Unspecial Talk

So, the Special One has poured scorn on both Arsene Wenger and the Gunners. Dismissing them as no-hopers and too feeble. Isn't it just cute the way he said the excuse of the team being young doesn't wash anymore?
Well, well, Mr Mourinho, no one gave the excuse about Arsenal players being too young in all the past five, trophyless seasons.Not the players themselves. Not Wenger. Not now. Not in the past. Not ever.
The point must be made that it was cynics, critics and mudslingers like Mourinho himself who have always bandied the "age" thing as the reason why the trophies have dried up.
If Mourinho paused a bit, and listened  more closely to Wenger, the Special One ought to have heard how Wenger had always declared his belief in his team. How he had stood by them through thick and thin. How he had said how confident he was in their ability to deliver trophies.
If the Special One stopped for once and listened to someone else for once - rather than revelling in his own vain vanity - he ought to have heard Wenger say all these years past that he had faith in the players he had.
Not everyone would, or can go the Mourinho-route. Not every manager has the luxury of splashing millions of a benefactor's money on some superstar player. Everywhere he has been; be it Chelsea or Inter, Mourinho has had the benefit of the services of ready-made, finished articles.
Not for him is the hard, thankless route of building, nurturing and nursing.
He hasn't got a patient bone in his body. 
His style has won him trophies and trophies in three leagues, as well as the Holy Grail of the Champions League - twice.
In that, he stands head, shoulders above most respected coaches. For someone so young, he is gifted and cocky enough to realise how good he is. Good on him.
Nonetheless, he ought to have the grace to acknowledge the work of fellow colleagues.
It is not just in winning and winning that greatness alone lies.
Greatnes lies in humility and mutual acknowledgement of others not as lucky as you.
It is also surely not in addressing oneself as Special One.

Arsenal 6 Blackpool 0…..ratings

Australians have a way of saying someone is hyperactive. They describe such a person as “full of beans”. Funny choice of words from a curious specie of people.

Last Saturday afternoon between 3pm and 4.20pm, Theo Walcott was overflowing with beans.

Aided, abetted and supported by his ten other teammates, the 21 year-old England World Cup reject was a Spitfire, a Stuka dive bomber and a B-52 all rolled-into one.

As the Gunners trampled allover Blackpool Saturday afternoon in the Emirates, Walcott led the show and announced his arrival. Finally?

Well, Walcott has been arriving since January 2006 when Wenger nicked him from Southampton; from under the tutelage of Harry Redknapp into the limelight and onto a surprise World Cup invite by Sven Goran Eriksson. He has since been the Golden Boy that never became a man. The perpetual kid.

Last Saturday, we all saw the immense talent that has long frustrated and impressed in fits these past four years.

Is it for real now?

Only time can tell of course, but apart from the three well-taken goals against Blackpool, Walcott did a lot of other good things in the 60minutes he was on the pitch that gives us all cause for hope.

He linked well with other frontmen Chamakh, Arshavin and even young Wilshere.

He made runs for ‘old man’ Rosicky, who found him a useful outlet to thread pin-point passes and through balls behind the Blackpool defence. No team ever puts on a perfect show in a game of football, but Saturday’s display was the closest you will ever see of 100% football.

And Walcott was at the nerve centre of it all. For someone famously described as lacking a “football brain”, Saturday’s display was a vintage response to bitter and often personal criticism.

Spare a thought for teamwork though . Walcott’s three goals notwithstanding, the side put in an outstanding shift for an afternoon’s job.

With match stats of 12 shots on goal as against Blackpool’s one; 88% completed passes; 55% possession and 64% of game time in their opponent’s territory, the team was near-faultless. Albeit against ten-men, you might say.

Bend it like Henry...Theo opening his account against Blackpool

Below are the ratings for the game.

*Almunia (5/10) - Didn’t have much to do apart from standing around picking up backpasses and stray balls. No fault of his though. The men in front of him did a great job of keeping Blackpool at bay.

*Sagna (7/10) - Flawless as usual and full of running. Always a joy to watch the way he bombs up and down the right flank. If he was English, he would give Glen Johnson a close run for the England right back shirt. Laid on a sweet carpetter for Abou Diaby’s goal.

