Hope we are'nt bringing a knife to a Gun fight next season

here trophy trophy trophy...

Sometimes, theres' nothing like a good laugh at yourself. Like those moments you just shake your head at some silly comment you made or dumb action you took..we've all done that at some point or the other in life..maybe more frequently for some of us than others but..yeah, u get the point. That's basically what i have tried to do these past days as our transfer wilderness continues.Chelsea and United may not have set the World alight with their brand new signings you may say...but they both finished above us in the league, ended their season  with silverware, and have arguably stronger and deeper squads than we do, so why should we care. I'd reckon they both need at the most 2 key signings to be ready, while we need upwards of 3 to 4 to be in any way able to compete. Its like being placed in a Jungle littered with Predator-like Creatures,and every one's Armed with rocket launchers and M4 carbines while we are the only ones clutching a baseball bat. We head into the Emirates cup this weekend  for the first time in a couple of years since it was rested, without any new signings which i personally think is quite disappointing..not only for us the fans,but for the players too i dare say. However the show must go on, those guys are well paid pros who are expected to go about their business and leave the emotions to the crybabies like us.

 This was a summer with so many titles. The "New Dawn" some described it, "Arsenes Moment of Truth" others ventured to say..even Gary Neville our high profile closet fan said this was our big chance to build the kind of team that would fight realistically for silverware. it yet may proove to be. My concern though is if we should set a target on the trophies we need to concentrate on whilst embracing the truth that some other ones are well beyond our reach. It brings to mind the African saying that goes "If you try to catch 2 birds at the same time, you'll end up with nothing" i.e  zilch, zero, nadda. Be it far from me to imply we will finish another season trophyless, but unless we deepen this squad not with inexperienced kids but with proper, tested  talent we will be exposed when the going gets tough. i propose we divide the trophies as "YES WE CANs" or "FORGET ITs"  for those trophies we can win and those we stand no chance. Take the champions league for example, the holy graille of European football and the only trophy preventing Wenger from truly cementing his place as a Managerial Legend in the game. Its a tough cup competition where your squad quality or (lack of) will face the acid test.Even in the days of the invincibles this was a tournament we struggled to hold our own. Bayern,Milan,Juve,Barcelona and Real Madrid  in my opinion always seemed in a class by themselves. it goes beyond having a good starting 11, as Barcelona found out last season...you've got to be possesing a deep array of weaponry or it'll be another wasted campaign. So the question is,can we win it?after seeing  how Chelsea fumbled and wobbled their way to the trophy last year,why not? but with the way things are at the moment, i'd say we throw this one in the "Forget its". Next in line is the EPL, a marathon one where consistency is rewarded and laxity or entitlement mentality is punished mercilessly. Squad depth is the name of the game here even more than the champions league. so yet again, if we want to abdicate the 4th place trophy to Spurs we need to act now...either that or "Forget it". The FA cup and Capital one cup are the lesser trophies left to be won. They pitch us against minnows through most of the games with only one or two big teams to fight with. Having said that anyone who watched our gut wrenching exits to Blackburn and Bradford in both tourneys last season will tell you they can also be full of nasty surprises. The requirements for success here are sheer determination, fight and team efficiency. This is true until you meet the big guns where you will then need the additional Xfactor to sail through.. We definitely can place both in the "Yes we cans".Matter of fact, i personally feel we should have won the Capital one cup last year but there you go.

It was funny watching us swat Asian teams with minimal fuss. Yeah, we don't need Suarez or Higuain to deal with that sort of opposition but the Emirates cup will be different. it'll be a nice return to watching quality teams play us, so i'm excited. At the gooner round table at my place the other night, someone asked if we were waiting for another 8-2 nightmare to get our acts together in the transfer market...*cough* surely not, but it was a good point none-the-less. In the 80's blockbuster movie "Predator", Schwartzenneger provided a classic line that goes "If it bleeds, we can Kill it" referring to his alien enemy . In our case, get those new players in now to blend in...then we can say the same about trophies "If it shines, we can Win it".. be back at the weekend with some Emirates cup reviews.

Praying We have A Plan B...

