Title Crumble

The history repeats for itself. Last night we saw Arsenal handed the league title to manutd, just like the way many had predicted.

I knew since I opened a new compose message, I would be rambling instead of writing sane, constructive blog I supposed to be doing. Some may call me a bitter loser for seeing what had unfold yesterday. But not one football fan will smile happily a day after their team fall from grace.

We had been in the cloud 9, only to have been crashed and trashed merely minutes after. Was it familiar scene to you? I'm sure you are feeling the way I'm feeling now and would rather skip any morning sport news and walk through the morning rush with your earphones firmly glued to your ears. If any commuter leaf through their back pages, you would turn away and watch morning crappy traffic instead.

What happened?. This is the exact question that has been ringing for months now. Some Arsenal bloggers have offered ranging of answers, starting from immature attitude to inexperienced squad. Both reasons I have tried to accept since the beginning of the season and will try to take it as 'the Arsenal way'. However, efforts at times fail and I find myself venting frustrations on this very blog on my own.

What happens next?. Will the team fight till the very end or let it go and accept this season as runner up?. I'm sure manager will not tolerate this kind of attitude and ask nothing less than 3 points from now on. However, seeing manutd sitting comfortably 6 points on top, will not settle well with the players.

The next big question is, are we going to see well-known players quit Arsenal and move on to other big clubs?. It's interesting to see how these players don't seem to answer calls whenever we are in need to step our game up. Last night we clearly saw players tried to walk their way to opponents' box and nick a beautiful goal with the most beautiful style possibly ever recorded in football history. Unfortunately, best goals aren't done with fashion; they come when the team needs them to be scored. And they come naturally. Yesterday, we tried hard to be Barcelona which had failed before and had not proved anything since. Who are we?.

I sincerely hope all those players who received so much criticism will eventually pay all Wenger's faith, believe in them and start to work their asses off from now on. And if they leave in summer, I only have one word for you: coward. Do you think you are the only one who are concerned with trophy drought seasons Arsenal are having? No. Every fan in the corner of the earth is not happy with it and will not tolerate this kind of attitude no longer. If you want to leave, go ahead but don't talk trash on us when you sign with other club.

My mind is shrewd and I think it's best if I leave it as it is. I need time to cool off and construct more positive words instead of destruction ones.

Later...
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This is it

I don't know how many times I have said this before, but I don't think it will be enough for Arsenal. If we lost today's game, league title will definitely go to manure. Sure, we do have 7 remaining matches after Blackpool and mathematically we are still in it. But how many times do we talk about this over and over and in the end of the day we screw it all up. We are 7 points off the top and still have 8 games left with one more games compared to manure. If we win all of them, we are champions. There's a big if at the beginning of the sentence.

This team has a lot to do to prove doubters wrong and winning this game should be a good start. I will not go down to where they had been gone to yesterday. Other bloggers had a dig on Hill-Wood, media and lots of other stuff so I won't be yapping on them here. I read them all and honestly speaking, AST (Arsenal Supporter Trust) has every right to voice their opinions on current team condition and post it to relevant parties inside the club. Fans are everything for the club and everyone including Hill-Wood should not be making statement as such.

I will leave the subject and move on to most intriguing part; Wenger's press conference. As John Cross had noted yesterday on his twitter, he had never witnessed the manager as passionate as he had yesterday. Could it have been the pressure to win trophies is as mounting as ever?. And knowing his young squad would struggle to cope with pressure they are facing, he felt the necessary to defend them, hence the fiery interview. He said he would go miles to defend them because he thought his squad deserved some credit for going this far.

Were we too harsh on them?. Maybe, but aren't they now running out of excuse after they were the ones who rubbished the idea of hiding behind 'lack of experience' for so many years. If the manager admits, he has a young squad does it mean they are excused for showing a string of poor performances?. During the interview Wenger also said we didn't give them enough credit. I'm sorry Sir, you are completely wrong. There are fans out there who perhaps are out of the line and don't need to be paid attention to, but not all of them are paranoid over the top whiners who can't even spell the name of Andrei Arshavin without ridiculing him on the pitch. If these kind of fans are taken into account, I don't think we deserve trophies at all. I'm talking about real, loyal, positive fans who may be deeply hurt by poor performances but still manage to find lessons to learn after each game. They don't whine and throw nasty jokes on player but simply tell their perspective on each game and come up with clever arguments. Perhaps, it is best if Wenger spends 5 minutes of his time reading one of these bloggers and see whether they are right or wrong. It may help his team to see their weakness spot.

