Bleacher Report - Articles by Simon Johnson

Arsenal in Australia: A Link Down Under

Simon Johnson — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:48:28 -0400

Australians, by nature, are sports mad, all forms, all of the time. It is the way we are brought up, and it sticks with you.

The biggest sports down under are undoubtedly our own Aussie Rules Football, along with Rugby League and Union.

Supporter Base

Proper football (or soccer if you prefer) comes in fourth but is catching the top three rapidly since the introduction of the highly successful national competition, The Hyundai A-League.

The football following over here can probably be attributed to the fact that Australia was originally a British Colony and quite a lot of ex-Brits, Scots, and Irish emigrate to our shores and bring their love of the game with them.

The most popular Premiership team in Australia is Manchester United, followed by Liverpool, and then our beloved Gunners a close third. There is also quite a large supporter base for the SPL in Scotland, with Celtic and Rangers being the most widely supported.

There was quite a large following for a short while for Leeds United when they were in the Premiership, due to the fact that both Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka played at Elland Road.

There is a large number of unofficial Arsenal supporters clubs in Australia, as well as the Officially recognised Arsenal Australia Supporters Club.

Enough history...

Australians at Arsenal

Although a lot of Aussies have graced the English Football and indeed all of Europe, I cannot remember a single Aussie playing in Arsenal colours in my time.

The closest we came to having a representative in Arsenal colours was when Harry Kewell was possibly going to join, a move which never materialised as he ended up going north to Liverpool.

Arsenal has been linked with a few Australians in the past few years, including Jacob Timpano in 2003, Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers), Tim Cahill (Everton), and Mark Milligan in May this year but none of these moves have taken place.

Arsene Wenger had said in the past that he would be wary of signing an Aussie due to the long travel times for internationals. But the Socceroos now play a lot of their home games at Craven Cottage, which may change the bosses mind.

I would have liked to see Timmy Cahill in an Arsenal shirt, but we wait patiently for our first Aussie Gunner. Ever since the first Australian in the top flight, Craig Johnston, ran out for Liverpool in 1981, we have waited... one day, one day...

Aussie Connection

I have struggled to find a concrete connection between Australia and Arsenal. Although there is a lot of direct links between Aussies and English Football. Not just in the Premiership, but in all divisions. After talking to other Arsenal fans over the past week, the general consensus seems to be that Aussies like Arsenal simply because they play great football.

We respect a team in any sport that plays with great skill, and Arsenal does that. Beyond that, it was the characters that Arsenal have had over the years and still have today, Pat Rice being the name that came up more often than not.

One Pat Rice fact I heard from my uncle, who lived just streets away from Highbury for a number of years and attended most Arsenal home games in the mid-to-late-'80s, was that he couldn't put a sentence together on match day without including at least a couple of expletives to get his point across.

Aussies like that side of the game too...

I would like to thank Shyam and Maire for coming up with the idea for these articles and giving me a chance to write on the Aussie perspective. I hope to read more articles on the Arsenal connection to other countries in the near future.

Manchester United: Are They The Source of Arsenal's Inconsistency?

Simon Johnson — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:29:28 -0400

Let me begin by saying that I realise it sounds absurd that Manchester United could be responsible for the inconsistency of this current Arsenal side, but when you look at the facts, it makes sense...sort of.

Speaking to a friend the other day, who incidentally is a Liverpool supporter, he mentioned that he believed that United were to blame for Arsenal's troubles. I scoffed at the suggestion but after continuing the conversation with him for a while, his points began to make sense.

Since Arsene Wenger took over as Arsenal manager from Bruce Rioch in 1996, Arsenal almost immediately were a different side. Wenger's first full season at the helm in 1997-98 ended in a Premier League and F.A. Cup double.

Arsenal finally believed that they could win trophies, something that hadn't happened since the F.A. Cup win in 1992-93 and not in the league for seven years.

The next three seasons were dominated by the team from Manchester, and while Arsenal had blips during these seasons, they were runners up in all three as well as finishing runners up in the F.A. Cup and UEFA Cup and winning a Charity Shield during this time.

Arsenal still believed they could win trophies, the only obstacle was...Manchester United.

After three seasons of playing second fiddle to Manchester United's table topping side, Arsenal broke free of the shackles and completed another "double" of Premier League and F.A. Cup trophies in 2001-02.

Arsenals belief that they could win trophies was justified as they bounced back to top United at seasons end by finishing the season with a 13-game winning streak and defeated Chelsea in the F.A. Cup.

United won the title the following season in 2002-03, but Arsenal gained another F.A. Cup to add to the collection when they defeated Southampton 1-0.

