Messed up

I didn't write preview match because of a simple reason: I want to enjoy my weekend as much as I can. Today was supposed to be the perfect weekend for me, but instead it turned out to be a nightmare. Everything was perfect except the Arsenal match.

Few hours before it started, I watched the big Sunday game between Le'pool and ManU. I was happy with the result which could have given some breathing space for Arsenal to catch up. But instead of getting full points, we let WH equalized and with only a point in the bag. We were lucky enough not to lose any point at Fratton Park. We were obviously lack of pace and creativity in the 2nd half in which we should have gone to score more goals instead of giving opponents reasons to attack us. We looked unorganized at times with Diaby busy losing the ball rather than picking up the pieces. Both Cesc and Arshavin did not look at their best and clearly overrun by WH midfield. We were careless by letting the opponent dominate possession and ransacking our own half.

At the end of first half, we were leading by 0-2. If it had been Chelsea, the score line would have not gone downward but the opposite. Man, I crossed the line but I know I am right. Among other big clubs in premier league, our midfield is the most fragile and soft. Song and Diaby aren't true DM, therefore their involvement in the centre remains a big question. We are slow to get back and often get caught up in the counter attack, thus keeping a clean sheet is almost an impossible task.

If you're talking about chances we had plenty of them and too bad not one of them saw the daylight. Sometimes, scrappy goal is better than none. But conceding scrappy goal isn't an option. Mannone failed to clear, Cole was there to hold it. It wasn't a nice one, but enough to make thousands of Arsenal fans howling because of anger. For your information, we had the same fate against AZ Alkmaar in the mid week. Could we win trophies? Possibly, but not with this kind of attitude. Win or lose is the art of football; losing with pride isn't degrading. What we're experiencing now is downward negativity.

Song and Diaby must learn to act quick and swift to combat opponent's centre attack. They run like camels.

Both goals from WH were evidence from our own carelessness. The penalty should have been annulled since Coles was not impeded by Song. But the big debate lies on the 1st goal. Our defence was caught off guard and foolishly made a tackle right at the edge of penalty area. Free kick was harmless but the clearance was even more dangerous. Mannone should have kept the ball clear by punching it away instead of handed it over to ravenous Cole. If you think those two goals happened in a very short period of time, you're wrong. Arsenal had 45 minutes to answer it, but failed to convert any attempts into the winning goal.

If we don't start pick ourselves up, we won't be able to win anything this season and our star players might just say 'sayonara' next summer. Wenger should do something with his midfield soldiers. Get down with the boys and let them know that premiership is about pace and agility. If they don't cover their back, who's going to?. Be tough and accurate. Make sure their tackles are precise and clean. A different day, a different referee Song could have been easily sent off for his stupid tackles. And make sure they do their homeworks. Don't talk in public about wanting to win trophies, if you do very little on the field. Prove it
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Mighty clash

I have to wait for another day to watch my beloved Arsenal, meanwhile I can shift my attention to big match between league leaders, ManU and Le'pool which will take place few hours before the Gunners.

A season ago, ManU were hammered by the Reds in a very stylish way at Old trafford. Can Le'pool do the same this season? Well, I'm not too sure. After 2 consecutive defeats in champs league, it must be hard for Rafa's troops to do the same again as they'd done some months ago. ManU aren't so hot either, though they might have won their recent matches it doesn't stop them from being humbled by much 'weaker' opponents. With injuries plagued both sides, I believe it's going to be an interesting match. Le'pool already missed Stew-G and Torres and could probably trouble their future if these two don't recover really soon. ManU will be without Fletcher, Scholes and Rooney. If I were AF, I wouldn't worry so much as Anderson and Berbatov are there to fill in the gap, besides there's always other young blood to replace these players. Vibrate Nani and Shaky Valencia will be there to spoil Le'pool's night.

No matter how hard I pray to God, I know a fact that it will be hard for Le'pool to beat ManU even if they have the advantage by playing at home. But I do have this tiny hope that they could do it. But my verdict will be 2-2. A draw would be enough for us to catch them, but only after we beat West Ham.
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Another exclusion?

With an absence of Rooney this Wednesday, will England find the net? I think they will do business as usual. A home game has its own advantage with thousands of home grown fans cheering on its team. Rooney absence is nothing but a small hurdle along the way, as Lampard, Ste-G, Lennon and possibly Milner will find their way into the game. Gerrard was a doubt yesterday, but might be included into the starting XI anyway; and if, he were to be sidelined, Milner or Young would be more than happy to fill in. What about DB? Is he going to make it even as a sub?; I doubt he will make the cut. What a waste trip from LA anyway. But I do believe he can still offer something to the team though some young players are tired of seeing him in the dressing room. It's OK Becks, let them cry seeing you perform.

Ballack is considering to retire from international duty after WC in order to extend his play time with his club, Chelsea. What about DB? I don't know, he's definitely won't stop playing football at the club level so soon. I just wish him the best and hopefully he'll be on the plane departing to South Africa next summer.
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Becks might be overlooked once more

Say, Capello would go for Heskey once again this Wednesday, he's definitely out of his mind. The commentators clearly pitied Heskey bcoz of the sending off Green, but personally I think Heskey had been out of form since the beginning of the game. He was barely involved in the defense and certainly looked tired even before the half time. Why would Capello stand behind this striker who hasn't scored in the premier league and set aside a credible candidate such as C. Cole? Only he knows the real reason. Owen was snubbed months ago bcoz of his lack of play; but what makes Heskey any difference when he plays but not once scores any goal?. Well, if DB got his expulsion, Heskey should get the boot as well. Mind you, that I've not been a fan of Heskey since ages ago and still believe Cole and Owen should get more play time. Shame on you Capello.

One question remains now, had green not been so foolish and confront Ukrainian striker that made him red carded, would England have been more ferocious than the result shown?. Well, way before the sending off, I was cursing the way Capello's men marching their attack; and even made cruel statement about how England would fare amongst the best teams in the words. I even said that had it been Spain or Germany, England would have eventually conceded. I said many things, but I believe my words are true and come from the deepest of my heart. What I said was based on what I saw on the field. I don't regret what I said. Contrary to anyone's belief, I think England will face many difficulties in the WC especially confronting big guys
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Becks out

I am not too sure about Becks involvement currently in England camp. He's only been brought in only bcoz Capello needs someone to cross the ball in the dying minutes. My thought was DB wouldn't be in the bench at all and I was right. He wasn't picked and Capello went instead with Lennon instead. I've mentioned before that with 2 much younger players, it is highly unlikely Capello will go for DB.

It is HT and England are trailing with one goal and one man too. Green was red carded due to his own negligence. And now with only 10 men, Capello needs to turn this around. My bet is England will get a draw with Lampard as the scorer, but I could be wrong.

I still piss bout DB exclusion and Heskey involvement. His the least favorite player in the England squad apart from Rooney and his 45 mins performance showed nothing but failure. Why does Capello love him so much? Figure out yourself. The match is about to start, till later
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Russia vs Germany and England face off other group contenders

When Arshavin was made captain after his silky display during Euro 08, I was shrouded by many questions. But I can now understand Hiddink's decision to crown the Russian jewelry the arm band. He's not only a very talented player, but he is also a commanding figure on the field. He sets example by giving all to his team and not once he's rejected a call by the national team. He is now lead his team mate to fight a battle to win a place for next year WC. Will Russia make it pass through a very challenging battle with the Germans? I hope they do; it'll be interesting to watch.

England will never take Ukraine easy due to a very simple reason: integrity of the country depends on it. Indeed, England have qualified for the WC but it doesn't make the coach relax and ignore the match completely. He demands his squad to take the match seriously and coming home with nothing but full 3 points. Will England make it? I expect they'll do well and win it.
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Working?

