday as the warning signs were already there for all to see.

The sirens went off in my head as soon as I saw the starting line-ups for both teams. Manchester City had a nice balanced team with Barry and De Jong anchoring in midfield; and Bellamy playing just off Adebayor. It was clear that Mark Hughes has done his homework.

Almost every Manchester City player was playing in his natural position.

On the other hand, Arsene Wenger has learned nothing from Arsenal's recent matches against the big four and still insists on playing his players out of position.

Cesc Fabregas turned up on the right with Bendtner and Diaby on the left. Can someone please explain to me why the boss keep playing Abou Diaby on the left when everyone can see that his best position is in the centre of midfield?

He doesn't have the pace or the trickery of a winger and this makes it very easy for the fullback to shut him down. On Saturday, Micah Richards kept showing him the inside and his job was done.

Midfield Destroyer Needed Badly

Mark Hughes understands that grace and elegance alone would not bring a top four finish and as a result he has added the requisite steel needed in defence and midfield (i.e. Gareth Barry, Nigel De Jong, Kolo Toure, and Joleon Lescott).

This is exactly what was missing from Arsenal, especially in midfield.

Denilson, Fabregas, and Diaby are all great going forward, but they will never give you the discipline and physical edge you need to track back and close down opponents.

Song is the best option for the Gunners as a defensive midfielder, but there's not much he can do when he's facing two world-class midfielders in his position in the form of Barry and De Jong.

Having said that, Song's attempt to make a tackle on Richards for the second goal was simply pathetic to say the least. Also, Gael Clichy had an uncharacteristically poor game at left back, but the required cover for his mistakes was non-existent.

As a result, the usually solid pairing of Gallas and Vermaelen suffered from the lack of adequate midfield cover. The running from midfield from the like of Ireland, Wright-Phillips and Bellamy caused all sorts of problems for the back four.

Arsene Wenger must understand that you need some steel to go along with the beautiful football so that the more creative players can freely express themselves on the pitch. He must sign an experienced defensive midfielder in January.

Misfiring Strikers Need To Sharpen Up

Another problem most of you probably noticed is the shortage of goals from our centre forwards. This season Wenger opted to play Robin Van Persie (RVP) at the centre of the three forwards, with Bendtner on the right and Arshavin on the left in a 4-3-3 formation.

This works relatively well when Arshavin is playing as he's versatile and clever enough to know when to take the fullback on the outside, and when to tuck in on the inside. He gives the team some width on the left, and more importantly, gives some support to Gael Clichy in defensive areas.

However, with the silent assassin missing, he gave the job to Abou Diaby and he was absolutely hopeless. This is not his fault at all as he's not a winger by trade.

Bendtner wasn't any better either, and the lack of width in the team's play was there for all to see.

Furthermore, we all know that RVP is not a centre forward, but more a second striker. Most of his good plays on Saturday came from deep positions—his goal was a classic piece of improvisation, in which he nicked the ball from the lunging Lescott and then placed the shot low to the keeper's right.

Clichy and Sagna don't cross the ball often enough because they probably know that RVP will not win the header. He's not physically imposing enough to win headers against the likes of Vidic and Lescott.

Arsenal could've done with someone like Chamakh on Saturday to give them the aerial option in the box, hold the ball up as teammates advance and out-muscle defenders.

Also, Arsenal have had 19 shots on goal, nine on target, had much of the ball and created more goal scoring opportunities than City but still managed to lose the game.

This is because Arsenal strikers, for many years now, do not convert enough of the numerous chances they create. This was also the case in the Man United game the previous Saturday.

Arsenal are in desperate need of a world class striker, who has the necessary pace and power, along with his technical ability, to unlock defences and convert higher percentage of chances into goals.

I'm fairly sure that if Arsenal had one of Rooney, Drogba or Torres; they would've at least drawn the game against City. These strikers don't mess about, they just put the ball in the back of the net.

The other centre forward options available to Wenger are Nicklas Bendtner and Eduardo. I still have serious reservations about them for two different reasons.

Bendtner has a fantastic future, but clearly he's not ready to assume responsibility as the main man in attack. Eduardo, on the other hand, is born for that role as he's the best finisher we have. However, I don't think he's fully recovered psychologically from that horrific injury he suffered last year.

It's very important that Eduardo stays injury free this year so that he slowly gets his confidence back and starts scoring like we know he can.