Arsenal as a club still believed that they could win trophies and determined that they could put the old enemy to bed in the following season.

2003-04 was Arsenal's season, they finished the season undefeated and won the Premiership title. The first team to do so since Preston North End in 1888-89.

Arsenal as a club now knew that their belief that they could win was correct, they were "Invincible".

Arsenal started the 2004-05 season as they ended the previous one...unbeatable. That was until they met Manchester United at Old Trafford. United won 2-0 and Arsenal's streak ended at 49 games.

The loss seemed to hit the side hard after such a long time unbeaten and inconsistencies cropped up more often. Arsenal drew games they should have won, and lost games after taking the lead.

Arsenal as a club no longer believed they could win...United had unerringly and with devastating force, removed the belief from the players and the club as a whole.

Players seemed more nervous on the ball and didn't seem to take as many chances any more, almost as if they were fearful that the whole thing would come crashing down around their ears.

If you look at the results since since, it is possible. The fear of winning can be as great as the fear of losing.

Although Arsenal won the F.A. Cup and finished runners up in the league in 2004-05 it was more of a wind down of the belief.

Since then, Arsenal have never been able to achieve even second position in the league, throwing away a title winning lead last season, losing a League Cup final to Chelsea and, more famously, losing a European Cup final to Barcelona from a winning position.

I know that the players and staff have changed since 2004, but just maybe the lack of belief that they can win trophies is entrenched so deep in the mentality of the club and so passed onto new players like a virus.

Unwittingly transmitting to players that, although we are a good side and can play well, we are not quite good enough to go all the way.

This is just a theory of course, discussed by two men over a couple of beers.

Maybe we're completely wrong and United are not to blame.

But maybe, just maybe, we're right.

Judge the facts for yourself, and more importantly...

Bring back the belief.

Arsenal: Where Has All the Fear Gone??

Simon Johnson — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:20:37 -0400

The big sides in the Premiership, and indeed in Europe, carry with them onto the pitch a presence and a certain amount of fear, especially if you are a team of lesser stature.

I don't mean fear of a leg-breaking tackle, or fear of being kicked off the park.

I mean fear of an opponent's skill and style, an awe of their abilities on the pitch.

I'm talking about the presence that a top side carries with it into a game.

Coming up against the big sides like Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid etc. sends a lot of teams into their proverbial shell. The opposition team will play a more defensive formation and perhaps be a little more nervy when passing and shooting.

Arsenal seem to have lost that presence and teams do not fear them.

We used to have it, years ago when we had a backline of Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams, Martin Keown, and Lee Dixon.

We had it only recently, when we were going forward on the counter-attack with Freddie Ljungberg, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, and Thierry Henry.

Teams would play more cautiously against Arsenal because they feared the threat of a team who was hard to beat and could score almost at will.

It is impossible to say when Arsenal lost that presence, it may have been during the slump last season which ultimately lost them the title.

It may have been before that when Thierry Henry left the Gunners for Barcelona.

More likely it may have started even as far back as when Paddy Vieira was sold to Italy, and Arsenal lost their solidity in the midfield.

One thing is for sure, this season Arsenal have not got it back as yet, the capitulation to Fulham earlier in the season as well as the nightmare showing against Hull City last week has shown us that.

It means that teams like Sunderland go into a game against Arsenal feeling as though they can get points, and they play a much better game because of that lack of fear.

So, where can Arsenal regain that presence?

Gallas and Toure need to close up the Arsenal defence for a start, both are able defenders but seem totally incapable of shutting down opposition strikers.

Fabregas needs a midfield partner who can be the rock from which Arsenal go forward and let him play creative football.

Adebayor and Robin van Persie need to start putting away their chances more often or else Carlos Vela and Bendtner should be given their chance.

I don't necessarily subscribe to the view that Arsenal HAVE to buy more players.

One or two ready made players would be most helpful but the talent is there already. The problem seems to be creating a cohesive unit out of the group.

A unit that can not only win games but once again strike fear into an opponents heart on game day.

This Arsenal side needs to get that presence back and get it back fast.

The sooner they can do that and create the cohesive unit that causes opposition teams to fear them once again, the quicker thay will return to the winners list.

Arsenal 1 Sunderland 1: Horror Show at The Stadium of Light

Simon Johnson — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:44:38 -0400

Arsenal just weren't themselves at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

Maybe it was the defeat to Hull City last weekend that had shaken their confidence.

Maybe it was the fact that they began the game playing an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation.

Who really knows?

The one thing that was obvious is that there is a certain nervousness about the Arsenal players now when they play teams lower than them in the league.

The weather obviously didn't help either side, with driving rain and gusting winds blowing around Sunderland's home ground.

