Bleacher Report - Articles by Barnaby de Hoedt

Chelsea's Win Over Arsenal Confirms Big Four Is Now Big Two

Barnaby de Hoedt — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:32:11 -0500

Arsenal's away form has been more than a touch patchy this season but they like their home comforts, winning every game at The Emirates before Chelsea arrived this afternoon.

But now it's time for some home truths.

Chelsea's victory has cut the so-called Big Four down to size.

OK, there's no doubt that Arsenal and Liverpool are still in the elite group of England's best clubs.

But on the pitch it is another story. Chelsea and Manchester United now make up the Big Two.

I was at the Emirates this afternoon and I was there when Chelsea won 4-1 towards the end of last season. It was like watching the same film back-to-back.

It cannot be a coincidence that the Blues have managed to wrack up a three-goal victory on both occasions.

This was worse though because on that first occasion Arsenal's centre-half pairing consisted of Mikael Silvestre and Johan Djourou.

The truth is, Arsenal cannot defend as a team; something that Chelsea taught Arsenal a very harsh lesson in—not that I expect the Gunners to learn anything from it.

It is no exaggeration to say that every Arsenal player was second best on the pitch today. This is not an intended criticism of any of their attitudes, because they all gave everything to the cause.

But at the level they aspire to, some are simply not good enough.

Andrei Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas really struggled to get into the game today but, quite simply, they could do with a little help.

Denilson was anonymous in the second half and there is too much tip-toeing around in the final third from the likes of Eduardo, Samir Nasri, and Theo Walcott. Arsenal played into Chelsea's hands; every time an Arsenal player ventured vaguely towards the Chelsea third, they were made to turn back, slow the play down and pass backwards.

A watched pot never boils and that's what it was like watching Arsenal trying to score today.

At the other end, Chelsea didn't exactly have to pull up any trees to score. Arshavin was caught ball watching for the first, allowing Cole the space to escape on the left.

Drogba was allowed to amble in unchallenged to score; he was hardly made to work to reach the ball, as Robin Van Persie had done for his first against Spurs earlier this season. Thomas Vermaelen's own goal was almost the doppelganger of the first.

After that, a contagious panic spread throughout the Arsenal team every time Chelsea broke forward.

The two sides are streets apart. How lucky Carlo Ancellotti must feel. He is like a step father inheriting a good family.

Arsenal are a good side and monopolise possession well in the middle third of the pitch. However they rarely manage to deliver a counterattack in the true essence of the word.

There is a distinct lack of variety in the type of players Arsene Wenger has at his disposal. Bringing Thomas Rosicky on for Nasri hardly changes the dynamic of the game.

Under the spell of Arsenal possession, the ball glides about the turf from side to side. But there was no weapon to hurt Chelsea where it counted.

Manuel Almunia was also at fault for the third goal, but goalkeepers have a propensity for trying to guess where the ball is going to go and most of them come similarly unstuck.

At the very top level, a team that wants to win trophies needs to be able to defend. Protection, patience, panache; that's what Chelsea have right now. They even pass and move better than Arsenal at times, certainly more effectively anyway.

It's a two horse race now. Arsenal, once again, could not even keep up until half-time, let alone beyond November.

Arsenal Problems Mount After Gibbs Breaks Metatarsal

Barnaby de Hoedt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:28:55 -0500

Kieran Gibbs is out for three months after breaking a metatarsal in the last minute of Arsenal's 2-0 Champions League victory over Standard Liege.

After the match, which saw Arsenal qualify from the first stage for the 10th successive season, Arsene Wenger said: "Gibbs has a big hole in his leg.

"It was a very bad challenge by the No 22 and it was not his first try, unfortunately. It doesn't look good for Gibbs."

Tonight Arsenal.com revealed: "Wenger's worst fears were confirmed shortly afterwards following X-rays."

Arsenal fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that William Gallas and Andrey Arshavin recover from a clash of heads before Chelsea visit Emirates Stadium for the crucial Premier League match-up on Sunday.

Wenger expects both to be available but while Arshavin completed the match, Gallas departed at half time with a heavily swollen eye obscuring his vision.

Chelsea could be forgiven for licking their lips ahead of Sunday as Arsenal's season appears to be hitting a few road bumps at precisely the wrong time.

Before this week the game would have been billed as the meeting of an irresistible force against an immovable object.

But following a sudden spate of injuries - Robin Van Persie's ankle ligament damage being the most significant - and Saturday's defeat to Sunderland, Arsenal will need to rise above a fair amount of adversity against most people's choice for champions-elect.

Gibbs missed that game in the North East with a bruised ankle sustained on England duty with the under 21s, and replaced Armand Traore, who is now likely to resume the role at left back on Sunday.

Chelsea will be missing Frank Lampard, but Didier Drogba - the serial scourge of Arsenal - looks set to return to the fold for the Blues' Champions League match tomorrow.

Arsenal fans won't mind if he needs a wee bit more time.

Up front for the Gunners, Carlos Vela was picked ahead of Eduardo, an unused sub against Liege, while Theo Walcott made his second consecutive substitute appearance.

All of which should at least keep Carlo Ancelotti guessing as to which three-pronged attack Wenger will start with come Sunday.

Arsene Wenger Leaps To Defence Of Thierry Henry

Barnaby de Hoedt — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:09:38 -0500

How Thierry Henry must wish Arsene Wenger was the manager of the French national team.

The Arsenal manager has been nothing short of a father figure to Arsenal's all-time top scorer and he came to the striker's defence after Henry was branded a "cheat" around the world for his already infamous handball against Ireland.

"Football and sport in general is full of heroes who have cheated 10 times more than Thierry," said Wenger in his press conference ahead of Arsenal's trip to Sunderland.

Wenger, who as a Frenchman admitted it was "embarrassing" to qualify for the World Cup in these circumstances, is far angrier with the French Football Federation than he is with Henry.

Henry first worked under Wenger at Monaco and it was during that period that the Arsenal manager's faith in football was tested to the limit. Indeed, if memory serves, Wenger left for Japan on the back of the Olympique Marseilles match-fixing scandal.

Perhaps it is why Wenger never became France's manager and there was a disdainful tone in his voice towards the football authorities in his home country this afternoon.

"For me, people who bought games, who bought referees, who drugged [sic] before big competitions - they are the real cheats," Wenger said, strongly attempting to exonerate the man he helped transform into a world-class superstar. "Thierry Henry has 12, 14 years of fair behaviour in sport and he is singled out today for me in the wrong way."

Wenger insisted the onus to act was on Fifa and the FFF.

"We are still in 2009, sitting here, where 2 billion people see what happened and one guy doesn't see it and he cannot help you," Wenger said. "Come out with a solution maybe with one guy behind the goal, the best one would certainly be technology."

And Wenger, famed for offering an FA Cup replay to Sheffield United in 1999 when Arsenal scored an "unsporting" goal, said France should offer the olive branch of a replay.

"It is up to the French to do something and not leave one guy out there against the world. France should say, yes it was a handball, and offer a replay. Then it would be down to Fifa."

Yes, how Henry must wish Wenger was still his boss. Instead, he must persist with Raymond Domenech.

Robbie Keane Left To Eat His Own Words as Arsenal Complete Decade of Dominance

Barnaby de Hoedt — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:49:56 -0500

Spurs have been acting like noisy neighbours this week but Arsenal are still the neighbours from hell.

The White Hart Lane outfit have not beaten the Gunners for a full decade now but that did not stop Robbie Keane and company talking up their side’s ability to surpass their North London rivals before the match.

Keane said that Spurs had “more strength in depth” than Arsenal and, with Jermaine Defoe, Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric absent, they had the perfect chance to substantiate this.

And Spurs were superb for 42 minutes—but their old demons came back to haunt them.

Harry Redknapp’s Halloween couldn’t have been any worse. He certainly won’t see anything scarier than the sins committed by his defence at the end of the first half.

If Robin Van Persie’s opener was soft, Cesc Fabregas’s goal—just 11 seconds after the restart from the first—came gift-wrapped. Fabregas must have felt like Maradona as he plundered an exceptional finish but the visiting defence parted like the Red Sea in truth.