* Clichy (6/10) - Did all that was required of him with little fuss. The supremely-confident Frenchman is so good on the left flank and so quick to spot danger. No wonder “Special One” Mourinho is sniffing around.

*Vermaelen (7/10) - Mr Organiser at the back. TV has ingrained himself so well and so comfortably as our No 1 defender that he is already a legend after just one season at the club. Dealt well with the pretty little that Blackpool could muster in form of an attack. Even found time to roam forward and unleash one of his howitzers in the second half.

* Song (7/10) - Did very well as TV’s sidekick in the middle of defence. Wenger likes plumping him there in a crisis and once more he didn’t disappoint. It is a measure of Wenger’s absolute faith in him that he was preferred to a fit Djourou.

* Diaby (6/10) - Continued from where he stopped against Liverpool by manning the DM position once more. Didn’t need to do anything spectacular to stop Blackpool, so he often got carried away with his dribbles and pirouettes. A decent shift before he got substituted.

* Wilshere (7/10) - Much better performance than the Liverpool game. He is truly a bundle of talent. His vision, confidence and composure for an 18year-old is just jaw-dropping. He almost got a goal for himself deep into the second half when he moonwalked through the Blackpool defence. Laid on the assist for Theo’s second strike.

*Rosicky (7/10) - He probably deserves better than a 7. Also another improved performer from the Liverpool game. Is the absence of Fabregas and Nasri the secret behind his performance? We may never know but I strongly suspect that Rosicky is at his best as a No 10. Did everything right at the heart of midfield with a mature and professional display.

* Walcott (9/10) - It is a rating that will be hard to match all-season long. He was everywhere on the pitch (almost). Ran the show upfront and also ran Blackpool’s leftback, Steve Crainey ragged. So on-fire was he that he even came inside and took up the centre forward position with relish – poaching two goals thenceforth.

He looked like someone playing with anger inside of him and for long stretches of the game, you had to rub your eyes not to confuse him with a certain Thierry Henry. Good job, Theo. Good job indeed.

*Arshavin (6/10) - Yet another improver from the Liverpool game, except that he is still sort of feeling his way into games. Laid on the sweet assist that Walcott sidefooted for the opener and took his penalty with professional calm. Also gifted Chamakh with an open goal in the second half. Did enough to preserve his reputation before being withdrawn.

* Chamakh (7/10) - The more you see of the Moroccan, the more you understand why Wenger waited a whole year to sign him. He is a selfless frontman and a tireless workhorse. You can see his heart is in his job. Drew the penalty from the unfortunate Ian Evatt and never stopped trying until he got his own goal with a determined header deep in the second half. A very good outlet for the team’s midfield work and surely, Niklas Bendtner should be a worried man now.

Subs

*Fabregas (5/10) - The skipper came on to stretch his legs after the job had literally been done. A comfy stroll in the park for him as he kicked off his seventh season with the Gunners. Will it be his last? Time as always, will tell.

* Van Persie (5/10) - Another stroll in the park for the Dutchman. He came on together with Fabregas and you could see he was hungry to get his share of the kill. Almost overdid it though when he went down clutching his thigh. It brought a slight worry to Wenger’s face at that point, but he eventually saw out the game comfortably without any damage.

*Vela (6/10) - For someone who was on for so short a time, he attracted attention with a commendable performance. Lobbed the entire Blackpool defence at a point but couldn’t connect properly with his weaker right foot. Looked hungry and angry as well.

The Gospel truth about Schwarzer to Arsenal?

Reading all the various versions of the story that Fulham have again rejected another offer from Arsenal for their Aussie goalie Mark Schwarzer, this morning, I came to one simple conclusion.



Wenger doesn’t want Schwarzer hard enough.


Quite unbelievable, isn’t it?


But that I’m sure, is the “gospel truth”.


I mean why would he come back three months after the first offer was turned down, with the same £2million price tag? In view of his penny-pinching reputation, this one just takes the biscuit.






Reading all the reactions and fallouts from this latest rejection by Fulham, you must feel for poor Mark.


He looked like he had burnt his bridges at the Cottage; refusing to lace boots (or gloves in this case) after handing in a transfer request in the belief that his path to Emirates was all but assured.


Now, apparently, it doesn’t look like Wenger wants him so badly. Or else what is a couple more millions to Le Professor, if he really, really wants to get his man?

