Tumble Weed...

That seems to be what you find if you log onto any of the news wires at the moment. Just as in those western films, the dust kicks up and the tumble weed rolls across the screen.In short, there is not much to comment on.

Transfer speculation is a strange time for us Arsenal fans. As a whole, the club are very secretive about transfers and whilst we get linked with players day in day out, the next time we here from them is usually when they've signed! We don't deal in the press like the corrupt Catalans or the morally void Madrid (see Wenger link at the moment in elections!). Neither do we chat up pie eating Brazilians like Mourinho tried to do with Adriano. It really is a case of linked with a player and either never here of it again, or see him holding up a Red and White shirt at a press conference!

Due to this, speculating on transfers can either seem prophetic, or an entire waste of time for Arsenal blogs. You look like a moron if you say how a player will improve the side but then we never here of him again, but on the other hand you seem oracle like if you get lucky and comment on someone that signs!

As mentioned when this blog started up, things here will go a bit World Cup as the tournament steps into gear, and with the real England playing a friendly tonight, the count down to Germany has begun.

Tomorrow I'll go through who I think can and can't make an impact in the World Cup and over the weekend the red carpet will be rolled out for the First 'Arse Club End of Season' Awards.

See you

Bye Bye Bobby

The worst kept secret of the close season was confirmed today when Robert Pires left Arsenal to join Villareal on a two year contract.

It seems quite a simple one in one out transaction with Rosicky coming in to take up that creative role in the team.

Pires has always been one of my favourite Arsenal players of the last half decade. Whilst he is the most steroetypically French of the muskateers, can you imagine how much the press would have loved him if he were English?! A left sided goal scoring creative metronome that kept the side ticking and can have an impact from the bench! The fact he is French and made one dive that resulted in a penalty against journo favourite Harry Redknapp meant he was never going to be a media darling.


Being French was never a problem for me, but these idiot writers never wrote about the good parts of his game.
The 19 goals in the unbeaten run, the fact he was consistently in the top scorer charts as a midfielder, his amazing form before he did his knee in during the 2002 Double season. Put simply, he did what Paul Scholes had done in the 1990's but being French, the press wouldn't take to it. Imagine if Lampard was French; they wouldn't give him half the coverage and praise he gets and Frank the Tank has only done what the influential Pires has done for under half the amount of time!!


I had a conversation once with a mate of mine about Overmars leaving. He was gutted but when I heard Pires was coming, I thought there was potential for a better player there. Whilst Overmars was great, he was very much a 'match winner in 1 game, disappeared for the next 2' type of player. Pires however, had as much influence as a central player, even though he was out on the wing. And if he hadn't scored, you could be damn sure he's played a part in the build up.


He has been an integral part of the Arsenal teams of the last 6 years and will be sorely missed. Personally I think it may take more than Rosicky, in his adapting debut season to replace Pires. Even if the new boy becomes the new 'oil in the machine' - as Wenger once described Pires - how do we get 15-20 goals a season with Ljungberg forgetting to shoot and Hleb being scared to do so?
Replacing Pires is going to take more than one player and I think thats about the biggest compliment you can pay one individual footballer.

For his amazing double season where he won player of the year 2002 despite being out since March,
For his countless goals against Spurs,
For his infinite through balls to Henry that always produced goals,
For his partnership with Ash on the left hand side,
For his even more goals against Spurs,
For his amazing goal against Aston Villa,
For his sheer French-ness that annoyed everyone else so much and
For his jaw-dropping munching of PV4 in the Champions League.


So here's to Robert Pires, the Premierships most consistent and influential goal scoring midfielder of the twenty first Century and a true an Arsenal Legend.

Rosicky Business?

Nope, not Risky, but good business!
Especially if it was at the £6-8 million mark thats being thrown around. He seems to be an Arsenal type of player and for once, is an established international between 24 and 28. Thats what we've all been wanting surely?