Redknapp looked like he’d seen a ghost but he was spooked again when Van Persie profited from another early Christmas present.

Actions speak louder than words and on this evidence Keane will be eating every one of those he muttered in the build up to the 162nd North London Derby.

Spurs simply self-destruct against Arsenal, who did their talking on the pitch.

At 3-0 Arsene Wenger, never satisfied and overcome by a fit of melodramatic rage, even ripped off his jacket and flung it at his chair in the dugout.

Spurs may be obsessed with beating/matching/surpassing Arsenal, but Wenger has bigger fish to fry.

And that’s still the difference, Robbie.

Arsene Wenger Post-60: His Best Years Lay Ahead

Barnaby de Hoedt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:36:35 -0400

Arsene Wenger spent this evening, his 60th birthday, watching the Europa League. There are now five officials surveying these games, which he would like to study.

“It is the referees who age me, so I have to be aware of this,” Wenger joked this week.

The Frenchman hasn’t lost his sense of humour—despite the turmoil of last season, when he was openly criticised by Arsenal shareholders—nor the sense of devotion to his work, which includes sticking to a diet as stringent as his players.

I do hope he afforded himself a drop or two of pinot noir though, on his birthday after all. He deserves it after one hell of a year. Despite something of a nadir in May, Wenger neither wastes time naval gazing, nor massages his ego pondering past glories.

He’s had thirteen phenomenal years at Arsenal but the strength of the philosophy he has instilled in the club comes from the sheer force of his forward-thinking positivity.

This is how he has won over those who doubted him. But they will doubt him again if Arsenal finish the season empty-handed for a fifth successive season.

Emmanuel Petit, a prime example of Wenger’s ability to exceed value for money in the transfer market, said today that Wenger “must win” a trophy this season.

Unfortunately, he is right.

Not because the board will sack him if he fails to. It would probably take a sub-top four finish for at least two consecutive years for that to happen.

Non, says Monsieur Petit, it’s because of the threat that certain players could be tempted elsewhere. Cesc Fabregas, Andrey Arshavin, and Robin Van Persie—an attack-minded triumvirate not a million miles from Messi, Xavi and Iniesta at Barcelona—for example, need to believe that they are going to win Europe’s top prizes.

They probably will not be 100 percent convinced until it happens. But if Arsenal did not get their hands on that elusive trophy this season, it would surely happen in 2010-11. Nothing is certain, but while Arsenal steadily improve, other teams are ageing, confronting their swansong.

If, unthinkably, the team did break up, Wenger—who turned down Real Madrid this summer because it represented the antithesis to his project at Arsenal—would perhaps question, for the first time, if he had the stomach to start rebuilding again. Again.

So this is a Rubicon moment for Arsenal on the pitch. Win this season—or stay and fight regardless—and Wenger’s best days, perhaps a European Cup triumph no less, lay ahead over the best part of another decade.

Lose and leave though, and the final chapter to Wenger’s legacy could be lost.

Arsenal's Desperation Betrays Alarming Trace Of Naivety

Barnaby de Hoedt — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:56:23 -0400

The press office at Emirates Stadium in London is presumably a constantly busy place; but it must have been working round the clock in the opening weeks of this season.

For several reasons, from Eduardo-gate to Adebayor's tantrums, the Arsenal Football Club has possibly provoked the greatest number of headlines in the press since it kicked off on August 15th.

This is one of the reasons why we love this game.

Who isn't looking forward to Adebayor's return to the Emirates now?

But it would be nice if we could concentrate on football for a while. So let's do that.

It started well enough. Wins at Everton and Celtic whipped up an odds-slashing orgy on the Gunners' title hopes. Critics were eating humble pie at halftime against Manchester United.

Then it all went wrong. Why?

It sounds corny, lame even, but Arsenal's players are trying too hard. They're all trying to prove a point, to win every game and to play the best football possible.

They have been caught up in the emotion of the game and it has betrayed a worrying trace of naivety in the team. The line about being a young team will no longer suffice. Desperation has crept in and the balance and patience displayed in those early games has suffered.

For example, I wonder if Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna need to push forward quite so much. Especially Clichy, with his propensity for giving the ball away. Is he really any better than Kieran Gibbs and Armond Traore? I'm not so sure.

William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen were completely exposed by their teammates' gung-ho modus operandi on Saturday.

Arsenal have been accused of drawing too many games in the past two seasons. But this doesn't mean they should underestimate the importance of a point. Two in the past couple of trips to Manchester would have been pretty useful.

Speaking of which, while Arsenal are caught up in another media storm, Adebayor's impending ban has fallen right into the grateful hands of Alex Ferguson.

Was this part of Adebayor's master plan on Saturday, just to spite Arsenal even further?

Of course not. He's not that clever. But it does leave Arsenal with a strange dilemma. Normally, Gooners would be backing City in this fixture, but who would North London rather prevail in Manchester now?

If Arsenal are still title contenders, then it's still City.

But if you're backing United, it's probably an unfortunate concession that the Gunners are fighting for fourth again.

Is David Beckham A 'Passenger' In Fabio Capello's England Squad?

Barnaby de Hoedt — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:54:24 -0400

David Beckham had to contend with a bum-numbing watching brief from the bench for the entire 90 minutes of England's 2-1 friendly win over Slovenia yesterday.

Shaun Wright Phillips started on the right side of midfield, and both Aaron Lennon and James Milner were preferred ahead of Beckham as substitutes by Fabio Capello, while Theo Walcott wasn't even there.

The Italian was happy to help nudge Beckham over the line to become England's most capped outfield player. But now that's out of the way, Beckham did not even get his token cameo appearance.

Which begs the inevitable question: would Beckham be a mere passenger on the England flight to South Africa next year?

The argument for taking Beckham to the World Cup is three-fold.

One: He still has one of the best in the business at delivering from a dead ball situation. Whether it be a free kick or a corner, he could conjure a moment of magic at any time, usually an assist for the likes of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, but perhaps even a goal.

He has scored free-kicks in the World Cup before, after all. He can also play in central midfield, sitting deep and pinging balls forward as part of Plan B when England are scrambling for a late equaliser.

Two: His experience will be crucial in the dressing room. Allied to this, his attendance may also deflect a little attention from some of the more important players in the team, such as Wayne Rooney.

Three: Transporting Beckham-mania to South Africa, with all proceeds thus going to the FA.

Let's put these points under the microscope.

One: Beckham still has a great delivery, but it is still overrated; it is not as consistent as it used to be. Above all though, to say that we have other players with the quality to compensate for Beckham's absence is an understatement. The likes of Gerrard, Lampard, and Rooney can all take free kicks and corners, with the power, swing and accuracy expected of a modern A1 footballer.

From open play, Walcott, Lennon and Wright-Phillips are all ahead of him in terms of pace and stamina. There isn't room for four right wingers in a 23 man squad is there? And Gerrard can fill the role of Plan B, if it's at all needed.

Two: This is difficult to judge from the outside looking in, so you have to give Beckham the benefit of the doubt here.

Whether the likes of experienced pros such as Terry, the captain, and Lampard privately feel that his contribution off the pitch is that vital, only they know. Some of the younger players certainly seem to value his advice, but do they need a baby sitter?

Three: The fanfare attached to Beckham was part of the attraction for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy and AC Milan. You can be assured that the FA's marketing department will be working on ways to take advantage of Beckham's popularity if he does make the squad.

It's not a footballing reason though, and if Capello's Iron Fist is clenched as tightly as it seems, he won't allow this to affect his selection policy.

A lot will depend on whether Beckham goes back to AC Milan or somewhere else in Europe good enough to prolong his match sharpness and fitness.

There's a long way to go but it's starting to look bleak for Becks. Is there really room for him on that flight?

UEFA's Actions Stand to Make Diving More Prominent

Barnaby de Hoedt — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:34:26 -0400

If anyone was fooled into thinking that UEFA were about to launch an unprecedented clampdown on diving―and I don't think there were many―then they will be left disappointed.

According to the Times today, there is no improved bid to eradicate simulation by UEFA, for the fear they could, believe it not, undermine referees.

This decision will, firstly, infuriate Arsene Wenger, who feels Arsenal have been singled out, and secondly, do nothing to make players think twice about going down like the proverbial sack of spuds in the future.

