Bleacher Report - Articles by Asser Ghozlan

Arsenal Thrashed: When It Rains, It Pours...

Asser Ghozlan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:58:22 -0500

I thought I'd leave my thoughts for a day or two, allowing myself to calm down and allowing the dust from the weekend's debacle to settle.

Unfortunately, not a great deal from what I had planned to say in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's home humiliation has changed 30 hours later.

Here, I sit in the cosiness of my own bedroom, with my thoughts and emotions fully intact, before any of you goes on to accuse me of a spur-of-the-moment slating.

For as the relentless showers came down and as the grey, North London skies turned darker, we were all in for a nasty shock; a realisation of our very own dark abyss.

Funny enough, many of the people around me (admittedly, usually pessimistic folk), predicted a dose of reality on Sunday. My dad, amongst one or two others specifically, envisaged a 0-3 scoreline! I was laughing at 3:55. I wasn't two hours later. And, I'm not now and won't be for some time.

Another season full of superficial promise, full of lies of our technical superiority seeing us through the finishing line, has all come to an abrupt and premature end.

And it has all come crashing down by a relentless Chelsea outfit, highlighted by the sheer power and clinical finesse of Didier Drogba. Then, so pitilessly rubbed in by Ashley Cole's waltzing through our feeble defence to the cry of our hapless supporters' chorus of boos—a backdrop that was surely music to his ears on 90 minutes.

Perhaps one of Sunday's most paining issues is the fact that a vast majority of us were in on this lie right from the very start.

Yet, we believed it and genuinely thought that this would be our time. "Our moment" as Wenger nonchalantly and, in hindsight, foolishly declared.

And, as I admittedly hold my hands up in believing and preaching that we were in with a big shout for glory this season, it would also be a total justice to acknowledge the very fact that I had warned that it had been coming, right from day one at Everton.

Just the day prior to the cursed international break, Cesc Fabregas made a perfectly valid point: that the goals will inevitably dry up, and that the players would then have to fight for each other and win ugly.

And he was right.

Well, half right. We do seem to have indeed run out of goals. But the players are not fighting for each other, but made to look like absolute amateurs out of kindergarten coming up against a blue wave of real sportsmen.

Isn't that just embarrassing?

Arsène Wenger can point to the disallowed goal early after the restart (he definitely has a point to make there). And to Chelsea scoring from their first two shots of the game; one a terribly unlucky own goal by Vermaelen after some truly shocking near post defending by his partner Gallas—both were abysmal all afternoon by the way.

He can point to all the 50-50 decisions going the opposition's way and to Chelsea being not totally faultless in their approach to the match themselves—not forgetting that we were, and will be for a very long time—missing our main source of firepower.

But what we cannot excuse is how we were dominated from top to bottom, pressed all over the pitch, with our style so cunningly used to play into Chelsea's very own hands.

We cannot excuse having 57 percent of the possession of the ball, yet fail to create a single clearcut chance that had Chelsea fans biting their nails or Carlo Ancelotti harrying into tactical changes.

We cannot excuse being physically bullied throughout the pitch, with Eduardo and later the likes of Vela and Walcott in Terry and Carvalho's back pockets, with the midfield showing the strength of a melting chocolate teapot, and our link-up play just about as useful as a gangrenous appendix.

Not only can we not excuse such a toothless performance, but we cannot excuse Wenger's analysis as a mere blip or bad day at the office, with such themes recurring from seasons bygone.

You may remember referring to my best friend Tommy Boi as I previewed the match. Well, moments after the match's miserable conclusion—not quite so for him obviously—I received a triumphant text from him simply asking, "How many times do we have to dominate your midfield with strength AND experience before Arsène Wenger realises it for himself?"

Well, for Arsène Wenger read various other expletives, which we won't go into, perfectly understanding that it is acceptable coming from a Chelsea supporter, eh Tommy Boi?

What struck me from the notion in the text is that we all realise that we cannot match Chelsea's strength and that Wenger alone seemingly cannot.

We realise that the manager's single piece of business over the summer did not eradicate such flaws.

Even in the height of our cruising run and free-scoring purple patch, goals were coming in against us from all angles of the pitch, and that is what no one can fathom of Wenger, a supposedly intelligent perfectionist.

Instead, we had to sit through 90 minutes of assorted drivel, a misery that could have been far more compounded had Chelsea not just fought and battled and harried, but actually played the sort of game they have been coming to grips with this season. A combined fusion of styles that will almost surely—in my humble view anyway—give them the title, whilst we lick our wounds and wonder just how we had all been tricked into believing that we were actually good enough.

Same old story, well, at least the latter part of it rings true anyway—with four defeats in 13 not a significant improvement from the five reverses at the same stage in 2008-2009 and with a more porous defence—conceding two more goals this time around.

All of that with Wenger convinced that we are firmly in the title race, claiming to know Chelsea's weaknesses when he should be concentrating on his own.

I repeat, isn't that just embarrassing?

Arsenal-Chelsea Preview: Shades of Red and Blue!

Asser Ghozlan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:11:01 -0500

With just over seven miles between Arsenal and Chelsea , just what is the real distance between London's biggest two?

An apt poser as we preview a clash of such massive proportions, made all the more so following last weekend's embarrassingly timid defeat at the Stadium of Light.

Over the past few years, we could argue that the distance between the two clubs was far more than just a bit of mileage across town, or a simple shade of red vs. blue. It's simply been far more than distance and local bragging rights.

For me it was all a question of "p's". That's right. Chelsea had the power, perspicacity (that's the best "p" word I could think of for experience, sorry), practicality and pragmatism.

The pots to show for it in the trophy cabinet at the end of the season on a consistent basis. Most importantly, and probably the predisposition to all of this, Chelsea had the pennies, and still do, although the recession has left Mr. Abramovich licking his wounds somewhat considerably.

As for Arsenal, it was all about just the one "p" I'm afraid: potential.

For many weeks now, the debate has been raging over when this now-dreaded term would turn into real material, finally vindicating Wenger's long-sighted vision.

Indeed, the manager and players themselves have acknowledged several times over that this is a season of reckoning.

And one big step towards proving that we are more than just potential obligates us to come out on top come Sunday evening.

Not because we're at home, nor because we lost last week, nor even because we got two consecutive bullyings from the table-toppers last time out.

But simply because this was meant to be our time, remember? And until last weekend, things were going exactly (well almost exactly) to plan.

Indeed, Arsenal v. Chelsea has been as damaging for my pride and personal machismo as it has been for our title prospects in recent years.

With a Chelsea fanatic of a best mate either side of me (metaphorically at the moment by the way), both "Tommy Boi" and Ian "Delgado" agree that it'll all be about the midfield cometh the hour.

Add my voice to theirs, and probably the voice of every other Gooner and Blues supporter.

Despite Chelsea 's adoption of a near-Arsenalistic approach under Ancelotti this season; and it seems to actually be working, unlike under "Big Phil" Scolari, Chelsea are still capable of doing what they did best on their way to the glut of trophies alluded to earlier.

Midfield stifling, efficient engine rooms, and a physicality that had always paid dividends. Especially in the big games. Especially in the big games against Arsenal.

For us to come out on top, we will need to cope with the likes of Essien and Ballack, as well as stop the equally-powerful Lampard from playing (who will blatantly start). Which brings me on to Alex Song .

With all the justified plaudits, and his recent transformation into a tough-tackling, tactically astute combative enforcer, we can finally claim to have a match for Chelsea 's "bison" in Essien, although experience is obviously on the latter's side.

With Song's tendency to "sit" in the midfield, allowing Cesc and Co. to turn it on, we might just have a match to Chelsea 's defensive midfield-Lampard free role combo.

With us representing Didier Drogba's favourite team, preventing the link-up play from Chelsea 's narrow, yet effective playmaking force; a force most likely to be provided by the improved Deco, with Joe Cole a more than effective impact player, will be of paramount importance. This will also involve the pinpoint concentration of our defence.

Now, don't get me wrong, Vermaelen has proved a shrewd acquisition, and in him we will have someone to stand up to the battering ram qualities of our tormentor-in-chief, alongside Gallas (who should play provided he sorts his contact lenses out).

At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea are goddamn lucky not to be facing Robin van Persie . A crying shame as it is, we have more than adequate replacements for that central frontman's role, the most obvious of which is Eduardo .

Now, whilst I was last seen waxing lyrical over the credentials of the Brazilian-born, I somehow feel that he is not quite on top form at the moment, with an appearance from the bench as my shout.

My personal tip would be Theo Walcott , who although is a big shout to start anyway, should be given a chance to impress in the central role.

Whilst he might not exactly fulfil the physical requirements I harked on about earlier, his pace and trickery can be put to good use against a central defence pairing and goalkeeper perhaps not quite as invincible as they were once perceived to be.

So, a big game needed for the big occasion, where each and every move will count, and where there is no room for error.

A true six-pointer, where a victory will put us right in the mix on the way to eradicating the curse of the "potential," and where a defeat will go a long way into consigning us to yet another season of Premier League underachievement and capital inferiority.

And, as the boys in blue ready themselves to hitting N5 under the stewardship of Italy's very own rendition of comedian Michael McIntyre (brilliantly spotted Tommy Boi), it is time to stand up and be counted, safe in the knowledge that for all their brilliant form, Chelsea can and will be beaten through the course of the season, with Sunday presenting a perfect opportunity.

A day that will go a long way in determining just who will have the last laugh...

Official Arrival of the Arsenal Injury Crisis?

Asser Ghozlan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:16:45 -0500

One of the many discussions I have with fellow rival fans, particularly the Liverpool supporters, who always convince themselves that they ARE more than just Gerrard and Torres, is an argument regarding the true impact of injury to various key personnel in the team, and whether this has a telling effect on the team's final standings at the end of the campaign. Speaking of the Liverpool supporters' conviction that they would be in a much healthier position had they had all their star players team fit and available, I find myself swaggeringly downplaying that premise, arguing that a good team and a great club like Liverpool should have the squad depth to cope with absences, and compete at the highest level.

And, sure enough, as I had just absorbed an enthralling World Cup qualifier full of passion and last-minute drama, I heard the news.

The news that will sure have made Gooners' hearts sink to their balls (and elsewhere if you haven't got any). For the first opportunity of a useless international friendly and, with the loss of our talismanic striker to a damaging ankle injury, I was given a sharp reminder of what the Liverpool fans meant by not losing any of your best players. Your very best players.

At the time of writing, all we know of van Persie's injury is that it is enough to have him sidelined for a minimal two months, although the Daily Mail in their infinitely trademark wisdom had initially decided to put out an "out for the season" headline, as if his foot had practically come off! Two months. A potential ten goals and five assists from a man enjoying the form of his life, and climbing his way to becoming one of the world's very best.

With that, it would be natural to think that we are well and truly done for the season's title aspirations, with a grueling Christmas and New Year fixture list to come, including the titanic clash against Chelsea .

This is where we are different from Liverpool , and dare I say it, Chelsea and Manchester United . For Liverpool 's answer to a Torres injury is inauspiciously ineffective in the static Voronin and the immature Ngog, this is where we must demonstrate our quality and strength-in-depth.

And, without the need to reel off a list of possible alternatives to cover for van Persie in the centre forward's position until his welcome return; it is fair to say that the man most likely to benefit from the Dutch wizard's absence is none other than the "fox in the box". It is also fair to say that Eduardo has had a mixed season so far. Having started off with a fruitful cameo at Everton , his reputation was then somewhat tarnished (wrongly) by a desperate Celtic and an ineptly bureaucratic UEFA for a simple fall when in on goal. Since then, it has been difficult to pinpoint the No. 9's form, though, one should point to niggles and the lack of starting opportunities.

However, there is no doubting the man's class and finishing ability, both of which were on display in the Molineux mauling, although Wolves' Jody Craddock irksomely decided to get in the way of his sumptuous lob for our second.

All of which should set him, and ourselves, up for a perfect opportunity to frustrate the parties who will have no doubt celebrated van Persie's crocking, giving him a straight run of games in the Premier League for the first time since his horrific injury in February last year.

van Persie's injury is gutting, and as I mentioned, was enough to considerably spoil my Saturday night; however, the likes of Eduardo have the ability to step up to the plate and accentuate the strength-in-depth that Wenger had built up over the last few years. And now is the time to show it, and save our Premier League dream.

And, as we pray and hope that we avoid a blip associated with this piece of sorry news, one must feel sorry for the man himself. Having rid himself of his petty injury curse, van Persie was finally looking the part, on course to top the goal scoring and assists charts, mirroring his legendary predecessor, Henry, not to mention his endless contribution to the team's link-up play and developing his upper body strength to effectively hold up the ball against stubborn defenses.

The key to success is noting that whilst van Persie's absence will undoubtedly hurt the team, it will not, or at least should not jeopardize us. A clear example of how this is a team sport, and how we can withstand the pressures of competing at the highest level, bearing in mind our long unbeaten run during Fabregas' four-month lay-off last season.

The time is right to give a practical demonstration of our depth and total football, where Eduardo can slot in for van Persie, Diaby for Song, Rosicky for Arshavin, etc. etc. And as van Persie starts his journey back to fitness, the time is right to strengthen the belief that our depth in quality will prevail, whilst at the same time putting Wenger's transfer policy under the microscope. And in that respect, the time is right to right many such wrongs, and give the doubters the perfect response for the impending injury crisis.

A response that simply reads... what crisis?

Arsenal's Derby Success: We Shut 'em Up (for Now)!

Asser Ghozlan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:27:33 -0500

Another weekend and another derby, only this time it was THE derby. What a difference a week makes, and, after coming out feeling blue from letting victory slip away against West Ham last Sunday, there was an air of inevitability that we would not let it happen this time.

Not after claims and counter-claims, and, frankly, too much gob from all sorts of Spurs-related personnel.

With someone of good ole Harry Redknapp's experience and know-how, you would've thought he'd put up a more professional media display ahead of his side's biggest test of the season, having failed to produce against Manchester United and Chelsea already this term. But no!

Instead, we had a rampaging Redknapp, clearly irked by something regarding Arsène Wenger and Arsenal apart from the usual local bragging stakes that led to his one-week onslaught ripping into us, without a moment's thought that defeat is a real possibility. A possibility that may well come back to haunt him!

And it did!

For by the time the Cockney wheeler 'n' dealer composed himself and absorbed the shock of van Persie's quick nip into the six-yard box to make it 1-0, he had to helplessly sit through and watch Fabregas burgle the ball off Wilson Palacios, straight from their kickoff, before the Club captain dribbled past a weary-legged Tottenham defence and finished brilliantly to Heurelho Gomes' right to end the game as a contest, and with it, end Spurs' unjustified cockiness for another few months!

It was music to every Gooner's ears as the shell-shocked Spurs boss had to face the cameras not long after seeing his and his players' baseless chat sided away by a strong home display in all departments. Of course, Redknapp was quick to dumb down Arsenal's dominance and craftiness in creating the three goals, and, although right in berating his own team's defensive display, to claim that Tottenham merely gifted Arsenal the victory was crazy to say the very least!

Speaking of the Captain, what a game the diminutive Spanish maestro has had once again. Man of the Match in my eyes and many others, Fabregas continues to show just how passionate he is for the Club. Through his actions on the pitch, as well as the countless times he has brushed aside ridiculously unsettling speculation, he led by example and contributed massively to the inspired win. I've noticed how easy it is to criticise his leadership credentials every time results don't quite go our way; but Fabregas is a different type of leader. Intuitive runs, incisive passing, and instinctive finishing summed him up in those ninety minutes, and countless times already this season, making him an early contender for Footballer of the Year.

But it was not just about Fabregas. Or van Persie's fantastic finishing for that matter, a man having the form of his life, justifying the manager and the thousands of fans' faith in him becoming one of the world's best strikers once fully fit.

Saturday's win was a complete team performance, something that had been lacking in the matches against West Ham and AZ Alkmaar. From the goalkeeper (who by the way should be Almunia for the time-being) straight through to van Persie as the main target man, the team seemed a tough, gelled unit; fluid when it can be, and, most importantly, solid and compact when they needed to be.

Which begs the question of where was that spirit at Upton Park last weekend? Without dwelling on what now seems a distant past, what with two impressive victories in the space of three days, not forgetting the 2-1 Carling Cup over Liverpool, we exorcised the ghost of the West Ham comeback in the north London derby, the best of times to do so!

As the second half kicked off and with the score at 2-0, we couldn't afford to relax, with every right to be apprehensive having had a similar poser in our last league outing. However, it looked as if the players learned as much as they had suffered, and despite Tottenham coming out with their tails up determined to get back into the match, they didn't get a look-in. And, with the perfect combo of defensive solidity and the ability to kill off the opposition, the game truly was over with van Persie's second on the hour mark, allowing us to breathe easily for the rest of the afternoon.

And for us to remain in the mix, this will have to be a trademark of our play, wary of the fact that no Premier League match is over without putting the opposition to the sword, and that concentration for 96 minutes is of paramount importance, a supposed difference between Chelsea and ourselves. Listening to BBC 5 Live following our win, I was suitably vexed when a reporter smugly suggested that a Chelsea match at 2-0 for the Blues was a game as good as over, whereas you were never really sure with Arsenal leading. Annoying and typically pro-Chelsea as it might have been, these were semi-valid points, and today was a definite step on the right path.

A near-perfect victory that has reaffirmed our title intentions has also shown our neighbours from across the Seven Sisters Road the way in terms of how to be an established top-four team through what happens on the pitch and not just with the pre-match hullabaloo.

Just a final point before turning our attention to the home clash with AZ Alkmaar, where it was interesting to read Wenger's pre-derby article, praising Tottenham's progress under Redknapp and backing him as the man to lead Spurs to further successes.

