Bleacher Report - Articles by Shyam Parthasarathi

Goodbye Bleacher Report: A Tribute

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:22:38 -0400

As Arsenal begins their season full of challenges, I'm afraid that the time has come for me to say goodbye to Bleacher Report.

My journey began just over a year ago when I stumbled upon this website and wrote about Arsenal's 2007-08 season and how ill-fated it turned out to be.

I certainly didn't know that the 2008-09 season would be a lot worse!

Bleacher Report has been a fabulous medium for me to put into words whatever I thought about football, Arsenal and at times, cricket. I've made many friends here whom I hope to keep in touch with for a long, long time.

I've had some wonderful times at Bleacher Report. When I joined B/R, it was quite a different website. I still remember looking to publish as many articles as I could in a day and scour various news sources to come up with something unique.

After a few months, I was appointed Community Leader of the Arsenal community, which was previously just a page. Soon Mary (Maire Ofeire) joined me as Co-Community Leader and we took the community forward to the best of our abilities.

Mary has been a tremendously helpful to all the new writers on here and during my absence, has taken on a considerable amount of responsibility. I'm quite sure that most of the Arsenal community will miss her witty contributions. It has certainly been an honour to work with her and promote our community.

The Arsenal community now has 700-odd members and it is down to your dedication that our community is so successful.

There have been so many talented writers and a number of fabulous editors as well who encourage new writers to churn out the articles when they join. (There are so many of you, and I'm afraid that I'll miss out on a few due to my horrendous memory—so I apologize for not getting into names!).

I've got an incredible amount of exposure writing here as well—and for that, I thank Zander Freund and the other creators of Bleacher Report for this fabulous website.

Unfortunately, Mary has also decided to step down as the Community Leader of Arsenal on B/R and we both have our own private reasons which are not at all related to anything going on here. It so happens that we were about to leave our respective towns at around the same time. That Mary and I are leaving at the same time is a mere coincidence and nothing else.

We'll try to come back as and when we can and comment on articles.

I leave Bleacher Report with a considerable amount of sadness, but I'm afraid this day had to come.

I wish Bleacher Report, and all of you, all the best for your future endeavors.

It's been a wonderful journey at Bleacher Report for me personally and I thank each and every one of you for reading and appreciating my articles!

P.S. We do hope that Arsenal can bring their barren run to an end with some trophies this year!

Needed a Kick Start: Kolo Toure's Proposed Sale Marks Arsenal Tactical Change

Shyam Parthasarathi — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:36:13 -0400

There has been a considerable amount of discontent among Arsenal fans for the club's lack of transfer activity this close season. They have seen one player in the form of Thomas Vermaelen come in, while Emmanuel Adebayor completed his big-money move to Manchester City.

Now, it's the turn of a long-serving servant of the Club to make his move to the north of England.

Kolo Toure has been a magnificent player for the best part of the nine years that he's spent at Arsenal. While Adebayor's move was related to his attitude, Toure's move may signal a tactical change at the Club.

Many experts and fans complained for two seasons that William Gallas and Toure at the center of defence were too similar. Neither of them took charge, and both were relatively weak in the air, but both had pace and were experienced. The only imposing figure in defence, in the form of Philippe Senderos, didn't quite make the cut to the first team.

Arsene Wenger likes his teams to play football along the ground. How many times has one seen him lose his cool when Arsenal has lost a game due to a "soft-centre" or a "long ball" from the opponents?

He had to change his tactics to match the style of play in the English Premier League. There had to be different types of players for different situations—especially in defence, where Arsenal seemed very one-dimensional.

The choice for Wenger this summer was quite clear: Keep hold of his players, sign one or two players, and improve the squad—or move certain players on to bring some fresh new faces into the Club.

Clearly, he seems to have picked the latter option.

Toure's departure may herald an era of tactical flexibility on Arsenal's part, defensively. Arsenal generally play a high line in defense; therefore any ball over the top may easily result in the opponent gaining an advantage due to the positioning of Arsenal's defensive line.

Many a time, one might have seen Arsenal getting caught on the break or getting undone by a pass that most defenses would cope with.

Wenger seemingly wants to change this particular strategy for the next season.

He had a simple choice to make in this regard: Sell Toure or Gallas. Due to the former's African Nations Cup commitments, added to his well-documented problems at the Club earlier this year and a good transfer fee from Manchester City for his services, the choice was quite easy to make for the manager.

Vermaelen, who looks set to partner Gallas in a new-look defence, may lack pace and height, but he makes up for that with good positioning and a big leap. Many discussed his height being a negative, but recent friendlies show that he's quite strong aerially.

Added to that, Vermaelen is an organizer. Toure and Gallas had their best years when they played next to a Sol Campbell or a John Terry, but together, they seemed to get in each other's way. Arsenal's capitulation two seasons ago against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, after being 1-0 up to end up losing the game 2-1, is proof of this.

Wenger must have believed last season that a Spain-like Arsenal, with players who are quick and mobile with a low center of gravity, was the way forward. But he must have discovered that international games and the Premier League are entirely different.

Arsenal will now be able to have some flexibility when it comes to tactics, as there are different types of defenders available, with possible future arrivals to add more versatility at the back.

The manager has already hinted that he will be using tactics that vary according to situations, with 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 being touted as replacements to the existing 4-4-2 formation.

The situation at Arsenal is quite ironic because a section of the fans demanded a clear-out at the beginning of the year when the team seemed to be going nowhere. Now, when that clear-out seems to be taking place (and is not yet over in terms of replacements being acquired), they seem to be questioning Wenger's ambitions for the season to come.

Arsenal will now have 40 million pounds to spend regardless of what anyone says. Wenger has always maintained that the money made from sales will be available to him for any future acquisitions.

Rest assured, Wenger knows what he's doing at the Club. Hopefully for him and Arsenal, the changes he's trying to bring at the Club will bear fruit in the near future.

I Know Arsenal Won't Buy Him, But Still I Will Suggest Yaya Toure

Shyam Parthasarathi — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:40:38 -0400

After Deepak Israni, Eddy Hirono and Maire Ofeire, it’s now my turn to contribute to “I Know Arsenal Won't Buy Him, But Still I Will Suggest...” series.

In this edition of the series, I will look at yet another player that Arsenal could, but would not sign.

Yaya Toure has been linked a considerable number of times with Arsenal, and before he signed a new deal with Barcelona this summer—fans might have not bet against him signing for Arsenal.

Yaya Toure: Fact-File

Age: 26
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Current Club: Barcelona
National Team: Ivory Coast

Yaya Toure, brother of Arsenal defender Kolo Toure, had a trial with Emmanuel Eboue before the 2005-06 season. However, the Gunners opted against signing him before he signed for Greek side Olympiacos.

Developing further, he made a move to the Principality club Monaco before sealing a big money move to Barcelona in the summer of 2007. He has improved dramatically during his time in Cataluna, and has regularly spoken about uniting with his brother and play with him in the same football club, fuelling rumours of a possible transfer to Arsenal.

However, any hopes of a move were dashed when the Ivorian signed an extension to his current deal at Barcelona

He is a hard-tackling midfielder who possesses a wide range of passing. His versatility was also on display in the Champions League final 2009 against Manchester United, when he was deployed at centre-back—a role which led him to keeping Cristiano Ronaldo quiet.

Yaya Toure to Arsenal

Pros:

He is athletic, powerful and would fit in to the Arsenal team with ease.
His brother, Kolo, plays for Arsenal—hence proving to be a motivation to a potential move.
He is a superb passer of a football—a quality not commonly found among many defensive midfielders.
At the age of 26, he is at the perfect age (not too young, or too old) and his experience would prove to be invaluable to what many call an inexperienced Arsenal team.
His height could also make him an imposing figure at the club, much like Patrick Vieira, were he to join.

Cons:

He recently signed a new deal, hence rendering him virtually non-transferrable—at least for this season.
Even if he were available, there would be doubts as to whether Arsenal can match his financial demands along with his current employers’ asking transfer fee.
He isn’t altogether potent in front of goal, although that will not be his primary objective.

Conclusion

Yaya Toure will give Arsenal the much needed power that they lack in midfield. His height, athleticism and passing range will come in handy and he will undoubtedly prove to be a superb foil for Cesc Fabregas.

However, his wages and transfer fee could be a stumbling block in any kind of deal—added to the fact that he recently signed a contract extension with Barcelona until 2012.

Having said that, Yaya Toure is exactly the kind of player Arsenal need to add some real quality into their midfield.

Adebayor to Manchester City: Deja Vu?

Shyam Parthasarathi — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:54:51 -0400

If reports are to be believed, Emmanuel Adebayor is discussing personal terms with Manchester City at this very moment. This sale, while sudden, will provide no shocks to the Arsenal faithful.

Adebayor divided Arsenal supporters' opinion, especially during the previous season. The goals dried up, relatively speaking, and his body language did little to appease many fans, who continued to boo him throughout the season.

Perhaps the point of no return was reached during an interview given to Football Focus, where he stated that he felt unappreciated by a large majority of the supporters.

All said and done, Adebayor was quite the character. His celebrations were quite entertaining, and he has plenty of ability, with his goals against Newcastle and Villareal attributing to that fact.

Another fact is that despite all of his talent, Arsene Wenger was seemingly ready to do business with the cash-rich Manchester City, who currently look to have a fetish for signing attack-minded players.

Due to the Gunners' checkered past with strikers, Adebayor's transfer seems all too familiar for Arsenal supporters.

Nicolas Anelka was a prodigious talent when he left Arsenal for Real Madrid; he was young and scored plenty of goals, yet his attitude was questionable. He went on strike before securing a transfer in excess of £20 million to the Madrid-based side in 1999.

Then his replacement, Thierry Henry, earned the status of a legend at the club before leaving rather abruptly to Barcelona in the summer of 2007 after eight successful seasons with the Gunners.

Henry's last season at Arsenal was marked by injuries, like Adebayor's last season, and he was never quite able to regain his form as Wenger decided to cash in on him in a £16 million deal.

In the summer of 2006, Henry was constantly linked to Barcelona, but he opted to stay at Arsenal despite all the speculation and signed a new contract, much like Adebayor did last season, which saw him earning more at Arsenal while getting a considerable signing-on fee.

Arsenal fans must feel a sense of déjà vu as the Togolese forward makes his move to Manchester City—the player who he replaced had left suddenly, while that player's predecessor had a considerable number of attitude problems, which have made him a nomad as far as the footballing world is concerned.

Arsenal fans would have paid for Adebayor's flight ticket had they been told that the forward will be shipped off to any club this summer for a fee close to £25 million.

Still, considering that he will reportedly earn a whopping £170,000-a-week at the Middle Eastlands club, Adebayor can probably afford his own plane ticket.

Certainly, some respected writers and pundits might now question Arsenal's "ambitions," as they seem to be getting rid of their "best" striker in Adebayor. But Arsenal fans know that Wenger might already have a replacement in mind, with Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh high on his wish list.

A reputed Arsenal blog, East Lower, while analyzing this transfer, queried:

"To 'reward' Adebayor for scoring 30 goals, Arsenal doubled his salary last summer. And now, to ‘reward’ him for being 50 percent as prolific, City intends to double it again. Half as good—twice as well-rewarded. Now really, what kind of industry does that?"

It's the footballing industry, and in this industry, two companies currently seem to be willing to pay anything it takes to ultimately make more money.

As for employees in this industry, like Emmanuel Adebayor, it's the chance to give up the Champions League for a "new, exciting project."

One wonders what sort of analogy Adebayor would give for Manchester City as he did with AC Milan.

One thing is for sure, though: He certainly won't be saying that getting a call from them is the same as getting one from Beyonce.

Felipe Melo to Arsenal: Are Fiorentina Zenit St. Petersburg in Disguise?

Shyam Parthasarathi — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:33:58 -0400

Arsenal has been a club long maligned for its inability to complete transfers efficiently. Over the past year or so, Arsenal fans have had to wait constantly for news about potential transfer targets.

One that comes to mind was that of Samir Nasri, whose transfer took nearly two months to complete and had many fans wondering whether Arsenal were actually going to sign him or not.

Then followed the transfer saga of a certain Andrei Arshavin.

The Russian playmaker was the center of attention in the January transfer window, as rumours about his impending arrival were rife early in the month itself. The reason for that was the player's club, Zenit St. Petersburg.

One might remember continually reading about how "Arsenal didn't offer enough wages to Andrei" and how "it wasn't Zenit's fault that the transfer took so long."

It was a clear ploy from Zenit to squeeze as much money as they could from a potential buyer—whether that was Arsenal or any other club.