Final Thought

I think what concerns Arsenal fans and Wenger is the fact that we dominated matches against two top teams but managed to lose both games.

"It's worrying," Wenger said. "The only thing I can say is we played four times, and three times away, and unfortunately we lost these two games and that’s very difficult to take because we have to learn to take the maximum with the performance we produce and we didn’t do that."

However, you have to also say that the boys had little go their way at Eastlands on Saturday. Richards was definitely offside for the first goal, although I think Almunia was a little slow on his feet.

Furthermore, the referee Mark Clattenburg was shocking as he managed to deal with...pretty much nothing. He should've sent off Adebayor twice—first for the stamp on Fabregas's ankle in the first half; and then for the disgraceful stamp on Van Persie.

How the referee missed both incidents i'll never know.

As for Adebayor, I don't think I've ever seen a player conducting a personal vendetta against former team-mates during a game. He was not playing for City...he was playing for team Adebayor.

However, it's crucial that we don't lose sight of the big picture. Arsenal were beaten the Arsenal way: quick, incisive counter-attacks with width; executed by skillful forwards with plenty of pace to burn.

Now it's down to Wenger to address the problems in attack and defence. The players must lick their wounds, regroup and come back stronger.

Its Standard Liege next in the Champions league opener, le'ts hope the team returns to winning ways against the Belgian champions.

Why Arsene Wenger Must Look Back to Summer 1997 For Inspiration

Jam — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:28:33 -0400

The summer transfer window of 1997 was a crucial one for both Arsenal and then new manager Arsene Wenger. Arsenal finished third the previous season, and therefore, just missed out on a Champions league place. Injuries, suspensions and lack of quality in key areas meant that Arsenal lost out the second Champions' League place to Newcastle on goal difference. Arsene Wenger noted that they had lost at home to all their immediate rivals: Man Utd, Liverpool and Newcastle. These late season defeats convinced the boss that the depth and quality in the squad was not enough to challenge for the title. Wenger once said: 'In English football a coach is judged by the quality of the players he recruits'. He signed Patrick Viera (in 1996) from Ac Milan for just £3.5m, and the rest as they say was history. Viera became the midfield link man that Arsenal lacked since the days of Paul Davis. Furthermore, Le Boss recruited young starlet Nicolas Anelka from french club Paris Saint-Germain in March 1997. The boss saw him as a direct replacement to Ian Wright, who was now becoming injury prone and approaching the twilight of a wonderful career. However, It was Wenger's signings in the summer of 1997 that allowed the club to challenge on all fronts and help to secure a brilliant league and cup double. He recruited 3 key players: Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit and Giles Grimandi. In this slideshow i'll suggest a few similar players that Arsene Wenger should consider in order to strengthen the current squad in this transfer window or the january one.

Begin Slideshow

This Is How Man Utd Will Lose To Arsenal at Old Trafford On Saturday

Jam — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:11:56 -0400

Hello fellow bleacher creatures...I'm back. I've been away on a short holiday to escape from all the transfer B.S., but it was impossible really. Once you got the football bug, its over, you're finished...there's no escape.

This article was originally supposed to be a short comment in response to this article. The article by Salaar Shamsi was a brilliant preview of the Man Utd v Arsenal clash this Saturday. However, I got so carried away with my comment that I decided to reproduce it as an article.

I will tell you about the 10 key events that will happen at Old Trafford so that you can place your bets accordingly. I'll make this short and sweet.

This is what will happen at Old Trafford on Saturday.

1) Arsenal will spank Man Utd 5-0 in front of their local fans...most of them from China.

2) Nemanja Vidic will ask Sir Alex Ferguson not play him as "he's mentally not ready." Apparently he's pushing for a deadline day move to Barcelona.

3) Patricia Evra will be kicked by every Arsenal player from the first minute to all the way to his native Senegal, where he eventually brakes down and cries like the Patricia he really is.

4) Wayne Rooney will also brake down in tears midway through the second half as finally it dawns on him that his boyfriend Ronaldo left him and will never come back.

5) Rooney will be admitted to a mental health clinic shortly after the game. His teammates will find him sitting alone in the shower, holding a picture of Ronaldo, and wearing nothing but a tin hat.

6) After the match, Sir Alex Ferguson will be struck in the face with a lasagna and slice of Pizza.

7) An inside source will claim that the lasagna was thrown by a middle-aged Spanish man with a dodgy goatee.

