Arsenal on the decline...

Its almost like a perfect storm, when anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

I always hesitate to write a  negative post on Arsene Wenger. I have a lot of respect for the French manager who has brought to football fans an attacking brand of football that has inspired coaches all over the world. Its pretty football, easy on the eyes but not always effective enough.

But recent developments have left Arsenal fans exasperated. It is too early in the season to predict if they will finish out of the top four (an unthinkable prospect since Wenger took over) but the signs are ominous. Arsene surely must take the blame for some poor managment decisions.

1.) No Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy... the latter two lost to Man City (closest competitors these days), Fabregas a crybaby demanding a Catalan reunion which smacks of childishness in my opinion. Wenger should have seen it coming, he should have sought replacements early in the window, he hesitated, Arsenal become the big losers, Barcelona and Man City got themselves fair bargains.

2.) Arteta, Benayoun, Mertesacker, Gervinho and Santos are not the typical A-listers Arsenal fans are looking for. For Arsenal, a morale boost was required, a big signing could have given this team a much needed lift... Arsene could have done well to sign a Eden Hazard or Gary Cahill.

3.) Arsenal just lost their best defender Vermaelen to surgery. Bad luck maybe but Arsene should have strengthened the backline a whole lot better. It is obvious Koscielny, Djourou and Squillaci are not BPL-standard central defenders. The 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford was a kind reminder by his old "friend"... Alex Ferguson.

4.) An inexperienced and paper thin squad. He failed to add even though it was plain obvious to everyone else that the team was uninspiring. The youth policy was meant to bed youngsters, but throwing them onto the field with no leader, no brute (i.e Tony Adams, Martin Keown) meant the team was bound to cut up by a rampant Man Utd.

5.) Money not reinvested meant fans will never be appeased. Losing the club captain and charismatic playmaker are big blows to the fan. It will have helped the fans to accpet the loss by spending on a star in the making like Eden Hazard or Marvin Martin, Arsene held back, the opportunity is lost to turn a crisis into a victory.

I hope Arsene Wenger could turn this around. He has never been tested on such a scale before, I hope he gets through it unscathed.

Beautiful soccer vs Effective soccer

There is an animosity that will last between Man Utd and Arsenal for many years.

It stems from the rivalry of the 90s and the start of the century when Arsenal groomed a team of superstars in Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira, Overmars, Pires to challenge the highly successful team of Man Utd, with Fergie's Fledgings and the fearsome captain Roy Keane.

Arsenal has long been labeled as a team of kids, and kids don't win championships. Unfortunately, these days, there can be no more excuses about being young and naive, the Arsenal players are full internationals and are fully expected to deliver on the promise their pretty soccer deserves.

Which brings me to the next point, will beautiful soccer gain you any long term success?

We see Barcelona, Brazil and arguably Man Utd win trophies with beautiful attacking football.

But we also see the likes of Portugal, Real Madrid in recent years and Arsenal themselves failing to win any despite playing attractive football.

The truth is, you need to know when to play tough and when to display arrogance. Man Utd knows how to win ugly, and more often than not, they scrape 1-0 victories in their most successful seasons. On the other hand, Arsenal can be riled into playing a bad match if they are closed down either legally or illegally. We have seen them get kicked around and lose confidence almost immediately.

The old Arsenal had a steely midfield general in Vieira, and a no-nonsense back four led by Tony Adams and Martin Keown. These days, you can hardly put Alexandre Song or Laurent Koscielny in the same mould. They can be bullied into submission. Of course, I could eventually be made to eat my words, but I think Darren Fletcher and Wayne Rooney possess more guile and brute strenth to win physical battles when required.

Sometimes, you just have to win at all costs, and tonight's match is a crucial one for both teams. It is a huge confidence booster to go into Christmas, knowing you have beaten your closest rival and sit atop of the Premier League table. Alex Ferguson knows this too well, the Man Utd players are already pumping themselves up for the match. Arsenal meanwhile play the card of "bring it on" and defend themselves from the title of underachievers.

The key battles are individual, Evra vs. Nasri, Rooney vs Vermalaen and Koscielny, Arshavin and Chamakh vs Rio and Vida, Fletcher vs Song, Nani vs Clichy, Park vs Sagna. There is just that more experience and steely determination on the side of Man Utd.

With the home support, I think Man Utd will edge out Arsenal on this one.