Contrast that to what Redknapp said before and after the match and you see exactly what I mean to the tee... a true difference in class, both on and off the pitch!

Arsenal Pegged Back: Hines Catchup!

Asser Ghozlan — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:23:42 -0400

My Sunday began with another of my mate Khalid's useless, yet alluring stats: In Premier League matches involving Arsenal over the past four seasons, we have always finished matches with more corners than the opposition!

Sure enough, as I embarked upon a Google, Skysports, and Arsenal.com search to confirm such a snippet, I got bored after travelling 20-odd matches back (all in which we were indeed ahead on corners by the way).

Lunch came and went. Liverpool predictably ended their poor form with a dominant display to dispatch Manchester United, and then came our late kick-off at Upton Park. Now, I'll be honest with you, but despite our good winning run and the Hammers' predicament, I was not feeling good about this one all week.

Maybe it was because of the way we so casually surrendered a priceless away win in Europe in midweek, or maybe because it was in the stars, having bumped into, first, Gianfranco Zola at a local shopping centre, before meeting and greeting Matthew Upson outside London Bridge station in the last five days!

Or maybe because our defensive play just cannot be trusted currently. I think I'll take that third option.

And, after a comfortable first half, and the start of a second half in which, a blinding Fabregas effort aside, we were coasting to victory, it's fair to say that this is simply not our style; not when we're away from home against a battling side.

Not when our defence has the combined agility and awareness of a heavily pregnant water buffalo. Not with a team that so immaturely stops playing as soon as they go in front, thinking that the opposition will just cave in and go home.

Unfortunately, this is all that I could see as 2-0 became 2-1, and 2-1 swiftly turned to 2-2 within six beleaguering minutes. True, the source of West Ham's equaliser might not have been a penalty.

However, it is the way that we so meekly and languidly allowed West Ham back into the game, inspired by Carlton Cole and super-subs Diamanti and Hines, that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth; something that I had warned against after Everton's consolation in the day one drubbing incidentally!

Scoring freely is one thing, and putting in a disciplined, assured innings in the rearguard if things aren't quite going our way in the final third, is totally another.

And, with all the praise in the world that the William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen partnership has received, it is about time the pair forget about their fight for finishing as the club top scorer and concentrate on shutting out opposition strikers, bearing in mind that two clean sheets out of nine is hardly Championship-winning form!

The same can be said of our marauding, forward-thinking fullbacks, particularly Gaël Clichy, the only player remaining from our heady "Invincibles" campaign, than a keen, sprightly teenager.

With all their attacking commitments and good link-up play with the forwards, many mistakes have surfaced over the past few weeks, with Clichy and Vermaelen practically shielding Cole as he swivelled and shot at goal (minutes before he pounced) a personal highlight! Which brings us onto the goalkeeping issue.

Now I'm not one for scrutinising a novice but, having genuinely thought that he is the man for the No. 1 spot at Arsenal on the back of our sole away clean-sheet at Fulham, Vito Mannone has since performed a high-profile cock-up per match, each culminating in the concession of a telling goal.

And, having seen him perform the ultimate wind-up of palming a catchable free kick right back into the centre of his own six-yard box for Carlton Cole to head into an empty net being just one step too far, it is definitely time for the rookie goalkeeper to step aside, for now anyway.

Now, I don't know if the defensive players at our disposal are actually good enough to carry the fight; their names and status and the faith that Wenger has put in them certainly seems to suggest so, and we are stuck with what we've got till January anyway.

But once again, I warn against our complacency and lack of defensive discipline derailing a perfectly credible challenge for honours, where this time, we are starting to see that we will not simply put six past every team for us to stop worrying about leaking goals for fun.

We have celebrated many times already this season. A good start with a record number of goals in the opening eight Premier League matches, the return to fitness from serious injuries for many key personnel, Wenger's record-breaking reign, Le Boss' big 6-0 etc. etc.!

But the time for the feel-good vibes has to come to an end, and fast, with a sole focus on hard grafting and celebrating when there is something to truly celebrate.

And with that, it is high time that we stop taking our foot off the gas and cut out embarking on some amateurish defending to let what are frankly sub-standard sides back into matches that should have been in the bag!

So, a game that looked to have promised much and put us within touching distance from the top (which we still are to be fair) ended up exposing so many jaw-dropping frailties! Frailties that have to be addressed and wiped out instantly, with a north-London derby looming and many painful memories from last season arising.

But as we leave Upton Park and indeed prepare for our dear neighbours' visit, look on the bright side, at least we have firmly kept our corner-count winning run going.

Arsene Wenger: A 13-Gun Salute!

Asser Ghozlan — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:31:44 -0400

Alright, so I might have previously been a little harsh on him.

But yesterday, as he walked out of Arsenal's training ground for the 4,750th time (that's if you include summer holidays and international breaks, which, let's face it, no one would put past him), thus ensuring he has spent more days at the helm of Arsenal Football Club than any other boss, it is fair to say that all the recent mistakes (and a shed load of bad luck along the way) must be put behind to one side, saluting a true genius of the game. A true ambassador for the game.

A man who has truly changed the face of the sport as a whole, and who has changed the face of Arsenal to the world.

I say all this without even taking a moment to highlight his footballing achievements. The Doubles he has won, or going 49 league matches without defeat. Cups, unearthing legends out of nowhere, and reaching the European Cup Final on a shoestring.

For Arsène Wenger's legacy in Arsenal, English, and world football will go way beyond what he has won and what he will still surely win. A man true to his principles, and having arrived from Japan as an absolute unknown back in September 1996 (Arsène Who? and all that), not many will have envisaged that he would still be here today.

Well, I certainly didn't, not that I had any fully-fledged foresight as a mere ten year-old!

With just three years a long time in football management nowadays, it is incredible to think that Le Boss has led us for 13, with at least two more years to come!

Indeed, with the rife speculation that Wenger may pack up and head to pastures new once 2008/09 drew to a crushingly disappointing close (namely, Florentino Perez's "galacticos" era take 2), it seemed that we were headed to the end of an era. A largely glorious era coming to an inauspicious end.

But that's not the way Wenger wants it, and neither it is us. Indeed, a lot has changed since the elegantly-dressed, bespectacled 46-year-old Electric Engineering graduate with a Masters in Economics from Strasbourg (speaking six languages) took to the bench at Blackburn Rovers on 30th September, 1996, an orthodox 2-0 win.

With filthy rich clubs circling all around us, refereeing incompetence and the vultures of the media to boot today, Wenger's quiet demeanour and suave elegance has turned into one of a passionate combat fighter, full of animation, ready to outgun the doubters.

With trophies raining in on Highbury, and in some style, Le Boss was a pioneer (along with a certain Bobby Robson) in changing the style of play in English football, leading the way in demolishing the cynical "push-and-run" type of football and the 3-5-2 tactics that have for so long been the principles of English football.

Speaking of Highbury, and we can discuss at length another of Wenger's "miracles" as put so many times by David Dein. Seeing the need for globalisation and progression to becoming one of European football most glamorous names, the manager quickly pinpointed the vitality of a new, state-of-the-art, luxury training ground.

Pitches to all lengths and sizes (down to the grass blades), changing rooms, restaurants, you name it, there was one force behind it. Not content with a small capacity crowd and limited matchday revenue, he then oversaw our move to the Emirates Stadium. "Cashburden" it may seem now, but Wenger was thinking big, and it might all just start to click!

And, with every time you hear of his influence regarding the transition to a truly world-class outfit with world-class facilities from ex-players and staff alike, you learn that he was involved with it all, "from the training pitch to the teacups"!

Shrewd in the transfer market, and steadfastly committed to a free-flowing, exhilarating brand of football based on pace, power and athleticism, Wenger has revolutionised the perceptions of how English football should be played, unearthing gems along the way who would become some of the world's best.

From Vieira and Henry to Fabregas and van Persie, read an endless list of stars bought and nurtured for relative pennies, whilst others spent hundreds of millions with the net result of similar (or only just slightly better) recent successes!

I can go on all day long, after all the Away Boyz "We love you Arsène Wenger" single can succinctly sum up all I want to say! But everyone who knows anything football knows the true impact of Arsène Wenger on Arsenal and football in general.

Alright, we might be frustrated at times with the lack of silver in the club's new Emirates cabinet, citing some tactical mishaps, and more importantly, a lack of perceived necessary expenditure on tough-tackling, experienced players. However, the fact of the matter is, there is no one in the game with the class, knowledge and intelligence of one Arsène Wenger.

Everyone has their opinion and everyone sees things differently, but to me, and many, no one has quite changed the face of the game on so many levels than Arsène Wenger.

Sir Alex Ferguson has won ample trophies in his time, a true legend in the game. But Ferguson was not a changer. He might be second to none in the winning business, but if you want to talk diet, creatine supplements, revolutionary training methods, and the development of stars on a sixpence, and in fact, an asteroid named after him (that is a fact), then you will surely only find one name.

And, with the stable structure and with the team growing in maturity day after day, it is hard to bet against a new glorious era full of trophies for the Wenger boys.

A man who, before congratulating for his remarkable record as Arsenal's longest-serving manager, I congratulate you and me, and every living Arsenal supporter, for being blessed with one Arsène Wenger.

A man whose past includes the club's most glorious moments, and who has so intrinsically become an immovable part of Arsenal's future, it's hard to imagine Arsenal without Arsène.

Trust me, it's in the name...

Yet Another Defeat for Arsenal: Two Blows To The Head

Asser Ghozlan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:11:59 -0400

Using my proud Arab heritage, more specifically, Egyptian, I fished out this apt saying, which, in looking at it, conveys a lot of meaning in determining one's future after past misfortune:"two blows to the head hurt."

While many of you might look at the literal meaning behind the saying without really gauging the wisdom behind it, there is a real significance in using the number two. Why not just the one blow? One blow to the head is painful, and, while a headache might ensue, it is not enough to knock one for six. Sure it will lead to a lot of blurriness and disillusion, but one can stand tall again. Not after two blows. Already weakened and blurred, this repeated hard hit could vanquish anyone.

The same could be said of Arsenal's ever-faithful support, if not Arsenal Football Club itself.

Having recovered from a defeat that should never have been, largely thanks to the obligatory Old Trafford penalty, the highlight amongst many other samples of refereeing incompetence, we entered the international break full of confidence in our squad. Not worried one jot that the injustice dished out to us at Manchester United would derail our campaign or make us destined for underachievement under the wings of our rivals yet again. On the contrary, anyone who knew anything football simply knew that we were not the team who should have come out defeated that evening.

Then came Saturday, also in the city of Manchester. I knew, as you all knew, that this would be a key match in many respects. From Adebayor, who behaved disgracefully in everything he did by the way, right up to testing, both; city's and Arsenal's objectives and credentials; the former, backed by their Arab benefactors, in fighting for the title or at least breaking into the top four, and the latter, the beacon of football tradition, in holding onto their top four status and, dare we say it, fighting for the title.

Little did I know that we were about to witness an embarrassing show of amateurish football, flagging up the now old and terribly boring cliché—we have not learned from last season. Or the one before that. Or the one before that. And not even from the one before that!

Here's another of the all-time favourite post-2004 Arsenal clichés—"For all their possession and flair, Arsenal just cannot kill the game off." Oh how true that was on Saturday! Imagine telling any Joe Bloggs who hadn't watched the match at Eastlands, or who just doesn't have a clue about football, that we lost a match 4-2 and deserved to win hands-down. Funny, isn't it?

The reality is we actually controlled the match, but aside from an unlucky goal to concede on Manuel Almunia's behalf in the first half (who incidentally I am starting to believe just cannot cope with any top match), there was nothing unlucky about our miserable thrashing at the hands of the team most likely to usurp us in the Champions League positions.

I have to say this did not look the case following van Persie's marvellous opener to make it 1-1 just past the hour mark. But the rest was just a disaster. Purposeless, aimless, with a blind desire to win but without any structure, and forgetting that the other team is actually allowed to attack from time to time, I woke up to a stark reality, as I am sure you all have. We just cannot do any better, no matter how much Wenger tries to convince us, this team is simply not good enough without the investment that he so stubbornly and arrogantly refused, turning this into a long hard season, the season of his realisation of the dream as he had promised incidentally.

When we are winning things do look pretty rosy I must admit. We have two of the best playmakers in the world, a centre back pairing that is looking the part, and a striker who will surely develop into one of the world's deadliest in the next two years. However, looking at the team sheet after a defeat of such magnitude brings to light many cracks, with the frank reality that at least four or five of those individuals on show at Eastlands (with a few more left behind for good measure) are just not of Arsenal quality, no matter how hard they tried, and no matter how hard Wenger tried to spin it.

Now it's back to the drawing board, undoing all of August's good work. Having successfully negotiated our first week or so of the season, you realise that hindsight is a wonderful thing. We delivered Everton a right thrashing, six of the best, capitalising fully on a club in relative disarray due to injuries and transfer sagas and what have you, and scoring with every shot on that opening day, before meeting what is, frankly, a poor Portsmouth side and that's being kind (no offence Gazza and Omar). A perfect backdrop for a false dawn, for the next two matches in Manchester highlighted all our failures and reasons why we will not win the title. Not now, and not any time soon with Wenger's failing policy and fielding of average squad players.

All we can do now is simply support and hope, killing in our minds any expectations of becoming a winning team once again, just backing the team from week to week. Seeing where we will end up, praying in our heart of hearts that we are just about good enough to hold onto 4th from City's grasps. This is the time where, for the first time, I have to admit a revision of our expectations and knowing exactly where we stand are due.

But first we've got to clear our groggy heads and stand back up on our very unsteady feet. We must recover from that second blow to the head that really hurt, a fact, and a saying, not at all lost on the Al-Nahyan family and Khaldoon Al-Mubarak of Manchester City!

Arsenal in the Champions League: How We Might Fare

Asser Ghozlan — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 17:42:33 -0400

It comes a few days late I know; but I'm sure you will excuse my tardiness since we've been pre-occupied with the small matter of a visit to Old Trafford (just about got over the devastation now!)

Having secured another year of Champions League football, I was interested to see who we might draw, having been put in Pot One—that is, as top seeds—for the fifth year running. This is a solid advantage in many ways as the top seeds are usually seen as the strongest sides. However, the threat of drawing the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan from Pot Two, Fiorentina or Atletico Madrid from Pot Three, or even German champions Wolfsburg from Pot Four was always there.

Arsenal drew a group which we can not say is easy; as there are no pushovers in European football nowadays, but less challenging than other potential scenarios. With AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands, Greek giants Olympiacos, and Belgian's Standard Liege joining Arsenal in Group H. This should be a group that gives us comfortable qualification to the second phase, and probably as group winners.

Starting off with AZ Alkmaar, the Dutch champions have rapidly progressed over the past few seasons, culminating in their Eredivisie triumph last May. Of course, Louis van Gaal has moved on to pastures new since, but the team is now under the stewardship of Ronald Koeman, they probably represent the strongest challenge in the group.

Not least because of their 18,000-capacity DSB stadium, an intimidating cauldron of a stadium where they downed the likes of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven domestically last season. It is also a stadium that Arsenal visited in a friendly for its opening back in 2006. With a young, technically gifted squad, including new signing Rasmus Elm, recently linked to Everton and Manchester City, they should give us a good game, particularly on their own patch.

And so should Olympiacos, a team with the know-how of regular Champions League football, an advantage they have over their Dutch counterparts, and that may make them more challenging. It is well known that Greek teams, whilst not travelling well, are an altogether different proposition at home. This is exactly what we will get from Olympiacos, a team that has defeated the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea at their Karaiskakis Stadium in the last three years.

Standard Liege are seen as the minnows of Group H, and probably rightly so. However, they have also featured in the Champions League fairly regularly, and have several talented players in midfield, most notably Steven Defour.

With that in mind, we should be fairly confident, though cautious and focused on doing the job and doing it well. This is without forgetting that the three teams are all champions of their respective league championships for 2009, something that we have not managed (albeit in a much stronger league). This fact was not lost on CEO Ivan Gazidis!

So, not a nightmare group by any stretch of the imagination, avoiding the Reals and Inter Milans of this world, for now. With our Emirates form we should expect three victories, and bearing the magical 10 points to qualify in mind, it is difficult to imagine that we won't be able to pick up that one point in our three trips, if not many more.

Arsenal Defeated: Robbed!

Asser Ghozlan — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:03:29 -0400

To be honest, I do not know if I have much else to say as I reflect on Saturday's match.

But for the sake of getting things off my chest, I will soldier on with this piece, sure in the knowledge that, yes, we lost the battle, and yes, we lost in the most undeserved of manners.

But the war is far from won yet, and we must all take heart from what was a terrific performance.

A performance blown to smithereens by a set of officials doing their utmost to usher the home side on to victory, a regular Old Trafford speciality as put by the crestfallen but surely proud Wenger post-match, as well as two moments of naivete from our part, despite controlling proceedings and never really looking under real pressure.

And no it was not a penalty, although the thought of "what goes around comes around" flashed across my mind as Wayne Rooney stepped up from his dramatic plunge to draw the match level. But then again, most of you will probably agree with my opinion and assessment of causation.

Looking at our own performance, as opposed to Rooney's (who incidentally would never get charged for diving), the defence was brilliant.

First to every cross, and first to every tackle, the United forward line was kept silent for most of the match, right up to the dying moments when, inevitably, there were gaps left behind as we tried to save the match.

I mentioned in the match preview that this game was Song's biggest test yet, and he passed it with flying colours. Determined, strong in the tackle, he bossed the midfield along with Denilson and, painfully, Abou Diaby, Whom I shall come onto later.

