You were warned Arsene..

Hey guys, it's not looking good at this point is it? The Suarez deal is fast turning into a fiasco, (if it hasn't already) we are shipping out players like a house on fire, no-one is coming in the opposite direction, every arsenal fan is up in arms,scratching their heads wondering what the hell is going on? So over to you Arsene..you tell us? I posted earlier how caution was needed with regard to this Suarez pursuit but like a doomsday prophet, looks like i was right. What a mess we currently find ourselves in. Its like being in a drunken fight with a total stranger over a Hot hooker,(i stress HOT) with regards who takes her home,right outside a club. If you can pardon the rather obnoxious analogy..you'd agree its a pretty ugly scenario.We play Mancity today, a welcome distraction from the Suarez side-show if you ask me. Fingers crossed we don't get smashed or all hell will break loose.. Literally.

My Gervinho Heartbreak

 i don't know about you but the weather in gidi lately has been great for me. its been largely Overcast with that "its about to rain" breeze blowing. Feels a bit un-African to be honest. The only hiccup about it is it makes getting up from sleep that extra bit harder. It feels like i have to tender a Transfer request to my bed to get off it.

Speaking of transfers, one key departure from our ranks at the weekend was the mercurial Ivorian Gervinho. it slipped under the radar, no thanks to a combination of all the Suarez drama and Drogba/Emirates cup shenanigans. In a reported £7million deal Gervinho leaves us after only 2 years. He is one who splits opinions among fans, some refer to him as never being of Arsenal quality, others think he was not allowed enough time to impress. For me he would go down as a player who came to us at the wrong time. We are now simply a club whom, perhaps as a result of our lack of trophies display almost zero patience for any signings. Its perform NOW or get heckled out, simple. Gervinho, endowed with distinct talents, may have probably better suited us in the 07/08 , 08/09 seasons. The team, comprising Cesc in the squad alongside Nasri and Arshavin in his pomp, needed a quick dribbling, direct winger who can take on defenders, beat them and look to play the give and go. Also then we the fans weren't as petulant as we are now, maybe because the free flowing Arsenal game was still very much on at that time and as hypnotizing as it was, it ensured errors were never over-examined as they are now. Times have changed drastically though,the departures of high profile players, and further trophy disappointments have turned us into an acidic bunch.Quick to label players as not good enough prematurely.

Whilst not holding fort for Gervinho as some kind of Messi equivalent whom we have just sold, i liked him because on his day he truly was a weapon. His dibbling runs, when they click, are not only mesmerizing but hard to defend against. His finishing for us was erratic but his hard work and application were commendable. The biggest test of my fondness of him however came after that now infamous miss against Bradford, where he contrived to miss an open goal from 4 yards. That may yet have been the act that signaled the end of his arsenal career, because it truly was a horrendous miss. Not to blame him specifically though for what was a collectively bad day at the office for Arsenal.

In the wake of his departure, all the talk is centered around his replacement. who will be introduced as the goalscoring wide-man we hoped Gervinho would be? The Brazilian Bernard is rumoured to be on our radar but in another breath, we have been told we may replace him from within. Alex oxlade chamberlain is the man who will likely assume this role. Alex is a good kid, well grounded and disciplined but to be fair,he has endured a difficult spell in Arsenal in his second season. Its hard to tell if its a confidence problem or something else. The guy has been ordinary lately. He began last year in the starting lineup, playing against Sunderland, Stoke, Liverpool. However by September ,Gervinho had taken his place scoring important goals. Judging from his emirates cup form,Alex still appears to be in that same funk of last season that led to him registering only 4 goals in all competitions. But this is where good man Management comes in, and it'll be up to the boss to get the once bullish,fearless OX back to the form he showed in his1st season.