The "Sol" walks again...Continued...

Less than 4 months ago, Sol Campbell joined Notts County only to have left the outfit 3 days after his debut for the club. (Please refer to my previous entry The "Sol" walks again)

Now, Sol Campbell has rejoined Arsenal and taken up the jersey number 31. He is the 5th player to have rejoined Arsenal in the club's history. Somehow, his performance has been rather disappointing. He looked like his weight is slowing him down quite a lot and at an age 35, I have serious doubts of whether he can keep up with the game, much less the pace and style of Arsenal.

I suppose at the current situation that Arsenal is facing, Sol provides Wenger a player whom he can trust, work with and probably bring some experience to his defence and the squad. I guess at least he hasn't left Arsenal the way he left Notts so that's good news for Wenger. Though his contribution is definitely doubtful in the long run, right now, at 20,000 pounds a week, I guess it must have been a cheap steal for Wenger to tide over the tough times.

The "Sol" walks again.

Sol Campbell is well remembered during his days at Arsenal and also for his contribution to England. However, Sol's recent antics have landed him 2nd place on the top 10 shortest transfers. Sol Campbell walked out of Notts County after 1 game for the club which ended in a 2-1 defeat at Morecambe.

It's not the first time Sol Campbell has done something like this for he has walked out of Arsenal in 2006 after a horrendous first half against West Ham. Reports say it is due to a reality check that he decided to leave Notts County. For me, I see it as a simple act of irresponsibility and a display of terrible character and professionalism.

He may be a good defender and may be snapped up in January by some struggling clubs in the Premier League when the transfer window opens. But my advice to these clubs is that they be ready for the signing of a non-committed player and a player who doesn't seem to put the club above himself. All in all, a selfish player who is fickle and probably makes uninformed choices.

Return of Patrick Vieira ?

Could this be true? Rumors are flying off the shelf that Patrick Vieira is set for a sensational return to Arsenal.

My word.... that will be something wouldn't it? I mean there is no one better than Vieira replacing the void left by Vieira himself when he moved on from Arsenal... The player might be getting on in footballing years... but the experience, the charisma that went with him when he left... that was something Arsene Wenger never found again in another...

What a way to boost Arsenal spirits if this turns out to be true !! Nothing beats the return of a cult hero, much less the return of a legend like Patrick Vieira to the Premier League again...

Man City rips into paper-thin Arsenal

Man City has found a happy hunting ground for desperate players who are looking to increase their retirement pay package... Arsenal.

The North London club has lost its chief striker in Adebayor to the Eastlanders and looks set to lose their stand-in captain for most of last season Kolo Toure to the new found riches at Manchester. Incidentally, both Toure and Adebayor have been reported to be of bad influence in the dressing room, with a less than warm relationship with the fans and other players at the club. I wonder if this is a gimmick pulled by Arsenal to hide the regret and dismay Arsenal fans must be feeling at seeing their squad thinning out again for a new season.

It looks almost certain that Arsene Wenger is clearing his first eleven of the old guard, to which Adebayor and Toure belongs to. Next in line could be Eboue who is attracting interest from Fiorentina. Arsene has so far bought only one defender in Vermaelen, a Belgian international whom not many have heard of. Well, he could slot into Toure's position at the back. Eduardo Silva could probably become the main goal poacher for the Gunners and take over Ade's responsibilities alongside the promising and imposing Dane, Nicklas Bendtner.

The Arsenal team still has a lot of footballing potential in Fabregas, Arshavin and the returning Rosicky. Problem is Arsenal never seem to learn the fact that players get injured over the course of the season, and a paper thin squad is NOT going to win you the Barclays Premier League. This Arsenal squad has long been labeled as a team of kids. This season, they are no longer kids. They are full internationals who are expected and expect themselves to win trophies. Fabregas has already tasted sweet victory with Spain in the European Cup, he is widely expected to shoulder the leadership responsibility of the entire team. Whether he can change the trophyless streak of Arsenal for the past few seasons with such a thin squad is going to be the biggest test of his young career. And he is not getting much help from the management who keeps selling players but never seem ready to replace fast enough.