However, we can marvel all we like about our solidity in defence, and bemoan our luck and suspect officiating, but we cannot deny that individual mistakes ultimately cost us the match.

With the defence bamboozled by a long ball over the top, and Manuel Almunia unnecessarily coming out of his goal, this was the perfect backdrop to award United the penalty.

And when our experienced keeper looks back on this moment of stupidity, he will quickly realise that his coming out was the sort of mistake I'd have expected Fabianski to make!

As if that was not enough, we then cringingly watched Diaby head the ball expertly into Almunia's net, without one bit of pressure whatsoever.

No pressure except perhaps his obsessive urge to score in every match, ignoring his defence purpose. As it happened, this was the winner for United, and we never recovered.

Not in terms of the result perhaps, but what gives me confidence that this season will be different from seasons gone by is the strength and quality of our play in trying to come back after such two hammer blows.

Not least Diaby himself, who, in his shame, led a few attacks, sadly without the luck afforded to the home side.

So, it was ultimate heartbreak in the end, with no luck, but then again, we did not exactly expect to get any at Old Trafford.

I stated last time out the need for a result to prove that we can fight with the best. But I was wrong. Regardless of the result, we should all be proud of such a performance at the Theatre of Dreams, topped only by Mike Dean...

Renewing Rivalries?: A Manchester United vs Arsenal Preview

Asser Ghozlan — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:36:00 -0400

Arsène Wenger said it and now I am posing the same sort of question: is it right for Alex Ferguson and Manchester United to start taking us seriously ahead of Saturday's evening showdown?

I mean, it has only been three or four matches, and, yes, the first signs look like we will be challenging, but, then again, how many times have we said that at different stages during the past four campaigns? With the first blockbuster of the season looming on the horizon, a true acid test awaits the Wenger boys.

Without running the risk of sounding a bit too wishy-washy, and thus incur the wrath of the masses by claiming that nothing can please me, I'll answer my question fairly simply and dogmatically. It all comes down to one magic word.

Complacency.

Yes, complacency. I saw glimpses of it right from day one. And I saw it again against Celtic on Wednesday night.

As pedantic and churlish as that may sound, but what we cannot deny is, the passages of play in midfield and in defence in the dying moments of the aforementioned matches with Everton and then Celtic at the Emirates cannot be repeated if United are to take us seriously on Saturday evening, as that could spell disaster at Old Trafford.

I know what you are thinking. We were comfortably in front with a barrage of goals to boot, several substitutions made, and with the opposition playing for pride. Credible statements.

But the fact remains that we are still conceding goals at a similar rate to what we have done last season, and the fact also remains that the players need to start playing right upto the final whistle. Not the 85th minute!

Especially considering that we can expect true hospitality from United and not least, the officials on Saturday, with a customary helping of "Fergie time" come the 90th minute!

Without dwelling too much on, what are essentially superfluous issues, it is important to preview how the game might pan out on the night.

Our play and technique might have been impressive during the first fortnight of the season, something we did not manage at the outset of the last campaign; however, a meeting with Manchester United has its own calculations, and all the good work from the previous few matches can only be built upon, and not overlooked, if we are to get a result on Saturday. If you get my drift!

What I mean is that all of the good work can be easily undone if we do not approach the match against the Champions just like any other match, with the sort of play that has underpinned our impressive start thus far.

None of us need reminding about May, where we entered the FA Cup and Champions League semi finals against Chelsea and the Red Devils in good spirit and on the back of great form. What did we show in the actual matches where such good play mattered? Absolutely bugger all.

Bedazzled by our rivals' sheer power and achievements over the past few years, and riddled with an absolute inferiority complex, our biggest players were found wanting. Not to mention the infamously bizarre tactical assignments and costly individual errors at all levels.

As we all know, the team hasn't actually changed all that much personnel-wise as we head north for yet another "stand up and be counted" clash, and so early in the day. And so, our players have it all to do in the rebirth of a renewed Arsenal. An Arsenal that will indeed stand up and be counted against the very best, and not just the so-called lesser teams.

The victors at Old Trafford will not be made "favourites" for anything, nor should they be. After all, the league season is a 38-week marathon, and it is against those lesser teams that had United efficiently sew up Championship after Championship over the past few years (indeed, their recent record against other members of the "Big Four" leaves some to be desired).

But a result for Arsenal would mean much more than early-season indications over who can win what. It would be an indication that we are back in contention, and that we can fight toe-to-toe with the very best when it truly counts.

Delivering an early blow to our chief archenemy as far as the Premiership is concerned, whilst also capitalising on Liverpool's early season shenanigans, would be most welcome!

While I have stated that this is virtually the same Arsenal side demolished so ruthlessly over two legs by United three months ago, we can argue that Ferguson's men are much changed by virtue of the loss of Europe's chief tormentor.

Ronaldo is a great loss, as his statistical goals and assists contributions of twenty-plus points over each of the last two seasons suggests, not to mention their Champions League success.

Don't get me wrong, it is a loss gratefully accepted by ourselves as well as anyone who would care to consider themselves United's rivals (and City), despite its overall detrimental effect on the quality of the Premier League.

But just as it has weakened the Champions in one way, it has also strengthened them, giving their players the licence to roam, relying on the sort of all-round game that we know and love, as opposed to a direct passing game, based on one talisman.

And with the plethora of talents of Rooney, Owen, Berbatov, Nani, and the like, the harmony between our defence and midfield will be vital, with the Gallas-Vermaelen partnership in for their stiffest test yet. It will also be a big one for Alex Song; his chance to show us and the whole world just how good a defensive midfielder he really has become.

Going back to my original point—the need to remain 100 percent focused and 100 percent committed for 100 percent of the time. We might have been able to afford some relaxation at 3-0 and 6-0 up, but this is a new ball game altogether.

A renewal of the classic duels that defined a decade of Premiership football, where, if we will be in a position to hold onto anything at the Theatre of Dreams, a moment's complacency will be much, much more costly.

The sort of spirit the likes of our opponents at the weekend are so renowned for will be needed, without a moment's switching off. That, coupled with showing the world that we play football wherever we go and whoever we play, will be the sole ingredients required if we are to get anything from Manchester United on their own backyard.

Unless we're only after a couple of their prawn sandwiches, that is. Or a few pizzas maybe?

Arsenal's Start: Men On a Mission

Asser Ghozlan — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:23:06 -0400

Well, the "most crucial week of the season" has come to an end, and it is fair to say we have come out of it with flying colours. Two performances (and results) which I admit have shocked me into submission, and I'm sure you feel the same.

Where did that confidence come from? How can a squad of players pretty much unchanged from last season turn into such men on a mission? How can our players withstand Everton and Celtic's physical bullying, only to give some back?

God only knows exactly what Arsène Wenger might have given those supposed shrinking violets during pre-season, but if it is anything like the creatine supplements that Le Boss himself had introduced to English football in the 1990s, then each and every member of the squad should keep his bloody trap shut (at least there's no David Seaman to play Chinese whispers in the England camp this time round)!

On a serious note though (and I am being serious), apart from the physicality and the manner in which we disposed of fifth-placed Everton so ruthlessly, and silenced a raucous Celtic so efficiently (although the means were lucky as the manager himself put it), what impressed me most was how many suspect individuals from the previous campaign are actually beginning to look like footballers. Not just any old footballers, but top-class, winning footballers. Arsenal footballers. Players who looked to have reached the age where, they simply did not belong here, and who Wenger had kept on simply due to his obstinate aura.

Well, it seems that Wenger did know what the likes of Denilson, Song and Bendtner had up their sleeves after all, and that their coming of age this season, would give us some much needed strength-in-depth. But then again, this is why Wenger is the manager and I am just a humble, although fanatic, blogger I suppose!

The way in which Alex Song covered his back four so brilliantly over the last two away matches, allowing Cesc and Denilson the licence to join in the attacks has been a real breath of fresh air, particularly at Celtic Park, where the Scots' prized asset, Shaun Maloney, hardly got a sniff, stifled by Song's imperious presence and fearless tackling. Despite Song showing signs of improvement throughout last season, we might have just seen the transition of him at Goodison and Parkhead. His transition into a truly world-class defensive midfielder, even surpassing his famed uncle.

Denilson's contribution to proceedings has publicly come into question frequently over the last year, not least by yours truly. It is also public knowledge that Denilson stepped out onto the pitch for Arsenal the most number of times, covering the most grass during the last campaign, and yet, his performances had left a lot to be desired.

Not so far this season, mind, so much so that my friend Paul had confused him for Cesc several times over the last two games, a compliment if our Brazilian maestro ever needed one, finally doing himself justice and actually playing like a Brazilian indeed!

Now the Captain's quality has never been doubted. However, there were times last season, where we all have to admit, in which Cesc just looked tired and indifferent, for example, standing still with play taking place a few feet away, and looking slightly alienated in an attack. True, he had a nasty injury, the first in his still amazingly fledgling career, as well as the heavy weight on his shoulders of being appointed skipper, not to mention Wenger's retrospectively bizarre second striker assignment.

And true, it is intensely difficult for your star players to shine when everyone else is just not upto it. But, with all that in the past, the Captain has come back a new man this season, running the midfield stupendously in our first two matches. Running, passing, creativity, and scoring, Cesc has already reached half of his total from last season in terms of goals scored and assists provided respectively, reminding us why he is arguably the best creative outlet in the Premier League, as well as why some elsewhere remain to have this obsessively futile crush on him.

But the less we talk about that the better, especially that the Spanish media, fuelled by Barca's arrogance will have been truly silenced following his appearance in Europe on Tuesday night, not forgetting the fact that we are pretty much in the group stages. We think!

A special mention must go to the defence, particularly the two centre backs. Again, as with Cesc, Gallas' strength and quality are known worldwide, however, it is fair to admit that he had been more of a disruptive, destructive influence, than he was ever an influence for his football.

However, with new signing Vermaelen alongside him, we might have just witnessed the birth of a new pairing to rival that of a Terry and Carvalho or a Ferdinand and Vidic, precisely the sort of pairing we have so desperately lacked since Campbell broke off from Touré. It is now clear that our Ivorian legend was never really best mates with Gallas, and so Vermaelen's debut performances in the league and Europe have been a real pleasure to watch. Strong, fearless, confident and passionate, the Belgian already looks good value for the £10 million transfer fee, our only money spent to date.

We can carry on all day about how each and every man has returned offering more than his maximum over the past few years combining to give us the perfect start to a most challenging campaign.

Interestingly, we are now joint favourites for the title, alongside them lot from the Kings' Road. It is very reassuring to see the country's leading "experts" tip Arsenal for a struggle to finish in the top seven merely a day before it all started, with so many guilty newspapers and radio stations to mention here, only for such opinions to be turned right on their heads on Sunday morning, isn't it? Fantastic fickleness!

However, the way we should see it, and ultimately the way the manager should see it, is that we should be neither considered favourites for the top, nor candidates for slipping out of the top four.

Fortunately, Wenger and his players acknowledge that, however encouraging the start may have been, it is a long hard slog of a season, with awards dished out in May and not after the first week.

What worries me is the second part, where those two magnificent results may indeed have blinded Wenger, or, more realistically, given him the perfect smokescreen not to pursue any of our reported targets, in which case, we run the risk of shooting ourselves in the foot. Again.

We are one or two bodies away from realistically challenging for the Premier League and Europe, players that would give us extra strength and substance, particularly when it comes to the business end of the season. This, along with keeping everyone's feet firmly on the ground, including the fans', must be Wenger's mission!

Arsenal: Buckle Up for the Ride, a Season Preview!

Asser Ghozlan — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:37:42 -0400

So, the Emirates Cup is over and finally, a trophy! Not that I am going to crow much about its mythical prestige, and, judging by Cesc's almost embarrassed look as he lifted the silverware for all to see, I think it is fair to say that the Arsenal lads won't be bragging much about it either.

And, with the nuances of preseason preparations almost upon us, barring the friendly at the Mestalla of course, there is a lot to mull over as we preview the 2009/10 campaign, Wenger's biggest season yet!

It has been an interesting preseason in many ways, punctuated by Wenger's annoyingly characteristic hush in terms of player recruitment, despite his assertions for the need for experienced campaigners following our European mauling at the hands of Manchester United all the way back in May. Remember?

And yet, as we speak, Thomas Vermaelen is the only signing to date, a welcome one it has been unanimously agreed.

Back to the Emirates Cup and what we really would've got out of it aside from the trophy presentation rubbish at its climax, points that Wenger certainly must act upon. For me, this tournament breezed by as a microcosm of 2008/09.

In short, brilliant with possession and flair overall (although toothless against Atletico Madrid at times), with the same old struggles defensively. Alright, not all of the same old struggles, but certainly enough misdemeanours to derail an otherwise fairly credible title challenge.

But that's boring now as it has been covered to death, and we can safely assume that we have definitely not seen the end of Wenger's chequebook this summer.

Focusing on what we do have, and size-wise, the squad is shaping up pretty nicely ahead of what is the toughest start for any of the "Big Four" (oh and City). The return to fitness of Rosicky and Eduardo, not to mention Gallas, who's absence was costly at the denouement of last season, I feel, has given us a real fillip, as we will have to utilise every ounce of experience and strength going into the season, starting off with the tricky trip to Goodison Park and a potentially hair-raising European qualifier.

Just looking at the first team squad list, without even analysing any of the preseason friendlies is enough to reassure us that we are sorted numbers-wise, as well as in terms of talent, with the likes of Wilshere and the under-praised Merida epitomising the boundless ability that runs right through to the teenagers (although, without re-mentioning any names, some suspect ones do still exist).

We are also covered when it comes to experience, with several players having been around for several failures of all kinds dating back to the heartache of Paris 2006, and so, we cannot use that as an excuse this time around!

Depth, talent and experience- all check. Which leaves physical and mental strength, attributes that shall be tested right from the season kickoff, pending the arrival of that defensive midfielder too of course!

Pre-season (and the squad list) have also to many extents justified the sales of the African duo, for, not only have we managed to rip off Manchester Cityin earning £40 million plus, but we have also guaranteed minimising the disruption from their ventures out to Africa in January and February, a fact not missed by Wenger, especially in light of Kolo's post-African Cup of Nations 2008 form.

Crucially, Wenger had intimated several times, both, on and off the pitch, the need for tactical and technical flexibility if we are to gain any reward during 2009-2010. With the 4-3-3 formation being fed into our preseason preparations along with the "standard" 4-4-2, it is clear that Wenger has a devised "Plan B" right from the start, which makes a decent change from previous years, where we'd scramble for alternatives during Easter when it had evidently become too late to save our season.

With the two formations being used interchangeably right from the start, the possibilities are endless, both, in terms of squad rotation, and when it comes to mobility and penetration, with several players suited to being in a midfield four or front three, including the likes of Arshavin, Walcott, Rosicky, and Eduardo.

And so, in many ways, it will be interesting to see how we fare against top opposition away from home right from the off, with a daunting trip to Manchester (United) soon after the Everton assignment. And a game at City, if you must.

It will also be fascinating to see how certain individuals perform. With the likes of Djourou, Gibbs, Denilson, Bendtner and Vela a year older, and hopefully wiser, it is fair to say that this season is make or break for many of them.

As it is for one Robin van Persie, who, despite his already undoubted class, will be looking to show us his best form following on from last season's return to full fitness, and hopefully surpass his twenty-goal haul as the Club's leading striker.

With the aforementioned tactical flexibility and the squad in fairly rude health, we can also look forward to Fabregas weaving his magic in his favoured position in the midfield, with his passing range and ability second to none in the Premier League (well, soon to be anyway with Xabi Alonso's imminent departure to the Bernabeu).

And with the magical Arshavin about to embark on his first full season at Arsenal, the artillery is certainly shaping up nicely.

With all such points in mind, it is not unreasonable to head into the new season feeling fairly dandy about our prospects, albeit with calm and caution, especially in light of the still glaringly desperate need for those defensive reinforcements, be it in defence, or more pressingly, in midfield.

A strong start will be absolutely imperative to fortify that resonating belief, not least amongst the players themselves, something we disastrously couldn't manage last time out.

At the time of writing, it has been reported that Marouane Chamakh is in London, angling for a move, and, although powerful and highly talented, his signing will surely not be the be all and end all of our summer transfer business.

With Wenger also "mulling" over the return of the legend than is PV4 (only he would not be four anymore with a certain Spaniard claiming the shirt), some even speculating in a player-coach capacity, and with other names being consistently mentioned, it may be that Le Boss has finally heeded the warning.

It may be that we are such a signing away from being the powerful, title-winning, European-challenging side that we so crave and deserve to be after years of "ifs", "buts" and "nearly theres".

And who knows, we might yet get to see Cesc's look of embarrassment turn to that of absolute glee and relief as he holds aloft something bigger and better come May.

Arsene Wenger: The Promise

Asser Ghozlan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:56:05 -0400

"If we buy players, it will certainly not be players who lack experience, we have enough of those..."

The words of Arsène Wenger following our Champions League exit at the hands of Manchester United back in May. Not only that, in the article from which I lifted this quote on Arsenal.com, the article states that Wenger "vows" to strengthen the team in "key areas".

Hello again. Though it seems like only yesterday when I pointed out the need for a takeover for us to have any say in anything major in English football, it also seems like an age ago, where, with my stress of endless exams and deadlines, and the somewhat convenience of a relatively quiet summer of football; certainly as far as Arsenal are concerned, I have now come back to share one or two bones of contention regarding Ithings Arsenal.

How apt it is then to begin with the aforementioned snippet straight from the horse's mouth, with Wenger himself having acknowledged the need for strength and experience if we are to progress.

