The Goon Blog

I tell you what, Arsene needs some new spectacles or a decent pair of contact lenses because one thing is for certain, he is on planet zog when it comes to this team. After the shambolic performance yesterday he said;

“Our attitude was spot on and overall we had great determination and put them under pressure.”

Our attitude was shit, we had no urgency at all. Anyone can see that. We did not want to win that game as much as Sunderland wanted a result out of us, all after it started so brightly with Arshavin getting a start, having a couple of fizzing chances and then Robin Van Persie missing a chance that he would normally have stuck away. Lets just say if it was Eduardo there i would have steaked a hell of a lot of money of the ball ending up in the back of the net.

Moan about their defensive tactics Arsene, moan about the referee, moan about the pitch, moan about the rough tackles, moan about injuries but just accept this.

We. are. not. good. enough.

If we can’t beat Sunderland, West Ham, Hull and Sp*rs at home we don’t deserve to be in the top four at the end of the season, even if we have beaten Man United and Chelsea.What does that count for when we slip up to the (with all due respect), shit teams.

We have a midfield with the creativity of a brick barring Andrey, Our other main creative players simply do not turn up sometimes. Van Persie didn’t really feel like it today by the looks of things, Nasri was anonymous and you would have needed a bloody secret agent to track down Niklas Bendtner.

Our crossing was woeful, Sagna was good in defence but whenever he crossed the halfway like he left his talent in the other half of the pitch. It says something when a central defender is your most attacking forward in the last minutes of a game doesn’t it? Yes, I’m on about William Gallas.

We are looking fine in defence but what good are 0-0’s doing to us? I would much prefer a 3-2 scoreline because we would actually get three points. Its been FOUR games without a win now in the league and in all competitions we have scored five goals in the last six games, with four coming all in one game.

Its truly despicable.

I have been trying to be upbeat but every time i try i get disappointed, sooner or later people are going to snap and Arsenal, there is no point in freezing the season ticket prices for a fourth year running because at this rate, there are going to be spare ones next season if we are not careful. Fans are getting really narked at this team not giving 100% and living their cushy lifestyles with their bleached hair, cars with ‘25′ embroided on their seats, slick motors and pink, orange, green and powder puff boots. Joe Bloggs out there is listening to another six thousand people getting laid off and becoming unemployed, going back to their families saying they might lose the very roof over their heads.

Will they really care about a bunch of overpaid thick twats kicking a football about? Especially if they are not even trying.

Everyone that watches football, be it at the ground, pub, armchair or radio is paying a tiny bit towards these players wages, its escapism, but its getting to the point where people are thinking, you know what. Fuck em!

If they gave away a weeks wages between everyone that has lost their job in the last few weeks they would be much, much more comfortable. For example, if Ade really is earning 110K a week, that would probably keep every family that has had someone laid off in the past month fed for an entire year.

A message to all the Arsenal players.

At least look as if your trying? Please? Hell, you might even need more Mango moisturiser to soften those legs of yours that may get caked in mud?

Sort it out, or fans will vote with their feet.

Sorry, many fans won’t agree with me im sure, not many do. Its what i think, i reckon its true. Do you?

Up the Gunners.

Til Tomorrow.

Hello all, looking forward to the game today – i fancy a good win.

First up Arsene Wenger thinks that we have emerged from a ’sad period’ at the club, starting with the Eduardo injury of which tomorrow is the anneversary of the event. I’m of the opinion that the win against Cardiff marked a big rise of spirits at the club, and it can’t be a coincidence that it was the return of our Crozillian striker. After this, Arsene Wenger called for the tackle to be left in the past as it does neither Eduardo or Taylor any good to keep bringing it up.

The injuries seem to be, gradually, petering out with the last of our big guns returning in 3-4 weeks time, that being Cesc. Wenger said;

“Rosicky looks very good in training, he looks unbelievably strong. Fabregas looks good, Diaby will come back. Rosicky is three weeks, Cesc four weeks, Theo two weeks.”

All are looking very good in training according to the boss and it will be a massive, massive lift to get them back. Lets hope and prey there are no setbacks for any of them along the way.

Now, onto our angry African that goes by the name of ‘pass master’. Wenger, once again, has defended the guy and said that Eboue’s apology makes everything better..

“On the first yellow card, he was not aggressive, he was clumsy. On the second yellow, he was guilty. He knows he has been treated like somebody who is guilty and he’s apologised for that.”

So if i went out and found the nicest car i could find and stuck a brick through its windscreen, but then left a note saying sorry it would be fine?

Wenger actually loves this guy, WHY?

*Eboue punches player*

“im sorry boss im sorry! i’m talented but i just wanted to win so so so badly it all boiled over and i got myself sent off again! – i won’t do it again boss i promise!”