Morning folks, just a quick one as i'm running  late for work,no thanks to hosting an adhoc gooner round-table last night between my friends who paid a visit because they needed an outlet to vent their transfer frustrations with some free booze. Halfway through the discussions, Orie raised a good point, having been largely quiet the whole time ,he silently muttered the line " If  the Suarez thing bombs, who's the Plan B?'' Dami countered "Suarez was already the Plan B..unless you mean Plan C.." I mentioned there's no big name else available, aside the unsettled Shrek from Manchester..At that point we sort of half accepted that maybe we may have made an error in not paying the extra few thousands Madrid requested to get Higuain. I say half accepted because although we all unanimously agree Suarez is the better player and will suit the Giroud Partnership better,it is dependent on if  we end up signing him..Which of course we still can. But if we don't sign him, the Higuain episode will go down  as a monumental goof up..You could feel the collective patience of fans is starting run empty..

As we await eagerly to see the rabbit Arsene will pull out of the hat, i'm hoping we aren't hedging all our eggs in one Uruguayan basket. I would have liked the powerful Jackson Martinez of Porto or even the now almost Tottenham bound Soldado as Plan Bs'. but there you go, Arsene knows best and all that...at least for now until proven otherwise..im at the office now so i gotta run...later

This old dog needs new tricks

Hey folks..some days you just get really tired of it all. Gidi traffic even on  a weekend is enough to make any person filled with that joey barton-like attitude. You want to kick-out,you want to Snarl, maybe even bite (*cough*)..and as if that bit of frustration behind the wheel isn't enough,you get home& stretch out on your sofa, remote control  in hand ready to hit Skysports News in the hope of any kind of new development..And what do you get? The discouraging soundbites from a very coy Wenger displaying his old transfer window routine like a washed up Circus act in need of fresh ideas. If only he knows how irritating some of his comments regarding transfers are.Especially that infamous "We aren't close to signing anyone" Ok, before anyone even starts to say Hang-on K.C, are you expecting him to throw his aces on the table for all to see? No i'm not. But for the Love of all things good,surely he can come up with something other than that overused,worn out and evasive stuff he churns out. He  is aware the fans are pinning for new signings and are dying to hear something. On the other hand he also knows he cannot disclose any concrete details for fear of jeopardizing our bargaining position. its Quite the dilemma and i get that, but still can he not say anything but that "we aren't close to signing anyone"? It really does my head in.

Being economical  with funds is fine but being so with the truth, especially while sitting on gunpowder like he is right now, am not so sure. The fans are restive,why not  take the chance and calm frayed nerves for pete's sake..yeah he's the manager of Arsenal not Arsenal fans blah blah blah. But take a guy like Harry Redknapp,he is often made fun of by everyone with respect to his famous behind the wheels interviews on transfer targets. But matter of fact that is the singular thing about ol' Harry i like most.Always Frank and not giving a shit..as far as i know it never stopped him from getting his targets.i wish Arsene was a teeny bit like that sometimes. Rant over! I need a glass of Jd

Careful Arsene..We need this to End well.

...isn't it funny how in our daily lives,no matter how busy we get, we still somehow find a way to create time for football. it doesn't matter if its a quick glance at the Vendors Table at rush hour,or the tilting of the head to take in a footage of Transfer news being aired on the television in the waiting room.That spontaneous connection us fans have with the game is what ensures that our lives don't become like clockwork.
Iv found myself even more glued to every bit of Arsenal news in the last 48hrs..and with the whole Suarez to Arsenal thing brewing, these are interesting times no doubt about that.

So the latest news is we've strengthened our pursuit of Luiz Suarez with a tongue-in cheek, head scratching £40million + £1 bid ostensibly to set the Proverbial Bull in the Liverpool china house.To those who don't understand what we are up to here, fret not. You are not alone. it is reported that what we simply have done is move in to arm-twist Liverpool in allowing Suarez talk terms with us. In the parlance of transfer football, that is a massive ground to concede in your quest to keep a prized asset who wants to move away. Accordingly this doesn't mean we will sign him, it only makes Liverpool's hold on him rather loose. Suarez can choose the "Good guy" route and stay quiet and let things sort themselves out between Us and Liverpool or he can live up to his "Bad Guy" persona and hand in a Transfer request. Which is the footballing equivalent of handing your spouse Divorce papers.

I posted earlier in the month that Suarez is the kind of player no fan will be unhappy to welcome to his team. He's simply fantastic on any day. We've always been criticized of late that we are a team of "Nice" boys so are we now going to be heckled for having a little need for a feisty addition to our nice bunch? My only fear is Arsene allowing himself to get too drawn into this deal and getting his fingers burnt, if something goes wrong. Lets be frank here, every body concerned in any transfer deal love it when Big money is involved. why? The very obvious answer is that it allows for more money to go around the stake holders..The parent club, Agent, player...everyone. Hence, Wenger has to prepare for some real fire works, such like he hasn't faced in a long while. it'll be Long,it'll be Ugly, and it'll be very testing..Old principles would have to take the back seat and pragmatism with a healthy dose of patience will be needed. And when you consider, this is just one of the departments we absolutely must strengthen (Re: Earlier GidiGooner Posts) theres' a real risk Le Prof might find himself in some hot water come season start.

