Daily Archives: September 4, 2011
Gooner Daily awards for the month of August
The month of August labeled the start of a new campaign and the gooners were looking it with newly-found optimism and hope following the club’s demise in the tail end of last season.
At the start of the month, Wenger wasn’t really active in the transfer market but the club has already lost Gael Clichy while the futures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri still remained in doubt. The play-off draws took place and Arsenal geared themselves up for a two-legged encounter with Udinese, the fourth placed Italian Serie A team last season.
Arsenal raised its curtains in St. James Park , a ground that hosted a Premier League epic in February. Both teams had a cautious first half but the game was marred by the theatrics of Joey Hitler after he got himself involved with a jersey tug with Gervinho when he instigated it.
Gervinho saw red on his debut and that was it from an Arsenal point of view. The game ended in a goalless stalemate.
brawl
Three days after the bore draw at Tyne side, Arsenal hosted Udinese in the first leg of the Champions League play-offs and made away with a 1-0 win after Walcott latched on to a Ramsey drilled pass.
The Gunners then hosted Liverpool in the lunchtime fixture for the weekend but Ignasi Miquel was left with a red face after his proposed clearance hit Aaron Ramsey’s body to go into the net leaving Szczesny helpless. Luis Suarez put the game beyond doubt to give Liverpool its first win in Arsenal’s home ground in 11 years.
Arsenal was faced with a do or die match in the Champions League play-off second leg against Udinese but Antonio di Natale’s heroics were not enough as Arsenal ran out as 2-1 winners in the fiercely contested encounter.
Arsenal’s last match in August was definitely one to forget because the club received it’s biggest in the 21st century in the hands of the old enemy, Manchester United. A game that brought up comments like,
“I 8-2 be an Arsenal fan right now”
At the start of every new month, I’ll create a post like this reviewing all the matches played in the previous month and the posts could be found in the newly created awards category.
The best part of such an article is that it was created from the votes of my esteemed readers in the polls I created at the end of the month. This votes will go a long way because it would influence the end of the season review like the 2010/11 Season Review that I created last season.
Here’s a full list of Gooner Daily’s awards for the month of August created thanks to the votes of the blog’s readers.
SAVE OF THE MONTH
Wojciech Szczesny kept in all five games played in the month so the save of the month had to come from him. The nominated saves were his top notch save from Andy Carroll’s header when Liverpool visited the Emirates, his magnificent penalty stop from Antonio di Natale’s penalty when Arsenal visited the Frulli and his top drawer save from di Natale’s save when Udinese visited the Emirates.
The results were:
Szczesny save from di Natale penalty (24.08.11): 90.65%
Szczesny save against di Natale free kick (16.08.11): 5.4%
Szczesny save against Carroll header (20.08.11): 3.96%
Szczesny celebrating Arsenal's victory over Udinese
“….Minutes after Arsenal had gone ahead on aggregate, Lord di Voldemort had another chance to bring Udinese closer to Champions League qualification with Italy, the Udinese fans, Francesco Guidolin and his fellow death eaters…..teammates watching with hope.
Di Natale wiped away the sweat from his face before gearing himself up for the spot kick. He rattled Szczesny’s bar from 35 yards a week ago so 12 yards was more than close enough to bury the ball at the back of the goalie’s net but Arsenal’s keeper had other plans.
With Szczesny’s eyes firmly fixed on the ball, di Natale smashed an unstoppable shot but as the saying goes:
“When an unstoppable shot meets an immovable object, something has to give.”
Szczesny turned out to be that object and the save was the W in world class. With Fabianski crying out loud that he wants to fight to the end to win his place back from Szczesny, that save would have done enough to tell Flyin Fabbi that the bench is not a bad place after all.”
Culled from Udinese 1 Arsenal 2: Wojciech Szczesny makes his mark
ASSIST OF THE MONTH
Arsenal played five matches in the month of August and scored only five goals. That’s definitely a low average from a team of Arsenal’s calibre but I was able to select three assists for nomination.
The nominated assists were Rosicky’s assist for Walcott in the loss to Manchester United, Ramsey’s assist to Walcott in the 1-0 victory over Udinese and Gervinho’s lovely individual assist for van Persie when Arsenal won Udinese in Frulli.