If you are interested reading full transcript of Wenger's interview, you can check at @JohnCrossMirror twitter or go straight to MirrorFootball website and look for John Cross' article at the main page. One thing I strongly hope for, is for player to repay Wenger's faith on them and prove me wrong. Blackpool match is in few hours. Till then..

The change is imminent

When the day of the match comes this weekend, every fan will once again gather around and watch with so much passion as we are champions. As title bid looks more likely goes to the other side of city, all fans turn up this weekend would like to know how the team responds to mounting pressure as the season nearing its end. It is no secret Wenger is far from happy seeing we, yet again, fall behind league leaders man utd.

Something must be done in the summer and Le Boss knows it perfectly well. Fans are furious and want some explanations; Wenger has none. Some extreme fans decide to call on Wenger's resignation end of season and should be replaced by some bouncer of some kind. First thing, you don't sack your manager when he is supposed to be the one who pays all the debt. He owes Arsenal fans a lot and he must repay them back. Secondly, who will be our next manager if we the club can't commit on £50m spending spree each season?. Hodgson? Steve Bruce? Or Owen Coyle?.

What matters most now is to bounce back and win all remaining matches and then we will see. Winning the league is more than an uphill climb now, but when you play at the most recognized and competitive league in the world, you know this will happen, whether we want it or not.

I have no doubt Wenger will roll up his sleeves and get done to his business as soon as the season ends. He has his scouts everywhere except inside the cave. I'm expecting we will hear something in the summer. But I have my own concerns though. With Arsenal work their transfer policy as speedy as snail, will everything be done exactly on time?. Let's hope 7 years with no trophy will knock them out of their comfortable seats and do things differently.

Let's worry about dead wood players and other ongoing transfer saga for the summer shall we?. It's now time to focus on task at hand which is winning our next game away at Blackpool's backyard.

Come on Gunners

Messed up

I have been reading people's comments in blogs. I don't like what I read. Fans are fuming from last night's woeful result. As usual, the blame game resurfaced, once again.

Why do we keep falling and crawling while we could be flying with our wings spread broadly?. I do not know the answer. If you came here and looking for the ultimate answer from your questions, this isn't the place. I merely saying what's on my mind. I understand at some point, matches can be difficult with some of our key players occupy the treating room. I can totally tolerate the point. But what happens when you have nearly everyone back and not perform at all?. Well, that's another interesting question.

I can't remember the last time we score in the first half then win the game without conceding. Leyton perhaps? But that's not even a real football match. What's happening? No one really knows. All I know is the fact we stop playing like we used to and become a crappy club from Mars. It's not understatement, not even nearly to sarcasm; it's totally 'the Arsenal' way these days. You may disagree on that but you can't ignore our lousy, sloppy performances Arsenal are showing these days.

So what are the fans saying about yesterday's embarrassing match?. Well, first they can no longer tolerate dead wood players. Players who don't perform well this season or last, should be given the boot whether or not they are under contract. Second, acquire new, experienced and solid players and stop buying second fiddle, free, untested players. And three, this is the worst of it all; the club should have Wenger disposed by the end of season and hire new manager. Mourinho, for example. The last one was actually my bitter joke. Don't put too much on to it.

That was a recap of what I have read from Arsenal blogs. I don't see Wenger going this season and the fact that only few of them voiced it out, I still believe Le Boss will remain at his post next season. The other points though, are not out of the line; they are simply pointing out fans' request for the past 2 seasons.

And where do I stand on this matter?. Though I do not believe money can buy trophies, I do think good quality players can provide depth we have been lacking of and help the team to win matches and eventually, trophies. I simply do not tolerate big spending in one shot. But if you want a top quality frying pan you surely don't pay $1 (Rp. 8700) for it and demand 5 years warranty. There is no logic on that. Some players are overpriced, I admit it. But we can't stop the club and agency from nick few hundreds of dollars from their gold mine. The club has invested money on him so they want some dollars back at them. It's a bit complicated so I will not discuss it here.

Let's go back to it shall we?. We are craving for winners not whiners. Players who command his team mates not only verbally but in reality as well. Players who do not fear to come and make tidy challenges (tackles) and win the ball to get back us on track. Players who know how to handle pressure really well and always ready to pick up the pieces. They are hard to get; almost unlikely if I may imply but not impossible. These attributes will cost us dearly but what if investment we make, will eventually lead us to glory, no scrap it; lead us to successful seasons afterward?. Arsenal do not need 11 players. We only need to pluck in some holes in 3 areas.