8) Shortly afterwards, the police will release photos of possible suspects.

9) Andrey Arshavin will score four goals again in a man of the match performance. Mikael Silvestre, who comes on as late substitute, will score the fifth and kisses the badge right in front of the home fans.

10) Michael Owen will miss a hatrick of chances (absolute sitters) and, as a result, he's murdered by Alex Ferguson after the game. Months later, Ol' red nose pleads in court that it was a crime of passion.

If you are offended by the content of this article, please feel free to sue me at any time. My lawyer is Mohamed Eldin and he'll answer everything in due course.

Opposing Views On Fabregas: Should He Stay, Or Should He Go?

Jam — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:34:43 -0400

My article today is based on comments made in an article published by fellow Bleacher Reporter Mathew Maloney. In it he outlined eloquently several reasons why Arsenal should sell Cesc Fabregas.

I found the exchanges of comments I've had with the author very interesting because they remind me of debates I used to have with Arsenal fans regarding the sale of Thierry Henry or Patrick Vieira.

I've presented the two view points in their original format because I feel both sides cover crucial and relevant insight regarding the importance of Cesc Fabregas to the team.

The following is an exchange of comments I've had with Mr Maloney, so please read them carefully. In addition, I've also presented my reasons on why Arsenal should not sell and cash-in on the club captain this summer.

This is my first response (posted in the Mathew Maloney article).

"You started very well, but like in most sensationalist pieces, there are some potholes in your story.

Allow me to point some of them out:

1. Fabregas just isn't the player everybody thinks he is? Are you for real? Fabregas is a world class player, that's why Barcelona and Real wanted him. He was injured for four crucial months last year and found it hard to get going again (I personally think he was rushed and came back too early).

2. Apart from the injury, the main reason why Fab suffered last year was because of the departure of Flamini (the guy who wins the ball for him).

3. Fabregas is as crucial to Arsenal as Lampard and Gerrard are to their respective clubs. If it wasn't for Ronaldo, Fabregas would've been the player of the year in England the season before last. He was outstanding that year, and Arsenal almost won the league.

4. Your point that Fab is "shy" and "unassuming" just doesn't hold up. If you know anything about him, you would know that he absolutely hates losing—ask Mark Hughes and that orange fella at Hull.

And the fact that he is a 22-year-old ex-Barca youth player doesn't make him any less of a leader. Remember he has been at Arsenal since he was 15-years-old so he knows what it takes to play for Arsenal and lead a team of men.

5. His English is great so there's no problem there. Actually, its better than Vieira's English.

6. Selling Fabregas will not win over the media. In fact, it will achieve the opposite, they will just move to the next big player at Arsenal like Arshavin.

7. I will go along with your assessment that Fab might go if Wenger leaves, but I wouldn't use Reyes and Pique as examples for Fab to follow.

Reyes left Arsenal because he never settled there and his family refused to join him in London.

Pique had to move from Manchester because Ferdinand/Vidic partnership is way too strong.

Fabregas is the heartbeat of the team and therefore first choice. I don't think he would be first choice at Barca at the moment.

8. Fabregas is not to blame for Arsenal's winless streak. It's a team/squad game now, and you must have adequate cover for every position;

9. The only good thing from his departure is the money, but who do you replace him with? Hamsik is a good player but needs to adapt to the English game, and even then, you don't know how he'll fare.

10. What message will it send to other players if Fabregas leaves this summer? For a start, I don't think the likes of Robin van Persie would be extending their contracts. I think Arsene Wenger finally understood that selling your best players year after year is actually damaging the club's pursuit of silverware."

Mathew Maloney's response (also posted in his article).

"Well uh Jam, this is going to be long so get a coffee and sit down somewhere comfortable.. ahem:

1. This isn't a sensationalist piece, Fabregas really should be allowed to leave.

2. Real wanted Julien "I take naps on the bench" Faubert six months ago—he isn't exactly what you would call world-class is he? Barca want their player back. Madrid already have Diarra (take your pick of which one) or Sneijder to cover. If you look at it, Sneider is probably as good a player as Fabregas. It's a Spanish thing what your saying with Barca and RM;

3.True Arsenal almost won the league two years ago, Fabregas WAS outstanding....this is self explanatory.

4. How does coming onto the pitch in a hoodie and jeans prove Fabregas's will to win?! "He knows what it's like leading a team of men" (?!) How about as a 22-year-old with passable English? You can't defend Fabregas as a captain..it makes no sense from a neutral point of view (I don't support Arsenal or any EPL team) and it doesn't.