The results were:
Gervinho assist for van Persie (Udinese) (24.08.11): 78.35%
Ramsey assist for Walcott (Udinese) (13.08.11): 17.32%
Rosicky assist for Walcott (Man Utd) (28.08.11): 4.33%
Gervinho evading a marker
“….Arsenal’s black dreadlocked Harry Potter with the big forehead started again after receiving the ball from a deflected Rosicky shot with his Expecto Patronums and the Udinese players watched again as he waltzed past them. His final ball found Robin van Persie and Arsenal’s captain and Flying Dutchman did the rest with a neat left-footed finish.”
Culled from Udinese 1 Arsenal 2: Wojciech Szczesny makes his mark
GOAL OF THE MONTH
Arsenal managed a meager five goals in the five games they played with Theo Walcott getting three while Robin van Persie had the other two. The nominated goals were Walcott’s superb individual solo effort in the 2-1 win against Udinese, Walcott’s clinical finish that went through de Gea’s legs in the loss to Manchester United and Walcott’s quick footed finish in the 1-0 victory against Udinese.
The results were:
Walcott’s goal against Udinese 2nd leg (24.08.11): 59.42%
Walcott’s goal against Udinese 1st leg (13.08.11): 29.47%
Walcott goal against Man Utd (28.08.11): 11.11%
Walcott's solo goal
“….The next goal was going to be the most important but it was heartwarming to know that it was scored by Arsenal. Rosicky fed Jenkinson who switched play to the left hand flank. Vermaelen teed up Sagna before he connected well with Theo Walcott.
With Udinese playing with the unorthodox 3-5-2 formation, there was certainly going to be a point when they’ll be exposed for the lack of standing full backs. Walcott used his pace to evade the wing back and was closing in on goal and one of the center backs was trying to close down on him. He sent Handanovic the wrong way and the joyous screams from the Arsenal fans in Frulli could be heard on the Moon.”
Culled from Udinese 1 Arsenal 2: Wojciech Szczesny makes his mark
MATCH OF THE MONTH
Even if the month of August ended on a sad note for Arsenal, there was still a game that stood out from the rest to leave the gooners with fond memories. The nominated matches were Arsenal’s draw against Newcastle, Arsenal’s first leg victory against Udinese and Arsenal’s second leg victory against Udinese.
The results were:
Udinese 1 Arsenal 2 (24.08.11): 96.21%
Newcastle 0 Arsenal 0 (13.08.11): 1.9%
Arsenal 1 Udinese 0 (16.08.11): 1.9%
Song in action against the Zebrette
“Tonight, for 14 years on the trot, we play in the Champions League. We have a new stadium, a fantastic training ground, a very good financial situation and a very strong team. It was important today because we were under pressure so it was important to keep calm, composed and not do anything stupid.” – Arsene Wenger
WORST MATCH OF THE MONTH
Oh well.
I always say that the good goes hand in hand with the bad. There’s always a game where the Arsenal faithful will have to go home with buckets of tears. The nominated matches were Arsenal’s bore draw against Newcastle, Arsenal’s disappointing defeat against Liverpool and Arsenal’s humiliating loss to Manchester United.
The results were:
Man Utd 8 Arsenal 2 (28.08.11): 97.27%
Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2 (20.08.11): 1.36%
Newcastle 0 Arsenal 0 (13.08.11): 1.36%
R2
“….The last time Arsenal lost with 8 goals, Zeus, Hera and the other Greek gods were giving their blessings to Greece for the first ever Olympic Games in 1896. 53 years before Wenger was born.”
Culled from Man Utd 8 Arsenal 2: Red Devils simply gr-eight
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE MONTH
There’ll always be a Gunner that will emerge from the shadows to wow the fans with his performances. Last season, Wilshere surprised every gooner with his breathtaking performances that earned him a place in Premier League’s history as the 2011 PFA Young Player of the Year.
The nominees for the most improved player for the most of August were Emmanuel Frimpong, Aaron Ramsey and Carl Jenkinson.
The results were:
Emmanuel Frimpong: 74.18%
Aaron Ramsey: 17.62%
Carl Jenkinson: 8.2%
@EmmanuelF4 in action
Frimpong had a 6.5 Gooner Dating rating against Udinese (2nd leg), an 8.0 rating against Liverpool, a 6.5 rating against Udinese (1st leg) and no rating against Newcastle because he arrived late into the pitch.