All that aside, Arsenal started brightly with plenty of the ball but never really threatened Craig Gordon in the Sunderland goal.

The passes just didn't seem to quite flow as they should and although Arsenal had the lion's share of possession in the first half, it was Djibril Cisse and Sunderland who went closest to scoring in the opening 45 minutes.

After the break, Arsenal maintained their control of the ball but still couldn't manufacture anything decent in the final third—crosses were either too long or too short, shots were wayward, and the entire Arsenal team knew their season was teetering on the brink.

Walcott managed to cut a ball back from the by-line to Robin van Persie who scored, only to have the goal chalked off by the officials as they determined the ball had gone out of play before Walcott's cut back.

Even television replays failed to clear up the matter and the game stayed at 0-0.

To only speak of Arsenal would be to do Sunderland an injustice.

Roy Keane obviously had his players well drilled playing a 4-5-1 formation, and kept Arsenal to mostly speculative shots whilst causing some problems of their own on the counter.

Enter Grant Leadbitter for Sunderland late in the game, a local boy playing for his hometown club.

Within minutes of coming on to the pitch, Leadbitter scored for Sunderland and broke into tears, you could see what it meant to him to score for his club in such a big game.

It looked like Sunderland would take all three points and condemn Arsenal to their worst start to a season since 1994, when they eventually ended up 12th in the table.

Then, with a minute to go, Cesc Fabregas rose from a corner to head home the equaliser for Arsenal, the players celebrated but there was not a lot of joy in this game for the Gunners.

So, a point saved for Arsenal.

Is it enough, or have the young Gunners let their season fall away before it has even begun?

Their current form reminds me of the form slump they suffered at the end of last season, whereby they have the lion's share of possession (68% again yesterday) but can't convert it into scoreboard pressure.

Time will tell...the emotional rollercoaster continues...

Michel Platini: A Football Disgrace Continues

Simon Johnson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:47:22 -0400

Michel Platini has finally proven that he is an absolute moron and has gone madder than his good mate Sepp Blatter. This fool needs to be removed from his post as UEFA President.

Platini has always disliked English football and has done his best to constantly belittle the achievements of English clubs and the national side. His constant attempts to tweak the rules of European football and make football less English are well documented.

His comments recently regarding Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger were absolutely ludicrous and smacked of intense jealousy.

Surely no-one in the football world can agree with this mans opinion of Arsene Wenger as a manager...not even fans of their biggest rivals.

You would think that in these harsh economic times that UEFA's governing body would be holding Arsenal and their manager up as a model of how a club should be run.

i.e. As a club that operates well within its financial means, plans for the future of the club, focuses on bringing through young talent, etc...

Instead, Platini chose to attempt to belittle the achievements of Arsenal and their manager and showed the football world that he is completely out of touch with the goings-on of modern football.

Even going so far as to say that he hoped video technology was not introduced, a view that is clearly only a minority opinion nowadays. Platini went on to show the obvious jealousy he feels for his fellow Frenchman by adding, "It would make me happy that Arsene Wenger never sees it."

Where does this dislike come from?

The French Football Federation, of which Platini has been a part previously, has never been a fan of Wenger's.

Maybe the jealousy comes from the fact the Arsene Wenger is a Frenchman helping to raise the stature of an English side, as Platini clearly hates English clubs and English football with a passion.

Maybe the jealousy comes from Platini's one attempt at management, an attempt that saw France eliminated from Italia '90 qualification and make an early exit from Sweden '92.

Maybe the jealousy comes from the fact that Platini is now nothing but a bureaucrat, whilst Wenger is one of the most respected managers in Europe.

Who knows?

What I do know is this, Platini is as disgraceful in his current position as UEFA boss as he was brilliant playing for the French national team.

This snivelling, conniving, insanely jealous, overtly Anglophobic excuse for a man is a disgrace as a human being and a disgrace as UEFA President.

I, for one, would love to see him out of a job as quickly as possible and replaced with someone who has half a brain and is good for football.

Are Football Fans Turning the Game Soft?

Simon Johnson — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:08:05 -0400

Do fans really want to take all contact out of modern football?

Are we to dispose of all challenges that carry the slightest bit of "hardness" about them?

It would seem so to this writer.

Granted, we want to keep the "leg breakers" out of football and tackles that go over the top or are of a violent nature.

It seems nowadays though, you cannot put in a hard challenge on a player without the media and managers making an international incident of it.

Looking at the tackle on the weekend of Kevin Davies on Gael Clichy specifically, Davies went in hard but clearly won the ball before his trailing leg caught Clichy's shin causing him to leave the field and go to hospital for scans.

