With Bayern Munich signing the best player of their title rivals Borrusia Dortmund by triggering the release clause of Mario Gotze, Borrusia have been robbed of their top talent which would’ve given them a fighting chance against a team which is the best team in the world at the moment and certainly for the next few years. The Bundesliga will turn into a joke unless Borrusia Dortmund do something  because they are the only team that can challenge Bayern at this stage. And the current bunch of players might be easily overpowered by the Bavarians who, under Pep Guardiola, will look to win it all next season. With Mario Gotze gone and Robert Lewandowski seeming to follow suit, with Mats Hummel’s future not secure and Real Madrid unlikely to give away Nuri Sahin for a permanent transfer, the Jurgen Klopp led side look set for a transition period, albeit with a big transfer fund. While Jurgen Klopp knows how to find the next gem within the youth setup, Dortmund could slip further in the Bundesliga hierarchy unless he makes good use of the money. But first, Dortmund must set their transfer priorities:

1. Critically needed

Two strikers – One in the mould of Robert Lewandowski and a decent backup for the first choice striker

A creative playmaker – A replacement for Mario Gotze

A center-back – A replacement for Mats Hummels

2.  Important

A defensive midfielder –  They will need a solid defensive minded player along side Gundogan to keep the midfield shape

A goalkeeper –  Roman Weidenfeller is getting older (into his thirties) and they need a good backup

More squad players – The Bayern Munich players can play any game with any player from Emre Can to Daniel Van Buyten and still win games 4-0 and 6-1. Klopp will need similar levels of depth to actually have a fighting chance against Bayern Munich.

Now let’s go ahead and answer the problems ailing Borrusia Dortmund’s title challenge.

Striker

Who they can buy – Edin Dzeko, Stefan Keissling, Mario Gomez, Alessandro Matri

Edin Dzeko has been linked with Dortmund for sometime and a move seems likely for less than 20 million euros. Although Mario Gomez’s agent has said he would like to leave, he is not exactly inclined towards a move to a rival and the fee could be extremely high. If Dortmund can have Gomez for somewhere in the region of 25 million, they should take it, because he’s worth it. He is a big physical presence and a star name that can boost their profile as one of the better teams in Europe.

Stefan Keissling would make a good backup as he can score goals and is in his prime. If he can combine with Marco Reus the way he does with Andre Schurlle at Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund can weaken their closest competition while adding depth to the squad.

Juventus have too many strikers for a 3-5-2 formation and will have to shed away some of the strikers. Nicolas Anelka is not the answer for Klopp, Nicklaus Bendtner is too inconsistent, and Sebastain Govinco and Fernando Llorente are set to stay for the next season. So, Fabio Quagrilella and Matri could be good options for a backup striker as Julian Schieber is not up to the mark.

Playmaker

Who they can buy – Adam Maher, Julian Draxler, Hueng- Min Son

With Mario Gotze gone, they will require a similar player to him, to inspire creativity in the side. And although Adam Maher is linked with Manchester City, he could be a good option for the men in yellow. He has had rave reviews for his performances in the Eredivise and a move to a bigger club reckons.

Dortmund, however, have the option to do a Bayern by bringing Draxler to the Signal Iduna Park. He is rated as highly as Gotze and is available on the cheap compared to Gotze. He could inspire a renaissance in the club’s fortunes and the setup will do just fine without Gotze.

Dubbed as the next ‘Shinji Kagawa’, Hueng-Min Son has been doing just fine at Hamburg. A move to Borrusia Dortmund beckons, although he looks like the kind of player who desires a move to the Premier League, not unlike Kagawa.

Center-back

Who they can buy – Andre Hoffman, Matthias Ginter, Christopher Samba, Bruno Martins Indie, Tomas Kalas

There might be better options on the market as a replacement for Mats Hummels, should he leave, but Christopher Samba is the best defender available for the cheapest price. Soon to be relegated, Queens Park Rangers will have to get rid of Samba to recoup funds but his salary, which is reported to be 100,000 euros a week. will be a stumbling block. Also, he’s not that great as a ball-playing center-back.

Indie has been capped quite a few times for the Netherlands team and is a great option. As for Hoffman, despite just joining Hannover, a run at the starting lineup for a top German club might induce him to leave Hannover, just after six months of arrival. Ginter has been highly rated by scouts, both as a defender and midfielder, and Dortmund should make a play for him. Kalas might just join Chelsea due to the fact that he faces a situation where he has no future at Chelsea, much like quite a few players.