If you were waiting to hear me condemn our pursuit of the Man Suarez, i'm sorry to disappoint you. I choose to dwell on what he will deliver on the pitch. Is the fee for his acquisition a bit too high? perhaps yes, but when you recall we sold Adebayor for £25Million of Real money...Hard cash not Monopoly money only 4years ago, it makes you think. I expect Suarez to tender a transfer request if this move is going to move to the next level. i know that sounds harsh to Liverpool fans but its War! kill or be killed. We have been at the receiving end of a lot of pain by virtue of our being trophy-less, as time after time we've watched our best legs leave to get their hands on silverware.Should we now be emotional by reverse of being a Champions League regular and thus taking one talent off  a rival who badly needs to play in the Tournament? The answer is a big fat NO..

On a closing note,rumours have us working on other players like Bernard and Luiz Gustavo but no word on a crucially needed Center-back. This position has to be looked into, failure to do so will be costly. i'm no longer interested in who it is, we need an extra man there. Here's hoping the efficiency we are putting into the departures will also go into acquiring other crucial re-reinforcements. catch y'all later.

Cesc to Man Utd will hurt more than Van persie..

...The unrelenting rains in Gidi have been largely depressing. Not that i don't mind a little wetness in my life..*cough* but unless you are fortunate to reside in an area where the Roads haven't worn out to the point of exposing red clay which mixes nicely with rain water and leaves every where looking like a very bad art painting you probably wont understand my pain. Its just the sort of weather to match our transfer market gloom. It brings to mind those romcoms where a broken-hearted reminiscing lover sits sadly by the window while rain drops patter on the window with a really sad background music. In my living room one of those rainy days i was glued to Skyports news and it was the obnoxious Cesc to Man Utd  story being aired over and over. i remember asking myself "shouldn't the existence of the so-called "First refusal clause" we have on Fabregas mean United get lost with their bid?" or is the reported existence of a refusal clause untrue in the first place? Who knows. Do you not sometimes get the  feeling that clubs,the media,and agents take us fans who happen to be at the bottom of the food chain on a jolly ride during transfer windows? i think they do. It likely plays out like this: the agents collude with the media to churn out absolute falsehood, the club to whom the publicity favors helps sustain the propagation long enough to either push through a deal or get a player to re-sign. its an unholy symbiotic threesome that leaves each party a winner&the fans the ultimate loser.

This Fabregas to United story seems like another typical Circus. i'm starting to feel like its his agent fuelling this story. We know its common knowledge Cesc isn't first choice at Barca, no thanks to Xavi and Iniesta but i think someone is just trying to ruffle a few feathers. The plot seems to be that while Fabregas may not be first choice,all this is meant to boost his stock since its presumed Barca need  to be reminded that he is a direct replacement for either of that duo incase of injuries. The club has come out to state Cesc is going no where but i can't be the only one biting  nails hoping this deal dies a natural death.

If Fabregas goes to United, i think its safe to say many gooners will suffer emotional breakdown. He may have left us 2 seasons ago and under less than amicable circumstances but outside Henry, i feel no player has worn our colors with as much passion and heart like Fabregas. We loved him because of his abilities on the ball but more because he was ready to bleed for the shirt. These were the traits that culminated in Wenger making him skipper in 2010. i cant tell you how many debates between fellow fans i'v  had, all saying Cesc was an A-hole to force his way out in the manner he did. Much as i will never excuse unprofessional conduct
i think his undoing was allowing his frustrations get the better of him. He appeared to have grown disillusioned with the disappointments of the Arsenal team, weary of carrying the team in the absence of quality support around him. Time after time, as summers went by with minimal squad strengthening, he began to feel his talents were better served elsewhere. To many fans,the above reasons serve as  mitigating circumstances for his departure while to others they are just lame excuses for treating a club who nurtured you and gave you a shot at top flight European football when it seemed Barcelona didn't think much of you.