Does £40m sound bizarre to you?. That's the amount Real Madrid willing to pay for Cesc; if he was offered to them of course. With that amount Wenger can buy 2 good players. A CB and a striker would do. So is £40m too big for us?. It depends on how you see it. Don't look past experiences because we never had a deal with whooping amount like that. If Wenger has never done a deal involving enormous amount, would he do so next season?. Slim chance but not impossible. Fans are no longer the patient and quiet puppy. They are now the enraged tiger.

Wenger can't afford to slip up like he usually does. Time is running out and he is wedged in between. All I want to say is, do the right thing.
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Short yet again

The match has ended for an hour now. But i only had the idea of writing some of my stupid thoughts before i risk of losing it tomorrow.

As you already know, we could not get pass sturdy rovers defence and gave up league title rather embarassingly to manure. As if by the fate written in the stars, manure came back to win their match after went down by 2 goals in the first half, while Arsenal played at home could only manage a draw. And the history writes its own fate; i mean Arsenal.

I have been criticizing Arsenal lack of winning attitude for quite some time now. And i'm getting a little bit of nudge by some fans thinking i'm not into Arsenal whenever they lose. I'm an Arsenal fan through and through. There is should not be any doubt about it. Some of you might ask, why do i go to this length and keep pressing whenever they lose. But die hard gooners should not be asking those kind of questions. I have an everlasting love for Arsenal, that's why i want to see them to be up there alongside the greats.

Regardless their disappointing results, I will always be with Arsenal. It's like what Rihanna says "..as if you are my favorite drug". I will never hate Arsenal. Unless they allow tot to share a stadium or training ground. I can still bear the pain, thank you. Grief, sadness, anxiety and all negative feelings will all but gone by the end of next Friday. And here i am, cheering once again for the Gunners. It's like listening to Britney's songs. You can't help but to sing along though your are in pain seeing her hurting herself like that. In the end of the day, Arsenal is the only English club i support and love. The rest are just pure entertainment to my crazy crave for football.

I will not do a review just like any other bloggers do. However, i will write some of my thoughts on Arsenal matches on my blog. Others are simply better than me on doing a review. Keep your chin up fellow Gooners and Goonerettes. We may have lost the battle but the war has not been won. I don't keep myself busy watching Arsenal to win premier league. I watch them because i am an Arsenal fan.

Later all...

they’re back

finally, after weeks of absence key players such as Cesc, Song, Walcott are finally making their comeback on tomorrow’s match. Persie who suffered knee problem after his international duty with Holland, is now being passed fit to feature against Rovers tomorrow. I think the biggest news will be Song availability. though it may have felt a bit late, his presence in the midfield would be crucial for us to win matches. coincide with his return, Denilson is down with an injury. surprise, no?. he may have sacrificed himself for the sake of the whole team. do I sound crazy to you?. nothing is impossible you know. it is better to leave the game as an injured player rather than being left out cold. okay, it is a joke. please stop cursing.

lets move on to our topic. since the absence of these key players, we have been playing rather poorly. only one win against low side Leyton Orient cheers up our fixture result for the month of March. another solid evidence we are struggling to win matches without these men. however, it is a new month, so I have high hopes Arsenal players to be able to focus on remaining matches and win them all. it is the only way to stop man utd winning league title. we can no longer tolerate a draw and even more, a defeat. only a win and no less than that. each club we will go against know this perfectly and will try to frustrate us by going all out in the first half and try to score a goal. knowing Arsenal well, I know this plan could be a jackpot. we are losing Djourou for the rest of the season and can only count on nerve-jittery Squillaci. you understand what  I mean.

I know we don’t have our best CB and GK available for us but I must support them all. they are Arsenal players after all and they will do everything to get those critics behind them and come out as winners. I have no confidence on our current no. 1 nor do I have a vote to our back up CB but I have no options but to keep cheering their names whenever they are mentioned. we can’t do anything, so keep our head up and keep believing.

as names of injured players have been announced, I can do a little bit of guessing game who will get the nod to start on Saturday. back four remains the same with Almunia standing between the post and both Clichy and Sagna will be our full backs. Squillaci and Koscielny completes the missing puzzle at the back. and with Song comes back from knee injury, he will surely retain his place and play alongside Wilshere once more. Cesc resumes his duty as attacking midfielder with both Nasri and Arshavin play as wingers. Persie declared fit to start and there’s no doubt he will be chosen ahead of Bendtner and Chamakh. unfortunately, Ramsey will most likely to miss the match tomorrow due to groin injury. Le Boss did not mention on the length of his injury during his pre-match interview, so I don’t have any idea whether he will play again this season. if it’s minor, then he is free to join the squad in the next game. let’s wait on this, okay?.