It's time to try the new service of mine. Yihaaa
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Alex Ferguson is minion evil

we all know his contributions to premier league and ManU in particular, but coming  out with meaningless words about referees are just plain dumb. his words claiming that the ref is completely unfit and deserves to be rested after a ‘jog’ he had done in the match was completely ugly. well, to be honest lots of referees do the same thing week in week out. whatever he was saying only revealing the true colors of Sir Alex Ferguson. instead of lashing out on his under performed players, he chose to attack the ref. what i saw during the match was a bunch of school boys parading the field. ManU were lucky to escape with 1 point at Old Trafford.  shame on you Ferguson.

i can’t imagine what would it be like if Wenger were the ones who came out with those words. Eduardo scenes come back to live…

this is the RESULT

though i have skipped writing about Arsenal in recent weeks, that doesn’t mean i missed watching the Gunners’ matches altogether. gratefully, Arsenal won the game with sounding score line just before the international duty resume next week. 6-2 with a goal from debutant  Theo Walcott. since his back injury, Walcott has been missing matches and possibly losing out a place in the England team as well. thankfully, he made a statement last night, therefore there’s no excuse for Capello to omit him next time around. another star player was the captain, Cesc Fabregas. scored a goal and gave 4 assists have certainly made his mark. had he been an English player, Capello would have brought him into the squad without a doubt.

Arsenal were shocked by the first goal from opponent but able to bounced back from the humiliation with stunning strike from Vermaelen. as anyone thought we would have netted another goal, Blackburn came back from the dungeon and lead once more. but Cesc made his existence counts with his superb pass to RVP who scored with direct shot to Robinson’s left side. and like they say, the rest is history. Arshavin, Cesc, Walcott and Bendtner rounded up the afternoon with pride. after unconvincing display against Fulham, Wenger proves to his rivals that Arsenal aren’t dead yet. Go Gunners!

Eduardo was the only key player who was missing after making an appearance in champs league last week. he may be declared fit after the international break and with him back in our side, we’re complete. Rosicky, Walcott have returned and possibly, Nasri and Fabiansky will join us late October. Cesc, Arshavin, RVP, Rosicky, Eduardo, Nasri will terrorize opponent’s defence. but the main thing concern to me is the fact, we still lack of muscle at the back which is due to strong absence of capable DM. next January, Song will play for the African cup and we are certainly have a huge hole to fill in at the middle of the park. hopefully, Wenger will sort it out before it’s too late besides Diaby isn’t good enough to hold off organized attacks.

Becks is included in England team

it’s been a while since i blog about anything that happened in football. first thing first, DB is in the team, but it is still remains to be seen whether he can make it to the bench. with both SWP and Aaron Lennon available, it is highly unlikely he can be picked ahead of those much young player. moreover, he is still suffering from recurring ankle problem. prior to the match, DB will be analyzed by the FA doctors and the result will determine his availability. anyway, someone wrote a blog about DB involvement in MLS and how has his 3rd season come by so far.

joined the team after few matches played, he has since influenced LA Galaxy to winning ways and for the fist time since his debut, the club entitle to play offs. would they win the MLS cup this season? no one knows for sure. with the end of the season seemingly inevitable, DB must make this a story of his own. win a cup will certainly boost his chance to be back to everyone’s heart at the Depot Centre; not that, he needs to care but i believe deep down inside he wants to win something for the club. that’s why he had been brought into the club in the first place.

AW stubbornness cost us dearly

i will keep it simple and direct this time. AW knew injuries kept us away from any title last season, and this summer we had the chance to change the course, but AW denied the opportunity. we could have added 2 or 3 more players but insisted on keeping his injury-prone players and forego adding reinforcements. and now what happens? we ARE lagging behind league leaders. yeah you’re right AW, we are well equipped but that if you count everyone is on the sideline. damn!

Ade scored tonight and he clearly pleased with it, thus he made such lengthy run toward Gooners’ section and showed his new shirt, which of course put everyone on fire. his side of story is well doubted, but it had set bleak mood in the Arsenal camp therefore our hatred toward him, would be much understandable now rather than previous days. his manner tonight was questionable considering he was an Arsenal player several months ago. anyone would have done the same? unlikely. he’s a selfish player indeed

stupid loss

i have been waiting this match for a week and i got this?. what happened on the pitch? i don’t know, maybe the whole squad was possessed by some dark magical creature and cursed us to death. the defeat against ManU last weekend had been a blow for all of us, especially to the players and the same city has punished us one more time. some shit we displayed today and no matter how hard i tried to swallow this bitter loss, it will always come back to me like a gaunt. if i said in the previously that we should leave Ade alone in this match, i changed my mind. after scoring against his old club, he ran toward the visiting fans and showed them his new shirt. what a sore loser. i meant it. this weekend was the worst of all my weekends here and i hated the fact everyone would smile and cheer on Ade’s victorious revenge.

Capello full of praise for the former captain

we all know they had differences a while back, but Capello had apologized for his error and was willing to make amends, but it was already too late for him coz not long after the end of the season, he was fired by Real Madrid and he could have no more power to take Becks away from his new employer. apparently, their destiny is intertwined yet again and they are once again sharing dressing room. some quarters believe his caps were ‘given out’ by Capello and not once he was able to squeeze past through the other RWing-ers and earned his caps based on competitive matches. well, i don’t want to prolong my blog by discussing the rotten issue, and instead i want to quote Capello’s praise on Beckham and his reason on why Becks will always be there. here they go:

Capello said: “We will have to wait and see what happens in the next few months.

“But David Beckham is always with us because, for me, he is an important player.

“He is good in the group, he is good at every moment in training. Some players are important for the position and morale of the group.”

and here’s another good piece from Telegraph and another one

Becks might be in the squad after all

i will not write the news as if it has already been confirmed by the England manager. but according to TimesOnline, Becks might just be an addition to the team after all. what matters for Capello is the state of DB’s fitness. if Becks can secure a loan move to AC Milan next winter, there’s a fat chance he might be chosen in the final 23 players. last time i have posted about interests from European clubs including 3 premier league clubs and they include AC Milan.

after so many years in denial of possible return to premier league, finally DB is considering this option. he has strong bond with his former club, ManU and he wouldn’t have wanted to spend seasons with the opposing team. however, WC dream changes everything. since Capello has taken over, England have been in quite different shape and this is due to his tough methods of coaching. though it is too early to predict England chance in the WC, we can rest assured that England is in good hands. talking about Capello, he is also the one who’s responsible to make a loan move possible several months ago. DB, who was eager to be in the team, had left LA Galaxy in order to make the cut, and eventually he succeeded.

in order to make into the final squad, each player needs to be 100% fit and carry no injury whatsoever, therefore DB needs to make his move on the field really careful if he doesn’t want to be left behind. i believe there are numerous players who want to see him out of the game. good luck BECKS!