In fact it will make it more likely, more prominent, and harder for referees to deal with.

Arsenal have already said that they will apply pressure on UEFA to enforce consistent punishment across the board.

But a cowardly UEFA will ban Eduardo and then take a backseat on the issue. Because they know they have been made to look like a shambles. Which means the system will open to further abuse. Expect more player simulation than ever.

Notice how Michel Platini has had nothing to say on the issue? Arsenal won't come out of this episode with any credit but UEFA have borne the brunt of far more criticism.

Eduardo dived. Just as Rooney did on last Saturday (the only difference being that Manual Almunia was stupid enough to take the bate); just as Ryan Babbel did against Arsenal in the 2007 Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Anfield; just as Robbie Fowler did at Highbury in 1997, when he got up and told the referee that David Seaman had pulled his arms away at the last second.

Of course only one of these other incidents was under the jurisdiction of UEFA. Nonetheless it all amounts to Arsenal feeling as if they have been purposely picked on.

As former referee Dermot Gallagher has pointed out, banning Eduardo for two games increases his punishment six-fold compared to if he had received the usual yellow card.

There is a growing feeling that the games governing bodies have something of a grudge against the big four in the Premier League. That feeling won't be tamed by FIFA's extraordinary transfer sanction on Chelsea today.

They say decisions tend to go the way of the big boys in the Premier League. Maybe that's not the case on the European stage.

But until governing bodies provide clear guidelines on procedures, players will continue to take advantage and dive. Just like MPs took advantage of the expenses system. It's human nature.

Where's The Logic? Wenger Questions UEFA Stance On Video Replays

Barnaby de Hoedt — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:00:42 -0400

Once the smoke from the fireworks had cleared, there was at least one moment of clarity during Arsene Wenger's scathing attack on UEFA this afternoon.

The Arsenal manager has cut a calm and collected figure so far this season, but that ended after Eduardo was charged for "deceiving the referee" against Celtic.

Wenger's rant gave his critics plenty of ammo in his pre-Man United press conference. He failed to condemn Eduardo for what even Arsenal fans have agreed was a blatant dive, saying that he could "prove that Eduardo has been touched."

That goes beyond wearing rose-tinted glasses.

Wenger suggested the ordeal had been a "trial by media". Yet he wrote tomorrow's tabloid headlines when he said "Eduardo has been treated like he has killed someone" and used the word "witch-hunt".

Another easy day for the sub-editors on the Daily Mail's sports desk, no doubt.

But despite the red mist impairing his judgement, the Frenchman managed to conjure up a welcome dose of common sense—Something UEFA could clearly do with.

"The referees need help. How many times have I come out and said I am for video technology? UEFA refused the video technology but now they have used it to judge our player. Where is the logic?"

Touché Monsieur.

He then added something that a lot of fans, not just Gooners, have been saying.

"We have been victims of dives from some players in England, who were English, who were never treated like that so you have to answer a case as well, the medias and the press, to treat every case exactly the same."

Ironically, or rather predictably, none of the main UK newspaper websites have used this last quote. I could only find it on the Daily Mail website, which published a full transcript after its main report.

Wenger went on to say: "[UEFA has] opened the door to every single decision made by a referee can now be challenged. They've opened a very dangerous door there."

Apparantly, UEFA has done this before.

The Times reports: "There are previous examples of such retrospective use of video evidence—UEFA suspended Saulius Mikoliunas, the former Heart of Midlothian midfield player, for two matches for diving in a European Championship qualifying match between Lithuania and Scotland, and the Scottish FA handed a two-match ban to Kyle Lafferty this month for feigning injury—but none involving such a high-profile club."

Judging by the reaction everywhere, UEFA has indeed opened a monumental can of worms. Will it maintain its stance if Monsieurs Gerrard, Drogba and Ronaldo take a customary tumble once the Champions League proper kicks off?

And will a player only be charged if his act of simulation "cons" the referee into the wrong decision. Usually, if the ref actually makes the right call, it only results in a yellow card, or the ref bottles it and gives nothing.

Again, where's the logic?

"Lucky" Arsenal Beat Plucky Celtic to All but Secure European Spot

Barnaby de Hoedt — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:21:48 -0400

When the club was winning trophies under the utilitarian style of George Graham in the late 80s and early 90s, the derogatory adjective "lucky" was forever fastened to the name Arsenal in newspaper headlines.

It was either that or boring.

Lucky Arsenal. Boring Arsenal. Lucky, boring Arsenal.

Tonight, though, present-day Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was more than happy to admit his side had received a huge slice of fortune—not once but twice—as they all but secured a place in the Champions League proper against a gutsy Celtic resistance.

"I think it was a fierce battle," said Wenger afterwards. "I felt collectively we dominated the game, but Celtic were always willing, fighting and counter-attacking. In the end, despite being in control, we scored two lucky goals. It was a big fight tonight and we needed a strong Arsenal side to win the game. The crowd and players were absolutely up for it, and I believe with an average performance we would not have won the game.”

Arsenal took the lead in the 43rd minute when Cesc Fabregas' free kick deflected off William Gallas' back and past a hapless Artur Boruc in goal. It was a cruel blow to the home side so close to halftime having matched the Gunners in every department.

Celtic refused to throw in the towel but never forced Manual Almunia into action, and Arsenal eventually doubled their advantage on 71 minutes when Gael Clichy latched onto Diaby's pass and drilled the ball across the face of goal. With Nicklas Bendtner looming, Celtic captain Gary Caldwell could only turn his clearance into his own net.

While Arsenal's goals may evoke headlines from Graham's era, the manner of the away side's performance also harked back to other glory days.

Celtic will rightly be praised for matching Arsenal, but Arsenal matched Celtic too. Energy and determination were the ingredients the home side needed to upset their opponents, urged on by the famous Celtic Park 12th man.

But Arsenal have not closed the ball down so relentlessly and collectively since Wenger's first championship winning year in 1998, when French enforcers Patrick Vieira and Emmanual Petit lead the charge.

Every Arsenal player worked their proverbial socks off tonight. Thomas Vermaelen impressed again, and Fabregas was the man of the match for the second game this season, setting the tone and pressing nature that his teammates followed.

It was a tactic everyone noticed when Barcelona beat Manchester United in the Champions League and Hoops manager Tony Mowbray said he saw the change in Arsenal against Everton as well.

And like Barcelona, Arsenal then conserve energy by making the ball do the work when they possess it. The Gunners were nowhere near the European Champions in that sense at Celtic Park, as their passing was slightly offbeat in the final third, but it was interesting to see this approach working well.

Wenger may be introducing pragmitism to compliment his artistic vision. And after four years without a trophy, he'd probably be happy to keep the lucky tag for the foreseeable future, too.

52 Reasons To Back Arsenal Forward Nicklas Bendtner

Barnaby de Hoedt — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:28:41 -0400

OK, so I couldn't find 52 reasons...that's definitely too many. But the big (not yet great) Dane, who has changed his shirt number to No. 52, could be quite an asset this season.

Let's deal with this business with the back of his shirt first. Bendtner, incredibly, has offered to personally refund every Gooner fan who bought new kits with his old No. 26 printed on them. He has changed it to 52 because it is a "special number to me personally."

The easy joke here is that he will probably only have to fork out around £40. I think Andrey Arshavin would have had to use a good couple of weeks' wages in contrast.

Bendtner was the butt of many jokes and jeers last season, and he will probably be ridiculed for this gesture, no matter how refreshing it is to hear a megabucks footballer offer to refund us common folk.

Would David Beckham refund fans who bought the hair gel he endorsed, only to find that it still allows your fringe to flop out of place the same as all the other remedies you've tried?

Would Eric Cantana refund your Renault Laguna when you discover it's not as efficient as he claims?

While this is all tongue-in-cheek, we don't expect footballers to form an orderly queue behind Bendtner's example. Nor do we expect Bendtner himself to repeat the trick, as he missed three sitters within the first half hour of the season and bought traveling fans an apologetic pint after the Everton game...

Let's hope that this is a sign of Bendtner maturing and maintaining the humility which has, at times, threatened to desert him.