Stewart Robson: At home both in surroundings and writings

Which all takes my mind back to comments I read a week back by ex-Gunner and ex-captain Stewart Robson about the whole goalkeeping conundrum.


Stewart is a dyed-in-the-wool Gunner having signed on at 16years of age and eventually went on to play between 1981 and 1986.


Last week, he categorically wrote that: "I don't see that Schwarzer, the player that everybody's talking about, is a better goalkeeper than Almunia," he told Sky Sports. "I think Almunia's a better goalkeeper than Schwarzer”.


Also on the Man City wantaway Given, he had this to say:


“Shay Given is a very good shot-stopper, but most of the criticism of Arsenal's goalkeepers is that they don't come for crosses or haven't been dominant in the air. Shay Given's not that goalkeeper. He's a very good goalkeeper, we all know that, but he's more of a shot-stopper than someone who's going to dominate his penalty area."


For someone who played the game long before the Sky transformed it into a glamourous, prima-donna infested Premier League, he ought to know what he’s saying. And I think he does.


More crucial is that I think Wenger is taking such comments seriously.


To get a better sense of what Stewart is saying, it is essential to know who the hell he is.


Stewart joined Arsenal as a 16year-old and debuted as the youngest player in the club’s history two years later. He played in the senior team from 1981 till 1986 when due to injuries, he was sold to London side, West Ham and later Coventry City. At all of these three clubs, he was named player of the year – which isn’t something to sniff at. Mention must be made as well that he captained England U-21s as well as Arsenal, when the likes of Tony Adams, Steve Bould were still in the reserves.


Currently, Stewart is a professional journalist who write football for notable publications such as the Sunday Telegraph and host of blogs. He is a regular face in the crowd at the Emirates and also runs coaching training workshops for various clubsides across England.


To be frank, I didn’t know about Stewart until some ten days ago. But the more I researched about him, his past and career, the more impressed I was. Not many ex-footballers would be able to combine writing and coaching with such effortless ease. Yes, so many take up media work and actually do well on the soap box. But that is the paparazzi part of journalism. The bread and butter bit.


Very few venture into writing, analysis and actually do well at it. Yes, Ian Wright, Alan Hansen have done well. Who else?


Now back to Stewart, Wenger and the goalkeeping merry-go-round.


It just strikes me that Wenger rates Almunia good enough not to think someone like Schwarzer can do any better. Which can only explain why he doesn’t believe the Aussie commands any cent above £2million.


The master of double-speak that he is, Wenger would never come out and condemn any of his players. He prefers to keep his opinions to himself, or behind locked, locker rooms.


Which also makes me want to go along with Stewart and give Almunia some benefit of the doubt. Yes, he has his hairy moments, but which goalkeeper doesn’t? Fans sometimes are a fickle lot. So soon, we all seem to have forgotten how Almunia stood between Manchester Utd and a goalfeast at Old Trafford in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal, April 2009. Even though all the good work eventually came undone in the second leg when Christiano Ronaldo led a 3-1 slaughter, Almunia got loads of deserved praise for the slim1-0 scoreline from the first leg.


Quite recently as well, we all seem to have forgotten how Almunia again stood between Barcelona and a basket of goals at Emirates in yet another Champions League showdown in March this year. That we cane back to tie the game 2-2 was due largely to Almunia’s heroic resistance in the first half.


Rather than keep hammering Manuel, Stewart identifies what he thinks is the real problem.


He opines: “Arsenal….need to improve a couple of defensive frailties that they've got. One is when balls get played over the top and they play too high an offside line - and the other is when they're defending set plays. That's where they've let goals in over the last three or four years and I see in pre-season that they're still doing those same things”.


Well said Stewart. Just that, where does it all leave poor Schwarzer now?

An alternative to Schwarzer...Wenger-style

On June 12 in Johannesburg during the just-ended World Cup finals, one of Africa's misguided hopefuls, Nigeria played the mighty Argentines led by 'father-and-son' alliance, Diego and Lionel.

I am not too sure if Arsene Wenger was at the Ellis Park stadium, venue of that game but I was dead certain he was in South Africa at the time.

After 90 minutes, the score stood at 1-0 to the Argentines. No surprise there.

