Cesc Promoted to Arsenal Captain.

I'm scared to be honest.

Not because Cesc is 21, not because I think that its too much responsibility for him, not because I think its the wrong choice. I'm scared because I think he will be successful.

Let me explain.

So far this season, we have heard Wenger defending his position on the lack of fresh meat being drafted into the ranks during the closed season; instead, he promoted a few "new" faces from the Academy squad up into the "First Team Squad". Ramsey, Randall and Wiltshere have made one or two appearances there and impressed. But as we are all aware, we have lost a lot of talent over the closed season and not replaced it "like for like". Our midfield and defensive gutlessness has been well publicised. My real concern now is the timing that this decision has come about. I'm frightened that Cesc's appointment will have the expected / desired effect - that being to galvanise an ailing side. To bring the team together, install a "warrior mentality" (if I may borrow a phrase from William "Mad Murdoch" Gallas). Because if this happens too well over the next 5 weeks, it will in all possibility bring Wenger out with the re-assertion of his belief that he did not need to spend in the summer and so he does not need to spend now at the forthcoming winter break.

That would be catastrophic.

We just do not have the size of squad to have those kind of thoughts. I'm not second guessing Wenger, I'm not claiming to be a better manager than him... BUT, Arsenal are (WARNING - unverified facts ahoy) the serially injury-proned team in the Premiership over the past 4 years; and to compound that fact the injuries we continually suffer throughout those seasons have all been key influential playmakers for our style at that part of the season. This
then results in a make-shift team being played, stuttering performances and a lack of confidence.

The Cesc Factor that were are about to experience could backfire on us in a terrible terrible way, so far as to make me think that if major signings are not made during the winter break we will struggle to make the UEFA cup next year.

The team will respond to Cesc's appointment. They will be buoyed. They will turn on the style. But that is no cure for the underlying problems we have with the squad. We do currently lack presence, persona, natural leadership and authority. We do. And when thing start to go well this winter that will be overlooked, then you can bet your arse that the arse will fall out of the team and our results towards the end of the season.

THAT scares me.

Dubaibury.com

Original post & more can be found here

Arsenal 4 - 4 Them Trust me, I really do not want to talk about this. I really don't. So writing this entry is not a smart move, even though technically I would be writing about it rather than talking about it. It's taken me around two days to finally do it so far. Long story short, we handed Them a draw instead of sealing a win for ourselves and taking all 3 points. A lot of reaction following that shower of shite, was about how we should have kept the ball and shut the end of the game down at the end. 4-2 up in 89th minute and then to coin a well thumbed phrase… the arse fell right out of it. Now. For me - a thing I have seen happen over the years, probably starting around 7 years back is that we would ALWAYS try and defend a one nil lead and nearly always to detrimental effect. It became a painfull thing to watch. There is a very good philosophy of always defend a two nil or 3 nil lead. Never a one nil. Why ? Because, while defending / holding on to the ball, you will more often than not spend a great deal of time in the centre of the pitch or in your own half. Should something happen (let's say, towards the end of a match for example…) and the opposition manage to score - then not only have the equalised from a losing position, their tails are now up and are then bouyed up to go and snatch a winner whilst you are arguing amongst yourselves at who was to blame for the goal, mpoments of disarray, disorganisation, confusion… yeah its possible they could just nip a winner in the final moments. So, that’s why I was glad to see that the Arse had finally developed the attitude of not turning off towards the end of a match. Always forward. With the intention of putting the opposition to the sword (not that we have ever executed that skill that well). So, on Wednesday night it was good to see that we smelt blood and constantly pushed forward. Let's be clear about this, the last two goals were not about us committing to much up front. They came from our defensive errors. At that point both Walcott and RVP had been substituted so eased off applying the pressure on Them. A single striker up front, with no feeds. Diaby on for RVP to shure up the midfield where we had been fairly ineffective for large periods of the match. We invited Them to come at us. And they did. For the mathematicians among us, it can be explained thus : Errors + slips x bad marking + (un soupçon of fuckwittedness x a lack of understanding of what the North London Derby is all about) = 2 goals in 5 mins = 4-4 draw = very fucking unhappy campers. Ahead of the Stoke match tomorrow, we hear that (strangely enough) Gallas is injured. Errrrmmmmm. I think Bollocks, is the word I was searching for there. UK newspaper air traffic control reported that there was a spot of turbulance in the Emirates home dressing room after that match and Gallas didn't fasten his seat belt when he was asked very nicely, several times to sit down and shut the fuck up by the otherwise meek and humble stewardess Miss Adebayor. Personally I would suggest that Gallas has stated injury to avoid being publically left out (i.e. dropped). He certainly didn't look like he had a hamstring injury to me as left the pitch mumbling something quite unsavoury in French about someones mother to his other schitzophrenic cranial neighbour "Good Gallas". Some would say that the injury would be a cover story for him being dropped, but considering that Arsene makes a Friday press conference before Saturdays games and does not unveil the team sheet until the morning of the match; this cannot be the case. Even in his most unpleasent of plastic cup bouncing induced moments, I don't see him being cajouled into finger pointing and announcing "Oi, yoo ya fucka's - yoor dropped, yoor dropped an yoor dropped n'all ya faahkin cunts". But then again, 4-4 against Them on our manor does rather smart a bit.