DB might be benched

i don’t know how reliable Daily Mail is, but i have no choice but to run it in my blog. some expect DB will start from the bench, yet again, and Capello would go with Lennon instead. is this alarming? not to me. though it is yet to be finalized, Lennon seems has caught Capello’s heart and might go with him in the right wing and let him run into defence line like he usually does. as disappointed as i might be, i still have high hopes DB can make a difference on the field.

i read a comment from an article and it did not sound pleasing. he thought that DB’s career has ended and his absence on Saturday tells us all. i hate to say this; indeed DB is facing tough competition from many players including SWP, Lennon and Walcott to name a few, but it doesn’t stop Capello from choosing him among other RW.he still possesses those magnificent crosses as well as free kicks and England can take advantage from it. why on earth people are busy talking about his absence instead of Rooney attempt to con the ref? why, of course because of he’s an England hope to make to finals!.

the person also said that DB has accustomed to his role as benchwarmer and his caps are basically come from cameo appearances and not as starting player. well, what happens to the word of ‘super sub’ ? those newspapers were the ones who made it all so real and have been branding Lennon as super sub since last WC. substitutes have not always made an impact but they are indeed capable of over turning a result, therefore never ever downplay a substitute role.

anyway, Becks is not ruling out a move to premier league club if necessary in order to remain in Capello’s plan for WC 10. however, even after a loan move he’s still not selected, it doesn’t stop him from supporting his country to win WC10. a rare species he is.

hurray!!! DB is in the defense for E9!

when DB was a captain few years back, he had done more than average captains do. Hargreaves, Seaman were the two most hated players several years back and DB had done enough to defend these two from everyone’s crucifying glance. Seaman was famously known for his error during WC 2002 by letting Ronaldinho free kick went into the back of the net far too easily. and what had the captain done to smooth things up? he defended his goal keeper and urged public not to blame him for the loss. 4 years later, it was Hargreaves’ turn. i still don’t understand why would England fans have been really mean to the English player since he had done nothing to offend them in any way and had always been grateful to be part of the team. well, at times i really don’t understand them more than you do. my sister has a theory though; she said sentiment against an English player who plays abroad is a lot higher than those who choose to play in the premier league. she was right and now i believe her. for some reasons, they booed Hargreaves instead of supporting him. at least, one of them stood out and refused to back down; he was David Beckham. he bravely said to those meaners that every English should support English players and that including Hargreaves. he played for England and everyone should stand behind his back no matter what. i guess captain’s words are much more capable than a PM himself talking to his people. no more ugly words, only little that is, came out from them and Hargreaves felt really gracious to have been defended in such a way that no one else wouldn’t. i bet JT will never dare to say such things; he’s no example to younger players.

today is the same thing like the other day. DB offered his opinion on E9 incident and gladly spat it out. he thinks that the incident has been too much in the discussion forum and need to be put to bed. no one likes to see a dive but it happens in football and certainly E9 isn’t the first one to do it. he has been through a horrific injury and there might have been a possibility that he might have tried to escape from the goal keeper arms instead of making a dive. he’s the man!. i’ve been trying to tell this over and over again but instead of laying it off it seems more people are getting into. that’s the reason i adore and respect this man so much. some people may ridicule me for admiring him, but the facts stand out by themselves. no matter how agonizing Real Madrid treated him in the past, he still hold his head up high and refused commenting on his former club.  i guess that’s why AW admires him; top professional they say and not many these days. GO BECKHAM!

look it’s words of wisdom from Defoe

right then, DB had no part in the friendly against Slovenia, but it doesn’t stop him from being praised by his team mate. last time it was Walcott, now it’s Defoe’s turn. Defoe’s experienced from being overlooked in WC 06 has made him even stronger player and probably as determined as DB to stamp out his critics by working hard and help his team mate to achieve best results. it widely known that DB was badly treated after England defeat to Argentina back in 1998, but his comeback had probably the most talking topic the years after. his achievement is probably the best example for young players and Defoe knows it well.

what is this?

about 2 days ago, i was saying to myself that should any attempt of ‘trick’ to get a penalty from any player from other clubs have been granted by the referee by mistake, we would make it public of our displeasure and bring it to UEFA’s attention of our intention. however, my hope certainly smashed after reading a blog by Arsenal mania which saying that UEFA is not keen to implement a video evidence as their ‘tool’ to punish a player for ‘tricking’ a referee and get a penalty as his reward. what a PATHETIC losers!. pardon my language, apart from this entry i have not stated a strong word before, and this is due to my understanding that some of you might find them offensive and ridiculous. but today was a such a different time from yesterday. UEFA has crossed the line and proving time and time again that it has failed to clear any doubts among doubters that it is credible enough to rule European football under its wing. its inconsistencies have brought us at the exact same spot where AW has made a clear statement that Ryan Babbel was diving and his penalty should have been annulled; and this was happened under their nose. we should have made it harder for Liverpool to win the match, but that’s not the point. did UEFA intervene the referee’s decision and punish Babble for a dive? no it did not.

Arsenal have been robbed and it is only right for us to go against this decision. thank God, Arsenal boards are backing up AW to a very great distant. UEFA seems failed to see the fact that Arsenal had 2 away goals advantage and there was no way Celtic could have been better in position to challenge Arsenal’s result. when this issue has been brought up by UEFA itself, i was thinking why on earth did they act in such haste and pace?. there is a fact that Scotland have an influence somehow to the football governing body and the recent decision is thought to have been passed after considering Arsenal’s opposition at that time was Celtic, a Scottish club. i will possibly comment this later on. till next post

David Beckham

he is such an inspiring figure indeed and this time, i have a written proof to back up my words and they are real y’know. anyway, i’m looking forward to see him playing at Wembley during 2 international matches for England. they will face Croatia next week and everyone is anxious to see whether or not England can make it through this time. back in 2007, England lost to Croatia had closed down any hope to for them to play in the biggest tournament in Europe which was, EURO 2008. and now, different coach same squad facing the same enemy, Croatia. will they make a difference? we’ll see.

i am half certain that David Beckham will only be playing in the dying minutes and not starting as some people have suggested. this is due to fiery rivalry between him and a much younger player, Lennon. Lennon is currently favorite to replace Walcott in the right wing; with his demon pace, he will attract Capello’s attention for sure; nevertheless, David B need not to worry because his experience is still much needed to the team itself.

Becks scores

God, again, entertains me whenever i am down. still struggling to learn the reality of Arsenal loss last week, i was in a very grave mood. however, upon learning David Beckham was included in England 24 list of players to play 2 matches next week, i became less grouchy. few minutes ago, some newspapers brought a delightful news for me. David Beckham scored a winning goal for LA Galaxy in super classico against Chivas USA and now sit comfortably in the 2nd place. this wasn’t an ordinary goal, but one and only from Becks. i know he has scored many beautiful goals before but this one came from a delicate angle in which before went into the net, took a slight touch from the side post. a good one indeed. GO BECKS!

David Beckham is in

a few days ago i posted a very extreme writing claiming Becks might not be picked by Capello for 2 upcoming matches for England this week and the following. this is not a cynical thought as some of you might have said, but a very reasonable doubt that was basically relied on previous Capello’s statements. whenever possible, press would bring up the question that Capello has made very clear from the start of his reign; David Beckham can only be considered once he has secured a loan deal next winter, and if he fails to do so David Beckham can say good bye to his 4th WC appearance. sounds very ironic but the truth is, i agree with him. it’s obvious to us, that MLS level is far too slow compared to other leagues in Europe. their playtime each year is limited to only 7 months and that is already included with other cup competitions. if you compare to Europe, they have more matches in a season and that alone could reach 35 games excluding European competitions.

while playing with MLS, Becks gained nothing than popularity in the Hollywood; but in football sense, he’s trailing far behind his former colleague, Ryan Giggs. though they came from the same academy, both went into separate ways 6 years ago when Becks had to endure Fergie’s wrath and sold to Real Madrid while Giggs enjoyed some good moments with ManU. he’s 35 now, but still play a large part in ManU matches both in premier league and European championship. his fitness and agility, though not as good as he might have been, are the main reasons Fergie keeps him in the Old Trafford for another year. had Beckham had not suffered relationship breakdown with the coach, would he have been in a very different situation than he currently is? probably yes. but instead of mending his soon-to-end career, he took a very shocking turn by accepting MLS team’s offer, LA Galaxy, and join them for 5 years deal and moved to California soon after his contract with Real Madrid expired. i know, it is far too late for him to go back on his words, but i believe he can still sort things out before WC 10 starts. it is unclear whether he would be back to Galaxy after his loan deal expire or, continue with his supposed loaned club, but that’s for other discussion. meanwhile, David Beckham is on the squad list for matches against, Slovenia and Croatia at Wembley this weekend and Wednesday, respectively. like i said earlier, i had a huge doubt David would be chosen to join the rest of the team, but eventually he is included.