There were rumours on the final day of the transfer window that the Russian club actually offered Arshavin to all the top European clubs for a certain sum, which was higher than what Arsenal offered, despite nearly a month of negotiations.

Such gamesmanship on the part of certain selling clubs has unfortunately become all too commonplace.

Now, it is La Viola of Florence who seemingly want to sell their Brazilian star, Felipe Melo, to Arsenal in exchange for cash plus Emmanuel Eboue.

First their sporting director, Pantaleo Corvino, released a statement on Sunday stating in three parts that:

1. Fiorentina hadn't agreed a deal with Juventus for Melo;

2. Arsenal were the only interested club to have made a bid closest to the release clause of 25 million Euros;

3. Surprisingly, Fiorentina were willing to consider a player-plus-cash deal involving Eboue.

It was a carefully worded statement that revealed that Arsenal had been in negotiations for the aforementioned player—therefore alerting any side interested in his services.

Then today, their sporting director has again suggested that Arsene Wenger wants to meet him and that a deal could be in the offing.

In fact, he indicated to Juventus and other potentially interested clubs in the same interview that he has no meetings lined up regarding this issue, and that if they do meet the stipulated release clause, Fiorentina would be willing to do business.

Something clearly isn't right because a player who had only joined last year signed an extension to his contract this summer—but whether it was done to reward him or increase his value is something no one will ever know.

The player himself seems to be coy about his future, with reports suggesting he wants to move to Juventus.

During the previous close-season, another player from the Italian League, Gokhan Inler, used a move to Arsenal as leverage and got a bumper pay-rise out of his club, Udinese.

So Wenger will be both aware and displeased at this continuous public mention of his interest in Melo.

As far as all these transfers are concerned, there is nothing Arsenal or their fans can do but wait patiently. Negotiations are always lengthy, but when the seller tries to start a bidding war, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Zenit tried doing that with the Gunners in January, and it took an immense act of determination from Arshavin to move to Arsenal. Although the club seems to be dealing with a similar kind of seller, whether the player will be willing to make such efforts to move is something that remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure, though—not many should be surprised if Felipe Melo isn't an Arsenal player come Aug. 31.

What Cesc Fabregas Really Said About Arsenal and Real Madrid

Shyam Parthasarathi — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:31:30 -0400

In a "sensational revelation" made today by The Sun, Cesc Fabregas apparently "shocked Arsenal last night by admitting that he is ready to sign for Real Madrid."

Other publications and news channels followed suit, with Sky Sports showing the headline, "Cesc slams Arsenal 'impotence.'" An Arsenal blog, which claims to "support Arsenal, and not Arsene-al," also went along with the theory of Cesc "slamming" Arsenal and went on to agree with the alleged statements made by the Arsenal captain.

All of the above amounts to rubbish.

Cesc Fabregas gave this interview to Spanish newspaper AS, where he discussed his frustration at not being able to win trophies for Arsenal, among other things.

Reporters at The Sun probably used their Babelfish translator and did a bit of literal translation. Put the aforementioned interview in context, and you will hear absolutely nothing surprising in what Cesc actually said.

The issue about Real Madrid (which will be cleared up a bit later) was raised because AS is a Madrid-based paper that many consider to be a mouthpiece for Real Madrid—Marca being another one of their mouthpieces.

So, on to the interview, where Cesc initially discussed his time at the Spanish national team and his progress in it. He also talked about playing the USA in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup and Brazil's qualities.

The first question he was asked about Arsenal was, "Doesn't the lack of titles make you look for new challenges?"

To this he replied that he was angry that he wasn't able to win anything with Arsenal. He used the word "impotencia," which in this context means inability and not impotence. He also compared the Cristiano Ronaldo situation to himself (as he was asked a question about Ronaldo and Kaka previously).

He added that it was difficult for the team as they have to regain their self-belief after having gone four seasons without a major trophy.

He was then asked about the philosophy of Arsene Wenger and how the team "missed some stars," to which he said that he did not believe that stars were required to win titles, and that only he and William Gallas had ever won anything significant in the team.

He also said that he was very lucky to start off with experienced players and that it was difficult for Arsenal last season because of the number of young players they had.

The next question was "Do you miss living in Spain?" to which Cesc answered diplomatically. He said that the next season was going to be his seventh and that he felt that time was flying. He added that in football you need to learn quickly and make decisions for yourself that will make you feel happy.

He was then asked about the commercialization of football, and he answered that with the Ashley Cole example. My understanding of Spanish is negligible, but he seems to allude to the fact that Cole disrespected Arsenal by celebrating a win against them, as they were the club which gave him a footballing career.

He said that it would be more respectful of Cole if he would do it in the privacy of his own home, as Arsenal did give him his initial fame and money.

This question was conveniently left out by the lazy reporters at various publications.

The next question is what made the headlines—the one about Real Madrid. Fabregas was asked if his family would understand if he signed for Madrid, to which he answered that he was honoured to be linked with such a club and that his family would understand if he wished to join them.

He never alluded to the fact that he would join Madrid, neither did he make any such a wish in the interview. He was clearly asked in the next question whether he would force Arsenal to sell him, as Robinho did to Madrid. To this, he said that he would never do such a thing and that if he wished to leave, he would tell the manager so.

Finally, he was asked whether his and Wenger's futures were intertwined. To this he said that Wenger is like a second father to him and that he appreciates listening to his advise as it inspires him. He went on to say that he could even talk to him about some family problems.

To the question, he answered that he admired him but said that everyone has their own life and that he has to look after his own interests.

I wonder which part of this interview gave anyone any impression that Cesc asked for a transfer to Real Madrid. He also never "blasted" Arsenal for being "impotent."

He simply answered some questions honestly.

What's amazing is that the same paper (AS) which published this interview has taken The Sun's report and published a new article stating that Fabregas wants to move to Real Madrid!

The wonder that is the press—what would we do without it?

Something Has Changed In Arsenal's Press Office

Shyam Parthasarathi — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:43:22 -0400

A lot has changed at Arsenal Football Club over the last four seasons. The club hasn't won a trophy of any note and there have been many comings and goings at the club.

However, there has been a drastic change in Arsenal's approach towards handling the press.

In the past, when the likes of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry were linked to moves away from the club, you wouldn't generally hear many noises from the club either accepting or denying such rumours. But some bitter experiences have certainly improved Arsenal's press policy.

Arsene Wenger has said very often that neither he nor the players can control what is written in the press.

Arsenal fans have always been irked in the past when their top stars have been linked with moves away from the club, only to see that neither the players nor the club says a word about it. This left a lot of doubt as to whether the players were in fact going to stay at the club or not.

The Arsenal manager also seemed to have a persecution complex which seemed to make the team a bit soft on the pitch.

But all this has changed since last season after the likes of Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini left after changing their stance with every interview they gave.

Cesc Fabregas has always been linked to moves away from Arsenal with Real Madrid and Barcelona his preferred destinations, but such rumours are few and far between now for various reasons. Primarily, it is down to the player himself swiftly moving to deny any comments which were attributed to him in any article linking him to a move away from the Gunners.

The Arsenal captain succinctly summed up what he made of reports linking him to Barcelona and some quotes attributed to him meeting their coach Pep Guardiola:

"I never said it.Right now my future is in the same situation. Arsenal have already said that I am not transferable, which fills me with pride.

"If some day I left Arsenal, I wouldn't stay in England. As a Spaniard, everyone knows that I would like to play in the Spanish league. In England there are four teams who are superior to the rest and in Spain it is more equal."

He indicated that he has learnt from his mistakes of quotes being twisted while they're being translated from Spanish to English or vice-versa and added:

“You have to be careful not to fall into this kind of trap."

The press haven't left out the likes of Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna, with the wing-backs being linked to moves to Real Madrid. However, within hours of such articles being published on the internet, the duo came out and poured cold water on any transfer speculation.

Sagna told the Arsenal website yesterday:

“I have seen the quotes attributed to me in the French media today and I just want to put the record straight. These comments are not accurate and I’m not aware of any speculation linking me to another club. I am 100 per cent committed to Arsenal.

"This is a great club and I’m proud to wear the shirt. I’m looking forward to returning for pre-season training in July and preparing for the challenges that next season will bring. We have a great squad of players at the club and I know that we can achieve something together at Arsenal, my focus is nowhere else.”

Gael Clichy also rejected all the speculation about a potential move to Real Madrid considering he only signed an extension to his contract last season (not that it means anything in today's world!).

The only cases which have been left open to interpretation are those of the two Emmanuels. Both Adebayor and Eboue might be heading out of Arsenal this summer and with the former likening a move to Milan as a union with Beyonce and the latter stating his unhappiness at being left out of the playing eleven despite having featured quite a number of times this season—both moves look on the cards at this moment.

The Arsenal players and the club as a whole has learnt to deal with whatever the press throws at them and that seems to be the motto of the club this season—keep the current squad together and do it at all costs.

Arsenal's new policy towards the press will certainly please the fans no end. With their players assuring their allegiances to their team almost immediately after rumours surface of their departures—a clear change is already visible to Arsenal's approach towards life off the pitch.

All they can hope for now is that they can replicate such a pragmatic approach to life on the pitch next season.

Arsenal 08-09 Retrospective: An End-of-the-Season Review Part II

Shyam Parthasarathi — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:50:21 -0400

Arsenal's unsuccessful season was a result of a number of decisions—both internal and external—which led a considerable number of Arsenal fans disillusioned over the season.

Arsene Wenger has been criticized for a variety of reasons‚ ranging from team selection to a lack of ambition in the transfer market. While one can hold him accountable for the former, the latter is not something he chooses to do, despite what one have might heard from him in the past.

What was glaringly evident in this Arsenal squad at the beginning of the season was the lack of a genuine ball winner—someone who could impose on a game with his stature. From whatever one can read and saw today, the board simply did not back their manager.

This was something which myself and the co-community leader of the Arsenal community always felt, and I even echoed those sentiments during Arsenal's miserable slump in mid-season.

So, what within the board or decisions made by them resulted in Arsenal's failures?

CEO - A Position Empty Since April 2007

When David Dein left Arsenal in April 2007, Arsene Wenger must have felt a huge amount of pressure. It is now well documented that the charismatic Englishman was a major negotiator and had the contacts in the footballing world. Whatever you might say about his character, he was instrumental in bringing players at Arsenal.

Who did the board bring in to replace such a big figure? Keith Edelman—a man known more for his number crunching abilities than negotiating prowess. This was supposedly a stop-gap arrangement until the board could find a suitable replacement.

However, Edelman got sacked midway through his term as Ken Friar was swiftly assigned the role to negotiate transfers.

Here is where the debacle began which would have left Arsene Wenger furious.

Mathieu Flamini's contract, which was up for renewal, was not given the necessary priority as the Frenchman decided to leave Arsenal because he didn't feel valued by the club. The Arsenal manager then had to endure the frustration of not bringing in anyone substantial to replace Flamini and Gilberto as the board proved to be a stumbling block at every point.

So when did the position get filled by a proper CEO? ONE YEAR AND EIGHT MONTHS (including two summer, and one winter transfer windows) later as Arsenal announced that they had hired Ivan Gazidis, the former deputy commissioner of the Major League Soccer in the USA.

Arsenal's head hunters clearly seemed to replicate Seymour Price—Mike Ashley's investment bankers assigned to find the club new owners. And what's worse? Wenger had to take on a dual role of negotiating transfers and coaching players which made his job all the more stressful.

Transfers such as Harvard Nordveit's move to the Gunners in the summer of 2007 took precedence—Arsene Wenger then travelled to Norway to negotiate a youngster's deal.

The board were standing still all this while—letting their man do all the work and making all their profits.

Declarations of a Summer "War Chest"

The board wanted to save its back, and in doing so drove Arsenal targets' prices up. Keith Edelman once bravely stated that Arsenal had cash balances of 70 million pounds freed up for transfers in a summer where Arsenal saw minimal transfer activity.

Then, more recently, Danny Fiszman (who is self-exiled in Switzerland) said that Arsenal could spend 30 million pounds on a single player.

Whether that was a fact or a statement made to appease supporters in anyone's guess—but it did not help either way because nobody saw anything tangible at the end of the day.

These statements hindered the Arsenal's managers decisions and he made some interesting remarks about his frustration at the reckless remarks made by certain board members about transfer funds:

"If I tell you I have £250million, every player I call will cost three times more."

He alluded that if he had the money available, he would spend it—this, contrary to many Arsenal fans' belief:

"When I am manager of a club I do with what I have available and you have never heard me complain about the money that was available. But as well I do not accept people to think that I am stupid enough to have £100million at my disposal and put it in the bank because I am scared to spend it."