More like going, going, going... But some ropey news reported a few minutes ago - not confirmed or seen by any sources that I would trust... that Hleb deal has been agreed and he will fly to Barcelona tomorrow for a medical.

Take with heavy pinch of salt at this moment. I think it will happen - but not just yet.

I think the back tracking that made the news this week was honest actually, rather than the suedo “please like me comments” the papers would like to have it be.


Also Ray Parlour is set to retire due to injury. He has been training at Barnet but won't be offered a deal after struggling with a knee injury. This word gets banded about far too often for my liking, used out of context and because people don't have a wide enough vocablulary - but today I will jump on the band-wagon and use it too. LEGEND. I won't rehash and cut & paste other news reports about him that will circulate today you can read those yourselves. I will however, extend a massive thank you to a man who loved the club. 20 years he was at Arsenal. 20 YEARS. Joined at 12 and left at 32. Even after he left I'm sure he kept an eye on our scores (maybe even a couple of perms on the littlewoods pools too).


A number of our reserves have recently signed pro contracts - Midfielders Henri Lansbury and Jay Thomas, defenders Kyle Bartley and Thomas Cruise, and forwards Rhys Murphy and Sanchez Watt. Enter the first team squad.

So at this stage of the close season our first team (trying to find Squad details) looks like this :

1. Manuel Almunia 

2. Abou Diaby 

3. Bacary Sagna

4. Cesc Fabregas 

5. Kolo Toure 

6. Philippe Senderos

7. Tomas Rosicky 

9.  Eduardo 

10. William Gallas

11. Robin Van Persie

12. Carlos Vela 

13. Alexander Hleb 

14. Theo Walcott 

15.  Denilson 

16. Aaron Ramsey

17. Alexandre Song 

19.  Gilberto

20. Johan Djourou 

21. Lukasz Fabianski 

22. Gael Clichy

24. Vito Mannone 

25. Emmanuel Adebayor 

26. Nicklas Bendtner 

27. Emmanuel Eboue 

30. Armand Traore 

31. Justin Hoyte
Kerrea Gilbert - (Awaiting Shirt Number)

Mark Randall - (Awaiting Shirt Number)

Note - we have no number 8 or 18. Sound irrelevant ? Well - I was the man in favour of retiring the 8 shirt after Ian Wright Wright Wright left. Freddie was a grand player - but in the shadow of Ian's shirt... well.

All the other reports today were about Adebayor and just have the same opinions that I had yesterday, so I might just re title yesterdays blog and resubmit it !

Bis Später Gooners ! [ 9th July 2008 - more at www.dubaibury.com ]

As mentioned last week and reported on by us Arsenal Ladies are looking to start off the season with a depleted squad after losing three key players, two of them Lianne Sanderson and Anita Asante catching the tube over to Chelski reported on UEFA.com. Ackers is understandably cocked off by the situation.