Overall he had an average rating of 7.0 in the month of August.
Not bad for the young bloke.
MOST DISAPPOINTING GUNNER OF THE MONTH
There are some Gunners that can be very disappointing to watch at times. One week, they are really good. The other, they’ll put up displays that will prompt the gooners to ask for their heads on a plate.
The nominees for the most disappointing Gunner award were Andrey Arshavin, Tomas Rosicky and Johan Djourou.
The results were:
Andrey Arshavin: 49.8%
Johan Djourou: 45.45%
Tomas Rosicky: 4.74%
Arshavin
Arshavin had a Gooner Daily rating of 4.5 against Manchester United, no rating against Udinese (2nd leg) because he arrived at the death, a 5.5 rating against Liverpool, no rating against Udinese (1st leg: he didn’t play) and a 6.0 rating against Newcastle.
Overall he had a rating of 5.3 in the three games he played in the month.
Poor.
GUNNER OF THE MONTH
This is the award given to the best player in the month of August. It’s also the award where the winner gets his picture uploaded in the Gunner of the Month section of the blog in the sidebar on the right hand side.
The nominees for the prestigious award were Gervinho, Thomas Vermaelen and Theo Walcott.
The results were:
Thomas Vermaelen: 38.52%
Gervinho: 31.56%
Theo Walcott: 29.92%
The Verm dealing with the Bent One
Vermaelen didn’t play against Manchester United so he had no rating.
However, he had a rating of 7.0 against Udinese (2nd leg), an astronomical 9.5 rating against Liverpool, a 6.5 rating against Udinese (1st leg) and a 7.5 rating against Newcastle.
Overall, the Verm had an average rating of 7.6 in four matches played.
A total of 1,888 votes were cast over the eight polls and I would like to express my profound gratitude to every reader that participated in the exercise. At least, we know what to expect for the month of August when I write the season review and the season awards come May.
Feel free to check out the 2010/11 Season Review and the 2010/11 Season Awards at your spare time.
Let’s do this again next month.
Sayonara.
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Wilshere out, Dixon skeptical and transfer targets achieved
The Gunners on international duty were on fire in their own respective ways. Gervinho turned on the style for Ivory Coast with a scintillating display that saw him saw two goals and supply three assists for his teammates.
Robin van Persie was on a hot streak when Holland smashed San Marino with a 11-0 scoreline and he was quick to tell the media Vultures that this is the best Dutch side he’s ever seen. That’s his opinion though.
When Johan Cruyff was on the verge of becoming a world champion in the 1974 World Cup, Robin wasn’t even born but I’ll have to comment that the Dutch Class of ’11 has been phenomenal. Following his four goal haul at Eindhoven, reports are emerging that van Persie might approach Wenger to tell him that he wants a free role at Arsenal instead of the usual centre forward position.
Van Persie played behind Huntelaar to deadly effect against San Marino but I don’t think that it will be in Arsenal’s best interest to play him there because he’s the best striker there is at the the club. There are a thousand and one players that can supply the ball for van Persie in the midfield so he shouldn’t bother himself.
Sticking with Gunners on the international scene, Theo Walcott wants England to continue the momentum following their 3-0 win over Bulgaria. Theo did okay in the game and was instrumental in England’s 3rd goal that was scored by the man on form, Wayne Rooney. With England hosting Wales on Tuesday, Walcott seems odds on for a starting berth.
The transfer window is pretty much over but the media Vultures haven’t taken their feet off the pedal. They’ve reported that AC Milan have put Nicklas Bendtner under their radar after he stated openly that he’ll never join Arsenal.
I have a hunch that Bendtner might do well in Sunderland so Steve Bruce might face a stiff competition with AC Milan and the other teams that denied their links with him this summer. With positions in the striking department fully occupied, it will be impossible for Bendtner to play for the Gunners again; except if Wenger has other plans for the bloke.
The media Vultures have also stated that Wenger wanted to sign Clint Dempsey and Yoann Gourcuff but he missed out on them. Yossi Benayoun and Mikel Arteta gave Arsenal what Dempsey and Gourcuff would have given to the squad.