will he get the chance to start this Saturday? i’m not sure. since it will be a friendly match, Capello might opt him out and replace with youngster, Lennon, who hasn’t impressed as much as he does in a club level, but will be chosen anyway. there are variety of formations Capello could choose from but i think he would go for, 4-3-3. with Ferdinand out injured, his place will mostly likely be taken by Lescott. the midfield pack will be as follow: Barry, Lennon, Lampard. the last time Heskey played, was the worse match ever for him, and i’m guessing he will not be given a chance as starter this time but instead Capello would go for cracking Defoe to partner Rooney upfront. well, we still short one player aren’t we? Gerrard will roaming just behind these two, i supposed. with this formation i’m guessing, again, that England could end up leading by one or two goal just before half time. after half time, we might see some changes going on in the England camp. Becks could earn his 114th cap by coming from the bench and replace either Lennon or Barry. will Capello converting his formation to 4-4-2? possibly. Barry would be replaced in the second half and Carrick will fill in his shoes partnering with Lampard in the centre. while on the flank, SWP and Beckham might replace Stew-G and Lennon respectively. possibly in the 50th minute Capello would change his firearms and replace his striker duo with Peter Crouch and Carlton Cole who has impressed me as well as others in the last match against Holland. will England reveal as winners? let’s hope so because they will face their most frightening nightmare next Wednesday, Croatia that is. i will discuss it as soon as the match against Slovenia ended.

harsh for us

we played surprisingly well tonight and did not deserve the loss. well, many ManU fans would argue that their team came strong and conquered ‘school boys’ once again. but it wasn’t school boys they were facing at Old Trafford, but a bunch of mature boys who are ready to take the world by storm. Arsenal made it 1-0 for the visitor in the first half and made it look like one of those scored by great players; well he is by the way. just before the cracking goal, A23 made one shot and only inches away from getting into the back of the net. i can’t tell more as the the dawn is already welcoming. i’m off now but will be back soon to discuss ManU game. till then

this is it

today will be the day when all football lovers tune in to watch the most waited match in premier league. when it comes to Arsenal and ManU rivalry, there’s no doubt people will line up answering a question who will win tonight’s match; very few would say it’d be Arsenal and for those who said it, they must be Gooners. most media will obviously courting ManU to triumph the North London club if not, they won’t get a chance to cover ManU’s future matches. no matter how bitter their words are, i believe Arsenal still hold a very serious threat to ManU, and if they aren’t why would Fergie came out and demand improvement from his squad?. i can’t wait to watch it and keep counting down the hours as my fasting is about to end as well. i’m waiting my baked spaghetti to be ready and hopefully, i have enough space to have supper later on.

ManU vs. Arsenal game will always draw attention and this time it has its own trademark. few days ago, E9 has been dubbed as a cheater after UEFA charged him over alleged dive. what makes me angry is the fact they’ve done it in a prompt way. hours after receiving demand for investigation by the SFA, UEFA conducted an investigation which eventually, punished E9 for diving and cheating the referee, therefore he’s eligible to be punished as many as 2 match ban. outrageous i must say. have they done this before? no, but they claimed it won’t be the last case. AW was right after all, the decision will back fire eventually; it leaves an open door to challenge every referee decision on the pitch and bring it to the European governing body to be examined. and if let’s say, there will be another incident involving similar to E9’s in the near future, the Gunners will be the first to ask UEFA to take a look into it.

and as for the game, i believe AW would slot in Diaby to replace C4 in the middle while Song and Denilson will resume their role as DM. the front line will comprise of RVP, A23 and B52. i prefer W14 though, as he is much mobile than B52, but he’s out injured and we don’t have a proper replacement readied; B52 it is then. seeing R7 (no Ronaldonald please) in friendly matches, clearly reminds me of his best seasons a while back ago, and without him playing for us against ManU, it’ll be a total disappointment. his creativity and boldness are different compared to other players. though he is fit and might take a part, the coach decided that it’ll be far too early for him to return and by preserving him, it’ll do much good rather than bad to the player himself.

Ronaldonald has gone and so has Tevez, but ManU still posses some dangerous threat among their current players. Rooney, Nani and Berba are only a few of them. the remaining threat is always lie in the midfield; Giggs and Scholes will always be the X factor for United’s game. their experience is far too great to be brushed aside and let it rot in the dark. we can never control the football outcome unless, we’re all the almighty God, but we can always try our best to win anything by giving more to the team. God bless Arsenal, may you will prevail as the winners tonight

the draw

champs league group is already out and people are busy with their views on whether top seed clubs will once again reveal as champions or underdogs will take over this time?. as for ManU, they will face tough teams this year, though those teams aren’t one of top flying clubs in Europe, they do posses threat time and time again. i remember when Porto FC ousted ManU from the final and became European champions, no one had been clever enough to predict the winners would have been the Portuguese side. ManU, the title holders, will face CSKA Moskow (Russia), Besiktas (Turkey), Vfl Wolsburg (Germany) in group A.

i must say, among other groups Milan and Real Madrid will probably draw so much attention from football lovers all around the world. it is because they were drawn in the same group which is in Group C. Kaka has once played for AC Milan and this time they will meet up again in a very grave manner. do or die; Kaka has always been Milan favorites and selling him would have been like cutting off the other arm of one’s body. though it sounds really ugly, Milan had made him available for Madrid and sold him off to the Spanish side for a record fee of 60 million, before it was broken by Ronaldonald’s fee of 80 something million. since the beginning of the summer, Real Madrid have been busy keeping up to date and bought 3 star players into the squad; and they are: Kaka from AC Milan, Ronaldonald from ManU and Karim Benzema from Olympique Lyonnais. have they brought enough? nope, they added one major signing few weeks ago from Liverpool, Xabi Alonso. among those players, only Ronaldonald is thought to be the greatest impact for Les Merengues apart from Kaka. as i mentioned, Kaka will come face to face with his former club for champs league spot and he’ll do it with as much passion as he had done with Milan. unlike their Spanish counterpart, AC Milan have yet to make breakthrough by singing major players needed to bolster their defensive area. indeed, Klass Jan Huntelaar is no doubt one of the best striker but he’s untested in champs league arena. will Milan make it through and grab the #1 spot? we’ll have to see. seeing big names in the dressing room of Real Madrid is indeed casting doubt over Leonardo’s men, but like any other football match before, don’t ever take anything for granted.

Chelsea bound?

Glenn Hoddle seems suggesting that David Beckham may still be Chelsea bound after so many news suggesting otherwise. Beckham has delicate relationship with premier league as well as ManU and he has refused to be drawn out into this entangled web which has over shadowed his performance for LA Galaxy. Milan have professed their desire to loan him up once winter transfer is open. while heading back to premier league is still possible, he will most likely return to San Siro anyway. both he and Galliani have confirmed this from weeks ago and by going to Europe, Becks might get a chance to play for England in the WC next year, if he stays fit that is. let’s hope he will play for AC Milan and then England.

Champs League draw has been revealed

it’s official now and Arsenal will make its first appearance for champs league on the 16th of September against Standard Liege, the Belgian side. from number of years, i have always thought Arsenal to be the most unluckiest English club on earth by drawing against bitter rivals including Real Madrid and AC Milan, though they have come and squashed these two in previous encounters, the same thing might not happen this year as both clubs have strengthened the team while Arsenal have not. however, last night draw surprised me as we have not even one giant club to be our rivals for the group stage. i am not saying we are clear favorites and will definitely win all matches, but we do have much better chance holding against these clubs rather than facing Juventus, Inter and so forth. what was Wenger reaction after the draw last night? well, Arsenal official website have yet to announced anything, but it won’t be long. UEFA official website has made public the result from last night draw and i will comment on it in my later post. until then….