He also had a strong message for certain elements within the board who kept revealing Arsenal's "healthy position" on transfer budgets:

"I believe the more everybody shuts up inside the club and doesn't talk about anything and works hard is the best."

All in all, it does look like the Arsenal board was doing its best to cover up the fact that there certainly wasn't that much money available for transfers—certainly not the amounts being stated in the press.

The Transfer Policy at Arsenal

Arsenal have a peculiar transfer policy. There are a number of figures bandied about in the press, but the truth is that Arsene Wenger gets a certain amount (say "x") to spend on players.

"x" includes the new signings wages for the current year, and contract renewals for current players.

So, when Adebayor got a bumper pay-rise last season, the amount went out of that season's overall transfer budget.

The prudence at Arsenal cannot be appreciated more, but to tie up the manager's hands by combing transfer fees and wages for the current year means that Arsenal have a very limited leverage in the transfer market.

Politicking at the Top Level

Arsenal's boardroom currently stand divided. There are cliques at the top level, which has seen high profile departures over the past three years. Arsenal's slump on the field and the constant departures of players has been marked by a similar exodus at the board room level.

David Dein, pushed out of the board in 2007, went on to partner Alisher Usmanov—who then ushered him out of the newly formed Red and White Holdings to gain the acceptance of the board.

The Uzbeki is widely disliked by the Arsenal fans, who see him wanting control over the club for money and nothing else.

Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, who owns a hefty 15.9% of Arsenal's shares was also shown the door during this season—she then blasted the board for "not having manners."

Stan Kroenke, who was vehemently opposed until recently by the club chairman, Peter Hill-Wood, was then invited to hold a non-executive director's position on the board.

This, coupled with a potential bidding war for Arsenal between Usmanov (who owns 25% of Arsenal's shares) and Kroenke (who owns 28.3% of Arsenal's shares), could escalate tensions in the board.

Half of Arsenal's shares are still owned by families such as the Carr family which have run the club for decades. Such dynastic ownership of Arsenal, while unique in today's climate, has divided the board and caused instability at the club.

The board at Arsenal is divided internally, and tried to hide behind the manager's success for a long, long time. But then, the fans started to turn on Wenger and he could no longer be a scapegoat for the board's ineptitude. He promptly made statements linking him to the then vacant Real Madrid post, which shocked Arsenal fans.

That message wasn't to the Arsenal fans as such—it was a warning to the board. They could no longer take Wenger for granted. They could no longer let him take all the blame for the happenings at Arsenal.

Whether Wenger and Gazidis will replicate the success of Dein and Wenger remains to be seen. Gazidis does looks like a suave and intelligent operator.

For now though, Arsene Wenger seems to have won a power battle of sorts at Arsenal football club.

Arsenal 08-09 Retrospective: An End-of-the-Season Stat Attack (Review - Part I)

Shyam Parthasarathi — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:23:51 -0400

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics" mused Benjamin Disraeli, perhaps not fully understanding how common the use of statistics, or "stats", would become in today's world.

Statistics give a very good insight into the performance of a player throughout the season. However, there are intangibles qualities to performance, and therefore statistical analyses must always be taken with a pinch of salt.

Nevertheless, Arsenal.com today released the official statistics relating to Arsenal's first team in the English Premier League. It certainly made for some interesting reading.

Goalkeepers: Almunia's first full season a reasonable success

Manuel Almunia appeared in his first full season, making 32 of a possible 38 appearances. He kept 15 clean sheets, which meant that he performed efficiently for approximately 50 percent of the games in which he featured.

However, he also conceded 26 goals in the 17 others games in which he appeared.

His distribution success-rate of 64 percent was also impressive.

Lukasz Fabianski though, managed to keep only two clean sheets in his six appearances—one notably at Old Trafford, with his distribution success-rate being 63 percent.

Defenders: Silvestre certainly not a "geriatric."

The statistics as far as defenders are concerned made for some interesting reading. We know how poor Arsenal were at the back for long spells during the season, but what would concern Arsene Wenger is the lack of an offensive threat posed by the full-backs.

Bacary Sagna made only ONE assist in his 35 games, and Gael Clichy made NONE in his 31 appearances. The right back though made the most clearances of the back four this season (44). Sagna also had a healthy tackle-success rate of 71 percent.

Clichy opened his goal tally for Arsenal this season, but only had a tackle-success rate of 59 percent. But he did make 10 interceptions, the most by any Arsenal defender.

Many will be surprised to know that Mikael Silvestre is no slouch in the tackle—the French centre-back had a very respectable tackle-success rate of 100 percent in his 14 games. Kolo Toure had an excellent tackle-success rate at 90 percent, considering that he played 2280 minutes, and he also made the most blocks (13).

William Gallas is technically one of the better Arsenal defenders. He had an impressive pass-success rate at 73 percent. However, his passes must have all been either short forward or sideways passes.

Johan Djourou made 15 appearances this term and had a superb tackle-success rate at 92 percent, losing just 1 in 11 tackles. His pass-completion rate was also impressive at 78 percent.

Keiran Gibbs also showed that he didn't necessarily "play the Arsenal way"—making 32 clearences in his eight games (Clichy made 40 in his 31 games).

Midfield: Nasri's impressive first season

In midfield, Samir Nasri enjoyed a very good first season at Arsenal—he appeared 29 times in the Premier League and managed to score six goals (including a notable deuce against Manchester United). He also had a large share of successful dribbles and a healthy pass-completion rate at 63 percent.

He also had an impressive shots accuracy, with 78 percent of efforts on target.

Denilson has had a steady season, appearing in 37 games (more than any Arsenal player) and made the most completed passes at 164. He also had seven assists to his name, but managed to score only one goal all season long.

Alexandre Song also made progress this season. In his 31 games, his pass-success rate was higher than Denilson's at 69 percent. His tackle-success rate was at impressive 76 percent. But a criticism of the defensive midfielder, like Denilson, would be his goal tally of one all season.

Abou Diaby was statistically the poorest Arsenal midfielder. He attempted the least passes in his 24 games, but managed a pass-success rate of 66 percent. Playing deep in midfield or on the left-flank, the French midfielder managed a tackle-success rate of just 52 percent.

Cesc Fabregas had a hugely disappointing season, but managed 10 assists in his 22 games. His pass-completion percentage was largely disappointing at 55 percent, considering he is seen as the pass master at Arsenal.

Andrey Arshavin played an impressive cameo in the latter stages of the season. In his 12 appearances, the Russian scored six goals and made seven. He also impressed with his shooting accuracy, at 74 percent.

He also had the best "minutes per goal" of any Arsenal player at 166 minutes per goal.

Theo Walcott had a relatively good season for Arsenal, but the statistics don't reflect that. The right-winger made just two assists throughout the campaign and scored just two goals in his 22 games.

Overall, the statistics point to the inexperience in the Arsenal midfield, with comparatively low passing completion rates standing out against competing sides.

Of Arsenal's 68 goals this season, the midfield managed only 24—a paltry number.

The lack of a settled midfield four caused all the problems and Arsene Wenger will certainly know that his midfielders (existing or new) will have to pull their socks up to improve their performances from this season.

Attackers: Any guesses for the most "flagged" player?

Arsenal predominantly used only three forwards all season. Robin van Persie had a relatively injury-free season. He scored 11 goals in the Premier League with a shot-success rate of only 50 percent. He also had the weakest pass-completion rate of all the attackers at 64 percent. He also played for the most number of minutes among the attackers this season (2213).

van Persie also had 10 assists to his name during this campaign.

It's also worth noting that the Dutchman struck the woodwork a whopping SIX times this season.

Nicklas Bendtner appeared in 31 games this season and managed to score 9 goals. His shot-success rate was better than that of van Persie's at 58 percent.

Emmanuel Adebayor, the most lamented player at Arsenal at the moment, had an impressive season—statistically.

He scored 10 goals in 26 appearances, and made us wait 191 minutes for every goal he scored. He had 7 assists to his name, but was flagged offside a shocking 43 times.

To sum up

Denilson played the most number of minutes for Arsenal (3148).

Robin van Persie top scored for Arsenal with 11 goals.

Bacary Sagna made the most number of tackles (32).

Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie made the most assists (10).

Denilson was also the 16th most efficient player in the Premier League, according to Actim.

Clearly, the defense started focusing more on retreating rather than surging forward due to the defensive frailties witnessed at games against Tottenham (home), Stoke and Manchester City (away). The first-choice full backs made only one assist all season between them.

The midfielders were steady at best, but without their lynch-pin for most of the season—they were lost. Andrey Arshavin's injection in the middle of the season gave the midfield a face-lift, but the statistics don't lie when they say that only 35 percent of Arsenal's goals came from midfield.

The attackers did well, considering the midfield behind them, but the statistics point out that Adebayor and Bendtner, the oft-criticized pair, were more statistically efficient than the "best" Arsenal forward—Robin van Persie.

Overall, Arsenal had a mediocre league campaign and the statistics back it up.

Belgian Defender Thomas Vermaelen "Signs for Arsenal"

Shyam Parthasarathi — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:27:03 -0400

Reports emerging today indicate that Arsenal have signed Ajax's centre-back, Thomas Vermaelen, for a fee close to 10 million pounds.

The Belgian defender has been linked persistently for the past few weeks with the North London club, and it now looks as if Arsene Wenger has got his man.

Vermaelen, 23, has been in impressive form for Ajax this season and hinted at a potential switch to an English Premier League side a few days ago: “I do not know much,” he said. “I hear [speculation], but I can say little about it. It would be nice, but I’m not there yet.

“The Premier League is attractive to me. We played against Aston Villa and the game was played the way it should be.

"For the public it is the number one sport.”

Update: Thomas Vermaelen has now confirmed that he is in fact on the verge of a move to Arsenal:

”In the coming days there will be more talks,” Vermaelen told Algemeen Dagblad. “Moving to Arsenal is the right path for me.

”It is a great sporting challenge and I will also be financially better off.

”I think everything is going to be okay.”

As always any announcement related to this transfer or otherwise will be made on Arsenal's official website.

Why Arsenal Losing to Chelsea Is a GOOD Thing

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sun, 10 May 2009 13:08:10 -0400

This might seem strange coming from an Arsenal fan—but this is an honest opinion. Arsenal losing to Chelsea, getting thrashed some may say, is a good thing. These are the reasons why:

1. Arsene Wenger will not be able to gloat about a 22 match unbeaten run, which has been ended by a thrashing.

2. Wenger will also not be able to state that his side has beaten the likes of Chelsea TWICE - everyone will point to this particular game citing how ineffective Arsenal were, if he were to even utter a word about how his team "beat the big sides."

3. Arsenal's fighting spirit (or lack thereof) will not make Arsenal fans hear the same old post-match press conference of - "we showed our determination, and were highly motivated...." - because he knows that he'd be lying if he said that!

4. The Arsenal manager will also know that it has been Andrei Arshavin who has solely kept Arsenal in fourth position—this team was going to finish fifth or sixth without the Russian genius. So maybe, he might see the impact of a new, experienced signing on this team.

5. This will not paper over the cracks of what has been an UNACCEPTABLE season by all standards - the performances have been poor, and so have the results.

6. Maybe Wenger will re-consider his statements about signings - then again, maybe he won't!

7. Emmanuel Adebayor didn't start - and even Bendtner was called upon before the Togolese - this is a strong indication that the gangly striker could well be sold in the summer.

8. This will also show that the Manchester United loss wasn't down to the first eight minutes—it was about this team's lack of determination, heart and fight that made them lose—further teaching Wenger why he has erred with this project.

To conclude, what disturbed me the most is the fact that I didn't feel anything as we lost 4-1 to our bitter rivals. I would generally switch off my television after conceding three goals without response against any team, but this time I just wanted to sit through and watch this team crawl over the line.

I didn't celebrate when we scored, I didn't even emote as we conceded.

As Philipe Auclair said in the Arseblog Podcast—"What worries me is that I don't feel anger, I feel a sense of emptiness."

If that emptiness finds its way into the stadium next season, Arsene Wenger will be hard pressed to find some real answers to win trophies in the future.

And this loss may well be the stepping-stone to such a decision.

Football Fans and Schadenfreude

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:44:54 -0400

It's perhaps one of those "biggest mysteries" about human beings. Schadenfreude is an English term (believe it or not!), meaning deriving pleasure from others' misfortune.

Why would any human feel happy at another another's despair? In football, fans feel this emotion more often than not.

One can't help but think that during the business end of a fiercely contested season, teams which are battling it out for pride, honour, trophies, and/or survival are hoping and praying.

