Arsene Wenger.

While it may not necessarily be the case that the majority of Arsenal fans have turned against our most successful, and longest serving manager, those who have are certainly the loudest. The chorus of disenchantment has been silently simmering in the background for years, slowly swelling like a dim flame burning brighter as more firewood is tossed onto it. The media perception of Wenger has become pity; pity for a man who once revolutionized the sport in the country, for a man whose team played a caliber of football previously unseen in England, for a man who never wavered from the strength of his convictions, for the man who once made everyone question the way they thought about the game ; for a flawed genius.

Wenger walked into every stadium with the arrogance and swagger that left most drooling in jealousy in anticipation of not just the defeat that often followed in those early years, but the footballing lesson that encapsulated the flair, artistry and invention of this once most astute and cultured of managers. Wenger is in every sense a student of the game, aiming to not only play in what many consider the right way, but in his own words, to strive for perfection ;  “I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art..." Chasing fantasies of perfection used to be the Wenger way; the Arsenal way, but now even a strong challenge seems so far out of reach. 

While it now seems likely that the security and comfort of Champions League football, and the now annual embarrassment that sees our exit from a competition we have never truly done much in (One final, another semi final and a couple more quarter finals attest to that) is also out of reach. The wheels are coming off the Wenger bandwagon, with each defeat scarring a former victory.  How far will it have to go before there is no memory of those great Arsene Wenger teams? The answer is subjective of course, but there is, to my mind at least, considerable credit still left in the account. There probably always will be for me, however, that doesn't mean I don't think it is time for change. 

Arsenal football club has become complacent, content with being above average, but nothing more. Or at least that is the public perception. Wenger will argue, and all those who know him will surely attest to, the ambition he has and that he so desperately wants to succeed, and I believe that. I question whether he is now able to make Arsenal successful, with any illusions of being the best now confined to history. However, I don't think that Arsenal as a club are ambitious, or set up in such a way to maximize their huge potential. London's most successful team and one of the richest clubs in the world acting like beggars with an inferiority complex, is not how ambitious clubs act and  it's not how successful clubs act. 

Something clearly must change at Arsenal. In my opinion it is far too simplistic to believe that a change in manager alone will usher in a new era of success. There is a culture of acceptance, a preconceived belief that we cannot compete and will never compete with the madness of 'financial doping', as Wenger himself so eloquently put it. This made sense in the years after moving from Highbury, the mecca for those of us who live in nostalgia and perhaps, not reality. Achieving champions league football throughout those years may yet prove to be Wenger's best work, as he himself has previously admitted, but that time is over. It is time to move on. 

Wenger likes to speak of mental strength and when everything goes wrong, inevitably mental weakness, without taking any culpability in the erosion of confidence himself. Publicly stating that Arsenal cannot compete with clubs for Mbappe, for example, as he did last week sends out the wrong message not only to the fans, but most importantly to the players. It subconsciously sends out the message that Arsenal cannot compete and that seeps out, crating an atmosphere of doubt; feeling beaten before taking to the pitch. Collapsing when the slightest thing goes wrong, just like at the weekend at White Hart Lane conceding two goals in quick succession. How different things are from the days when opposition teams lined up in the tunnel at Highbury already feeling beaten. 

Where is the Wenger that stated he wanted to ' Make arsenal the best club in the world', back in 1996? He might say it again from time to time, but just like when he first arrived no one really believes him; the key difference when he arrived being that results quickly showed his ambition was realistic, now it seems like the desperate whims of a mad scientist struggling to find the right formula.This Wenger you might ask, who is he ?-  Arsene who? 

While this article may come off harsh, I am a huge fan of Wenger. I don't agree with the volumes of abuse leveled at him, and certainly not the vindictive personal attacks that follow every loss. Victoria Concordia Crescit, loosely translated as 'Victory through Harmony' is the Arsenal club motto, and while someone who doesn't like Wenger can certainly claim he is not living up to the 'Victory' side of the motto, can that same fan really say he is living up to the 'Harmony' side? Arsenal as a club have always prided itself on being classy and respectful, if you can't do that then you are just as bad as the players who were slated for being not fit to wear the shirt at Crystal Palace. After all, it is far easier to be harmonious than victorious. 

Arsene Wenger is far from the worst thing at Arsenal and in some ways the more I think about life after Wenger the more I begin to appreciate him. He will never truly earn the plaudits he deserves until he becomes just a name in the history books or cast in bronze outside the stadium. I would also like to highlight that I fear for the time he is gone. Consistency may be boring, and that may be the worst thing you can say about Wenger but it is still limited success. 

Looking at the club from the outside is worrying as it is no secret that Wenger is the only football man with any authority at the club and a big part of me feels that Wenger stands alone in holding the ceiling from caving in entirely. The board remains very stand offish and the majority shareholder merely a ghost. That infamous quote from Sir Chips Keswick, the chairman, that 'When Arsene has a plan we back him, and when he doesn't we shut up' is clearly not a healthy way to run any business, and questionable in every way possible. At the very least Arsene Wenger needs more help, but therein lies the problem; his stubbornness won't allow for it, thus unless he leaves nothing will change and the cycle will continue. The whole structure of the club needs to change. 

While it is time for Wenger to go, I should also highlight that Arsenal are in the F.A cup final and in his darkest hour he may still win a trophy. There is still an outside bet of making the top four, with all hopes surely dependent on a win against Manchester united at the weekend, ironically managed by Jose Mourinho. Can Wenger stir up one or two last great performances? Perhaps, that was the semi-final victory. If Arsenal were to somehow finish in the top four and win the F.A cup then it would be extremely harsh to sack him, but the club needs change. After a successful season, you might ask why I would ask for a divorce. 

The truth is that I don't see Arsenal winning the league again under Wenger, much less challenging for the Champions League. If Wenger stays I only see the situation devolving further, and no one wants that. Arsenal and Arsene need a fresh challenge. Arsenal can be more successful, but I only think that because Arsene Wenger made me think that. Arsenal were a hugely successful team before Wenger took over and the assertion that he 'made' the club is disrespectful to what came before. Arsenal were great and he made them better. The memories of his earliest teams will remain ingrained on my memory, and every great team will always be compared to the 'Invincibles', probably never outdoing them, and that is also the sad irony of it all; we may never be better than we were when Arsene Wenger truly made us great.

Jimmy Dunne: A Profile Of A Forgotten Irish Man.

The second article written by Cian Manning (the first of which can be read clicking here) focuses on a forgotten Irish man, who while only playing at Highbury for a brief period, it was so at the beginning of  one of the clubs most successful periods. A forgotten man, much like football before the arrival of the Premier League, nevertheless serves as a reminder of the former special relationship between Arsenal and Ireland which culminated in the 1979 F.A cup winning squad comprising of 6 starting Irish Gooners (7 Irish players would appear in the 1980 final loss to West Ham), from Frank Stapleton to Liam Brady and David O'Leary, managed by Terry Neill, both sides of the border uniting as Arsenal's backbone, unfortunately in the decades since, the decline of Irish players at Arsenal goes hand in hand with the decline of Irish football...

                                                                      ***********************

Born in Ringsend, Dublin in 1905 Jimmy Dunne first experienced a revolution of sorts in Ireland before going on to score in twelve consecutive games in the English topflight, a record that Jamie Vardy could not equal even in the media-hyped and globally adored Premier League. From a Republican sympathetic family, Dunne was mistakenly arrested by Irish Free State forces and subsequently rightfully released. In 1923 a spell with Shamrock Rovers led to a move to English Third Division side New Brighton. By 1926 he transferred to Sheffield United for £700 and with Billy Gillespie of Northern Ireland he formed a prolific partnership for the Blades.

Nevertheless, it was not an instant success with Dunne even being transfer listed after playing just 11 games in his first three seasons at the club. As the world economy took a downturn in 1929 Jimmy Dunne’s fortunes and goal-scoring exploits were on the rise. The 1929/30 campaign saw him score thirty-six goals in 39 games, only to better it the following season with forty-one goals in the same amount of appearances.

It was the 1931/32 season in which he achieved the record for consecutive goals in games. He scored over thirty goals in four consecutive seasons for Sheffield United, however the club was in financial trouble. The following year he transferred to Arsenal for £10,000. A league title was achieved in his first season at the club before moving to Southampton after three seasons. Cliff Bastin claimed that Dunne was one of the best centre forwards he played with, but the arrival of Ted Drake in 1934 hastened his departure. Though he achieved silverware with the Gunners is time there was not as goal laden as with Sheffield. In total he scored thirteen goals in thirty-three appearances.

He amassed 170 league goals in English soccer. Furthermore, Jimmy Dunne is second on the list of players from the island of Ireland (both north and south) to have scored in the most goals in the English top flight. He is sandwiched between two Northern Ireland men in Derek Dougan of Wolves and George Best of Manchester United fame.