So as we say goodbye to the ''forehead'', its worth remembering the words of Eden Hazard where he said Gervinho was the best player he'd ever played with so far in his career. Not a ringing endorsement you might say, but Italian defenders should be well warned. All the best to Gervinho in AS Roma, i'll miss the dribbling runs,but the misses? no thanks

(Emirates Cup: Arsenal 1: Galatasaray 2) Old Ghost return to Haunt Arsenal

And so the curtains fall on this year's Emirates cup with Arsenal on the wrong end of a 2-1 defeat to Turkish champions Galatasaray. In a game which at half time you really didn't see us loosing, we somehow allowed the presence of one man throw us  into a panic influenced spiral. With the 46th minute introduction of former Chelsea man and Arsenal Tormentor-in-chief Drogba, we simply threw out the window our composure and organisation. It was like the arsenal players allowed themselves to get sucked into this Drogba blackhole instigated by the needless attention the fans were according him with all that booing...i'll come back to that issue later, because it  has got to a level now where i think fans at the emirates will boo just about anything.

We began the game brightly unlike yesterday, and in 45 secs should have been ahead when the OX stripped a galatasaray defender, passed it to new boy Sanogo who could only fire a tame shot that was well saved. The next clear cut opportunity fell for Theo Walcott in the 20th min, whom after being picked out by a nice Ramsey long ball, failed to hit the target despite bringing down the pass expertly. A bad miss though, but i'd rather have him miss them now and find his mojo in full season. The game remained largely uneventful for the most part of the 1st half with both teams providing few exciting moments. Sanogo obviously looked like he would need time to understand how we play, he does seem to have a natural  strikers' instinct. The kind no manager can teach you. which was good too see. It wasn't until the 43rd minute that Arsenal found the breakthrough, an intended cross from the left side of the Galatasary box by Theo saw the ball elude everyone and beat the keeper at the farside. Lucky goal,but they all count. 

In the 2nd half,  the departure of Ramsey and the slightly portly looking Carzola meant we suffered a little as the midfield lost a bit of  creative spark. In came the young Zelalem and Olivier Giroud as Arsenal chased the Goal that would end the match as a contest. Inspite of decent attempts by Giroud the scores remained the same, also Galatasaray defended well knowing they only needed to get one goal to be right back in the contest. By now Drogba was already making himself seen.Challenging unfavorable calls from the ref, falling over at the slightest contact and just being Drogba. i'll say this about him, yes he's a quality player, always has been,but i strongly believe he engages in some funny tactics aimed directly at causing distraction, so as to wind up the crowd and cause a tense atmosphere that unnerves defenders. The guy wants to win and if his antics on the field enable him do that, he does'nt care. He tapped into his resovoir of tricks again to earn the penalty that drew his team level in the 78th minute. After being adjudged to have been pushed in the back by the inexperienced Miquel going for a cross, Drogba fell over in a heap. The ref bought the act and blew for the spot kick, which he scored himself. From my position, it looked a dive, although you may also say Miquel was outfoxed by a more seasoned and experienced veteran. However, its just typical Drogba. He has been doing that to us for a while now and there isn't any analysis to add there. His second though was the kind of Striking quality you cant help but admire, 1 touch to set himself up the second to give his team the lead. 2-1 and with that the Emirates cup was won and lost.

There isn't much crying to do over this result, as i think its not worth it. The game was basically a friendly and stiffer tests await us in the UCL qualifiers. It however wasn't fun loosing to Galatasaray again after that painful 2000 UEFA cup final, where we lost painfully via penalties.Its up to us now to fix our weaknesses and work out how to mentally zone out tricks from characters like Drogba during games and just concentrate on the job. The boo boys in the terraces also need to exercise decorum with their boos. im fine with booing refs who make dodgy calls in games or opposing goalkeepers who waste time with goal kicks, but Booing Higuain yesterday and Drogba today was for me stupid. In regard to Higuains' case,what was the point? yes we didn't sign him,big deal! It just makes Arsenal fans look like a Sad bunch who's trophylessness is starting to make them act like people with an inferiority complex. Would united Fans boo Cesc if they happen to meet Barca any time soon?i doubt that. In my opinion the boos probably just made Drogba that more determined to make an impression. *Sigh* this bloody trophy drought can't end any sooner for me seriously, we simply need to get our pride back. it is fast dissipating.One more friendly in Helsinki, against City and then its the real business of the EPL. Below is a brief player rating of the performances...later folks

Szcesney: (7)  No blames for the goals can be placed on him. he did his job well enough without any fuss.