However, rather alarmingly, and with Wenger having previously pointed that he had wanted to tie up his transfer dealings prior to the team's pre-season tour of Austria and Hungary, the experience and strength that Wenger had suggested he had finally recognised we were lacking, two qualities Gooners have been gagging for, have not arrived.

In fact, they do not look like they are arriving any time soon, with Wenger "not in a hurry to buy" and having a "great belief in our squad"!

It has taken Le Boss two months and two pre-season friendlies (where we all know at least half of the players involved won't play much of a part next season) for him to seemingly go back full circle and declare his contentment at the talent at his disposal.

Now whilst I wholeheartedly believe that we do indeed have a squad full of quality, and whilst Wenger has moved to bring in Thomas Vermaelen, seemingly addressing one major weakness in the team, it is fair to assume that everyone agrees with me when I say that we are, despite the talent and technique, a defensive midfielder short of winning the title or Champions League. A strong, toweringl, holding midfielder, of the highest calibre.

It all looked set to happen with Wenger's apparent pursuit of the then Fiorentina hardman, Felipe Melo.

Admittedly, I had never heard of the guy prior to the Confederations Cup; however, watching his performances and reading up on his rise to stardom in Serie A, I quickly realised that here was potentially another Gilberto Silva, perhaps even with a bit more class and passing ability, with the Arsenal legend himself advising Melo to sign on.

Ultimately, Melo opted to stay in Italy and Juventus helped themselves to a class act.

Now whether our failure to land him was due to Melo's preference for the Italian job, or because Wenger did not want to let go of his prodigal son (that's Eboué to you and me) we shall never know, but you sense that Wenger was indeed ready to chase that elusive midfield player.

It remains to be seen whether he intends to carry on the chase, and such intentions will surely unfold in the next few weeks, but as it stands, I won't be holding my breath!

For it seems that we are now after a striker. Yes, another goalscorer. Following on from perhaps one of Wenger's best moves ever in the transfer market in getting rid of one of the laziest, greediest and most ungrateful men I have ever seen in an Arsenal shirt (and ripping Manchester City off in the process), all the talk surrounding the Club has been with regards to signing a replacement for the enigmatically foolish (and terminally offside) Adebayor, with rumours regarding a new defensive midfielder slowly subsiding into non-existence.

Once again, and although the manager himself has intimated that we do indeed possess the necessary firepower, it seems that Wenger's love for attacking football is forever getting the better of him, as the names keep getting bandied around.

Now, whilst I initially agreed with the view that the £25 million gratefully accepted for Adebayor's departure should be spent on a striker and defensive midfielder (as we do not seem to have any other cash available), on reflection, I realised that we have an embarrassment of riches in attack, so much so that, with van Persie seemingly a given for a starting role, we can even deploy Arshavin in the "hole", not forgetting Eduardo, Walcott, Vela, and, painfully, Bendtner, all vying for a starting spot alongside the Dutchman. Which renders our supposed chases for Chamakh, a good but by no means prolific marksman, and Huntelaar, a massively talented goal poacher, rather futile.

Not that I would complain if we got either of them, of course, it is just simply time to address that glaring hole in the midfield.

So the chase goes on. And having mentioned the names of the members of our artillery it is easy to back up my claims that next season will be a fruitful one, but only if we can augment that attack with a strong spine.

Although unproven, Vermaelen comes with many positive reviews, ones which I am unable to comment on as I have not seen him in action. With such a fine line between success and failure, Wenger would be best advised to use every ounce of his energy and experience to lure a truly domineering figure in midfield that would stand up to the rigours of football at the highest level. A player who can be a match to the engines of a United, or a Chelsea, or a Liverpool, all of whom have recognised holding midfielders, and all of whom have finished above us last season.

With at least £25 million in the bank, there will be no excuses should that signing fail to materialise. Unless of course, Le Boss brings in £25 million's worth of 7-foot, 100m sprinting 15-year-old Franco-African prodigies...

The Final Solution at Arsenal

Asser Ghozlan — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:52:14 -0400

So apparently Wenger has been "caught napping," with Manchester City nabbing Gareth Barry from under our noses, for what seems a reasonably-priced £12 million. There is endless talk (all rubbish mind you) of Cesc being flogged off back to his home town, with Real and even Chelsea waiting in the wings.

Highlighting just what a load of tosh that is, Liverpoollooking set to flex their muscles and fight for Valencia's dynamic duo of Davids, Villa and Silva, and of course, there is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, Kaka to you and me (I still don't get how Brazilian names work), off to Perez's new Real revolution for a smart world-record of £50 million plus.

Jealous? I know I bloody am!

Hello again by the way. Since our Champions League abjection, many things have happened, many views that I had wished to air with you, without quite getting the chance.

We had an arguably even more crushing display against our dearest London friends from Russia, and all surely cheered Barcelona to victory against our frequent usurpers at home and abroad (and then jeered, looking on green with envy as Thierry had that big cup over his head—if ONLY he put that one-on-one away against Valdes in Paris, well that's what I was thinking).

Then we were again honorary supporters, that time in the form of Everton on Cup Final day, with the realisation by the end of it that you can't have everything in life can you?

Well, as Gooners, we know that more than most, the fact that our end-of-season trophy hopes have rested on rooting for others against our "enemies" being a case-in-point!

But back to the business of the silly season, and the confirmation that the transfer window is well and truly open with the news that Gareth Barry had gone to City. Not much speculation, no build-up. Simple.

Before leaving for the hospital for an exciting (not) on-call on the wards, I'd read that he was "in talks" with City, thinking, isn't that all what City do, talk the talk and not walk the walk? However, on returning home some six hours later it had happened, my flatmate dropping it on me like the bombshell it was!

It would be interesting to know what many other Gooners far-and-wide think of this today as, at the time of writing, Barry is about to post an open letter of "apology" to the Villa fans, who have certainly made their views clear on their once-hero-turned-villain (pardon the pun)!

Interesting to point out though, Barry's insistence over the last twelve months on joining a Club which graces regular Champions League football and fights for honours. And what does he do—go to a team not even in the Europa League, unlike his old team who made him into the player he is today. Stinks of money-grabbing, insolent, insulting greed, doesn't it?

With one move Barry has villified himself to pretty much all Villa fans and many other true football supporters, myself included. Not that he will care one jot with his double-your-money £100,000 a week package and a £6 million signing-on fee up at City.

Some papers this morning have questioned whether Hughes and his benefactors acted quickly and smartly having known that Barry is one holding player available to many this summer, Arsenal included.

They, in turn, questioned whether Wenger had been caught napping in Barry's pursuit, suggesting that we have been beaten by a knockout blow without even throwing any punches ourselves, a pleasant change indeed for City-supporting Ricky the "Hitman" Hatton, I suppose!

Whatever happened, this is one player we all know we would've dearly loved in our side, and, whilst we didn't sign him will serve further difficulty in strengthening this summer, it will also, damagingly, serve to strengthen City in their pursuit of a top-four place, where we sit least comfortably, as none of us will need reminding of course!

Not that Wenger was probably interested in all the hype surrounding Barry within the media or amongst Arsenal circles, which, if it is the case, and that is indeed probable, then we should not feel hard-done by or outsmarted at all.

Shouldn't we? I asked whether you were jealous at the string of big name speculations flying all over the place at the top earlier, and yes, whilst we do have some world class talent ourselves, it is not near enough, and this has been established over the course of the last one to four seasons of course!

And with the clubs doing big business at the highest level, not least Real Madrid, with the return of Perez seemingly setting the way for another Galacticos era anyway (where does Perez get all his money from by the way?), it is only fair to assume that we have been doing our very own rummaging in the transfer market, with Le Boss hoping to acquire that missing one or two links to gazump us from fourth to first somehow!

Enter Blaise Matuidi, who, until just over a quarter of an hour ago, I did not know what he looked like, nor where he even played. But I can tell you this: I wasn't entirely surprised when I found that he is indeed one of Wenger's all-time favourite types of player.

Now, as he good as he might be, and of course he may well be, and I'm also sure that many Saint Etienne fans will hold him in high regard indeed (not that I know any), this is not quite the "big name" that Gooners will have had in mind with Wenger pointing to experience and class at the end of a another failure of a season.

At 22, and having never played for a decent club—St. Etienne have survived in France's top flight by just a solitary point—I highly doubt that he is the sort of player I can see winning us matchups against Carrick, Mascherano/Alonso, or Essien, and subsequently, trophies, and I'm sure many of you will agree!

Yet again, it seems, Wenger has bought our love and support at the end of a harrowing season, not least for him personally, sweet-talking us into believing his talk of experience and quality additions, and whilst the proper big clubs (along with a few wannabees in City) actually go out and act true to their word, we are getting big-name, big-frame, quality Blaise Matuidi in! Charming!

Wenger might not be backed by his notoriously old-fashioned and obstinate board, and day-by-day that seems to be the case, and indeed, Mr. Arsenal himself has declared that today, with Adams claiming that the board continue to stand Wenger up whilst they puff their cigars in the boardroom (not exactly his words, but to that effect anyway).

But that doesn't absolve Wenger from blame, not at all, not with his promises and not if he knew that Barry would be available for significantly less than what he paid to secure Arshavin's services back in January.

Which brings me onto the title at the top of this page, and I'm sure the not so intellectually gifted amongst us will have sussed what I'm on to by now.

David Dein said it two years ago, and it cost him his job with the Club he loves, the Club whose work he didn't view as a job, but out of passion and loyalty, the Club in which he played a central role into transforming into the giants that we are today.

Now, we can all see what he meant, and how we risk losing our status as a major force in European football should we continue with our mediocre pursuit of glory, and with our scouts being worked overtime, and without even coming up with the necessary goods.

There is only one way it seems for Arsenal to be where we all think we should be, and there is no shame in following the trend set by many, the one that has helped the likes of Chelsea and United achieve so much, and that threatens to help Villa, and more tellingly, City, jump ahead of us. Never has the saying "if you can't beat them, join them" been truer!

And, with a mere 1.5 percent away from owning everything that is Arsenal, I say one thing before the summer is up and it's too late once again, COME IN MR. KROENKE!

Arsenal's 2008-09: Redefining Success

Asser Ghozlan — Sun, 17 May 2009 08:14:43 -0400

It has taken me a little while to take stock of our painfully embarrassing Champions League exit and our humiliating crushing at home to Chelsea, and now, you'll be delighted to know (or not some of you may utter in disgust), that I'm back to offer an objectively stark, yet, somewhat diluted assessment of our season.

Stark in terms of the fact that it is now four years and counting in our never-ending search for some silverware, but diluted in that I am not here to bash the board, Wenger, and every player we have under the sun.

For this has already been a topic exhausted by many throughout the season, not least by yours truly, this is not a backtracking stance. Indeed, I still believe that many of what was said here, on other websites and forums, and most tellingly, in the stands, and indeed, many of what Wenger's hecklers at the annual Q & A session said, was true, and no one can escape the fact that we are just not quite good enough to compete at the very top.

Not just yet anyway, and the manager should of course shoulder a huge chunk of the responsibility.

However, speaking to my dad on the phone after Saturday's spirited 0-0 draw at Old Trafford, home of the eternal champions (or so it seems), he offered me to consider our situation with a bit more perspective. Injuries to key players in different departments all season long, a poor start to the campaign, and United's huge outlay in terms of resources and experience all played their part in placing United where they are and Arsenal where they are.

After an underwhelmingly poor start to the season, and, despite a constant air of negativity and ire surrounding the club, almost an atmosphere of hate, an unheard of concept amongst Gooners, the team managed to put together a run of 20-odd league games to retain our status amongst the "Big Four", also reaching the last four of the FA Cup and Europe's top competition along the way.

If Wenger and his players want kudos for that, then there they have it, congratulations to them on that front.

But it is a flat congratulations, as this is not what we believe we should be aiming for, and whilst Wenger had always stated, and indeed promised, his absolute belief that we can hit the top very soon, I fear that Wenger is just aiming for reaching Europe, with his dire experimentation with some talent (and a lot of mediocrity) a perfect smokescreen.

Now, while this is all well and good, and of course, I agree that we have been desperately unlucky to never have a full squad to choose from; in fact, we have always been missing at least two or three key players at any one given moment, it was Wenger who had chosen to gamble by not beefing up the squad with the necessary depth.

You might argue that he genuinely thought that our backup was good enough, or heck, he might never have even envisaged that we would be so short at key times of the season.

Whatever he thought, he has to accept that, ultimately, struggling to finish 4th in the table (and it was a struggle, considering how far the top three are from us) is not good enough and that some players have not improved as they should have despite being given a more than fair crack of the whip.

Which is why this summer is Wenger's biggest of his Arsenal reign. Losing Flamini and Gilberto Silva last summer stank of a lack of forethought and insight by the manager, and indeed the paymasters up at boardroom level, the wrenching odour of which has been painfully dominant all season.

With every Tom, Dick and Harry acknowledging that our spine is just about as weak (if not weaker) as an old granny with brittle bones, the manager will surely, surely, have recognised the desperate need for quality in defence and central midfield.

This also comes on the back of the aforementioned Q & A session held on Thursday night, with an open floor greeting Le Boss with apparently muted applause, before, of course, Wenger was hit by missiles left, right and centre by clearly frustrated shareholders.

Talk of shipping Adebayor, players lacking fight, the "unreliable geriatric" that is Silvestre, and questioning the manager's tactical nous and transfer policy were all on a spicy menu, issues which involved heated exchanges between manager and fans.

Incidentally, the guy who said that about good (or not so good) old Mikaël deserves a medal, though Wenger was clearly upset by the comment, probably more a reflection of his own advancing years (without sounding too ageist), as I would struggle to think that Wenger still thinks much of Silvestre after having seen him "play" this season.

And, although Wenger is obviously an incredibly intelligent man, not just for what he has done for the club in yesteryear, but in the way he has deflected all current criticism of his players onto himself, knowing full well that experience and quality reinforcements are needed, his true test of what HE sees as success lie ahead in the summer, addressing the weaknesses that everybody up and down the country has talked about.

Now I do not personally know who his targets are, and indeed, I try to make a point of not mentioning any names, as they usually turn out to be fantasies, the kind of fantasies that any supporter embraces, but, if the figures quoted by the ever-so (un)reliable Daily Mail of a miserly £13 million war chest are true, I can only fear another summer of the arrival of unknown 17-year-old Afro-French "aces".

Not that there is anything wrong with that. Actually, there is everything wrong with that, as now is the time to redefine our targets, redefine our future, and redefine our success. The 0-0 draw at Manchester United will have only been an incredibly short-term pain relief, the sort of relief that Wenger had used to retreat to his comfort zone before.

But the fans have all woken up now, and Wenger must surely act on that and stop messing about with weak youngsters and fancy formations.

As the players trudged off the Theatre of Dreams pitch following the stalemate that ensured United's near-domination of this decade as well as the 1990s, I wonder what they were thinking. Well, since I cannot read their minds and indeed they looked happy enough embracing their United counterparts congratulating them for yet another title success, I can tell you what I thought—sickening.

Green with envy as I watched the screen, listening to anybody who is anybody pouring lavish praise onto Ferguson and his troops.

It was meant to be us who would take the 2000s by storm remember, after our "invincible" season? So, is dad right in taking this season's "failures" with a pinch of salt and looking ahead to the next? Possibly. And is Wenger the man to lead us out in August, despite four years of firing blanks? Probably.

Whatever happened this season, I just hope that my assessment inspired from "me old man" was not just Wenger pulling wool over our eyes with his Mohammed Said Al-Sahhaf-like spin, and that he will answer his critics with some proper business over the summer.

So, is there room for some real success next term? That is a most definite yes. And with that, I leave with you the modern-day Gooner's favourite term, a term of foolhardy optimism—next year for sure!

"A Different Arsenal"

Asser Ghozlan — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:11:43 -0400

I am quite frankly fed up of all the hype surrounding big games, pumping myself up for a memorable occasion, with a cacophony of similar emotions shared by family, friends, and of course the mouthy Arsenal FC crew. I don't know about you, but it is becoming rather boring, the build-up, the readiness to realise potential, the match day nerves, only to fall flat on our faces against a fellow "big team" who are in reality superior opposition.

As I mentioned last week, the Champions League semi finals were our one chance for Wenger to be vindicated in his quest for realising our undoubted potential and strength, to kill off any lingering doubts that we are a big club, but only a second-rate one. To put us back on the map right at the very top when compared to our opponents and against the other two semi-finalists.

Sadly, as I sat and grimaced through the match at Old Trafford, at least certainly for the first half-hour, the painful realisation crept in on me and must have amongst many of you passionate Gooners out there- we are probably not as good as the Manchester Uniteds and Chelseas of this world, and we have been cruelly found out! As Rooney, Ronaldo, Anderson and many others ran rings around our clueless defence and outmuscled our flimsy midfield, creating chance after chance, chances they may yet hopefully regret, many questions ran through my mind. I asked myself then, and I plead with you all to ask yourselves now, that's if you already haven't done so- when are we to finally class ourselves as ready to challenge for top honours? When can we go into a semi-final against Chelsea or Manchester United and know that we will be equal to the task?

Indeed, there is also the possibility that the first leg defeat to the European champions was a mere blip. A defeat that any team can suffer at such a late stage of the season, especially when considering it was away from home. However, we were meant to be the team in form, remember? The team ready to put paid to United's hopes of two consecutive continental crowns, and most importantly, ready to wipe out years of underachievement and criticism and nagging doubt.

But the match last Wednesday, coupled with the FA Cup defeat to Chelsea, perhaps suggested that our defeats were in no way an unfortunate coincidence.