It was one of those injuries that was unfortunate, not the result of malice, Davies received a yellow card and that should be the end of it.

Fair enough if people focus on the more mailicious incidents but why blow the nothing ones out of all proportion.

No need for managers, fans or the media to blow it up at all. And this is coming from someone who is an Arsenal member and has played the game.

Yet people cannot seem to let these incidents go and always have to be up in arms about every little incident, perhaps this is due to Eduardo's injury last season. For the record, I believe that tackle was malicious and deserved the coverage it received.

Compare for a moment, the Davies tackle to the following incident in the Australian Football League Preliminary Final last Saturday night.

Hawthorn played St. Kilda in a sudden death final.

Hawthorn midfielder Luke Hodge copped a knock early in the game and had suspected cracked ribs.

He was spitting up blood in the first quarter and had to be checked by the doctor at the break but opposition players still came up and hip-and-shouldered him in the rib area.

An ex-AFL footballer and commentator, Michael Voss, was asked "What would you be doing if you were playing on Luke Hodge?"

"I would be hitting those ribs as often as I could," replied Voss.

I understand wholeheartedly that AFL is more physical than proper football but I use this to illustrate a point.

This incident was not hyped at all in the media, or by either coach...It is part of the game and I would hate to see it removed from AFL football.

It is the same deal in the Premiership (although maybe less physical), hard but fair tackles are part of the game. They should not be removed or blown out of proportion by the media, managers, player, or fans.

Players are made of sterner stuff and can wear a tackle if it's fair and not intended to injure. Clichy himself has put in a few hard challenges in his Arsenal career.

Fair enough, get rid of the malicious and violent tackles that are meant to injure but you have to leave some physicality in the game or else we may as well watch netball.

Arsenal Debut Delayed for Silvestre

Simon Johnson — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:40:51 -0400

Arsenal fans may have to wait a little longer before they see French defender Mikael Silvestre on the pitch in an Arsenal shirt.

Reports from inside the club had indicated that the 31-year-old would make his Gunners debut this weekend away to Blackburn Rovers.

However, in an interview this week, Wenger confirmed that Silvestre may have to wait until the midweek game against Dinamo Kyiv to have his first run out with his new team mates.

"We have had a minor setback with Mikael," said Wenger. "But if he is unavailable for the game against Blackburn, he will certainly be okay for the Kyiv game on Wednesday".

Silvestre was carrying a minor injury when he transferred from Manchester United to Arsenal on August 20th, but the club had hoped he would make a quick return to first team football.

Hopefully the setback is minor and he will give the Arsenal fans a chance to see him run out on Wednesday.

Wenger: No Move for Stephen Appiah

Simon Johnson — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:27:05 -0400

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has categorically denied reports that Ghana captain Stephen Appiah is heading for the Emirates.

Arsenal were named as one of several clubs chasing Appiah, but Wenger put an end to those rumours at his press conference on Thursday.

When a reporter asked Arsene if he was chasing the Ghanaian midfielder, his reply was short and to the point.

"No, we are not on the case."

The 27-year-old midfielder was released by Fenerbahce and as a free agent is able to move clubs outside of the transfer window, which has closed until January.

With all of the recent speculation surrounding Arsenal's midfield situation, Appiah seemed to be the number one choice, and had himself stated that he would welcome a move to the Emirates.

A number of media sources had hinted that Appiah was most likely to end up alongside Cesc Fabregas.

That now seems highly unlikely after the Arsenal manager's comments.

Arsenal fans may now have to wait until the New Year to see if Le Boss is going to strengthen his midfield.

Other names such as Stephane M'Bia and Carlos Hernandez have been thrown around of late, but only time will tell...

Walcott Stands Up as Capello's England Smash Croatia

Simon Johnson — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:13:04 -0400

Theo Walcott admitted in an interview earlier this week that his inclusion in the 2006 World Cup squad may have been premature and "startled" him.

Pundits and fans alike have been saying that his time will come, both for Arsenal and England.

Walcott has turned in some good performances this season for the Gunners, both in the Premiership and CL qualifying matches.

He has definitely taken the next step this evening, with a blindingly fantastic performance in Zagreb against Croatia.

Walcott was given the nod ahead of David Beckham, and so had something to prove to his doubters amongst the football public.

England started brightly, enjoying plenty of possession, some nice passing and interplay, and forced Croatia to chase them down.

Croatia were just starting to work their way back into the game, when Walcott scored his first in the 26th minute. Pranjic blasted his clearance against Simunic, and the ball rebounded to Walcott whose low angled drive beat Pletikosa in goal.

Theo also had a number of brilliant runs forward and, along with the rest of the England side, looked a lot better than a couple of days ago against Andorra.