Benayoun like Dempsey, is a highly versatile player that can be fielded in many positions across midfield while Arteta can match Gourcuff for technique, passing, creativity and set piece taking. However, the media Vultures have reported that Arteta and Mertesacker ticked all the boxes for Arsene Wenger this transfer period.
On the 29th of July, Sounak Mukherjee wrote a brilliant article tagged Arsenal’s Corner: Transfer Story so far and wrote some targets that were in line with what the fans wanted:
- Sign a Left Winger/Wide Striker who can be an integral part of Plan B – Check!
- Sign a Central Defensive Midfielder, who could deputize on Song’s absence during the African Cup of Nations ’12 – Not Done!
- Sign a Center-Back as a defensive Cover for Vermaelen and Djourou – Not Done!
- Sign a Full-Back if required in case of departure of “Experienced” heads – Not Done!
- Sort out the contract situation of Samir Nasri, either extend his contract or sell him – Not Done!
- Sort out the transfer situation of Cesc. Keep the captain – Partially Done!
- Offload “Dead Wood” from the team – Denilson, Eboue, Almunia, Bendtner (not really “dead wood”) – Not Done!
With the transfer window closed, Sounak Mukherjee must be a happy chum because Wenger has achieved almost all the targets set in his article. Wenger signed a left winger/wide striker who can be an integral part of Plan B in the form of Gervinho, Wenger didn’t sign a central defensive midfielder who could deputize on Song’s absence during the African Cup of Nations next January but the fans saw another beast called Emmanuel Frimpong.
Wenger signed a center back as a defensive cover for Vermaelen and Djourou in the form of Per Mertesacker but I’m in the opinion that Mertesacker would be selected above Djourou and Koscielny.
The contract situation involving Samir Nasri took forever but Wenger flushed him out to Manchester City to bring some good quid to the club. Cesc Fabregas’ saga didn’t have a happy ending but Arsenal felt that the time was right to part with its former captain. The bloke is on a hot streak with Barcelona and Spain and it’s good to see that he’s flourishing.
As for the “deadwood”, Wenger has done very well to remove a large chunk of them but the likes of Almunia and Squillaci are somewhere in the mix. Denilson was packaged in a box and was shipped across the Atlantic, Farmer Eboue was sent to Turkey to teach them how to dive by ‘pushing the button’ according to CNN and Nicklas Bendtner was given a chance to save his footballing career with a move to Sunderland.
In my honest opinion, all transfer targets set by the fans were achieved by Arsene Wenger.
Many gooners would’ve loved to see the BioHazard of Eden as well as the french sensation Yann M’ Vila but we have to realize that this present lot is more than capable of ending Arsenal’s trophy drought. Whether its in the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup or the Champions League, there’s a full season to look forward too and to be optimistic about.
However, there’s an ex-Gunner that is pessimistic about Arsenal’s chances of breaking into the top four; the legendary right back Lee Dixon.
Dixon believes that Arsenal could face the prospect of not making it into the top four:
“For all the transfer frenzy of the last week, I’ve seen nothing to alter my belief that Manchester United are still the team to beat in the Premier League.
Certainly the evidence on the pitch from the first three games suggests United deserve to be favourites, but what those games have shown – combined with the transfer window spending – is that they will face a real challenge from the neighbours.
What Manchester City did at White Hart Lane last Sunday put down a proper marker. It’s the most balanced City side I have seen for a long, long time.
Which leaves Arsenal facing the prospect of being outside the top four. I’ve spent the last week trying to get last weekend out of my system – when I saw the team-sheet sitting in the Match of the Day studio waiting to watch the game I said to Alan Hansen I feared the worst.
I couldn’t believe what I saw all over the pitch – Arsène Wenger looked like a man in the wilderness sitting on the bench.
The hope for Arsenal fans is that this result can prove a turning point. If it had finished 4-2 or 3-2, we may not have seen such a frantic week in the transfer market. It was certainly not the way the club usually does business under Arsène.
But it did meet one of his requirements –the players he has brought in are better than the ones he has in the team. Signing Mikel Arteta came as a shock – although not as much of a shock as it must have been to David Moyes.
Losing one of your key players when there is no time to find a replacement is hard on him and a club who look close to being in freefall. They’ve a big couple of weeks ahead.”