I saw a very nice report on the Arsenal Ladies on Arsenal TV which followed them over to a game in Bristol. I don't know if many of you follow ladies football, but the whole pre-match trip and preparation was amazing for me. Dare I say it, but was pretty similar to League 2. But what I wasn't aware of is that those girls aren't on permanent contracts. All of them have day jobs.


The BBC reports today that Milan have coughed at our valuation of Adebayor. I would say it’s a shame the Italian economy is in free-fall (but the British one looks like it is heading for a burton too). We say tomato they say tomato (you were supposed to say those two words differently just then, ah, nevermind...). We say £36m and they spat coffee across the desk. I don't know how much they were expecting us to say, but I reckon they weren't expecting us to give him away.


Now if this story is true and accurate, it indicates a move in the Arsenal offices. We have had all sorts of "he said she said" from Adebayor and his shadow puppet agent over the last month or so. But this appears to show that someone has opened dialogue with the club and we have conversed back. Our valuation of the striker would be a combination of things [1. We don't want him to go, 2. If he does want to go - we won't force an unhappy player to stay so we will listen to offers but set a high opening gambit, 3. The current value of a 30 goal per season goal scorer in the Premiership]. Of course, Adebayor has only completed this goal tally once and the ability of a player to put ball across the line a 30 times a season depends to a large degree on service. A quick aside, Andy Cole at Newcastle. That boy couldn't miss. But the reason he was such a prolific goal scorer then was the fact that Keegan designed a team the could put the ball within 8 inches of Andy Coles’ foot at any given point in a game. Whilst not taking anything away from the fella - for a striker being in that situation in most of your games is heaven. What happened after that ? He went to ManUre and his tally and performance dropped. He had to work to get the ball and then to score. A completely different game all together. So, Adebayor at Milan ? It’s a slower game, the strategy is different and his work rate doesn't have to be 100%. He can now become one of those languid strikers that walk around the 3rd quarter of the pitch moaning and gesturlating like a mime-artiste in Covent Garden when the ball isn't played to within 5mm of their monogrammed bootlaces. With the attitude displayed in this close season. He should fit right in.

Bentley sell-on fee - according to Goal.com we are expecting a sell-on fee from Blackburn for Bentley. Apparently we have picked up around £3m for him already since his time there. Not a bad ploy. Bentley always had promise, but was the clubs' sell-on clause decision based purely on our assessment of his ability and knowing that if he ever got a regular 1st team break he wouldn't be far off England selection - or was there an element of knowing his mouth would land him in trouble with most potential employers and we could cash in twice when he falls out of favour ? Interesting aspect I hadn't thought of before until I read about a possible knock-on line placed in his "bill of sale" from Arsenal. *ponders*


On our “interest” Huntelaar ?

I dunno. Goal.com again report on this - but their report starts off saying the News of the World report today… Well… It's Tuesday today and that paper only comes out on a Sunday. Anyway, the basics of the story is Ajax don't want him to go, they haven't had any contact with Arsenal and the player fancies himself in a ManUre shirt. A load of smoke-up-arse cut & pasting to fill column inches.

Bis Später Gooners !

[ 8th July 2008 - More at www.dubaibury.com ]

First sign of tangible reportable news has surfaced this week or so, so I’ll round it up for ya.

Kroenke on the Board - On the business side of things recently we have a report in the Telegraph about PHW discussing the timing of offering Kroenke a directorship offer and a seat on the board at Ashburton.

Looking at the reality of the situation facing the board and how they have approached it - from an outsiders perspective, its more of a safe harbour than a strategic alliance. Kroenke knows it, expected it and is going to play it.

I have no ill feeling for Kroenke, but then I’ve never had a beer with him.