Kovac, the Croatian skipper, took out Joe Cole in the 52nd minute and was sent off.

Joe Cole also had to leave the field with a nasty cut on his forehead. He could not return to the field and was replaced by Jermaine Jenas.

Walcott bagged his second goal with another fantastic shot in the 59th minute. Wayne Rooney was the creator, taking a return pass from Emile Heskey before finding Walcott, who drilled the ball home again.

Jenas was instrumental in Englands third goal in the 63rd minute, crossing the ball in from the left with the outside of his right foot, and Rooney calmly slotted the ball home which was no more than Wayne deserved.

A rare case of sloppy play by England in the 78th minute allowed Croatia to pull a goal back. Srna's foot was high on John Terry, but play went on and he drove forward to cross for Knezevic, who put the ball in the back of the net.

Then Theo Walcott scored his hat-trick. It was great to watch. Rooney was at the heart of the move again, after controlling a pass he slipped it through to the Arsenal youngster, who kept his head and rolled the ball past the goalkeeper in the 82nd minute.

David Beckham replaced Walcott in the 84th minute, and Theo left the pitch to a standing ovation.

Pundits were drawing similarities between Theos' performance tonight and Michael Owens performance in the 5-1 defeat of Germany and who am I to argue.

A 4-1 defeat of Croatia tonight will be a huge confidence booster for Fabio Capello's men.

The entire team played well, something which was maybe not expected to happen against Croatia.

Even more will be the confidence boost for Theo Walcott, a lot of people have said that this is his year to shine including myself. A brilliant performance tonight could be the kicker that we have all been waiting for both at club and international level.

I know this is only one game, but his performance tonight was nothing short of brilliant. Add it to the undeniable progress he has made this season and last, and we could be looking at the fulfillment of a destiny...

Hopefully we see a lot more of this sort of brilliance for England and the Gunners from this young superstar...

Emmanuel Petit: "Leaving Arsenal for Barcelona is my Biggest Regret"

Simon Johnson — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:12:21 -0400

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has said that his decision to leave Arsenal in 2000 to go to Barcelona was one of the biggest mistakes of his career.

According to Petit's new book, after wooing him from Arsenal the Catalan club treated him poorly.

“I turned up for a friendly, and when I went in to meet my team mates most of them ignored me.”

This will be rather pleasing news to the told-you-so people who may remember how quickly the player ran to Barca at the time.

His first meeting with the Barca coach, Lorenzo Serra Ferra, also had its problems.

“The night I arrived, the boss asked another French player, Richard Dutruel, to translate. Richard, visibly embarrassed, told me not to laugh, but said the boss wanted to know what my best position was! I thought he was joking. But I soon realised I was only there as part of Gaspart’s plot to become president.”

Petit also said he had never met a man whose head "was more like a marble", indicating the relationship didn't improve.

His book also details how he was taken aside and told off by various senior players, including current manager Pep Guardiola.

The whole experience was so bad for Petit, he says that “each day that passed I was a day closer to freedom.”

Maybe he could have warned Thierry Henry BEFORE he left for Spain.

You have to wonder how many other players who have left the Gunners for glory have also thought this way once they arrive at their new clubs, once the hype has settled.

Is it a case of "take away Wenger and the Arsenal and the player is maybe a little less of a player"?

Or is Petit an oversensitive, whining prat?

You make the call...

Are Arsenal Isolated In the New Age of Football?

Simon Johnson — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:18:34 -0400

Arsenal now stand alone as the only top club not owned by a multi-gazillionaire or "sugar daddy".

Indeed, they are one of the few top clubs in Europe that don't run at a loss every season.

This is not just in reference to the Manchester City takeover, but a global football trend that is manifesting itself in the Premiership.

Big spending owners who think nothing of throwing expansive sums of money to build their "football manager" style super-club.

In comparison to this, the owners of Arsenal F.C. are a more conservative bunch of people, with a definite eye on maintaining stability and financial security for the club. Add to that, they just don't have the billions to throw around.

Arsenal's record transfer fee is still only £13million, when they signed Sylvain Wiltord from Bordeaux in 2000. Compare this to most other top clubs and they are way behind.

Arsene Wenger's transfer policy does seem to compliment the Arsenal financial structure in that he buys players young, for a comparatively cheap price, and generally sells for a profit when the player is surplus to requirements or decides to leave.

A recent comment by Wenger, referring to Gareth Barry's fee, gave an insight to not only the manager's, but also the club's thinking:

"These older players you pay a lot but can get nothing in return."

