The Goon Blog

Morning all.

I’m getting into the swing of the whole summer break blogging thing, the only slight relief from this daily torture is an interview with Theo by the News of the World.

Basically he talks about the worst things he has ever done, which turn out to be decking some kid who nicked his football and dodging a train fare.

Actually, on second thoughts I’m not just going to rehash quotes. See the interview here.

Basically the interview confirms what we already know about Theo, he is a pro who has always taken his career seriously, he is a village lad and lives a pretty sheltered life.

Michael Calvin thinks that Pep Guardiola is a future Arsenal boss. Hmmm, it makes a change from headlines saying our boss is doing a runner to Spain, I suppose.

I also have a theft to draw your attention to. Lasagnechef over at fellow Arsenal blog The Cannon has had his Highbury turf stolen by his gardener.

And thats it… What more can one say?

’till tomorrow.

Morning.

There is a grand total of fuck all to talk about today, you have a choice; Bendtner wanting a new contract, more Cesc to Barca crap or… actually, thats it.

As im feeling extra generous I’ll talk about both of them.

Bendtner has had an up and down season, he is a player with the capability to score big, match winning goals but one who has had to seemingly overcome his own arrogance and win over the fans. He has done this in the second half of the season and has one of the best goals to minutes ratios in the Premiership. As I said before he is a player who stands up when he is really needed, he does grab vital goals and gives us a target to lump balls up to when we need to resort to that kind of play, Nikky is probably the best header of a ball at the club bar none.

He wants to extend his contract (it currently ends in 2012 I think) and hopefully it is something Arsene gets sorted over the summer, though it will be low on his priorities lost. It seems that we are seemingly playing hardball with van Persie so whether Bendtner skips a few pay brackets will remain to be seen. Speaking about the chance of extending his stay in North London he said:

“It is of course a priority of mine to prolong my contract, and I have never said anything else, for me it is of course sweet to receive the backing from the manager, and I hope to stay at the club for a long time.”

These are rather different quotes than some that appeared last season when he wanted more playing time and refused to pledge his future to the club, so this eagerness to seal a new contract is very positive indeed because he really does have talent and it could be a sign that Arsene sees him as the main man up front in the future.

Now onto the latest mundane crap about Cesc and its a similar situation to what Arsene found himself in a week or so ago when asked about Real Madrid. I will give you a rough overview of what Cesc might actually have said:

Reporter: So Cesc, do you think that any player in world football would want to play for a team that has just won the Spanish League, Spanish Cup and the Champions League and has the best three forwards in world football, backed up by Iniesta (worlds best player in my view) and Xavi in midfield?

Cesc: They are probably the best team that I have seen play in history and I have a lot friends there who are always telling me great things. Of course, you feel envy in a healthy way because of the way they play football. Everyone’s dream would be to play in a team like this.

And they get paid for making these shitty headlines up? Fucking hell.

Right, I have managed to write 500 words on bugger all. Maybe I should become a journalist?

’till tomorrow.

Right, this is going to be one of the only posts of this nature I ever do.

How can Arsenal turn into the English Barca?

One similarity between both teams is the style of football they play, both sides play slick passing games and hate to vary from that. The main difference however is the cutting edge Barca possess, Iniesta and Xavi are two of the worlds best central midfielders and they are positioned either side of the ‘enforcer’ in Yaya Toure or Busquets. Their passing ability is almost superior to any other player in world football, add that to the side having the best forward three seen in footballing history and you have one almighty attacking force.

Messi, Henry, Eto’o.

Defenders will see that line up and the creativity behind it and think one thing. Oh fuck.

If Arsenal played with this formation, and I think they can, they could re-create a similar sort of game to that of Barcelona.

Ponder this midfield and strikeforce.

Fabregas—–Song/Denilson—–Nasri

van Persie—–Bendtner/Eduardo—–Arshavin

In that team there is so much interchangeability that opposition players will not know who to pick up, Fabregas and Nasri can change over, van Persie, Bendtner, Eduardo and Arshavin can all play in each others positions as well. It would be a nightmare for defenders to deal with. Also, every single one of those players is prepared to run their arse off for the team and that is a very, very important part of any teams success. Just look at Barca the other night, Henry, Eto’o and Messi all did their share of the tracking back and Iniesta and Xavi were willing to start attacks from the edge of their own D.

This is one of the reasons I feel that Wenger will concentrate spending his money on the defence this summer because that is where we really fell short this season, we have let in far, far too many sloppy goals at important times. To be honest I would be happy seeing a totally new center back pairing next season, Kolo is a legend but is not a patch on the player he used to be whilst Gallas is class, but rumours don’t go away about him leaving and his silence is deafening in my view.

Right, now its your turn. Could this formation work in England and with the players we have?

Over to you.

Till tomorrow.

Morning all, not much around really.

The big news, if you can call it big, is that Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott are included in the England under 21 squad for the European championships this summer. Theo is also in the senior squad and is probably going to be a starter in the World Cup qualifiers so he won’t be getting much of a summer at all. Apparently, it might just be a one week break he gets.