A Wiley old boy is Stan. He’s a rich fella too. He invests. Not to say that a take-over is not an investment. He has apparently ruled that out. But his shares and a friendly smile will be welcome on the board. Even to hear PHW talk of him taking a seat is a VAST sea-change from the amazing stiff upper lip - gout jowled comments of a while back “We don’t need his money and we don’t need his sort!”. There is a fanciful dream in the Ashburton boardroom. Honour above all. Well, that works well in Harry Potter books - but doesn’t quite cut the mustard at the pointy end of the football industry. Business is business. And business men need to do business to stay in business. Is Kroenke the lesser of two evils ? Certainly. Does appointing him to the board have advantages for us apart from having the bulk controlling share of Arsenal Holdings in-house ? Yes. His sporting empire in the states gives us a valuable foot hold in America as Footballs stock is starting to rise there. But he’s also a canny guy. His original involvement and agreement was to market our brand over there (the tie-up with the Rapids was more “fluff on the fluffer” on that deal). Now I was in the states a couple of months back, found a “Dickies” store and proceeded to look for the arsenal gear. Not a fucking sausage. Nothing. I actually think the only football shirts there were the LA Galaxy Beckham ones. Now this guy apparent dumped a few million on the counter in order to get a foot in the door with us via Dein under the guise of a marketing deal. After all that bruhaha - no Arsenal merchandise was accrued by that part of his business in America. A stand off perhaps ? Anyway - end of the day, he could limit the amount of ManUre shirts sold out there ! Other news... Arsenal Ladies departures - Anita Asante, Lianne Sanderson and Mary Phillip have all left the club. Needless to say, thats a fucking big slice of the team that can’t spell the word defeat. How that effects the team ? Good question, well presented. Will wait for word from Vick Akers (could be waiting a while, Ladies football gets next to no coverage - however, this story might attract some interest). News of the World punted a speculative bubble and squeak article on AW claiming we are a selling club. I’ve mentioned before that I feel we could start to be looked at as some sort of waiting room feeder club to other big clubs; but there is something agenda driven about this report and I reckon (cue black helicopters and the Conspiriacy Theory rabble rousers) its indirectly traceable back to a certain Rouge en Blanc set-up. The report throws some figures around - notable those from earlier this year when the Deloitte football report was published. The financial annual reporting from the clubs came out “after” that report I do believe that with some amateur mathematics you will find that changed the order around a bit. Arseblogger observantly points out that it has no direct quotes or references to any particular interview / conversation or actual verifiable origin. They have ben continually reporting we need a fat/rich bastard to step in and launder/inject some much needed/nice to have rubbles/cash into the club. Its very much in their interests to destablise the club both internally and externally. It really wouldn’t surprise be if certain cash injections were made into a certain Catalonian club, to lure Adebeyor out of Arsenal; just to add weight to this news story. If that happened, obviously AW cannot deny saying something he never said - and then the seeds of doubt are planted. You DO NOT get to finance, build, complete and move into a £400m stadium in the middle of London without having a fucking business plan. According to the thread of this story - it appears that some studious book-keeper working through the night by candle light SUDDENLY discovers that if were on a 17yr repayment mortgage from Bradford and Bingley our annual costs would be around £24m pa (so £2m a month) and sent Mr Wenger a memo saying if we flog our “best “ player (funnily enough - Barcelona were rumoured to have been preparing a £24m bid a few weeks ago...) we would be safe for another year. Long story short, to get financing like that you would have a detailed business plan showing projected company turnover, assets, ability to repay the debt etc. Don’t forget that the loan was refinanced only about a year ago. Rest assured, our long term financial future is sound. Then again - its in the papers so it MUST be true. Bis Später Gooners ! [ 7th July - more at www.dubaibury.com ]

As an Arsenal fan, a fan of the game and a fan of the game of the game, some of the off-pitch news "reports", if we can call them that; more resemble the ropey story-line from some shitty wrestling tv show. Its not as if the world of football off the pitch is boring and mundane that this crap has to be made up, just that it pretty much opitimises the way the more prolific and more observed aspects of journalism is nowadays. Who's linked with who, who said what to who then denies the media claims then commits long term future to his boyhood club THEN buys out contract under some "Winston Badger clause" and signs for Intergalactico FC for £2bn per week.

This shit really happens. You just can't make it up - and by looking at some of the stuff churned out; they obviously can't. My references are primarily directed to non-internet originated press organisations. But please feel free to apply them to any other medium as you see fit (but not to this one fella !).