Starting with the selection and tactics, Wenger opted to deploy Fabregas and Nasri in similar ways that had worked so effectively against Middlesbrough, with the skipper in the "hole" and the young Frenchman occupying a defensive role. To be fair, with the success that had reaped in the Premier League, you might perhaps have forgiven Wenger for sticking to the idea. Not when we are in a Champions League semi final against the world's top team I'm afraid. This was always doomed to failure, particularly in giving the defensive role to such a novice in Nasri, and sticking Diaby, a player who is usually so inept in his own real position, out on the left wing!

This was not all as far as tactical blunders ago. Wenger opted for the "experience" of Silvestre in the centre of defence alongside Touré, and, although the pair improved as the match wore on, they were given a torrid time by Rooney and Tevez in the United frontline. Not only that, Wenger finally decided to play two strikers with Bendtner's introduction on seventy-seven minutes. Hardly all the time in the world to come back in such a crucial match is it?

With the manager making such costly mistakes at such crucial moments of the season, first in dropping Arshavin and Song for the FA Cup semi final defeat, and then on Wednesday, mistakes that any lay person can pick up on, it hardly does much to endear the underachieving Wenger to the success-starved supporters and the media's vultures, does it?

With regards to the players out on the pitch, well it doesn't need a genius to come up with the conclusion that we were second best throughout the ninety minutes. With the defence an absolute and utter shambles as the match began, exactly the opposite to what is required early on a European semi final, it was no surprise when John O'Shea (O'Shea!?) thumped the ball into the roof of the net with less than an eighth of the tie gone, with Ronaldo and Anderson queuing up for the finish too incidentally, and with our defence ball-watching, all at sea!

As the match wore on, we improved, and despite having the greater possession in the second half, it was United who threatened to score again, and we failed to create one meaningful chance. Interestingly, one stat that popped up late during the match stat pointed out that we had completed 295 passes to United's 200, a stat that, if anything, highlights our lack of functionality and inability to be potent when it counts. A stat that can be thrown right in Wenger's face by any laughing rival manager, player or fan!

In attack, Adebayor's publicised mare and the midfield's profligacy contributed to our lack of a cutting edge, something that we will surely have to improve on, and with the correct personnel come Tuesday.

After the match, listening to Wenger's post-match conference, I didn't know whether to admire his fighting talk or ridicule his nonchalant attitude to the press. Sounding almost triumphant, Wenger predicted that we would see "a very different Arsenal team" next week and make United "regret their missed chances". Now, whilst it is part and parcel of the game that every manager builds his team up or else there would be no point in turning up, Wenger's chat sounded more like a man desperate to combat his stubbornness and tactical naïvety; a ploy to keep his dejected supporters on-side.

On last Wednesday's viewing, many of the mistakes highlighted will have to spot on. A two-goal victory will do, and as it is not as easy it sounds, a clean sheet will probably be required. Not the easiest of tasks against a side as free-scoring and as powerful in attack as Manchester United are, but then again, and despite our known defensive vulnerabilities, 2009 is yet to see us let in a goal against European or Premier League opposition at the Emirates, and so we will hope to be fighting tooth-and-nail for that record to continue come Tuesday night.

The players will have to be up for it, realising that it is simply now or never. Time to prove that we are indeed back on the big stage, and that we will not lie down and give up in the face of every big match. Time to justify the manager's unwavering support and confidence to the whole world, the time to prove the doubters wrong. The time has come to show that Arsenal Football Club can fight for the biggest prizes and not simply be the nearly-men when it comes to the business end of every season, prompting the media to say that "now is not their time" and the fans craving success to predict that "next year is the year".

Enough excuses, enough "next years", this has to be our year!

A different Arsenal please, Arsène! A better, stronger one.

United-Arsenal: The Truest of Tests

Asser Ghozlan — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:13:28 -0400

I was given a fair bit of stick as I previewed the Arsenal-Chelsea FA Cup semifinal, with many of our kind readers claiming that my criticism of Wenger and the team had been unjustified and that I have now been made to look like a “muppet," as one not very analytically-minded soul resorted to calling me.

However, many could also see my point, and I was indeed proven right about our lack of power and know-how when it came to the big games, and one great opportunity to destroy the trophylesswilderness was ultimately ended with a rush of blood from “Joey” Fabianski (see previous article).

That said, that is all gone now and after two fairly impressive showings, from an attacking point-of-view anyway, the time has come for the real big one.

Manchester United looked—and some argue—still look, to be on the verge of tiring and limping towards their much-anticipated glory.

In Arsenal, are a team, who in theory, have come into form at just the right time, and with the Chelsea debacle seemingly a mere blip, and despite the neutrals putting United as favourites—and rightly so—we should be very much in with a shout to progress.

This all depends on which Arsenal decides to turn up.

The split personality of this Arsenal side is nicely divided into three. You have the team that, for all its talent and flair, fails to get any kind of game flowing, succumbing to pressure from intimidating opponents. Thankfully, we have not seen that side of the coin since the fiasco of Manchester City in late November.

You then have a group of players who go all out displaying attacking verve and purpose, but forget that there is another side to the game and subsequently score and ship goals with scintillating alarm (ala Anfield).

And finally, a side with no real ambition and with such anonymity about them, a quality that has ultimately cost them a place in Wembley in late May.

The acrimonious non-performances of the likes of Adebayor, Cesc, and several others in the semifinal against Chelsea will have to be eradicated come Wednesday.

The matches against Liverpool, and particularly Middlesbrough, gave us renewed belief that our players do indeed have the spirit and strength to recover from setbacks, and that this is not just a ploy of spin by Wenger.

But this is Manchester United.

The Champions and European champions. The world champions. A side packed with talent and experience in the real big-time that if we do not show strength and confidence from the off, we will be in for a very long and painful ride.

A lot has been made of the newly formed cordial ties between Fergie and Le Boss over the past couple of years. Unfortunately, I only see this as the excruciating reality of our decline more than the managers mellowing with age as Wenger suggested.

Ferguson does not see us as the threat we once used to be.

But a European Cup semifinal at Old Trafford is a great opportunity to test the true motives of the cerebral Scotsman’s “friendship." Here are two teams renowned for their passion for playing football in the true sense of the word, entertaining, looking forward at every opportunity.

Winning and winning in style. Where else can we test the measures of our true improvements in the big time, expressing ourselves freely and looking to silence the doubters?

In retrospect, the Chelsea match was a no-goer due to our aforementioned meekness. Wednesday, however, will see us come up against a side that are no weaklings themselves, but whose style is akin to that of our own, which really is a strange parallel to draw as United have scooped all before them during which we won sweet FA (pardon the pun).

I mentioned how our big players went missing in the domestic semifinal—something that must not happen on Wednesday night (as well as Song and Arshavin who literally went missing for no known reason apart from Wenger’s infuriatingly inexplicable selection blunder).

With Fabregas now revelling in a slightly advanced role behind the striker(s), and with a fairly successful interchange with Nasri in the midfield at the Emirates at the weekend, a true balance between our playmaker-in-chief’s attacking instincts and defensive abilities will be key to whether we fare well at The Theatre of Dreams.

Needless to say, the midfield as a whole will play a big part, with Song—our defensive cog—hoping to mop up whatever United throw at us.

And, whilst United may have Ronaldo on the right wing—who will surely be confident of attempting to terrorise young Kieran Gibbs (who, by the way, has performed admirably since the shaky performance at the JJB)—our own winning card and link to the home side’s penalty box might just lie in our right wing.

No one ever doubted Theo Walcott’s talent, but his impressive run of form and with his showing the only one to be truly proud of in the FA Cup defeat, Theo has begun to show something of an end product in terms of his crossing, and—more tellingly—his finishing.

Wenger has promised to play our normal passing game and attempt to secure a positive result in midweek. And, whilst I do firmly believe that this is exactly what we will do—as defending is not the Arsenal way—I cannot help but feel that our chances will be at a premium at Old Trafford.

With arguably the world’s best central defensive partnership in Ferdinand and Vidic, and the limitless experience of Edwin van der Sar behind them, being clinical will be crucial. This is also where Emmanuel Adebayor will need to wake up, and stop claiming that he is “tired of not winning trophies” and then showing the sort of performance that is an embarrassment to any professional, let alone a supposedly top striker in a semifinal.

The United defence might not quite be Beyoncés, but, in reference to Adebayor’s ridiculous analogy regarding the previous cooing from AC Milan, the Togolese giant will sure have to attract the sort of attention from the United rearguard that will maximise our attacking potential.

And finally, we just need to believe.

United are a class act, but they are not a team without their weaknesses, and a team we are used to playing, and in fact, do well against more often than not. As the sun sets on Old Trafford on Wednesday night, the truest of tests will show if we really are ready to do battle against the big guns, a second chance for glory, or the shot at glory anyway.

Just to finish off, many of you have recently attacked me for my apparent lack of support and cold attitude towards the manager and the team.

Yes, I do not forget what Wenger has done, and I know full well that we are indeed a young side when compared to others, but this is the team that Wenger was adamant would succeed, and so he is responsible for keeping his promise.

When I see the team that I have loved and followed religiously since I was a kid decline so dramatically and who find finishing fourth as a glorious achievement after Wenger had always said that he wouldn’t settle for second-best, I find it quite disheartening to say the very least, especially with a side as talented as ours; one that fails to produce when it matters.

The next 10 days can change all that. And God do we all hope so!

Arsène Wenger, Give Us a Jig! Arsenal Must Seize Opportunity Vs. Chelsea

Asser Ghozlan — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:57:58 -0400

As a manager, Arsène Wenger is known to be the immaculate perfectionist, the man with a vision to win. As a man in the dugout, a punch-fisting, half-smiling figure when his vision is realised on the pitch with a well-worked goal.

But as we went 2-0 up against Villarreal on Wednesday night, again with one of those well-worked goals, the man often known for his conveyance of so little emotion on the touchline (or negative emotions in the recent past), Wenger broke into the most uncharacteristic of jigs that would’ve put any dance floor smoother to shame!

It was a dance of victory, a dance of conviction almost. The conviction that Le Boss has been craving for nigh on five years, that we can well and truly be one of England and Europe’s big boys.

Now I am sure you are all aware of my well-noted criticism levelled at the manager at times this season. Indeed, this fantastic victory against Villarreal the other night is the sort of success that we want and deserve, in fact crave, especially considering our heritage and status and, above all in present terms, the amount of talent that we have in the side (despite the presence of some suspect passengers in the team).

This talent that Wenger has preached about long and hard, and which has so often come to disappoint.

However, and as I said, despite the manner of the convincing victory against La Liga’s runners-up, a fact forgotten on most rival fans this morning when they reminded me that “it’s only Villarreal,” Wenger and his team have still achieved nothing; they have yet to prove doubters like me (and there’s many) wrong.

The measure of exactly how far they’ve come will firmly be put to the test on Saturday evening mind, when we come up against a team whose fans well and truly believe have taken over as THE team in London. With the way things have gone in the past few seasons, one cannot help but begrudgingly agree.

Whilst many argue that Chelsea FC’s rise and our fall has been based on solely one thing, cash—and again, that is a well-reasoned argument—our most successful manager and talented players have failed to deliver all too frequently when they had been in a great position to do so, and that cannot be anything to do with money!

Squandering final leads, and going on a terrible run of six points out of a possible 24 during the most crucial period of a Premier League run-in, does not smack of shortage of money, but instead of carelessness, tactical naïvety, and the inability, or rather the stubbornness, to address obvious frailties in a side looking to be reborn.

The FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea, our first FA Cup semifinal since we last won the old trophy in 2005 (gosh, that feels like an age ago, doesn’t it) is a near-perfect opportunity for Wenger to prove the doubters wrong, and how overjoyed would the doubters, including myself, be if we can pull it off!

On the same token, should we be defeated by our dearest of neighbours (I say dearest, as they are the one team in London that have truly threatened to usurp our supremacy in town—sorry Tottenham, but a Carling Cup every decade doesn’t quite count...), it will expose our agonisingly unfulfilled “potential.”

And the doubts will carry on rankling in the minds—the minds of the supporters, the minds of the players, the minds of the media, and, whether he chooses to admit it or not, the mind of the manager.

My fear going ahead of the Chelsea match is at the core of why Wenger has had to take so much flak this season, and will carry on taking it until he can break the failure hoodoo. Quality in depth has left a lot to desire, where the thought of Denilson or Song lining up against Essien, Lampard, and Ballack a case in point.

With the fearful shudder that goes through my spine every time I visualise such a matchup, comes a realisation that we cannot possibly outmuscle and tactically outsmart such a powerful outfit in Chelsea on such a big occasion on a big stage.

Granted, our impressive unbeaten run had all begun on 30 November 2008, when, at Stamford Bridge, the indomitable fortress in which Chelsea lost three times in 130-odd matches, we came back from 1-0 down to claim an historic 2-1 victory.

But it will only be historic if we follow up that potential turning point by delivering in the crucial knockout matches coming up against our fiercest of rivals, great opportunities to do so thanks to our aforementioned return to form.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that Saturday will be a heart-pounding, nail-biting, energy-sapping affair, so much so in fact that I do not even know if I’ll be able to watch it (soppy I know, but the fact that I have two major exams coming up at the end of the week do play a part...honest!).

I can only hope that, whatever the outcome, we play in a way that represents the true values and strengths of Arsenal Football Club, the true visionary ambition that Arsène Wenger has highlighted all along, and that he’s been knocked for, and rightly, when things have not gone to plan. It is now time to prove that we can go on to the next level—the level that Wenger, the players, and we believe are the heights we should be at.

Who knows, 40,000-plus Gooners packed at Wembley might just be chanting our triumphant “Give us a wave” mantra to their footballing god as he looks on come half past seven on Saturday evening. Or make that, “Arsène...give us a jig!”

Arsenal: Sinking the Submarines

Asser Ghozlan — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:10 -0400

The Gunners against the Submarines? An interesting battle, eh? Just who would emerge victorious? Well, the overtures from last week suggest that we are in the driving seat, but only just!

Last Tuesday evening filled me with some sense of relief more than anything after escaping from Villarreal with a creditable draw at their Highbury-like fortress. It has to be said, we are currently going through a phase of abjectness through first halves of games, a la Villarreal and Wigan at the weekend, only to come back nice and strong for a rousing comeback by the end of the 90 minutes.

It is almost a case of if, on watching the first halves of matches in isolation, it would make you wonder why Arsenal are not a mediocre mid-table side in fact, and then the second halves firmly give you the answer, before posing an even bigger question of why we aren't closer to the top than we currently are!

Now this is all well and good. For now, anyway. But with us well and truly into the business end of the season and with games against Villarreal, Chelsea, and Liverpool coming up in quick succession, we cannot rely on our battling qualities and dig deep from losing positions in every match, as we will eventually tire and be found out.

Last week's match was an interesting watch in many ways. Apart from spending a zillion minutes stressing out and shouting some obscenities at the screen at the pub, close attention should be paid to our first half weaknesses.

Personally, I was of the opinion that it was not a case of us playing badly and Villarreal playing extraordinarily well; it was simply a case of us playing badly and playing into Villarreal hands. Which, for me, means that we should, in theory at least, be confident ahead of Wednesday night's clash at the Emirates, where Van Persie and (hopefully) Eduardo should be back to augment our now rejuvenated attack.

Apart from Marcos Senna's thunderbolt strike inside 10 minutes on Tuesday night, where we contrived to give him practically the whole 10 minutes before thinking of closing him down as he launched his shot, Villarreal had plenty of possession.

Villareal did not create as much as the press and their gaffer Manuel Pellegrini would have you believe, apart from another slightly weaker shot from distance by the talismanic skipper.

And, with Senna out of the return leg, the absence of the Yellow Submarines' propeller will be a massive fillip to us come Wednesday night, although our very own midfield linchpin in Fabregas performed admirably against his veteran compatriot in the second half last week.

Still, Senna's replacement should provide Cesc's partner with a significant ego boost, with all due to respect to his replacement...and to Denilson/Diaby of course!

A major problem for us is the pileup of injuries, an all-too familiar statement muttered for the umpteenth time in our recent history—with the defence now taking its turn. Watching the Wigan match on Saturday and seeing Djourou collapse in a heap unchallenged in our own box so innocuously in front of my very own eyes filled me with such rage and a deep sense of misfortune.

A young man who had improved markedly this season in terms of confidence and strength and who was only on the bench due to Gallas' and Touré's return to form, this run-in was Djourou's chance to prove his worth to a wider audience.

Instead, we are now left with the remnants of a central defence, and with the desperate need for Kolo to be firmly wrapped up in bubble wrap after matches, as he represents our single most experienced quality player on the field at the back.

With Almunia out for a while too, it is time for Fabianski to step up to the fore. Now whilst I remain unconvinced by the big Pole (for me, he is nothing more than a lookalike of Joey from Friends—most disagree, but I am adamant) he has not played enough games for a true assessment of his quality.

Some of you may remember that I am not convinced by our goalkeeping department altogether anyway, not since Lehmann had gone.

And then there is the issue at left back, with Clichy's absence truly felt at Wigan.

Granted, Kieran Gibbs is only 19, and was making his first Premier League start. And whilst I think he is a great talent for the future, he was out of his depth for most of the match at the JJB, and Clichy has been the best left back in the country for the second season running (most people will tell you Evra...total rubbish!), and so his return cannot come soon enough.

This is all unlucky stuff, so unlucky it fills me with rage about how we can never have the luxury of a full squad to choose from. And although pretty much no one does in modern football, we have definitely drawn the short straw in terms of injuries when compared to the top four or indeed most other teams.

Or so you would think, for Djourou's somewhat random injury as well as Almunia's exacerbation of his ankle flare-up has made me think the other day. Maybe the fault actually lies with us?