Praying for their own performances to peak, and if those prayers aren't answered, for their rival teams' results to favour them.

It was an incredible couple of days of football in the mid-week. Kieran Gibbs' slip allowed Park Ji-Sung to score an opener which condemned a potential classic between Arsenal and Manchester United to become a damp squib.

What would Tottenham fans have made of the happenings at the Emirates Stadium? Surely, they must have laughed out loud at the poor 19-year-old left-back's plight. "No more than he deserves," one might have remarked. "He is a Gooner after all, it was bound to happen to him!" might have said another.

Whatever they said, they must have felt a strange sense of joy at that moment. Not because their team was doing well, but because their bitter rivals were on the verge of getting hammered by their opponents.

The manner in which Chelsea went out was perhaps the most painful way (other than penalties) to lose in football. After conceding a last minute away-goal and having a couple of decisions going against them, while having dominated the game all along—Chelsea fans must have felt horrible, to put it mildly.

Again, one can only imagine what Arsenal or Fulham fans might have felt. Arsenal fans might have not felt elated at Chelsea's painful KO from the Champions League, but there would have been a part of them which might have felt happy. Fulham fans would have certainly gloated at their fellow West Londoners' plight.

Schadenfreude? No, this is what rivalry is all about, isn't it?

The business end of the season evokes a considerable amount of emotions for the followers of teams at both ends of the table. Newcastle and Middlesbrough fans must be feeling nervous, but their game tomorrow night might be more about who makes the crucial mistake than who produces the moment of magic. The team that wins, if there is a winner, will take that one step closer to survival in the Premier League.

Survival for both teams is possible today because of Hull City's profligacy. After having such a good start to the season, Hull have imploded and find relegation a very real prospect come the end of the season. When Stoke City beat them yesterday, they ensured their survival, while putting Hull City in a very precarious situation.

But Stoke City fans must've felt vindicated in a certain sense that their team ensured safety ahead of an inconsistent, much talked about Hull City side. There must have been a part of them which said, "take that, Hull!"

Schadenfreude? Noo, emotions run high when your team survives the marathon that is the Premier League.

At the other end of the table, Liverpool continue to battle against Manchester United for the Premier League. One can only imagine what would happen if the Reds do pip the Red Devils to the Premier League title.

Liverpool fans will feel that they were right to stand by Rafa Benitez and his men—but at the same time, will feel happy that Sir Alex Ferguson's team lost.

If Manchester United win, their fans will certainly enjoy this title more than others—because they beat Liverpool. Sir Alex Ferguson himself has said that he'd rather see Arsenal winning the title than Liverpool.

Schadenfreude? No, Sir Alex just wants the best footballing side in the country, aside from his, to win the Premier League—if his side doesn't win it, of course!

Human beings are complex—there is barely any doubt in that. But what a fan feels when he/she sees his/her rival team lose is an inexplicable emotion. One cannot call is sadism or joy—they're both very strong terms.

A football fan wants to see the team he/she supports win, first and foremost. But if that doesn't happen, the attentions turn towards the rival teams' matches and how they perform. Somehow, if those teams lose, the fan will somehow feel better about things in life—despite the fact that his/her team has lost.

Maybe human beings just feel happy at looking at others' misery. Maybe it is just a human condition which even the best of us suffer from.

Schadenfreude—gloating at others' misfortune—is something that I have felt many a time, and as football fans, I'm sure many others would have too!

Giant Killers: India and The Twenty20 World Cup 2007

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sat, 09 May 2009 05:30:33 -0400

24th September 2007 marked a new era for Indian cricket. Some may call it fate, others may deem it to be an irony - but in cricketing terms, it was something that most people wouldn't have predicted at the beginning of a Twenty20 World Cup.

The dominant forces in cricket at the time were knocked out by two of the underdogs -two teams which had got ignominiously knocked out in the first round of their respective 2007 World Cup campaigns just months earlier.

For India and Pakistan, the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa gave them an opportunity to exorcise the demons of the World Cup in West Indies held months earlier and redeem themselves by performing in what was a new form of the game.

This tournament was a burden for the BCCI. They laboured to put together a team, and selected an untested captain in Mahendra Singh Dhoni. They didn't care about what would happen in this tournament because for them, it was more of an interruption than anything else.

Little did they know that Dhoni and his boys had different plans altogether.

The first match of the tournament for India started on a negative note, with a game against Scotland being rained off. That meant that they had to beat their eternal rivals, Pakistan in the following game to qualify for the Super 8's. What ensued was a tightly contested affair, with India putting up 141 runs on the board. Pakistan looked to be cruising to a win but late wickets slowed their progress and the match, incredibly, finshed in a tie.

The second ever bowl-out in an internation T20 followed, with Vinder Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa all knocking down the stumps from their three deliveries. Pakistan, on the other hand, couldn't manage to rattle the stumps even once and India won an incredible game to go through to the next round.

India lost their first game in the Super 8's to New Zealand by 10 runs in a high scoring game. A crunch game against England was up next, and Yuvraj Singh's six sixes in an over from Stuart Broad propelled India to an incredible 218 from 20 overs. For a batsman to smash a fast bowler all around the park was one thing, but to do it in a do or die game was quite another.

India went on to win that game to eliminate England, and faced an in-form South Africa in the next game. This was yet another must-win for the Indians against the hosts, who looked to book their place in the inaugural tournament.

In yet another tightly contested game - India made 153 runs, which was a par score at best. South Africa started well, but some phenomenal fielding from India prevented South Africa to get continue their momentum as they eventually crumbled to 116/9 from their 20 overs.

This meant that India eliminated one of the big-guns of T20 cricket in South Africa, who enjoyed home support. A tournament which looked like a mere inconvenience now seemed to be bearing fruits with the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, and M.S. Dhoni doing impressively with the bat. The likes of R.P. Singh, Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth also chipped in with their bowling efforts.

The win against South Africa set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash against ODI Champions, Australia. Many Indians, while quietly confident, would have feared getting beaten by the juggernaut that was Australian cricket at the time.

However, India batted impressively - putting up 183 runs on the board. A Matthew Hayden inspired Australia looked on course to reach the finals of the tournament, but late wickets scuppered their chance to reach the target and the young Indian team got yet another major scalp en route to the inaugural T20 World Cup.

The last game of the tournament for India meant that they came a full circle. The final pitted them against Pakistan, with the both the underdogs in the tournament playing out of their skins to reach the final. While Pakistan arguably had an easier route to the final, they were a formidable force with Shahid Afridi firing on all cylinders.

It was to be yet another tightly contested affair with India posting 157 runs, courtesy a half-century from Gambhir and an impressive knock from Rohit Sharma. Pakistan began impressively, but started losing wickets in a heap in the middle of the innings. In came Misbah ul-Haq, who smashed the ball to all parts of the stadium to set up an intriguing finale.

Wickets started tumbling yet again and as Misbah started losing partners, 13 runs were required off the last over which was to be bowled by Joginder Sharma. As everyone had their hearts in their mouths, Sharma bowled a wide in the first ball, followed by a dot. The next ball saw Misbah smash the ball for six, leaving Pakistan needing just 6 runs off the last four balls. The final ball saw Misbah trying to scoop the ball over short fine leg, only to be caught by Sreesanth in scenes that most Indians would remember fondly.

Pakistan were bowled out, incredibly, for 152 runs as India went on to win the inaugural T20 World Cup, 2007.

This Indian team was shorn of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan. With a new captain, and a rejuvenated bunch of youngsters, they did what many people never thought they were capable of. Beating South Africa at home and a dominant Australia en route to a final win over Pakistan meant that this team had its name inscribed in Indian cricketing folklore.

This tournament made a huge impact on Indian cricket. M.S. Dhoni went on to captain the Indian ODI side. He promptly led them to a CB Series win in Australia months later. Virender Sehwag, who was dropped from the Indian team for his consistent poor form, rediscovered his best form and cemented his spot in the Indian ODI and Test teams. Harbhajan Singh also rediscovered his form, with youngsters like Rohit Sharma and R.P. Singh receiving plaudits for their batting and bowling performances respectively.

The BCCI saw the impact of T20 in India, and promptly put plans in motion for starting what would be known as the Indian Premier League.

No one gave India even a bit of hope before the start of the tournament - but they proved otherwise.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Arsenal Dents Liverpool's Title Hopes In High Octane Encounter

Shyam Parthasarathi — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:51:42 -0400

The English Premier League has seen many a good game in the past, but when Liverpool took on Arsenal at Anfield tonight, no one expected the game to be so open. That was mainly down to the fact that Liverpool's last game against Chelsea was an uncharacteristically high scoring draw in the Champions League which wasn't good enough to take them through to the semifinals.

It was a night where Liverpool fans around the world must have felt a sense of deja vu. There was to be yet another 4-4 draw, and again, it was to prove just not good enough.

A good game of football needs bad defending—and this game had that aplenty.

Liverpool dominated the first half in terms of possession and tempo, but it was Arsenal who struck first, courtesy of Andrei Arshavin in the 37th minute. The Russian arrived in the six yard box to crash in his shot off the crossbar after a pick out from Cesc Fabregas in a very Arsenal-like move, which was rounded off to the shock of the Kop.

However, the second half, or at least the first 10 minutes, was to be a complete decimation of Arsenal. A crazy clearance from Bacary Sagna gave Dirk Kuyt to pick out Fernando Torres, who gleefully accepted the chance to score, with a superb header in the 49th minute. Benayoun then scored his first goal of the game when his header crossed the line after some slack defending from Mikael Silvestre in the 56th minute.

At 2-1, Liverpool looked well and truly on top, and with the Kop getting behind the Reds, Arsenal faced an insurmountable task. With Denilson and Fabregas misplacing passes constantly, the Gunners found it tough going—until the magician from St. Petersburg stole the ball away from Alvaro Arbeloa and smashed it into the back of the net from 25 yards out in the 67th minute.

This was yet another goal against the run of play, and the Liverpool fans endured the anguish of seeing the Russian put Arsenal into the lead minutes later. The Liverpool defense failed to deal with Samir Nasri's cross, and the ball dropped for Arshavin, who took his chance and smashed it into the back of the net to score his first hat trick for Arsenal.

Fernando Torres then restored parity within two minutes of that goal, after spinning away from Silvestre and placing his shot wide of Fabianski.

The score at this point was astonishingly 3-3.

Why was it astonishing? It was almost a one man salvo from the Arsenal side, while Liverpool was going hammer and tongs at the Kop end.

The atmosphere was highly charged. Arsenal looked threatening when they had the ball and Liverpool was doing enough to trouble the Gunners' back line. The scoreline at this point would do no favours to Liverpool, who needed a win to avoid going a potential six points behind Manchester United.

Fernando Torres had a chance for his hat trick denied when Keiran Gibbs cleared off the line after the Spaniard nearly headed in from a corner in the closing stages of the game.

In the 90th minute, Liverpool got a corner, which they didn't make good enough use of. Substitute Theo Walcott then ran down the right side of the Liverpool defense in a scene reminiscent to his run last year which saw him go past four Liverpool defenders. He then slid in a superb pass to Andrei Arshavin, who smashed the ball past Pepe Reina to score an incredible four goals in the same game.

With five minutes added time, Arsenal had to dig deep—but unfortunately, their defense gave way once more, as they looked visibly tired.

Yossi Benayoun got his second of the game after the Arsenal defense couldn't clear their lines and looked in sixes and sevens at the back.

The game was to end 4-4, perhaps in an anti-climax for Liverpool. Their hopes of clinching the Premier League title looks they are fading away—slowly, but surely.

As for Arsenal, they keep an impressive 19-game unbeaten run going—but questions will be asked about why Arsene Wenger didn't start Andrei Arshavin against Chelsea, when he could tear apart a solid Liverpool rearguard in this fashion.

At the end of the day, it was a night to remember at Anfield—perhaps not so much for the Liverpool supporters, but certainly for a certain Andrei Arshavin, who will certainly do a lot better for Arsenal than their last player to score four at Anfield.

This is what the English Premier League is all about—a fabulous, entertaining game which was a dream for the neutrals, but a nightmare for the managers!

Who knows? Maybe there might be further twists and turns to come in the English Premier League. But if things go on "normally," this is Manchester United's title to lose.

Gooners' Views: Catching Up with "Little Dutch"

Shyam Parthasarathi — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:08:41 -0400

Gooners' Views is a forum for Gooners to air their views about all things Arsenal.

There are a variety of community based football networks out there, but Vital Football is one with great readership and quality. Vital Arsenal is no different.