Goalkeeper

Who they can buy – Marc-Andre Ten Stegen, Thiabut Courtois

The only issue is that they are international goalkeepers at Germany and Belgium respectively. This will be a stumbling issue as they would not want to be on the bench. Manchester United‘s Andres Lindegaard, Arsenal‘s Lukas Fabianski, QPR’s Julio Cesar and Wigan’s Ali Al Habsi are more realistic options, although it is best for Klopp to search through the youth setup for this one.

Defensive midfielder

Who they can buy – Victor Wanyama, Etienne Capoue, Lars Bender

Victor Wanyama’s memorable performance in the game against Barcelona has won him many admirers. But he won’t come on the cheap, as coach Neil Lennon is desperate to keep a prized asset for their campaign. However, an offer of 12 million should do the trick.

Etienne Capoue has been a consistent performer for Toulouse in the French league for a long time and a big time move seems imminent. With no big team showing concrete interest , they could swoop  in for this player.

The Bender brothers could reunite once again as they did at 1860 Munchen, and form a solid partnership in midfield that could stand the test of time. All they need to do is to prise him away from Leverkusen.

Squad depth

Who they could buy – Sebastain Jung, Nuri Sahin, Patrick Hermann, Kevin Vollan, Kevin De Bruyne, Antonio Greizmman, Luc Castagnios, John Guidetti

Sebastain Jung is a right-back who is causing waves in Bundesliga with his performance for Frankfurt. It is because of his contributions at right-back that Eintracht  Frankfurt’s hopes for a spot in European competitions are still alive. He is a Philip Lahm in the making.

Dortmund have said that they are in a dominant position to win back Nuri Sahin from Real Madrid at the end of the 18-month loan period in 2014. And with the funds from Gotze’s sale, he might be back come August 2014.

Patrick Hermann and Kevin Vollan are two good German offensive players who can play across the four offensive positions in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Both of them are in good touch for Monchengladbach and Hoffenhiem respectively, and are set for a good future.

De Bruyne seems to have less hope of staying at Stamford Bridge despite his talent and it seems a club like Dortmund can provide good service to his talents. Greizmman has been one of the finds of the season in the Spanish La Liga for Real Sociedad and the French winger can use Dortmund as a way to move into the French national setup.

Luc Castiagnos would love to prove critics wrong that his bad time at Inter Milan could be repeated elsewhere and a move to Dortmund would be a winning situation for him. And John Guidetti surely will be on the move as his goal-scoring exploits in the Dutch league wasn’t enough to win him a place among the likes of Aguero and Tevez at Manchester City. So, this move will not be as disastrous as his stay at City.

So, this concludes a long list of players that fits in with Dortmund’s policy of finding the next gem in the footballing world. Of course, they might opt to use the funds for strengthening the youth setup, much like Athletic Bilbao, but then again, they are the only team in Germany that can end a reign from Bayern Munich which might go on forever. So they might use few of these players to make their squad stronger.  But certainly, they need to avoid being the Arsenal of the Bundesliga.

Sir Alex Ferguson would have been livid at the way his team surrendered their title last season by dropping eight points in three games and the way Manchester City won on the day at the Etihad Stadium. Truth be told, however, United lost the title on goal difference and not dropping points outright. So, Ferguson knew that if he adjusted his squad right and hopde that Manchester City do not add more class to their ranks, he would have an edge over the noisy neighbours. The signings of Shinji Kagawa, Nick Powell and Alexander Buttner did that.

But that wouldn’t be enough. Now, Kagawa provided the creativity in midfield that was pretty much non-existent earlier. But where would you fit him? He is a creative midfielder who thrives best when not having a defensive job. So, obviously, the center of the park wouldn’t suit him. But the center-forward position wouldn’t fit him too because he is neither a physical threat nor a goal machine. So, he would have to play on the wings, where his class wouldn’t show. Therefore, he may not have the same impact on United as he did at Borrusia Dortmund. So, Ferguson looked to add a new threat, who would be a major force in front of goal, and get him the goals they would need. Who would fit the bill?

At the same time, a 29-year old striker by the name of Robin van Persie decided that enough was enough on his career at Arsenal, despite the fact that they had strengthened the squad with Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud. So, Juventus and Manchester City joined the race for him. Juventus were never in the game really, because their bids were too low and van Persie didn’t want to move to Italy. Manchester City were big favorites to edge over United. But, Ferguson stepped in and convinced Arsene Wenger to let him go and let him move to Man United. And that was pretty much what they needed.