Who are we linked with now you ask ?

19yr old Cypriot - Demetris Christofi and also Aaron Spear. Plymouth cheeky chappy young fella-me-lad. I can see where that tenuous link might come from. Arsenal have a player euthanasia policy slightly more lenient than Logans Run and have an aversion for buying big names (strangely, again like the producers of Logans Run. Funny that).

Having previously opened our wallets for Theo and now more recently Rambo from Cardiff; its only natural that we are linked with relatively unknown young kids. And mostly British kids at that too. Did you notice the carefully placed sound-bites seeded into press conferences last season that were aimed at deflecting the mocking talk of our lack of homegrown players ? Again the mainstream media as a whole doesn't pick up on the constant production line of British talent that flows through the ranks at Arsenal and in the Arsenal Academy. It’s a fair point to make that a blisteringly high percentage of that talent moves on elsewhere and is not guaranteed by some divine right, a place in the full squad. This comes down to a number of factors. Technical ability vs mental stability; attitude, physical strength, injury history and team compatibility.

The fact a boy has talent doesn't make him at Arsenal. If the kid can shut up, do as he's told - when he's told to and not think he's better than the collective whole or think that he's bigger than the club. If he can play in a team and make a team play, not look to the team to play to HIS strengths; If he can be patient and retain his self belief and confidence under adversity, then and only just then - He could be an Arsenal man.

I don't buy the popular opinion that there is the youth team, reserves, second string and the first team. My view is simple. If you are good enough to be given an Arsenal shirt, you're good enough to play for Arsenal.

You can see at some clubs (and in some of the kids we have too admittedly), that they get to the "squad" level if you will and ease off a little and tend not to extend their capabilities, understanding and their game… because they've "made it". The gap between other talented kids at their age playing park football and the one's lucky enough to have been selected by a club is markable. Suddenly the flash car, the clothes, the bling, the obligatory "Beckham-esque" tattoos on the inside of the forearms. They're in with the big boys now aren't they… that’s what "they" do isn't it. Despite the fact that off the pitch they act like champions league material but the are playing for Mansfield or Chester or the like. Some kids (and men too) are easily turned by the thousands of pounds they do and could potentially earn. Easy to say I know. Personally I think I'd change dramatically if someone started throwing £10k a week at me for football training 4 times week and sitting on a bench of a Saturday afternoon. I'm pretty sure you would too - despite what you say.

So its refreshing when we hear words of wisdom that far surpass their years from players like Cesc, Theo, Randall and now Rambo. They acknowledge they have a path to progress along. No God-given right to jump the queue. Heads screwed on right.

Older heads could take a leaf out of their books. Realise that when they step out on the pitch, its about being good enough for the shirt. Not, being as good as Bob Bobajob who's on 65 large a week, so that means if I'm as good as him I should be getting that too, if not I'll go elsewhere and get it. Lets leave the career aspect out of this article for a moment - that’s a story for another day. Players who start off only being concerned for themselves are not the kind of characters that make the game more appealing and influence the kids coming through.

Take a look at Anelka and Owen. Anelka was an unbelievable talent. Bought for £750k from PSG I think and after having his head stuffed with his brothers shitty cocks and turned by the promise of thousands of tapas laden virgins feeding him only the best Spanish wine in Madrid - sold for £23.5m where he did sh!t all. A small fish in a big pond. Now he's done something like 7 clubs and accrued transfer fees of about £70m, looking like a shadow of his former self chasing the paychecks. No longer Iconic. I can't see the Chelski store preparing a huge stock of Anelka printed home shirts for the start of the forthcoming campaign. Look at Lill' Micky Owen. Injuries have plagued the fella, but he's almost a dinosaur in terms of his attitude to the game and his loyalty to all of past and current employers. Which one of the two would you want your football mad boy or girl to grow up like ?

You've got to play for the chance to wear the shirt. The Benjamins will come; but they shouldn't come first.

[ 10th June 2008 - more at - www.dubaibury.com ]