Lets just hope he does not return crocked.

I can see the benefits of him going to the Under 21 tournament, it is a chance to boost his confidence and maybe even push for an international trophy but being in both squads is a lot of work, his season is by no means over yet. Then again he is a young guy and he had a four month lay-off earlier on in the season so it might not have as big an effect on him that it would have had if he didn’t pick up that shoulder injury….On international duty.

Wenger will be fuming; he made his opinion totally clear to both Stuart Pearce and Fabio Capello:

“I have let the FA know that he should not play in both national teams during the holiday period. First there is an international on June 2 and June 5, then he joins up with the Under-21s. It is not logical that he plays for the first team and the Under-21s. They finish on June 28 and we start training on July 6.

“It is difficult for us to accept that, but the rules are on the side of the federation and we cannot do anything about it. Capello is comprehensive [about the situation] and Stuart Pearce is less comprehensive. But that is because Capello uses him and then after it is a problem for Stuart Pearce.

“I have nothing against the senior side, that is the normal FIFA dates.

“The basic problem is can you use a player for two different national teams during the holiday period?  I do not want to stop Theo to play for the Under-21s but during the holiday period they should choose one or the other.”

Its hard to argue against Wenger’s view there, how often do you play for two levels of international football in one summer?

The FA don’t even care.

Last word goes out to an Arsenal great…Thierry Henry, who finally managed to win the Champions League last night as Barca pummeled Man United. All the talk before the game was about United’s pace and power along with the duel between Messi and Ronaldo.

Barca played United off the park, not only that, they made United look weak and feeble. You could also say they looked a bit old.

One man stood out for me, Iniesta, what. a. player.

There is nobody better in the world right now going on that performance, not even Leo Messi. That Barca side is very, very special, what made it even sweeter is that Alex Hleb did not even make the bench.

Chin up, Alex.

Henry is still a Gooner, he still loves the club and the club still loves him. He really, really deserves to hold that trophy aloft because he is one of the greatest players I have ever seen.

’till tomorrow.

Morning all. A bit of Wednesday reading for you.

When you take a look back over the past season you probably have five or six lasting images stuck in your head. Here are mine.

First, the defeat at home to Hull. Second the win against Manchester United at home. Third, the Stamford Bridge win. Fourth the 4-4 draw at home to Sp*rs. Fifth, the penalty shoot-out win over Roma. After that, the 4-4 against Liverpool, and finally the debacle at The Grove against United in the Champions League.

Penalty shoot-out win against Roma - One of your lasting memories of the season?

There are some notable emissions, notably the defeat at Wembley. That is because I feel we were pretty close to winning that game and on another day we would have won it. Neither team played well and had we got a stroke of luck we would be the ones getting our suits fitted for Saturday afternoon.

There has been a lot of doom and gloom this season.

Two defeats at the Grove. Weak relationship between players and fans. Off the field matters, (Usmanov et. al.) Deteriorating relationship between some sections of the fanbase and Arsene Wenger. Negative press off the field.

Those are just a few of the issues.

On the other hand we have had a few developments that really could signal what happens in this clubs future.

The signing of Andrey Arshavin – in my view one of the worlds most gifted footballers. The transfer was long, drawn out and tedious but what a reward we got for putting up with endless articles declaring whether he had signed or not, or whether his registration as an Arsenal player was completed in time. He gave the team the impetus to improve, which they did a lot of this season. He adds experience and above all a winning mentality that can only be gained through winning something of value, something very few players in our squad have actually done. That’s why in the Carling Cup run I said we should field a slightly stronger team (that’s not saying the kids are bad, far from it), because once this side wins a trophy they will overcome a natural mental block in their mentality so they ‘know’ how to win something. Something as insignificant as a Carling Cup final victory could inadvertently make this team into the world class force they can be.

The emergence of players such as Alex Song, the improvement of Denilson and breakthrough of Kieran Gibbs. Song has the ability to be a top, top player and has really improved this season, at first he seemed lazy and a little confused but had all the raw attributes of a brilliant defensive midfield player. Recently he has been a rock in midfield and has improved his passing a hell of a lot, he is strong in the tackle and seems to put himself about more. His reading of the game has been getting better and better all season whilst he has also shown that he is pretty good in defence as well. Next season he will be a big player for us, his versatility is something every winning side needs.

Denilson: the guy has talent

Some fans and blogs seem to be on a vendetta against Denilson but I think he is a fine player and one that will be world class in three or four years. He quietly goes about his business, breaking up play and playing the easy ball whilst running his backside off to fill in the gap between the defence and midfield. Denilson has racked up a fair few goals and assists this season as well. Watch this space.

Kieran Gibbs’ emergence has also been a major positive part of our season as the left back conveyor belt continues to provide class players. Going forward he is brilliant, he has a hack of a cross and only a handful of players could even get near him, such is his pace. He seems positionally sound and that slip against United will only have served to galvanise him even more. He is a firm fans favourite and it goes without saying that he will be in England’s plans in the near future, Clichy has some big competition. Over a whole season you could see Gibbs getting four or five goals.