Apart from the obvious improvement on the pitch he will bring to United, i cant imagine who will want to endure another season of jeering from rival fans about having another ex-star player leave us to dorn the colors of our fierce rivals. The mere thought of it now makes me sick. Yes, i know  its just a job for them. Footballers do not attach the same emotional angle to the game like the fans but still...did those tears in Milan he shed after scoring in the San Siro mean nothing? how about the emotional celebration after that dazzling solo run against Spurs in at the Emirates in 2009? Am i a sucker to have read too much into those spontaneous, fleeting moments of euphoria?..Maybe i am , but Cesc always came across as different. He tweeted in 2011the "once a gooner always a gooner" line and says it to anyone who cares to listen that Arsene Wenger and the club will remain in his heart until he is dead. Skeptics will point at Van persie as a case study, but in my opinion Fabregas is not compelled to make this move like Van persie. He is no longer the Trophy less one of 2009 that had little silverware to boast of. He now boasts the WorldCup medal,European champions medal, Spanish La Liga, Spanish Cup, and FIFA World club cup. Robin on the other hand had to choose between staying at Arsenal and hoping we suddenly become World beaters or take the easy route and move elsewhere to win trophies bearing in mind he was pushing 30. Seeing Van persie score against us was not fun, having the possibility of Fabregas do same to us a 2nd time in successive seasons, will be just horrible.

Are Rumours of a new contract for Arsene Wenger justified-- Part 2 (Conclusion)

Nothing frustrates more than watching other teams buy players and add to their already strong teams whilst yours remains in a rather disturbing state of inertia. Relax they will say.. its the "Arsenal way" of doing things blah blah. Yet the fact is, two months have evaporated from the summer and we have only added a grand total of One signing. Yaya Sanogo. I accept its not quite panic stations yet, because theres' still time to do business.However the state of inaction in the transfer market so far by Arsenal serves as the backdrop in our conclusion of this 2 part series.

Why on earth do we find it hard to close transfer deals? im willing to bet every gooner has at some point asked himself  this question no doubt. Critics have pinpointed Wenger as a potential cause of this. They base their claim on the fact that the french man is an incurable bargain hunter,an attribute not fancied by potential selling teams especially in this era of Big spenders. Gone are the days when Arsenal's interest in a player was welcomed by the rolling out of the Red Carpet by the parent club. That now is the exclusive preserve of the Mancitys,PSGs',Chelseas'and Real madrids of this world. Clubs who are widely perceived as the Ideal business clients. No hassles,No lengthy negotiations just pay the money and its a wrap. Arsene Wenger is renowned to operate in an opposite manner. He usually tests the water with an opening Bid, which 90%  of the time gets knocked back. He then returns with a slightly improved bid (i.e if he feels the player is one that his team really needs).its proved masterful sometimes a'la Carzola, Koscielny but other times its been a spectacular failure (i.e Gary Cahill, Juan Mata).

So as we watch helplessly as player after player linked to us at different times this summer sign for other teams, some of us cant help but think if its time for a different angle to everything Wenger both on and off  the pitch. Would a different Manager mean a more robust Arsenal transfer operation? Bargains are great but must we always insist on benefiting from them? The transfer market is a circus these days,no doubt, but its looking like others have resigned to live with the madness. Wenger needs to understand that you cannot expect to improve your squad with cheap buys,especially in this day and age. What worked in 2001,2002,and so on will not work now. Money talks and all that. The critics have always said one of the reasons Wenger remained in the shadows of Ferguson in recent years was as a result of the former's brilliant re-alignment with modern football.He quickly learnt and re-orientated his methods,while the Frenchman seemed stuck in the past.

Wenger knows this is his last chance to proove he isn't a has been. The well documented increase in funds at his disposal has been propagated from London to Lasgidi. It will seem suicidal to make all that bragging only to let this summer peter out underwhelmingly. He still enjoys the admiration,respect, love of many Fans. However that will not be enough to save his reputation and indeed his seat at Arsenal. Last season saw a groundswell of rebellion among a section of Arsenal fans. The AKB's and their rival WOB's ensured this debate over the Managers' continued stay in the club raged right through the entire 2012/2013 season. I personally confess the defeats to Blackburn and Bradford in the cups made me question Wengers ability to get the best out of his players. At the time, those defeats marked a complete breakdown in confidence of the squad/manger synergy. But like the cat with nine lives, he rallied the troops, dropped the underperformers and led the team to pip spurs to fourth place when it appeared we were destined to finish outside the top 4.
A remarkable feat  you' would agree whichever divide you represent. it boils down to how well we do this season, a trophy is a must. Failing in that regard will leave Le prof with little bargaining chips,just like he already finds himself now in the present transfer window.