I managed to catch up with one of the leading writers at Vital Arsenal—Tim Stillman, who regularly attends all the Arsenal matches (home and away), is a passionate Gooner, and writes a column on Vital Arsenal. He is incredibly opinionated and writes some very thought-provoking pieces.

Arsenal have had an interesting season so far. From their poor start to the season, William Gallas' captaincy getting stripped, to their wins against Manchester United and Chelsea in the league—it's fair to say that it has been an action-packed season, as always.

In addition to all this, Arsenal face the prospect of another Champions League final, with rivals Manchester United standing in their way in the semifinals.

So I managed to catch up with Tim, and asked him about various issues ranging from the FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea to Arsenal's improvements over the past few months.

1. Last time I caught up with you, we were going through a rough patch. What improvements have you seen in this team?

There's certainly an improvement in the defensive area. I don't know how much of an effect taking the captaincy from Gallas has had on team spirit, but the player himself has been inspired and is now allowed to marshal the defence without this press witch hunt so rabidly focused on him. Multiply that by Kolo's return to form and we've been very solid at the back.

I can't honestly explain why that is, possibly just work on the training ground. I think Wenger took stock and realised he had a mish mash of a team and decided that most great teams are built from the back—look at United this season.

Denilson and Song have also come on in leaps and bounds and have got better at protecting the defence. Going forward, a rested Fabregas has obviously offered us more, allied with the signing of Arshavin—who has bought us something extra.

Five assists and two goals isn't bad for your first 10 games or so! His signing really seemed to give the whole club a bit of a lift. Strangely, I think the last minute manner of the saga increased the effect—kind of like winning a match in the last minute as opposed to scoring the winner in the first half.

2. After our loss to Chelsea in FA Cup semifinal, fans have been angry at Arsene Wenger yet again, for issues ranging from team selection to tactics. What are your views on this issue?

We're all chuffing geniuses in hindsight, aren't we? I totally understand the team selection bar the decision to leave out Andrei Arshavin. Chelsea are a very physical side and putting Diaby in made sense to me, even though I'm not his greatest fan.

Had we lost the game to a muscular side and Diaby been kicking his heels on the bench a lot of people would have been asking why. I sat over on Arsenal's left hand side in the first half and it looked to me as though Diaby began the game there before Van Persie moved over.

It was a very close game against the most expensively assembled side in footballing history; we made one more mistake than they did. Had Sagna been fit I'm sure Malouda would not have got a shot away for the first. Had Gallas been fit I'm sure he wouldn't have allowed Drogba in for the second.

It's a measure of how far this manager punches above his weight with his resources when our supporters get so het up about a narrow defeat to the world's most expensive side with five of our six first choice defenders.

We weren't outplayed by any means.

3. Will the FA Cup loss have any impact on the team on the semifinal of the Champions League against Manchester United?

No I don't think so; United lost their semifinal too. I think these teams are so familiar with one another that form does not really come into it. Look at our win at Old Trafford in 2006. We had started the season without a win in our first three games and went and beat them 1-0 sans Henry.

United seem to have run out of steam of late. I think they've just done enough to win the league, but our games promise to be tight nervy affairs. I don't think the Chelsea defeat will even figure in the players' minds once they take the pitch at Old Trafford.

4. Your prediction for the Champions League?

It's impossible to predict. All four teams could go on and win it, but as Wenger is so fond of reminding us, we are "super outsiders." I think Chelsea will beat Barcelona—Barca are a super side but they are not used to tight games at the moment and I see Chelsea squeezing them out over two legs.

As for our semifinal, I've no idea, absolutely none—flip a coin. I do, however, have a horrible feeling Chelsea are going to win it. They're getting closer every year and they will win it sooner or later.

5. Where should we finish now in the English Premier League?

Fourth looks most likely, but we should try for third if we can due to the convoluted qualifying process. I think a month ago we would all have taken fourth. But we've got hard fixtures ahead yet and should not dismiss Villa just yet either.

6. Will this be deemed as an "unsuccessful" season if we don't manage to win a trophy? This, considering that at one point, finishing in the top four of the Premier League seemed to be a stretch.

Probably yes, I think the league season has to go down as a disappointment overall as we challenged for the title last year, but haven't come close to doing that this year. The second half of the season has been hugely encouraging and I think keeping every single player we have, plus a couple more experienced souls, should see us challenging next season.

In the end, we have been eliminated from the cup by Chelsea. If we are knocked out of Europe it will be by United, Chelsea, or Barca and we will finish the league in that company too. What is clear is that we are competing at a very high level and punching well above our weight. It's important to remember that.

We have competed for the top prizes every year during this so-called barren spell. We need to make the final jump but have to remember the sides that have knocked us out of the big trophies in the latter stages since 2005—United, Liverpool, Barca, Chelsea—massively outstrip us resource wise. As we continue to pay off the stadium debts, that resource gap will close every year.

There is a great deal to be positive about. The team needs just minor tweaking for me, not the enormous facelift everyone will have you believe.

Some interesting opinions there. I’d like to thank Tim for spending the time sharing his views and answering the questions on Gooners' Views.

Alex Ferguson and Rafael Benitez: Stupidity in the Guise of Mind Games

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:22:40 -0400

Mind games have always brought an extra edge into football. Sir Alex Ferguson is an outstanding example of how to unsettle opponents, in the context of a title race or a particular match.

However, he has taken them to a new low.

In an attack on Rafa Benitez, who apparently showed "contempt" and "arrogance" to Sam Allardyce in last Saturday's Premier League game between Liverpool and Blackburn, Ferguson looked like a teenager making an immature argument.

The issue barely concerned him—he has an FA Cup semifinal game to worry about—and yet he took his time out to make a well-planned dig at the manager of Manchester United's main rivals to the Premier League title this season.

Mind games were designed to destabilise opponents, to make them think twice about what they would usually do on the pitch without thinking much. But what the Manchester United boss said, and looked to do yesterday was simply childish.

In the guise of protecting someone who "has done so much for the LMA", Ferguson thought that the media and fans alike would lap up whatever he said without questioning it.

It was almost as if Sam Allardyce and Alex Ferguson had a little chat on the phone before their respective press conferences and decided to launch this "co-ordinated" attack on Rafa Benitez.

Allardyce, for his part, did well to look like a hurt, innocent teenager who had been affected by "the huge injustice" done to him. Sir Alex, for his part played the part of the onlooker, who was simply disgraced at the sight this huge injustice.

In any case, Benitez apparently never meant for his actions to convey the meaning that they did. He was signalling to his players that he was wrong about the instructions which he passed on for the freekick leading up to Liverpool's second game—hence the "arms wide open with a shrug."

Sam Allardyce has done everything to make teams stop playing football. He preaches anti-football in a sense and if he had anything to be humiliated or embarrassed about—it was that.

As for Sir Alex Ferguson, he will not stop doing what he does, despite the fact that it reeks of hypocrisy. He even managed to bring Benitez's name into an answer when he was asked about Everton. The Manchester United boss replied, "Everton are a big club, not a small one which Benitez arrogantly said."

Mind games were supposed to be crafty—but this just looked like a bunch of personal attacks.

Quite ironically, it was Ferguson who played the part of a hurt, angry young man in Manchester United's 3-3 draw with Liverpool in 1988. He famously complained about a penalty given against his side in that game, saying "managers have to leave here (Anfield) choking on their own vomit—biting on their tongue, afraid to tell the truth."

He has probably forgotten that quote, but that is the way most managers feel today when they come to Old Trafford. They cannot complain about any refereeing decisions, and have to accept whatever is thrown at them.

In trying to topple the Liverpool monopoly which he hated so much Sir Alex, for all his managerial prowess, seems to be blinded by the hate for the club when he talks about anything that is related to the club.

His recent outburst can perhaps be qualified by the response that Kenny Dalglish, the then manager of Liverpool gave to the above-mentioned quote:

"People would get more sense out of my six-week-old daughter."

Update: This is the major gesture we're talking about from Benitez which has led to such a hue and cry:

Arsene Wenger's Revelations Not a Surprise

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:11:47 -0400

Arsene Wenger is a man of many secrets, but he opened up to a French magazine this week.

In perhaps one of his most candid interviews to L'Equipe this week, the Arsenal manager reflected upon the end of the last season, the unsettling preseason and how this season has been for the young team of Arsenal.

However candid he was, it wasn't something that was such a huge mystery.

Many Arsenal fans seem to have felt vindicated by what Wenger said. All said and done though, Arsenal still remain in an unacceptable league position. To watch the team in November could have killed an Arsenal fan the way Wenger suggested that bringing Xabi Alonso or Gareth Barry would have killed his young midfield trio of Denilson, Abou Diaby and Alex Song.

It was a catch-22 situation. To ensure that the youngsters gain experience, they had to get more games under the belt. But did that mean that they play against the likes of Fulham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Wigan on a daily basis? The reason for Fulham and Wigan's addition is that there needs to be a certain amount of mental strength for a team to go to places such as Craven Cottage and the JJB to get results.

In November, this team looked like they were going to fall apart, and fast.

It was only the Chelsea game, as Wenger stated in the interview, that restored some belief among the players that they could compete with the big boys. Even if you would analyze that game, Arsenal drew level with an offside goal—so Wenger would be wrong to bemoan a lack of luck during this season at key times.

Interestingly enough, Wenger brought the treatment that Theo Walcott suffered at the hands of Manchester City a few weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for protection of players, but sometimes Wenger takes protection to a level where people think that Arsenal have a "persecution complex"—some Gunners fans even feel as if they're punished for the smallest of things.

Perhaps what irked me most about Wenger's interview was the part where he said he was a "prisoner" of his policies. It is difficult to understand how one can be a "prisoner" of their own decisions. Being a prisoner is something negative—so when Wenger suggests that he's one of his own policies, it means that he's not in that position by his own volition. This then means that he was not given the kind of cash that people thought he had been given.

Consequently, one cannot help but question what kind of support the board has been giving their manager, considering that they've claimed to have given him "substantial" amounts to spend.

Also, it was a well documented fact that Arsenal narrowly missed out on Xabi Alonso on the transfer deadline day in August. In fact, many sources stated that there was a two million pound valuation gap between Arsenal and Liverpool which lead to the collapse of the transfer. Wenger, in the interview said that he didn't want to "kill" his young midfielders by buying the Spaniard—but the fact is that he was about to get Xabi Alonso in because he didn't really trust them in the first place.

The team has shown a remarkable amount of mental strength in this 18 game unbeaten run without a doubt. But Arsenal have had to pay a price by dropping out of the Premier League race as early as November which is unacceptable.

Wenger said that this run, "left him with regrets"—perhaps the real regret he had was not being able to bring in a holding midfielder to solidify the midfield and propel Arsenal into a title challenge.

At the end of the day, you judge a team at the end of the season and this is something that Wenger has said time and again. If Arsenal do win some silverware, all will be forgotten—but if they don't, it will be four seasons without a trophy for the Gunners.

This set of players can certainly achieve something, but Arsene Wenger certainly faces yet another summer of transfer sagas and speculation, which he could avoid. If any of these youngsters leave Arsenal, rest assured, we'll be in for yet another "season of transition."

Why Arsenal's Johan Djourou Will Be an Able Replacement for William Gallas

Shyam Parthasarathi — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:38:38 -0400

Arsenal have been through a lot this season. In fact, it has felt almost longer than a season for so many fans because we've seen different Arsenal teams throughout different periods.

Perhaps the lowest of lows for Arsenal this season was when William Gallas as captain said some things he shouldn't have and it was a time when the team was simply not confident.

Gallas was still part of a defense, which was shaky enough with the then much maligned centre-back. With crucial games such as the one against Liverpool and Chelsea to come, Arsene Wenger dropped Kolo Toure from the side. Up stepped Johan Djourou into the centre-back position and he looked as assured as an experienced defender at the age of 22.

The result? Arsenal regained a considerable amount of the lost confidence due to the ever improving midfield, and Johan Djourou gave some reliable performances which kept one of the most experienced defenders out of the side for a while.

Djourou did make some mistakes during the Liverpool and the Chelsea games in particular, but it was his willingness to go into every challenge forcefully and make his aerial power felt that must have made Arsene Wenger pick him against the aerially weaker Kolo Toure—who was never having the best of seasons in any case.

At the time, Wenger hailed the improvement that he had seen in the youngster, saying:

"Johan Djourou is not comparable to the player he was six months ago," Wenger told the club's official website.

"He has gained in personality, in determination and in quality. I spoke with the Swiss national team coach last week and I was telling him how good he is.

"He is pushing all the other players."

He also gave an indication of why he preferred him, rather than Toure at the back with Gallas at the time:

"At the back you want players who are strong in the duels and strong in the air.