Rosicky seems to be one of those players that people talk about being brilliant but haven't actually seen him play that much! The Cassano, Torres, Emre (even though he's a magpie!) type player that trades off reviews to a certain extent. So rather than say he's going to be brilliant, I'm just looking forward to what he can do.
Yeah I remember that great goal he scored against us in the Champions League, but outside the Czech side and that one match, I can only rely on what I've read and on Pro Evolution. And we all know how awful that is when considering a players true worth...Raul, sod it, the whole of Real Madrid being good anyone? Thought not.

Surely it means the end of Bobby P though? If it does, he deserves a huge amount of thanks. But i'll come to that if it arrives. And is the newbie too similar to Hleb or Cesc?

Its an exciting signing and will either change the shape of our midfield, or give it depth where we've been lacking. So either way, we win.

A few more names to go with the youngsters would be excellent though. And if Campbell leaves, I really want an Englishman to replace him. I don't know much about Davies of WBA but he impressed me in the Highbury game and if we signed him now, I'm sure Sven would put him in the England side instead of Dawson just because he is contracted to Arsenal! Which is worth the rumoured £5 million all on its own. Stupid Spurs.

So, Tomas Rosicky...Exciting, talented, established and yet another reason to do nothing in June apart from watch the World Cup. Just what we all wanted!

Good work Arsene!

Sol going to Turkey?

I'm not one for transfer rumours as a whole as they can make you look very stupid (cough, Barcalona, cough!) but this is quite a big one.

Apparently Sol Campbell is going to Turkish side Fenerbache for around £8 million. Thats a great deal of money for an ageing centre half who, apart from the Final last week hasn't really been very good recently. His wages are also massive so it may ease the burden of TH14's new pay packet if he is indeed off.

A suggested headline: 'Chicken Sol leaves for Turkey'. Hehe. That'll teach him for wimping out at half-time against West Ham!

As I said, I won't go into details until its confirmed or denied. But its an interesting one...

TH14 Stays!

Wow. Thats one way to lift the mood of a club that just lost the biggest game in their history! I woke up this morning and was shocked to see the news on the internet. Maybe its just me, but as he said 'by the World Cup,' I thought it would be another few weeks until we heard a decision we didn't want to hear.
One point is whether he would have stayed if we had won the Champions League? I'm not entirely sure that one match would have such a big influence on a man like Thierry. As well as one can know someone they've never met, he doesn't seem volatile enough to base 7 previous years and the next 4 on 90 minutes ruined by a referee. Also think about what would have happened if the Final was against another team and he seemed as pissed off with them as he was with Barca. Would he have gone to Barcalona then?

As fans though, would we rather have won the Champions League and see him go or lose the Final and see him stay? Its a tough one but for the long term future I'm glad its happened this way round. Granted we'd make a fortune from Champions League winnings, but would the financial difference between winning and losing the final have got us an adequate, ready made replacement for Henry? NO! Not in a million years!!

Thats in then. Whilst the gloom has been lifted by a brilliant bit of news, lets not forget we need to strengthen in the summer. I have a feeling that we've got something big tucked away thats helped Henry stay; I mean in players, not just that big new shiny building down the road!

For now though, lets salute Dennis for everything he has done for us, and salute Henry for everything he will continue to do.

Here's to the next four years!!!!!!!!!

PROUD

There we go then. Eventually one of the best teams in the world beat our ten man side with 9 minutes to go. It was proper old school Arsenal balls to the walls stuff. I am obviously gutted, but the performance and the grit were things we can be proud of. If it took a very bad referee plus Barcalona to stop us, then we have nothing to be ashamed of. I saw a Manc in a pub afterwards and he had this big grin on his face when he saw me. As I said in the preview, I simply asked him how United got along in the Champions League knock out stages. Oh, hang on, they couldnt make it out of a group as easy as ours. He said nothing and by the time I turned around after getting a beer in, he had run away. Idiot.

So, lets be proud of what we achieved for so long in adversity and those circumstances, yeah we can regret it, and its hard to argue with the sending off once the ref had blown the whistle, but imagine how the experience is going to make our players bond and believe and grow. This team needed a game of balls to the walls fighting to forge a real togetherness, and although it wouldve been better had that togetherness be formed in victory. We still have it, and lets see where its gonna take us next season.

Well done boys, an amazing European campaign.