Gibbs: (7)   As relaible as he always is..got subbed later on.  Hopefully not injury related.

Sagna: (8) Very assured game by Bacary. Looks to be back to his best. Extend his contract now Arsene!

Mertasacker: (6) Wenger said in his post-match conference that Per was feeling tired before going into the game. while he didn't have a particularly bad day, he did look a bit fatigued. could do nothing about stopping Drogba's 2nd goal, but not many defenders could have.

Jenkinson: (6) Slightly better than the Napoli performance, but still unconvincing to be honest. Needs  to seriously work on his game and cut out the dodgy back passes too...

Ramsey: (7)Guilty of overplaying it sometimes after doing some piece of good work..but still his attitude and work rate are invaluable to this team

Carzola: (6) In his first game back, Carzola looked like he joined the team straight from the beach..Looked no where near match fit..and needed to be subbed after running out of steam.

Arteta: (5) Quiet game for Arteta, who didn't seem to have his usual passing boots on. Was guilty of giving the ball away and getting caught in possession once too many

Oxlade Chamberlain: (4) while he scores marks for effort, it was yet another frustrating outing for the young OX. He seems completely incapable of holding on to the ball. Loves to run at defenders but i can't remember him beating one successfully. if the sale of Gervinho is to create opportunities for him...he needs to improve.

Walcott: (7) Lucky goal aside, Theo didn't do much to impress. He had that very good chance from Ramsey's pass which he fluffed and managed to put in few good crosses. however, did'nt do much defending to help out Sagna.

Sanogo: (6) Newboy Sanogo should have registered a debut goal when gifted a chance on 45 secs with only the keeper to beat, but overall he showed why Arsene signed him up. kept on being offside, but mixed it up well for a guy playing with his team for the first time.

Zelalem: (6) young sensation Zelalem,came to the fore with eye catching performances in Asia. He showed some flashes of brilliance in this game when brought in, twisting out of tight spots with skill and confidence. He's definitely one to watch.

Akpom : N/A

(Emirates Cup Review :Arsenal 2 : Napoli 2 ) It was the Best of Arsenal & the Worst of Arsenal..

                                                
Morning guys, it was a much needed welcome to competitive football again for us courtesy of the Emirates Cup. Many antagonists had dismissed our Asia Tour results as insignificant and predicted we would be tested by Napoli. They were right. As i adjusted my self at my Favorite gooner Pub to see the game,my first consternation was why on earth were we sporting our away strip on our home turf? I don't believe it was due to any colour clash as both teams normally wear distinctly contrasting colors... All the pre-game hype was centered around  Gonzalo Higuain. Would he score? ,would he be booed? only time would tell. We began the game lethargically in the first half, completely off-pace,and Vulnerable. Yet it would be Arsenal who would go close to scoring  first through Serge Gnabry. who sent his close range effort wide when he ought to  have scored. Podolski was uncharacteristically wasteful even on his favorite left foot as he went close twice and then later had a penalty saved. Either side of that penalty miss saw the Italian side take a shock two-goal lead that i'm pretty sure left the fans in the stadium feeling sick inside. In one of  the Napoli goals, Jenkinson found himself in centre-back territory whilst covering for Mertasacker . In an attempt to head a high ball to safety , he unwittingly managed to cushion it for the striker Insigne to slot past Fabianski.. That passage of play indicated to me that Wenger was right not to have dispensed with Sagna on the grounds that Jenkinson is ready to step up. He clearly is not ready yet, and much as i like Jenkinsons' zeal and drive, his starting shirt is still some distance away on the basis of yesterday's performance.