The real surprise was that only one goal was recorded at the end of hostilities. Argentine paraded the unstoppable Messi, the hungry Tevez, the sleek Higuan and still had something left in the tank to roll out marauding Aguero as they pummelled the bemused Nigerians. Still for all their human weaponry, they only conjured one goal.

All eyes on you, son

The man responsible for that 'respectable defeat' was the Nigerian goalie, Vincent Enyeama, who faced up to all of the Argentine attackers and repelled them. Wave after wave of Argentine onslaught threatened to bury the Nigerians. Again and again, Vincent denied them.


Ironically, the lone Argentine goal that evaded him and found the net was a diving, kamikaze-type header from defender Gabriel Heinze.


I remember reading it somewhere that if Wenger was watching, Vincent was the answer to his goalkeeping problems at Arsenal. I remember nodding my head in agreement with that suggestion.


Almost two months on, with all the hoo-haa over flapping Almunia and his seriously-undewhelmed understudy, Fabianski; along with the clamour for either Schwarzer and Given, my view has not changed.


Not because Vincent is a Nigerian like me. Far from it.


Anyone who has cared to study Wenger closely in all his 16years at Arsenal, will notice that he hardly, hardly ever goes with popular opinion. With the whole-world-and-its-mother calling for the signing of either Schwarzer, or Given, or both, it won't surprise me one bit if Le Professor doesn't sign any of them.


He enjoys playing the media and ambushing everyone.


27 year-old Vincent, who plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel is the sort of rabbit that Mr Wenger would enjoy pulling out of the hat. He is brave; relatively unknown; steady; commands his area well; out of the limelight and yes, cheap.

Furthermore, since 2003 when he helped Nigerian side, Enyimba to the African Champions league title and successfully defended it a year later, Vincent has remained consistently in form. It is such ability to maintain his reflexes and agility year-in, year out that may prick the interest of Wenger.
Mr Wenger thrives on such surprise packages. He gets a huge thrill out of them. He delights in them cos they maintain the Wenger-mystique and forever keeps everyone guessing. And more importantly, in most cases, he gets them right.


So, it's a little over a week before the much-trumpeted transfer window slams shut.


Trust Le Professor to be sitting, waiting and rubbing his hands in devious anticipation.


Trust him to be watching the clock and waiting for some last-minute, penny-wise deal that he will be sure to strike.


A deal that brings a very handy, little-known goalie like Vincent to the Emirates won't be out of place at all.


He may or may not go for either Schwarzer of Given. But whatever he does, trust him to yet again catch us all on the backfoot.


Watch this space.

Liverpool v Arsenal ratings

Well what a game of two halves indeed!
The first half was so clearly Arsenal's with their good movements, passing, break-up play and all the nice little things that make them Arsenal.
The second half belonged marginally to the Kop especialy after they set the place alight with that early, early goal. It was just what they needed to retreat and park the bus in front of their goalmouth and see out the rest of the game.
Until Reina intervened and let the Gunners back in.
Talking of which however, despite all the focus on Reina, credit must go to Marouane Chamakh for his persistence and never-say-die-attitude that forced Reina into the mistake that brought the equaliser.