anyone dares to predict score line for tomorrow?. I have never been a fan of match prediction but I do this for the sake of this blog. Blackburn is a tough nut so I won’t be considering a clean sheet though I want it so bad. it’s 1-3 for us. and if we play lousily, then 2-3 for Arsenal.

till later Gooners…

finally!

international break is finally over and we are back in the real game show. luckily, we are not in mid December or January in which snowing is part of happy hour menu in London. can you imagine we are forcedly to sit back for another week without Arsenal?. I’m sure you get what I mean.

Arsene Wenger said we have our threesome back for Saturday. you can see the excerpt here. though I’m not impressed at all with Diaby, it’s good to have everyone back for crucial match. Not van Persie though. the manager might have claimed he would be available for selection but bruised knee could actually leave him out for at least few days. he alongside Ramsey and Bendtner will have fitness tests today and will see whether they will be available for Rovers match.

for some reason Denilson is injured and won’t be playing tomorrow. well, I guess Wenger has solid reason not to play him this time. I can’t confirm line up, not until Wenger comes out with a list of injured players. but I honestly don’t think there will be major changes in our back four. and it includes our goalkeeper. I know a lot of you have high hopes for Lehmann to come and save our season and replace Almunia permanently. but I knew it would be impossible to do it since he hasn’t been playing competitive match since he hung up his boot. he will need more games to gain match fitness and by the time he has times in his belt, we would probably cheering our win in May. yey…come on lets do the cheering dances!!.

I will try to post something if anything comes up later today.

till later Gooners…

International break

I will be without proper football match for at least one week. I don’t know about you but I’m feeling rather gloom without Arsenal. yes, they have been disappointing lately but every game is a drug to me and nothing can substitute its magic spell on me. let’s move on to our main subject here shall we?.

We have 14 players on duty for their respective countries and will be facing 2 opponents this week. you can check those players here. regardless last results, the lads are ready to show their willingness to win remaining 9 matches. well, at least that was Persie said during an interview with Netherland Goal.com. so far, the fans have heard nothing more than words. it is very important for players to show their effort on the field rather than talking to the press every week.

Song, Cesc and Walcott are ready to make a comeback on the 2nd of April. it is good for them to miss upcoming international duties. I do not want my recently-recovered players have to go through distances to play for their respective countries. don’t get misunderstood, I want them to get involved in higher level but freshly recovered players should not be thrown into intense matches immediately. I’m expecting them to start next week, but may not last 90 minutes. Song has been out since final exit, so I don’t think it’s wise to give him straight 90 minutes plus of football in a day of his return. but decision remains on Wenger and his medical team hands whether or not playing these players at the start of the game.

As the league breaks for number of days, press starts picking up their pace. Clichy is rumored to be leaving this summer and some of them claiming Juventus are interested to get his service. one of Arsenal blogger even claims he was close to leave Arsenal last summer. but the question is, what made him stay?. was it because he wanted to give another shot and thinking we could win something this season?. I dunno, but I’m not going to pick it up unless a reliable source confirms it. it actually began when contract talks have been put on hold. according to Nasri, Le Boss has said to him the club would discuss it further at the end of season. perhaps, it creates bubble more than it should have.

We will have to wait until everything is done this season, then we will know who will get the boot. I’m going to talk about this tomorrow or the day after. forgive me if this entry has been pain in the eyes. I have not been in good health recently. my mind has a life of its own.

Later…

Harder to breathe

I dragged myself slowly out of the bed this morning. Something i have not done in a while. I may not be a morning person but i never take too long to get up and get myself ready for the day.

Painful result from Arsenal gives me nothing but a pain in my heart. Perhaps you are wondering why do i get such illness that no other has experienced from a football match. We fall in love every other time and when we fall real hard it is hard to accept those red of rosses no longer blooming in our hearts. How can we obey our healthy mind to sweep aside nagging feelings to love but we have no one to love.

I wonder you might be asking yourself, why would i babble about love so early in the day. The answer is simple, i fall in love with Arsenal. Do not ask a person who is deep in love about why and how because you will never get a straight answer. I do not blame you either, if you feel i'm an insane person. For some others, love is between 2 persons who share the mutual feelings together; regardless our genders, every human being deserves to be loved and be in love, be it with the opposite sex or not. However, love can be blind sometimes and it hit me straight to the heart. My love for Arsenal is undiminished over time. Though we experience turbulence, i am unshaken and always get myself ready for Arsenal whenever they are playing. Whenever Arsenal lose, i promise myself not to watch their games again. And yet, every week i sit down on my couch and continously pouring my support to my beloved club. What is it if it is not love?.