Dimitar Berbatov was free to move to Fulham and the season has swung in Van Persie’s and United’s favor. He continued his streak of scoring goals, and at one stage, was carrying United towards the title single-handedly, just like the way he salvaged Arsenal’s Champions League hopes the previous season.

By the time his goals had dried up in the second half, similarly as previous season, both Arsenal of the previous season and this season’s Manchester United didn’t need his goals anymore; it was just his presence and the belief that they could achieve their aspirations that had replaced the need for goals from him. This is the hallmark of a world class player. It is just his presence that can lift the players and fans hopes, much like Lionel Messi for Barcelona when he arrived in the second half against PSG.

This, coupled by Manchester City’s poor performance in the transfer window and start of the season, was what extended the lead for the new champions. They should have completed the Van Persie transfer and added players like Alexis Sanchez, Gareth Bale and Arjen Robben to provide more width, and a good center-back and center-midfield such as Xabi Alonso and Bastian Schweinsteiger, although Nastasic has done a decent job at center-back.

Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise if Van Persie is awarded the PFA player of the year once again, although the Suarez bite on Ivanovic has handed that award on a platter to him. He has shaped the course of the season with his performances. He could have won the title with Arsenal and its midfield providing him goals. He could have extended Manchester City’s advantage over United in the title race. But instead, he chose to move to Manchester United and won the first of three trophies he has to win (the other being the Capital One Cup and the Champions League). For this, Sir Alex Ferguson deserves credit for the transfer of the season (Michu’s signing notwithstanding).

While the team is far from perfect, a good defensive midfielder, a new center-back, and a world class winger should do it for United. The dreams of a treble aka 1999 might not be a dream after all!

Arsenal are a very strange proposition. They promise so much, yet fail to deliver. They have shown they can beat the best on their day, yet fall prey to some mediocre opposition (with due respect to them). In general, humans are a very adaptable species, for that is the law of nature. Why else would we have hair on our body? To keep our body warm even in cold times. But Arsenal, ever since the disbanding of the Invincibles, have set upon a passing philosophy, although the personnel have changed frequently. Arsene Wenger may be the best Arsenal manager of all time, but he is far from the finished product that he can be. So, he should learn from the following managers to adapt his philosophy as a manager and bring the trophies home.

The winning mentality of Sir Alex Ferguson

We have to admit, it was the bitter disappointment of losing out to Manchester City that spurred Ferguson on to dominatd this season’s Barclays Premier League. Over the last 25 years, what he has done is, kept his target intact – to win the championship. This simple fact is the reason that Manchester United have always been perennial contenders for the last two decades. Even with his records at United, Ferguson would have been long gone as manager if he had a eight year trophy drought.

At times, you might have felt that Arsene Wenger, despite talking about his ambitions for the title, has downgraded his expectations to a Top-4 finish, even labeling it as a trophy. But at Manchester United, it is a given, and for good reason. They didn’t have 650 million fans worldwide for finishing in the top four. They strive for success season after season and Sir Alex Ferguson always is the architect of the success. He hasn’t hesitated to do anything as long as it brought him success (take Robin van Persie as an example). Arsene Wenger should be gone by now, but his past is destroying Arsenal’s future. If we need to avoid going the Liverpool way, we need success instantly. Fights between pro-Wenger and anti-Wenger fans at a stadium do not make sense if a manager doesn’t believe in his abilities to bring his squad up to speed. Here, Ferguson’s mentality comes in handy.

The tactical flexibility of Jose Mourinho

The 4-3-3 formation deployed by Arsene Wenger over the last few years has had its fair share of critics. Yes, it supports the passing game, but certain teams have found the winning formula to decode the passing game. So, what if you can’t get the ball past the bus? You are, by default, supposed to have a Plan B, right? Well, for Arsene Wenger, Plan B simply doesn’t exist in his dictionary. Sometimes, he doesn’t realise that even the best team adapts just to get the better result. I don’t think Barcelona passed their way into AC Milan’s net; they made a slew of tactical adjustments by playing Lionel Messi behind David Villa and getting Dani Alves and Pedro to support out wide. Arsene Wenger, sometimes, show this tendency of fear of change. This quality is not shown by Jose Mourinho.