Below are my Arsenal ratings for the game.
* Almunia (6/10) - Did well to deal with all that came his way. Yes he flapped a couple of balls in the first half, but he redeemed himself with good saves from Glen Johnson and a Steven Gerrard howitzer in the second half.
* Sagna (6/10) - Dealt with all that came his way and linked up quite well with Eboue on the right.Same old tenacious Bacary
* Vermaelen (7/10) - My favourite Arsenal player anyday, anytime. Mr Confident as always. Picked up from he left last season and shackled Gerrard and Ngog (at least until the 46th minute). Fired a fierce freekick in the 3rd minute that Reina did well to push away
* Koscieny (7/10) - Top marks for the Polish-French new boy. Developed a good understanding with TV and dealt with everything that came his way. One particular incident in the 76th minute when he took on the fresh legs of Fernando Torres and still outpaced the Spaniard, stuck out as an epitome of what he is all about. Unlucky to be sent off.
* Clichy (6/10) - New season, same determined Gael. Didnt do much wrong and was his usual overlapping self. Got caught out a couple of times by the marauding Johnson but also saved our blushes in the first half by clearing off the line with Almunia beaten.
*Eboue (6/10) - Did well in the first half as most of our play went via the right flank. Troubled the Kop defence with his trickery, pace, change of direction and positive movement. Will have a big season, hopefully.
* Diaby (6/10) - Surprisingly played the DM role and didn't do badly at all. He used his physical presence alot but couldn't resist the temptation to roma forward which is his natural game.
* Nasri (7/10) - Played the Fabregas role very well. Very crafty and confident on the ball. Starved the Kop of possession in the first half but wilted as the game progressed in the second half. A promising season lies ahead of him as well. Looks much more matured.
* Wilshere (5/10) - A bit harsh on the teenage sensation but he wasn't fazed by the initmdating atmosphere of Anfield. Got into the mix of things and linked very well with Nasri and Diaby. He even showed his tough side by picking up a card in the first half. We'll see more of him surely as the season unfolds.
* Arshavin (5/10) - Mr Anonymous. I think Wenger left him on the pitch for 90 minutes cos of his outstanding record at Anfield. The Kop defence were aware of the record as well and stuck to him like a leech. Failed to impose himself at all.
* Chamkh (7/10) - Grafted very well despite the close attentions of Carrager, and Skrtel. A very good targetman and it is becoming obvious why Wenger waited a whole for him. He was worth the wait. Should be credited for forcing the mistake that led to the equaliser. It is a sign of a good striker that he didn't switch off despite the clock winding down. Good buy indeed.

Subs
* Walcott (7/10) - Did well in the short time he was on the pitch. Hassled the Kop defence with his pace and determination. Looked hungry.
* Rosicky (7/10) - Also did very well soon as he came on. He took over from Nasri soon as he stepped on the pitch and it was his cross that led to the equaliser. No wonder Chamakh smothered him with an almighty hug after the equaliser.
* Van Persie (6/10) - Also threw himself around. Kop's crowded area didn't afford him time and space to weave his magic but surely looked like another hungry one.
 

Seven Ominous Days

A hell of a lot happened in Gunnerworld in the past seven days. A hell of a lot that may have huge, huge impact on the season ahead.


Let’s try to see how.


Firstly, Cesc Fabregas. He appeared before very anxious fans to lead the rest of the players out on Members’ Day at the Emirates. Smiling, relaxed and free as a spirit. Twenty-four hours later, he committed himself to remaining at Arsenal; laying to rest all the season-long rumours, antics, remarks and underhand tactics from Barcelona. Not for him any denial or play on our collective intelligence.


He came out like a man and confessed that going back to Barca was quite tempting and he was tempted; but he is choosing to stay and lead the team with the responsibility entrusted on him by so many. Wise words indeed.


Two days later, Arsenal rounded up their pre-season with a game against Legia in Warsaw. It was supposedly part of the deal that brought Lukasz Fabianski from there. Almost naturally, Lukasz started the game in goal. And almost naturally still, he flapped his way to a disastrous three-goal deficit by half-time. The look on Wenger’s face as the cameras zoomed in while the goals rained in probably said it all – Lukasz won’t make it here. Not now. Not in the future. Probably not ever. Though Arsenal eventually overpowered the Poles 6-5, the No 1 thought on the minds of all Gunners watching was a message to Wenger; Buy a goalie – fast!


Later that evening, Jack and Kieran earned their first call-ups to the England national side. And how they have earned it! Nice one guys. Keep the Arsenal flag flying.


On Tuesday afternoon, August 10, Ulsterman Martin O’Neill threw in the towel and walked out on Aston Villa, just four days to the start of the Premier League. Despite finishing sixth and running both Tottenham and Man City close for the Champions League fourth spot, O’Neill deemed Aston Villa not ambitious enough to match his own lofty heights.


Arsenal haven’t beaten Villa at Villa Park since 2007 when a Flamini scorcher helped us to a 2-1 win. Since then, O’Neill has splurged his American benefactor’s cash to break into the top four and earn himself some much-needed respect. He even hung onto Arsenal’s coattails for so long in season 2008-2009 before we finally shook them off and nicked fourth place.

Oh no, not another horror show!!

Now the Americans are tightening the purse strings and O’Neill can’t handle it. From all indications, Villa’s season is imploding before the first ball has been kicked. One less thing for Wenger to worry about, it seems.