5. Vieira? Ask Roy Keane and Gary Neville how good his English is...

6. Agreed.

7. I never tried to use them as examples just illustrations, as I said Pique is being rational in seeking first team football, Reyes rational in seeking money. Fabregas is being loyal to Wenger which brings its own issues.

8. Agreed.

9. Arshavin adapted to the English game within weeks. Some players are naturally suited to the PL like Torres, Hangeland etc. and need little adaption. Wenger of all people should be able to tell who these players are.

10. What message does it send to other players that Fabregas keeps getting linked every transfer window with a move away and when Fabregas says "I'm honoured" to be linked with such clubs? You can't sell your best players every year but £30-40m for a midfielder with a 1/10 goal ratio ain't bad transfer work.

Thanks for reading Jam, I think whatever happens next season is the big one. If Wenger goes another year without a trophy (which I think he will because he hasn't bought anyone—hence why I think he should sell Fab) then all this we've discussed really come to the fore again. Unless of course Kroenke or Usmanov takes over the club outright in the meantime."

My seconds response:

The following reply appears in this article only, and it's a direct response to the issues raised in the last comment.

Allow me to respond to the main points again:

1. OK, I'll give you a break on that one. You are not a sensationalist.

2. I don't understand what you are trying to achieve with Faubert situation comparison. Are you insinuating that Fabregas is not world-class? Explain yourself.

BTW Faubert was signed by Ramos and we all know how he flopped at Spurs. Anyways, Faubert hardly got a run at Real so I don't get what you trying to prove here. Fabregas is far superior footballer and I assure you he will not be warming the Madrid bench;

3. I agree that Sneijder may be as good as Fab, but please note that he is three years older and more experienced. Fab is already at his level at least.

4. I TOTALLY AND UTTERLY DISAGREE WITH YOUR STATEMENT THAT BARCA AND REAL WANT TO SIGN FAB BECAUSE HE'S SPANISH. This is like saying that Wenger signed Henry because he's French; Ferguson signed Fletcher because he's a fellow Scot; or Benitez acquired the services of the mighty Torres because he's Spanish.

These great managers don't run charities, and this is also the case with Barca and Real. You have to compete at the highest level to play for them; especially in creative positions;

The Barcelona hierarchy were absolutely livid when Fab left, and not because he's Spanish....they always had high hopes for him. He is still highly rated in Spain. Believe me, I could go on all night with this.

5. I still maintain my view that Fab's English is waaaay better than Vieira's, simply because he's been in England earlier and younger than Vieira; so it's understandable. The younger you are the quicker you grasp the language;

As for the Vieira/Keane confrontations, you really do not need sophisticated English to dish-out abuse;

6. I CAN AND I WILL DEFEND FABREGAS AS CAPTAIN. I think when he confronted the orange one from Hull on the pitch, he proved to a lot of fans what Wenger meant by desire when he talks about his young team.

A lot of gooners, as well as me, were very pleased with the passion radiating from him, especially that he didn't need to do anything as he was not playing.

Furthermore, a lot of fans got sucked in with the media's jibes about his dress sense—so what if he was wearing a hoodie? I don't really care. Fabregas was elated that we beat Hull, who humiliated Arsenal at the Emirates in the league, so I don't see anything wrong with him celebrating on the pitch with his team-mates.

[Actually, I love him for that]

7. I think Pique moving to Barca was a great move for him and the club, we agree on this.

However, there is nothing rational about Reyes jumping ship for money—look where he is now. I'm sure he's regretting his dumb move big time.

I cant believe you are having a go at Fabregas for being loyal to his manager. He should be commended for that.

8. Good that we agree on this.

9. Yes, Wenger should be able to find a replacement but that's not enough. Finding and identifying a player is one thing, however, capturing your target in this current climate has been difficult—think of the Melo drama with Fiorentina.

Even clubs like Man City, who have cash to burn, have found it hard to get their top transfer targets, what do you think will happen to Arsenal?

Selling Fab will be extremely easy as there will be no shortage of suiters, but replacing him will be very difficult. Therefore, it's better to hang on to your best players as money in the bank will be useless if you cant find an adequate replacement;

10. There's nothing wrong with Fabregas saying that he's "honoured" to be linked with Barca, Real or AC Milan. Every top player responds in a similar way when associated with great clubs. Fab has reiterated time and time again that he'll stay with Arsenal. It's all media BS so please don't fall for it. Non-story there.