Another season in the doldrums i.e. a fourth place finish or out of the the top four will condemn Arsenal to losing Fabregas to Barcelona, and the likelihood that Arsenal will not be able to keep any of its major stars anymore to compete realistically in England or Europe. Surely, Arsenal must find some way to re-energize the squad. The team needs at least a new signing in defensive midfield and another leading forward to be considered worthy opponents to Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea. Hopefully, Arsene is allowed to reinvest the 25 million for Adebayor and the 14 million for Toure to getting a good enough player to complement a talented but underachieving team.

The Gunner fans are keeping their fingers crossed for the rest of the summer.

Transfer Activity

Chelsea going English? Man Utd building a strikeforce to attain Ronaldo's goals ratio? Arsenal to sign a new Vieira?

Just as the world has been been distracted and still in amazement at the glut of signings made by Real Madrid, the fans of the BPL has also been dissapointed at the lack of a big signing from other leagues to the BPL this season. Manchster City promised much when the season ended, but it looks increasingly likely that Mark Hughes has got his transfer policy grounded to homegrown or proven talent in England. He is eyeing a domineering captain of Chelsea in John Terry to add on to his recent acquisitions of Barry, Santa Cruz and most likely Tevez who have already proved their worth in the BPL.

Man Utd is looking to consolidate the number of goals for last season by signing a fourth striker in Huntelaar who is unsettled at Real Madrid. He will join Michael Owen, Rooney and Berbatov to make up for the loss of chief goalscorer Ronaldo. Couple that with 2 new prospects in wingers Valencia and Obertan, and it is a season of testing new grounds for Sir Alex and co. No Ronaldo and Tevez will mean more chances for others like Nani, Valencia and the surprise package Michael Owen. Will they live up to the expectations?

Liverpool looks strangely quiet on the transfer market, probably burdened by the heavy club debt and the crazy figures clubs are asking for their prized players (everything is going for twice the money as prevous years because of Real's indulgent spending) Other than a 17 million pound Glen Johnson, Liverpool looks more likely to be selling some of their first team players in Arberloa and Alonso before making a bid for someone else. Selling hard man Javer Mascherano however will be a huge blow to their title chances.

Chelsea while fighting to stave off the coveting interests of Man City on their club captain is looking to do a bit of business since capturing Russian winger Yuri Zhirkov. While hoping Mourinho will pay for Deco and Cavarlho, they are still eyeing Porto's Bruno Alves, Milan's Andrea Pirlo and Alexandre Pato, while also crossing their fingers that Ribery or Sneijder will swap Madrid's Mediterranean weather for the depressing one in London. Perhaps the recent signing of striker Daniel Sturridge and new interest in England Under-21 winger Adam Johnson shows a stark change in Ancelotti's transfer policy. Going for English talent could be the "in" thing for Chelsea this season. But English players other than the current Ashley and Joe Cole, Lampard and Terry seldom succeed at Chelsea, do they? Steve Sidwell, Scott Parker, Wayne Bridge, Glen Johnson and Carlton Cole came and left, while having found some success at other clubs.

Arsenal is FINALLY getting into the transfer market after years of signing youth players. Arsene is definitely looking to rebuild a part of his fractured midfield last season by looking to sign a hard man in Matuidi. Likened to the legendary Patrick Vieira, he could be the answer to adding some steel to a midfield that boast the creative genuis of Fabregas, Rosicky, Nasri and Arshavin. If Arsene don't win something major this season, it could well be the end of their captain, Fabregas career at Arsenal.

The rest of the competition is trying to catch up with the top 4 and a certain cash rich Man City. Tottenham under Harry Redknapp could be one to watch. Van Nistelrooy will be a huge capture even though he is nearing retirement. Sunderland's Steve Bruce will capture Spurs' Darren Bent if the Nistelrooy deal goes through. Aston Villa is hoping Stewart Downing will make them the priority destination for his England career. Other than that, there hasn't been that much of good excitement in the rest of the league to suggest the emergence of a club with bigger ambitions than mid-range parity.

Well, at least we know the English clubs still got their heads screwed on, knowing they are caught in a whirlwind of price inflation in the players' market despite the rest of the world still deep in a financial crisis.

Preview: Manchester United vs Arsenal

Whether or not Liverpool will have a chance at the Premier League title this year will greatly depend on the results of this match. Arsenal MUST beat Manchester United at Old Trafford to allow Liverpool a chance at the title.