Also, for all his achievements he has the distinction of having played for both the IFA (Northern Ireland) and the FAI (Republic of Ireland). For the former he played seven games scoring four goals while with the FAI he became their record goal scorer of 13 goals in fifteen matches. A record that was not surpassed till Noel Cantwell reached fourteen in the 1960s. The Cork man and Manchester United FA Cup winner did so playing as a full-back.

However, in 1937 he was offered a return to his first professional team of Shamrock Rovers in Ireland as player/manager. At Milltown his blend of experience and youth saw league titles and cups aplenty and instigated an era of continued success. One of his key signings that was an integral part to the future of Rovers was Paddy Coad. Sadly, he did not live to old age to sit back and recount his successes. In 1949 he died at his home in Sandymount in Dublin. Though the foundations he laid at Rovers were enhanced by Coad who reluctantly succeed Dunne upon his death. The Waterford man would lead his team to three League of Ireland titles and an FAI Cup and he-himself was described as the greatest Irish player to have never played in England.

Perhaps one could assert that Coad succeeded as Rovers manager the greatest Irish player to have played in England. Though his playing days at Arsenal were few and brief he played a part in the ushering of a successful few seasons in the latter of half the 1930s. The club went on to win two more league titles and a second FA Cup. The arrival of Dunne to North London could be described as akin to Denis Bergkamp or Davor Suker to the club in the 1990s. Players with record, ability and reputation that played an important role in driving the Gunners on to further success not just by their playing but also their attitude. With that, it is saddening to note that Dunne is not further recognised in both England and Ireland. Perhaps Jamie Vardy not equaling the record has done more to recognise his feat which has lasted over eighty years.

Written by Cian Manning.

A Hotspur Homage to a Gunner God: Why Wenger Was Right and how Pochettino is the next Prophet.

I have not been active on this blog for numerous reasons and it is, perhaps, the current situation Arsenal have once again found themselves in that has me coming back to it in an effort to scratch an itch that can't be found. Nevertheless, this is an article ( I have a second that I will publish, for those interested) that a good friend of mine wrote and sent to me last year, and for whatever reason I never got around to publishing it. He is a Spurs fan and he uses the word soccer, but if you can forgive him that it is a good read. There is a lot of debate with regards the manager and the need to categorise which side you stand on, so it is nice to take a break from that debate and hear another perspective. As it was written during last season, there are of course, many references to that- note the lack of Leicester! It is quite odd how the mood at a club can change so quickly...

                                                    *******************************************

As a Spurs supporter it’s very hard to say, or write in this case, that Arsene Wenger is the greatest manager in certainly the history of the English Premier League, and a revolutionary. However, when looked at rationally and with cold calculus which never lies, it’s rather obvious. Often the prophet or preacher is chastised and ridiculed in pointing the path of piety for a bountiful reward. Only when martyred is he/she revered. Whether its Jesus Christ, Woodrow Wilson, Billie-Jean King or Bill Hicks is only after their life (or after their resurrection, and yes I know Billie-Jean King is still alive with Emma Stone rumoured to portray her in the retelling of the famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ game) that we come to recognize their virtues.

Such assessments may take the reading of a thousand page book, a League of Nations, a film or YouTube, but Wenger’s achievements can be assessed by the very fact of where Arsenal are right now. Nearing twenty years in English football, he has lead his sides to three league titles and six FA Cups, continued appearance in the top echelons of European football and a stadium that rivals that of the NFL. The forerunners of this seasons Premier League playing enchanting football says it all. Of course, as a reader of an Arsenal blog, you already knew and believe that. Hard for a Tottenham fan to argue against that silverware with a couple of league cups and the prestigious (my word and opinion) Peace Cup in 2005. Though how Wenger managed to achieve this is where the gospel lies and enlightenment ensues.

To me, Arsenal appear to be the perfect ‘hipster’ club, up until Wenger’s arrival in North-East London, the Gunners had intermittent periods of success, enough to sustain the famines that inspired Nick Hornby’s devotion. If Aston Villa is the club of choice for David Cameron and Prince William, the very fact that Fever Pitch follows an Arsenal fan in a singular success for the 1980s, then turned film starred Colin Firth. The man who would be portraying a King for Academy Award glory. At least George Graham’s side was more entertaining than the King’s Speech. Perhaps one could argue that Wenger was the original ‘hipster’.

Wenger was favoured over the mercurial Johan Cruyff for the job. If he was able to out philosophize the Zen of ‘Total Football’, than he was clearly already going to be a success. Not only does he transform the Gunners from dull and dank to the beguiling entertainers of the English game. He reinforces the idea of preparation, more emphasis on diet and nutrition with scientifically timed training and recovery sessions to benefit his players; it all sounds like Roy Keane’s wet dream. Nevertheless, the innovation does not end there. Many articles have been written by the nurturing of young talent and his stringent economic principles that have strengthened an identity, but to my own amazement he assess his player’s mentality on a regular basis. So much for the hairdryer treatment, it would appear that Wenger knew when to show a player the door before a flair up, both Adebayor and Robin Van Persie are perfect examples.

And it’s Adebayor where one can see that the Argentine Mauricio Pochettino is of the same soccer gene pool as the French man. In showing Emmanuel Adebayor the door at the start of the season not only followed Wenger’s assessment but also demonstrated the cool ruthless calculation of the business world that they both apply, to not waste time on hopeless causes. Pochettino’s emphasis on youth (which has been precipitated by the ridiculous divining out of the Gareth Bale transfer fee and with a view to financing of the clubs new stadium…yes, 61,000…1-0 to the Spurs!) has seen figures such as Eric Dier, Delle Ali, Harry Kane and even the expensive Lamela thrive and even flourish. Though the former Espanyol man may not fit the economic-centric dynamics of Wenger, he certainly applies a modicum of it to his own transfer dealings.

When offered QPR’s Charlie Austin as a substitute for Sadio Berahino instead of accepting Levy’s offer he choose not to follow it. Perhaps this also offers him leverage in the future, in not accepting Levy’s way he is not accountable for when it dithers (which has happened to other Spurs managers on too numerous occasions) and with the two Spurs may finally have Ying and Yang. Pochettino’s footballing philosophy, a disciple of Marcelo Biesla (linked with Swansea City, and the hipster manager of them all) with the financial brilliance of Levy stands Spurs well in the future. If you ask me, granted a White Hart Lane worshiper, who were Arsenal’s greatest partnership? I wouldn’t say Henry and Bergkamp, but Arsene Wenger and David Dein. For both of whom the club’s transformation would not have been possible. For all the beliefs in philosophy and reliance on plans, often history is the result of chance by circumstance. However, that discussion would be for another day or judging by this article and the editorial sensibilities of Cosmic Kid cut in its infancy after this post.

The last question I hear you say I haven’t clarified? (One of an assortment of voices in my head), Yes, Pochettino will surpass Wenger as the next prophet. Why? Because he has things in place that Wenger didn’t have back in 2006 when Arsenal left Highbury for the Emirates. Spurs playing staff are on the incline, the trajectory that is afforded youth though not a given is most definitely a positive. The stadium will take care of itself, with Levy in mind I certainly would not have any major worries over it financing. However, the real test is can Tottenham avoid the same path that befall Arsenal over the years that followed. In ’06 Wenger’s Invincibles were on the decline, the side he rebuilt never got the chance with the departures of Flamini, Hleb, Fabregas and Van Persie over the years hindering any near success. Now finally, the verve is back and the Emirates is on the cusp of what could be a great era. The major key is stability which is offered in abundance. The fact that Pochettino’s managerial career isn’t laden with silverware is the very personification of Spurs in the 21st Century, the hunger and desire is there. The two should remain happy bedfellows.

Yet both Arsenal and Spurs have the one thing that a rudderless Chelsea, a hapless United and a lackluster Liverpool lack, an identity. And no amount of money can buy that. The most valuable thing in modern day soccer is time. May both clubs forge further with success…maybe titled in Spurs’ favour. If Spurs could follow such stability, there may be some important derbies to come over the years.

Written by Cian Manning.

Out Of The International Fire And Into The Premier League Frying pan (A Watford Preview, Of Sorts)..

At last we come to the end of another insidious international break and go back to the rumble and tumble of the Premier League. When we last we met football at club level we had dispatched Man United with a form of Blitzkrieg that any Army General would be proud of, never mind any football manager. It was the culmination of a week's worth of pain, or rather a midweek slump in the Champions League. It is worth reminding people that we won the game before United in the league 5-2 at Leicester, at that stage they were the only remaining unbeaten side in the division. We are on good form overall in the League and you could say that the West Ham loss on the opening day was perhaps our darkest hour; but even then one can look at the ease and luck with which they disposed of both Liverpool and Man City and find it hard pressed not be to impressed with the Hammers start under new boss Slaven Billic.

We have had other hairy moments, the draw at home to Liverpool, or the loss at Chelsea. However, no one can truly judge a match that was so clearly decided by the referee's ineptitude, and a draw at home to Liverpool is clearly not the end of the world. Don't believe the negative hype around Arsenal, we are contenders this season; the United victory can be a springboard for our season; lets focus on making sure that performance was not our finest hour this year. If we do that, it will be worth every penny, highest ticket prices in the land, or not.