By the way, if you examine Fab's stats since his first senior game, he averages about 1/8 goal ratio, which is not bad for a deep lying midfielder; where he's played most of his career.

Final thought

There you go, the two opposing view points.

I think it would be criminal to sell Fabregas at this stage because replacing him would be very difficult. His record in goal assists stands at 63 in 231 games, which is absolutely amazing. Where would you get a player with similar record?

On the other hand, Arsenal are short of transfer cash, and if Barcelona and Real come in with £40m; the money could be used to improve defence and striker options.

What do you fans think? The Premier League already lost Ronaldo, can it afford to lose another top player to Spain?

Please comment and vote for the point of view you agree with most.

Arsenal In Negotiations To Sign Felipe Melo, Plus Eboue OUT!

Jam — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:01:13 -0400

It has been widely reported in the last few hours that Arsenal are in negotiations with Seria A side Fiorentina over the signing of the Brazilian international Felipe Melo.

It is understood that the Viola are prepared to sell the combative midfielder with Emmanuel Eboue moving the other way as part of the deal.

This all comes after Fiorentina released an official statement on their website, which effectively ended rumours in the Italian press that the player is on his way to Juventus.

"The director of Sport (Corvino) points out that Arsenal FC are the only club who came close to the buy-out close figure", read the statement.

"Fiorentina have in turn proposed to Arsenal that they can reduce the cash sum by introducing right-back Eboue into the deal".

Felipe Melo has signed a one-year extension on his current contract last week. Fiorentina have confirmed that this contract holds a £21.4m buy-out clause, which must be activated by any club interested in the player.

Furthermore, Melo's agent has quashed any rumours suggesting that his client has already agreed to sign for Juventus.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Jose Baster said: "We are not negotiating with any club, if a team is interested in the player they must first find an agreement with Fiorentina".

Therefore, providing Eboue agrees to the move, It looks like Arsene Wenger will finally get his man.

The Arsenal manager has tracked the Brazilian midfielder for the past three years, since his playing days in the Spanish league with Almeria.

Melo, who moved to Fiorentina in a £7 Million deal last summer, became well known for his tough tackling style that resulted in him picking up 17 yellow and three red cards last season in Seria A.

I must admit I haven't seen enough of Seria A last season, so I can't give you a personal viewpoint on his club form. However, I do know that he was a major reason why Fiorentina finished fourth, and therefore, qualified for the Champions League.

Furthermore, I was very impressed with his performances in midfield for Brazil in their Confederations Cup triumph this summer.

As you can see from this video, he has exceptional passing abilities and is able to control and dictate the play from deeper positions in midfield. Also, he has the strength and drive in his game, which Arsenal lack in their midfield; and can score goals from set-pieces.

I personally think that this is a fantastic deal and Arsene Wenger should do everything in his power to make this happen.

Wenger often talks about "desire" and "hunger" in his young squad, but they seldom show it in big matches. As this video shows, Felipe Melo has desire in abundance.

Felipe Melo, who will be 26-years-old in August, is relatively experienced and is already first choice in midfield for Brazil alongside former Arsenal player Gilberto Silva.

Eboue, on the other hand, has been largely ineffective last season and is no longer first choice for Arsenal. To be fair, he conducted himself very well after he got booed by the Arsenal faithful in the game against Wigan last year. He got his head down, worked hard and fought for his place.

However, with Sagna being first choice at right-back and the rise of Theo Walcott on the right of midfield means that Eboue's chances to play first team football will be limited next season.

Therefore, it's a good deal for both clubs: Fiorentina will get Cash (app £15m) plus Eboue, and Arsenal will get a world class defensive midfielder in Felipe Melo.

Also, new signing Thomas Vermaelen can easily play at right-back so Eboue leaving will not a huge blow to Arsenal.

Arsenal fans, what do you think about this proposed swap deal by Fiorentina?

I particularly want the views of Seria A fans and what they think of Melo as a player.

Please leave a comment below.

Thomas Vermaelen Signed by Arsenal: All You Need To Know about the Belgian

Jam — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:56:52 -0400

As you all know by now, Arsenal have reportedly agreed to a fee of around £11 million for the highly rated young Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen.