*runs to Wenger*

“Ohh bless you Manu, i’m sorry that ref was such a bastard. You will play zee first game once your suspension ends”

*hugs Wenger*

“Thats top boss! cheers!”

-First game back

*THWACK! Eboue punches keeper*

Its the Ebou-a-go-round. What does Wenger see in him? If he starts Eboue over Andrey i might just get a little angry, after all, who is the talented one?

Eboue of course! Wenger seems to think so;

He has been punished, he has learnt from that, he is still a young player and he is a talented player.”

grrrr…

Arsene has talked up Andrey though, comparing him to Freddie Ljungberg, Maradonna and Pele in the ….height…stakes! If he is half as good as the latter two and as good as the former i will be one happy bunny!

“Yes he is quite small,” said the manager. “I think Arshavin is 5ft 6ins. But what is amazing in football is that people are always concerned about size.

“But if you take the best players in the world you had Maradona who was 5ft 7in and Pele, 5ft 7ins – so it is not a handicap.”

No pressure there then! Poor bloke ain’t even played yet! When it comes to him settling in Arsene praises his characteristics and considers them perfect for a Russian to adapt in this country, hopefully they are because he will probably become a very important mainstray in this side. Wenger commented,

“You can never be sure 100 per cent about any player, but he has personality, class and vision. In football those are the most important things. Yes, there has always been a question mark about whether Russian players would make it over here or not. I believe there is a culture-shock. It is not like coming from Wales! But I have watched him many times over the seasons. It wasn’t only at the Euros, I saw him against Munich, Real Madrid and a few other games. Also Russia is a massive country. He played for years with a club which wasn’t successful but in the last few years everyone has started to speak about Zenit.  Today, he is a super player in Russia and that is not easy. It means you’re an outstanding player and you must have some talent.”

Right, on the game later i think we should start with a midfield of Nasri, Denilson, Song and Arshavin – Im saying that because the defence of Sagna, Toure, Gallas and Clichy is probably a certainty along with our strike force of Van Persie and Bendtner. Arshavin starting would be fantastic, and Vela coming on on the hour mark would be even better.

I predict a 3 or 4-0 win for us today. It is crucil that we do not throw away more points or it would be certain curtains for the season.

Up the Gunners,

In an exact reverse of yesterday, there is sod all around today.

There will be some team news later but i can’t really look forward in time. I guess the news about Eduardo’s latest injury should be first in line, it was bound to happen i suppose, two more weeks out for that man. He was in a way a victim of his own brilliance because if he had not have netted that penalty im sure Arsene would have had him off the pitch earlier than he did, i expect it to be a bit stop start with Eduardo for a good six months whilst his body adapts to the rigors of football at the highest level again. Wenger had this to say about the injury:

“Eduardo is out for two weeks, he picked up a hamstring injury two minutes before I took him off. What a nightmare. Nobody knows how it happened but I knew straight away after the game it would be a two-week job. It is nothing like he had before but I do know that little set-backs like this are part of being nine months out. After that long out, nobody plays six months on the trot. It is impossible. But at the same time it is a blow because, of course, he can score goals. He had shown that on Monday night.”

He will be back, i am sure.

The bad news is balanced out by good news though; Andrey Arshavin will play against Sunderland, i think i speak for every Arsenal fan when i say

PLEASE START HIM AHEAD OF EBOUE!

It will be good to see him on the pitch and it will be when i am 100% sure he is now our player! Wenger was coy when asked if he will start Andrey, i have a feeling he will though its more than possible Vela could be given another start after an impressive display against Cardiff on Monday night;

“He will be involved, but I have not decided what I will do with him yet. Of course, any new signing needs an adaption period in English football. The only question mark over Arshavin is whether he can have a positive influence on Arsenal’s quest for a Champions League spot in the final three months of the season. But, despite being in pre-season training with Zenit when he signed, his physical fitness should not be a problem. He is still working on preparation and he is not qualified for the game against Roma so we can give him another week of hard work, at the end of next week, that will be three weeks with us and one week with Zenit, that should be enough.”

So he starts then right? He will only adapt to the English game by playing week in week out so start him….please?

Don’t you realise Arsene that Eboue has driven us to madness?

Really.. do you understand that Arsene?

On the injury front the list reads; Eduardo, Abou Diaby, Mikael Silvestre, Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky.

Despicable for a club of Arsenal’s stature, they should have the medical team to keep our key players fit. I don’t think there is another team as big as Arsenal that has an injury list of this size, with players of this importance anyway. FIVE of our first eleven are in the medical room, thats five of our most influential players.

Truly awful.

Right, team news tomorrow, til then, up the Gunners.

Alright you lot, lets begin.