The international break, it seems, went well for Arsenal which is a sentence I never thought I would type. Sanchez added to his goal tally; Ozil added to his assist tally, Chamberlain finally hit the net again, Ramsey scored for a Wales team who qualified for the Euro's next summer and so on; but the biggest news is the fact that at the time of writing there have been no injuries. Wenger has said that although he is still waiting to see a few players, ( Alexis included, who went off against United with an injury as we all know) they had all texted to say they were fine. This is great news. Obviously the medical team will assess the players but it looks positive. The only question that remains is whether to risk certain players or whether they are too far into the dreaded Wenger-ism that is the; 'red zone'.

The red zone is the term the manager uses when certain players have niggles of bruises or have played too many games, and thus, their involvement in the next match will risk an injury or a more serious injury. It is a tricky situation for the manager to negotiate; does he risk Sanchez if he is not fully fit with Bayern Munich up next on Tuesday (A must not lose game) ? We all know the Chilean will want to play in both matches, but if there is any risk of injury then he should be benched. The logical answer is to say that Bayern Munich are the form team in Europe at the moment and to beat them we will need our best players, so rest him at Watford, but i'm not sure. It looks as if the odds are against us in Europe this year and I genuinely believe the team is capably of putting a strong challenge for the title this year.

If I were the manager and I absolutely had to make a choice, (after all this is all pure speculation), I would probably go for the Watford game and keep the League as the main focus this season. The Champions League always looks out of reach for us; even if we manage to get through the group it would take an awful amount of luck for us to win or have any chance of winning the competition. It can be done; Liverpool 2005, Chelsea 2012, to use English examples, but the difference is in the League we can win without needing to rely on luck. In general i'm not one for prioritizing competitions but this season I can see the sense in it. Beat Bayern Tuesday night and i'll probably feel different about it, however...

Anyway on to the game itself Saturday and as I said we are looking in good shape with regards to injuries and add to that it looks as if we have a few players returning to the squad. The manager revealed that Arteta and Flamini should be back but Koscielny will face a late fitness test. Again there is no need to take a risk with him as we have Gabriel and Mertesacker who were excellent against United.

City lost Aguero and Silva to injury on international duty so this looks like the perfect time for the team to put a good run together and hopefully capitalize on any slip ups from City. Next week there is the small matter of the Manchester derby which means one of the teams, at least, will drop points in the next couple of weeks. So let's just hope our own team can get the points on the board as it looks as if we are capable of getting maximum points from the next batch of fixtures leading up to the next international break.

Looking at the fixtures in the League after the trip to Vicarage road we play Everton at home then Swansea away before hosting the old enemy at the beginning of November. Obviously the North London derby is always incredibly important but after beating that lot at the Lane already this season you would hope the team will go into the game with confidence; the most difficult game looks like the trip to the Liberty as we don't have the best record there. That was one of the lowest points of last season, losing there after going a goal up. Let's hope we put it right this time around.

Providing the team is fit and ready I would be tempted to stick with the same lineup from the United game, it looked like the team found the right balance between fast attacking fluidity and a compact defence. Besides it is still only October so all this talk of rotating players is perhaps, a little early.

Watford have looked strong defensively this season and are well organized They have picked up a couple of impressive results such as the 2-2 draw at Everton and see themselves sitting firmly in mid table (only 6 points behind us too). They have only conceded one home goal this season which is countered by the fact that they have matched that tally from a scoring sense. It will be a tough game and as the stats suggest it will be tight, I expect goals. I'm going for a 2-3 away win; but just hoping for any win.

Right that will do for today

P.s  Like the blog on Facebook here (I just set up the page last week).. https://www.facebook.com/arsenalwildinnocent?ref=tn_tnmn 

Have a good one,

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

Does Wenger's Address At The A.G.M Suggest He Will Leave When His Contract Expires?

Here is the full transcript of the Managers address at the AGM; he spoke well on a number of topics such as the fact that results affects him more now rather then when he first arrived at the club,standing by his transfer policy and a possible departure date. Anyway this is taken from The Guardian.


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“Nice to see you. I had the luck and the privilege to celebrate on 1 October my 19th year as the head of the club as a manager. I would like to thank you for this confidence and the board as well. We have gone through some fantastic periods, as well some difficult periods, but they were always on my side. And I rate that. If I did not rate that I would not be here any more.

“When I arrived we were 80 people at the club, the share price was £400. Today we are about 550 and the share price is I don’t know how high at the moment [£15,000-£16,000]. But I have none, don’t worry. I never wanted one because I never wanted to be accused to make some decisions to favour the share price to go up in value. And I am quite happy I didn’t.

“But I must say the first years of my career here were quite easy, from 1996 to 2005. It was a period where it all went really easy, smooth and well. We were always dominating, mostly in the league or the FA Cup.

“Then came a second period when we moved into this stadium. It became much more difficult because we face more competition and because we were under restricted finances and the target was to stay at the top of the league and to qualify for Champions League every year to repay our debt back. I must say we did it. Sometimes within a sceptical environment, and most of the time having to fight until the last minute of the last game of the Premiership.

“When you are the supporter or manager of a club you are always told what you don’t do. I understand that, we are in a society that is like that. But looking back I am, of course, proud we won titles and FA Cups, but as well I believe the first quality of a club is to be consistent. If you look back we have 18 consecutive years in the Champions League qualified.

“Only one club in Europe, Real Madrid, has done better with 19. I can understand it is not enough. It shows the quality of our behaviour has paid off at least with consistency of results. We want more and I am the first to agree that it is not enough. If it was easy everyone would have done it. Sometimes it is important to remind people that to remain at the top is difficult. And we do not rate that enough.

“I believe too if you ask me to do it again I would say no, let somebody else do it because I will not take that gamble any more because it was so difficult.

“Since two and a half years we are out of this period, much more at ease financially. Because the weight of Champions League income is not as big any more. Because the broadcasting has gone up and commercial income has gone up and the weight of the income in the Champions League is not as big any more.

“In the last few years we have built a core of people around the team who can help us more. As manager, I get an unbelievable amount of detail and data on every single game on every single day. What was 18 years ago my eye, now I have to select the four or five pieces of information to be efficient. About 20 people working around me every day, who work very hard to get us stronger every year. It demands a lot of energy.

“I believe we move forward, but I must say it is difficult because people are better informed, know more, than 19 years ago. What is fantastic in football is you have 10 people and me as a professional and sometimes the guy who is not a professional can be right.

“The only thing for sure is I make everything possible to make sure I make the right decision for the club. It is not off the cuff. All the advice we get we consider. But we have more information than people who just have an opinion. But the world has changed. We are equipped around our team to say we are really advanced in the way we work and the way we prepare and the way we develop players.

“You want to ask me: “Will we win the championship this year?” I think we are back in contention and we have a good chance. All the numbers confirm we have the potential to be in the fight – the chances made, the number of chances we give away, the number of dangerous situations we create. And as well in 2015 from 1 January, what was for me the turning point in the history of this team, in the calendar year we have taken more points than anybody. That means the trend is right.

“What we do is consistent. Even if we had a bad start to the season we managed to come back and are only two points from the leaders. That means we have recreated consistency. We have to show what we showed against Manchester United. Be capable to win the big games, show that level of urgency in every single game and show the consistency we have shown since the start of 2015.

“Last year we finished third and won the FA Cup. We won it for the second year running and I think we have won it more than anybody else. We want, of course, more. We have the potential to do more and will fight very hard for that.

“We are not scared to spend the money – I know I have that reputation. We have shown in the last three years if the player has the quality, we spend the money.

“Success is about talent and cohesion. Cohesion is always brought from people who are educated at the club. It means a lot when they wear the shirt, they have worn it from when they are young and they know what it means. We do not want to dismiss that. You need people who carry the values of the club through the generations. We are very proud of the players we bought but also I am very proud of players like Francis Coquelin and Héctor Bellerín, who have been educated here. That is important as well. They don’t always get the rewards they deserve because they don’t score goals but they really want to do well for the club. We have to find the right mixture of top, top players from outside and those we develop from the inside. That is why we invest in youth.

“I know we face some adversity sometimes but I am more motivated than ever, more committed than ever. I was a bit more relaxed 19 years ago when you know if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

“Today I know what it means for people. I know how sad people are when we don’t do well, when we lose a game. The responsibility on my shoulders is much bigger. I am resolute to commit absolutely until the last day of my contract to bring back big success to this club, and leave as well one day in a position where it can do even better when I leave. It is for me very important that I leave the club in the shape that the guy who comes after me can do better.

“Let’s be honest, we face more and more competition, even in England, from other clubs. We have to be stronger in future to fight against this kind of competition. But we will. Thank you again and hopefully see you next year.”

                                                              ***************

There has been a lot of speculation that the Manager was hinting at the fact that this will be his last contract and that he will leave the club at the end of next season. Whether it is true or not it is the first time we have heard any real discussion on the issue that has some basis in fact, and not the wishes of those who want the manager out of the club when their local supermarket runs out of their favourite flavour of MnM's.