Becks might not make it

despite his work rate, Becks might not get a call from England national coach, Fabio Capello. because of his own foolishness, Capello might just make up his mind and go with Lennon instead. why now? like i said it is caused by his own mistake. a couple of weeks ago, Beckham was red carded during a match against Seattle Sounders (i think that’s how they spell it), thus it earned him 1 straight ban from coming into the field, in other words he is prohibited from playing 1 game for his club. come September 5, England will face Croatia at Wembley as part of qualification match for WC. if you really paying attention to it, it won’t be long from now and Beckham hasn’t been playing for a week though he has made a comeback against D.C United. what was in Capello’s mind when Becks served his 1 match ban? could Becks still play a part in his squad next month? one will never know but i hope he will.

on the surface,Croatia seem to be harmless and soft as pie, but the truth is they can crush England like a fly just like the way they had done back in Euro qualification match 08. with Edu back in the stage, England backline will face much steeper battle with the Croatians. though England are in a much better position and are favorites to qualify among the Group dwellers, there’s no such guarantee England could not slip up this time and of course, Ukraine will be pleased to see they break.

it could be a turning point for The English side as they need to get positive result before coming to Ukraine the following month. like people say “make or break”

now what?

yesterday, i’ve written an interesting comment on my own twitter. i said something like this “AW wouldn’t buy unless 1 or 2 players are to be added to the current injured list”; and now, both Ramsey and Diaby will be out for ManUtd match. should we push the panic button? i guess this is the right time. Wenger has been stubborn to death for sticking to his injury prone players and refusing to add more depths. way before Diaby, Ramsey and Cesc incident, most fans have been sounding their displeasure and asks Wenger to add 2 players in the defensive area, but he has been saying over and over again that he’s satisfied with the squad and won’t be adding more. i guess, he suffers from headache and lack of sleep now considering the growing injury list. i admit that i’m a bit angered by the coach decision and silently blame him for not be prepared to face such thing. he’s said in the interview that injury was the one which kept Arsenal from winning any title last season and he’s repeating the same mistake again this season. does he ever learn?.

ManU will be our rivals this weekend and facing them without our most experienced players would be like taming gigantic towers. it doesn’t mean we’ll certainly lose the battle, but we could just extract only a draw from the Old Trafford and that’s not good. with Chelsea, TotSpur, and ManC right in our tails we can’t afford to lose or draw against ManU. one single mistake could damage our chance to win premier league title and they will celebrate on this. it’s only 2 days away from the match and we’ve already lost half of the squad; there’s no way we can purchase someone in the market during the weekday with only 2 days away from the match. there’s no choice but to play with current players. will we lose or will we triumph? only God knows though i hope the latter.

my message to the coach, please reinforce now or we’ll be the laughing stock once again

what?

this is saddening. a West Ham player was stabbed and injured badly from the attack. police have arrested 2 suspects, both still in a young age, and will continue investigating the cause of the action. while his mother doing quite okay, Davenport is said to be in critical condition. he might have lost so much blood and possibly doctors are trying everything they can to stabilize him. neighbors said commotion was heard early in the morning and saw a lot of blood, which most likely belonged to Davenport. they also said, Davenport was stabbed several times before the criminals left the scene. hopefully everything is going to be okay and he’ll recover soon so that he can continue doing what he loves best which is playing football.

Cesc injured?

this is not a confirmed news, but AW highlighted that the club captain, Cesc Fabregas might be absent for Wednesday’s match against Celtic due to hamstring injury. they still have no idea the extent of the injury but he may be sidelined for 3 weeks at worst. let’s hope it’s nothing but cram or any other minor injury. visiting Old Trafford without him could be as well as lifting 100 tons with our bare hands. i’m not saying Arsenal will lose and ManU get the 3 points they want so bad, but more than several times the captain has helped the team with creativity that no other player can conjure up. indeed, Arshavin still intact but we need a lot more muscle in the centre in which Denilson and Song cannot provide just yet. i pray Cesc will be fit this weekend. he can rest up for 6 days. get well soon Cesc

Arsenal continue their winning way

as expected AW changed his formation to 4-4-2, though on the field things were a little bit different with Edu and Arshavin played wide in the wing. for the first 20 minutes Arsenal a bit slow but controlled the possession comfortably with Pompey patrolling inside the area. i had to admit Pompey made it so easy for us to control the game and score 4 goals. we capitalized from their errors and used them as advantage. very rarely did they endanger us didn’t they? but when they did we lost our grip and let them pull through with only a goal down. Pompey managed to score against Arsenal and haunting for more, however Arsenal were saved by the bell.

in the next 45 minutes, Arsenal wasted no time to rub the salt on the open wound and made it 4-2. Gallas’ goal was a bit funny though, with 3 players were involved before it went straight in the back of the net. Arshavin free kick was met by Persie’s header and then touched by Vermaelen with his right foot and finally, to Gallas. i thought the ball was about to roll outside the goal post as it was teasing its way before landed at the back of the net way out of James’ reach. the 4th goal was a real class i must say. RVP, the stand-in captain replacing Cesc who was ushered out to preserve his energy for Wednesday night,  had a marvelous vision that evening found Ramsey on side and quickly pass the ball. the Welsh midfielder calmly put it behind James and scored his first premier league goal. his angle was tight, not mentioning James position, but he did well to conquer the veteran goal keeper. in the dying minutes, Pompey nearly doubled their goal but fortunately, the ball was well off target. 90+ finally approached and the boys can breath easily now and play with comfort on Wednesday.

i must say, we have yet to meet the real deal and next Saturday will be our fierce test before the winter. a match against ManU will always be entertaining to watch especially when Arsenal are on top. whether or not we’ll succeed this season, this match has always been significant to uphold both team’s integrity. 2 seasons ago, ManU were champions but Arsenal beat them badly both on away and home games. Ade played a part to trash ManU with convincing display. this season, Ade’s gone but Arsenal remain as threatening as they will ever be; sitting on top has an advantage of its own. coming to Old Trafford won’t be easy, but Arsenal’s position in the table will make things a little bit different. as some people say, preserving the win is twice harder than earning the win itself, therefore Arsenal must hold their guard in order to clinch 3 points at Old Trafford.

we may not be the winners just yet, but visiting ManU turf as league leaders will surely give us the pride.

it’s Saturday

this weekend, Arsenal are facing up with another premier league rivals, Portsmouth and one can only hope for the best. after convincing win last week, AW would hate it if we let it slip only in the second week of the season. Portsmouth have yet to get 3 points and desperately looking for it at the Emirates stadium. TotSpur are in the lead with 6 points after 2 games win both played home and away, while Arsenal are in the third. there’s no need to be alarmed as yet as the season hasn’t even reached its 10 games, and according to the ‘professor’ it is too early to predict any winners at this stage, therefore we should all sit back and enjoy the game.

today’s match won’t be broadcast live on local TV because of one simple reason: ManU play at the exact time as we are. if my eyes are to be believed, they will only have a recorded match very early in the morning. i will have my pre-breakfast meal half hour before the match, thus i could probably tune in to watch the recorded game. will i be able to sustain my own strength and defeat the weakness? only God can answer. if i cannot find any links to live match, i had no other choice except poke my eyes and hope i will not fail myself and fall to sleep right in front of TV.