Are rumours of a New Contract for Arsene Wenger justified..? part 1

Rainy day in gidi and even though i'm nice and dry at my favourite buka observing my  lunch break, i cant help peeping through a popular sports news paper in the hands of a man eating next to me. A caption states Arsenal are about to hand Wenger a new deal to keep him as our manager for the foreseeable future.Now this is a very sensitive subject that from my experience divides arsenal fans sharply in equal halves..FOR&AGAINST. Some are of the opinion that Wenger has taken Arsenal as far as he can and its now time for him to gracefully bow out.Some who are less charitable even go on to stress that he should be sacked, seeing that he has been on the decline and the club has been going nowhere fast under his stewardship in the last couple of years. The other divide rise staunchly in Wengers' support saying he is still the best man for the job. They are quick to reel out mitigating circumstances in his defence that they beleive have been at the heart of his problems in delivering the kind of success that our great club deserves. some of those reasons are the stadium debt, the now abandoned "project youth" and others. Whenever these two parties meet on any platform to thrash out the "Wenger out" or "Wenger in" issue, it always often ends up in chaos. such is the obstinacy of their positions.

It is inarguable however that Arsenal are need of a change in fortunes. Its been 8 long years without any kind of on-field success and every fan i speak to whether "For" or "Against" Wenger, agrees that this is unacceptable and has to end. Wenger himself acknowledges this, and has been quoted as saying that he will not remain in charge if we continue to suffer a lack of silverware.In my opinion, this is an admission of a man who understands why he is being criticized, and why he has to pull a rabbit out of the hat somehow before his contract ends officially next summer. Managers like Ferguson, Wenger and i might add Marcello Lippi are rare in modern day football. They are a special crop who have successfully combined ethics, cunning, tenacity and  loyalty to deliver success in a way that will be difficult to replicate. Their kind do not come along often and that is why their Parent clubs have found it hard to part with or replace them.Regardless of his shortcomings and frustrating habits, Wenger in my estimation remains a great Manager. His track record is impressive and he cannot have become a bad manager overnight. His philosophy and vision are the reason why we are currently in the Top 10 rankings of UEFA's best clubs. His ability to spot unheralded talents and mold them into world greats is 2nd to none, his roll call reads George Weah, Thierry Henry, Robin Van persie, Cesc Fabregas etc. its his knowledge and ability to spot a gem early that has made Arsenal punch above its weight despite being under heavy financial burdens. Much has been said also about the way Arsenal play the game, the passing and attacking fervor on display when the Gunners are in full flow. That class is intrinsically Wengers' making stemming from years of indoctrination and application.

However, the past few years have brought Wengers' competence under scrutiny and his suitability to take the club he loves any further has been questioned. A steady erosion of the talent base of his team under questionable transfers have dented the clubs' image and ridiculed its ambition. Add to that an increasingly frustrated fanbase and trophy starved supporters,and you can see why the pressure to bring back the winning days gets hotter with every passing season of disappointment for Wenger. Background facts exist and we've heard from Wenger himself in the past say that his hands are tied with respect to his access to funds,however close watchers will agree that he also hasn't helped himself on occasions both on and off the pitch with his decision-making.For example, i still wonder how and why we persisted with Almunia as our number one even though it was clear he wasn't anywhere as good. or how he ever deemed Sylvester a good enough signing for us only to see Drogba embarrass us and himself in the FA cup semifinal in 2008. Questions like these have arisen from critics as proof that Wenger runs a one man show and nobody questions his decisions. The Arsenal board have always backed him publicly and his loyal fans state that there's no manager available that can take Wengers' place. its a sensitive situation which pitches emotion against pragmatism but many insist its Wenger that holds the aces, he knows where the future for him lies. The board will not sack him, so should he leave it'll have to be him falling on his Sword or shall we say Cannon. (To be Continued....)

Suarez or Higuain...?

Greetings guys, its been a strange past couple of days regarding Arsenal and the Transfer Window. Its not every transfer window that we are associated with big names like Suarez,Higuain,Fellaini and co. So for the optimists among us who have a  glass-Half-full outlook on things that's a good sign. But for the pessimists, the whole saga is a needless distraction for the club with days running out to get these so-called big names in and blended with the other members of the squad.The team is currently in Asia but we are fully into pre-season and to be honest, i would have thought Higuain would have been an Arsenal player by now. However he is not and there are dangers that the deal may be heading for the rocks. Real Madrid are being funny with their valuation of the player and its starting to look like Higgy may have to go through the dreaded route of tendering a transfer request to take this deal to the next level. i concede that this is not a route many a decent footballers will be quick to tread, and i'll be the first to say that Higuain looks like one of the few  good guys out there but i'm sure he as well is quite tired of the seeming abeyance of this deal.