The Shite Of The World have released their latest weekly load of bollocks starting with the headline ‘YAYA TOURE FOR ARSENAL’. They have put two and two together and came up with 2000, seriously.

Its all based on this quote, taken about two years ago:

“It would be great to play in the Premier League and to team up with my brother would be just fantastic.”

I think he said that before he went to Barca a couple of seasons ago whilst he was still at Monaco if im not mistaken, its these kinds of articles that really, really piss me off. They have based it on a quote covered in dust and made the wildest accusation without the slightest bit of knowledge. As a matter of fact Yaya said this just a month or so ago:

“There has been talk of money and a longer deal, but at the moment I am just concentrating on working. I feel happy here and what is important is that I want to stay here for many years,”

Do your research you useless bunch of mongrel hacks. Bastards.

Arsene Wenger seems to like the latest few Chelsea managers, first he came out glowing with praise for Scolari, now he has done the same for Guus Hiddink, he said:

“Hiddink has a strong knowledge of the game and strong personality, he has big experience and he always gets his teams to play the kind of football he wants to play. This is the real art of a good manager.”

Maybe its some kind of unlucky vibe he is sending, could be black magic you know. I suppose if its accounted for Scolari why should it not account for Hiddink?

Wenger has also been talking about Andrey Arshavin and how this period of matches he is ineligible to play in could be a blessing in disguise, i suppose it does give him a while longer to get match fit and sharp again after not playing a competitive match since November. He is going to have to be fit to make an impact in the team, especially as the league change may take time to adapt, the climate however will make him feel at home. Apparently he will be ready for the Sunderland game and Wenger has said he was somewhat ‘handcuffed’ when it came to playing him against Sp*rs last weekend:

“I was a little bit handcuffed against Tottenham because we were down to 10 men and if we had sustained an injury then you couldn’t bring on a player who lacks fitness when you are down to 10 men.”

It was a shame he could not play but it was really not worth the risk of injury, can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about though, fuss that i did partake in i hastily add.

William Gallas’ form has also been put under the microscope by the Boss, there is no doubt that of late, Gallas has been a rock in our defence and his form is reflected in our clean sheets of late. Against Sp*rs he was rock solid and at his true best, i have been critical of him in the past but i can say that he has always been a quality player and the removal of the captaincy has let the pressure off, and the sulking period is now over.

“I have said many times that after a major incident he has responded like a real professional and has dealt well with the situation and that is what we want.”

Only conceding three goals in eight games really shows how we have shored up our defence, it is by no means solid, but its not as leaky as it was earlier in the season. Now, we just have to put the ball in the back of the net.

Phil Wilson has written an interesting piece in The Observer chatting about how the top four is no longer. At the moment its a top one, Manchester United, with four followers being Liverpool, Villa, Chelsea and us. The Manc’s im afraid to say, are miles out in front. To think we are the last team that scored against them, its a fantastic achivement.

Not to score against them, to go that long without conceding! No, i do not have my rose tinted specs on this time.

Right, thats the lot.

Til Tomorrow

Weeks and weeks of Arshness and excitement and anger and anguish and pissed-offyness and just about every emotion going has disappeared and given way to this period of nothingness. In a way i was hoping for Martin O Neill to have a rant at the Andrey transfer but even he couldn’t find it within himself to make the most tiniest of comments. Just what are they trying to do to us? Its ok, we have recovered from the Arsh saga, we don’t need anymore of this unbearable silence!

For that reason, this post might be ever so slightly shorter than usual. It will probably be filled with bitter ramblings of my utterly shit day yesterday and my aggravating knee injury sustained by slipping on this fucking ice. Yes, i am that bitter about it. I just can’t wait to unleash all sorts of abuse at the Yids on Sunday, i just can’t wait at all. The lily-white cunts.

Ive just found this article, it seems Steve ‘i like relegation’ Coppel has decided to take a pop at us for some reason, its regarding the Arshavin transfer.

“The whole thing is a total sham.”

Fuck off.

You are looking for the governing body to show leadership and you want rules to be rules rather than rules to be bent. The whole transfer window benefits the wealthier clubs and it shouldn’t be that way. Why bother with the pretence?”

For starters i know its the Daily Star but im really scraping the barrel here; A) Because i need to write something and B) I’m in a utterly shit mood.

Right, for starters why is Steve Coppel moaning about us? I’m sure he has much more important issues to deal with. Does it affect him? No. Just because the transfer was highly publicised does not mean we did anything wrong. It was the Premier League going through everything with a fine toothcomb that was the problem. Did anyone even notice that Stephen Keppy finalised his move to Stoke 48 hours after the deadline?

No?

Well piss of then.

