The Unsung Gerv

Arsenal continued their climb up the table with a win against the Stoky Stoke.And that feeling of relief seeing no one was injured at the end was unmatched.Last year,we just nicked off the points with a header by our beloved Seb.We won it,yes,but no without losing two of our in-form players at that time.Cesc and Walcott were injured,I remember?

So  it was good that ALL Arsenal players were unscathed at the end of the 90 minutes.It wasn’t easy.Hard fought.Yes,but without some magic upfront,we’d never have won it.Gervinho and RvP is what I’m referring to.When they came together,it was totally different.Gervinho was good for the entire match but with Chamakh as his partner,most of what he created was wasted.And while I’m at Chamakh,he’s really turned into a bad bad player.I’ve supported the bloke for a long time but the fact that he doesn’t even face the goal most of the times really pisses if you’re a fan of the team in Red and White.And NOOOO!!!,Stoke have the same combo…But a Stoke fan probably wouldn’t be reading this.Or as it is,maybe not be reading at all.

Coming to the “One-man team” claims,I completely disagree.How can a team like the Arsenal,with their slow passing football be dependent on one player.How?Just cause Robin scores most of our goals lately doesn’t mean others are just standing puppets.A certain Gervinho scored one and assisted two.And to give credit where it’s due,he’s nothing short of brilliant since his arrival in the summer.The close control and quick feet he possesses is the best in the team.And whenever the ball’s at his feet,my excitement level goes up and I greedily except a goal-scoring opportunity.Every single time.

Arsenal support bigger than your forehead,Gerv!

Of course van Persie’s world-class and if we look at our current strikers,he’s miles away from the rest.That might be worrying looking at his injury record.An injury to him would probably be the worst that an Arsenal fan could think as of now.So yeah,he’s our best player.Yes,he carries the team forward.And yes,he’s inspirational.But he’s only ONE of the Arsenal players.And if the other 10 don’t play well,he’d be helpless.

I’d like to mention some other players too.Ramsey’s chip was unforgettable.Reminded me of someone present last year in the team.And Kozzer was a beast as usual.I regard him as one of the best defenders.Agree or don’t,I don’t care.His consistency and the effort he puts in never fails to surprise me.

I guess that’s it from me.Hope you read this and liked.Also,tomorrow’s Diwali,the Festival of Lights,so make sure you try to light up your neighborhood.

Till then…

We Are The Wiser,Smarter Man City

The transfer window closed at 4:30 in the morning here.I know many of you would’ve still been awake and looked at the on-rushing wheeling dealing.Sadly,I had to wake at 6 and hence sleeping early was the only option.Before putting the lights off,the last thing I read was the Arteta deal being called off.Obviously I was worried and looking at our current midfielders(before him and Benayoun’s transfer),there was no reason to think otherwise.According to my memory,Aaron Ramsey,aged 20, has played 90 minutes of the 5 matches we’ve played this season.Without a single break.A step too far for me.And it certainly showed in the last match which I wouldn’t want to mention(I still will!).

So the first thing I did on waking up at 6 was of course check the deadline deals.And to be honest,I had it in my mind that Arsene had left it too late.Again.The first thing I read was Anton Ferdinand’s transfer to QPR.A day which started with such a bad name couldn’t possibly get better.Thankfully,it did.

And then came Arteta.10m pounds.Bloody brilliant.*Let’s get ready now* Oh wait….. Yossi Benayoun was also in Arsenal stores.I hardly cared about that loan thing.For me,he’s a player as good as Tomas Rosicky.Not any better,not any worse.

And I knew no other thing could cheer me up as this.Simply could not.

Oh and did I forget to talk about the transfers we made before I slept.There was this big giant centre-back we all were craving for.No offence but he’d crumble any player who’d not give his 100% on the pitch.At least he can!

Personally(just to remind that this blog is mine!) I prefer Koscielny over him.You may call it my secret admiration for him or simply because he’s technically more astound.Either way it’s a win for me.Oh and I again forgot to mention the giant’s name…Per Mertesacker it is!

With Vermaelan, it’s called “Verminasacker”.Not by me.Someone more creative!

Dos Santos as a left-back was also signed yesterday.I don’t know anything about him and hence wouldn’t pass any judgments.Though i know he’s got some Brazil caps under his belt.Something which one of our regulars Denilson Pereira Neves never could.And he never will.Nor will his children.

Another thing was that the net spend on the recent 5 transfers was just a bit less than 50m.And then came all Torres jokes.I’m sick of them and no longer find them funny.If you do,Twitter’s the place for ya.Just that I don’t recommend so.