Will update the site later today after (hopefully) a rather famous Frenchman has scribbled on a bit of paper for us!

Believe!

I've waited so long for this and I'm only 22. God knows what is going through the minds of some of you older gooners out there!
The red hair dye is primed and ready, the lucky unbeaten season home shirt is ready, the designated public house is ready and £1.50 all drinks all night. In fact the only thing that isn't ready is my head!

I'm so excited and I'm so nervous. I went out for a curry last night and the only thing that came out of my mouth was about tonights game. (sorry Lianne!) I found out one of my mates is wearing the blue away shirt that we lost to United in when out 49ers came to an end. I immediately text him back and told him he can't wear it.

I am a wreck; an excited wreck.

I respect Barcalona, their club, their players, their history. But no-one is really giving us a chance. Its a one off game. Our players are ready for this. Sure, they are young, but can you imagine how good they'll be after this experience; win or lose?
We can win this. Like I said yesterday, its our collective cell against their individuals. I think its gonna be tight until the first goal is scored. After all, there is no second leg to claw anything back. THIS WILL SUIT US. Fabregas and Pires given space to thread balls to Titi like only they can? yes please!

I'm not sure about Le Bob starting, I'd quite like him fresh off the bench for the last 20 minutes. And Arsene, if we are losing, don't be afrais to make a change, not a suicidal McClaren change, but after 65 minutes or 70 minutes, Hleb for Dennies, Van Persie or Pires won't hurt anyone. I just have a feeling about Pires or Freddie tonight. Big games, Big players. Consider that their big influence doesn't have to be the goal though. It could be the pass or the creation of space.

If we lost tonight, we have lost to the best team in Europe. Not like Liverpool were just cos they won the trophy, but the real deal. If we lose, I'll be gutted, but if we've given it our all, we are still the second best team in Europe. Tell that to any bitter and jealous fans that taunt you after the game. Chavski fans? Got beaten by Barca before the final. Man USA fans? Sorry, didn't get out of your group. Trotts fans? Have you ever been in the Champions League? No.
Be proud of our team, win or lose.

I won't go through the line ups or talk about their danger men, we know that by now. But I truly believe in our youth, I believe in Jens, I believe in our defence and our five man midfield, I believe in the home-coming boy - TH14, but I believe in this unit more than anything right now. If its 0-0 with 30 minutes to go, we are fitter, fresher and faster than them.

For the last time whilst we represent Highbury, for all the sub plots, for all the talk of fourth place, its come down to the European Cup Final and we can do this!
For the Final time this season...

COME ON YOU GOONERS!!!

Believe

Victoria Concordia Crescit...

Enforcing this mantra is the only way we can win the Final tomorrow. The more I think about it, the better Barcalona's individual players seem, but the better our team seems. Following? Good.

Whilst I doubt there is much argument about whose players have the better technical ability and big name draw, their players are coming out with some loopy stuff in the press whilst ours seem calmer and more focused. If Barca didn't play such good football on a regular basis, the British press could accuse their players 'Henry would be great here' digs as Chelski like. I've mentioned this before but I'd love Cesc to say 'Ronaldinho would be great here' just to shut them the hell up!

I'm really in the mood for this now though. The hair gets turned into Freddie's red mohican tomorrow, which means my bed sheets get covered in red hair putty on thursday but tough. I can't revise for my exams because I keep checking NewsNow every 5 minutes for new stories and I can't stop listening to Eye of the Tiger and other underdoggy type songs. Sad I know.

I feel sorry for this Linesman (assistant ref my arse) that was seen in that Barca shirt but I'll give him the benefit of doubt as he was supposed to wear both for a photo shoot in his local paper. Why he owned a Barcalona shirt though is a bit iffy. But surely its better this is found out before the game so if anything, he might try and prove his impartiality too much and give TH14 a benefit he wouldn't usually have. hehe.