He is not afraid of changes. More often than not you see Pepe in midfield, Ronaldo in the center, playing Morata and Callejon against Barcelona, shifting from domination of games to playing pure counter-attack football, this is all in a season’s work for him. Real Madrid cannot afford to lose this manager because all Jose Mourinho teams have been hard to defeat and for good reason. This is because you cannot have pre-planned strategy against his teams or he will call the bluff. He is controversial, but he is effective.

Wenger, for some reason, hasn’t shown such tactical or player-wise changes. He has only one philosophy and all players play where they are meant to be, unless in very rare circumstances. What makes Mourinho so great is that at one end, we have Arsene Wenger, with little tactical flexibility, to Roberto Mancini, who makes changes at such a rate that not even his players know it is coming. So, it will be a tight-rope walk for Wenger, but if he pulls it off, well, you know.

The spending ability of the David Moyes or Michael Laudrup and Pep Guardiola

Managers have proven from time to time that they do not listen to the tabloids but rather their own scouts. David Moyes and Michael Laudrup are testimony to this statement.

For example: Michu of Swansea, Christian Benteke of Aston Villa, Alex Buttner of Manchester United, Raphael Varane of Real Madrid and our very own Nacho Monreal prove that the managers don’t buy players that are linked to them the longest. It is about the ability of the player and if you have that, welcome aboard. This knack is present in Moyes and Laudrup.

But what about Guardiola? Is it because of the youth system? Of course not; then Barcelona would have floundered like Arsenal because they need to accompany it with some superstars. To have superstars, you need to splash the cash. And he has done that fearlessly. Dani Alves, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa, Alexis Sanchez, Javier Maschreano, Alex Song and Jordi Alba weren’t acquired at the price of Michu. But they transformed Barcelona into a legendary team in the process. Arsenal’s glory years were kick-started by the signing of Dennis Bergkamp for a costly 7.5 milion pounds in 1995. Two decades on, he is the cult hero of the Emirates faithful. Then again there are the Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s, Alexandre Hleb’s and so on. But it is upto Arsene to master this art for he is the man in the hot seat.

So, if Arsene Wenger implements these abilities into their game, no doubt Arsenal and Arsene Wenger will prosper in the years to come. Let’s hope Arsene Wenger can roll back the years for Arsenal. Cheers!

As we are in the middle of the international break, there will be breathing space for managers across England to rethink their strategies to achieve their goals. For Arsene Wenger though, he might have found the winning formula already.

Two 2-0 wins away to Bayern Munich and Swansea City isn’t what Arsenal fans would have expected, even by their high standards. And how the defence stood up to the challenge was simply extraordinary. Maybe Wenger took a cue from Barcelona who decided to change tactics against AC Milan to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League. He has realised, even the best teams aren’t the most stubborn.

If Barcelona played the way they did at the San Siro, they wouldn’t have done it. But by playing Messi in the No.10 position and playing David Villa in the centre-forward position and by using more width in their game than usual, Barcelona made it to the next stage. They clearly learnt from the Chelsea debacle where they remained unchanged in their tactics and paid the price dearly.
Clearly, Arsene Wenger has learnt from them and decided to shuffle the cards at Arsenal to keep themselves afresh. Dropping Wojciech Szczesny and captain Thomas Vermaelen against Bayern isn’t always a good choice but Lukas Fabianski and Laurent Koscielny made sure Wenger’s choice was vindicated by their performances which condemned Bayern to their first loss in 24 matches as well as their first home loss since the 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in October.

Arsenal, in their game against Swansea, kept their midfield duo of Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby deeper than usual in the first half. This was to ensure that Michu would be strangled between the midfield and defence. Although there was a lot of space in midfield and Swansea kept lot of possession, their performance in the final third was poor to say the least. Angel Rangel and Michu fired wide as Lukas Fabianski wasn’t given any work to do that day.

In the second half, Arsenal maintained their lead in the second-half Premier League by involving the holding midfielders more forward. Abou Diaby, despite being a superb dribbler, I personally close my eyes as he tries unsuccessfully to get any decent end product and I was relieved to see him subbed off for Aaron Ramsey (with due respect to Diaby, he gets into the best positions and destroys the good situation with his pass/shot).