If i found myself out of breath last night and could not set my mind in a positive way, it is because i have so much love for the club and i cannot stand Arsenal being ridiculed. It is never easy for me to get my mind and mood to be in the right places staright after a defeat. But i will always find my way when the right time comes and by the way, it's Arsenal we are talking about; we always make things harder for ourselves.

So what now?. Will i stop falling in love and look for someone else?. Heart breaking experiences can make you stronger and more determined for success in the future. Mistakes in your life are your greatest guru and will give you more than just a lecture; they teach you how not to fail for the second time. I am here to be with the club and i believe other Gooners will be too. I am no coward like some others; i am a true Gooner.

oh hello, greets from the great eisleyian :) haven't been here in a while. seems like this blog has changed its function to a Gooner's corner, not that i complain though. at least my sister is doing good job in keeping our precious blog alive. so i ditched blogger for spaces.live.com then facebook, twitter, and tumblr came along. i only tweet nowadays no more blogs and self composed writings.


i made sacred promise with my sister that i will help her revamp this blog and remove my childish signatures. i did, and will do a lot to improve the layout. not that i'm fond of it or even familiar with this task. i will drag my fingers and stuck them on the keyboard to blog some time in the near future. blogging used to be my only way to let things go without hurting others..


ps: i think Eisley's new album 'The Valley' is addicting.


(the little one)

Jens is back?

reports circling around Arsenal today claiming Jens Lehmann, former Arsenal no. 1, is returning to Arsenal. I know some pessimists would argue it would only be our hopes for nothingness after 2 consecutive defeats at the hands of manure and barca. but I believe mad Jens can bring something to this team and it does not necessarily have to be on the field. Lehmann is a tough nut, it is something that our young players can learn a lot from him.

I will post link if anything new comes up tomorrow. later all…

Wenger says we can, but can’t we?

on his most recent post match interview, Wenger convinced journalists that his squad is ready to take challenges in premier league. he believes the defeat will make them stronger and sturdier to overcome man utd in the first spot of the league.

somehow, I don’t think it is half truth, but certainly no lies as well. we are capable of doing many things that no one could possibly think of. but at recent matches we have shown nothing but inconsistencies. we beat Leyton Orient 5-0, few days after we drew against Sunderland, then lost on two consecutive matches. why do this incurable disease seems so hard to scalp off.

I read someone’s tweet yesterday and I couldn’t agree more with him. perhaps it is the best time to promote young players and show these seniors how to play for Arsenal with passion. if we had played with 7 young players yesterday, I would probably have been a lot more happy than I am today. we had full team at our expense, minus Song, Cesc and Vermaelen, and yet we were humiliated with 2 goals without reply. how could we have done it, I was wondering the same thing yesterday.

still nothing from the Arsenal camp except Djourou fate has been sealed. he will not return with us until next season. no clear time scale has been given but for me, I think it will take 3-4 months. it could take 6 months for full recovery. does it sound bad? maybe. but our season is not determined by our injury list. we have been struggling with injuries in more years than any other older clubs every exist, so we should not be bothered with it. we have Squillaci and Miquel as our back up players so we are pretty well covered. they may not be top class center backs but we can’t do anything about it right now.

our main problem is mental strength; it has nothing to do with squad numbers. midfield is showing a great deal of breaking up. Denilson and Diaby are not up to the task while Cesc absence might put us more in threats than we usually thought. Song return could help out midfield.

till later…

1,2,3,4,5 possible 6?

if you are an ardent fan of Arsenal you would guess it correctly once you read it first. I have not written anything since the champions league defeat against Barcelona. I was trying to see it from a different perspective and waiting to see some rejuvenating good news for myself and all of the fans. come to second week of March, every dream of getting quadruple at the end of the season has crashed down bitterly and left us nothing but the league title alone.