This brings us to an interesting development over the course of two weeks since the news broke out, the Suarez bid. it was first greeted with disdain, termed as one of those Agent stories bandied about to get the attention of potential suitors to their players.But as other fake news tend to go, this one has refused to fizzle out. Instead the opposite is the case, it has continued to grow as news stipulate we have increased our initial failed bid of £30million to £35million. see (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2364017/Arsenal-transfer-news-Arsene-Wenger-reassures-fans-spectacular-signing-way-Luis-Suarez.html) .In Lasgidi where i live, i have heard many gooners describe the Uruguayan as not our type of player. when i asked what type of player is our kind, the fan said a "Goody two shoes". I felt the comment was funny but on second thoughts he may have had a point there. Its not like we haven't had our fair share of Hotheads in the past ( Viera,Keown,Lehmann to name a few) its just that for the past 4 or 5 seasons we have grown the toga of a soft,good boy team, the kind you wouldn't want to associate with Bad boys of Suarez's ilk. But away from all the off pitch stuff, who out of Higuain and Suarez will be the better fit for AFC. Now i could reel out a chart of Facts and Figures about their scoring rates, conversion rates, assist rates, headers won blah, blah blah..but if you are like me, nothing can compare to the fact you see with your own eyes. We all have seen both men play, and theres' no doubt they are world class talents, the kind of  players any Club's Fans will be happy to be linked with. However in this case we can only have one. So who will it be? Suarez has Premiership experience and will not need to accustom himself to the pace, he will hit the ground running and deliver straight away.Conversely Higuain, if bought starts immediately for us while Suarez has that ignominous 6 match ban remaining from the 10 he was banned for for biting Ivanovic. Suarez is renowned for his amazing dribbling skills and trickery, i still recall 2 seasons ago at Anfeild in a Prem. game where he ghosted past Vermaelen,Koscielny and Gibbs all in one swift move that had me amazed and shaking my head at his talent.He strikes fear into opposing defenders and has a knack for winning penalties *cough*. i'd like him in our team for the simple reason that he offers a different skill set to Giroud who is more of a Target man. Suarez is comfortable dropping deep and orchestrating play from midfield whilst still being able to dart in and cause havoc in the box. The only draw back to his game is that he doesn't necessarily score a lot with his head but hey, that's' why we have Giroud.

Higuain on the other hand is a versatile striker that has it all. Speed, strength, skill and Deadly finishing. A box man who is intelligent with his runs and decent in the air. He'd have to be given a grace period to get to grips with the league but like Benteke has proven,there are exceptions to that rule. its understandable why Madrid are not keen to lose him that easy,"Pipita" as he is fondly called is that good. Reportedly a quiet, soft spoken man off the pitch, he looks dead cert a Wenger type signing. I would like him in the squad because he will be an unknown quantity in the EPL and defenders will not readily know what he can spring up as opposed to Suarez whose dossier is on every EPL defenders' database.

No doubt its a tough one to call, i harbor a silent hunch it'll be Higuain. but  what do i know? i'm just me...here in Lasgidi. whoever it is though it'll be Arsenal that will be the ultimate winner.

Central Defense
Welcome to the last position of areas in our team that require strengthening for us to achieve success next season. Today is about looking at the Central Defensive position, and if we need to add or strengthen it. Our Defense last season did not convince a lot of watchers no thanks to the number of silly errors and cheap goals we were gifting the opposition. We started the season with Vermaelen and Mertasacker, both went on to register 3 clean-sheets to kick off the season and suddenly we were thinking,could Arsenal have found something special here? Alas that honey moon period fizzled out and soon the silly goals were pouring in left right and center. The captain and first choice center-back Vermaelen was guilty of so many mistakes that it seemed only a matter of time before Wenger dropped him. Koscielny came in later and showed why he should be 1st choice. However,we have a situation now  where we've Loaned out Djourou&Squillachi is gone. We are suddenly light in numbers at the back with Koscielny,Vermaelen and Mertasacker the only quality defenders with experience we possess. Seasoned EPL watchers will tell you that you need at least 4 centerbacks to prosecute a season, taking into consideration injuries and other eventualities as a reason. Ignasi Miquel has been earmarked as a possible addition to mitigate the dearth of CBs but he has not convinced a lot of us unanimously of his readiness and quality to play at this level. This leads to the conclusion that buying an additional CB is in order. So who are the options: Ashley Williams,Joeleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka are solid defenders with speculative tenures in their present clubs but only Williams is linked to us. According to some sources, we have apparently seen an £8million bid for him turned down by Swansea. Rumours also have it the player wishes to join us but the tricky aspect is he'd expect to play and not be just a Backup. A cheaper option will be to look for an unheralded player with age on his side, who wont mind Bench time but at the same time would still have the quality to provide competition and Depth.