Anyway its just more speculation, do you think the manager will leave when his contract ends? Will he only go out winning the League like Ferguson? Who knows, discuss below in the comments, but once again keep the labeling Arsene in/out nonsense to another place!

Have a good one,

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

A Question for Serious Men; Koeman Says Mourinho's Chelsea Should Be More Like Wenger's Arsenal..

*A little announcement first as I have finally set up the blog's Facebook page so go ahead and 'like it' here: https://www.facebook.com/arsenalwildinnocent. It would be greatly appreciated, thank you!*

Now onto the real reason you are here ( I think..).

We are Arsenal fans, and as such have become accustomed to 'nice' football, fast incisive play with a view to scoring.....eventually. While most enjoy and praise our brand of football, there have always been the naysayers sitting in the dark corner dissenting at each and every opportunity. They say things such as 'yeah it's pretty but its not effective' or 'whats the point in playing well if you don't win anything'. First of all this is complete bullshit. Now, allow me, if you will, back up my assertion with a rebuttal; 1) Why can't you win playing 'nice' football?, why is there some strict belief that playing well doesn't equate to points on the board?  2) The best team, arguably, in the modern era played 'nice' football- Barcelona (who we beat, playing 'nice' football, by the way) and arguably the Premier League's greatest team played 'nice' football- Arsenal 03/04 and 3) Why are so many managers now trying to get their teams playing 'nice' football?

It is one of those blanket statements that people make that really have no basis in fact that irritates me. Why is it that when a team who doesn't play 'nice' football, say Chelsea, it's not down to their style of play? I never hear, (apart from the odd rumblings from fans), pundits, journalists and the like say 'they didn't win because they played too defensive, or too long ball'.

Most times when Arsenal lose there is a mention about the style of play, about the 'tippy tappy' nature of our game and how that prevents us from scoring a goal. Now, sometimes this is true and as fans, we have all been there, shouting at the T.V or the pitch; 'JUST SHOOT!!' That's natural and sometimes it does prevent us from scoring and sometimes the passing nature of our play is perfectly suited to the oppositions strengths. However, that is true for every team. No team is perfect; no team can go a season without losing a League match (Well, besides Arsenal in 2003/04, that is). They will all lose at some point; but its not always down to the fact that Arsenal play 'nice' football. Sometimes, you know, the opposition is just better.

Why is there such a backlash, at times, against teams for trying to play 'nice' football, and to make games exciting?  Although they may ultimately fail, why blame a team for trying to take the initiative and being positive after they lose? Why not go after the teams who don't try and be positive in their play? Or better yet, why don't people who analyze games relax about how the team likes to play and focus on the reasons the team lost that day. It is not always down to a particular 'philosophy' ( I hate when managers and fans use that word).

You might argue that playing in a certain manner allows the opposition plan and set up accordingly, but I would counter that with the fact that teams who play 'nice' football are all about movement and creativity, and, therefore they also perfect the art of playing in tight spaces. They plan for a well marshaled, deep back four as much as the opposition will plan to stop all the 'nice' football. Why isn't there anyone saying that Mourinho is as predictable as Wenger, as he always lines up defensively? Sure, the details may change but the narrative is always the same with Mourinho. If Wenger doesn't 'do' defence then Mourinho doesn't 'do' attack.

Now onto the reason for my ranting, which is to say that it was refreshing to hear Ronald Koeman criticize Mourinho for being too defensive and basically what I was saying in the last couple of sentences above. Here is what he said via Goal;

"Chelsea prefer to defend when attacking is also an option,"
"Mourinho always chooses to defend. Even if his team goes 1-0 up, they would rather defend their lead than try to score more goals.
"Yet Arsenal can kill an opponent. That is why their victory against Manchester United was so impressive.
"Attacking-wise, they completely destroyed United. For 20 minutes, they played the most fantastic football, while Chelsea do the opposite thing.
"By defending, Chelsea give their opponent a chance to come back in the game. It was a shame that Mourinho was putting attention on the referee after we beat them.
"He wanted to have a penalty in the first half. But, in the first half at Stamford Bridge, Southampton should have had two penalties."

He makes a good point, and I said something similar when both Chelsea and Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League last season on twitter  (I do say some things of note, every now and then) ;

"Question; Wenger gets slaughtered for going too attacking against Monaco, Shouldn't Mourinho be killed for going too negative against 10 men?"

It's a strange football environment we live in where it seems that to go out and try do something the right way only wins you more criticism. Everyone talks about liking 'nice' football, but when they see it they criticize it. Anyway its a question for serious men.

By the way I kept highlighting 'nice' football for no reason at all, it just seemed like something I should do to make up for my laziness in not using another adjective.

Right I'll Leave it there- Remember if you like the blog or any of my posts please do share them as it would be greatly appreciated! Also comment below, plenty to talk about, if only to criticize me for many of the reasons you should do!

Have a good one!

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

Wenger: Cazorla's Quality Won Over My Doubts..

Looking back to 2012 I seem to remember that the signing of our little Spanish maestro seemed to come out of no where. While he was relatively well known, Cazorla, given the amount of International experience he had, it's quite strange, how there wasn't more interest form other clubs. We signed him for under £20 million which is a bargain whatever way you look at it and he has gone on to become instrumental for the club and has nailed down the central midfield position as his own.

When the club signed Mesut Ozil, Santi was pushed out wide to accommodate for his arrival and this impacted upon his form and efficiency. In his first season (2012/13) Cazorla scored 12 goals, strangely enough all coming in the Premier League, whereas his goal return went down the following season to 7. Although it must be pointed out that he did play in less games, but it was his general performances which weren't holding up in comparison to his first season; he just isn't made to play out wide in the Premier League.

Last season the manager finally found the right balance and moved Cazorla into the centre, further back in a double pivot (usually with Coquelin) and while his goal tally didn't see a miraculous jump, (going up by one to 8 overall for the season), his form and contribution to the team did. Cazorla was excellent in this position and is perhaps best summed up by his fantastic performance away to Man City. Just look up that run he made in the second half dribbling away from three or four players and then making a block at the end; it was everything you could ask for from a central midfielder.

I find it amusing when people talk about Cazorla playing in that position, Gary Neville for one has constantly raised doubts about his physical stature against the big teams. However, it seems that the big matches are where Cazorla shines best. City away and Liverpool at home last season and United this season.

Cazorla has made the midfield position his little playground, his ability to use both feet and how fast he can switch the ball onto either foot combined with that burst of speed to get away from people is crucial to our game. He is the cog in our quick transition play and can adapt better than most in different styles of play; whether we play on the break or try to dominate possession. With 33 assists (All stats taken from Arsenal.com) already to his name as an Arsenal player none of his Premier League peers can boast better, since his arrival in 2012..

Anyway here is what Wenger had to say about the signing, admitting he had his doubts at first, again from the official club website;

“You could question whether he was physically equipped to play in the tough Premier League, “It's true that I had that doubt, but his quality was so big that I was ready to take that gamble.
“His technical quality, his right foot, left foot, his availability, his vision and the quality of his passing made me go for it.
“I thought, 'If there is a team in the Premier League where he has a chance to make it, it's with us.' That's why I went for it.”

He went on to describe when he first saw him and came recommended form Pires;

“I think I first saw him when he was about 20 or 21. He was not a regular player, but in some games we watched you could see he had talent.
“After that Robert Pires moved to Villarreal and played with him. Sometimes I asked Robert, ‘Are there any good players there?’
“He said to me straight away, ‘Cazorla is a fantastic player’. So Robert was a scout for me! He at least confirmed the impression I already had about Santi.”

So there you have it; Santi Cazorla the gift that keeps on giving.

What do you think of his overall contribution to Arsenal? Let me know in the comments. I also posted a piece on international football earlier that you can read by clicking here

Until Next time, Have a good one!

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

International Football Makes Me Appreciate Arsenal's Football More...

International breaks are always miserable, dull affairs when you are used to watching the Premier League and more specifically when you are used to watching Arsenal, such was the quality of football we saw Sunday. From watching Arsenal and then switching to Ireland really is a testing experience for any football fan. On one hand its great that there is any football, but on the other it can be likened to watching paint dry or whatever the footballing equivalent is. I remember when Trapattoni was the manager and the nearest Premier League team you could compare them too was probably the Stoke of Tony Pulis. Then again that is a bit harsh, on Stoke that is.

International football just does not compare to club football. The game is more slow and ponderous and there are so many teams that are clearly not at the same level. Look at San Marino, Gibraltar, Andorra and the like. There is no way they can compete. They have no hope going into these matches and are comprised of teachers and construction workers whose players are just happy to share the same pitch as some of the world's biggest stars. It seems like the best way for football fans to line up against their idols. Perhaps they will hold some sort of football like talent show equivalent to the 'X factor' to get onto these teams.