Man Utd showed us exactly how champions should take care of themselves on the field. with only Rooney and Hernandez their most deadly attackers, we were up against 7 defenders. some pundits and scores of fans thought Arsenal had it all. well, at least it lasted for several minutes before Fabio scored against us. it was a grave mistake from both Djourou and Koscielny. they failed to see threats coming from Hernandez, thus second goal was beautifully crafted against Arsenal.

were we still nursing from deep wounds due to cup exits? I have no idea, but one thing is certain: this team is yet to mature the way we had hoped them to be. Wenger is not an exclusion. his lineup was questioned again. Denilson and Diaby simply not good enough to be an Arsenal player. Diaby lost the ball too many times, causing opponent to counter us every other time.

yes, we missed few key players including Song, our reliable DM. but is it the real reason we crashed down rather significantly in the past three weeks?. if you asked Arsene Wenger, he would cheekily said yes. but this is football, a sport that requires physical presence and most of the times, players are caught in nasty tackles. injuries are bound to happen, whether we want it or not. so, what is the core of our problem? I can’t say exactly sure but some bloggers agree that our mental strength has been our weakness spot and it has not recovered this season.

we did not show the Arsenal way last night. as if the Arsenal I have known had disappeared last night and replaced by some middle school students playing their first team games. we saw plenty of running but no real penetration. this is the team with no purpose and real plan. we completely lacked of material to outrun even half-equipped man utd. there is no doubt we have so much to do to make this squad competitors to other English big teams. chelsea are the resurging warriors and assured themselves that they are champions once again. though they are sitting quite a bit far from us, we must not let our focus out of premier league title chase.

we are 3 points off league leaders, man utd, that is why winning our next match is crucial as winning the league itself. we are nursing deep wound but they must not let it get into their heads and control Arsenal. after champions league exit, FA match against man utd was they key. but now, we only have premier league in our sights, so we have to keep it close to our hearts. West Brom is next. considering our away games stat is much better than our homes, I must say we can still stand a chance to win this one too. players need to show their willingness to win the match and fight until the very last minute. mediocre teams are quite nuisance especially during dire minutes. they score important goals few minutes before final whistle. 1 goal will not be enough.

our current team is tired both mentally and physically. but no one should stop their breath now and give up. premier league is wide open. it’s ours if we want it. so we better make the most of it.

last but not least, is our dear Johan Djourou. he dislocated his shoulder 10 minutes before full minute and look serious to me. he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with oxygen mask on him. I personally think his season is over. the thing with shoulder injury is they need a good deal of time to heal. Walcott is our clear example. his recurring shoulder pain prevented him from making a good run with us a season ago. Senderos used to suffer the same fate and look at him today. he missed a lot on his matches and paid a great deal.

enough for now. I need my own dose of life and will update if something comes up later.

keep believing, at least try….

Still no Persie in sight

The game will begin in less than 3 hours. Excited? I'm thrilled by the way. It is our best chance to show what we have and it couldn't come at better time. Barcelona is currently the best team in the world. I don't need to elaborate more on their capabilities. You can read that in other blogs, but not here.

I want to confirm with you again, we will be without Song, Walcott and of course Vermaelen. While Walcott's pace is hugely missed, we have Nasri & Arshavin who are more than enough to replace him. They both have no fiery pace Walcott possesses, but their dribbling in tight space will certainly add some spice in our attacking force.

It was reported yesterday through Arsenal.com that Persie was included in the squad and flown to barcelona together with his team mates. A jolly good news indeed. But we must keep our focus in the game. No matter who starts today, our mission will be the same: get the result and come home with a refreshed mind. We have another make or break match this weekend, so we must not get distracted and lose focus.

Persie inclusion will have to wait, at least 75 minutes before kick off; it is bound by UEFA rules. If he is in, it will be good for us but if he isn't fit, then we will have to make it anyway. Let's go Gunners!

Persie is in traveling squad

How should I treat this news?. I'm happy, of course. But will that change anything?. Some Gooners pointing out that his inclusion is a way of Wenger showing his doubts on Bendtner. I don't see it that way though. Persie has recovered way ahead of his scheduled match and the manager knowing his thin squad, decided to bring him along with other players.

Admit it, Persie has become integral part in our squad and having him in the team will be a huge boost to our chance winning the game. I don't know how far his fitness is concern but I will not risk him to play when we are bound to face another champions side few days after. Keep him on the bench and if situation requires us to use him, then we don't have a choice but to play him. In the mean time, let Bendtner and Chamakh do their business. We have Arshavin and Nasri fit for the game, Rosicky is here as well, so I don't see any point we rush him to this extent. I'm not saying we should not play him, but be cautious please. We need him to score goals in a match we have not played and won yet: the FA cup match at Old Trafford this weekend.

That's it for now. Keep you posted always. Cheers everyone...