we have to earn more goals than they already have and concede none to enable us beat TotSpur up at the table. as other blogs have mentioned, i have a strong feeling that AW would stick to his starting XI as the previous week. though i adore this new formula, i do have my own doubts. if both Edu and Rosicky fully recovered, where would those players fit in? currently AW lays out Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Denilson, Song, Bendtner, Cesc, Arshavin, Persie as his preferred line up. but how long will it last?. no matter how strongly we conquered both Celtic and Everton last week, it doesn’t necessarily hide the fact that we do lack DM who can be relied upon. Denilson is good, but at times he’s not stronger enough to hold off enemy’s attacking players and it could prove costly to our own advantage. Bendtner is good in the air, but his finishing touches remains questionable. Edu is a natural striker and playing a little bit deeper just doesn’t seem to help the team, while RVP will remain AW’s favorite striker although he is far from threatening.

if those injured players are back, Arsenal will certainly look more dangerous than any of their arch rivals. Nasri, Rosicky, Walcott are all out injured and could only participate later next month. i don’t know about Walcott as his injury may lasts longer than expected, but Rosicky seems ready to play in mid September. of all injured players, Nasri seems the one who has to take bitter pill as his broken leg will take more than 3 months to heal and another few weeks to reach match fitness. if all of them are ready, can you imagine how good our team will be? and of course, real headache for the coach himself; with so many options available, he’s probably going to have difficult time to sleep. as for today, i really love to watch some action from the he Croatian after being substituted during Celtic’s match, and only to find that it was only muscle problem not more. however, as i have mentioned AW believes Edu needs more time adjusting to the roughness of premier league before he can completely recover. and by playing about 30 minutes each game, he should be there very soon. but my concern is A23. he’s been out of shape in the past 2 games and began wondering whether or not he’s injured. he seems out of sort last week and i do hope AW has addressed this issue with the player himself.

i rarely watch all football matches anymore and only stick to big 4 matches only. it’s a shame really, but it largely due to limited viewing here. i can watch online but it’s going to take more effort than switching on my TV. minnows are usually left alone during weekends, in the exception of facing up one of the big 4 team, therefore online isn’t much help either. i have checked online sports TV, but none of them posting a link to live the Match. i am totally hopeless now'; really hoping someone from Twitter inform me if any link to the match. i’ll check again soon before the match starts

by the way before i sign off, here’s my line up for tonight’s match:

                                                             Almunia

Eboue                               Gallas                    Vermaelen                 Clichy

                                          Denilson                Song

           Bendtner                               Cesc                                            Gibbs

                                                           Eduardo

                                                            OR

                                                          Almunia

Eboue                              Gallas                        Vermaelen              Clichy

Bendtner                        Song                             Cesc                         Gibbs

                                         Eduardo                      RVP

                                                      OTHER ONE

Eboue                           Gallas                           Vermaelen               Clichy

                                                          Song

        Bendtner                                Denilson                                    Gibbs

                                                        Eduardo

                                                        RVP

a true footballer

not many will ditch a better financial terms and go with his own goal. a month ago, ManC made a move to our former striker Adebayor and paid him dearly for his services, would he make a rare success? we don’t know that just yet. as i can remember Avaro Negredo had scored for his former team, Real Madrid during a friendly match and now he was sold to another title contenders, Sevilla. he chose Sevilla for footballing purpose and not others. there have been many transfer records during the summer window and not one is based on football. Benzema changed side to Madrid this season, and it’d be a lie if he did not think of money behind his decision. Real Madrid is a big team, but their recent achievement has been so far disappointing. while Barca enjoyed festive season, Madrid slumped to second last season. will Madrid resurrect? one will never know.

Negredo isn’t special, as many would love to pick Ronaldonald as their favorite attacking player. but the quality of a football player doesn’t always lie on his technical skill but as well as his attitude. Ronaldonald is top quality, but his conduct is questionable. perhaps it is true, that in this modern day people wouldn’t look at other qualities except greenback. and so far, my theory has been right

0-2 for Arsenal

i had a thought of watching the game, but chose to rest instead. it was really early in the morning, and i had a quite tiring day the day before, thus waking up seemed really harsh for me. luckily, i had wonderful Arsenal fans on my twitter who are kind enough to give tons of reviews as well as video highlights. apparently, Arshavin and Bendtner were given another try outs and from what i gathered, they had very little contribution to the team last night. Bendtner was a classic display of Eboue who can be sometime a headache to the coach, but Arshavin wasn’t even himself throughout the game. his change of attitude came from his lack of rest by both coaches. i agree with everyone that resting him could be a fatal blow to the team performance, but playing week in and out for the rest of the season could jeopardize his overall fitness. therefore it’s be wise to bench him during Portsmouth match.

what??

okay, good things carry other rotten one sometime; and this time the good news from Arsenal’s victory did nothing to mend my broken heart. LA Galaxy lost by 2 goals to Seattle Sounders. David Beckham was red carded due to his 50-50 challenge on his opponent. i did not watch the match, therefore i cannot say more than i have already said. but from what i gather, It was not intentional and the fact that it was 50-50, the referee should have gone with yellow instead of red. Bruce Arena  didn’t offer a helping hand at all and clearly furious with his former captain. but what the hell, Galaxy played rubbish anyway, so i won’t bother with their result. fortunately, i didn’t have to see it all or i become really mad. i’m counting down to the day when Becks is moving to Europe and not bother to wear Galaxy’s jersey forever. American audience does not appreciate football, therefore a player like Beckham should have never gone to MLS at the first place. i guess he now regretting his haste and foolish decision a while back ago. LA Galaxy is nothing compared to any European clubs. GO TO HELL

review

it’s been a while since Arsenal won their game with so many goals in just one game. a perfect start perhaps, but AW will remain cautious over many stumbling rocks up ahead. key players still out injured and will only get back as early as September. Nasri though will probably remain on the sideline for a longer period as his broken leg needs time to heal itself. Walcott and Diaby will be available for the champs league qualification match at Celtic’s stadium. equipped with a very positive mood, the Gunners can rest assured that no matter how tough Celtic can be, they are beatable just like other clubs. they need to focus on the game and remain vigilant over many things that happens on the field. last night for example, Arsenal were careless to let Everton boys scored against them in dying minutes. could you imagine if this were a final in champs league? it would be a disaster of course. fortunately, Arsenal were already six goal up and a goal against might have not been a nightmare at all; however, a clean sheet would have been a great achievement. first goal was scored from a dazzling volley outside the penalty area by Denilson. i thought it was going nowhere, but my guess was completely wrong. new boy Vermaelen got his first goal of the season with a sharp header to the far post beyond Howard’s desperate reach. his header reminds me from the ones that Vidic scores very often for ManUtd. third goal came just before the half time with Gallas in the score sheet as well. with a glancing header, he nudged the ball into the net. i thought everything was done and AW should have been pleased with three goals, however that was only the beginning. another three more goals in the second half made the game complete.

second half saw Everton put their feet on gas as they were trying to catch Arsenal and win back the game. though it was quite impossible, Moyes’ men thought otherwise. everyone was trying to get forward and neglecting the gaping wound at the back. Lescott simply wasn’t good enough to stop Arsenal’s forwards. attacking force came from every direction and it seemed to me Everton had lost it since the fourth goal which was scored by Arsenal captain himself. if he were to score from the exact same spot a few years ago, he would have let it bobbed to Howard’s open arms, however he was a different player last night and struck a goal which only clever players would do the same. not long, he scored another one with much pace that no one could even stopped it. he personally dedicated his second goal to his fellow Catalan friend, Jarque. Jarque was Espanyol captain who has died due to sudden heart failure. the final curtain belongs to Eduardo. how gracious God to him. after had been sidelined for over 11 months, Edu finally made his premier league debut and scored a goal to his name. when it was five, i thought there was no turning back now, and Arsenal had to keep patrolling at the back. it seemed, God has his way to give someone a very precious gift and Edu had his yesterday. scored the last goal for Arsenal made headlines for himself; this would be a message to all that Edu is back and he’s roaring to score, thus all of you rivals must take precautions.

a win in the first game surely will propel Arsenal to top spot. unless Liverpool and ManUtd could score 7 and 8 goals each, top spot is a guarantee for Arsenal. we need to keep on going and scoring in each and every game in order to win premier league title from ManUtd’s clutch. already bagging 3 points, all attention quickly shifted to champs league play offs this mid week. we’re up against Celtic from Scotland and i must say they’re a decent team with good players. we mustn’t get carried away by the win and stay focus to get the away goals. winning this match could open up a great chance to enter  champs league group stage, whilst losing it will send us off to galaxy in the far far away.  2-0 is enough to bring us closer to champs league. don’t waste this opportunity Mr.. Wenger, we have to win. i’m praying they will.