The medical staff and physios? The fact that we rush players back? Knackering training regimes that end up buggering knees up on a frequent basis? Food for thought indeed!

With the patched up defensive department in place for the next few weeks, it is clear that attack will have to be our best form of defence as we approach those key games, starting with the Villarreal contest.

Villarreal themselves are vulnerable at the moment, having lost their last two league games with our draw sandwiched in between. In their two defeats, they conceded five without reply and lost a key creative force in Santi Cazorla as well as their aforementioned captain.

And so, I can be excused for being excited ahead of our date with the Spaniards, though our FA Cup semi next weekend is totally another issue. But that can take care of itself after Wednesday, where we will hope to be in our second European Cup semifinal in three years.

Incredible isn't it? With all of our struggles and shortcomings, as well as our just short of diabolical luck and we have the chance to echo such a statistic by the end of the week, an opportunity we must grab hold of!

To grab hold of it we will have to be much bolder and quicker getting off the blocks than on the last two occasions, for there will be no better way to approach the club's most decisive week in five years.

And I for one hope that by next Saturday evening we can say that there will be a few more "most decisive weeks" between then and late May.

Arsenal's Championship Chances? One in a Billion

Asser Ghozlan — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:45:18 -0400

Following last Saturday evening’s impressive win at St. James’ Park, Arsène Wenger came out with his usual “spirit”, “desire” and “mental strength” rhetoric for Match of the Day’s Jonathan Pearce in his post-match interview.

What the BBC edited out, and rightly so, was Wenger’s optimistic background chat regarding our so-called title chances.

“I still have hope because I am a bit crazy, even if it is a one in billion chance.”

A bit crazy. Right. As the manager delivered possibly one the early candidates for understatement of the year, football joke of the season etc, he did in fairness admit to his “craziness”, whilst pointing out that realistically we stand no chance.

However, what Wenger said has been a calculated ploy to highlight a crucially important fact missed by many, and only now starting to get picked up, much to our own misfortune as the climax of the season kicks in—we are the form team in the Premier League, and, dare I say it, Europe!

With currently the longest unbeaten run in the Premier League, and, in fact, with the longest unbeaten run out of the last eight contestants of the Champions League, what Wenger pinpointed was our current consistency being a key factor in future success, whilst also pointing out that we are in championship-winning form (despite the zillion 0-0s in that run).

This really does beg the question that I have painstakingly repeated many a time, why show this consistency now, when it is way too late?

I’m sorry, and I don’t like treading murky waters, but Wenger’s words, combined with Manchester United’s oh-so uncharacteristic implosion and Chelsea’s hiccup has filled me with such a deep sense of regret and anger that you cannot help but think that we have, in retrospect, thrown away a fantastic opportunity to climb back to the summit of English football.

Wenger had previously pointed out that no one team was “outstanding” in the division this season, hence retaining his strong belief in our title aspirations back in January. And this was back when, United were slaying all before them, scooping the trophies on offer and boasting a thirteen-match streak without even conceding, let alone losing.

Yet Wenger was right. Here we are now, with United looking increasingly vulnerable, a shadow of their former selves and with Fergie’s “squeaky bum time” hitting them hard before anyone else, and we are left with Wenger’s vindicated prediction but with virtually no chance of claiming the honours, leaving the door ajar for title-deprived Liverpool.

Which brings me on nicely to Wenger’s other sense of recent “vindication,” his belief that he was “right” to stick with his young guns and not replace the likes of Flamini and Gilberto Silva.

Call me old-fashioned or scrupulously sceptical, but I have grown up with the basic idea of never celebrating until the chickens firmly came home to roost. With the way things are going, this is certainly not the case at the Emirates (I still always write “at Highbury” before impulsively backspacing at that point, but I digress).

Not just yet, unless Wenger believes that limping up to fourth in the Premier League is the peak of this team’s ambition and potential!

What an insult this must also be to World Cup-winning, “Invincible” Gilberto Silva, that Wenger feels he has emerged victorious from his battle against the world in replacing him with Denilson or Diaby, two players with some talent but who are infuriatingly frustrating more times than not!

Or to one of Arsenal’s most successful skippers, Patrick Vieira, in being compared to the latter, simply because of their similar stature! I’m sorry Arsène, but Diaby has quite some way before even being half of what the fabulously skilful, tough-tackling player Vieira was, and all at his age too!

With fourth place in no way secure, especially with trips to Anfield and Old Trafford remaining, not to mention a league clash against our FA Cup semifinal neighbours, and with the rest of Europe waiting to pounce, with Villareal’s “Yellow Submarines” first up, it is fair to say that Wenger’s self-congratulatory stance will have to wait just that little bit longer.

In fact, should we finish fourth, and with nothing to crow about in the cabinet (again), I will be left deeply disappointed, and I think it is fair to say that most of you will agree.

Our form has never been better recently, not since our celebrated 49-match unbeaten extravaganza in fact, and now of all times is the time for the manager and players, criticised so publicly so often this season, and sometimes so rightly, not least on here, to stand up and be counted.

And with the international break very nearly upon us (yawn), Wenger, Arsenal, and all of us, should take stock of the recent run, with the firm realisation that while the title might be a one in a billion chance, the Cup and Europe are very much there for the taking.

Well that’s what I think anyway.

Arsenal FC: Quickest Way to a Heart Attack!

Asser Ghozlan — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:10:27 -0400

What a night Wednesday night turned out to be! Full of heart, tension, and nail-biting, heart-stopping drama right to the finish.

Thanks to poor old Max Tonetto (well, he is certainly over-age football-wise at 35, but in no way am I truly sympathetic for him), I am praising the powers to be and waxing lyrical over our “victory” that ensured a clean-sweep of English giants in the quarter finals and that we do not end up with England’s wooden spoon in Europe for the second season running.

And of course, there’s the little matter of that dream of returning to Rome in two-and-a-half months’ time.

Having said that, this will not happen, not if we have a repeat performance (or mal-performance should I say) as the one at the Stadio Olimpico.

I reiterate, despite the delirium and ecstasy of our progress into the last eight of the Champions League for the fourth time in five years, the fact of the matter is this was a performance every bit as tepid and uninventive as we will have feared from having going into this crucial encounter.

I had hardly even settled at the pub where I was watching the match and the screen hadn’t even begun working when news of Juan’s ninth-minute goal to level the tie filtered through.

This cued a massive rant from me about how we have talked the talk of keeping Roma at bay and protecting our slender lead only to go and royally screw it up early on, conceding a shambolically-defended goal scored by a half-fit defender!

Indeed, as I frantically phoned friends to update me on the situation until we managed to get the screen working on 20 minutes (being forced to live through watching Manchester United take a fourth minute lead against Inter Milan in the meantime), the first half assessment of my “phone-a-friend” can be aptly, although somewhat colloquially, be summed up as follows:

“We’re playing s**t!”

Hardly the promise of really going out there and holding our own with our advantage then!

Wenger will have surely feared the worst as he watched on from the touchline, with our inexperienced midfield practically limping their way through the first half, outmuscled and outwitted by the vastly street-wise Totti, Pizarro and co.

In fact, the manager’s body language throughout the match made for interesting reading, as a sulking look on his face as he sunk into his seat in the dugout during the second half and extra-time did not look good at all, ironically, when the match had started turning towards our favour, albeit without any goal threat, Touré’s 93rd minute header apart.

Which makes Wenger’s praise of our “nerve” and “outstanding mental strength” even more interesting, and makes me wonder whether what he would have said as faced the press would have been entirely different had it been us who suffered shootout misery!

Granted, in front of a partisan crowd, after being rattled so early on, and after an exhausting, delayed journey and with anti-Arsenalists (and there are many of them) impatiently waiting for us to slip up we showed character and solidarity in the second half despite not being able to effectively trouble the home side’s defence.

However, Wenger’s postmatch words did not befit his facial expressions and body language, he looked an unhappy man and an uncomfortable one.

And he has every reason to.

Even though we showed the true qualities of hanging in there when the going got tough, a relative rarity in recent times when compared to Manchester United and Chelsea, before admirably prevailing in the achingly long penalty shootout, serious questions hang over our strength and penetration against top-quality opposition.

This must surely be the lesson learnt by Wenger and his players as they partied at the Olimpico’s away dressing room.

Roma are a good side, we should make no mistake about it, a team who were out with a point to prolong their dream of appearing in a final on their home ground, a big ask for any away side in the first knockout round as rightly pointed out by Le Boss, and as I alluded to in my last publication.

However, they are by no means an outstanding side, and there are many of them potentially awaiting us in the next round!

Our inefficacy in the final third last night was rather alarming, and, combined with our wayward passing and loss of possession in the first half, we may well get ripped apart when it comes to facing the Barcelonas, Bayern Munichs, and Manchester Uniteds of this world should we start as weakly as we did on Wednesday.

That said, a lot of our troubles stemmed from being unable to wrap the tie up in the first leg, where we could have easily gone to the Italian capital with two or three goals in the bag.

And that again must be taken note of, for all the good football and dominance will count for nothing at the very top if we do not make the most of it.

With the quarter finals looming, Wenger must find the balance between solid determination and clinical, penetrative finishing, or else we will be in for a potential roasting by the aforementioned teams, teams oozing in quality from top to bottom that will provide much sterner tests than Roma, at least on paper anyway.

So, our dream of the unthinkable is still alive (just about) and we’re back to mundane Premier League matters on Saturday.

Mundane it certainly isn’t, as a vital match in the race for fourth awaits, with victory over Blackburn ensuring we leapfrog Villa in that all-important Champions League spot prior to their clash with Spurs (who should we back for that one? Dilemmas dilemmas)!

So hopefully a straightforward victory at home to a team fighting against the drop...hang on, I just remembered, Big Sam is back!

Before I go, perhaps Arsène and the boys could do me a favour...spare us another roller coaster between now and May will you, as, at 22, embarrassingly older than the Club Captain and half of the first-team squad, I’d like there to be a few more matches left in me!

Arsenal In The Eternal City: Part I (I Hope)!

Asser Ghozlan — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:56:43 -0400

“The past is in the past, for the record books, and for the good moments of nostalgia.”

I think it is fair to say that the reaction to my last article nicely fits into a standard “rule-of-threes”: a third absolutely love me and consider me the archetypal cult hero, a third understand where I’m coming from, and, whilst agreeing with me, think I’ve been a bit harsh the manager, and a third consider me the vicious villain of the piece, with one or two requests to ban me altogether!

Well here I am once again, and with a quote from my last piece to start with addressing those who just cannot contemplate that no one is irreplaceable once incompetence sets in.

Having said that, Arsenal have been mildly stylish since then, with two fairly comfortable victories and classy goals to boot, although the standard of the opposition has been similar to the teams we so struggled to break down over the past month, begging the question, why are we so inconsistent?!

The absences of the likes of Eduardo and Walcott can indeed be pointed to, how we have missed the combination of their pace, trickery and sharp eye for goal, as seen on display in the 3-0 thumping of Burnley in the FA Cup yesterday.

And, with the likes of Vela and Diaby getting more playing time, the hype surrounding their talents is finally starting to show, not that there was ever any doubt with the former’s superb ability.

I stated the importance of a good FA Cup run as I previewed the fourth round clash against Cardiff City. Here we are in the quarter-finals, and, despite being one round behind the remaining teams, we should be confident of progressing to our first semi-final since our triumph in 2005.

But, then again, this is Arsenal, and nothing is certain against anyone nowadays, and so we must not take the challenge of Hull City lightly, especially considering how they so infamously embarrassed us back in October.

A major reason for my hypothesis of the vitality of a long FA Cup run was, what we are building up for come Wednesday night.

At a packed Stadio Olimpico and with the staunchest of Roman supporters cheering their underachieving heroes on, we are sure to be in for a tough night, as we defend our slender 1-0 lead from the first leg. And defend for our lives we will have to!

Despite all the plaudits for our fairly impressive defensive record since the turn of the year, it is easy to forget that we have not exactly played against teams that thrill the pants off the watching public, certainly not off me anyway!

And so, although the team do deserve credit for tightening up after a previously shambolically characteristic leakage of goals, here is a team full of verve and attacking flair in Roma, a team priding themselves on being known as the “Brazil of Serie A” by pundits and supporters alike.

In fact, in an interview for arsenal.com prior to the first leg, one Italian critic likened Roma to Arsenal in everything that both teams stand for: their approach to the game, their cosmopolitan lineup and modern-thinking coach, and even both teams’ frustrating failings with inconsistency in challenging for the very top despite having copious talent!

With that in mind, our defence will have to be in better shape than it has been all season, countering the threat of the likes of Totti, their iconic talisman, as well as Vucinic, Brighi, and their somewhat enigmatic midfield linchpin, the ironically Manchester-born Perrotta.

And of course, how can I forget “The Beast”? Baptista has been talking up himself and his side’s chances of getting one over us ever since the draw came out, and, despite his relative anonymity at the Emirates during the first leg, an all too familiar sight during his stay here two seasons ago may I add, he is sure to be fired up on Wednesday night.

One must also note Roma’s fairly impressive home record in European competition, although, then again, who doesn’t have a good home record in Europe nowadays?

With defeat to Manchester United on the Red Devils’ way to claiming European glory in 2008, Roma’s only other Champions League defeat to an English team at the Olimpico in recent years was with one Fabio Capello in charge and against none-other than a Thierry Henry-inspired Arsenal. How times change eh!

So what about us? As usual, there has been talk in our camp that, despite, being way out of the title race, we have the quality to win the Champions League.

Although we should all be optimistic on the outlook for the rest of the season with the return of our “offensive weapons”, as put aptly by Wenger post-Burnley, the likes of van Persie and Adebayor are jumping the gun too soon for my liking, and any sensible Gooner’s liking, once again, for Roma are desperate to contest the European Cup on their own patch on May 27.

Not to mention the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and any of Liverpool or Real Madrid, Chelsea or Juventus and Inter Milan or quintuple-chasing Manchester United of course.

With a long way to go to even consider being contenders for club football’s most glamorous prize, we must enter the match fully appreciating the potential consequences of defeat at this stage, bearing in mind that we still have a lot of work to do to catch Villa for the right to play in this competition next season.

And, who knows, should we not concede or should we score the all-important away goal at the Olimpico (or both, please), we can start dreaming about such a possibility with eight teams remaining, although luck with injuries, the draw, and refereeing decisions, as well as which Arsenal is likely to turn up, will all be variable determinants in what exactly happens next!

And although everyone involved with AS Roma will square up against us on Wednesday night with the steadfast determination to ensure that they are still in with a shout to lift the trophy aloft their own sky and before the very eyes of their own by the end of the evening, we can all have our own agenda of this being the first of a two-legged trip to the Eternal City.

Well, it’s okay to dream, isn’t it?

When Will the Arsenal Board Realise That Wenger Is Past It?

Asser Ghozlan — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:02:03 -0500

Say what you will but this really is it now, Arsène Wenger officially does not quite know what he is doing.

A fourth successive 0-0 draw, three of which have come at home against remarkably inferior opposition, and the painful thing is, no one is even surprised that we regularly drop points against the likes of Hull, Stoke, Fulham, Sunderland and the like anymore (need I carry on)?!

The boos ringing around the Emirates Stadium after yesterday's pulseless display would irk any manager in the top flight and have him firmly on his toes. But not Wenger. He has had the security and almost immunity over the last five years, FIVE YEARS, and yet with every failure he grows more stubborn, more deluded, more incompetent.

After all, you cannot fully blame him; it is the board that have made his position unbelievably strong, giving him their utmost backing even with the most inept of performances and the most shocking of signings.

For all his great rhetoric and promises of greatness and "belief in my team", "his team" have failed to deliver on a regular basis, making themselves, and our fans, a ceremonious laughingstock amongst the football world.

Francesc Fabregas had the cheek to declare recently that we cannot win the title this season. Cannot win the title?! Are you having a laugh?

If I were you Fab, I would be looking behind you mate, as Everton and your best mate Arteta are ready to pounce for our fifth spot, never mind the title, never mind the Champions League come to that!

From four points behind the Champions one year, having led the table for most of the campaign, to sixteen points off the top, and with qualification to even the UEFA Cup not secured let alone the Champions League, really stinks of a manager who just does not know how to rediscover consistency anymore, does not know how to function his team ruthlessly and capably anymore, does not know how to simply win anymore.

I used to think that José Mourinho was an insecure, arrogant snob (or a word that rhymes with the latter anyway) every time he delivered a thinly veined attack aimed at Arsenal and Wenger for not having won anything for years.

But now I believe him and see his point, how are we idolising someone who talks the talk and yet cannot walk the walk?!

It is not as if we have slid gradually into relative mediocrity, we are doing it with such dramatic style, and there can only be one man to blame.

Wenger's reign can be split nicely into two halves. Consider Wenger's record up until the last trophy won, 2005, quite possibly the last trophy Wenger will ever be able get his hands on at the Club.

Back then, Wenger's record read: seven major trophies in eight seasons at the Club, a terrific return, along with all the other achievements that had put us firmly on the map.

Wenger has destroyed all the remarkable "miracle-working" that he had done single-handedly and reduced us to this, being unable to score against Tottenham, West Ham, Sunderland and Fulham in quick succession, slipping from six points to an alarming 16 points. Toothless. Helpless. Hopeless!

This might sound like an absolute spur of the moment article, where I am being so daft and pathetic in questioning the manager's capability to win football matches. But the results speak for themselves, Wenger is unable to win football matches, it is that simple!

We cannot simply turn someone into a god and think of him as irreplaceable for what he has done in the past. The past is in the past, for the record books, and for the good moments of nostalgia.