"Johan's size is a big advantage. He is among the top quality."

Djourou does have all the qualities to be a top-class centre-back. He has the height (192 cm), which he uses to good effect. In addition to that, he is very good technically owing to the fact that he was used in the central midfield position at Birmingham City last season.

Now that William Gallas is injured, Arsene Wenger will yet again turn to the 22 year-old Swiss international. Both Lukasz Fabianski and Djourou looked steady in the Champions League game against Villareal. So when the press, yet again talk about "three of the preferred five of the Arsenal defence missing," it somehow doesn't scare me as it would have had it been November.

Interestingly, out of the 25 games that Djourou has played for Arsenal this season, they have lost only two.

Johan Djourou, like Alexandre Song and Denilson, has improved on leaps and bounds this season. In addition to his height and impressive technical ability, he is brave enough to make a few powerful runs from the back and with good effect.

He almost fed Emmanuel Adebayor with a glorious pass after a strong run in the game against Villareal, only for Adebayor to make a wrong decision and waste a potential one-on-one chance with Diego Lopez.

It is testament to Arsene Wenger's faith in Djourou that he's been able to improve so much. So, when players like Lassana Diarra come out and say the things they say about him, it only beggars belief.

The fact is that Diarra never really fancied it at Arsenal and decided from day one that he was going to be unhappy. Wenger made double his transfer money in six months and while Arsenal have lacked the bite in midfield, it was more to do with Mathieu Flamini's departure than Diarra's.

If only Diarra had stayed at Arsenal a little while longer, could he have understood the value of being a bit patient.

Johan Djourou will certainly testify to the fact that being patient will make one reap rewards under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. The fans, too, can be rest assured that in the absence of William Gallas, Djourou will be as reliable as the ex-Arsenal captain.

Is The EPL Finally Becoming More Competitive?

Shyam Parthasarathi — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:23:42 -0500

The English Premier League has been hailed as one of the best leagues in the world for the past few years now—but in terms of competitiveness, there always seemed to be a gulf separating the top and the bottom halves of the table at almost every stage of the season.

Not anymore.

This season of the English Premier League has produced some fantastic performances from the "lesser" sides, with the monopoly that is the "Big Four" also under threat from both Aston Villa and Everton.

What is more intriguing, though, is that the bottom half of the table seems to be ever so open. A win for Sunderland, for instance, considering that things go well for them on a couple of match days, can propel them from 14th to up to eighth position in the table.

It's quite a fact considering that such a situation might have not been envisaged a couple of seasons back, when the bottom-half teams' fates slowly but surely started to unravel around this stage of the season.

Positive football seems to be the mantra of most teams, because they know that three points on a given day can lift them up two to three places. This could be the reason for the recent performances of Stoke City, who were barely given a chance of staying up by most "experts." Yet they seem to be defying all odds and are currently 15th in the standings, but are in no way out of trouble.

Hull City and West Bromwich Albion have played positive football all throughout the season. Never have I seen two promoted sides going for a win in almost every game they play. Hull City, especially, set the league alight in the first few months of the season with impressive wins over Arsenal and Tottenham away.

WBA, despite their current position under boss Tony Mowbray, like to pass the ball around and have certainly impressed many with certain performances—although their defence has left a lot to be desired.

Aston Villa have done their bit to shake up the "Big Four." With a solid defence and an impressive midfield and attack, Villa now occupy fourth position, although they haven't recorded a win in the last six competitive matches.

Everton seem to impress season after season under David Moyes, and despite their squad being stretched because of injuries—they are holding onto sixth position in the league.

The likes of Fulham and Wigan Athletic have also done very well, with both the teams in ninth and 10th position respectively. Fulham, who survived relegation last season, have done very well with a similar squad, with Roy Hodgson restoring some stability in the West London team. In fact, Wigan have looked very impressive despite losing their experienced marksman, Emile Heskey, to Aston Villa in the January transfer window.

The competitiveness of the Premier League cannot be questioned—with the bottom 10 teams separated by 11 points and the fight for fourth place still very much alive, and even the mid-table teams being able to nick wins instead of settling for draws, the English Premier League has certainly become a lot more competitive this season.

One can only hope that the trend continues in the seasons to follow.

Indian Football Heading Onwards and Upwards

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 02:06:40 -0500

When you might have asked someone in India about football a decade ago, they might have immediately uttered the name, "Baichung Bhutia" or might have simply not said a thing.

How things can change over time.

Today, the English Premier League is watched in thousands of homes every weekend, and football has now become the equivalent of a "Cesc Fabregas" or a "Cristiano Ronaldo" in India.

However as an Indian football fan, this can be good and bad. Good, because the youngsters are actually taking an interest in the game and bad, because the youngsters are following primarily the foreign leagues and players.

Bob Houghton's tenure as coach of the Indian national team has been positive by and large—India have qualified for the Asian Cup in 2011, which could give every Indian player an opportunity to impress clubs like Al-Ahli and Jeonbuk Motors mainly because of the modification of a rule by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The change means that in every league, each team can field upto four foreign players and one of those must be an Asian. This modification has given a massive opportunity for the likes of Sunil Chettri, Steven Dias, and N.P. Pradeep to move to other Asian clubs and ply their trade, thereby gaining a lot more experience and help India progress in the future.

Over the past couple of years, the likes of Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers have tried to set up links with clubs in India, with Manchester United also keen to set up such links.

But Baichung Bhutia, who has had spells with Bury in England and Perak in Malaysia, feels that these tie-ups might not necessarily have a positive effect on Indian football:

"Teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have been regularly going to Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore for the past 10 years. There is nothing new in it. Their presence did not help football (there) in any way there." Bhaichung said.

"India has to be very careful in dealing with them," the Mohun Bagan striker warned.

"People working on the Indian side in these joint ventures will have to be careful. We must see to it that we don’t lose out in the process. Their (foreign clubs’) marketing strategy is always very sharp," Bhaichung added.

"These tie-ups should help our football as well, it should be a win-win situation,” he concluded.

Bhutia does have a point—India can be seen as a lucrative market to attract viewers, but the fact is that football has to be brought into the equation at some time. Top clubs cannot take Indian clubs for a ride, and joint ventures should be mutually beneficial.

Having said that, Barcelona have set up a training facility in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and Joan Laporta visited Barcelona FC's Bathlapalli academy in the Ananthpur district.

This training facility currently operates with a 100 children, aged between 6 and 16 years. It also includes two classrooms, a computer labratory, two dressing rooms for the children, a staff room, restrooms and a store.

For a centre which was only inaugurated in February 2008, this is very good progress indeed.

Laporta told reporters that he was pleased about the progress of Barcelona's social initiatives and even said that he would be happy if the children currently in the training centre could go on to represent Barcelona in the future:

"It's our contribution to the social integration of some of the most disadvantaged children. We aim to provide education in computer science, English and mathematics. We also provide sports training and nutrition. We're using football as a tool to better the lives of the less fortunate. If there's a very talented child here then we'll help him or her in every way we can," said Laporta.

The main reason for Laporta's trip was to lay the foundation stone for a second such training academy in Atmakur, which could hold up to 100 children when it is operational.

With such foreign collaborations bearing fruit in India, it is difficult to see how scouts will not find any talented players in the future. Former French international, Vikash Dhorasoo is also going to start a FIFA initiative to improve football in India - and that can only mean good things for Indian football.

Indian football is certainly on the rise, and with foreign clubs teaming up with clubs in India or starting social initiative programs, things can only go onwards and upwards for India after having qualified for the Asia Cup in 2011.

Time To Give the EPL Managers...More Time!

Shyam Parthasarathi — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:26:48 -0500

Yesterday was one of the sadder days in the English Premier League this season. Two managers who were brought in to change their teams fortunes were quite brutally sacked by their chairmen and there are quite a few similarities between the cases of Luiz Philipe Scolari and Tony Adams.

They weren't given enough time and the more interesting fact is that their former clubs' chairmen were both Russian.

Tony Adams was perhaps the unluckier of the two, if there was a choice that one could make. Why he was given the entire January transfer window to bring in players of his choice only to get sacked after his team lost to Liverpool in one of their better performances is inexplicable.

The former Arsenal captain was always going to have a difficult time after succeeding Harry Redknapp. The one thing he wanted when he took over was that no one should leave his team.

That changed in a matter of days when both Lassana Diarra and Jermaine Defoe were sold, albeit for substantial sums of money. Oddly enough, that money wasn't pumped back in to improve a now depleted squad and Adams has had to bring in the likes of Angelos Basinas.

He is no Lassana Diarra, is he?

As far as Scolari is concerned, he was always going to swim against the tide at Chelsea. His ex-team is in fourth position and only remain in contention in two competitions. He was always running the risk of getting compared to Jose Mourinho.

The thing is, that Scolari had a squad that in many ways seems past it. Frank Lampard and John Terry have not performed anywhere near their respective capabilities. Scolari was given only £8 million to sign Deco, who himself looks like a player who is well beyond his peak.

Compare this to the money given to Jose Mourinho and even Avram Grant, and you can only feel sorry for the charismatic Brazilian.

Football clubs have become businesses. There is very little doubt in that, but you look at the top six teams in the Premier League and excluding Chelsea, who have a benefactor like Abramovich—five teams have lived within their resources and have had managers for at least two and a half seasons.

This season has been a bad one for Premier League managers as a whole. Seven teams have parted with their managers for one reason or the other, and this can only be described as disgraceful.

What the top brass at Portsmouth thought Tony Adams could achieve in 16 games, in the circumstances he was in, is something which is anybody's guess. What Abramovich thinks of his Chelsea team is equally baffling—because everyone can see that the squad needs an overhaul.

Guus Hiddink might do well at Chelsea, but he's also a human being. Roman Abramovich and Alexandre Gaydamak have to understand that football managers are not puppets. Neither are they androids who can make their team perform at the highest level in every single game.

One can only hope that common sense prevails among clubs and that they follow a sustainable model in terms of transfers of both players and managers.

Hiring and firing is never a good policy for any organization and if football clubs do really aim to run like businesses, the owners of those clubs should understand that it will take time to achieve any sort of success.

Any other form of success is only done for the short term—and Chelsea might well see that soon enough.

As for Portsmouth, their task of staying up this season with a new manager is going to be a very difficult one.

Time is considered to be a healer by many, because even the greatest defeats and the most pain suffered can be healed by time.

Now Scolari and Adams will have to spend that which was not given to them by their clubs through what will without a doubt be a very difficult time for them both.

Why Arsenal Should Wave Emmanuel Ade-Byebye

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 09:16:01 -0500

In a month which has seen Arsenal going on a 12 game unbeaten streak in all competitions, one thing is slowly becoming evident.

AC Milan will be very happy that they didn't waste £30 million on a bloke called Emmanuel Adebayor.

The 12 game unbeaten streak also shows how statistics can be misleading, with Arsenal having drawn half of the above-mentioned games and having won the remaining in a very unconvincing manner.

Many of us would have pointed out the obvious flaw in Arsenal's team, especially after the untimely injury to midfield general Cesc Fabregas, as the midfield. It's the attack, though, that has flattered to deceive on many occasions.

The only player performing to the best of his abilities is Robin van Persie, but even his performances are not match-winning ones all the time.

After the injury to Cesc Fabregas, Arsene Wenger started to focus on the back four and midfield to improve the stability in the two areas where Arsenal had been caught out so often throughout this season.

To a large extent, he has solved the problems of inconsistency in terms of defense.

Many could argue that Arsenal could have been at the wrong end of the scoreline against Cardiff and Aston Villa during this unbeaten run, but even the most critical Arsenal fan can see the improvement in defending since the embarrassing draw against Tottenham and even more ignominious defeats to Stoke City and Manchester City.

This team has improved, but at a snail's pace.

That said, the player who has constantly put in performances which are below-par to say the least, is Adebayor. He has shown nothing by way of commitment or goal scoring ability over the season and at times it does really look as if this team is carrying Emmanuel Adebayor.

One couldn't help but feel sorry for Nicklas Bendtner yesterday, as the Dane was stuck out at right-midfield of all the places after Emmanuel Eboue's substitution. Bendtner has also improved quite a bit since his drop in form but sticking him out at right-midfield is just madness.

One cannot help what would have happened had the Dane been at the end of Samir Nasri's cross, which Adebayor headed straight into Robert Green's hands.

Another irritating fact about the gangly striker's game is that he drifts to either wing and/or drops in deep when he doesn't seem to be getting the ball. Over time, he seems to be getting frustrated and exchanges passes with either Clichy or Sagna on the wings and when either of the fullbacks look into the box to put a cross in, there is absolutely nobody.