We won!

honestly, way before the match even started i had been casting doubt on Wenger’s side whom apparent loss of Flamini hadn’t been properly addressed. but now, what can i say?. though it remains questionable who will be crowned as premier league champions this season, i have a very positive view on this squad. what has changed? in matter of months AW boys have transformed into a full grown men. i surely have no answer to that question, but perhaps i could deliver a verdict?. after years of trophy-less seasons and unbearable mockery, this young players decided to take the matter on their hands. who could blame their fiery?; i may have been annoyed and anxious to hear those devilish critics, i know now that i can’t thank them enough in our achievement today for without those unjust critics, Arsenal might have been in the desert and found nothing but bitter sun burn. go ahead and making fun of us but we’ll try to keep this hope alive.

it’s a good start from the team who were one of the least favorites to win premier league and became superheroes. i agree with AW completely that branding them as superheroes in the early are extremely premature. who can blame those hopefuls? 4 seasons without trophies is well behind them; well, not just yet. have i made myself a little too downward negative? perhaps; however the season is very long and one game will not justify our whole performance. it is great indeed to have scored such monstrous amount of goal in the Goodison park, however we’re still short of key players and our defence did look rusty at times. i really do hope that this weaknesses will be sorted out before we start to dive our nose down again. i remain positive though, as we have shot down those doubters far away to the deserted island. who wouldn’t want a perfect win to start the season; i certainly wouldn’t mind.

post match reports arguing the best solution for Everton whether or not they should let Lescott joins ManC this summer. despite some lucrative offers from the Eastland, David Moyes has not budged even an inch and prefers to shut the door out of any requests for his players. last match was a solid prove there was some disruption in the locker room and Moyes needs to settle this quickly before everything comes crumbling down. will he or will he not accept the offer from ManC?; the question remains open as he might bring this matter up with the man himself. reportedly, Lescott has made a written request to be handed in a transfer agreement with ManC. as expected, the Merseyside club refused to be drawn into the web and chose to reject ManC ‘flirting’ approach in order to keep the man inside the club. however, instead of backing down, ManC have crossed the line by keeping Lescott unsettled. with dozens of reports everyday, it is bound to see a man made from steel will eventually melt himself from the heat. Mark Hughes went as far as making a statement that ManC are a great club and it is only natural that Moyes feels intimidated by his approaching style. already he has his hands on the title eh?. ManC won their first game away from home with competitive result. Ade and Ireland scored a goal each to help ManC through stubborn Blackburn Rovers last night with 0-2 score line. i must say, it was a good game for both clubs as ManC themselves were at times caught in the mess at the back, but the captain remained focused and denied chances from the opponent. ManUtd and Liverpool will both have their matches today and i expect myself to sit silently in front of TV while munching a very delicious snack. 

Cesc is here to stay

contrary to newspaper reports, i believe captain of the club will stay at the Emirates. he will be there during the match against Everton as well as following matches. unless, there’s a sudden exodus from the club, he might be tempted to leave, but until then he’s still the captain. i’m clearly puzzled at how media turns this around. why us? they could pick on someone else instead of Arsenal . hopefully, this rubbish will die down as with other trash news in the past. silence is golden

Becks is back

the friendly match is over and it’s time for the Englishman fly back to LA. i am not sure about his schedule but the next match will surely fall this weekend. his haters won’t miss this match as they are going to drive out the English midfielder from LA Galaxy. despite recent backlash with the fans, Becks i committed to guide Galaxy to win titles this season. the question remains is to which club he will be landing next January to spend his off season on loan in order to win a place in Capello’s squad. the likely destination will be AC Milan and it is confirmed by the coach himself who is eager to have Becks in his team. anyway, i enjoyed his performance during the friendly match and i must say, for a 34 year old, he’s certainly has the edge. he may lack of pace but his crosses are valuable.

i have noticed that David Beckham isn’t wearing his much-preferred long sleeve jersey and instead going for the short one. has he done this to reveal his new tattoos? well, he have tattooed his forearm before and was reluctant to show them to the audience; why now? a good question indeed. perhaps if someone is opening up a live interview, i would post this question to him. he looks more sharp and manly i must say. yuck! i never thought i would say that!

congrats Cannavaro

he used to play for Real Madrid and now currently under contract with Juventus. by far, he is one of the best defenders of all time and of course one of my favorite players during WC06. he is now surpassed Maldini’s record by one cap. he’s now collecting 127 caps under his belt. congratulation Canna!

2-2

Netherlands were held to a draw against England early this morning. i was surprised to see 2 goals scored against England were all as a result of their own errors. both Ferdinand and Barry were careless at passing the ball and was punished cruelly by the Dutch’s killing machines, Kuyt and Van Der Vaart respectively. after the half time, Capello made three subsequent changes that altered the game completely. Milner, Cole and Defoe were all involved in the scoring and guided Capello’s men from embarrassing defeat at the Amsterdam Arena. generally, the team did enough to hold off their opponent from making further damage as the Dutch themselves had not been as threatening as Spain few months ago; but either way central defence was exposed through 90 minutes with Ferdinand making awry passes here and there. though this may have been a friendly but it showed to people how lackluster Capello’s side without their most reliable key player, Stew-G. however, ‘tainted’ the performance was i quite understand the condition of each player. perhaps, we should not have this kind of friendlies so early in the season.

David Beckham performance was fine especially during the first 20 minutes, however the score against England at early stage hampered all areas starting from the defence up till the front men. but Goal.com likes the way Becks performed last night, and i’m guessing Capello felt the same; nevertheless, changes were needed in order balance the team. Becks made way for SWP who apparently didn’t do much to conjure up the attacking front, but had done his job better than his previous matches.

talking about Beckham, he should be able to join a European club after MLS season ends this November. contrary to earlier reports which claiming he might move on to Europe on permanent basis, he might be joining his new club in a  loan move instead just like he had done last year. Milan seems his likely destination as well as premier league clubs. though he had once said wouldn’t want to return to premier league to respect his relationship with ManU fans, he might make a U turn this mid season as he has no choice but to cross Atlantic in order to keep his sharpness in check. playing with a European clubs means he’s eligible to enter competition with other players whom are eager to play a part in WC10. if he stays fit and competitive all season, there’s a huge possibility he will be chosen. going to such competition an experienced player is much needed in order to keep the balance in the team.

let’s hope he’ll make the cut in England’s next qualifying matches.