One point worth thinking about is the fact that we know we can win finals playing badly (hehe, Man U, hehe)and as Cesc pointed out, we can make it one out of one whereas Barca have lost the Final before. I'm a huge fan of psychology in sport and things like that can only help us. They'll have doubt as to whether its going the same way as 1994 yet we go in with a clean slate knowing we can win games even if we aren't on fire. However it can be said they've won it before and we haven't. Psychology is important and both teams have positives here, so it all comes down to who believes their positives more. Cesc is giving out all the right signals here, thats for sure.

As well as sqarefootball.net, I'm also boycotting bbc.co.uk/sport as I'm sure they don't want us to win the damn thing. All the articles are negative and it goes to prove the fact that they are all still bitter about their team shitting themselves on the final day of the season.

I'm avoiding my preview until the day of the game so expect that tomorrow because right now I'm off to get all religious on my 'Senderos Get Fit' prayer mat which doubles as a 'Sol Gett Injured' prayer mat.

Cardiff without Arsenal!

A very strange thing is happening tomorrow...An FA Cup Final is taking place in Cardiff. WITHOUT US!

Only one has not involved us so far and its a very strange thing. As much as I like the Champions League and wouldn't swap competitions, there is something about the FA Cup that I do love. From the 2 stunners that beat Chelsea (only Chelsea, not Chelski as pre-Roman), to the stuttering victory against the Saints to the hilarious Final against Man USA last year, its always been a brilliant occassion with results to match, bar the ironic Scouse robbery in 2001. The awful Spurs loving BBC-esque squarefootball site says Liverpool refer to the Millenium Stadium as Anfield South! Does that mean we should just call it Highbury II !!

I hope its a good Final tomorrow, I wish West Ham well due to their professionalism (bar Sheringham) last week. It'd be nice to see a club other than the big four win it and the last was Everrton in 1995. Although I'm sure Scousers were saying the same in 2003 and 2004 when Saints and Millwall were there.

A West Ham win and Sheringham breaking his leg would be nice. Hopefully when TRYING to score, not miss a penalty this time.

Nevertheless, good luck Hammers

A Fair Fight in Paris?

I'm slowly getting myself into Champions Legaue Final mode, I've been trying not to get too hyped up yet but the tension and excitement of our biggest game ever is building and building now.

My point though, is apart from Ronaldinho, are there any Barca players that are better than their Arsenal counterparts. Whilst the bucktoothed one is more than a match for Gilberto Silva, is there anywhere else on the pitch that they are significantly better than us? I just can't see it. Keepers, defence, solidarity in midfield etc...are all ours.

If it came to Puyol v Kolo, if you take away the star attraction of Carlos' name, I'd pick Kolo everytime on the form of the last 18 months. Toure doesn't let in Champions League goals and Puyol was properly grilled by Shevchenko at the Camp Nou but got away with it.

Eto'o is also a worthy consideration and a great player, but Barca wouldn't be serious about TH14 if they thought Eto'o was a better would they? We'll kick the hell out of them on full backs (theirs are our cast-offs) and goal keepers however! The bland battle in midfield of Sivla and Van Bommel is even, so is Cesc and Xavi. If Messi plays, we'll let them have that one on Hleb but Le Bob, Freddie and Jose (especially as the last 2 are confidence players hittin goals recently) can more than match Iniesta, Motta and Guily for big game goals.

I'm also gonna say that discipline wise, we are more drilled than they are. Granted its not our normal formation, but Freddie sticks to his task well, whereas although Ronnie and Giuly/Messi are given freedom, that freedom ultimately will creat space for Ash and Manny Eboue. If each side went a goal up, I'm more confident it would stay 1-0 to the Arsenal due to our organisation than the scoreline stay the same of the Catalans went ahead.

This really is a far more even battle than anyone is giving us credit for. The Spanish press think its something of a procession to the big eared trophy, and I hope they continue that train of thought, but are they really that much better than us?

What a Send Off!

Yesterday was stunning, no other word for it.
From the twists and turns on the pitch to the same motions in the scums stomachs, it really was something special.

Whatever happened on the final day at Highbury was going to be remembered, but the controversy, the on/off game at Upton Park, being in front, being behind, being fourth, being fifth and being fourth again. All in 2 hours. I'm not ashamed to say I resorted to drinking.