Then again it is easy to say that there are far too few competitive matches due to the inclusion of these teams and not offer up a solution. The biggest problem now stems from the fact that the European Championships, in France next summer, has expanded the amount of teams entering the competition to 24, thus the qualifying process will have to allow for that with more teams of a lower level competing.

I think what would make it more interesting, because you can't just not allow these teams to compete at all; but in club football there are League divisions so therefore there isn't the same contrast in the levels of the teams competing and as we have seen this season in the Premier League; anyone can beat anyone. It would be interesting if these lesser sides, who go out hoping not to lose by more than 5 and celebrate a draw like a victory in the World cup final, were all pitted against each other in some International League division, with let's say the top 2 teams progressing to the Euro qualifications.

Now I have no idea on the logistics of the whole thing, its just something that I have chewed on for a while and the benefits are clear for everyone too see. There would be more competitiveness among teams, thus making matches naturally more attractive for fans to pay money for. I also believe that this would benefit the minor nations competing in this international League as it would boost the confidence of those who managed to qualify. They would know they are going into matches they can win. It would be somewhat similar to the play-off's in the lower divisions.

There are a number of problem's with this, obviously. First of all who decides which nations aren't good enough so must enter this League? Are there enough poor teams or are there too many poor teams ? Would there be any interest from fans (the financial factor) ? I know there are so many difficulties that would need to be ironed out, but surely there can be something done to rectify the dour games we see on so many occasions. Perhaps it would only work for the World Cup, where the poorest teams of every continent (rather than just one continent for the specific championships such as Copa America, the Euro's etc.) enter into the League. Food for thought I guess.

Even the fact that we go into the final round of fixtures for the European qualifiers and that there are a number of teams looking to book their ticket to France in 2016, it just doesn't stack up. There may be an interesting narrative or subplot, but the football itself doesn't match the hype surrounding it.

As I began writing this piece its what got me appreciating Arsenal's football even more. We all know football is about winning at the end of the day, but I don't think it's the most important thing. If a team beats you with one shot from 50 yards out that was meant as a simple clearance and the goalkeeper did an Ospina and through it into the net, after you dominate the match and create chance after chance, playing great, hitting the bar and post on numerous occasions, how, then, can you say the team that gets the points is the best team?

It is the great fallacy of football that any team who plays great and loses, with the exception of Barcelona, is mocked for exactly that; putting in a great performance. How many times have we seen Arsenal play great and somehow lose the match, often through no clear fault of our own (sometimes you just can't stop a team scoring) and yet the headlines all read 'Once again Arsenal play well and lose' or 'Arsenal are more concerned with passing rather than scoring' or 'It doesn't matter how well you play, as long as you win'. The usual nonsense we have to listen too.

I simply don't believe that all that matters is you win, because quite simply, at the end of the day you can say you won the match for kicking a ball over a line, you can win the trophy; but you cannot say you are the best team, not really. You might have the shiny trophy and if that is all that matters, if its everything, then your eyes are fooled by empty rewards and you ears are fooled with empty praise and the feeling inside is as hollow as the trophy you've won. So I say, being the best team is what is most important. It's all about playing a great game, its the great thing about sport, unlike most things in life; its usually the best team that does win.

Just remember, it's very easy to discuss principles when nothing is at risk, when it comes to Cup finals, like the nature of the tournament itself, everything goes out the window.

I just love the fact that Arsenal try to win and try it the right way, both on and off the pitch. Then again that might be complete nonsense, it's just my subjective feeling.

Anyway I'll leave it there so. I've rumbled on far too much. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Have a good one! Please share if you like the post!

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

What Can You Do When Arsenal Do What They Do ?

Well that was more like it, the contrast in performance from Arsenal from their last two matches, both at home, is only something that Arsenal can do. That first 20 minutes you would have to say is some of the best football we have seen from an Arsenal team over the last few seasons. Not only that but I struggle to find any game in which we started as good as we did. We were sharp, fast, focused and determined; you could say the exact opposite of Tuesday night. Not only does the victory lift us above United, it also leaves us 2nd only two points off their City rivals at the top of the table.

I said the Premier League was better than any t.v scripted drama you will see and this was another classic for Arsenal fans, especially given how decisively the cast had reversed the script. I think it's time to stop trying to predict what this team will do and to simply sit back and enjoy the football; it's what Arsene wants you to do. 'Wengerball' at it's finest, most encouragingly of all, built on a strong foundation.

This was our first league win since 2011 against Sunday's opponents, and will surely boost the team's confidence. The Arsenal team is always criticized for results against the best teams, and this win is further highlighting an upward curve for the team. We have beaten all our major rivals in 2015. From the imperious victory at City, to Welbeck haunting United (at Old Trafford) in the F.A Cup, to the trashing of Liverpool, Chelsea in the community shield, Spurs needed a 'Flambulance' and so on; we are significantly improving. Just don't expect to hear that in the press. But let's not get carried away, it was still just 3 points after all.

Mertesacker was keen to impress upon people how well he thought the team had 'clicked defensively', as per Arsenal.com;

“We had a good understanding [defensively],” he said. “I think a lot clicked today.
“If one of us won a duel, the other would be there and that was the same in the second half. If he [Anthony Martial] ran past one of us, which can happen, someone else would be there straight away.
“It went well from the start and that’s always crucial. When you take your chances and are strong defensively, that’s a clear indicator that you feel good.
“[Sunday] was just special and then it’s always difficult for your opponents to gain a foothold when they are so far behind after 15 minutes.”
You could see how much the team wanted to respond [from Olympiacos]. As a team you try and remind yourself of what you can achieve and you could see that we have a lot of confidence.
“I hope that we can display that again in two weeks.”

We also heard from other players, like Coquelin who believes the win has silenced Arsenal's critics and Theo Walcott, who had an outstanding game wants to see consistency and the same level of performance every week. It's encouraging to hear the players speak well, lets just hope they can continue to play as well on the pitch as they talk off it.

I thought the whole team played well and there isn't any one individual you can point at and say they had a bad game. At the back we can once again thank big Pete in goal for that crucial save right on half time from Martial. We all know that had we gone in at 3-1 then it would have been a very nervy second half. The rest of our back line was very impressive, with both fullbacks continuing their excellent form. In the middle Gabriel once again showed that he can play with either Per or Koscielny. Mertesacker was his usual self; his leadership and organization are crucial.

In the middle the Cazorla-Coquelin axis was as imperious as ever, the Frenchman's contribution is, perhaps, best seen by his crucial intervention near the touchline to win the ball back in the build up to the first goal. He does this time and time again. Let's pray he stays fit all season. Ramsey once again put in a great shift, although it was irritating to see him miss that great chance to make it 4-0. We all know the Ramsey of a couple of years ago would have scored that. He seems to lack confidence in the final third, and is very rash at times in the box. I'm sure when he gets his first goal of the season that will change.

Then we come to the three forward players who absolutely blitzed United's back line. Walcott, although he didn't score, you would have to say put in his best performance as the front man. He made the runs and created space, but more than anything he actually made a slide tackle. Then we have our little German Mesut Ozil who once again highlighted what a truly fantastic player he is. He scored and he assisted, but for me it was more about his flicks and touches and how easy he makes everything look. He does things no other payer would think of and is two steps ahead of every player on the pitch.

Then we come to Sanchez who really is making up for lost time at the beginning of the season. He looks so sharp and is without doubt back to his best. Where you might say that the best of Ozil's work goes unnoticed, Sanchez is the exact opposite and I think that balance between both of those players is a frightening prospect for any team, Bayern Munich included. Alexis has now scored 6 goals in his last three games; and the quality of the goals again Sunday was absolutely delicious. That near post flick and the edge of the box blaster again show the different sides to his game; there is no holding him back. The only area of concern is the fact that he was substituted with a minor groin injury and as we know, there is no stopping him from international duty and although this may come back to bite us in the arse; what a breath of fresh air he is in football.

I don't think there is a team in the league that can handle us when we do what we do. When we play football like that at such a high quality with the pace and movement we are the best team in the league. The win leaves us in a great position for the league. Man City are rightfully favourites, but we all know they are capable of imploding at any given moment; we shouldn't fear them. We have a chance of winning it this year, as much to do with our rivals deficiencies as to do with any strengths we may have. If we can stay within 5 or 6 points at Christmas, then with our tendency to go from strength to strength in the second half of season's, you never know. There is no set script nor any narratives; only the ones you write for yourself exists in this league. Let's take it game by game.

One pertinent point must be made, this win (more specifically, the performance) seems to be the exception that proves the rule; it's why it has been championed so much, not just from Arsenal fans, but pundits and journalists alike. They weren't expecting what happened to transpire. Not necessarily that Arsenal won the match, but the manner in which they did, scintillating football with a rock solid defence; it was how Arsenal controlled this game through defence and attack which is most impressive of all. It's time we made that our rule and Olympiacos our exception. We have to put in these performances every week.

Right I'll leave it there, What do you think about our title chances ? What about the performance? Who was our best player? Let me know in the comments below!