Let me emphasize on a point or two from Lee Dixon’s comments.
The first paragraph says that Manchester United is the team to beat. If Sir Alex Ferguson could win the league with calamities like Bebe and Obertan, he can certainly win it again with Welbeck and Cleverly.
Arsenal got a first hand demonstration of how ruthless and clinical Manchester United can be and that result propelled them to the top of the pile with just three games gone.
His comments about Manchester City are also correct. Mancini has used Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s millions to create a formidable squad that can even challenge for the Champions League, not to talk about the Premier League. The emphatic 5-1 result at White Hart Lane set a clear message to other teams in the league.
This year’s Manchester derby cannot be missed for anything on Earth………of course, it can be missed. 🙂
“I couldn’t believe what I saw all over the pitch – Arsène Wenger looked like a man in the wilderness sitting on the bench.”
If you gave Lee Dixon a suit and told him to manage a game with the likes of Traore, Coquelin and Jenkinson on the pitch would he have fared better?
Notwithstanding, it was an embarrassing defeat.
He has aired his opinion about Arsenal but he and so many other gooners fail to realize that WE ARE JUST IN WEEK THREE!!!!!!!!!
Do I need to use a megaphone at the top of Mount Everest to make my point clear?
In other Arsenal related news, Jack Wilshere is most likely to be out for three months because of his persistent ankle problems but it’s good to know that with the newly built-up squad depth, there are other players that can deputize in his absence with the likeliest candidate being Aaron Ramsey.
Andre Santos has told the media Vultures that he’s in Arsenal to win trophies:
“Whenever I’m at a Club, winning cups is always my main goal. I want to win titles and win the hearts and minds of the supporters. I think I have to take it one step at a time.
Obviously, there are many games ahead of us but I hope to win many titles for the Arsenal family, making the supporters happy is the most important thing.
Well, I arrived here with one aim, being a champion. I will wear Arsenal shirt and give my utmost to it, I will do everything for this Club and that’s the main reason why I’ve been signed.
I’ve had a great season at Fenerbahçe and I hope to bring a lot of happiness to Arsenal and to win the hearts and minds of its wonderful supporters.”
I’m pretty sure that he’s going to do his bit by breaking attacks from the right wing and supplying inch-perfect crosses for the attack from the left.
The Chambered Ox has told the media Vultures that it’s won’t be easy for him to break into the squad and you can check out this video of Yossi Benayoun talking about life at Arsenal.
To wrap my post all up with a big Red and White ribbon, Arsenal.com was generous enough to publish the career stats of all the new signings this season from when they were kicking in their mother’s womb till when they signed for Arsenal Football Club.
I’m not still done for today.
The voting results for the awards for the month of August are out and as promised, I’ll publish another article for the results.
Have a great Sunday and tell a friend about Gooner Daily.
Sayonara.
You can follow Gooner Daily on Twitter @goonerdaily. I’ll follow back 
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Finally, you can subscribe to the blog to get notifications of new posts by email
Arsene Wenger’s new look starting eleven for the season ahead
Arsene Wenger is a manager that has been at Arsenal long enough to know the club inside out. Down the years, he has employed a host of formations and most have been to him and the club’s benefit.
Wenger had been an ardent fan of the 4-4-2 formation but switched to the highly tactical 4-2-3-1 to bring out the best in his previous captain Cesc Fabregas and create space for the club’s midfielders because the manpower in that area of the pitch is quite much . At the start of the 2009/10 season, Fabregas became the epicenter of the formation and it yielded much fruit because he had his best season in Arsenal colors scoring 19 goals and making 19 assists.
However, Arsenal ended in another trophy-less campaign after losing the Carling Cup quarterfinal in a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, a 3-1 FA Cup loss to Stoke City, a 6-3 aggregate drubbing in the hands of Barcelona and a 3rd place finish in the Premier League.
Arsene Wenger did some activity in the summer of 2010 to bring in the likes of Marouane Chamakh, Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci. After employing the same 4-2-3-1 formation for the 2010/11 season, Jack Wilshere, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie were the players that set Arsenal alight in the campaign.
It also ended in disappointment as Arsenal finished the league in 4th place. The club lost in the FA Cup quarterfinal to Manchester United and was knocked out in the 1st knockout phase by Barcelona. Arsenal’s closest shot to a trophy was the Carling Cup final against Birmingham City that ended in a shock 2-1 defeat.