We all know he was caught with his trousers down after the Manchester United Champions League semifinal humbling, and that he likes to wear bright pink boots.

Bendtner was booed incessantly at times last season, and while this behaviour from fans is pretty shameful, considering the boy is 21, it did keep his feet partially in contact with the ground.

With the departure of his biggest dressing room foe, Emmanuel Adebayor, Bendtner must feel that his time has arrived. And his record last season should fill him with confidence.

After all, 15 goals for a 21-year-old sub deserves some kudos, especially when you have no first touch and people are calling for your head.

Bendtner must find a way of dropping the tag Ole Gunnar Solskjaer found branded permanently upon his backside: super sub.

Bendtner is at his most deadly as an impact player at the moment. He is the only option at Arsenal that resembles a "plan B," with his ability in the air that outstrips every other Arsenal player by a country mile. So when he starts, he needs to make it count.

However, he's having to adapt to playing wide in the 4-3-3 formation Arsene Wenger is currently deploying. This probably won't do the Dane any favours, as it is a more stringent test of his touch and team play.

But he also utilises this role to attack headers from deep, leaping and powering balls into the back of the net with the accomplishment of an Alan Shearer or Duncan Ferguson. Think Chelsea at the tail end of last season.

Bendtner would be more useful in 4-4-2. Eduardo possesses more class and clinical instinct, but I could easily envisage a front four of Arshavin on the left, Walcott or Rosicky on the right, and Bendtner alongside Robin Van Persie up front.

These four in tandem would be a real threat to Premiership defences, with a complete mix and balance between technique, dexterity, agility, pace, and power.

Bendtner has a lot of improving to do before he becomes as economic on the pitch as he appears off it, but he started to win fans over by the end of last season and I think he will again vindicate Wenger's unwavering belief in the club's Young Guns.

Don't Question Kolo Toure's Loyalty

Barnaby de Hoedt — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:02:16 -0400

"There's no loyalty in football any more," screams an Arsenal fan on a radio phone-in. "Kolo Toure has only gone for the money."

Love for our football clubs is blind, but let's not pull wool over our own eyes.

Arsenal accepted the reported £16m bid for Kolo Toure. The Board accepted it. Arsene Wenger accepted it.

Just as Arsenal accepted £25m for Emmanual Adebayor.

No doubt Kolo Toure is delighted with his new contract, and he didn't need to be dragged out of Emirates Stadium kicking and screaming. He was happy to accept Arsenal's invitation to leave North London.

It's unfair to say greed was the ultimate factor in this deal. I don't think greed was the ultimate factor in the Adebayor deal; Manchester City just wanted the two players more than Arsenal did.

And who's made the most money out of City? Arsenal.

Has Arsene Wenger let Toure go at the right time? Probably. The Ivorian's motivation was slightly questionable during the last two seasons. Let's be honest for a second; he started his Arsenal career playing on one of the best team's ever to grace the terra firma of England.

Lately he has had to settle for the consolation of fourth place.

His form has been patchy. He was at fault for Liverpool's fourth goal at the end of the season, an example of the sheer panic he sometimes brought to the defence. And he has always looked uncomfortable alongside Gallas; we all know they didn't like each other.

That doesn't mean Toure won't be a revelation for City. Looking forward to a fresh challenge, don't be surprised if he looks rejuvenated and people start to challenge the wisdom of Wenger once again.

Toure's reception on his return to Emirates will depend on what he says between now and April, but it should undoubtedly be warmer than the boos that will greet Adebayor.

Toure was an excellent servant to Arsenal, but once again Wenger has made a massive profit for on player plucked from obscurity.

That's probably the method Wenger will stick to. Arsenal are definitely weaker now, but salivating Gooners desperate for a new signing shouldn't hold their breath.

The Arsenal Injury Jinx Continues

Barnaby de Hoedt — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:16:17 -0400

So Samir Nasri fractured a fibula in training this morning... A clumbsy tackle from the returning Senderos, maybe? Or was Rosicky trying to facilitate his restoration to the first team? Of course, it was probably just an innocuous incident, but Arsene Wenger must be wondering if one of his rival managers has been sticking pins in Arsenal voodoo dolls. So here's a recap on some recent MAJOR injuries suffered by Arsenal players.

Begin Slideshow

Arsenal Gunning for Anfield Glory Again, 20 Years to the Day

Barnaby de Hoedt — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:11:54 -0400

Arsenal's first team may fallen have short of repeating the feats of Micheal Thomas and company 20 years ago, but the club's Young Guns are on course for writing their own piece of Anfield history after outshining Liverpool in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup final tonight at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal will take an almost unassailable 4-1 lead into second leg, which takes place this Tuesday—exactly 20 years since Arsenal's most famous victory.

Arsenal took a two goal lead through Gilles Sunu and a Jack Wiltshire penalty, but were pegged back by a Alex Kacaniklic. In the second half, a rampant Arsenal stretched their lead to a three-goal margin through Sanchez Watt and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

Wilshere, who became the club's youngest ever first team player earlier in the season, was the star of the show but the Arsenal team was littered with accomplished performances.

Joining a crowd of 33,662 inside the stadium, Arsene Wenger could afford an inward smile from his watching brief in the stands as tangible evidence of his youth policy started to bear fruit.

This team has already won the Academy League, and it is hard to see how the players can benefit from playing football at this level for much longer. Arsenal made a good Liverpool side look ordinary. Henri Lansbury, starting on the right wing, benefited from time at Scunthorpe this season, scoring four goals in 18 matches. All of these players look ready for some first team experience in the lower leagues.

Steve Bould's side actually looked a little cagey in the opening minutes as Liverpool asserted themselves well and made some positive inroads. But an early thigh injury to Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong meant Arsenal had to change formation. Striker Sanchez Watt came on and Jack Wilshere dropped back from the role Cesc Fabregas has recently occupied behind the striker, into a more orthodox central midfield role.

Suddenly, the diminutive playmaker was finding pockets of space and pulling all the strings. His turn and pass in the 20th minute realeased Lansbury, who slipped the ball first time into the the path of Sunu. The French striker's first touch was perfect and his second was dispatched into the bottom left corner to give the Young Guns the lead.

After 33 minutes, Thomas looked to cross from a free kick, but floated his attempt fooled even himself as he hit the left upright. Watt was quickest to the rebound but he was fouled by a rash tackle from Karl Clair, who was making his first start in the competition.

It was an easy decision for referee Lee Mason and Wilshere drilled home the penalty like a seasoned pro. Arsenal were exuding confidence now.

Perhaps a little too much. Within 100 seconds, Liverpool brought the tie back to life and deserved their goal on the balance of play, a cracking right foot volley by Kacaniklic after his first attempt had been blocked.

Arsenal snuffed out any thoughts of a Liverpool comeback in the second half and utterly overwhelmed the visitors.

The pace and accuracy of the Arsenal passing was pleasing on the eye, as one slick move succeeded another.

A series of defence-splitting Wilshere through balls finally produced a goal when Watt fastened onto a fine pass and delivered the finish to match with an audacious little chip over goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis in the 57th minute. A sublime goal that resembled Wenger's blueprint in the flesh.

Less than ten minutes later, mounting Arsenal pressure led to the inevitable, but this time from a corner. Lansbury lifted it in from the left and Emmanuel-Thomas—who was sensational in the second half—looped a near-post flick on up and over the players on the line to make the score 4-1.

That one didn't belong to Wenger—it was all Steve Bould. Anyone remember Sampdoria in 1995?

Arsenal swaggered through the remainder of the game, and substitute Rhys Murphy had a goal incorrectly chalked off for offside after an outstanding strike on the turn.

Liverpool couldn't cope with the movement of Arsenal's play. When the visitors did get a sniff of the ball, the Gunners closed down their opponents emphatically. Francis Coquelin was particularly impressive in this role alongside Wilshere in midfield.

Liverpool will have to take the positives from their opening because after that they struggled to keep their shape. Thomas Ince, son of Paul, looked sharp upfront, and Arsenal will need to keep him quiet again to prevent a shock turnaround.

So Arsenal head to Anfield looking for silverware in the famous yellow shirt once again. This time Liverpool need the miracle, but, as we saw 20 years ago, anything can happen.