Just when a creative run by Santi Cazorla was about to be ruined by Olivier Giroud, stepped up the delicious Nacho Monreal. He finally got it past Arsenal targets Ashley Williams and Michel Vorm, who till then were having a great audition in front of the professor. The second goal was assisted and scored by two players you wouldn’t expect to be among the numbers. Aaron Ramsey fed off Gervinho first time and he delivered a calm, cool finish past Michel Vorm for the win. The win also brought relief to Arsenal, who now, with Tottenham ‘s 1-0 loss to Fulham, lie 4 points behind Tottenham, but with a game in hand.

We now face Reading at the Emirates in a series of relatively easy set of fixtures, with only Manchester United and Everton at the Emirates of note. Combined with the fact that Chelsea and Tottenham have FA Cup and Europa League games respectively, and Manchester City in turmoil at the moment, 2nd position suddenly doesn’t seem such a tough task as it might have been a few weeks ago. At least we could attract more supporters, saying “Hey! At least we tried!” with our rank. In all seriousness, Arsenal must be above Tottenham at any cost by the end of the season, so we can have St. Totteringham’s day: Chapter 17 as part of our seasonal celebrations.

What Arsene Wenger has realised is that his starting line-up is fearless, in the sense that players now aren’t scared of losing their place in the starting line-up because they don’t have any serious competition, or that’s what they earlier thought. Szczesny and Vermaelen were shown the door first, and now it could be anybody. So, what Arsene has to realise now is that this team doesn’t have the same class as the team of years gone by. He has to force them to play at their best through sustained pressure and this shows in the transfer targets.

I think to enforce quality, we need (some suggestions):

1. A goalkeeper – Victor Valdes of Barcelona.
2. A right-back to replace Sagna – Micah Richards of Manchester City.
3. A new centre-back – Ashley Williams of Swansea City.
4. A defensive midfielder – Victor Wanyama of Celtic.
5. A playmaker – Isco of Malaga.
6. A striker – Stefan Jovetic of Fiorentina.

This will transform Arsenal into a title-challenging team. Although your preferences will be different, you can always make your views known in the comments section. Let’s have a toast to Arsenal finishing in the top-4 again, more importantly, at the expense of Tottenham. Cheers!

United going strong, while City are going down, and Everton in the Champions League?

It’s clear that Manchester United have taken their last minute loss of the league to their cross-town rivals very hard. At the start of the season, they bolstered their offense with the likes of Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa to add the variety to their attack. Since then, United have been scoring goals in threes and fours, with Robin Van Persie leading the top-scorers chart ahead of Luis Suarez. The only problem with United is their defense. Even if you score 4 goals, conceding 3 goals would do no good to your goal difference; something that United have been doing all season. And even when you can rely on RvP to get a few more goals, their defense can cost games, and I am surprised Sir Alex Ferguson has done nothing in this regard.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 20: Robin van Persie of Manchester United looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at White Hart Lane on January 20, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, for Manchester City, the losses of Eden Hazard and RvP might have proved fatal. Yes, they won the Premier League, but that doesn’t give you the license to sign the likes of Scott Sinclair and Maicon, who are downgrades to what Manchester City have at the moment. In fact, with Roberto Mancini getting out of Europe once again and his baffling tactics, along with his inability to manage the Mario Balotelli situation, means not only the manager’s job is at stake, but the entire Arabian era of Manchester City threatens to fall apart.

Rafa Benitez has blown hot and cold at Chelsea since Roberto Di Matteo’s departure, and it remains to be seen whether he can take Chelsea to third place. Tottenham and Everton have solid squads, but do they have the spark that takes them to Europe’s top competition? And as for Arsenal, can Arsene Wenger discover that radical changes in tactics are the need of the hour and do the necessary?

Bayern looking ahead to next season, Dortmund not out and is there a third power in Germany?

Bayern Munich have already taken steps to become the next Barcelona. How? By signing the man who took Barcelona to the top: Josep Guardiola. At the moment though, they are the example of a perfect club. A seemingly perfect set-up, atleast for the Bundesliga, having held the iron grip on the proceedings, they now look to go on a long run in Europe, starting against Arsenal. Mario Mandzukic and Javi Martinez have been hits for FC Hollywood and Jupp Heynkes.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Jurgen Klopp (R) applauds Dortmund fans after Borussia Dortmund drew 2-2 against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund

To be fair to Borussia Dortmund, they did take steps to go for their third consecutive title under the ever-reliable Jurgen Klopp by signing former Dortmund hitman Marco Reus. But they also lost Shinji Kagawa and it seems they have something missing in their set-up which sees them trailing Bayern by 12 points. It remains to be seen whether they can make a comeback. Mind you though, they have genuine quality, having beaten Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Can Bayer Leverkusen hold onto the Champions League places or is it the season of Eintracht Frankfurt? Can Schalke restore their status among Germany’s finest? Find out at the season end.