Apparently, the player himself is convinced that he'll join Arsenal. This is what he told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad:

"Moving to Arsenal is the right path for me.

"It is a great sporting challenge and will also be financially better off. I think everything is going to be OK.

"In the coming days there will be more talks."

Therefore, it's safe to say that Thomas Vermaelen will be an Arsenal player very soon. The only issue left to be resolved is the player's personal terms, but I'm sure this will be sorted out eventually.

I know most fans know little about this guy, but some gooners may remember him kicking the living daylights out of Robin Van Persie during the 2006-2007 Amsterdam Tournament (a friendly match).

I remember thinking, at the time, how we could do with a player like him in our defence. He looked like a player who genuinely enjoyed defending—a bit of a nutter who likes kicking people—so I'm quite pleased that we are linked with him.

In addition, I watched him again late last year in the UEFA Cup against Aston Villa where he scored this brilliant header.

The way he attacked the ball reminded me of Nemanja Vidic. He played at left back in this game, and although he didn’t look like a natural full back, his distribution and passing were very good.

Profile

This is all you need to know about the Belgian:

He is a 23-year-old Belgian international (21 caps), moved to Ajax in 2004 from his home country club Germinal Beerschot.

His height, according to data from last Olymipics is 6'0". He could easily be an inch taller. My guess is that he is about 6'1".

In the 2008-2009 season, Vermaelen played 40 games in all, scoring five times, received eight yellow cards, and was shown red only once.

In addition, he was made captain of the team last season by then coach Marco Van Basten after being impressed by the young Belgian's leadership qualities.

Also, he is fluent in English, which should help him settle down better in England.

Playing Style

He is quick, very good in the air, and strong in the tackle. Also, he is versatile—a feature Arsene Wenger values highly when signing a player, and can play either at centre back or left back positions. He is right-footed so he can easily play at right back.

Media Reaction

From the beginning, most media reports linking Vermaelen and Arsenal were based on an article that appeared in Algemeen Dagblad.

This article claimed that Arsenal are in negotiation with Ajax for the player, but the gap between the Arsenal’s bid and what Ajax want is too big. Apparently, Ajax want more than the £10 million offered by Arsenal.

This news was picked up by the sport.co.uk, who jumped the gun and declared that Vermaelen has already "signed for Arsenal." This was highly unlikely since the player was in the Ajax squad playing in Japan at the time.

All this came just a few hours after Arsenal legend Tony Adams gave interviews to both Talksport and Setanta.com discussing in detail Wenger's transfer plans and the current state of the board (more later).

A Question of Size

Wenger has been monitoring Thomas Vermaelen for a few years now, and it is said that he received positive reports about the Belgian international from several of his chief scouts.

One of them is former gunners captain Tony Adams, and according to him Arsenal should not go for Vermaelen at this moment in time. Speaking to Setanta he said:

"I think Thomas is a very good player but i don't think he's ready for Arsenal.

"I don't think the punters at Arsenal would like another small one.

"I don't know whether he'll [Arsene Wenger] end up going for a bigger player. We'll see how much money we've got first."

It is clear that Adams does not question the player’s ability as a defender but questions whether he has the physicality to cope with the rough and tumble of the Premiership.

However, history shows you that you don’t have to be 6'6" to be a world class defender.

Players such as Ricardo Calvalho (Chelsea), Ivan Cordoba (I.Milan), and Fabio Canavaro are all 6'0" or under. They are all great defenders.

Senderos is 6'3" and looks like a man mountain, but lacks the basic defending skills and, considering his height, wins relatively few aerial battles.

Having said that, I would still take the word of Tony Adams over anybody since he knows what it takes to defend in the premier league.

What's Going on with Tony Adams

Staying with Adams, I’ve been a bit concerned about him recently. He was everywhere last week talking about Wenger, the board, and our transfer targets.

First, he claimed that he was in pole position for the Celtic job (on Talksport), then went on ranting that somebody on the Arsenal board does not like Wenger (as if there aren't enough board problems already), and finally, he goes on Setanta revealing Wenger's transfer ideas to the world.

He is creating more problems than Homer Simpson loose in a chocolate factory.

This is coming from one of Arsene Wenger's chief scouts. This is totally unprofessional. He should not be talking at all until the player in question is signed, sealed, and delivered. You can imagine Wenger going mental when he reads these reports.