Arsenal and the Burden of 1989

Barnaby de Hoedt — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:55:17 -0400

At the start of 2008-09 season, Arsenal launched a new away kit based on the one worn in 1988-89 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the club's most famous night: Mickey Thomas's injury time title clincher against Liverpool at Anfield.

The strapline used to promote the latest kit launch read: Become Legends.

Although nothing more than marketing spiel, the tag neatly encapsulates the level of expectation borne out of that one goal in 1989.

Thomas, Alan Smith, David Rocastle, Paul Merson, Tony Adams—the list of legends from that immortal night goes on.

Become Legends. It was supposed to draw inspiration, but it almost sounds like a commandment. Arsenal have not been able to live up to the hype, but it's time to put things in perspective.

On my last visit to Emirates Stadium, the 4-1 loss to Chelsea, the cover of the Gooner, the Arsenal fanzine, pictured Thomas in that glorious, resplendent yellow shirt lifting the ball over Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. The caption read: "What we'd give for another Mickey Thomas moment..."

I stopped reading the Gooner some time ago because of its ultra-critical rhetoric. Other fans must have gone the same way because I saw one issue a while back which had "moan-free special" stamped on the front, a desperate plea to recapture its voice, its authority.

But Mickey Thomas moments don’t happen very often, as a character in Nick Hornby’s film Fever Pitch puts it.

Arsenal, like all football clubs, and the world in general for that matter, faced a crossroads in 1989. It was the year that would indirectly shape English football for years ahead, and Liverpool and Arsenal were the protagonists in the process.

After the Hillsborough disaster, when 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives, the game between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield was pushed back to 26 May―20 years ago a week today. So much has changed since.

After Hillsborough, the Taylor Report made all-seater stadiums a condition of top-flight football.

Little did we know, but Thomas's goal had an impact of its own. It confirmed the untapped potential in the relationship between football and TV as record numbers flocked to watch the title decider on a Friday night. Sky Sports, the Premier League, and globalisation, for better or worse, followed.

Back to the game, though. Arsenal had to win by two goals on the night, a task dismissed as impossible against a side that had dominated the 80's and entered the match itself in irresistible form. It would be George Graham's greatest night as a manager.

He, like Wenger, had stripped the side of some experienced players, such as Graham Rix and Kenny Samson, and put his faith in a youthful, dynamic, hungry group.

The average age of the side that night, incredibly, was under 25 years of age. They pulled off a footballing miracle. The only player in the 13-man squad that night (you were only allowed two substitutes) was David O'Leary.

Arsenal's best starting line-up today is only slightly older at the average age of 25 and a half years, but the rest of the squad, now much bigger, is very young.

The similarities 20 years on end there. The utilitarian George Graham was the antithesis in Arsene Wenger philosophy.

"You can pass and pass and pass without going anywhere," Graham said after Arsenal qualified for the European Cup in 1991. "We won't apply the continental style, we will play our way."

Based on this season's events, Graham had a point. But the Arsenal way is different now. It's something Arsenal fans are supposed to be proud of.

Britain's Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was ousted in 1990 and the same fate could befall Gordon Brown 20 years on. Maybe Arsene Wenger should be installed at Downing Street. He has led Arsenal with integrity, vision, and restraint.

Wenger is a welcome constant in an uncertain world and the fans need to get behind his project. Emirates Stadium is a massive statement of the club's intent but it came with a £400million mortgage.

The board is at an uncertain stage. The club has been in the hands of the Hill-Wood family for decades and Peter Hill-Wood is determined to continue as its custodian.

He is trying to deal with the dilemma of outside interest from the world’s greedy, rapacious plutocracy. A massive decision looms and he is understandably reluctant to take it. We don’t want to imitate Chelsea’s fragile model, do we?

Wenger is a flawed genius but he deserves our backing. He's building a sustainable future for the club.

"It's not your money Wenger, it's ours," raged one fan behind me at the Chelsea game, desperate for new signings.

Utterly deluded. Wenger’s responsible handling of the club’s finances has been absolute.

1989 created a platform for everything that followed for 15 years, all the way to Wenger’s Invincibles in 2004. Now Wenger is building a new springboard from which the club will flourish if he is left to do his job.

But we still haven't replaced Tony Adams, I hear you cry. That's because there was only one Tony Adams.

We sang that song, remember?

And this weekend, against Stoke, we should be singing "There's only one Arsene Wenger."

Four years may seem a long time.

When Arsenal wins their next trophy it will be worth the wait. Just as it was in 1989, when Thomas, right at the end, netted Arsenal's first league title―since 1971.

Why Unlucky Darren Fletcher Is an Example To Arsenal's Young Pretenders

Barnaby de Hoedt — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:29:36 -0400

Darren Fletcher didn't need to make the challenge that ultimately renders him ineligible for the Champions League final. The fact that he did says everything about a player that has emerged from inauspicious first steps in a United shirt.

Arsenal had already been well and truly buried by the time Cesc Fabregas finally breached an otherwise impermeable Manchester United defence. The Scottish midfielder could have let Fabregas score what would have been a mere statistic.

But his mind was on the task in hand. He won the ball cleanly, but the referee, who had been awful all night without booking anyone, plucked out a red card that condemns Fletcher to the stands come May 27.

When Fletcher first started appearing in United line-ups in 2003, the opposition sensed a weak leak. He was ridiculed by his own fans, even in mock appreciation after scoring the winning goal against Chelsea in 2005. No one ever expected him to become a fixture in the United's team.

But he has filled the spot vacated by Owen Hargreave's majestically as a makeweight in midfield that allows Ronaldo and company to flourish. The likes of Alex Song, Denilson and Abou Diaby could do worse than study the case of Fletcher, now 25-years-old.

The debate within Arsenal lies here though. Fletcher has been surrounded by players that eat winners medals for breakfast.

The only players that have tasted glory in the Premier League at Arsenal are Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Mikael Silvestre. So do you keep faith with a crop of youngsters and let them develop, or do you buy experience to help them along the way.

Arsene Wenger argues that the latter would potentially stunt their growth. But maybe he needs to decide which players have the qualities of a future Fletcher and which will meet David Bellion-esque oblivion.

My guess is that Song might have what it takes, although he is still some way off the barometer set by Matthieu Flamini last season. Others are yet to make their mark.

Arsenal can point to injuries compared to their visitors' full strength side. But Arsene Wenger did not anticipate Ronaldo's position upfront and did not react to it either. Ronaldo reduced Toure and Djourou to schoolboy status, which doesn't help when the average age of the team barely eclipses that of a sixth form's.

Arsenal were overzealous in attack in the first ten minutes. Keeping a tight ship for the first half, George Graham style dare I say, trying to take chances when they came along, would have been given United more to think about.

Considering patience seems to be key with Wenger's whelps, the same principle does not translated onto the pitch. The same can be said of Wenger's frugal transfer policy and Arsenal's uneconomic back four.

Clearly, Arsene Wenger's teams have rarely played with defence in mind, and it has cost Arsenal three times against more canny English opposition in Europe over the last five years. You won't see Chelsea trying to win the match in the first 10 minutes against Barcelona.

It is a good achievement for the Gunners to reach two semi-finals after a turbulent season but it is hard to measure the team's actual progress given that neither path in the FA Cup or Champions League was particularly testing.

When faced with the biggest challenges, Arsenal have fallen woefully short on two occasions, making barely an impression in any of the semi-final games. The only way Arsenal were going to score was from a generously awarded penalty.

Ironically, United benefited in similar fashion against Spurs two weeks ago, a moment that probably represents the turning point in their season when you consider that they were 2-0 down. Karma? Not for Fletcher.

Arsenal's fledglings might yet fly but after five trophyless seasons, patience remains key. Can, or will, Arsenal's fans match Wenger's?

Man United-Arsenal: Was O'Shea Winner Worst Piece of Defending This Season?

Barnaby de Hoedt — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:58:38 -0400

John O'Shea has picked a good week to emerge from the shadows of Gary Neville and Rafeal Da Silva. For starters, he able to disregard the threat of the cup-tied Andrey Arshavin. But the real bonus for the, shall we say unpopular Irishman, was that Arsenal appeared to buy into the 'fact' that he is useless. So useless that they could afford to leave him unmarked six yards from goal.