Isn't he the striker? Isn't he supposed to be scoring the goals?

He hasn't got the best technical ability but the least he can do is look interested. After 30 minutes into yesterday's game, I didn't even see Adebayor doing enough to show that he is involved. He was just falling down under challenges, sulking, and waving his arms about on the pitch—which is simply unacceptable when you're a professional footballer.

When you see Adebayor's statistics this season of eight goals and four assists in 21 games in the Premier League, you'd think that it's average at best. When you take into account that this includes a hat-trick against Blackburn Rovers which was scored back in September, you wonder what on earth he's doing in the Arsenal team.

The attack hasn't got enough support from the midfield because the midfield itself is trying to make up for the defensive frailties of this team. But the fact that van Persie has been able to do so much and Adebayor so less just goes to show one thing:

The Togolese striker is happy earning £80,000 pounds a week and doesn't care about giving it his all.

He might have forgotten the fact that when he was holding out for that amount in the summer, he compared himself to "elder brother," Thierry Henry.

Even Henry, with all his problems last season with Barcelona, was able to be their top-scorer.

Adebayor should be comparing himself with an average striker rather than someone of the stature of Henry - to see, or hear of such a comparison is nothing more than an insult to the Arsenal legend.

One can't help but feel that Eduardo's recovery will help Adebayor recover his form this season. The Crozilian's injury has deprived Arsenal of a true goal poacher and it was no coincidence that "Dudu" and "Manu" shared a great strike partnership.

For now though, Carlos Vela or Nicklas Bendtner seem more viable options for Arsene Wenger as Adebayor just doesn't seem to be bothered about playing for Arsenal anymore.

All Adebayor does is come out to the press and say that Arsenal are in the title race time and again, even though they're now 10 points behind Manchester United and fighting for fourth place.

Maybe he should just let his actions on the pitch speak louder than words—because if he doesn't, he should be promptly dropped as he simply hasn't been good enough for Arsenal this season in any way or form.

How the Potential Kaka Transfer Could Impact Manchester City, World Football

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 09:54:21 -0500

The media has been buzzing for the past few days about the impending transfer of the Brazilian playmaker Kaka, from AC Milan to Manchester City—and as I write that sentence, I cannot believe that a player would want to make that switch.

I will try to take a completely objective view of the entire transfer: the financial, and the football factors.

ARE AC MILAN DOOMED IF KAKA LEAVES?

To put it very simply: no. Kaka is a fantastic player and epitomises AC Milan in many ways but players can be replaced. Figo left Barcelona for Real Madrid, and Juventus sold Zinedine Zidane to the Madrid based club not long after that when both of them were "indispensible" to their respective clubs and nobody saw them crash and burn after their respective sales.

AC Milan will be around a £100 million richer and will not only have the ability to compete in a deflated transfer market, but they have the likes of Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato who can replace Kaka—albeit only on paper.

Either way, Kaka's loss will be felt by them for awhile but in the long run, nobody offers £100 million for one player and that is perhaps why AC Milan are contemplating Kaka's departure.

AC Milan will also feel a sense of irony, albeit bitter, because they are not saints in any way in the transfer market—having tried to destabilize many a club over the past few years.

CAN MANCHESTER CITY COMPETE IF KAKA DOES ARRIVE?

It's very strange how the word "compete" changes from league to league. As far as the Premier League is concerned, "compete" means being able to defend first and foremost and also possessing the ability to be up for a fight.

The English Premier League is also played at a slightly higher tempo than the Italian League and that, to a large extent, will take acclimatising to as far as the Brazilian is concerned.

The transfer market has been used ostensibly in the past by clubs like Real Madrid - so what Manchester City are doing is nothing new. Chelsea did contemplate signing Ronaldinho in his prime for an amount of money not unlike the one suggested in this case, so this is not a change in any way.

But a club which has leaked goals 19 goals in 20 matches is hardly calling for a flamboyant player. A team which cannot defend, cannot win consistently even if it had Kaka and Lionel Messi in its ranks. The Premier League doesn't allow such a cavalier approach to football.

If Kaka does move to Manchester City, it will turn heads for good or bad. Players will want to play with the likes of Kaka and Robinho, and that coupled with the monetary merits of joining the club will appeal to many players in the world who have quality.

The bottom line is that this signing is more ostensible than necessary.

WHY WOULD KAKA MOVE TO MANCHESTER CITY?

I don't think that this particular question requires answering. If he does move, a lot of words like "ambition" will be bandied about but make no mistake - Kaka is facing a big decision as far as his career, and to a greater extent, his life is concerned.

It's not everyday that some football club is willing to pay half-a-million pounds a week to a player. A footballer's lifespan is around 15 years and to be fair, they do have the right to earn the money which is offered to them in those 15 years.

However, one cannot help thinking that Kaka would make a wise choice only if the move were happening the other way around (Man City to Milan). Why would a player of his class join Manchester City—a club which is fighting it out at the bottom of the Premier League table?

Kaka seems to be a down to earth person, and the signs he is sending out seem to suggest that he might not accept the deal.

He also cannot be guaranteed success at a club like Manchester City, and that could well make him stay at AC Milan.

It's also worth noting that Robinho's move to Manchester City made him look like a clown back home in Brazil. One might wonder what picture-perfect Kaka might look like back home if he does make a similar switch.

THE IMPACT ON THE PREMIER LEAGUE

The Premier League would certainly be boosted by the arrival of Kaka. But it's interesting to note again, that the likes of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been quiet throughout this transfer saga.

Manchester City have produced a lot of talented players like Micah Richards, Stephen Ireland and Daniel Sturridge—so how will bringing in a Brazilian for £100 million help the home-grown regulations?

On the footballing side though, I doubt if any neutral would be bitter by Kaka's arrival to the Premier League—it will certainly make compelling viewing—as if it isn't already compelling enough!

The transfer market will also be polarised to a large extent—and a Premier League with so much financial disparity is not a healthy Premier League in the long run.

At the end of the day, the two clubs and the player will make the move only if it suits them. One can only hope that the standards of football improve, but at the same time wonder how the sport is now witnessing a financial divide which might just spoil the fun in the bigger picture.

Creature Vs Creature: Football/Soccer Vs. Formula One

Shyam Parthasarathi — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:18:47 -0500

In this edition of Creature vs. Creature, I have collaborated with Bleacher Report's Formula One Co-Community Leader, Saraswathi Sirigina to compare Association Football (simply football or soccer) and Formula One.

Here are my views.

I've always had a difficult time understanding how F1 has been a sport - that said, motorsport is quite specialized in its own way and has a specific audience. For instance, in India, F1 has had a following since Narain Karthikeyan's introduction into the sport.

Very few people actually know what the sport is all about, so in terms of reach - there is no comparison with football.

Recent scandals in F1 have also reflected poorly on the sport. But what has kept it going is the innovation - when Michael Schumacher was unstoppable, winning race after race, the rules for qualifying were altered so that the monopoly in the sport could be reduced to an extent - and it did work and make F1 a lot more competitive. F1, as far as I'm concerned, is a lot of fun to watch in bits but it's difficult to sit through a race and watch it lap by lap.

In many ways, the sport is as much about the car as it is about the drivers' talent - while that is the nature of F1 - it dilutes my interest from the sport.

I remember someone telling me that cricket started off as a rich man's sport with players belonging to clubs only being able to participate and F1 is no different. There isn't a wide enough presence in the world for the sport to make an impact and in India, we only know Karthikeyan and maybe, Karun Chandok to an extent - and both hail from a higher strata of society.

This, coupled with Vijay Mallya's investment in Force "India" again strengthens the argument that the sport, to participate in, is not a common man's sport.

Football on the other hand, is an ordinary man's sport in many ways. Added to this, it's a global sport - making it inherently popular. It's a pulsating experience to watch a high quality football match, and the global popularity of the various leagues has certainly improved its status in many countries.

I don't know if you can really compare the two sports head on, but if you take popularity and simplicity of viewing for the benefit of people who watch the sport for the first time - the result is a no-brainer.

However, this comes from a person who has watched, played and loved football for over 10 years now. I'm quite confident that an avid F1 fan would beg to differ - but for me, football trumps all sports just because of its global appeal.

As far as F1 is concerned, it is still very much a growing sport, with races being held in a lot more countries than ever before, it will gain a lot more popularity.

That said, can you compare it to football?

As far as I'm concerned, there's no chance.

To read Saraswathi's views on Formula One vs. Football, click here.

Arsenal F.C.: Analysis, What Analysis?

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:21:48 -0500

Pundits just think that they know it all, don't they? A lot of them, like Phil Thompson, can't make it as a manager, love the money that a television channel is offering them, and sit in studios and pass judgments which can so very easily influence fans.

Yes, fans should have a mind of their own—but there are many, many fans who's thoughts change after reading certain analyses like these. There is an inherent bias on part of the "analyst" at times, which can be understood and negated - but certain parts of the aforementioned analysis just didn't make much sense.

"The first half was a non-entity as far as chances and movement was concerned.

"The guys up front, Adebayor and Van Persie, both came too deep so there was nothing in the box.

"But they changed it and brought Vela on out on the left and they allowed Nasri to start roaming and getting on the ball," noted Phil Thompson.

While the first two parts can be agreed with, Arsenal did create chances in the first half, but when the opposition parks the bus in front of goal—it does become difficult, doesn't it?

Another glaring mistake in this analysis is the fact that Abou Diaby was shifted to the left side of midfield well before Carlos Vela was brought on, which allowed Samir Nasri to play in-field and create more. Vela then replaced Diaby on the left side of the pitch and was very lively.

"This is not the Arsenal we've known," Thompson continued.

"They are in a difficult period, no matter what anybody says, so they are searching for that form and for that rhythm that they've always had - particularly at the Emirates. They'd open people up for fun, even if they did park the bus.

"Arsene Wenger will come out with all of the clichés about character and passion in his team because it has been a difficult game for them.

"But they've only scored in the 84th minute. They've hit the post, Adebayor had a good chance and there were a few chances - but it was only 25 minutes into the second half before they started piling up."

Arsene Wenger is right to come out with such clichés, because it did take character on the part of Arsenal to break down Bolton. You need a certain amount of determination to score against such a dogged, determined team and Wenger has every right to say that on this occassion—although it is a bit redundant.

And Arsenal used to open up people for fun, even when they did park the bus five seasons ago. Since then, there has been a rebuilding process and even Arsenal fans know that.

Thompson also cited "the same old failings," but quite easily ignored one big improvement - and that was Johan Djourou's aerial presence. Many Arsenal fans have been advocates of his presence in the side, and with Kolo Toure alongside him, there is a greater sense of security at the back.

If anything, it was Manuel Almunia who looked oddly unsettled, despite having very little to do all throughout the game.

There was a "pundit" for the South-East Asian based ESPN-Star who said that Arsenal had around "three to four players" including Denilson who weren't good enough to play for them.

Here's a simple question: How many times has that pundit watch Denilson play? He has been steady this season and has improved on a continuous basis. Even when he had to play in an unfamiliar position on the right side of midfield, he did the job.

He is a team player.

Many Arsenal fans were not happy with Bendtner's inclusion and cheers went around a certain section of fans when he got rid of the ball by passing it to a team-mate.

What good is this going to do?

These fans must be influenced by external factors, which include these "analysts." It's a shame because Bendtner did end up scoring and was the only player throughout the match who seemed to get into the six-yard box with any purpose.

Arsenal's lack of goals this season is more because of the midfield than anything else. Cesc Fabregas has never been at his best and Denilson wasn't able to form a partnership with Fabregas.

When Alex Song came in, things looked slightly better but there was never enough time for his partnership with Fabregas to work because of the latter's injury followed by Song getting injured himself.

At the minute, Arsenal's injury list reads - Eduardo da Silva, Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott, Alex Song, William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre and Cesc Fabregas.

So, if I were an Arsenal fan, which I am, I would be happy with a gritty 1-0 win over any side—given that potentially all of the above players could start if they were available.

Of course no pundit, expert or analyst is ever going to look at these facts because they always want to find faults in teams - much like movie critics and movies.

Arsenal weren't glamorous yesterday, they weren't flamboyant but they got the result.

At the end of the day, that is all that matters.

Arsenal in for Arshavin: What the Russian Could Offer the Gunners

Shyam Parthasarathi — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:20:03 -0500

This was always going to be a transfer window where Arsenal were going to be linked with players left, right and centre. The latest news about Andrei Arshavin, though, comes from a credible source and it looks as though Arsene Wenger might get his man by the end of January.