Song is out of tune

Apparently Arsenal.com has confirmed Song will not be fit to travel and play for champions league against barca this Tuesday. Cesc though, is 90% and ready to be featured against his boyhood club. On the other hand Puyol, will not be in the game at all. He fails to recover from his injury and miss the 2nd leg the way he had missed the 1st one.

The news was a bad one, though it did not come as a surprise at all. Wenger had announced earlier that we may have to travel without Song who have succumbed to knee injury during Carling final. But we will have Wilshere and Cesc in the middle, so it is a big one for us.

The question is who will partner Jack in the middle. Will it be Denilson or Diaby?. Most of Gooners prefer the Frenchman over the Brazilian; simply because Denilson is thought to be an average player. Honestly, Diaby has been average since his comeback, so there is no point pushing and shoving Denilson without judging Diaby's performances as well.

Denilson might not be Gilberto but he is certainly not that bad. We will know more when Wenger is having his pre-match interview later on. I will post something if anything comes up. In the mean time I want to enjoy my dinner.

Line up pt. I

I'm guessing I will raise many eyebrows by doing it today. The game is not until Tuesday evening and anything can change during the time. But before going directly to our probable line up for champions league, let's see how are we doing right now. The mood is currently not good in the club. We failed to capitalize man utd slip up in mid week and only managed a draw on Saturday. The good news is, manure fell, yet again. And this time Liverpool crushed them with 3 goals to 1. The gap is getting bigger isn't it?. Chelsea gave them thump on their heads and won 2-1. Those who thought we were having pretty daunting task in winning it, suddenly burst into life again and cheered alongside delighted liverpudlian. I admit they helped us a lot but nothing is certain not until we play our premier league game next week.

I would much prefer for us to play our premier league match as soon as we possibly can, but we have our FA cup match in the weekend. Guess who will be our opponent? Yup, it's man utd indeed. I'm sure they can't wait to prove their worth in front of their own fans next weekend. No matter the result we will be getting in champions league, we are not going to let anyone come between us and FA cup title. Man utd are nursing deep wound from the beatings they received recently, so it is our best chance to embarrass them even further. Most important thing is, Nani is out with leg injury. It is our time to make it happen. They are respected in the football world, probably the 2nd best after barcelona, that is why cruising past them will be a huge boost for the team.

One thing that could pose a trouble for our FA glory: result of champions league in Nou Camp. If we lose, it can severely damage our confidence. It will crush our players' mental state to pit bottom level and I don't know whether they will be able to pick up another fight and win. So, it is important for them to be hundred percent focus on Tuesday in order for us to get through Nou Camp misery. Barcelona will come and attack us from the very first minute. We can win the game by not sitting at the back obviously. We must not leave our post and get invited to their half and be punched in counter; that would be dangerous. We need to wait them patiently and look for the chance to make way upfront. The key would be possession. We must control the ball intelligently and don't let them pick up our pieces. If we do that, God willing, we can dominate the game and fly out of barcelona with pride and glory.

It is not easy to dominate a game in Nou Camp, that I know. But we must show greatness and willingness to win the game or we will forever be 'barca wannabes'. If this is the moment, don't let us wait no more lads. Show the world what are you capable of.

Okay, it is time for my probable line up. Diaby is fit, so there is no chance for Wenger to bench him. Somehow, I have this tiny feeling of dislike toward the manager when it comes to Diaby, as if Diaby is indispensable. You can mock me all you want but when the game is on and Diaby is started, it's my turn to get it back at you. Sagna is now available after his suspension and will easily retain his place from Eboue. That leaves us midfield for open discussion. Song is not available due to his knee injury, that makes Deni as potential replacement, but my guts telling me Le Boss will go for Diaby and Wilshere in the deep side while playing Nasri in the left. If Cesc is fit, he will command his post as usual. If manager opt for Bendtner instead of Chamakh, we will most likely see Arshavin in the right side. As you see there are various options for us to play with but I'm sure Wenger wants every attacking options available to him.

We come as the winners, so in my opinion Wenger will choose Bendtner upfront and playing Arshavin & Nasri both in the wings. They will give us more width and space in the far side. With Walcott and Persie out that means we only have Chamakh and Rosicky as our offensive players available. It is why I think Wenger wants to reserve these two players when we are in dire moment. Ramsey will probably be in the squad but I don't think he will take part unless necessary.