O'Shea doesn't have the best reputation in terms of ability, but anyone who remembers his composed finish that rubber-stamped a 4-2 United victory at Highbury in 2005 knows that he can finish. His winner at Old Trafford tonight was probably the worst piece of defending the Champions League has seen all season.

The ball wasn't even half clear when Emmanual Adebayor trotted off to the edge of the area thinking the job was complete. When the ball came back, he wore that surprised look that accompanies him alongside a ubiquitous offside flag in the other half of the field.

Christiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, and O'Shea were all unmarked. In a Champions League Semi-Final. And moments after Manual Almunia had denied Tevez from point-blank range―not the reward the Spanish keeper deserved (who made a telling difference behind a defence that conceded four at Anfield last week).

Arsenal resembled a pack of builders distracted by a scantily-clad blonde parading by in six-inch heels.

Watch the replay. All eyes are on the ball, no one knows where their man is. There has been much debate about Liverpool's zonal marking, but it is hard to decide which, if any, tactic Arsenal were supposed to install.

From that moment, 1-0 was probably the best result Arsenal could hope for. There was some good passing, but it was merely a game of keep ball, constantly going from side to side. If there were goals on the sidelines Arsenal would be world-beaters.

Creativity without Arshavin comes at a premium. Even if Robin Van Persie comes back from injury, Arsenal will need to grind out a 1-0 win at Emirates Stadium and win on penalties in a reverse plot line to the quarter-final triumph in Rome. They have a chance.

Unfortunately, the Arsenal defence is an accident waiting to happen.

Liverpool-Arsenal: Arshavin Dents Benitez' Title Bid

Barnaby de Hoedt — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:54:43 -0400

A blistering four-goal salvo from Andrey Arshavin delivered a severe blow to Liverpool's title push on another classic night at Anfield.

Almost 20 years ago, these sides came head-to-head for the league on the last day of the season. Arsenal came out on top when a midfielder with the desire to drive into the box snatched the championship with the last kick of the season.

Arsenal cannot win the league this time, but with Andrey Arshavin showing the same determination as Michael Thomas did that famous night―and proving why he should have been picked in the cup semi―the Gunners might come closer next year.

The Russian dynamo had four shots, and Pepe Reina picked them all out of the back of the net. In fact they were the only attempts Arsenal had on target, although Cesc Fabregas and Nicklas Bendtner were both denied by close offsides.

Liverpool have been accused of relying too heavily on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres this season, but such was the importance on Arshavin that Liverpool probably would have strolled to victory and kept a clean sheet had Wenger repeated the mistakes of Saturday.

Both teams had reasons to wince. Liverpool turned a one-nil deficit into a two-one advantage, had 14 shots on target―two which were cleared off the line―and nine wide or over.

Arsenal failed to repay Arshavin's brilliance by conceding within two minutes of his third and fourth goals, and Liverpool even had two minutes to try and make it 5-4.

Arsenal's soft centre held about as much resistance as a dippy egg. Liverpool could have scored 10, the visitors were all over the place throughout, and Silvestre struggled to contain Torres all night.

The Gunners took the lead in the 37th minute when Nasri's well-timed pass played Cesc Fabregas in. Reina was exposed, and the Arsenal skipper squared to Arshavin to complete the formality of scoring via the crossbar.

Liverpool emerged from half-time like a wounded animal and Arsenal couldn't cope with the sheer verocity with which the home sought to restore parity.

Arsene Wenger's men made their own problems by refusing to clear the ball in the tightest spots, and the Reds, roared on by the Kop now, were in a punishing mood. A text book Torres header levelled things within three minutes, and Youssi Benayoun bravely reached the ball at the far post to turn in the second on 56.

Arsenal looked beaten but when Alvaro Arbeloa lost his bearings on Arsenal's left, Arshavin nipped in and unleashed a thunderous right-foot strike into the bottom right corner from 20 yards.

Another mistake saw Aurelio slip inside his own area 180 seconds later, and who was there to slam home unerringly? Arshavin, of course, to complete an unlikely hatrick. This is a player who has never played at Anfield, remember.

Equally inevitable was Torres's next equaliser within two minutes, a sublime finish after leading Silvestre on a merry dance on the edge of the area.

With Liverpool pushing for the win, they left themselves exposed from their own corner and Theo Walcott dashed away. Liverpool defenders must have had collective flashbacks of Walcott's last memorable run out at Anfield and the winger didn't disappoint, playing through Arshavin, the Russian's diminutive legs still matching his desire to score.

He still had much to do, but leathered the ball left-footed and beat Reina on his near post with as calculated a finish as your likely to see.

Arsenal completed the sequel to last season's classic meeting at Anfield by blowing the chance to win again. You have to credit Liverpool, Benayoun bundled home another never-say-die goal to keep their title dreams alive, three minutes into stoppage time.

Liverpool should have beaten an injury ravaged Arsenal, who, overall, can be upbeat in the circumstances. The winners―from both Premiership and Champions League perspectives: Manchester United.

Liverpool:

Reina 6, Arbeloa 5, Carragher 6, Agger 6, Aurelio 5, Alonso 6, Mascherano 6, Benayoun 8, Kuyt 7 (El Zhar 86, 5), Riera 7 (Babel 74, 6), Torres 8.

Goals:

Torres 49, Benayoun 56, Torres 72, Benayoun 90.

Arsenal:

Fabianski 6, Sagna 5, Toure 6, Silvestre 5, Gibbs 6, Arshavin 10, Song 7, Fabregas 7, Denilson 4 (Walcott 65, 7), Nasri 7, Bendtner 6 (Diaby 90, 4).

Goals:

Arshavin 36, 67, 70, 90.

Arsene Wenger Blows Arsenal's Best Trophy Chance

Barnaby de Hoedt — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:29:51 -0400

If Arsenal were to win a trophy this season, the vindication of Arsene Wenger's youth policy would play across the lips of a very wide gallic smile come May.

Wenger placed his faith in the crop of supposedly rejuvenated juveniles again in the FA Cup Semi-Final―and fell flat on his face.

By leaving Andrei Arshavin on the bench―discriminating against the relative veteren for being 27 years old―Wenger handed Chelsea the initiative and paid a heavy price.

Arshavin is Arsenal's ace in the pack―Chelsea, although Guus Hiddink knows all about him as Russian manager, have yet to face him. Nor have many other clubs. Surely Arshavin would have given Branislav Ivanovic a real test.

Instead, the makeshift full-back faced Robin Van Persie and Diaby, two players that inevitably move inside with the ball due to a lack of pace.

It is no coincidence that Arsenal's 20-match unbeaten run domestically has arrived since Arshavin beat the transfer deadline in January.

Wenger might point out that Arsenal scored the opener from the left side. Yes Arsene, the one time a player, the impressive Kieran Gibbs, made a run on the outside.

You have to wonder if the FA Cup grates with Wenger subconsciously. It is a distraction from the Premiership and the Champions League. He would rather go further in the Champions League than win a six match Cup competition that he's already conquered four times without even trying.

Arshavin, sadly, can't play in the Champions League. Which makes the decision to forgo his services even more baffling, given that he would have been the freshest, hungriest player on the pitch.

Arsenal were putty in Chelsea's hands. The Blues are a very direct team, they tend to win their battles down the spine of the pitch. Arsenal chose to try and nullify Chelsea’s strengths, ignoring the width that would have targeted their opponent’s Achilles heel.

It gets worse though. Alex Song―man of the match by some way against Villareal on Wednesday, despite what the papers said―was also omitted from the line-up. The Cameroonian has come of age recently.

He breaks play up, is strong on the ball, and appears to be tactically astute. In stark contrast, Denilson offers no protection to Cesc Fabregas, who was asphyxiated by Ballack and Essien.

The diminutive Brazillian gets knocked off the ball too easily and doesn't seem to know where to be. He looks OK when he plays next to Song and Fabregas, but I really can't work out what he actually offers to the team. He just makes five-yard passes sideways and backwards.