Wednesday night, England beat Hungary 2-1 in their first game since the World Cup debacle. All the Arsenal lads did well and acquitted themselves respectably. All the Arsenal lads, including consistently-inconsistent Theo Walcott. When was the last time Arsenal had three players on the pitch in an England game? You’ll have to go back more than ten years when late Bobby Robson was manager of England.

So, what a week it has been! A mixed bag surely, but there seemed to have been more cause for cheers than fears innit for all Gunners.

Hope springs ahead of the new season. Just as long as Wenger learnt the lessons of Warsaw and ships Lukasz out on loan somewhere. In a week where 18year-olds Kieran and Jack announced their arrivals on the international scene with relish, 22 year-old Lukasz rubber-stamped his mediocrity.

It’s a new season please Mr Wenger. Surely we can’t start with our hearts in our mouths yet again. We can’t afford the calamity that Lukasz has become, this season.

Emmanuel IV

I watched last Saturday’s Emirates Cup game against AC Milan in the smoky, noisy confines of a pub in Yeoville - a predominantly- migrant suburb in the heart of Johannesburg.



A teetotaler and a nonsmoker that I am, it must be very odd the sort of company I keep. Truth be told however, I wasn’t meeting anyone there. The demands of my multiple commitments which involve driving around the city on weekends forced me to dive into the nearest place that offered cable tv in order to catch a glimpse of the latest version of the Gunners - class of 2010.


Repeatedly, as the game progressed, many of my co-onlookers kept on referring to a Gunner player donning the No 35 shirt as Eboue. Of course, they were all wrong. Mercifully however, their misjudgement wasn’t a case of befuddled eyesight on account of one too many bottles. Their mistake was in the confusion caused by the similarity in size, style and skill levels of the player in No 35.


The game had long stretched in to the second half before someone in the audience pointed out that Eboue himself was actually on the pitch donning his usual No 27 shirt. So who was this person in No 35?




 The game was almost over before the smarter ones amongst them managed to decipher the name, Frimpong, at the back of the No 35 shirt.


A mystery he may have been to bewildered Gunner faithful in faraway South Africa, but to better-informed, or better-opportuned Gunner faithfuls elsewhere, he is the latest revelation from Arsene Wenger’s production line of rough diamonds.


Emmanuel Frimpong has barged his way into our consciousness. And very impresssively too. Just 18, the Ghanaianborn British boy is finally the answer to all those calls for an understudy to Alexander Song. Just as Alex himself defied everyone to cement his place at the heart of the Arsenal midfield two seasons ago, Frimpong is treading the same path to glory.


At the conclusion of the Emirates Cup, Wenger made a rather surprising declaration that Frimpong along with his midfield co conductor, the inimitable Jack Wilshire had both changed his transfer plans. That could only mean one thing if you are familiar with Wengerspeak. No new players were being considered by the manager for the midfield. Not after what he had seen all through the pre season of Wilshire and Frimpong.


Wilshire we all knew all along as a prodigy. A gifted ball player who with time might even supplant the highly regarded Cesc Fabregas. He was always destined for great things. A modern day Michel Platini, Liam Brady, Jean Tigana all rolled into one.


But Emmanuel Frimpong? Where on earth did he spring from? Oh what a player? What a bundle of energy? What a walking six pack of muscle and tenacity?


Quite easily, he could have been cut from the same cloth as Chelsea’s midfield enforcer and fellow countryman, Michael Essien. In appearance, discipline, style of play, composure you couldn’t tell them apart. Except of course, Essien wasn’t this good at 18. 18 for Christ’s sake!


As the game progressed last Saturday against AC Milan and Frimpong kept breaking up play and winning individual battles against the venerated, three-time Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf and ex-Gunner Mathieu Flamini, the cameras also kept zooming in on the face of Alex Song, sidelined by injury and sitting up in the stands.


It could only mean one thing. That the lad down on pitch had emerged to challenge the supremo in the stands.


Yet again, another star is born. Yet again, another Emmanuel, the fourth player to answer to that most-popular-of-Arsenal-player-names, will be delighting all Gunner hearts this season.


Long live Emmanuel IV.

Who art thou, No 35?