Now, he is not talking about return on the pitch, but return in the bank balance. Older players have far less resale value for the club, younger players value rises along with their career, so financially at least, it keeps Arsenal in a good position.

It is becoming more difficult to compete for the Premiership and the European crown as more and more clubs are taken over by big money. Arsenal still manage it year after year though.

Smaller clubs in the top division are increasingly becoming bit-part players in the greater scheme of things, rather than genuine contenders for the crown. Talk of the "Big Four" becoming five has drawn criticism from some corners, but isn't a more competitive league good for the game?

Fans of lesser clubs now look for a "sugar-daddy" to come and lift them to glory with big name signings and international superstars.

Is all of this a good thing for football in the long term?

Will football as we know it end up a soulless plaything of the uber-rich?

Or will it come crashing down around the ears of the faithful?

I am not talking about Man City or Chelsea or any other club specifically, but in a general sense for football.

The past few years have seen the rapid growth of "buy to win", "win at all costs", and clubs paying higher and higher fees to get their man.

I have always thought Wenger's strategy of style and stability was a good one. I have never lost faith in the managers ability to be able to compete with the richer clubs on a lower budget than the other top teams do.

But now the question needs to be asked. Is Arsenal and Wenger's policy the way of the future, or is it dooming Arsenal to mediocrity in years to come?

Maybe the money bubble will burst.

Maybe the big money owners will tire of their playthings and move on.

If that happens, Arsenal will be surely left standing proud as the other clubs fall around them, due to years of indifference to balanced books.

Maybe the money bubble won't burst.

Maybe it will make the league ultimately more competitive as more clubs are taken over.

If that happens, Arsenal will need to find their own money man or face being left behind in the new age.

Personally, I can't wait to see what happens. I believe all of the doom and gloom about the new Man City owners and their wads of cash is misplaced. We have heard it all before.

As for Arsenal, I feel we will be fine. We have good heads running the club both at board level and on the pitch. We also have our own potential Russian "money man" waiting in the wings if the current policy goes pear shaped.

We also have my membership fee every year along with the thousands of others...

So long as football is the ultimate victor in the new age, and doesn't end up regretting the move into mega-bucks, I'll be happy.

Big Money Owners Take Note : Romanian Defender Sold for Chunk of Meat...

Simon Johnson — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:52:46 -0400

In a nice change from uber-inflated transfer fees and multi-gazillionaires buying clubs and offering ridiculous money to any player that will join them, comes this story from Romania.

UT Arad, a club in the Romanian Second Division, have sold defender Marius Cioara to Fourth Division club Regal Horia for 15 kilograms of meat.

Thats right, 15 kilograms of meat.

However the fourth division club believe that they have been mugged, as the player decided to end his career after the deal was concluded, and pursue a position in agriculture or construction in Spain.

"We are upset because we lost twice—firstly because we lost a good player and secondly because we lost our team's food for a whole week," said a Regal Horia official.

Isn't it refreshing in this day and age of overpaid footballers and inflated transfer fees that a player can be sold for something as simple as a chunk of meat.

Barton v Nasri : An Incident Blown Out of All Proportion...

Simon Johnson — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:23:06 -0400

It was always going to be a difficult return to the Premiership for Joey Barton. But to come on with three minutes remaining, and trailing a rampant Arsenal side three-nil, made it all the more difficult.

After being released early from a six-month prison sentence for assault and affray, and facing FA disciplinary charges over a charge of violent conduct on former team-mate Ousmane Dabo, Barton had a point to prove on his return to the big stage.

Within a minute of stepping onto the pitch, Barton let fly with a tackle on Arsenal's Samir Nasri.

The tackle itself was fine, but Barton wanted to send a message by driving his arm into the Arsenal players thigh as he went through.

He followed that up with an ultra-sarcastic smirk. Commentator Steve Banyard remarked on the incident:

"That’s not the way to endear himself back. And a smile, a sarcastic smile like that, is frankly out of order."

Nasri followed up a few seconds later by clipping Barton's heels behind play and sending him sprawling to the turf.

Samir Nasri received a yellow card for the incident at the next break in play, from match referee Rob Styles.

That was it, the whole incident in its entirety.

Neither of the two incidents would be classed as "violent conduct" in my opinion.

Both players have been around long enough to take the incidents for what they were.

Nasri would have taken Barton's aggressive tackle as exactly that, a statement of a man with something to prove and maybe a slight chip on his shoulder.

And I'm sure Joey has had worse things happen to him both on and off the pitch. He is a big enough boy to realise if you are going to dish it out, you have to take a little back.

It always seems though, as if these things HAVE to get blown way out of proportion.