So here it goes:

Wocj (GK)
Sagna (RB)
Kos (CB)
Dj (CB)
Clichy (LB)

Diaby (CM)
Wilshere (CM)
Cesc (CM)

Nasri (LW)
Ars (RW)
Bendtner (FW)

That is one of my scenario. If Wenger chooses to be more offensive, he will play Chamakh and reduced Arshavin to bench. But I don't think it's necessary. Arshavin was in good form against Sunderland, so it's unfair to snub and shove him to a bench role. From what I've been seeing, Arshavin is much better when he starts his engine since the beginning of the game. He has little effect when he is only given 15-20 minutes to play. Rosicky can replace him in the 2nd half if the situation requires. Diaby can also be sacrificed and be replaced by Chamakh; Rosicky can play at his position.

Whoever starts the game, I need them to be at their best. 1 goal aggregate is not enough to secure a win at Nou Camp. Be at your best then, lads!

Till then...
Sent using my BlackBerry device

Can we keep up?

Everyone in Arsenal world know the result of last night’s game. but many still do not know that Wilshere may travel to Nou Camp this Tuesday. he picked up a knock yesterday and earlier thought would miss out the crucial return leg but then considered fit. Cesc is reportedly to be ready for 2nd leg champions league clash while Puyol, barca captain is not going to feature.

I don’t consider this as a breakthrough or essential for us to be happy. however, playing without your most reliable CBs could be a threat too. Pique picked up a yellow and will not be available in the 2nd leg and now Puyol is down too. I don’t know their players but whoever replaces them would not be that bad. remember, this is barca we are facing. they have abundance of talent in the squad, so don’t expect a walk in the park.

We are still going to be without Persie, Walcott, Vermaelen and Song. our mission stays the same regardless our thin squad, so don’t be a cry baby. we are used to have crocked players sitting on the bench, what could be the difference this time around?. if facing barca makes you scared, then perhaps you should watch more golf or chess than football.

You can say I’m a overly positive bitch but I don’t care. anything can happen in football. Real Madrid got beaten by us few years back, and why can’t we do the same this year?. you may argue we had Henry, Ljunberg, Pires and others in our side and not one of our players capable of pulling the strings the way those players did, but I believe otherwise. we may have not showed our best seasons and are painfully trying to write away ‘6 years drought’ from our tagline, but it does not mean we are losers. we can, if we show it we can. in order to win matches, players must focus on task at hand and not to be bothered by media reports.

Anyway, we are currently trailing 3 points away from man utd and could have made it 1 if we had won our battle last night. however, it proves to most of football fans that nothing is certain not until we are playing our last match. there is still a chance for Arsenal to crawl back and snatch #1 spot. FA cup match against man utd next week could potentially harm manure’s confidence, should we beat them at their home. it’s a difficult task but we must get our heads up and win it.

It’s barca on Tue. it is now or never. all odds are against us I know. and even some Gooners think we are guaranteed the losing side, but please have a little faith in your heart that we may actually survive from the test and through to quarter final.

see you all then…

 

Done and Busted

it is half an hour after the game and I still cannot contain my disappointment over our bitter result. We said over and over on how important to seal the game with 3 points in order to close the gap to 1 point. Somehow, we always make things difficult for ourselves don't we?. Sunderland did wonders in first half but 2nd half was totally ours.

I'm not planning to give details on how the game was played because I'm simply not in the mood. There are 3 things to take note from today's game. They are: wrong offside call, wrong throw-in foul call, wrong decision on penalty. Key word is, wrong.

The ref is no doubt has no capability to go far with this kind of performance and it will be a surprise if Taylor ever gets a call for European matches. We have been robbed that's for sure but I WILL NOT blame it entirely to the ref. We looked sluggish in the first half despite few chances, we still didn't look convincing. We only get ourselves in the mood when Chamakh and Rosicky both replaced Denilson and Diaby respectively.

It's too late now to howl and cry. We have Barca coming up and we don't have time to sit and ponder what went wrong. The team has to pick themselves up again and show doubters they are wrong. And I hope this time I am right.

Till tomorrow..

Live as Ramsey makes it

It's not custom for me to miss Arsenal matches but pray for me I will be having so much fun sitting on my comfortable sofa while cheering my lovely Arsenal.

I have forgotten to put Ramsey's name in my previous post. His comeback will surely be greeted with thunderous applause from the home crowd. I'm excessively happy to see him again in home game. I wish he could make it against Stoke last week; it would be a blast. Nevertheless, he is here and we should make him feels like home.

One question though, will he be on the field tomorrow?. My guess is, he will but only as cameo. He has just returned and yet to play full fledged football, so I don't think Wenger would play him as a starter. Anyway, I'm happy he is back. He is an intelligent player and I think he will only get better.

Till tomorrow Gooners...