 having said that,this brings us to the end of the analysis of the 5 positions we need to bulk up to help our chances of winning something next season. As we await the announcement of whoever it is Arsene Wenger has decided to sign, lets hope we are able to do our business soonest so we can begin the process of blending the newbies into the unit and getting them to understand how to play the Arsenal way.

Attacking Mid-field
Now while not being an absolute priority like the previously mentioned  positions. This position is crying out to be strengthened. Jack Wilshere when Fit, takes up the creative role which was once the responsibility of the departed Cesc Fabregas. The role demands the incumbent to be comfortable on the ball, unselfish and with an eye for a pass. Jack certainly embodifies these traits, but is unfortunately lacking in the goals department. Just the 2 goals in all competitions last season is not a good report but pundits suggest hes' still a work in progress and requires time. But meanwhile in the present, we need a bright, exciting signing who can thread dangerous through balls to the strikers Walcott,Giroud,Podolski,and possibly Higuain? its seems a bit unreal that a team which boasted of Technical Heavy weights such as Nasri,Fabregas,Arshavin who were all creative little players with an eye for goal, can at the moment be lacking in that department so gravely.
Santi Carzola ? well he has been rotated so much in the Middlle of the park im sure he's confused as to where he's meant to play. He was deployed in that  forward role in Midfield early last season, though he did well, Wenger positioned him to the left to make room for Jack Wilshere when he became Fit again. Thomas Rosicky has despite his age shown fine commitment to the cause and is another option for this role. He's experienced and has the intelligent running and guile that opens up defences. However we all know Tommy's injury record per season is nothing to write home about and as such we cannot afford to  rest our trophy ambitions on his availability.
Which brings us to who are the Options? Luca Modric, Alvaro Negredo,Thiago Alacantara,Fabregas and Strootman. Whilst its true that most of these names have been linked with other clubs than with us,Fabregas has been rumored to be eyeing an exit from Barca. This rumour was fueled even more with the revelation of Neymars purchase by the Catalans. Would Fabregas's return be welcome? we are said to have placed a "First refusal" clause on his purchase when we sold him to Barca, meaning should he be available we have the right to bid first. i leave you to conclude on the subject. However, it is no gain saying his passing and vision will strengthen us in the final third,and  is capable of turning even the Limited Giroud to a Goal King..let alone Higuain...

2, Defensive Mid-field
You will agree with me that this is a position that is germane to our success next season.Alex song for many seasons was the man in front of the back four saddled with the responsibility of breaking up play and shielding the defence from fast counter attacks when we lose the ball. As the years went by and Song's confidence increased it was evident that it was not a role he was ready to shoulder. He didn't like the dirty job the position of Defensive midfeild offered but also in fairness he lacked the tactical discipline required to be successful there. here is a case in point, rewind two seasons ago towards the end of the 2011-2012 season..our last home game at the emirates, where we clashed with Norwich FC, the game which pitched Arsenal as favorites turned out to be tougher than anyone expected. it ended in a 3-3 draw but what  was evident in that game was how Norwich employed the usage of Fast counter attacks to stun us countless times in that game. Song kept abandoning his primary defensive role and pushed up leaving us exposed dangerously to Norwich's fast breaks. Fast forward to 2013,Song isn't with Arsenal any more & Arteta who is an attacking Mid-feilder by nature has been played out of position there. i'll say this now Arteta is a good proffesional and credit to him fo not complaining about being played out of position but it was clear we cannot settle for that arrangement next season if we are serious about competing for trophies. We need a tactically aware player ready strong,quick,and preferably young to take up this position.
So who are the options? Lars Bender of Leverkusen, Victor Wanyama of Celtic, James Mccarthy of Wigan,Grenier of Lyon and Fellaini of Everton  have been linked to us via the rumour-ville. Grenier is french and Cheap! and we all know how that word CHEAP sounds in Wengers' ear so don't be surprised if its him at the end of the day. Fellaini was a sensational link early in June but lets face it,are we going to pay as much as £25 Million for him? remains to be seen...and stranger things have happened..but having put in a rejected £22million bid for the impressive German, Lars Bender it obviously means it is a position Wenger has already made up his mind to strengthen this season. The wait continues