P.s Follow me on twitter and google plus on the side!

Have a good one,

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

United Preview; Absurd Arsenal To Win, Miss A Penalty And Concede A Set-Piece Goal?

Matches against Manchester United are always of utmost importance, but matches against United after the embarrassing, negligent performance in midweek, leaving us on the brink of a group stage Champions League exit for the first time since 1999, makes this match crucially important. The Premier League is such that coming into this weekend, United, perhaps the one team in the league where even the most loud mouthed pundits can't seem to make their minds up about, sat atop the pile (that was until City thrashed Newcastle). Even more perplexing, given the largely legitimate criticism Arsenal have come in for, is the fact that we can pull level with United with victory, and remain two points off the blue half of Manchester at the top. The Premier League certainly isn't the best league, in terms of pure quality; but it is without doubt the most engaging division there is, better than most reality television shows, the best script is always the one with no script. Scratch that; the best is where the script gets torn moments into the event. Let's not kid ourselves, however, tomorrow isn't about that, it's all about getting the victory we are in desperate need of, if only to hold off that fire of discontent I wrote about after Spurs, for another week.

The club has once again swelled under a cloud of 'negative interference' largely relating to the managers decision to drop his best goalkeeper, and only summer signing for a crucial must win European match. While I agree and find it disconcerting in the extreme; do not let yourself fall into delusion as to the real reason we lost this match, which is to say, negligent, naive and arrogant defending from a team who rarely, if ever learn from previous mistakes. What we saw from Arsenal's defence Tuesday night was not good enough for a top level club and I find it extremely hard to comprehend how this has happened again, it was almost like a re-run of the Monaco match last season. No one covered themselves in any glory for the third goal, coming less than a minute after Arsenal's equalizer. Mertesacker stood there and let Finnbogason score, after Gibbs came far too central and left the wide man with as much time as you could possibly ask for in such an advanced position. The same failings came back to haunt Arsenal and it was not good enough, but as I said the loss has nothing to do with the goalkeeper making a mistake, sure it doesn't help when you have a player throwing the ball in his own net; but it was a collective failure of massive proportions.

I think the blame, first of all, lies with the players on the pitch and how they commit themselves to the cause of winning three points, but for me the buck ultimately lies with the manager on this occasion. When there are problems that present themselves on numerous occasions over a period of time, there can only be one explanation. Whether it was a lack of preparation for our opponents strengths or for another reason, I can't say, no one on the outside can say; but it certainly comes off that way. In saying that, I am not calling for the manager's head. This seems to be what most Arsenal fans don't understand; you can criticize the manager for decisions he makes, without wanting him removed from the club. Whether you like it or not, Arsene Wenger does far more good for Arsenal than bad, he has his faults, but I sincerely believe he is the right man for the job. I have no time, and frankly nor should you, for this simplistic, labeling 'AKB' and 'WOB' nonsense, and any comments using those terms on this site will be removed. They are labels made to divide and drive Arsenal fans against each other, when we should be using the football we play to unite us. I have not addressed the absurdity that was Wenger's press conference from Friday as my thoughts have been echoed in an excellent piece on 7am Kickoff, so have a look at that here.

Now you may be wondering why I spent so much time writing on old news, a reasonable question and the answer is two fold; 1) I didn't get around to writing after the Olympiacos disaster and 2) the swirl of negativity has a direct impact upon the game today. The players should use the air of disaster that sits around the club to their advantage. I believe that the players should be motivated to put things right and the combination of those emotions as well as the new ones stirred up by an old nemesis should make for the perfect storm. Then again, how often do you hear an accurate weather report?

It has become a pattern that us fans have become accustomed to; the team plays well and goes on a run of form, only for them to balloon a level of confidence that is popped by the needle of a lower level team with a good defence. We play great and them become far too relaxed and over confident and lose where we shouldn't, which usually serves as a kick up the arse for the team, only to go on and repeat the cycle a few months down the road. We can all hope that Olympiacos was that kick, but we will only find out later on today. I think we are a better team than United, but it looks like Van Gaal has finally stumbled across a team and system that works for him. Throw enough money and sophisticated looking notepads at any problem and you can fix it, seems to be the message.

The pressure on Arsenal to win this match is palpable, while a draw wouldn't be the end of the world, it certainly won't satisfy those baying for blood. There also comes a point where we have to start winning these matches on a consistent basis; we haven't won against United at home since 2011. That is clearly not good enough. This match, however, also represents United's first real challenge of the season (Sorry Liverpool fans, well not really), and will certainly serve as something of a report card from which both teams will be judged by the strictest of teacher's; football fans and media. As I alluded to above, it is very hard to judge United and how good (or not) they actually are, but one thing is for sure; Martial, unbelievable transfer fee aside, has been excellent for them since signing. He made the big statement against Liverpool and has backed those headlines up with consistent performances. One of the big talking points around the match will be how Mertesacker will deal with him (given Koscielny's absence and the presumption that the teenager will target the BFG).

I think we need to look back on how we got results against United last season, while we lost at home, we put in a very strong performance and done everything but get the three points, however, our performances at Old Trafford were impressive as we knocked them out of the F.A. cup and gained a good point in the closing months. In those matches we took on a more conservative approach, and I think the manager will send the team out like that today. He will be concerned by our defensive frailties and look to cut out the silly mistakes and loss in concentration. If we can do that then it will give us a great chance of winning the game, even with United having conceded the least amount of league goals this season, I am confident that our attack can do what is required. I am sure this game won't end goalless; keep the clean sheet and we will win. I state what seems the obvious, I know.

The biggest question for Arsenal will be who starts up front and it is a hard choice to make. While Walcott has been excellent and maintained a good scoring record, I can't help but feel that this match will be more suited for Giroud. United won't come all guns blazing and will try to keep it tight as a draw is good for them, and I always have my doubts about Theo when he plays in these kind of games. The Frenchman will be fresh and will surely be motivated to get his place back in the team; he has something to prove and this might be the match where he proves it. It's really a toss of a coin and there are pro's/con's to playing either player but overall I think Giroud would be the better option. Expect Arsene to play Walcott now...

We all know what the rest of the team will be, although injuries are mounting again; no Koscielny, Arteta, Flamini, Wilshere, Rosicky, Welbeck, but we can still field our strongest team. Ramsey will come back in on the right for Chamberlain, Monreal for Gibbs and Cech for Ospina, Obviously Mertesacker will replace the injured Koscielny also. I don't see the need to lay out the team formation below as it speaks for itself, one area that concerns me, however, is a lack of options for the bench. It will be one of Walcott/Giroud with Chamberlain and Campbell as the only attacking options, while not desperate, it is now where we really feel the loss of the likes of Wilshere and Welbeck.

This match always serves up a classic and has always been one of my favourites, i'm really looking forward to it. While it may not necessarily be an end to end match, it will be a dogfight for control of possession. Van Gaal will want to take the sting out of the game and make it a slower, tighter match, whereas Arsenal will want it more open. Midfield dominance will be crucial. It's a hard match to call and I can see a 1-1, but I am going for Arsenal to get a 2-1 win. I have a feeling United will score from a set piece and we will miss a penalty. I have no idea why, but I do! Anyway you heard it here first...

Right I've gone on long enough,
Let's hope it's a good one..

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

Team News For Pivotal Olympiacos Clash..

It is at that point in the season now where the games are coming thick and fast as we prepare for tomorrow nights crucial clash at home to Olympiacos. The win at Leicester, more specifically the manner of the win at Leicester, should see the team full of confidence;  there are no two ways about it we need the 3 points. Our recent home record in Europe doesn't make for great reading seen as we have only won 6 of our last 12 ties at the Emirates, which is extremely disappointing for a club such as Arsenal's. Wenger has had his say, via The Guardian;

“You have to win home games if you want to qualify, it is as simple as that,We cannot afford to drop points against anybody at home.”

“We are now in a position where we do not want to talk too much about the statistics, we just want to win our games and I’m confident we will,” 

On the injury front things aren't looking too good for the match, with doubts over a few key players, particularly in the defensive midfield position, from Arsenal.com;

On Coquelin returning to training…
"He has been back since yesterday and I will have to see how he responds to two days of training, but he looks alright". 

On Flamini and Arteta…
"Both have slight muscular problems, but I think Flamini has a scan today and Arteta certainly as well" 

On Gabriel back but no Giroud due to suspension…
"Exactly". 

On whether Flamini or Arteta are serious injuries…
"No, they are not big injuries. It is a question of days".

If I was the manager I wouldn't risk Coquelin for tomorrow nights match as we have that huge game against United at the weekend, as he really has become a pivotal member of the team. You would be hard pressed to go back and find a game in which the Frenchman was poor; he always works hard and the rest takes care of itself.

As the manager said above getting the win is crucial, but especially given the fact that we then face two games against Bayern Munich, which will obviously be very difficult to get much out of. If we don't win tomorrow the pressure going into both those matches would be overwhelming, so let's hope the team can get the win we need and produce another performance akin to Saturdays display of attacking, fluid football. Read my piece on the Leicester game here.