Analyzing

i can remember a few years ago, when England couldn’t quite find the right man on the left side, and then Joe Cole came into the picture. and for many matches, the issues was settled; however, when injuries paralyzed the Chelsea midfielder, everyone had started to raise questions how the coach would cope with the loss. so far, Gerrard has been the one who plays in that area and quite impressed some quarters, however the Liverpool man won’t be available tomorrow morning and he could possibly be replaced by Young who has so far impressed Capello in his only 2 caps for England. but that wasn’t the reason i wrote this entry. since the arrival of Capello, Walcott has gained a lot of actions and he could have just be his favorite had he been more clinical up front. inconsistencies has often shadowed his appearances with England after convincing match last year. he might not be in the starting line up due to his absence during off season matches with Arsenal. looks like the slot is now belong to David Beckham. he must prove himself to the coach and shows him that he’s still got it. a close look by Goal.com elaborates how Capello would deal with 5 players who could play in that area. 5 players and their chances, go ahead and read it

Friendly is about to start

England will commence its matches after few months of rest. this time they will up against one of World’s best. could they overcome the loss from Spain last time around?. England are always on top playing against much lesser experience teams compared to top flying teams, such as Spain and Germany. with Gerrard is ruled out due to groin injury, there’s a slight chance A. Young might be deployed to the left side the way Martin O’Neil has been doing in Aston Villa. i’m guessing Capello would go for 4-2-2 formation instead of 4-3-3. Barry would partner Lampard in the centre while Young and Walcott prowling in the wings. Capello has so far trusted Heskey and Rooney as first starters, therefore i believe they would lead the attack once more. i’m not sure about Becks though, he may not be in the starting line up but i remain positive.

Becks is included

when Capello announced his squad list to face Holland this Thursday, i was rather anxious whether or not David Beckham was part of this team; eventually, his name was in it. i was rather pleased if Gareth Barry wouldn’t be in the squad either, however the decision wasn’t mine to make. there are various options of formation that Capello could choose; he either will use 4-2-2 or 4-3-3 as his much preferred formation. my line up would be Green, Johnson, Ferdinand, Terry, Cole, Beckham, Barry, Lampard, Walcott, Rooney, Gerrard. though Gerrard has been often used as centre midfielder alongside Lampard, i’ve seen no use of him in the middle while he can be utilized elsewhere. the combination of Gerrard and Rooney proved fatal to any defence line time and time again. there are bunch of available options on the bench of course and i’m perfectly sure, Capello will not go with Beckham as starter. looking at past matches, he might go with 4-2-2 line up instead of my 4-3-3 formation.

facing against one of the best team in Europe, is perhaps the biggest challenge for Capello’s squad this year. though it may only be a friendly match, no one should shrug off the importance of this match. a win could prove potential to the team itself especially the key players. once they get through Netherlands there’s a fat chance they can secure a place for WC 10 next year a lot easier. i did not mean to downplay those teams in the group stage, but a win against much better team is certainly helping each player to face their fears.

in other development, Capello has once again asked David Beckham to seek other employer if he wants to be included in the squad for WC 10. playing for LA Galaxy is not an option, and he might get omitted if choose to stay, therefore a loan deal would be nice for the 34 year old midfielder. i don’t think it’d be complicated as both parties have mentioned that a comeback would be ideal. the only thing that could bypass this agreement would be LA Galaxy. having lost their superstar to the Italian club last season, they wouldn’t want to lose him out again especially when they need him the most. however, i am sure David Beckham could somehow strike a deal to secure his place next year. as long as he stays fit and injury-free the whole season, there’s always a chance he can fly out to South Africa next year.

rumors have it, that Becks’ current situation has attracted interests from 2 London clubs and they are: Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. both coaches have confirmed their admiration on David Beckham’s ability and hoping the veteran midfielder will sign a deal with them. i am not sure if these clubs will indeed sign him up considering Becks’ relationship with ManUtd’s fans. he had once said that a return to premier league wouldn’t be possible; he hadn’t said never though.

i can’t wait to watch the friendly match live on the internet, as a very slight chance local TV will play it live. i wonder how Capello would form his line up. Netherlands are not easy to beat especially at their own backyard. hopefully Becks will feature though i am sure most people would disagree to have Becks on the field ahead of anyone else on the bench.

                        Green

Johnson     Ferdinand     Terry     Cole

                          Barry

Beckham                           Lampard     

Walcott                             Gerrard

                        Rooney

this would be my line up

the coach most likely to buy

we have lost Rosicky for 6 weeks and might release Senderos soon rather than later. who will gain from our loss? no one basically, for the season has yet to start its roaring heat, therefore we can possibly add more players to the squad before transfer windows closes end of this month. current economic situation prevents rich clubs to buy players in an extravagant way, excluding Real Madrid and ManC of course, but they aren’t as big as ManUtd and Barcelona in that matter. both clubs (ManUtd and Barcelona) reached glory last season which brought in 3 titles into their ground to add into their achievement books. Real Madrid may have been the European Giants in the past, but their recent transfer policy has dampen the club’s victory over the past years and ManC are freshmen indeed. the rich owner of ManC decided to scooped out some famous signings from all over Europe by introducing Carlos Tevez as their first big signing in the summer. Chelsea whom are used to sign big players are sitting on the sideline looking at better view. looks like economic slowdown has taken its toll to the Russian owner as well.

let’s back to Arsenal, shall we?. the ever injured player had finally regained his fitness and was featured during Emirates Cup a week ago, however the versatile midfielder has to face another bleak future once more as he has been declared unfit to start the new season, and this time he’s suffering from hamstring injury. poor him, he was at ease knowing that he can finally help his team mate to succeed Ade’s role upfront, however this muscle problem might dampen his spirit after tormented months at bay, and he can probably sit out for the rest of the season like he had endured last season. hopefully, this injury will not be as bad as i heard.

with 4 offensive options available, Wenger shouldn’t stop looking for reinforcements especially when Rosicky is out again. Edu might have just recovered from his terrible injury, but can he be reliable throughout the whole season? Arsenal is famous with injury plagued season and we need to learn from the past. while Arshavin and RVP are all but vicious, they can’t do it alone. they need back ups and Wenger needs to do it right. Bendtner on the other hand, isn’t one of those reliable striker and he lacks clinical touches. honestly, he’s down in the pecking order, a way down to the bottom i must say. Wilshere is available, but he is untested in big games against great clubs, therefore alternatives should be seek.

is he seeking for another loan move this year?

Becks future has been left unsaid once more. though he have said time and time again that he has a contract with LA Galaxy, he also has hinted to play for England in the next WC in which he has to stay fit and included in a European club. some newspapers said he’s ready to seek a move to AC Milan once his season at MLS is over. however, at the article he was clearly in the state of mind that transfer move is a long shot. perhaps, he wants another loan move?. if it is the fact, how long would he stay with the Italian club this time?. i’ve read an article some days ago which claiming Becks will be back to LA Galaxy after WC 2010 is done. and will remain a Galaxy until the end of his contract. i do not know how credible is this article, however a permanent move would cost Milan a huge deal which i believe wouldn’t suit their transfer policy. Milan would never dig deep into their pockets for a player who’s reaching his time limit. i’m not saying Becks isn’t worth a dime anymore, however a player at his age will usually get a short term contract only. too bad, but that’s a fact. anyway, he has scored another breath-taking goal against his former rivals, Barcelona. Barcelona were a different class from the American club, and claiming 1-2 score line was a shock, nevertheless i am happy for David Beckham.

another video

MLS have uploaded a video concerning David Beckham’s world class free kick, and i must say the crowd indeed applauded Becks goal with so much respect. only a fool says otherwise.

the equalizer

Football Controller has uploaded a video of David Beckham who scored the goal during a friendly play with Barcelona a couple of days ago. enjoy…

finally, someone is acknowledging Becks achievement

i should have it done a few days ago, but had no chance to do so, therefore here it is. among other writers he probably one of thousands to have finally applauded Becks effort in football. he may not be the most ruthless midfielder in the world, but he surely is top professional. reading this article made my day indeed.

another article is also pointing at Becks professionalism. though he was booed during his play time, he did not complain. i guess, soccer fans have not heard his toughness. after WC 98 incident, he had received death threat as well as sickening welcome party from the boo boys, but he had not budged a little and on the contrary, he won 3 titles with Man Utd the following year. if they think he will run off the field and hide, they have been misguided indeed. he won’t bend like some other players. a true fan will know