The 1st half was quite terrible from an Arsenal perspective as the passing and cohesion was off to be honest. it seemed like nerves were at play, because in the 2nd half,we saw a much better performance.The midfield trio of Jack Wilshere, Aaron ramsey  and Rosicky were hardworking but the absence of a holding midfielder kept leaving us exposed when we lost the ball. Jack didn't appear 100% fit to me, as he looked a little slow in his decision making and missed a Golden chance to pull one back early in the 2nd half. The ageless Rosicky was a delight to behold, always sliding in tackles, never shying away from wiping his backside on the turf for the team and constantly running at opposition dangerously. The introduction of Arteta immediately plugged the hole in midfield where Napoli kept breaking from on counterattacks. Even though i'm sure he will say its for the team, Arteta deserves commendation for being a model professional the way he shoulders this role.it is better suited to a much younger, physical player but Mikel delivers it well. With Jack in the team, we usually possess drive and attacking nous, however the drawback is when he looses the ball we tend to get caught out by swift teams. When he and Gnabry departed, it was evident how balanced the midfield became.  With Arteta in the deep midfield role ,Ramsey just ahead of him, and rosicky behind the the front 3. It was only a matter of time before the pressure on Napoli began to tell, as Podolski and Giroud really peppered Reina ( no pun intended) in the Napoli Goal with shots. Loved  the way Giroud took his goal, although with a little stroke of luck..his athleticism has never been in doubt, for me it was always about his conversion rate.Which i think wasn't outstanding last season. And when Koscielny drew us level, no one watching could say we didn't deserve it.

So in summary not much has changed, we are still that side from last season that creates chances but can't put them away, has great fighting spirit and would not give up easily. We still badly need a striker,our defense is still gifting cheap goals and our keeper still leaves you largely unconvinced. Wenger called for calm from the media over their hysteria for transfer news, saying the clubs policy on confidentiality must be respected. I posted a few days ago that some managers don't employ our Gestapo habits over transfer matters and yet do their business successfully.. in what looked like a reply to my position , he said other clubs where perfectly free to do what works for them. While we do things our own way..He also gave feelers that Suarez may yet be our next signing saying Arsenal's current moves on the Uruguyan will not be made public for sake of due process. So its on to day two and Galatasaray next. Below is a short player by player ranking:


Fabianski: (7)  Cant be blamed for any of the goals per se, handled the ball well and did the basics ok. My only grouse is he still doesn't command his box strong enough. I guess that's just something he may never have at this stage of his development.

Jenkinson: (5)   Not his best game, guilty of giving away the 1st goal. Maybe needs to go on loan to get games. but our lack of  cover might not allow  that.

Gibbs: (8)    Really good player, excellent as always..hope he stays fit. his Defending and attacking are flawless

Mertasacker: (7)    Per may be slow but he is invaluable to our back 4. The cliche description for his style is calmness but there isn't anyway else to describe him..

Koscielny:  (9)    Another masterclass from Kos. Fantastic man-marking, Predictive defending and of-course that knack of scoring crucial goals make him perhaps our most important player.

wilshere: (6)  Jack like i said didnt look is best in this game, but still had all those traits that make us love him. still needs to add goals to his game to truly become a world great.

Ramsey:  (7) busy as always, Aaron did his bit of closing down runners and marked spaces. he works best with Arteta. however we need him to work on his ball retention, still gives it away a bit to cheaply for my liking

Gnabry:  (5) Now Serge is a guy im hoping big things for.i have seen some games where he has really impressed but not this one. he seemed a tad nervous. consistency is an issue with him. he is getting his chances, i hope he grabs it.

Rosicky: (8) this guy brings a smile to my face, at his age you wonder what might have been had he been fit over those years he was injured. his commitment to the cause is great to see. He had a very influential game, excellent passing and dribbles.

Podolski: (6) Poldi was getting into good positions but didn't have his shooting boots on. his first touches weren't good and that robbed him off good opportunities. on his day, he is a goalkeepers nightmare, but not yesterday.

Giroud: (8)  Olivier is never gonna be Van persie. but what he is, is a hardworking striker ready to put his body on the line for the team. He defends well on corners and freekicks and tracks back to dispossess unsuspecting opponents. Scored a very nice goal, and does look like he is ready to proove a point next season.

Walcott: (7)  walcott came in and did his thing, kept their fullback in their own half and was putting himself about. whipped in good crosses and looked sharp.


OX :  (6) OX's  game can be frustrating at times, and he looks like a guy whose confidence has taken a bit of a hit.we know there is great player in there and this is just pre-season, but i want him to take the game by the neck sometimes and stop worrying about messing up. just play.

Chuba: (6) i like this kid. he looks the part, lively and skillfull..didnt get to play very long today but we'll be seeing him again soon.