More transfer activity took place this summer with notable figureheads like Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy leaving for greener pastures. With Arsenal needing the quality to challenge for the Premier League as well as hunt for other trophies, Wenger waited for the last day to bring four new vastly experienced players to blend with the team.
For once, Wenger didn’t go down the ‘all youngster lane’ but at some point in the season, he bought the 18-year Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and he also got a work permit for the 19-year Ryo Miyaichi.
Arsene Wenger’s new look squad is filled up with depth and it’s strong enough to challenge for the Premier League title as well as hunt for other trophies football as a sport has to offer.
Here’s my take on Arsene Wenger’s possible XI for the season ahead
GOALKEEPER: Wojciech Szczesny
Since taking over from Fabianski in December last season, Szczesny has been phenomenal. He put his head down and has worked really hard to cement his status as Arsenal’s new number 1.
His emergence as well as Fabianski’s consistency last season has assured the Arsenal fans that the goalkeeping situation is full settled. Szczesny had two clean sheets in a row at the start of the season but he was also in goal when Arsenal were demolished by their fierce rivals Manchester United.
It must have hurt him to concede eight goals but I’m very confident that Szczesny can be the difference between 3 points and 1 point as the season progresses.
RIGHT BACK: Bacary Sagna
He was probably the most consistent performer of the 2010/11 campaign and he has already picked up where he left off at the start of the new season.
His interceptions, tackles and energy surges down the right will be absolutely vital for Arsenal this season. He also put in a lion’s share of good crosses last season and Arsenal fans will be expecting the same in this current campaign.
With Gael Clichy becoming a forgotten tale at Arsenal, the media Vultures started linking Leighton Baines and Jose Enrique to the club but Wenger surprised everyone by saying that Kieran Gibbs was going to be his first choice left back for the season ahead.
Gibbs played only one game at the start of the season before doing what he was already renowned for, getting himself injured. Wenger played Sagna out of position for a couple of games but an illness paved the way for Armand Traore in Old Trafford and the Senegalese was largely disappointing.
He made a switch to Queens Park Rangers and it was evident that Arsenal needed a new left so Wenger turned to the experienced 27-year old Andre Santos from Fenerbahce. The lad has already notched up 22 caps for Brazil and fights regu;arly with Michel Bastos and Marcelo for a first team place in the Samba Boys‘ squad.
Andre Santos is a full back that’s also adept playing as a left winger and like every average Brazilian with the exception of Denilson and Lucas Leiva, he’s very skillful and he has an amazing technique.
He’s also a decent free kick taker and he has a flamboyant style of play. Just like the Brazilian legendary left back Roberto Carlos, Andre Santos can unleash a surface-to-goal torpedo from his left boot and he can also place the ball when he’s close enough to goal.
His major flaw as a player is his overzealous attacking nature and he’s not that fast enough to track back should a counter attack surface and he tends to be selfish at times because he loves dwelling on the ball but in general he can lead the line as the club’s prime left back with Gibbs as his deputy.
Thomas Vermaelen took the Premier League by storm in his first season and did well enough to get a place in the PFA Team of the Year. His second season was blighted by an Achilles injury that kept him on the sidelines for the best part of seven months.
This season has started with a bang and was a colossus when Arsenal hosted Liverpool despite playing with the inexperienced Ignasi Miquel.
Vermaelen will be vital to Arsenal this season and the fans can rely on him to put up more stellar performances.
Last ditch tackle
Following the loss of the Invincible defenders Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure, Wenger has not bought any defender of great quality with the exception of Thomas Vermaelen and maybe William Gallas.
The likes of Phillippe Senderos, Mikael Silvestre and Sebastien Squillaci have been major disappointments. Wenger relied fully on Johan Djourou and Laurent Koscielny throughout last season but they still produced moments of uncertainty and complacency in some vital games.
Koscielny produced a horror moment in the Carling Cup final last season while Djourou was at fault for all three goals when Arsenal lost to Stoke City in May.With their recent display against Manchester United in Old Trafford, Wenger felt that it was high time to bring a player that will put them on their toes.