Kevin Keegan, a manager that I personally have a lot of time for, made this statement after the game:

"Joey came on, got a good tackle in on Nasri. Then the guy sliced him down. That's what happened and that's what I saw, which is what I was upset about. I know the referee didn't see it but the linesman did and it should have been a red card."

Now, Barton's tackle wasn't terrible, but he could have executed the same tackle without the use of the arm.

His intent was fairly obvious.

Nasri clipped Barton's heels as he was running, not "sliced him down" as Kev would have us believe.

To say that the incident warranted a red card is laughable and even a little embarrassing. It was a professional foul and got exactly what it deserved, a yellow card.

Surprisingly, for a manager who "doesn't see" a lot of controversial incidents involving Arsenal Football Club, Arsene Wenger had this take on it:

"I was not surprised by the reaction of the fans—I have been involved in the game long enough not to be surprised by anything. Nasri clipped Barton and there was a little incident between them, but he was booked and rightly so."

And that's where it should be left. Two professional footballer having a bit of a niggle at each other. Nothing "violent", just a bit of handbags at ten paces.

Joey Barton is always going to be over-scrutinised, probably for the rest of his career, with every challenge he makes.

No need for all of the post match finger pointing and King Kev telling Nasri to "behave, son".

No need to have an argument with Nasri and Gallas, and be separated by your assistant.

The post match shenanigans put a negative end to what was a brilliant Arsenal performance at the Emirates.

There are far worse incidents in football that maybe should be closely scrutinised.

This was not one of them...

Have Chelsea Missed Their Man? Robinho to Stay at Real Madrid

Simon Johnson — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:50:06 -0400

If we were to believe Peter Kenyon, Chelsea boss and the recent media articles, Robinhos' move to Chelsea was a done deal. Reports and quotes from the Blues were stating he would be a Chelsea player within 48 hours and possibly even play against in their EPL clash with Tottenham.

Shaun Wright-Phillips departure to Manchester City heightened the expectation that the move was within reach. Shirts were being offered for sale in the club shop (and on the website) complete with Robinhos' name. The dream may have died a little today however.

Real Madrid are reported to have shut down the deal by rejecting Chelsea’s' final offer which is believed to have been around €32 million, which falls a fair way short of the supposed Spanish clubs valuation of €40 million.

Real Madrid had previously stated that they would only let the 24-year-old midfielder leave if a suitable replacement could be found before the end of the transfer window. It now looks increasingly likely that Chelsea may have missed their man. Not that this would be a problem for them as they have a plethora of talented midfielders in their squad.

Chelsea has now stopped the sale of Robinho shirts from the club shop, which may be a further indication that the transfer, for now at least, is off. I, for one, would have liked to see him play in the Premier League. Players of that calibre are brilliant to watch and he would be outstanding for Scolari and Chelsea alike.

It remains to be seen now whether Madrid is serious, or whether they are just pushing Chelsea to the wire. If Robinho stays, I think he may have a hard time winning back the respect of the Real Madrid bosses as well as the fans.

Jonathan Who? Could De Guzman be Arsenal's Last Signing This Summer

Simon Johnson — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:25:31 -0400

If we are to believe the latest gossip emanating from London, Arsene Wenger will offer close to £12million for Jonathan De Guzman from Feyenoord before the transfer window closes on Monday.

Some sources close to the player say that he has already signed an agreement with Arsenal but there has been no official confirmation from the Emirates hierarchy at this stage.

The Gunners have flirted with the idea of bringing Liverpool's Xabi Alonso or Aston Villa's Gareth Barry to North London, however, their price tags have proved prohibitive to the spendthrift Frenchman.

But De Guzman, who would cost Arsenal considerably less, is a livewire midfielder who can run box to box and would gel well with the Arsenal style of play.

The 21 year old has already expressed interest in joining Arsenal.

“My dream clubs are Arsenal and Barcelona. If clubs of that stature are interested in you then you cannot say no." said the Canadian born midfielder

“I’m certainly open to interest from Arsenal and from what I hear Feyenoord are happy to hear from them as well.”

I believe he could be the right man for the job in the Arsenal midfield, although Alonso would not be such a bad buy either, if he was a little cheaper...

Impressive Arsenal Answer Twente Questions

Simon Johnson — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:22:29 -0400

In stark contrast to the weekends game at Fulham, the football flowed at Emirates tonight.

The passing game was back and so was Cesc Fabregas. F.C. Twente were unable to get a foot on the ball for large parts of the game and even when they did, failed to really trouble Manuel Almunia and the Arsenal defence.

Cesc Fabregas was in good form on his return to the first team and threaded quite a few neat balls for the forwards to latch on to. He was backed up by good performances from Clichy, Gallas, Bendtner, Denilson and Nasri.