Right that will do for now, have a good one!
Follow on twitter @__CosmicKid.

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

Balanced Football Is Key And Arsenal Win At Leicester..

Five goals in one match at Leicester means Arsenal have doubled their goal tally in the League this season which now stands at a rather more respectable 10 goals from 7 games rather than the very average 5 from 6. Yesterdays match was a great watch and that's what happens when you have two teams who go out to win the match and try take the initiative. It was a nice break from the negative defensive approach to football that is fast becoming the norm in a sport that demands from its players a creative, skillful approach.

The easiest way to win football matches is to sit back with 10 men behind the ball; to be negative, to park the bus. Some may argue that's what you should do, that winning is everything and that is the 'easiest' way to do it. I disagree with that, I think the biggest players and the biggest teams have a duty to the sport to play it in its purest and most desired fashion. I think it's the bravest managers who set their teams up in this fashion. That's ambition; to win, but to try and win in a way that is universally admired and the reason people watch football, not Jose Mourinho's assertion that the way Costa cheats plays is the reason to watch the beautiful game. Anyway where am I going with this unintended mini rant? I guess to say that Leicester paid the price for trying to take on Arsenal in a shoot out, which would never work for them. It's all about balance, playing the game as you want it and in its best form, but also paying due concern to your defensive play. It is foolish and negligent in the extreme to go out all guns blazing, and while Leicester certainly weren't all out attack, they were far too open for a team of Arsenal's quality. They had the commitment, and passion, they had quality going forward, but were not at all prepared in defence; they lacked balance.

The game, as we know, didn't start at all well for Arsenal and we found ourselves a goal down within the first 15 minutes after some extremely sloppy play at the back. What troubles me most of all was the fact that we were caught on a counter attack away from home on numerous occasions. We were far too open; you expect to get caught out like that when you are a goal or two down in the last 15 minutes, not level within the first 15 minutes. That is what Arsenal lack, the right balance for winning football matches. Too often they set up in a manner that is akin to football's version of suicide, or suicide by attack. Against the very best teams that will be punished, and has been so in the past. Let's hope that this was a one off, because this is the area where Arsenal have improved upon within the last year, they pay more attention to the opposition and defending so it was disappointing to see them lapse here. The manager alluded to Leicester's positive spell in his press conference;

"I thought they were close to scoring a second one and it would have made it difficult. We found the resources to equalise and after that our technical quality and the pace of our strikers gave them problems and we managed to make it 2-1 before half-time. In the second half we controlled the game and looked always like we could add another one".

I don't think there is any real need to go into the specifics of the match itself; we all know what happened, Leicester were on top for the first 20 minutes of the game, until Arsenal equalized and it then became a much more even game. From there on we went onto control the match and it was only a matter of time before we converted that dominance on the pitch onto the score board. One other area that concerned me was the fact that after Arsenal went 1-4 up we were a little too relaxed, which is only natural I suppose, especially at that stage of the match, however we gave up numerous opportunities and Petr Cech had to make some great saves to prevent a relatively comfortable game in the end turning into a nervy nail biting finish.

I don't want to come off harsh as I was delighted with the teams performance, as it was only a matter of time before we thrashed a team this season, such is our poor conversion rate, the worst in the league before yesterdays clash. I thought the way the team played yesterday was the best yet this season, and to win, what was looked like a potential banana skin, in the way we did was excellent. There was a real cohesion and purpose to our attacking play that has been questioned beforehand. It also handed Leicester, the last remaining team unbeaten in the division, their first loss of the season, thus ensuring Arsenal's team of 2003/04 will remain the only team to manage that feat, for another season at least.

When you look at individual players there were some impressive performances, you obviously look at Sanchez's hat-trick, getting his season up and running. What I loved most about the hat-trick was the fact that all 3 goals were completely different; The first was a fox in the box classic, lurking at the back post in the right place at the right time. The second goal was a perfectly executed headed finish to match that sumptuous cross from Mesut Ozil. It was a difficult opportunity made to look easy with all the desire we have come to expect from the Chilean. The third was a perfectly executed shot from distance that left the keeper scrambling in the way you want an opposition keeper to scramble. Although it wasn't the text book 'perfect' hat-trick, (left foot, right foot, headed goal), in my view, it was even better. He was back to his best today, Arsene Wenger agreeing;

"He is back to his level. I could see in training a different player in the last week or two and he has shown that today. I believe going forward he always looked dangerous".

I also thought Ozil improved as the game went on, and was excellent in the second half. His match statistics make for impressive reading, with a 92% successful passing rate, 5 chances created and an assist. The only ting missing from his game today was a goal. I think he has been very good overall since returning from injury in the second part from last season and he will be key to whatever success this team achieves.

In what has become par for the course for Arsenal matches these days it was a strange game even without those glorious Mathieu Flamini goals from midweek. While conceding 2 goals is never a good thing, I felt our defenders all played relatively well, the first 20 minutes aside. I thought Theo Walcott put in one of his best performances since returning from his long term injury, and was unlucky to leave the pitch with just one goal to his name. It was also encouraging to see Giroud come off the bench and grab a well taken goal that will boost his confidence, just like against Stoke both strikers scored, and on both occasions the French man replaced the English man. I think there is a promising situation developing there.

Right so that will do it for today, all in all a positive win playing the football we all love to see, whoch sets us up perfectly for a challenging week ahead as we desperately need to get our European campaign up and running against Olympiacos Tuesday night, while next week sees us hosting top of the table Manchester United in a pivotal clash for our title aspirations, that game will give us an opportunity to see where the team are at.

'Till next time, Have a good one.
Follow me on twitter @__Cosmic Kid.

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

Ranieri Talks Up Arsenal Ahead Of Weekend Clash..

In the build up to our trip to Leicester this weekend Claudio Ranieri has been highly complimentary towards Arsenal believing that the foxes need to produce the 'perfect performance' to get the three points. As I mentioned in my last post about the Spurs victory, our opponents this weekend are still unbeaten, the last team in the division to remain so. Leicester are also sitting in 4th place with 12 points after an impressive start to the campaign. It will be a difficult game this Saturday on what will be only our second 3p.m Saturday kick off since the season started, which further highlights the growing impact of t.v companies on the football schedule. Here is what the Italian said;

“To beat Arsenal we must do the perfect match, no mistakes,” he said. “Arsenal are great to watch, they are smart, fast and technical. 

“They are ready to fight for the title again in my opinion. Maybe not the Champions League just yet, but in the league they are growing stronger. I think they have a chance. 

“On Saturday we are going to have a very big match on our hands, because it is difficult to find a weakness in the present Arsenal team.”

It seems strange to hear praise from an opposition manager when you normally associate any Arsenal related headlines from other managers with Jose Mourinho and his usual bombardment of nonsense. It would be nice to get the victory at the weekend, not only because we really have to get the three points, but also because we can then celebrate 'Invincibles Day', as no other team in the league can finish the season unbeaten. Every season that passes where we acknowledge that only makes that achievement grow in stature.

Anyway, have a good one

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

Arsenal Win At Spurs To Extinguish Our Fire Of Discontent..

There is nothing like a victory at the old enemy to help close the wounds on what has been a truly testing week as an Arsenal supporter. Our Champions League campaign got off to a disastrous start with a flimsy attempt at bringing home the points from Zagreb, which was followed up by what you can only describe as a fuck up of massive proportions from Mike Dean at Stamford Bridge Saturday lunchtime. With Arsenal supporters these days there is always an underlying feeling of angst and tension and any dip in performance or results from the team gives oxygen to the fire of discontent among fans and you could already feel it bubbling up,which is why the game at the Lane took on extra significance and thankfully, for now at least, the fire of discontent has been extinguished.

Since I haven't posted in a while, I want to take us back to Saturday. It has been 5 days since we lost at Stamford Bridge and while yesterdays win certainly helps, there is still a lot of anger there. It almost reminds me of game number 50 at Old Trafford, in 2004. There is that same feeling of injustice, which is not exclusively limited to the Gabriel- Costa incident. It angers me when people say that Gabriel should not have reacted and thus he wouldn't have been sent off, what those same people fail to mention is the fact that had the referee done his job in the first place and dealt with Costa that wouldn't have happened, and we would have went into half time with a man advantage, not a man light.

Aside from that, the free kick that lead to Chelsea's first goal should not have been given in the first place and then to further rub salt in our wounds and send Cazorla off was a complete joke. It wasn't just one incident that angers Arsenal fans, but a culmination of poor judgement and negligence in the extreme from an experienced official that means you have to question his suitability for officiating at the top level. For the F.A to then go out and ban Costa for 3 games and at the same time rescind Gabriels sending off only serves to highlight this point. One thing I do not understand, however, is why is Gabriel still facing a charge for failing to leave the pitch? They have admitted he should not have been sent off, so why wouldn't he complain? What a massive cluster fuck on behalf of the F.A this whole thing is. Wenger had some interesting comments on the situation after the Spurs game;

“That just shows that they decided after the game what should have been decided during the game and they repair five per cent of the damage that has been done to us. Instead of us playing 11 against 10, we played 10 against 11". 