Last is the Korean captain Park.Again,no knowledge on my part.Hope he’s better than Bendtner who’s shipped himself to Sunderland on a year-long loan.Him claiming to be the best striker is just an oxymoron.Obviously.

If you might(just might) be wondering why I haven’t written lately,it’s mostly because of some team losing 8-2 somewhere.Not that I care.

I wouldn’t like to talk about it and nor should I.Would just like to quote P.B.Shelley from one of him poetry I read “If Winter is here,can Spring be far behind?” And I HOPE the spring has already arrived.Or maybe it will against Swansea.

Here’s hoping…

When It Rains,It Pours

Not writing for 2-3 weeks.Promising to write.And then failing.This blog looks to be heading down the drain.And I’ll be the only one reading that (D)rain-drenched blog,I guess.Finally I’m writing and the fact that I can read it means the next hour or so won’t be a complete waste.

On towards some serious matters.The start of the season hasn’t been much better than last one’s end.Players getting injured left,right and center.Arsenal not being decisive enough at either ends of the pitch.And the fans booing.That certainly doesn’t help the cause.

Losing your best player after such a long saga never helps and that is bound to show over the course of the season.Not saying that Ramsey isn’t ready to fill in but admit it,he’s no Fabregas.His work-rate and engine might be better but Cesc’s vision is only his.No one can match that.

It’s been 3 matches and we’ve scored one tiny little goal against Udinese.That’s it! We are yet to open our Premier League account.Going forward looks the major problem to me at this moment.Suspensions and injuries might be the reason.Gervinho’s looked seriously threatening EVERY time the ball has touched his gifted feet.And the end product will be visible in the upcoming days when he settles in with the team and its style.All in all,he’s looking our best attacking player.Better than RvP who hasn’t got the support from other players which he deserves.Walcott,you might wanna consider this!

The defence looks extremely solid with Koscielny and Vermaelan.Absolutely world-class.But as soon as Kozzer went off injured,it was there for everyone to see.No quality backups.Djourou is decent enough but I honestly don’t rate him.And regular readers will know of the extent of my love for Sebastian Squillaci.

Arsene,Your Legacy Might As Well Be At Stake

Next up is the suspensions.1 I like,3 i don’t.All of Frimpong,Song and Gervinho suspended.The ones I don’t like.Arsene suspended,I prefer.Lately,all he does is throw some unlucky water bottles here and there and cry when Ramsey puts it in his own net.And bring on Bendtner when we need a striker.A real one at that.

I’m not the only one who knows new players are needed.Both quality and quantity-wise.But to sign someone like Mertesacker or Dann doesn’t help either case.First of all,seriously talented players such as the likes of Hazard,Cahill,Jagielka or even Zarate are quite difficult to sign considering Arsenal’s strict wage structure.Second,what are the guarantees that the player signed will adapt well and help us mount a serious title-challenge.

One thing I’d like to see is to give the young AOC and Miyaichi a chance.I mean it’s the start of the season.And you try all new combinations and players NOW.Arsene,any reasonable explanation why you already haven’t?

And with that I sign off.There’s this little poll I’d like you to vote on.Your opinions will be hugely welcomed.They’re coming after such a long time you know!

Is This The Time To Criticize?

….Arsenal are preparing themselves for Leeds United next weekend. Though the chances of winning or for that matter drawing are pretty low,a rusty draw could be on the cards.And with Arsenal’s best player Denilson starting,things are looking a bit less cloudy.Tottenham Hotspurs(or should I say “THE SPURS”) have just won the Community Shield(having won the League last year) and Liverpool look to have bought some real gems…..

While this might seem a bit exaggerated, the truth is that’s how most Arsenal fans feel right now.Shit players,Shit performances,Shit manager and a Shit club pursuing our Shittiest player.To be honest,that’s a a Shit fan’s opinion of Arsenal.The very fact that we haven’t  had a substantially good Pre-season doesn’t mean we are a bad team.To get facts straight,I think Man United lost to some team recently.And the score.8-2.

Neither does that make them a bad team(well,there are other reasons for that!) nor does our not winning the Emirates Cup.Absolutely not.