He probably has a very high pass completion record but he simply just passes the buck. Wenger's mistakes were compounded by poor performances by Denilson and Diaby, who did not repay the faith shown in them.

Mistakes three and four? Taking off Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor. You leave your best players on, especially in the big matches, even if they playing below par. It only takes the ball to land on Van Persie's left foot, or Adebayor to out leap a defender from a corner, to change the match.

Unfortunately, Arsenal also paid for having a very anxious goalkeeper, Lukasz Fabianski, who was covering for the injured Manual Almunia. The Polish stopper should have been celebrating his 24th birthday, but looked more nervous than a teenager about to take their driving test.

Before today, he has been exceptional cover, but he couldn't overcome an invasion of the jitters after an early mistake was saved by Gibbs's goal line clearance. Fabianski was at fault for both goals but slack defending meant Emmanual Eboue and Mikeal Silvestre were also culpable.

Arsenal didn't show the "special mental strengths" Wenger is sure his team possesses, and came nowhere close to Liverpool's fightback against Chelsea in the Champions League. Perhaps Arsenal's defeat in the FA Cup Semi-Final has betrayed the fact that they are still off the pace at the top, and put the 2009 renaissance into perspective.

It is surely excruciating to reach a Semi-Final and then not turn up. Arsenal did not seize the day. They hoped something would happen. They got away with it in Rome, but not here.

Without Arshavin, Arsenal need more than hope against Manchester United in what remains their last chance to consign five trophyless years to history in the Champions League. And Wenger will need to make the right decisions.

Cesc Fabregas Versus Tony Adams

Barnaby de Hoedt — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:51:53 -0500

About 20 years ago a man by the name of Tony Adams was named Arsenal captain at the age of 21 years and 85 days.

History repeated itself today—Cesc Fabregas is a little more 'mature' at 21 years and 216 days.

The similarities tend to end there though.

Back when George Graham took up the reigns at Arsenal, he decided to make Adams the captain because the lad had virtually commandeered the position. Adams never needed an armband. He is arguably the most natural leader the English game has ever seen.

Arsenal were also a team on the up. A compelling character, Adams had to face up to his internal demons as his career progressed. And it can be argued that it was dogged by inconsistency.

But over a 22-year period, he won 10 titles, including four championships. The last two of those were thanks to Arsene Wenger, who undoubtedly prolonged Mr. Arsenal's career by a few more years.

Today, Wenger is choosing his fifth captain since Adams retired. I say choosing without conviction—this appointment, unlike with Adams all those years ago, has been forced.

There is no one else in the entire squad (apart from the prat who has just relinquished it) capable of taking on the armband with the historical burden it carries. Giving Cesc the armband at least shows that Wenger does still want an Arsenal captain.

But Wenger has backed himself into a corner every time he has had to make this decision because of his inability (or refusal) to purchase players with leadership qualities.

Cesc can take on the role, but he is not a natural in the mould of Adams, Keane, Shearer et al. In Arsenal fans' dreams, he is the new Mr. Arsenal—the man emblematic of what the new Arsenal stands for.

But Arsenal are a team on the slide, and who is to say Cesc is going to stay around to witness it? We don't want another situation like Vieira and Henry, who stayed around a year or so too long because they felt guilty about leaving the club, but played poorly in the meantime.

Some of the more realistic/pessimistic Gooners have been calling for Gael Clichy to be made new captain because they do not know if Cesc will stay.

All I can say is: Are you having a laugh? Writing this piece and calling it 'Gael Clichy versus Tony Adams' would just sounds ridiculous.

This move will either make or break Cesc's Arsenal career. I hope and believe that it will galvanise him, but I fear that it will weigh down on him because of the lack of players taking on responsibility for the team's shortcomings on the pitch.

Wenger needs to realise that it's going to take more though. The Spaniard's best seasons were last year and 2006 when Arsenal reached the Champions League Final.

There were two reasons for this and everyone knows them: Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto Silva.

That anchorman allows the little wizard to go forward and flex his creative muscles.

Cesc is currently playing too deep and therefore making too many ambitious long passes as opposed to the short killer balls—a la Nasri's second versus United—that made him the league's leading goal maker last season. He also scored 13 last season, which he doesn't look close to making this time.

He needs help; he'll get it from the fans (unlike Gallas). But he needs it from the players (his best friend in the club incidentally is rumoured to be Phil Senderos—currently on loan to AC Milan—after they shared a dorm together when they first joined, as Big Phil speaks Spanish), and he needs it from his manager in the transfer window.

And so a couple of weeks after Adams became a Premier League manager, with the big old shoes of Harry Redknapp to fill, we are still talking about filling the boots of Adams himself. Will Cesc Fabregas do it?

If he really, really wants it, he's got a great chance.

England 2 Czech Republic 2: Where To Start?

Barnaby de Hoedt — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:47:43 -0400

Was Dutch linguist Steve McClaren or England's most fluid of elocutionists, Fabio Capello, in charge tonight?

Can England's players understand their manager? Because absolutely nothing has changed. Is it their fault, or the managers?

Capello's English is still not up to scratch, judging by his latest press conference. Nor, however, are his tactics. He's repeating the mistakes of McClaren, and Sven Goran Erikkson for that fact.

Steven Gerrard on the left wing. Mistake. Why? England's all-round best player is being punished for being England's all-round best player. No one else is capable of playing on the left, but Gerrard can do it all. Stick him out there.

Joe Cole, on the bench until the 65th minute. Mistake. Why? Yes he's right footed, but at least he's been playing on the left for years. When he came on he partnered Emile Heskey (another mistake) up front.

David Bentley, on the bench until the 75th minute. Mistake. Why? Cocky or not, Bentley is England's most confident player right now, our most direct and creative. He's prepared to take player's on, and has a delivery that easily matches Beckham's. Bentley has the type of footballing mind whereby he is so comfortable, he seems to be moving slower than the defender he ghosts past.

I can't believe he isn't playing 90 minutes. When he does come on, he's playing alongside Heskey and Jenas. How's he supposed to build an understanding with the likes of Rooney and Lampard?

As for Beckham, all I will say is compare the guy in 1999 to now. He hasn't got the energy or pace anymore. His best crosses were always on the run from the byline. The balls he delivers now are always from deep, harmless positions.

Most damning of all, where are Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor? Not even in the squad. When we are talking about an England team lacking structure and balance, those two are surely the most likely to cure this chronic problem. But we don't know because, in our most crucial friendly before the qualifiers begin, they haven't played.

What did we possibly learn tonight? That manager and players alike, do not know how to progress this team.

Has Andy Murray Made the Big Three the Big Four?

Barnaby de Hoedt — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:34:33 -0400

Rafael Nadal. Roger Federer. Novak Djokovic.

Andy Murray may have reached No. 6 in the world rankings with his first Masters victory in Cincinnati, but he will feel that he is close to joining this elite tripod.

His convincing win over Novak Djokovic has given him the belief that he can win a grand slam. Secretly, he will feel that Flushing Meadows represents his best opportunity.

If the Scot can consolidate his form, there is no question he can beat newly crowned No. 1 Rafael Nadal on a hard court. The pair traded blows in a five-set thriller at the US Open a couple of years ago.

Nadal's record in the US is similar to Murray's at Wimbledon, and though he has undoubtedly improved, Nadal prefers the terra firma of England and the clay of France.

With Roger Federer yet to tame his fiery confidence and Djokovic losing to Murray twice in a week now, is a Murray ready to take an even bigger step than the one in Cincinnati?

Don't get me wrong, it will probably be a couple of years before Murray can challenge Nadal and Federer on grass. I'll be surprised if anyone can ever challenge Nadal on clay (the potential number of championships he could win there is frightening). Before I digress too much, it is worth pointing out Murray's newfound maturity.

I don't think that he is behaving particularly better on court; he has learned to channel and focus his determination. I never considered him to be much of a 'brat'.

I loved Tim Henman, the consummate gent, but Murray is a different character and equally entertaining. At the end of the day, he is also better, because he has more weapons in his armoury.

Murray did, however, need a media makeover. Former editor of The Sun Stuart Higgins has told him the right things to say, and set up some positive cosmetic appearances for the Scot.