“It does not help us too much. On the day I watched the game again. It is better I don’t talk too much because it was really surprising in this game that some incidents were handled very lightly and not seriously and it is better I don’t talk too much as I’m still angry about it. One or two situations in the game are difficult to understand when you watch it again.”

 However, Wenger did say that he would accept whatever decision the F.A make on Gabriels impending hearing;

“I said after the game he should not have responded at all and I maintain that. I told him that but when I saw it again he had not done a lot, but you want them to have a fair judgement and we will accept what they decide. That is part of it.
“They will judge that situation and it is right. You cannot consider the whole context of the game, you want them to judge and decide and we will accept the decision.”

Anyway onto the Spurs game itself and it was a strange match to watch, because in many ways the first half felt somewhat subdued, at least up until the first goal was scored anyway. There was a lot of worried fans when the team sheet was announced and I must admit I had my doubts too, solely for one reason; lack of pace. When I saw the lineup that is what struck me most of all, with Per and Chambers at the back and the old guard of Arteta and Flamini in midfield, not to mention Giroud up front, there was genuine cause for doubts.

They were to be proven wrong in the end however, as I thought the two centre backs played very well (Chambers own goal apart), which is is even more encouraging when you consider Mertesacker is returning from the worst chest infection of all time and Chambers has only featured a couple of times this season. The one area of concern would have to be the right back position as Debuchy was really not on his game at all and all of Tottenham's good play seemed to come down his side. He was left exposed, however, by Joel Campbell, who although worked extremely hard last night seemed to do so while negating his duties in supporting Debuchy on the right hand side. On the basis of this and the Zagreb game last week, I don't think there is anyone who would replace Bellerin in the first team squad as of yet.

We all know Giroud didn't have the best of games and is certainly not having the best of times at the moment either, but instead of constantly slating him, we should be supporting him. He is still a very good striker. I was also quite happy with Ramseys performance as he was a lot more involved in the game in the centre than in comparison to his run of games on the wing, which you would expect. I think it's time to move him back centrally. Who the manager should then leave out is the problem then however, Cazorla? Ozil? Sanchez? I'm just glad i'm not paid 6 or £8 million (depending on which reports you believe) to make that decision...If it was £9 million however...

The draw for the next round was made after the match and leaves us with another away tie this time up at Sheffield Wednesday which will be played on the 27th of October. Win that match and we go through to the quarter finals, and I know this is not the most prestigious competition around, but I find it irritating when people say 'i'ts a competition I don't really care about'. I think is the wrong attitude entirely as I see it as another Arsenal match and competition to win. How would those fans feel if some of the players turned up on match day like that? I doubt they would be so forgiving.

Now all that leaves me with is the small matter of Flamini's two goals. That really is a sentence I never thought I would even think about, let alone type. How bad those Spurs fans must feel having their only chance at winning a trophy ruined by Mathieu Flamini of all people is truly enjoyable. It really was just one of those strange nights, but if Flamini continues to perform like that, you would have to say the manager has little choice but to make him a regular starter again. Looking at the Leicester game at the weekend, the last remaining unbeaten team in the League, and it would be harsh to drop the Frenchman for that as it stands. That decision will likely be decided on Francis Coquelin's availability, however. 

That second Flamini goal will surely be the inspiration for some sort of overly romantic song from Bob Dylan/ Bruce Springsteen/ Van Morrison..

Right, have a good one so,

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.

West Ham: The Big Fuss

I always find it difficult writing about Arsenal after such a disappointment, but to be honest since I started this blog, back in March, I haven't had much to be disappointed with. We were basically out of Europe already following the Monaco incident, and although we lost at home to Swansea we had our Champions League spot all but guaranteed and title aspirations was a non-starter right from the beginning. 'A non-starter right from the beginning', that sounds like a strange sentence, doesn't it? Anyway the point I am trying to make here is that while it was a bitterly disappointing performance and result, we need to have a bit of perspective. Losing is part of football, sure, we should expect a  far better performance, but football is completely unpredictable and as we have seen countless times in the Premier League; if a team is off by just 5% you get punished. That is unless you are Chelsea of course, who although, were played off the park by Swansea, and went down to 10 men, they still manages to secure a draw. That is the difference between both clubs presently; their second goal was a complete fluke, which went in from a massive deflection, whereas Ramsey had an effort that deflected onto the cross bar in the first half; what if the goals were reversed? Arsenal went one up and Chelsea stayed level ? We don't know what would happen, the margins are so fine in football; it is one big grey area (or green, I suppose..) and not the black and white, obvious, game most people, perhaps, wish it was.

I heard a lot of people talk about the lineup and that the manager got it wrong. I don't agree with that at all. I doubt there were many people who would have made any changes to the lineup. If Walcott had started the same people complaining about Giroud would almost certainly do likewise with him. It's always easy to say these things in hindsight. One thing I would agree on, however, is how narrow Arsenal played through the whole match. It is hard to tell whether the lethargy of our performance was a symptom of our lack of width or our lack of width was due to our sluggishness, either way they were both related. This isn't a new phenomenon either, when you look at our recent home record, and the performances in each match, it is quite alarming, we have failed to score in four of our last five home league games;

•  April 26th, Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea
•  May 11th, Arsenal 0-1 Swansea
•  May 20th, Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
•  May 24th, Arsenal 4-1 West Brom
•  August 9th, Arsenal 0-2 West Ham

What all those games had in common, with the exception of the West Brom match, which was the last game of the season and they had nothing to play for, was that they all set up deep defensively and we created few chances, we played very narrow and never looked too threatening. It is concerning and you start to feel as though other teams have worked out a system for playing us; when we play either Ramsey or Cazorla out wide we find it incredibly difficult to break teams down who are intent on sitting back. Perhaps Mourinho never took his bus home with him... I really hope Wenger looks at that and tries to rectify the problem, another striker, a world class striker would of course help, but it is the style of play that needs changing first. We have to play faster and employ more width. Here is a look at a chart the BBC produced of Arsenal's average positions in the West Ham game: It is far too congested in the centre..

Another aspect of our game that concerned me is linked to the great advantage of the system we play; the inter changing between the players. What I mean by that is the fact that the constant changing between players led to a lack of cohesion and prevented any sort of direction for the team to play. What highlighted this most of all was the amount of times we saw Giroud peel out wide; the problem with that is we have no other aerial threat, but even more worrying was that we had no midfield runners at all. There was one such occasion where Giroud managed to play in a delicious looking low cross, which would have fell perfectly to Ozil had he decided to make a run into the box earlier. I like our interchanging play, but it has to be done right or it just looks like a mess. Finally on the match itself, I was also frustrated with Cazorla being pushed out wide by the manager again; he was fantastic in the middle last season, why change that? I genuinely believe he brings us up another gear in the middle.

We all know the goals were sloppy and Cech was at fault for both, but he wasn't the only one at fault, as the manager said, it was a collective failure, so I don't really see the point in discussing it any further here; it has been done to death already. What I will say is that he is a world class keeper and will save us many points throughout the season; It was just one of those days at Arsenal.

I want to make a point about the reaction of a lot of Arsenal fans. We all have the right to react whatever way we do, but there was a clear overreaction to this match which I find ridiculous to be honest. We have played one match; we are only 3 points off the league leaders with 37 games to play and 111 points to play for. We also need to factor in that players recover different from pre- season, some are ready to go from the start and some take a few games to get back to full match fitness. West Ham had also played in a few competitive matches, in regards Europa league qualification, so they were ahead of us in terms of preparation as well, it must be pointed out. If this performance happened later on in the season, however, it would be deeply troubling, but i'm not too concerned, and see us as still in with a great shout at lifting the title come May.

I also found it interesting when I looked at our opening day results, and what I found was, coincidentally or not, since we began our long pre-season tours our results on the opening day have been dramatically worse. We cannot, of course, put that down solely to these tours as there could be numerous reasons, such as lack of transfer signings, poor preparation etc.What is clear however is that we have only won our opening match once after returning from our adventures in the Far East. Here are a look at the results;

Without Pre-season tours:

2004 Everton 1-4 Arsenal

2005 Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United

2006 Arsenal 1-1 Aston Villa

2007 Arsenal 2-1 Fulham

2008 Arsenal 1-0 West Bromwich Albion

2009 Everton 1-6 Arsenal

2010 Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal 

After Pre-season tours:

2011 Newcastle 0-0 Arsenal

2012 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland

2013 Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa

2014 Arsenal 2-1 Crystal Palace

2015 Arsenal 0-2 West Ham

Therefore, when you also factor in the long held idea that we do not perform well under increased pressure and expectation (think Monaco!!) You could say that the result Sunday was somewhat predictable...

As always follow me on twitter @Cosmic__kid

Anyway I'll leave it there for today.
Have a good one,

Subjectively, Cosmic Kid.