I agree we have lost some players due to injury(again) but most of them don’t look too serious to be concerned about.And with the possibility of them missing the upcoming friendlies, it might as well turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

As I write, the Community Shield(Don’t worry,Spuds aren’t in it) is going on.And United losing it 1-0.They might well come back and win it.And they might not.*And the noisy neighbors(not ours!) are 2 goals up now*……*And United have equalized now*

The point is,Arsenal will really be tested at Newcastle for the first time this season.Every result before that means nothing.Not a paisa(or cent should I say ).The opening fixtures aren’t easy at all.And fans calling for Arsene’s heads doesn’t improve the situation.

And I also have a different and unpopular opinion on the ongoing Arsenal transfers.Particularly the transfers-Out part. We were on the brink of losing Fabregas and Nasri.The fact- We haven’t.Plain and simple.True we haven’t bought many but those bought look good.Real Good.And it honestly looks like it hasn’t ended.The least we can expect is a traditional Centre-half adjusted to the PL.Can’t help it but that reminds me of poor Squillaci.

The surprise in this pre-season has been the great performances of our otherwise-average players.Rosicky seems to have found his Mozzart-esque touch back and Arshavin looks up and running for the season.The talent was always there but wasn’t showcased enough by these players.Hopefully, it changes this year.Apart from the senior heads, the younger ones are also looking good.Ramsey has probably been the most consistent player this pre-season, Frimpong,though not great, has been decent.Gibbs,Afobe and co also seem to have upped their games.And that’s not for the future,but the present.The 2011-12 season.

Call me naive,or call me optimistic, depends on you.But I do have this great feeling about the upcoming season and I just hope Arsenal have learnt from mistakes in the past and all of their miseries in the past.I HOPE.

*On a good note,one of this Blog’s posts: Reasons To Be Cheerful  just won an Arsenal Season Review DVD 2010-11 courtesy of JustArsenal.com*

Up the Arsenal!

The preseason training is is full swing and Arsenal again look like a very strong proposition to deal with the coming season.The intricate passing,quick movement off the ball and perfect finishing(Ok sometimes!).And when the opposition needs help, we are ALWAYS there to score the best ever own goal.Jenkinson, who’s had an almost perfect start to his Arsenal career quickly learnt how to arse things up.But then again, even that was done is style.We, the Arsenal, always do it that way.

Perhaps the 2-1 result was of very less importance and all that mattered was that the players had a good outing and improved their fitness levels.But I’m quite sure if we’d lost or even drawn it, the press would have quickly pounced upon our weaknesses and highlighted the “Spend some Fucking Money” campaign.They’d have called for Arsene’s head to be chopped off and Arsenal to buy a certain Barton for 40m pounds. In the end, it was a 2-1 win against FC Cologne and except for that Henderson’s injury and CJ’s own goal, everything went according to plan.

Gervinho opened his scoring account with a beautifully lobbed shot from outside the box which surely would have reduced his anxiety.Every striker wants to get off the mark and the longer he fails, the more frustrated he gets.There were some mentions on Twitter regarding Torres’ scoring record with Chelsea when Gervinho got his 2nd with the best one being from @Ebou_Ebou :

Random stat: Fernando Torres: 18 apps for Chelsea, 1 goal. Gervinho: 16 mins for Arsenal, 2 goals.

For me, Gervinho looks a very decent player but one that should be given his time to adapt to the PL.No matter how good you are, it always takes some time.Playing against Cologne in a friendly is no match for a Stoke determined to fight for every single ball(you know their players haven’t got any!). So I’m sure Gervinho will be a huge hit at Arsenal but if it does take some time, I, for once, will gladly wait.

Talking about new players, I don’t know whether Miyaichi will get his work-permit or not but if he does, there’s no reason as to why we shouldn’t see him on a weekly basis.He’s still young and has a lot to learn but his energy might prove very handy in our title assault next year.

And now we move on to Carl.What a buy! To be very honest, I thought for a 1m pounds player, he’d at most be average.He’s proved to be everything but.Very solid at the back and also going forward, and anyways you wouldn’t expect an average player to lob one from 20 yards into his own net.Don’t believe me?Try doing that yourself.But jokes apart,the guy looks destined to have a legendary Arsenal career.

Last year, we lost Frimpong and Ramsey to serious injuries and this year, we might just have yet another one.Henderson’s injury doesn’t look very good to me or either Arsene so all we can do is hope for the best.Talking about the midfield, I was wondering whom will we play as a DM during the Jan-Feb period when both Song and Frimpong ship themselves off to Africa for the African Cup of Nation.Two years ago, we THANKFULLY had Denilson but now even he’s gone.We are so screwed without him, let me tell you.

That’s it from me.Hoping to write more in the upcoming days but no guarantees.

Till then.