Life is about the here and now, and our here and now is not good, not good at all, and hasn't been for five years too many! This is what keeps winners like Ferguson, Capello and Mourinho (I say begrudgingly) going.

And this is what makes people who like to settle for second-best, foolishly optimistically hoping for a good future like Wenger simply just fall by the wayside.

The people who argue that the likes of van Persie, Fabregas and Walcott would follow Wenger out of the door should he leave are probably right. I happen to believe that the same would happen. But where have they been when we needed them?

Can they honestly leave and claim to have done as much good for us as their predecessors have? Can they honestly look at themselves in the mirror and claim that they see the Vieiras, Píres', and Henrys of this world in them?

I don't think so, and so they can go, if they have based their dreams on a faltering and failing man, rather than their love for a great Club, a great Club whose name is being stained in the dirt by the manager's clueless management, and the players lack of heart and ability, and their utmost profligacy against timid, weak opposition.

And, for anyone who feels the need to hit back at me should we trounce West Bromwich Albion 3-0 on Tuesday (though I doubt very much that this will happen) and qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals, my response would be, what vindication is that?

You are trying to criticise me and bash my argument for beating the team at the foot of the table? A sign of the times indeed!

Right, this is my rant over, and whatever happens, I just do not think I can bring myself to being in love with Le Boss anymore.

The Professor has killed every moment of joy he has brought to me as a Gooner when I was used to watching the most magnificent football being played, with trophies being swept along the way, to being reduced to this mess!

The boos ringing around Ashburton Grove yesterday will suggest that a few other thousand people, and millions around the city, and across the world, will agree with me.

Prior to the match against Fulham, Wenger was adamant that we'd find our rhythm (isn't he always?) and stated that him and his underachieving players had to convince the supporters of their worth.

I have a suggestion to our fallen boss: stop the chat, cut the crap, and actually go out there and win some games, we'd be much happier like that, rather than being humiliatingly subjected to your endless list of pathetic excuses game after game!

You have a lot of convincing to do Arsène, a lot!

Bye-Bye Fourth? Arsenal's Outlook Dim

Asser Ghozlan — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:11:06 -0500

Before I have you all jumping in on me and hurling abuse at my apparent lack of faith and support in the team, I am perfectly aware that we have just over a third of the campaign remaining, a fairly significant chunk of football by all accounts, in which to save our season.

The North London derby highlighted a lot of the grit, resilience, and solidarity in adversity that had been lacking in the early stages of the season, a performance to be proud of in the circumstances, despite yet another stalemate.

And that is precisely why we will be punished heavily come May. Not because we have drawn our last three league fixtures against opposition who are either to be feared or have been on good runs of form, but due to our shambolic, almost criminal performances before Christmas.

Ask yourself this—can you really see us overhauling both, Chelsea and Aston Villa, five and seven points respectively ahead of us? If I was a betting man I would not be so confident at this stage, with many difficult matches, including encounters against the three who were once-upon-a-time called our "title rivals" coming up between now and the end of 2008-2009.

The match against Tottenham was pretty much a no-goer right from the start, with a referee clearly with a vested interest in keeping the home supporters happy, and Wenger's persistence in starting with one of the worst players to ever wear an Arsenal shirt causing a severe handicap in the midfield, having amazingly clocked over 100

As it happens, Eboué's sending off before half-time was probably what we needed in terms of battling qualities and compactness, but also to rid the fans, our fans, who apparently cheered Eboué's exit for the showers just as vociferously as the Spurs faithful, of his truly crippling and eye-cringing displays.

Wenger might be right in complaining at the seemingly ridiculous decision of chalking off Eboué's goal on fifteen minutes (oh, the irony); nevertheless, where was his voice of dissent at the utter abjectness of the many previous debacles we have witnessed this season, including that inexplicable collapse against Spurs at the Emirates?

I fear that this run which has seen us tighten up at the back and given us more substance has come a little too late.

Wenger's relaxed attitude towards the whole affair has been remarkably baffling. Having dismissed Aston Villa's threat by claiming that he is "not worried", we now see ourselves in a position where our long run of undefeated matches might simply not be good enough, praying that Villa somehow arrest their own irritatingly long unbeaten run.

Now whilst I do not for one second claim that it is Arsenal's divine right to be in the Champions League every season, this is a team that was apparently ready to take the world by storm and claim glory on all fronts this season, according to the manager and some of the notable big mouths in his side anyway (Gallas and Adebayor spring to mind)!

This time last season we were five points ahead of the pack, with one league defeat to our name, only to end up an agonising four points from being Champions, and so the summer optimism aired by Wenger and co, and indeed us, the supporters, could not have been dismissed as a fantasy.

Yet we now find ourselves in a very embarrassing situation, having to look at Everton and Wigan Athletic beneath us with more concern than Chelsea and Aston Villa above us, and that is indeed no disrespect to the former two, as much as it is with much disdain and dissatisfaction at our very own derisory decline!

So, as we prepare ourselves for the "run-in", we should ask ourselves, what exactly is our run-in about to entail? A few more blanks perhaps and the odd win here and there, sprinkled with one or two thrashings by unfancied sides fresh from the unlikeliest of victories at Old Trafford and Anfield, only to carry us through from title hopefuls to the shining lights of the UEFA Cup, sorry, the UEFA Europa League (a very unsubtle attempt by UEFA to glorify the competition)?

Or are we finally about to stand up and be counted, showing the world that, as far as laughing stocks of big clubs go, we are not one to be messed around with?

The recent vibes leave me in limbo with regards to which direction we will end up swaying, with some solid performances, yet a sudden dearth of creativity and penetration leading me to think that all is still not good at the camp.

Andrey Arshavin's timely arrival at the club and his announcement to all that " Now I am Gooner", as well as Eduardo's welcome return to the bench at White Hart Lane might just be what we desperately need to kick-start our fight for retaining our status as a "big four" Club.

A "star" signing at last, we can now hope that Arshavin's wizadry combined with the return of the main components of Arsenal's artillery (pardon the pun) may just be enough in usurping Villa's gatecrashing of the Champions League party.

As I sat and watched Arshavin's first interview on English soil, excited by news of his signing, as well as relieved that the most boring and protracted transfer saga in football history had come to a positive conclusion, the Russian magician pleaded for our "trust in him, and trust in Arsenal."

To which there is only one reply...that trust needs to be earned first.

"Arsène Who?" The Professor Under the Microscope

Asser Ghozlan — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:09:16 -0500

Sept. 16, 1996, an important date in Arsenal FC’s glorious history, Not only because I was celebrating my 10th birthday (indeed I do not claim for one moment that my existence adds to Arsenal’s rich past and hopefully bright tomorrow!), but it was the day Arsène Wenger’s appointment as the Club’s new manager was confirmed.

“Arsène Who?” One of the most famous derogatory headlines ever to be published in British sports history, is now indeed a quotation of mockery and irony, as the man nicknamed “The Professor” has become a pivotal part of English football for the best part of two decades, a true cornerstone of footballing philosophy.

Thirteen years is a long time in football management, and with speculation ripe that Wenger may indeed pack up and head to pastures new once 2008-2009 draws to a close (namely, Florentino Perez’s “galacticos” era take 2), I look at the man’s strengths and weaknesses, and how he has so intrinsically become an immovable part of Arsenal’s furniture.

Indeed, a lot has changed since the elegantly-dressed, bespectacled 46-year-old Wenger took to the bench at Blackburn Rovers on Sept. 30, 1996.

However, a lot of what the man is made of has remained to this day, despite the critics encircling him from every corner over the past few seasons, with me no less guilty than the next person.

Shrewd in the transfer market, and committed to a brand of free-flowing, exhilarating brand of football based on pace, power and athleticism, Wenger has revolutionised the perceptions of how English football should be played,.

He has contributed, and arguably, led the way in demolishing the cynical “push-and-run” type of football and the 3-5-2 tactics that have for so long been the principles of English football.

Wenger’s ability to discover young raw talent has never deserted him since his Monaco days as a young up-and-coming manager.

From the likes of George Weah (at Monaco), to the inspirational Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, to the mercurial talent that is Cesc Fabregas, Wenger’s production line of talents has never ceased to exist, and it is that tremendous ability to discover a raw, rough-round-the-edges diamond for an unmentionably low price, before polishing it and nurturing it to its final gleaming product, is what must stand out as Wenger’s greatest quality.

It is a quality that has given Arsenal a haul of seven major trophies in 12 full seasons, whilst spending a staggering less than 30 percent of rivals Manchester United, Liverpool, and most recently of course, Chelsea!

As well as his meticulous approach in preparation for football matches, with revolutionary training techniques and rehabilitation methods, Wenger’s charm and charisma has given Arsenal FC a new name in Europe, where many clubs and football academies have used the Club as a model for their development.

Perhaps Wenger’s shrewdness in the transfer market is down to his Economics degree from Strasbourg as a young man. However, it is his strength in creating superstars out of nothing that has also been his biggest weakness over the past few seasons.

Wenger has become an enemy of his own success, where fan expectations and media pressure have seen Wenger’s stock fall dramatically over the past few years.

Indeed, with the Club’s last trophy coming all the way back in 2005, and with Wenger seemingly stubborn in reinforcing the squad with established players to augment the young talent available, Arsenal’s fortunes have slumped, and we now face a real struggle to maintain our “top four” status, possibly for the first time since Wenger’s arrival on these shores.

Admittedly, I have been one of Wenger’s greatest critics this season. And, whilst I maintain that the likes of Flamini and Gilberto Silva have not been replaced, a massive factor in our decline, as well as the presence of many players who, despite being given ample opportunities, can not cut it in the famous “red and white,” that does not belittle Wenger as a true footballing great, and as a person.

But, for the “Arsène knows” mantra to return to its full swing, many weaknesses need to be addressed. It may indeed be out of Le Boss’ hands, as money is presumably tight, nevertheless, glaring frailties that any layman can point his finger to should surely be apparent in Wenger’s eyes!

And, with Real Madrid apparently eyeing to capture Arsenal’s most important signing ever, I can only wish that Perez reads my humble blog, as I have a few words of advice for him: sign all you wish with your millions of Euros, but you cannot prise away the Professor from his true home.

A man of honour, who will only walk once he has achieved what he feels Arsenal and himself are capable of: true greatness at the summit of European football.

The Importance of a Good FA Cup Run

Asser Ghozlan — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:11:09 -0500

On the eve of a round of FA Cup action, and with a potential banana-skin against Championship high-flyers and last season’s finalists Cardiff City, I was quite stuck on what my next publication would address. It was then that my mate Khalid, a hardcore Gooner himself, pointed out to me that addressing the need for a good FA Cup run (who knows, maybe even winning the damn thing) should be high amongst our list of priorities for 2009.

The FA Cup? Well, yes.

Quite a bizarre idea considering that we finally seem to be getting our acts together in the Premier League, but then again, how many times have we claimed that over the past four years? With Patrick Vieira’s last kick for the Club came the Club’s last trophy, back in 2005, when we lifted the glorious cup at the expense of Manchester United.

We all know what has happened since then and we all have our own reasons as to why we have seemingly declined; however, progress in the FA Cup this season would represent a new lease of life to the Club as a whole, bringing back the confidence of our established, underachieving stars, whilst building the confidence of our budding talents.

I must admit, that, as I write this, an undue sense of dread and fear of a shock, a “cupset”, fills me, for no particular reason other than the fact that we will be playing at a packed Ninian Park, with the enthusiasm and intimidation of the Cardiff crowd surely spurring on their playoff hopefuls. However, having probed my fears more extensively, I realised that a lot of my fears are due to uncertainties over Wenger’s selection on Sunday afternoon.

Just who will Le Boss pick for the lunchtime kickoff? The most reasonable, educated guess would be that a mixture of youth and experience will be the way come Sunday, similar to the match against Plymouth Argyle in the previous round, and that is absolutely necessary if we are to negotiate this tricky tie. Wenger will be all too aware of the importance of this match, as our dwindling trophy hopes hang by a thread, with the reverse at Burnley in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup still fresh in the minds of many Gooners.

That fateful tie at Turf Moor was mainly made up of youngsters (oh and the ever-so-reliable Silvestre), and we were found wanting when the going got tough.

Wenger has claimed many times over the past 18 months that the FA Cup no longer particularly exists on his radar of challenges for trophies, somewhat ignorantly and disrespectfully I must say, a lack of respect to the oldest and purest knockout competition in the football world.

You might argue that Wenger would have had an excuse had we prevailed in the “big competitions”, namely the cut-and-thrust of the Premier League and the glamorous Champions League. But, we have had nothing to show for our efforts for a very long time, not since our 2005 victory in Cardiff ironically enough.

Back then, Wenger’s Arsenal prided themselves in a highly impressive FA Cup record, reaching at least the semi-finals in a staggering six of the manager’s seven full seasons in charge, winning the famous old trophy four times in the process. Back then, we also maintained a healthy challenge for dominance of the Premiership crown with Manchester United, begging the question, what has changed over the years for the FA Cup to become a “second-rate” trophy.

Is it a question of financial and competition pressure? Or is it simply a matter of regression of our quality? Interesting questions indeed!

A victory on Sunday would dispel many myths about our “softness”, our inability to dig in, our lack of nous in grinding out victories against unfancied opposition. It would also carry on a mildly impressive run of seven matches without defeat, though, that is hardly a run, considering our previous exploits in that respect.

Nevertheless, imagine the confidence we would draw as fans, players, management, as a Club, if we can put our name into the hat for the next round, ahead of a tough set of league matches at the likes of Goodison and White Hart Lane, and before our highly-anticipated 2nd phase clash against Roma?

Not only will we strengthen our belief in knockout competitions ahead of the return of the Champions League, and ahead of a very winnable tie against a great team that has been suffering from inconsistency but recently improving just as ourselves, but victory at Ninian Park can we see our season go from strength to strength in hope of a consistent run that would keep us in the hunt for glory, and, who knows, maybe even close the gap in the race for the title (though I wouldn’t be too optimistic about that one…)

Football is full of talking points. And more importantly, turning points. As we headed up the M6 to Manchester in February of last year for a fifth round FA Cup clash against Manchester United, we were top of the league, and by some distance, with the country’s top goalscorer and playmaker both on-song, ready for a mouth-watering tie against the then Champions of Europe, AC Milan, and optimistic that we can conquer all before us.

It was a men against boys humiliation, a true turning point of Arsenal’s 2007-2008, made all the worse by the careless tactical application and baffling selection policy. Let’s hope the fourth round this season is yet another turning point, but of the good variety this time please!

Talking Transfers in the EPL!

Asser Ghozlan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:05:18 -0500

First of all, happy 2009 to you all! Let's hope that 2009 is a much better year for our beloved Arsenal than the past few years!

A lot has been said and written about exactly what we need, or indeed, who we need, in order to bolster our squad and maintain something that resembles a bit of consistency.

Talk of strength, power, experience and quality frequently resonate in the Emirates, radio phone-ins, the Internet and so on, attributes that we have been direly lacking, especially when compared to our direct rivals.

And so, going into the New Year in fifth is neither a surprise nor an anomaly at all, but a direct reflection of our strengths and weaknesses when compared to the teams above us.

Despite maintaining my belief that several players do not have the necessary attributes to cut it as an Arsenal player, it does not take a genius to realise that we have undoubtedly been hit by a severe wave of injuries to key men on a regular basis.

With Rosicky out for a year, we have dearly missed our main attacking outlet from the midfield, a winger-cum-attacking midfielder who would've brought a lot of experience from his Dortmund days and international exploits into the role.

The signing of Nasri has been hailed as a great buy by many fans and critics, though, as a 21 year-old acclimatising to the physicality of the Premier League, he is yet to star as consistently as Rosicky had begun to before being mysteriously crocked.

We are all desperately waiting for Eduardo's return to full fitness, Wenger's supposed trump card up front, our "fox in the box", something that we crucially need in tight matches against so-called "lesser" opposition. Again, this was a player starting to find his feet in the full rigours of English football, before his career-threatening injury at St. Andrew's last February. Thankfully, Eduardo's response to treatment and rehabilitation has been remarkable, and his return cannot come soon enough!

The injury to Theo Walcott, the club's most-improved player this season, with his true potential finally beginning to be realised, has been a bitter pill to swallow, especially considering the freak circumstances in which it had happened, and during an England training camp prior to a useless friendly match (yes, even matches against Germany can be useless at times). And then, of course, came Francesc Fabregas' turn, following what seemed to be an innocuous challenge in our recent draw against Liverpool.

These are all key injuries that have ultimately left us humiliatingly decimated, and in that respect we have been very unlucky, particularly due to the nature in which these injuries had occurred. However, none of these long-term injuries are in defensive positions or to players who have a particular onus on defensive duties. And that rings many alarm bells.

Andrei Arshavin's name has been widely mooted in gossip columns and football forums over the past week. Whilst creativity and flair might now be needed following Fabregas' setback, this, in my opinion, should not really represent our main pressing priority as we head into the transfer window, particularly in light of the economic recession, and especially that we have been in our own little "credit crunch" since relocating to Ashburton Grove, or so Wenger has had us believe! It would be wise to address other, more pressing issues, whilst leaving the likes of Nasri and Walcott; upon his return, to take care of the creativity side of things.

The presence of a strong, towering, almost "boring" if you like, defensive central midfielder must be our top concern as an adequate replacement for the departures of Gilberto and Flamini last summer, an issue that Wenger must have finally realised needs to be addressed.

The likes of Denilson, Diaby and Song have all had opportunities to show what they can do in that role, and, despite glimpses of potential from the latter, it is fair to say that they have not performed to the expected level, a key reason why we have been left exposed on many occasions in counter-attacks and set pieces.