Perhaps the most impressive of all however, was Theo Walcott. On a number of occasions he burst forward at pace and laid off some neat balls.

His efforts were rewarded in the 66th minute with a great run and goal. Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners (6-0) on aggregate thanks to goals from Nasri (27), Gallas (52), Walcott (66) and Bendtner (89).

All in all it was a return to form tonight for the Gunners, albeit against a less than impressive FC Twente side.

The question is, if people take so many negatives out of the Fulham game, should they take just as many positives out of this one?

I think so and will be looking forward to Arsenal taking on Newcastle at the Emirates on the weekend.

Arsene Wenger: We need to keep the negativity in check

Simon Johnson — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:04:19 -0400

Arsenal had a poor game against Fulham on Saturday, but the manager believes that the negative reaction and criticism needs to be kept in check.

“We live in a world now where you have to accept the critics and a definite conclusion from everybody,” said Arsene at his press conference.

Wenger also acknowledged that the loss was down to Fulham playing a very good game.

“We had a bad game at Fulham and you must give credit to them because they played very well.”

There has been widespread criticism of the 1-0 loss at Craven Cottage in most media outlets. But Wenger understands it is part of the football industry.

He is also positive that his squad has the required strength and ability to return to form this week against FC Twente and Newcastle United.

“No matter how good you are in life, players are human beings, it can happen that you are caught for 20 or 30 minutes.

“But I know my squad is good, my team is good, our spirit is good. We are intelligent enough to know we did not play well, but we know as well we have the needed quality to respond.

“Your desire is to play well and win. No matter how much experience you have, if you don’t play well you have more chances to lose than to win.”

Personally, I agree with Wenger, you don't win or lose a season on one game.

Surely this loss, and the negative reactions, will have galvanised the spirit of this Arsenal side.

Arsenal fans, and indeed the whole of the football world, must be looking forward to this weeks two games to see just how the Gunners bounce back and answer their critics.

Will Theo Walcott Ever Be a Gunner Legend?

Simon Johnson — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:38:18 -0400

The career of young Theo Walcott has already taken a few twist and turns.

As a young kid, he came to Arsenal in January 2006 with a ton of potential and rave reviews after only a handful of senior games from Southampton.

His inclusion in the national team for the 2006 World Cup at only 17 was probably a bit premature and may have even stunted his development to a small degree.

Some blistering performances in the last season showed fans glimpses of what he is capable of. We also saw some very ordinary performances to remind us that he is not quite the finished article yet. But I think this could be Theo's year to shine.

He had a superb finish to last season out on the wing, finally turning in some match-winning performances. These included that fantastic run at Anfield in last season's Champions League. He followed this up with some more than impressive preseason performances during the Gunners training camp in Austria.

Theo is, without a doubt, at his best cutting inside from the wing on those blindingly quick runs, skipping past defenders and creating opportunities inside the box. The only drawback is that he seems to outrun the ball at times and lose control of it.

However, after seeing him in preseason, it's clear this is an area that he has worked hard on over the summer. More than one defense will be worried by the lad in the coming campaign.

The challenge for Walcott this season will be to keep a regular starting place in the Arsenal side as well as for England.

With his already acknowledged pace and creativity, combined with the undoubted improvements he has made in terms of his ball control and positioning, he looks set for a stellar season this year out on the wing.

I wouldn’t mind betting that he may also get a run up front. His value as a link player is becoming more and more apparent and, in my opinion, this is the season when he will become a mainstay of the Arsenal side, much like Cesc Fabregas.

Andrei Arshavin Priced Himself Out Of Arsenal and Now No Spurs Move Either!

Simon Johnson — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:48:39 -0400

According to his agent, Andrei Arshavin could have been playing in midfield for the Gunners this season had it not been for his excessively high wage demands.

Arsenal are a club well known in the football world for baulking at high wages (except for a select few) and you only have to look at the Flamini saga to see that.

"If Andrei could have tempered his financial appetite, it was quite possible he would be playing at the Emirates right now," said agent Dennis Lachter.

Arsenal were rumoured to have put in an offer of around £15 million for the creative midfielder. Unfortunately, the trend seems to be these days that moving to another club to play football on its own isn't enough, players now also feel the need to demand wages well in excess of what they probably deserve and that which clubs are willing to pay.

The whole deal may have backfired on Arshavin. His current club Zenit are now saying that they are shutting the door on his proposed transfer to Spurs this summer because they do not have enough time to find a replacement for him.

Spurs apparently had until August 18 to finalise any deal and that deadline has now passed. Whether the talented 27-year-old can find a new club this summer seem increasingly slim.