Now, i hate Pascal Chimbonda. Just the name Pascal makes me want to projectile vomit over the nearest item of spuddish nature, but i cant help but laugh at his hair. It looks like a field of Maize. He is also starting to fancy the Scum’s chances this weekend;

“we can beat them, we have so many good players at the club,”

*Scoffs*

Yeah, ok. Taxi!.

There really is nothing else around by the looks of things so im off to explode in a rage of violent painful anger.

Sorry about the profanity.

Til Tomorrow.

Hello from a very snowy Northamptonshire

I swear that this country is allergic to snow, its bedlam.

There is not much kicking around today after a manic few days late last week and early this week, there have been a few amendments to the Champions League squad, Fabregas has said that the media stop him from going to watch his own club play, there is a specialists view on our new man and there is a report on Wenger looking at a 23 year old French midfielder. It sounds more than it really is. Honest.

Lets start with the Champions League squad and Amaury Bischoff has been added along with Frimpong, Henderson and James Dunne, whilst loanees have been taken out the squad such as Jay Simpson, Rui Fonte, Gavin Hoyte, Rene Steer, Abu Ogogo, Paul Rodgers and Henri Lansbury hare all withdrawn. Francis Coquelin has been turfed out the squad as well and i think that could mean he will go out on loan at some point because i can’t see any other reason for him being excluded.

Bischoff puzzles me, i was expecting him to go out on loan for a month or so, just to see what he really is made of. He has a horrific injury record and if we are not careful he will go and the money invested in him will be pretty much wasted with no return. Its a tad confusing.

We are apparently eying up French 23 year old midfielder Yohan Cabaye. He is a Flamini type player but he would command a hefty fee. I can’t believe that about thirty hours after Andrey has signed we are already being linked with players? Wenger is always linked with players like this and i can’t see it happening.

Cesc Fabregas has been talking about how he can’t go and watch Barcelona games whilst he recovers through fear of media speculation,

“I’d have liked to have gone to watch Barcelona in the Nou Camp, but I wanted to avoid all the speculation on my future, Now my only worry is that I recover as soon as possible to return to Arsenal and help my team.”

Its pretty sad to be honest, he is a committed Arsenal player and the media cant seem to accept that for whatever reason. They will end up chasing the country’s best players away if they are not careful.

The club website has got some ’specialist’ to comment on the Andrey transfer and how he will fit in at the club, the only thing is i recon i have seen more of Arshavin than this man has. All he bangs on about is three games at the EURO’s.

“He was pretty keen to leave last summer after he had those two great games against Sweden and Holland at Euro 2008. I think he realised then just how good he was. Before that, I don’t think he was aware that he could do it on a European scale. So I think he was looking for a move but stayed because of Zenit’s Champions League campaign.”

There have been a few rumours that he has only just started really maturing in recent years, hence why he has only really just appeared on the scene. Wenger was watching him for three years so obviously sees more than those great performances at the EURO’s. This hack however, has really hyped him up, something that worries me,

“I keep hearing people say that ‘he’s only played two good games’, referring to Euro 2008, but the fact is he was brilliant in those games against Sweden and Holland.

“He only played three games in total at the Euros and, OK, he was disappointing against Spain in the Semi-Final. That was partly because Marcos Senna marked him very well but it was also because Spain played 4-1-4-1 when David Villa got injured and managed to push back the Russian full-backs. Part of Russia’s game had been the way the full-backs got forward, and playmakers need players moving around them. Arshavin was clearly restricted by Senna but, equally, he didn’t have those players moving around him. It’s very easy to blame the playmaker for what is actually a systemic failure in the team.

He dominated those games from midfield in a way I haven’t seen anyone do since the days of Michel Platini. To be honest I didn’t think it was possible for someone to dominate like that so I think he really is a very special talent.”

Platini is a bit of a bastard but he was not a bad player at all. All this bigging up really worries me because he will take time to settle in, this increases expectation and a couple of average performances and the press will be on his back faster than he could say ‘owl’. I just hope he is given a chance. His strengths and what type of player he is is summed up here,

“He’s quick, he’s sharp, he reads the game very well, he is a typical Arsène Wenger player in that he seems to have a very acute understanding of where other players are on the pitch. Technically he’s very good, he is diminutive, but he is top, top class.”

Can’t help but agree there.

I would just like to say that ITV are the worst broadcasters since the invention of the television. How dare they claim to offer great coverage when after 157 minutes of nothingness in a game, when the goal occurs, they miss it because of a commercial! Its an utter joke and for all the hate i have for the BBC i wish they had the coverage.

Right, cheers for reading, im going back to bed.

Til Tomorrow

I have had a few technical problems with the blog today, should all be sorted now.

But anyway, here you go.

[audio http://www.upload-mp3.com/pfiles/56840/ArshavinFirstInterview.mp3]

Enjoy!