Strength-in-depth in defence is another issue that clearly needs some urgent action. We might be covered in numbers at the back, but, the lack of true leadership and certainty has left a lot to be desired.

With Djourou emerging as a possible contender for being a regular starter, the inconsistency of fellow centre-backs Gallas, Touré, and Silvestre has been stark, not to mention the former Captain's public outbursts that have cost him, and the team, dear.

I have recently stated that I am not Manuel Almunia's number 1 fan, and views on him have certainly been mixed. Ideally, the acquisition of a top goalkeeper is important for success nowadays, as you will see from Manchester United and Chelsea's trophy count over the past four seasons.

Nevertheless, with Shay Given being touted as the only potential reinforcement in that particular area, it is highly unlikely that Newcastle United will part company with one of their star performers, and so, it is therefore unlikely that we will land a new goalkeeper this month, particularly if our economic resources are stretched.

So, it seems likely that we will possibly sign a maximum of two players during this transfer window for various reasons; with Wenger acknowledging how "short" we are in the midfield, whilst not wanting to completely destroy his young fledglings' desires to succeed at the top level, not to mention that we are not exactly awash with cash, despite the board's insistence to the contrary.

We all have our own wishes as to who we should sign, our own "dream teams" if you like. Nevertheless, realistically, we must hope that the bare minimum in terms of strength-in-depth is achieved, with the spine of the team in the centre of defence and midfield urgently repaired. Plus, of course, the possibility that Wenger might indulge in splashing half a million quid or so on a sixteen year-old striking sensation!

And, with the returns of the aforementioned absentees from injury, the return of each and every one of them will surely feel as a new signing, another crucial point to consider, as we will desperately require their services for the final run-in, with an eye for 2009/10.

The title is certainly out of the question, but there is plenty to play for, not least retaining our status in the top four, a real challenge with the emerging consistency and power of Aston Villa. A good FA Cup run, something that we have missed since our 2005 triumph, would be very welcome, whilst the Champions' League is an absolute lottery.

But we should be confident in our ability in reaching the last eight, as Roma have been blessed with the same sort of inconsistency that we have suffered from so far this campaign, and so the tie is nicely poised at "fifty-fifty".

Finally, I leave you with this question. Just how well can we do if we strengthen the spine of the team?

A very simple formula for success, highlighting that we do not actually need "radical surgery" in order to compete at the top again, despite it looking that way so often throughout 2008. With the right buys and better luck in terms of injury, we can hope for a more successful 2009, a year in which we can be truly proud of Arsenal FC and prove the doubters wrong.

And, as I wish you a very happy 2009, we must all wish Arsenal a very happy transfer window!

Arsenal: The Half-Term Report

Asser Ghozlan — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:07:10 -0500

Well, well, well, where do I even start? I suppose the best way would be to ask you to recall the days when you, as a young chatty, cheeky, homework-forgetting, detention-regular school student would dread the prospect of a written bollocking by each and every teacher being delivered to your parents and guardians halfway through the academic year.

Since exactly half of the football season has now elapsed, I thought it was apt to analyse as impartially as possible (promise!) Arsenal FC's strengths and weaknesses. That's right, I am the schoolteacher and Arsenal the student! A lousy, tired-looking, underachieving one, I hasten to add.

Arsenal have reminded me of the one-time clever student living on reputation and past achievements, the worst kind of student my father always used to warn me.

Careless, thoughtless and simply a passenger in the class, not particularly bothered, or maybe even physically unable to motivate himself to emulate his previous status as the star pupil that had made him the envy of his classmates (the Premier League teams) and other classes (Europe's other leagues, you get the picture).

Indeed, when other students pulled their fingers out and began addressing their major issues (ala Liverpool, Aston Villa, etc.), Arsène's Arsenal just stood and watched, the manager staunchly believing that a team built on mere pennies and spineless, flimsy talent (or lack thereof, in many cases) can still lead the way to the top of the class as if nothing had happened. How wrong he is!

Starting with the strengths, as this will undoubtedly form the shortest section of this article, well at least the home kit for this season looks nice!

Joking aside, we, as fans, have been very hard-pushed to find any positives from this campaign. Say that to Wenger and he will probably spin his way through into lulling you into a false sense of greatness, harmony and never-ending optimism and buoyancy, but the stark reality is, there is not much to crow about.

Robin van Persie's return to full fitness has been a particular highlight, as he has shown on occasions what a truly world class player he can be, leading the line well and scoring some magnificent goals. But, of course, he will not have been helped by the team's inconsistency, and so, he has not shone to his full capacity.

A player who has bounced back from the many uncertainties and doubts regarding his talent was Johan Djourou, who, in my opinion, has been the most consistent defender amongst our ranks.

Physically strong, calm, measured, a good sense of positioning, and full of pace and endeavour, we have often kept clean sheets (a very "un-Wenger" thing) in his presence in the centre of defence.

In fact, many of you would agree that he should be kept in the side, with the other, more established centre backs competing for the second berth.

From a team viewpoint, I can only think of our victories against Manchester United and Chelsea as anything to be mildly proud of. Nineteen Premier League matches and six in Europe, and we can only be satisfied with two matches!

The Carling Cup youngsters certainly showed glimpses of what they can do, but, unsurprisingly, they are a carbon copy of their seniors, doing the hard bit and then falling flat on their faces when they are least expected to.

Which brings me onto a whole plethora of negatives, a glaring list of "areas for improvement" and "student action plans." Indeed, these are all points we have exhausted to death many times before and in many guises, glaring mishaps for all to see. All except Arsène Wenger, that is.

In my last article, I mentioned the presence of stench "dead wood" at the club, both on pitch and boardroom level. So I shall avoid scrutinising individuals once again and generalise the faults of the team, of which there are many.

Unfortunately, however, the manager cannot be protected in this generalisation and must take the blame almost single-handedly for where we are today.

Cutting a terse, grumpy figure during his post-match interview at Villa Park, Wenger summed up his almost tragic demise as a one-time great in the game in one sentence: "I believe we have improved greatly in the last two months and look very solid now, which is why I believe we can win the title."

On your own, Arsène! I very much doubt that your Chairman, any of your young protégées, and any of the 2.5 million plus supporters (not to mention the worldwide fanbase) share that belief of yours, which sounds more like a tame Christmas cracker joke that we are usually subjected to at this time of year!

Well, actually, I say on his own, save for one person, a friend of mine, one out of 2.5 million enraged supporters, who still seems to be living the "Arsène knows" dream, for which I salute his courage and yet question his sanity!

The presence of many average players in the squad, without the necessary strengthening to ensure a well-balanced team, able to compete with the rigours of the top flight and European competition, thanks in large to Wenger's stubbornness and lack of foresight, has culminated in where we are today, with our position in the top four seriously threatened, and with Liverpool, once a team that were nailed-on certainties to finishing below us, a whole 10 points clear.

Ten points! A gap between the league leaders and ourselves in fifth that is equally as big as between ourselves and 14th in the table!

Other interesting stats, such as the fact that we have conceded 23 goals in the Premier League so far, just under half of Fulham's total and having conceded 26 goals in our entire unbeaten campaign of 2004, as well as the fact that we have lost the same number of matches as Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have put together, only one of whom had lost to an opponent lower than fifth, adds to the embarrassment and makes me question if Wenger really has any idea what he is doing.

If I could reel off such statistics in five minutes, and if hundreds of thousands of people can highlight our weaknesses on a minute-to-minute basis, surely, SURELY, Wenger knows what is going wrong!

The 2-2 draw against Aston Villa sums it all up, a microcosm of our season. At 2-0 up, no one was getting excited. Dad was sitting there looking sceptical, and I had emphasised my belief with a hardcore Gooner that we would definitely concede a minimum of one goal the day before.

No nonchalant text messages that we were on the way up again, either. And so it happened. Not once, but twice. A Liverpool or a Chelsea or a United would have probably been under the cosh the way we have during the first half, and could have easily also scored two breakaway goals.

This is where the similarities end, as they would have shut up shop and made sure they bloody well went home with three points by hook or by crook. We didn't. We couldn't.

As we head into the New Year, there is a lot to mull over. Sure, injuries have not helped, but we should have prepared for that eventuality, and Wenger and his men must now learn the hard way, and we must all follow suit and suffer.

Perhaps Le Boss can take a look at the manager's seat on the opposition dugout on Sunday afternoon to remind him of exactly what an Arsenal player is all about.

And, as we head into a hopefully happy 2009 for all of us (including football-wise, which I very much doubt), the message in the report to Arsène and his boys reads very simply: "MUST DO BETTER!"

Arsenal’s Rollercoaster Ride: A Breakdown of the Season so Far

Asser Ghozlan — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:01:03 -0500

When I was asked to write an article with regards to the current weaknesses (and strengths) of the Arsenal side so far this term, I was understandably left at a loss as to what positives I could possibly eek out of a rather mucky situation.

Indeed, I can’t be blamed for that, neither can most fans, as it is fair to say that we have had a near-disastrous opening quarter of the campaign, that will only get worse if dramatic improvements are not made.

And with the visit of champions Manchester United looming, Arsene Wenger must be sweating over a number of factors, namely the art of defending and being able to successfully negotiate set pieces—not just corners and free kicks, but throw-ins as well as we found out last week!

The accusations of “spineless”, “lacking heart”, “weak” etc have been levelled at the Gunners from all quarters over the past few weeks. Admittedly, I have hardly been quiet myself, as I have seen enough to hurt me and shock me as a lifelong Arsenal supporter.

However, despite Wenger’s firm dismissal of such criticisms, it is hard to believe the once so convincing suave Frenchman. Having lost three matches already this term, all against teams which will probably fill the lower half of the table, the Premier League title is already proving to be out of Arsenal’s reach, nigh-on-impossible if United go home undefeated on Saturday.

A lot of Arsenal’s weaknesses stem from two factors, which ultimately equate to the already mentioned criticisms aired so publicly since throwing away that 4-2 lead with four minutes to go.

With generations of Arsenal sides led by the likes of McLintock, Adams ,and Vieira, William Gallas’ leadership has been more than suspect. So much so in fact, that it has left the whole defence in a state of apparent disarray. A club captain is one who is a calming influence, a guide to young talents, but also one who can roar his troops into action when needed, and be the first one to stand up and be counted when the going gets tough. This has been the case with many Arsenal captains in the past.

Unfortunately, Gallas has been the first to come out and criticise the team himself in the media, coming out with all sorts of rhetoric regarding how we must stop relying on our attacking style of football and concentrate on rock solid defending and grind out more victories.

Well, that starts with you Willy, and you have hardly been an imposing rock at the back, though, to be fair, this has also been the story of the defence collectively.

Which brings me on to my second glaring weakness of this Arsenal side; the repugnant lack of physical strength and ability to deal with simple set plays. A ghastly fault of the manager’s stubborn belief that the team did not require strengthening over the summer, I have seen our players easily pushed off the ball, harassed and almost bullied to balls by stronger sides; a backbone of players as strong as my old primary school team (in relative Premier League terms)!

Imagine a midfield of Nasri, Fabregas, Denilson, and Walcott (all of whom are below the average male height) coming up against a rugged midfield as that of Stoke’s last weekend. Or, if we compare ourselves to a fellow “big club”, against Chelsea’s quartet of Essien, Lampard, Ballack and Deco.

Enough said.

A combination of Wenger’s myopic vision and absolute stubborn belief in the team as it is has led us into this mini-crisis, a crisis that has been compounded by sub-standard performances despite having had the easiest start of the “Big Four”.

In fairness, looking at the positive aspects (or aspect, as the case may be), Arsenal, in full gear, play an exhilarating brand of football that cannot be matched by many teams around the world. However, this is as far as it goes, as Wenger’s teams of the past had the ability to combine both qualities brilliantly, and that is desperately lacking today.

With the must-win game against United fast approaching, Wenger knows that his whole reputation that was based upon the fans’ unwavering support is very much on the line, and that failure will not be tolerated neither by the fans, nor, ironically, by his young stars that he had nurtured and brought onto the world stage.

To sum up, I will close with my resolute conviction that a team containing Adams, Campbell, Vieira, Henry et al would not have conceded two goals from throw-ins against top-flight novices, and would have definitely not thrown away a two-goal lead with minutes to go against a side languishing at the bottom of the league.

And that says it all.

The Greek tragedy that is Arsène Wenger's Arsenal!

Asser Ghozlan — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:22:31 -0500

Cast your minds back to Wednesday 8th May 2002. It is half past seven in the evening. The venue is Old Trafford, Manchester. 67,000 fans are jam-packed into the Theatre of Dreams, not to mention the hundreds of millions of worldwide viewers watching Arsenal play for the right to snatch the Premiership crown at the backyard of their worst enemy for the past decade, a mere four days after claiming FA Cup glory in Cardiff against local rivals Chelsea.

That night, after our famous 1-0 win, a triumphant Arsène Wenger predicted a "power shift" from the north to the capital, namely from Old Trafford to the marble halls of Highbury.

Fast-forward exactly two years, or two years and a week for the pedantic amongst us; Saturday 15th May 2004, and Arsenal have just beaten already relegated Leicester City to ensure having gone an entire league campaign with a zero under the "Lost" column. That glorious league campaign, along with another FA Cup having been added to the trophy cabinet a year before, had been enough to suggest that Wenger's prophecy was coming to vision.

A final fast-forward into the annals of the Premiership years takes us to 24th October 2004, back again at Old Trafford, with the "invincible" Champions looking to go half a century of matches unbeaten.

A crucial turning point in Wenger's reign. A turn for the worse for Arsenal Football Club. Since that bruising 2-0 defeat in a gloomy, rain-soaked Old Trafford, it has just not been the same for Arsène Wenger's Arsenal.

I was worried that I would bore the readers stiff with this history lesson. But I realised that the most fitting way to highlight our current weakness, or shambles, more appropriately, would be to pinpoint just how strong we were fairly recently. Wenger had had every right to believe that Arsenal were on the verge of a dominance akin of United's in the 1990s and Liverpool's in the 1980s.

After all, in Campbell and Vieira, we had a strong, towering, imposing presence in defence and midfield; a dominant spine, combining brilliantly to replace one Tony Adams' heroics, solidity and most importantly, strong leadership. Add flair, creativity and dynamism to these basic ingredients, and you have two of the most prolific goalscoring wingers in the modern game in the forms of Robért Píres and Freddie Ljungberg.

To put the icing on the cake, we had Wenger's very own discovery from his Monaco days, the world's best striker, Thierry Henry, supported brilliantly by the non-flying Dutch master, Dennis Bergkamp.

When that great team began to get dismantled for a variety of different reasons, despite our sadness and disappointment, we, as fans did not worry about the future, confident that Wenger knew exactly when a player was past his peak.

Indeed, Wenger seems to have been justified in letting every one of those Arsenal legends go at the right time. The snag is, he has not been able to replace them with the sufficient strength, character, and quality that he had promised and that had been expected to continue the pursuit for top honours.

The current Arsenal team are a mere shadow of what a world-class side they once used to be, an absolute embarrassment to the category of "title challengers". To his credit, Wenger has definitely got them playing the football that he had always preached in favour of. However, that is as far as one can go in praising the Wenger of today, as he has forgotten about the main ingredients of a successful side; the basic principles that ultimately win you football matches, and, in the long run, trophies- strength, heart, the ability to hang on in there when the going gets tough and nick a scruffy win when playing poorly.

What shocks me most is the fact is that everyone seems to know Arsenal's weaknesses. Everyone except Wenger that is. With the Board having repeatedly insisted that there are sufficient funds in the Club's coffers, so much so that we can in fact spend up to £30 million on one player (indeed the annual financial report published recently seems to support that view), Wenger's arrogance and stubbornness into attempting (and failing) to achieve success his own way and on his own terms is a ghastly crime in itself.

My best friend (enviously an avid Chelsea supporter), said to me the other night that Wenger's stubborn refusal to properly address the team's weaknesses with true quality and experience is similar to an army going to war with shotguns, ignoring the artillery available to them, and subsequently suffering a crushing humiliation! That would be treason, and Wenger's treasonous way has transposed itself into becoming the "Arsenal way."

However, we have waited and waited, and waited again. Four years of failure and counting has been the end result of the "Arsenal way." In many ways, the manager is the victim of his own success. He got us used to the glory, and now he must deliver it consistently. In lay terms, Wenger must cut the crap, and fast.

After yet another embarrassing defeat at the weekend, Wenger came out with the same vague ideas and spin that he has been poisoning our ears with for the last three years. "Lacking sharpness, belief in the side's quality, we will win" and so on. What hurt me and embarrassed me most was Wenger's candid admission that "we could not cope with Stoke"!

Could not cope with Stoke? And yet we have great ability and we will emerge victorious. Wake up Arsène, we are not that daft, and neither are United, Chelsea and Liverpool that's for sure.

We have hit a new low, and it may yet get worse with Manchester United looming in the horizon. The move to the Emirates Stadium was intended to give us the financial power and status that we had so long deserved, but has instead restricted our manager to taking more care of the academy than the first team, and has got the prudent businessman out of him rather than the coach (Wenger has an Economics Masters)!

I had never witnessed a spineless Arsenal in my lifetime until three years ago, and now I know what it means to be slipping slowly into mediocrity. Ironically, we may even end up losing the few glimmers of hope in our team when yet another season of failure ensues, all for the very reason that Wenger had brought them in in the first place: to develop a world-class side of the future with minimum resources.

To be quite frank, enough is enough. "Arsène knows" is a folkloric thing of the past, and, if there is one thing that Le Boss should be duly informed of, is that we cannot keep planning for the future if we have not got a present.