Final Thought

First of all, both Arsenal needs good defenders, and Thomas Vermaelen definitely fits the bill. He is young, quick, can head the ball, and is fairly experienced. Add to this his undoubted leadership qualities and you have a player that could develop into one of the best defenders in the league.

However, you can’t discount the size issue raised by Tony Adams. Also, you have to look at the quality level of the Dutch league, which is quite poor at the moment. Ajax finished third last season.

I personally think that if Vermaelen is a good defender, and will improve the squad, then get him. I got a feeling that Arsene Wenger may have other plans for him, not just to use him as centre Back.

The lack of defensive cover at Arsenal was exposed all too often, especially when key players such as Gallas and Clichy were sidelined with injuries.

And at 6'1" he is not exactly small, is he?

I'm sure many gooners will hope that he is not the only defender recruitment this summer. Arsenal still needs a dominant centre back.

Arsenal fans, what do you think? Do you want Thomas Vermaelen at your club? Is he what Arsenal needs at the moment?

Furthermore, the Daily Mail reported today that, after the signing of Vermaelen, Arsene Wenger could sell Kolo Toure to Man City (£10 million) in a player cash deal that will see Micah Richards going the other way.

Do you think this is a good deal for Arsenal? Richards' form this season has been poor, but he is young with a bright future ahead of him.

Please leave a comment.

Angry Arsenal Shareholders: Target the Board, Not Arsene Wenger

Jam — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:46:51 -0400

Todays newspapers, British and Spanish alike, are full of speculations about Arsene Wenger and the possibility of him becoming the next Real Madrid manager.

This is all because of comments made by Wenger on French TV last Sunday, in which he described Florentino Perez’s new Real Madrid project as "interesting" for any coach.

As usual, the media—foaming at the mouth—interpreted this as Wenger leaving Arsenal and moving to Real Madrid.

First of all, this is what Wenger actually said, "A Florentino Perez project is inevitably interesting for all coaches…I'm a coach but I am under contract with Arsenal and totally concentrated on my objectives here."

And asked whether or not he had spoken to Perez, Wenger replied, "Allow me to remain discreet on that matter".

His coyness is an indication that some contact was made through his representatives, and that he is taking the approach from Real seriously.

It’s also a message to the board and negative Arsenal fans reminding them of his importance to the future of the club, and the simple fact that he is one of the wanted managers in the game.

Let me get one thing straight—I’m not worried at all that Wenger might quit for Real Madrid, because he has principles and will at least finish his current contract with Arsenal, which is due to run until 2011.

However, it’s clear that the professor is extremely unhappy with the direct criticism levelled at him from disgruntled shareholders, at last Thursday’s AGM, which made him feel like a “murderer” for not delivering a trophy this season.

I think the Arsenal shareholders who were dishing out the criticism, like any fan, have every right to question the managers tactics, team selection and lack of quality replacement for key players.

But labelling an Arsenal player, Mikael Silvestre, “geriatric” was a little excessive. Arsene Wenger—the most successful manager in the clubs history—deserved more respect than what he got. I think these shareholders could’ve asked the same difficult questions, but without the hostility and sarcasm.

I completely understand and share the frustrations from these fans, because they witnessed yet another season full of promise but no progress, and most importantly, no trophies.

However, I feel that much of the criticism was targeted at the wrong person. The shareholders had a chance to ask some important questions regarding financial status of the club, but instead they turned on Wenger and chose to let the board off the hook.

For me, the most important question is this: exactly how much transfer money is available to the manager?

To be honest, I’m fed up of the annual claims by senior figures within the club (from Peter Hillwood and Danny Fiszmann) that Wenger has “£30 million” to spend on players. This is a magical number conjured up to please the Arsenal fans, and I believe that the actual figure is much lower than this.

It's also becoming clear, from recent reports and interviews, that Wenger himself is becoming frustrated with the lack of transfer funds available to him. Furthermore, he must sell one of his best players every year to help finance the annual £24m payments on the Emirates stadium.

This is the most important summer for Arsenal football club, since the arrival of Arsene Wenger back in September 1996.

The manager knows what is missing from the squad and what is needed to bridge the widening gap between Arsenal and the rest of the big four. Therefore, it is paramount that the board back the manager financially to achieve this objective.

It’s also time for the board to come clean and tell fans of the level of funds available to Arsene Wenger.

To all fans, please let me know what you think.

Did Arsene Wenger deserve all the criticism levelled at him or do you think the problem lies with the board?