Arshavin is a good player, but he is not a replacement for Cesc Fabregas. The Russian is an intelligent player, with very good technical ability—the eye for a pass and also an eye for goal. In Arsene Wenger's books, all that points to him being a winger.

That means that Andrei Arshavin will not be replacing Cesc Fabregas.

Who might that be then?

Samir Nasri—the Frenchman has been very impressive this season, and in comparison to the first seasons of Tomas Rosicky and Alexander Hleb, Nasri has coped very well with the physical rigours of the Premier League. In fact, his relatively small stature is deceptive and he has a tremendous upper body strength. He also has a very powerful shot and can use either foot. That, coupled with the fact that he played in that position in his former club makes him a natural replacement for the Arsenal captain.

That said, Arsene Wenger spoke about signing a player for long-term benefits and one might wonder where Arshavin fits into the bigger picture. Perhaps Wenger feels that Tomas Rosicky's time is up—the Czech midfielder has been out for more than a year and his return date has been pushed back month after month.

Maybe Wenger feels that Rosicky might not be able to recover sufficiently from his very troublesome knee injury.

Even so, Arshavin's versatility makes him a trademark Wenger signing. He can play on either wing, or behind the striker. The Russian playmaker might well be the missing piece in Arsenal's jigsaw.

However, when most of the world saw Arshavin play last (in the Euro 2008), he was awesome against Netherlands and almost pedestrian in the next game against Spain. In fact, Arsene Wenger then said that Arshavin might not be ready physically to cope with the demands of the Premier League as he looked so off-colour when he had to play once every three to four days.

Arshavin's sheer determination in wanting to move away from Zenit, though, might well be finally paying dividends. He has been linked with a truckload of clubs and Arsenal fans might wonder—will he do the same thing to us after a couple of seasons?

It's far too early to speculate, but Gunners fans are well aware that their club does treat transfers confidentially. The fact that Zenit have leaked the news about the negotiations would mean that they might want to spark a bidding war among interested parties.

It gives a sense of deja vu for most of the Arsenal faithful because negotiations are going to drag on for awhile, and that will only remind most people about Samir Nasri's protracted move from Marseille in the summer.

Either way, Andrei Arshavin is a classy player—one with a considerable amount of intelligence on the pitch and one who is reaching the prime of his footballing career.

That can only mean good things for Arsenal if his transfer goes through.

Sustainable Development Is the Order of the Day

Shyam Parthasarathi — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:38:17 -0500

The January transfer window has opened, and with its re-opening comes the pressure from fans of certain clubs to spend. With respect to Arsenal, the fans have been crying out for signings from the time the summer transfer window closed. With captain Cesc Fabregas' injury, will there be anything significant done on the transfer front?

I wouldn't hold my breath.

As I wrote in one of my previous articles, it is my honest opinion that Arsenal do not have the required money to spend on the names that are being bandied about—and certainly not at the prices which have been quoted by many media outlets.

The economic slowdown has hit many football clubs hard. Chelsea have said that they don't have the funds to spend unless they sell. The only club that probably has the resources to spend, and spend big, is Manchester City.

So where does that leave Arsenal?

The problem with the club is that there are contradicting views emanating from within it. Whether they have any subtext to them is hard to say, but the fact is that Danny Fizsman, a few months back said that there are substantial funds to spend and Arsene Wenger and the chairman have suggested off late that they might not have such a substantial amount of money to spend on transfers.

So, does Arsenal F.C. really have the money to spend on the likes of Arshavin, or are we going to wait for some cut-price deals or loans?

The answer lies somewhere in between. Danny Fizsman's message, coupled with Arsene Wenger's statement that he was going to spend wisely, gives a very subtle message to potential sellers that Arsenal will not pay over the odds for players.

Wenger has a mixed record in terms of how many players he has signed in January. In 2006, he signed Emmanuel Adebayor, Theo Walcott, and Abou Diaby but when many said that the team needed some strengthening last season, he refused to sign a single player.

This time, Arsenal certainly need reinforcements. In fact, they need a solid holding midfielder and a creative player—something which Wenger himself has acknowledged. Also required, in many fans' views, is a no-nonsense centre-back.

Wenger, though, in his prematch press conference yesterday suggested that he doesn't want to indulge in transfer talk and that whatever he and his staff are doing will reward Arsenal in the next decade.

Over time, an important concept in economics known as "sustainable economic development" has evolved, with countries choosing to use lesser natural resources like coal, and shifting to alternative sources of energy—while ensuring a high level of productivity. While initially, this may take awhile—this will reward economies, and the environment in the coming years.

A parallel has developed today with the development of home-grown players and the availability of money.

Arsene Wenger, who is an economics major himself, is well aware of the current conditions. One of the interesting questions posed to him in the transfer market is the weakness of the pound to the euro and whether that would hinder clubs' prospects in the transfer market, and the answer was obviously and unequivocal, "yes."

The all important question is whether Arsene Wenger can ensure that the club ensures success in the short-term and also develop home-grown talent in the long-run. The problem with Wenger's plan is that the players he has at his disposal at the minute are not good enough to win trophies—they might have potential without a doubt, but that cannot be realised unless they play with some experienced players by their side.

Another potential problem is that there is a considerable amount of turnover of current players—who today, are mercenaries and want to leave at the sight of a better monetary offer. You wonder what this Arsenal team would have achieved had the likes of Mathieu Flamini and Alex Hleb still remained at the club.

It's a difficult balancing act, which Wenger claims he was well aware of when he signed his new deal last season. He certainly isn't so myopic to understand the current problems in the current Arsenal squad.

The defects range from player problems, a lack of concentration in midfield, and defense and also a lack of experience at times.

The problem with football, unlike economics, is that the future depends heavily upon present success. Football clubs will not get bailout packages from anyone if they go bankrupt. They're not economies by themselves.

Patience is something that Arsenal fans have to possess at this time—one can ask, how much patience? Liverpool fans have been patient for over a decade and now, Liverpool lie at the top of the table and are in contention to win the Premier League.

Arsenal F.C. has the potential to go places—but the potential can only be realised with current success. It's going to be a difficult task for Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis to ensure profitability with an under-performing squad of players.

Sustainable development is the order of the day without a doubt—but a couple of sensible, Wenger-like signings is what Arsenal require today and one can only hope that the Professor is working on some sort of solution to ensure that he achieves success during his time at Arsenal.

2008 — Not The Best of Years For Arsenal

Shyam Parthasarathi — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:34:51 -0500

The year 2008 began with so much optimism for Arsenal fans, but as we approach the final few days of the year - every single one of them will be happy to see the back of a year which promised so much and yet delivered nothing of any substance. How did Arsenal manage to be at such a high 12 months back and why is there so much disappointment today? Let's find out!

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Arsenal: Time to Bring Out the Chequebook!

Shyam Parthasarathi — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:50:00 -0500

When the summer transfer window closed, there was a considerable amount of discontent among Arsenal fans. The manager might have tried to get in one player at the very end, but nothing happened.

At that moment, most Arsenal fans must have thought about a worst-case scenario. What is the worst thing that can happen to Arsenal with the current crop of players?

In my case, the worst-case scenario was that this team might lose three games at most and be fourth by December.

Of course, the Premier League has become a difficult league to predict, but this team has dropped points against teams which people would have expected it to beat, and convincingly at that.

Things are worse at Arsenal than my worst-case scenario today.

Forget about Emmanuel Adebayor's sending off in the Liverpool game. He has been as ineffective as most of the Arsenal players this season, but his attitude has been abysmal. He didn't seem to be interested in the game against Liverpool and looked like he was lazing around. He can come out and say whatever he wants in the press, but if you don't perform on the pitch—words will always remain words.

The most disturbing thing to notice as an Arsenal fan is how disjointed this team looks. This team doesn't look like a unit at all. Everyone seems to be playing within themselves and the manager's confidence in them has made them think as if they're superstars in the making.

This is where Arsene Wenger has failed this season. His project of bringing in youngsters and giving them a chance to flourish at a top club, while commendable, is failing very quickly. Injuries and immaturity are clearly hampering his side's performances—not to mention a distinct lack of interest and attitude among the talented, young players.

The senior players have let the team down as well. Gael Clichy has had a poor season, while I don't really need to mention how poorly William Gallas and Kolo Toure have performed this season. Cesc Fabregas has clearly not enjoyed his partnership with either Denilson or Alex Song and even in this injury-wrecked season, he has found himself deeper (positionally) than all the midfielders.

Isn't he supposed to be an attack-minded midfielder? Why would he play deeper than Alex Song or Denilson then?

This clearly demonstrates Arsene Wenger's folly. To believe wholeheartedly that this group of youngsters could last 38 games and challenge for the title simply beggar's belief.

The Professor has been an astute student of the game, and he has got to realise that this decision ranks amongst his worst in his long and illustrious managerial career.

Of course, it is easy to point the finger at one person. But this team has failed quite spectacularly this season for whatever reason, and this is not a blame game. This is just a time to establish some accountability, and that at the end of the day has to rest with the manager. His players have let him down, but he gave them the license to go out and play attractive football and they have been out muscled and outplayed by opponents who, while are not pushovers, are beatable.

When Wenger went away to watch the EURO 2008, he said that he has his chequebook out. Clearly, he didn't feel that his chequebook had enough leaves, or that his bank account had enough cash to acquire some new players because he didn't buy a single player.

He also stressed that he will look for "internal solutions" in the aftermath of Arsenal's latest addition to an ever-growing injury list. The internal solutions surely cannot be Alex Song, Denilson or Aaron Ramsey, can they?

This team has too many spoilt, and perhaps a certain number of overrated players who think no end of themselves. There are perhaps only a handful of consummate professionals and even they seem to be ruled out of action for awhile now.

It's time for Wenger to bring out his chequebook for real now. The time for games are over. The time for experimentation is long gone. Arsenal fans aren't going to pay premium prices to watch a team which performs like this team has done.

Every organization has to have an effective recruitment process, and at Arsenal the recruitment has been ineffective. The fact that people gave Arsenal a bit of a chance for salvaging some silverware before Cesc Fabregas' injury and now give the team no chance at all after the announcement of his four month lay-off illustrates this quite easily.

My message to Arsene Wenger is quite short and simply—buy big and buy quick—because Arsenal could very easily see themselves out of the top-four position this season.

That's because today, there is no worst-case scenario in my head. This is a ferociously competitive league and no one can take anything for granted.

Certainly not Arsenal or Arsene Wenger.

Champions League: Arsenal Get Lucky

Shyam Parthasarathi — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:19:24 -0500

In what could've been a very difficult draw for Arsenal, the club from North London got a rather favourable draw against Italian side AS Roma for the second knockout round. The Gunners could have well met the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Juventus, in what could have posed a difficult challenge for an inconsistent side.

But by getting a rather favourable draw, Arsenal now have a great chance of progressing to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Not only do Roma play a style of football which would suit Arsenal, the Italian club have not been in great form this season. Their drubbing of Chelsea in the group stages of the competition was one of the rare successes of the season and the club now lie in 10th position in the Serie A.

Arsenal have also been inconsistent, but the Gunners will be a very happy lot having avoided a trip to Camp Nou. Playing Barcelona at such an early stage would have been a difficult task, even though the neutrals might have had a considerable amount of joy from the thought of such a tie.

Roma, though, play at a much slower tempo and this will certainly suit Arsenal. They rely heavily on the creativity of Francesco Totti and Daniele de Rossi. Other dangerous players in their team include the likes of Alberto Aquilani, who coincidentally, was linked to the Gunners in the summer.

Roma have problems predominantly at the back—with Phillipe Mexes leading the line. The Giallorossi have conceded 20 goals from 15 games this season, which is proof of their ineptitude at the back.

That said, they have improved considerably over the past few weeks, with wins over Chievo and Cagliari boosting their position in the standings.

Arsenal have been consistently inconsistent this season and this will no doubt be a tricky tie, but by avoiding Barcelona, the Gunners will be expected to beat the team which infamously lost 7-1 to Manchester United a couple of seasons ago.

All said and done, this is the Champions League. This is a competition where teams which don't turn up, no matter what their reputation or status, could see themselves get knocked out. Both these teams will be well aware of such eventualities and this will be a very interesting couple of games without a doubt.

Manchester United, meanwhile have got a difficult draw against the Special One's Inter Milan. That promises to be a mouth-watering contest between two very experienced managers.

The games involving the English teams, along with the games between Lyon and Barcelona, might be the games to look out for as far as this round is concerned.

There are no guaranteed winners for certain. This is the Champions League and all the teams will have to be at their best to get the required result.

That said, Arsenal might well be one of the happier English clubs as they have drawn a team that has mirrored their inconsistency in Serie A.