All Liverpool fans will momentarily cheer for Arsenal! GO GUNNERS! Shoot down the Devils! Given Arsenal's recent poor run of form, it will be tough for the young gunners to perform a miracle and defeat Manchester United. However, if anyone can do it, Arsenal can!

Liverpool fans will have their eyes and ears glued to the TV or radio as we await the results of the match between Arsenal and Manchester United. Do not let us down Theo Walcott! Score one for the KOP at Liverpool!

"Magic" Money not the way for true Champions.

Despite being a Liverpool fan, I do salute Arsene Wenger's strong belief in not using money to build a champion worthy team. It has always been the style of the Arsenal's manager to develop players rather than buy well established players. This contributes to the wealth of tradition at Arsenal and makes them a side to be respected. The influx of money into the Premier League turned clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City into playgrounds for their wealthy owners as they bid for players just as if they were antique artifacts in an auction.

People like Arsene Wenger needs to be applauded as he identifies promising youths and develops them into stars for Arsenal. It is comforting to know that Theo Walcott is staying under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger and I believe he will blossom into a fine young gentleman if not, a great athlete.

Man City despite splurging so much on Robinho, is a far cry from being hailed as Champions. One day, the financial tap will run dry and clubs like Arsenal will triumph and survive through the test of time to emerge as eventual Champions in the hearts of everyone regardless of their achievements.

Champions are not bought. Champions are grown.

Tragedy: Arsenal Fan Kills Himself.

Tragedy strikes again in the world of soccer as an Arsenal Fan, Mr. Suleiman Alfonso Omondi, 29, was found dead, apparently having hanged himself at his home after Arsenal lost 1-3 (agg 1-4) to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on 05/05/09.

There might have been many reasons as to why Mr. Omondi had chosen to kill himself. It could be because of love and disappointment after Arsenal's loss, it could be due to personal problems or most likely, it could be an accumulation of all his problems with a simple triggering point that led to his actions. We will never know the true reason for the reason left with Mr. Omondi. We are not here to judge. Every death is sad as it is afterall, a loss of life.

A moment of thought for everyone as we continue on with our lives, remembering that Mr. Omondi is no longer on this world anymore. To his family and friends, our deepest condolences. To all Arsenal fans, it is the club's and community's great loss to have lost such a devoted fan. To everyone, the human mind can be so fragile at times, as all it takes is a simple incident as such that leads to our decision to end our life that's so precious.

Glory Glory Man Utd !!

Tonight is the night... Tonight is the night when winners will be glorified and the losers forgotten, even if they had come so far. Tonight, boys will be seperated from men.

Man Utd vs Arsenal, for years... these two teams have entertained all football fans of the BPL, and both franchises had great dynasties when they rule the Premier League... Arsenal's past era of Thierry, Pires, Vieira and the unstoppable French crew led by Monsier Wenger, and Man Utd's current riches of talent in Cristiano, Rooney and the battling Carlos Tevez, led by none other than the fiery and wily Scot that is Sir Alex Ferguson.

No doubt in my heart of hearts who I think will be the winners at the final whistle tonight, but the Devils will be well aware of the Gunners who are always a tricky side to play, they've especially got good players in the attacking department. I do think Theo Walcott is starting to mature in his attacking game, while Adebayor is always lethal if given half a chance. Arshavin's ineligibility can only be good news for Man Utd, though defnitely not for the neturals. Still Rio and Vida must be at their stingy best to stop the existing attacking threats... boy am I glad we have the most solid and bullying central defence in world football today.

If Man Utd's game plan tonight is to play defence (which is highly unlikely), the Gunners will be dangerous given their home ground advantage. Instead, I am quite confident that the Devils will be full-blooded in their counter attacking game tonight, Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov and Tevez will make any defence in the world quiver in their boots lest the makeshift central defence that is Silvestre and Toure; without their injured old guard and disgraced captain William Gallas. Well, at least Almunia, that eccentric blonde and Spanish goalkeeper is finding his form now.

One away goal at Emirates and the final could well be sealed. Man Utd will be actively looking to steal an early lead and close the game early. And if all else fails. we always have the wonder boy Kiko Macheda to call on... with so many weapons on the team, Man Utd needs to try really hard to lose this semi-final, I am hoping its not the case tonight.

Come on you Reds !! The quadruple is in sight, about time to relive the glory days of 1999. Tonight is the night. Glory, Glory, Glory, Glory Man United !!