Goal Keeper

The Goal keeping position is one that divides opinion among gooners. Some believe we can do better than Wojiech Szcesny others say Wojiech is Overated and needs to undergo an apprenticeship in the hands of a seasoned hand to get him closer to being a finished article. Regardless of the divide you fall under, one inescapable fact is that Arsenal has got to do better than bringing in Damien Martinez as our reserve goalie in the oft chance injury knocks out our top 2 choices between the sticks. The quality reservoir for a Big club like ours should run deeper than that. Reports have confirmed Vito Mannone has departed the club, speculations still state Fabianski may follow suit which means a signing in that department is now a neccesity.
So this brings me to the possibles, Mignolet the excellent Sunderland keeper last season has just moved to Liverpool, he was brilliant last season for the  blackcats and Arsene was said to be interested but Liverpol moved quicker. Another impressive glove man was Asmir Begovic of Stoke city, who was said to be unsettled at the Britannia but has gone cold on departing now. Which leaves the options of Pepe Reina, Julio Cesar and Viktor Valdes. Julio Cesar is the name most linked with us having been put in the shop window by relegated QPR at the end of the season gone by. Now julio Cesar emerged into international reckoning playing for Inter Milan in 2007 and was brilliant in their treble winning season in 2010, i liked him particularly because of his incredible shot stopping abilities. He also showed for QPR last season that he still is a quality Goal keeper at 34. Pepe Reina and Viktor Valdes are seasoned & experienced keepers but No thanks. The only positive i might take from signing either of them would be just to increase the already burgeoning Spanish armada in our squad and give Nacho,Mikel and Santi one extra country-mate to banter with..So its Cesar for me,he would be available on the cheap,he has Champions league experience and would add competition and experience to our defence-line

5 POSITIONS WE ABSOLUTELY MUST STRENGTHEN BEFORE NEXT SEASON

hey guys, we are well and truly in to the summer transfer window and though we have only signed little known Yaya Sanogo thus far most Gooners are right to be itching for more..Now while im sure more signings will be made here are my impressions of where those additions should be made...im going to start with the forward line today..other positions will follow in due course,

1,Center Forward

The Departure of Robin Van Persie was always going to be difficult to cope with, replacing him has prooved equally tasking. Much as we all hate to talk about him, he was a quality striker for us and was one player in our line-up opponents never liked to see. Following his departure Giroud was brought in and has done reasonably well but is a very limited player compared to Robin. No need to dissect the game of  the big french man here, he is strong and hardworking but his finishing is erratic..i cannot recall how many sitters he missed last season but one that sticks in my head was a 2nd Half opportunity to draw us level at Old Trafford after Walcott laid a fine pass on his Favourite left foot..he went for power and missed the Golden chance. At that moment i knew we had to shop for another striker, a potent one, if we are ever going to win things next season. So who are our options? more like who can we afford...so by process of elimination..Cavani out, Suarez out, Rooney Out, Aguero out, Falcao out. That leaves us with Higuain, Fred, and Benteke. Feel free to add to that List anyone of your choice. Reports have us strongly inked with Higuain. Is he Top class? 100% yes..Big Game experience -check, Two-footed-check, Good in the air-Reasonably...but most importantly we can afford him..We need that ''Fear factor'' Van persie used to give us back in our line-up and Higuain will do just that..

ICE BREAKER...

BOOM! Welcome to the Gidi Gunner Arsenal Blog!!!!  meen i'm so excited writing this Blog as it offers me a platform to reach out to fellow passionate gooners like me that proliferate the city of Lagos.I know its a pretty bold statement to say Lasgidi is Red and all that, but is it a lie? Arsenal has arguably the largest fanbase in Lagos and i dare any Chelsea and Man Utd Fan to dispute it...well they will but it'll be futile..This is just the icebreaker guys, the inaugural post on this blog to get the word out there that we have a place to meet to analyse results,signings,failings and all other events surrounding our beloved club that makes it such an integral part of our lives...My Name is K.C

and this is our Red army Garrison..