Murray stills "lacks charisma" apparently, but everybody wants everything these days, no matter the fact that we haven't had a grand slam winner since kingdom come.

If Gordon Brown could win Wimbledon, no one would care about his absent personality.

It is an unfair stigma on Murray anyway. His system of incorporating a number of coaches, rather than one dominant coach, has worked thus far. He just might know what he's doing.

Manchester United Imposters Conning African Kids Out Of Money

Barnaby de Hoedt — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:53:51 -0400

An undercover BBC investigation has exposed how African footballers are being conned out of thousands of dollars by Nigerian fraudsters.

Thousands of amateur players post their details online to draw attention from European scouts, only to be taken advantage of by thieves posing as the proverbial white knight.

One group, confronted by the BBC, pretended to be Manchester United officials working on behalf of Alex Ferguson. Another conman was caught impersonating the chief talent scout for Chelsea, tricking naïve teenagers into wiring him cash.

Allegedly, victims are often duped into sending money in the false belief that they are paying official registration fees to have trials with an English club. The fraudsters simply pocket the money, and the players never hear another word.

It begs the question: how much is this happening across Africa?

Luton Town Need More Than a Miracle To Survive 30 Point Deduction

Barnaby de Hoedt — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:26:34 -0400

Luton Town will need to take some inspiration from Leeds United's promotion last season if they are to have any hope of avoiding relegation.

The League Two side, who were relegated last term, will start next season on minus 30 points next season. They will be rock bottom for a minimum of 10 matches.

Leeds started on -15 last year and managed to reach the play-off final. If that was a miracle, Luton need some kind of paranormal force to stave off a devastating drop into non-league.

The Hatters went into administration in November last year and were deducted 10 points as a result, and eventually finished bottom of League One last season.

The Luton 2020 group have agreed a takeover package for the club since then, but they were unable to agree a Company Voluntary Arrangement with the club's creditors, and the Football League Board have now decided they must face a further 20-point deduction.

The new board argue that they have been punished for the former's misgivings. They also believe the deduction should be backdated because the FA would have dealt with them earlier, had the organisation come to an earlier conclusion on the Leeds saga.

Surely the FA should be helping clubs in these situations?

Luton's failure to avoid administration is considered a much stronger offence than some other cases handled by the FA. West Ham were fined £5m for the Tevez and Mascherano affair. No points were deducted.

If you don't know much about Luton Town FC, it was the first professional club in Southern England. It is one of the few clubs to play in all four divisions of the league structure, and has managed to do so twice.

The last time it suffered relegation from the top flight was in 1992. The club's most memorable moment came in the League Cup final in 1988, when they beat George Graham's Arsenal 3-2, in one of the old stadiums most unforgettable matches.

Luton's Kenilworth Road home, still only holds 10,000 fans, something that has held the club back severely. The stadium was famous for its controversial astroturf pitch during the club's last stint in the top flight, similar to the one we saw England play on against Russia last season.

I remember seeing Dave Seaman on a video of a match there, wearing a baggy old pair of rubbish tracksuit bottoms, probably 100 per cent cotton made.

Does it matter in this globalised game of ours that smaller clubs are faced with extinction? It does to local people.

What do that community of fans do if their badge of identity is taken away? Defect to their nearest rivals? They're more likely to turn a Premier League team, to be exploited for money that they are not used to paying.

Once upon a time, the football club chose you. Now people choose who they want to support, hailing an era of glory hunting, arm chair fans, and fan exploitation. Maybe I'm suffering from some form of anachronism, but that's the way it was supposed to be.

The FA sells its own cup competition, the FA Cup, as the greatest in the world. What would the FA Cup be without clubs like Luton?

David Beckham Picked For Major League Soccer All-Star Team Against West Ham

Barnaby de Hoedt — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:07:04 -0400

David Beckham has been named in a Major League Soccer 'All-Star' team, which will play a friendly against West Ham United in Toronto on the July 24th.

Forgive me but the "All-Star" part of the name made me chuckle a little.

If only the match was against a Barclay's Premier League All-Star team. As it's against West Ham though, Beckham and company may have a chance.

The team was voted for by fans, players, officials, and the media, apparently.

Beckham's LA Galaxy teammate, Landon Donovan (pictured), received the most votes, followed by the England midfielder and Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

New England Revolution coach and former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol will be the manager.

Here's the team (seven more players to be added to make up the squad): Matt Reis (New England Revolution); Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution); David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew); Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy).

If these guys were to come up against a Premier League All-Star team, managed by moi, they would face: Peter Cech (Chelsea), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Ronaldo (Man Utd) Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Owen Hargreaves (Man Utd), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Fernando Torres (Liverpool).

That's a 4-4-1-1 formation; I'm already disputing the balance of the midfield with myself, though!

Subs: Edwin Van der Saar (Man Utd), John Terry (Chelsea), Patrice Evra (Man Utd), Paul Scholes (Man Utd), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal).

Only Young makes it from outside the top four clubs—what would your team be?

Fans Will Be Happy As Long As Arsenal Keep Cesc Fabregas

Barnaby de Hoedt — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:43:00 -0400

Transfer speculation has been a chronic symptom of summer at Arsenal for a long time now. Anelka, Petit, Overmars, Vieira, Henry. If you look at Arsene Wenger closely, he ages quicker from May to August than he does during the actual season.

Arsenal fans are used to it. In fact, it's been nice to see Manchester United fans sweating over fabricated media speculation for a change.

Flamini has gone, and Hleb and Adebayor may follow. It is no exaggeration to say that Arsenal fans really don't care if they do or not.

Hleb epitomises everything that is wrong with the Gunners in the final third. I'm sure Barcelona's fans will love an all-passing, non-shooting midfielder. He is terribly predictable; his play would be soporific if it didn't make you so angry.

As for Adebayor, he only scored 30 goals because so many were served to him on a plate. He should have scored far more. I hope he stays, but only because the alternative is Nicklas Bendtner.

The real reason, though, that Arsenal fans remain relaxed this summer is because there has been little or no speculation about Cesc Fabregas.

That's despite the fact that he was brilliant in Austria. He played four out of six games as a substitute and still managed to get the joint most assists (four) in the tournament.

According to stats I found on the Guardian website, he had the highest number of league assists with 17 (the third highest in Premier League history; Ronaldo wasn't even in the top ten by the way) last season, and also completed the most passes (2318 - 81.06 per cent).

He created 23 percent of Arsenal's opportunities in front of goal—that's a lot when you consider how many Arsenal had.

He's the little genius Gooners love to watch the most and his attitude to the club has been a revelation. When Arsene Wenger first dreamt of his ideal player, I'm sure the rhythm of Cesc's silhouette was what he saw.

The only danger is that we rely too heavily on him. If Eduardo comes back strongly though, Fabregas's assists tally will probably double.

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer Match Up to Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed

Barnaby de Hoedt — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:55:34 -0400

Watching Rafael Nadal versus Roger Federer was like watching Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed knocking seven bells out of each other. Only it was more gripping because you knew it was the real thing.

Every time Nadal came within touching distance, Federer selected the finest weapon from his arsenal. But the Swiss has never seen so many of his shots returned in the same match.

In the end, Nadal's jab kept the five-time Wimbledon champion at arm's length. Federer couldn't control the structure of the points enough and even when he did, Nadal still seemed to land a telling blow.

And so this question keeps cropping up: was it the best final in Wimbledon's history?

I have never read much into this type of question because it is impossible to compare without watching one right next to another—which I've never been able to do. Tennis is not like football, where you get to see countless repeats. Comparing separate eras is simply impossible.

Plus, I'm too young. I've seen the classic McEnroe versus Borg tie-break several times, but I don't know enough about the rest of the match. Goran Ivanisevic's heroic display in 2001 was always my favorite, because there was a plethora of classic five-setters that year, played by attacking serve-and-volley maestros.

But I have to admit, this felt like the best ever, and I certainly respect McEnroe's opinion that it was. It was undoubtedly the longest, and it ended uniquely, with the trophy presented on a centre court visible only by a strobe light of flashing cameras. Unique, because next year's new roof will prevent the final from lasting as long.

Perhaps, if it was the best, a fitting finale.