Per Mertesacker is almost 2 meters tall……1.98 meters to be exact. His key attributes are his height, composure, positioning and aerial ability and they’ll be vital to Arsenal this season.
He’ll also be a massive threat during set pieces for Arsenal. Arteta and van Persie can even launch the ball into orbit while playing a corner kick. When the ball lands back to Earth with fire like a meteorite, Mertesacker will still be the first player to nod the ball to the opponents’ net.
unveiling
This is one player Arsenal FC can clearly brag about. A raw product of Arsenal’s impressive youth academy. Arsenal’s academy is probably the best on Earth. The only academy better than ours is in another galaxy. The Barcelona Mutant Academy.
After spending a lot of time disgracing his elders in the Reserve League, Wenger decided that it was time for him to step up his game. At the milky age of 18, he was sent to a club that has monsters like the Kevin Davies. His spell there was so impressive to the extent of Bolton begging Wenger for him to have a second spell.
Some Arsenal fans thought that a second loan spell would be in the club’s best interest but Wenger slotted him into the holding role in our impressive formation.
Jack Wilshere was very outstanding last season season. His commitment to the cause could make officials do the MRI scan on him again because he does not play like the average 19-year old.
It’s also warming to know that he’s the best young player in the business from the Premier League’s perspective and he’s now an integral part of the English National team.
PFA Young Player of the Year
The most shocking thing about Song is that he’s just 23. This simply means that he’ll probably rule our defensive midfield for 10 more years if he continues to work as hard as he did last year.
With the exit of all renowned defensive midfielders in Arsenal, the panic button was pressed so hard by the fans that it sprang out of the remote control. Wenger simply told the fans that everything was under control.
If Wenger had buckled under the intense pressure and opened Arsenal’s cheque book to buy a new defensive midfielder, the World could have been denied the viewing pleasure of Arsenal’s African diamond, Song.
He did his “dirty” job using a “clean” style. His key attributes are his technique, first touch, tackling, strength, work rate, stamina, anticipation and a canny eye for goal.
He has ‘grown up’ to become one of the finest holding midfielders in the business
Kiss and make up
Mikel Arteta arrives at the club as the primary replacement for Cesc Fabregas and he already has the pedigree to be capable of that.
Even if Fabregas is a better player overall, Arteta is the sort of player that can provide one moment of absolute quality. He’s also a better set piece taker than Fabregas and this will be to Arsenal’s advantage because the club has canny players that are good at winning set pieces.
Arteta also has a decent passing range and his technique is second to none.
Gervais Yao Kouassi has already turned out to be an amazing signing for Arsenal and his absence due to suspension has been seriously missed by the club.
He has all the attributes of an ideal winger and he can also be a decent inside forward when he wants to be. His trickery on the ball as well as his pace have been used to great effect this season ans it’s going to be important all season long.
Theo Walcott has matured massively as a player and has added certain attributes to his game.
He is widely regarded as a speed merchant but this season he has added goals, assists, composure and tactical dribbling to his game. He showed up with the goods this season in some games and has been very impressive at the turn of 2011.
At this point in time, he’s Arsenal’s highest goal scorer and his goals were instrumental for the Gunners in their Champions League knockout play-offs against Udinese
match winner against Udinese
Robin van Persie should be highly regarded one of as the most lethal strikers in the business this season because he scored almost half the goals Messi and Ronaldo scored in just 5 footballing months last season.
Provided he stays fit this season, rVp will definitely surpass the 30-goal mark. That’s if he stays fit though.
Goal of the 2010/11 Season
The new signings have been very good and very late in the day but Wenger has made more signings than most supporters would ever believe.
Some supporters will still not be happy, and will moan about all the players that we havn’t brought but Arsenal supporters don’t realise just how lucky they are to have Wenger. They have been used to playing in all the top competitions as if its their right.
Hard work by the Arsenal manager and his team will once again make the club competetive, if the club can shake the football authorities off their back, and not have anymore suspensions, the club stands a chance of winning the league.
Wenger has been watching all these new signings for a long time and he has left it as late as possible to acquire their services for as little as possible.
Just what a good manager does, sell high and buy low, that is why Arsenal in good hands and will be for the foreseeable future.
I just wanted to share my views with my readers.
A post about the proceedings happening in the Arsenal world comes up in a bit.
Sayonara