Off the field we have what looks like a good owner in Stan Kroenke, finally warding off a threat of a hostile takeover by the fat Uzbeki and bringing in a man who the fans like in a position that lay vacant for a fair while. Ivan Gazidis is good news, he supports Wenger but won’t be afraid to put his stamp on things. Me and the majority of fans like and trust Gazidis, whilst Kroenke has done nothing to be hated, he seems a genuine chap who doesnt try and make a quick buck out of his sporting assets. He also isn’t afraid to put his billions to good use.

How do we move forward from here then?

We have a damn good manager in Arsene Wenger, we have world class players in Fabregas and Arshavin, we have youngsters who have the world at their feet if they keep their development up. Jack Wilshere anyone?

The main priority goes without saying, keeping the players we currently have. Then we must add to that two experienced players and better defensive cover. A defender is a must, two defenders if Gallas leaves. One thing is for sure, Gallas and Toure are not a Premier League winning defensive partnership despite them both having been there, done that and got the medals to prove it. A no nonsense defender is a must, we don’t need another short athlete.

An experienced defensive midfielder is also needed. It might spell the end for one of our midfielders and I think I need a little more time to think about that, a Diaby loan would be a possibility. What would your views be on that?

We are set for another summer of Adebayor transfer speculation and to be honest if he went I would not lose any sleep over it. If Arsene Wenger sat down with him and told him pretty bluntly to start putting the effort in the Adebayor of old did I would be happy to still have him here next season, if he does nothing and stays the same old player he might as well go because he will just serve to worsen the player/fan relationship that I will move onto in a moment.

In my view Bendtner can become a better player than Adebayor, I have said it before even though I did have doubts in the middle of the season when he couldnt miss a barn door with a sniper rifle. Nik has it all in his locker and 15 goals for this season is no mean feat. I don’t remember many strikers getting considerably more than that in the third striker capacity at the age of 21.

Now, the fans. Players such as Eboue, Bendtner and Adebayor have all been

on the recieving end of some pretty bad treatment from the fans who are right to voice their opinion at the product they are getting for their money. However, they are also there to support a team that has millions of other fans around the world that would jump at the chance to be sitting in their very seat and not boo their side. It is counterproductive no doubt. Eboue and Bendtner, to be fair to them, conducted themselves in a very dignified manner and have let their feet do the talking, they have won the fans back with some committed and good performances. Adebayor on the other hand took a different approach and had a massive strop.

Undoubtedly the players could have done more to keep the fans happy, the away support in particular didn’t always get the thanks it deserved from the players and Wenger has admitted he will talk to his players and encourage them to show their appreciation to the fans after every away game. It has to be said that Robin van Persie has been a player who always goes and applauds the fans.

With a little work this team could go a long way, no rebuilding is needed but at the same time Wenger is now in the most important part of his tenure and needs to meet the same levels of expectation he created himself. Factors have changed, billionairres have started to throw money around, the structure of the club is changing but the fans need to be pleased to keep the football club stable, I am optimistic it will be addressed in the summer.

One thing is for sure, there is no better man to oversee it than Arsene. He knows our problems and he will fix them.

’til tomorrow.

What a moment in the history of Arsenal Football Club. It epitomised everything about the club we love… The determination, never say die spirit, the genuine class of the club shown by giving Liverpool fans bouquets of flowers in memory of Hillsborough, the donation by Peter Hill-Wood towards the Hillsborough fund.

It is fitting that today, our kids have gone to Anfield and secured the Youth Cup.

I think this video says all that needs to be said in today’s blog.

’til tomorrow

I have only seen the highlights of the game, and overall it was a good way to end the season and it seemed that once our fourth goal went in we rather took our foot off the gas and tried to play a bit of fantasy football, with little end result. The most important thing is that this season is over and we can look forward to some new arrivals over the summer.

One thing I noticed was the strong support there was for Arsene Wenger with banners all over the ground and the march before the game attracting many, many people before Stoke fans tried bottling our fans outside the ground, the cunts.

Here are a few pictures courtesy of Arsespeak on twitter.

And on the support he got, Wenger had this to say:

“It makes me feel appreciated and even more regretful that we couldn’t give them what they wanted this season. I am very respectful for their faith in me. It’s very warming and it makes me even more determined to pay them back.”

Let that be the end of ANY rumours about our manager leaving for the foreseeable future.

Part of me is very glad this season has come to a close now, a fair bit of damage has been done this season and the last few weeks in particular. The relationship between the players and some fans has been deteriorating, as has the relationship between some fans and the manager. I must emphasise the use of the word SOME.

The summer break gives the manager time to plan for next season and strengthen his squad and it also gives the fans time to cool off and start to build up to another season starting in August.

Suffice to say that from now on The Goon Blog will keep you updated with all the Arsenal news daily over the summer and there will be a fresh blog nearly every morning and if its not posted in the morning it will almost certainly be published in the afternoon.

Right, back tomorrow.

’til then.