I want to salute the professionalism of West Ham for giving Spurs a go so close to a final, but professionalism for people at this level should never be in doubt. HOWEVER, that arsehole who took the penalty for West Ham is completely unprofessional; the fact he took it and 'accidently' missed is bad enough, but surely no one is saying he tried to score? He is a disgrace to the game of football. He should have scored/attempted to score and then not celebrated his goal as most ex players do. Instead, he's an embarrassment to all the players that take their jobs seriously.

Sheringham, Crooks, Venables, Baddiel, Nicholson, Fat Mabbutt, Klinsmann, Robbie Keane and JHJH, your boys took ONE HELL OF AN EATING!

I read today that Dennis said its been an honour to play at Highbury, but surely the pleasure is ours for seeing one of the greats of the game on our own pitch for eleven years? I'll write more in the build up for his testamonial because there is just so much to mention and I've had enough emotion for one weekend frankly!


Sheringham, Crooks, Venables, Baddiel, Nicholson, Fat Mabbutt, Klinsmann, Robbie Keane, Crail and JHJH, your boys took ONE HELL OF AN EATING!

Arsene Wengers Magic,
He wears a big chefs hat,
and when he saw 4th place,
he made the Spurs players shat!

Nice.


*JUST IN*


As if Defoe wasn't feeling sick enough yesterday, for eating dodgy lasagne and bottling CL qualification, our wonder reserve has just been put in the England squad ahead of him. I feel sorry for Darren Bent, what more could he do, but Defoe? HAHAHAHAHA!

And for a bunch of money grabbing foreigners who got to the CL final without an Englishman playing for them in the last 100 years and are generally arrogant French divers, isn't it odd that we only have one less English player in the squad than those hard done by, down on their luck, cheated, plucky all english media darlings down the road? And when Sven realises Jenas is a joke, not a footballer, then its all even.

Take that Crooks, Linekar and Sherigham. Ha.

That just really tops off yesterday! Well done Theo, and Sven has found some balls and as a result, I think I may actually like him a bit more! Fair Play Sven, thihs World Cup could be fun!

The Final Salute

Its been an age since I've posted, which is due to the quite stunning laziness of my housemate. She's not nasty or evil just painfully lazy. But talking/moaning/boring you about that doesn't seem right this weekend.

I'm sure everyone's figured out that this is our last game at THOF this weekend. I for one am gutted and excited. Gutted because I've only ever seen Arsenal outside of Highbury 3 times so I really don't know anything else when it comes to following the team, but excited because we will have the best stadium in the UK and still the best manager. Its hard not to find it a little funny that the press kill AW for not having won the Champions League (yet) but then moan that he was protected from the England job and that he should have been first choice. Idiots.

Anyway, leaving Highbury is going to be emotional. Im going to be upset, I won't hide from that or think its a bit gay, in the same way that I'm warning all my mates that I'm going to bawl my eyes out if we win the Champions League Final.

So, now I've said my piece on the amazing stadium that will always be special to all of us, we've got to consider we are playing a game there this weekend and that its not just a ceremony! Wigan are a good side, they've shown us that in all three of the games we've played against them this year. I like their balls for playing 4-4-2 every week without enducing people into a coma everytime they go away from the JJB by playing 5-5-0, like half the teams in the top flight do. If we get a better result than Spurs, we finish 4th. In theory thats simple, and we all know about the FA Cup for West Ham etc, but this is also the Totts Final and arguably, as big a 'Final' for us as a certain game against a bunch of Spanish Breakaways is on the 17th of May.

We need to win this. So do Spurs.

I have a feeling we'll win 2-1 in a game that will be much tougher than the press haven't focused on! Paul Jewell is a million times better than McClaren already and no doubt the fact Wigan haven't had a sniff of press due to our relocation will be used to fire them up. But, it will still have that special day feel and 2-1 win and final salute to Highbury seems right to me. Spurs will score against West Ham, so that'll be 1-0 or HOPEFULLY 1-1.

I'll see you all in 4th Spot on Monday morning.

Thank you Highbury, its been a pleasure

COME ON YOU GOOOOOOONERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!