Juventus going strong, Napoli cannot afford to lose stars and the demise of the Milan clubs

Juventus are the only top Europe team to be leading a table while having been previous champions. Their squad is the best in Italy by a long margin, and their focus seems to be on Europe, with a slightly tricky fixture against Celtic on their radar. Sebastian Giovinco seems to be the best among a group of signings which were from rivals like Udinese, as they seem to have a lead which no team could overtake.

TURIN, ITALY – JANUARY 22: Paul Pogba (L) of Juventus FC is challenged by Stefano Mauri of S.S. Lazio during the TIM cup match between Juventus FC and S.S. Lazio at Juventus Arena on January 22, 2013 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Napoli and Lazio may be 5 points behind Juventus, but their objectives at the end of the season would be to overtake each other. Napoli, in particular, wouldn’t want to lose out on Edinson Cavani, with Arsenal being the latest team to express an interest in him. So that would be another of Napoli’s objectives.

I, on the behalf of the footballing world, would like to express condolences at the demise of the Milan clubs. The teams are stacked with mediocre talent that won’t take them anywhere in Italy or Europe, and reduces Serie A’s value with the loss of Ibrahimovic and Sneijder. This gives the likes of Fiorentina a chance to establish themselves a place among Italy’s best.

Barcelona assured of La Liga, the Madrids playing catch up and Real Betis instead of Valencia?

There is no doubt that last season’s losses to Real Madrid hurt Barcelona. Along with Tito Vilanova’s appointment as manager and the arrival of Jordi Alba and Alex Song , Barcelona were on mission redemption and it has bore fruit. Even with the recent 3-2 reversal against Real Sociedad, Barcelona have been at their all-time best performances, and it has to do with Lionel Messi and his 91 goals in the 2012 calendar year. They must be thinking of the Champions League fixture against AC Milan now that they are 15 points ahead of principal rivals Real Madrid.

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN – JANUARY 19: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona shows his dejection after the La Liga match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Anoeta stadium on January 19, 2013 in San Sebastian, Spain. Real Sociedad won 3-2. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Radamel Falcao-led Atletico Madrid have also had a great start, but it’s just not been enough to beat Barcelona’s record. They must think of their future though, with debts piling up and the urge to sell their assets to make up for that. I believe they are a one-season wonder with Chelsea swooping for Falcao and their financial crunch.

Jose Mourinho seems almost certain to be sacked by Real Madrid after his controversial tactics involving the poor form of 35 million-man Luka Modric, the dropping of Iker Casillas along with their unjustifiable performances in the season. Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation hasn’t been resolved, and add to that a tough Champions League fixture against Manchester United next month, it looks like Real’s season is cracking up.

Real Betis and Malaga have been refreshing surprises this season, but can they hold on to Benat and Isco respectively? Can Valencia push out to their maximum in the second half to make a comeback? The footballing world just can’t be predicted. Make sure you watch out for these teams in the next few weeks.

How? Let’s see. There is a certain Theo Walcott, who has been playing for the club since the tender age of 16 down the right wing and now is suddenly stalling on contract talks over his position in the Arsenal setup. This move comes in the aftermath of Robin Van Persie‘s departure and Olivier Giroud not stepping up to the plate. You may say that Arsene Wenger has a credible track-record of changing wingers into forwards: think Thierry Henry and Robin Van Persie and consider Gervinho’s move to the central role. But atleast they showed some potential to play that role: the same potential that differentiates Cristiano Ronaldo, who scores lot of goals from out wide, from a true winger like Jesus Navas. But Theo Walcott has never showed that he can play like Ronaldo i.e Ronaldo starts out on the left wing but cuts inside between the full-back and the center-back. For a person who has been described as one-dimensional  - he has pace but no trickery – how do you expect Theo to beat the combinations of Terry-Cole, Vidic-Evra or even Jagielka-Baines? That was evident in the first FA Cup tie between Swansea and Arsenal, where he tried to cut inside with little reward. I don’t mean to say that he has zero ability and his 14 goals were a fluke, but these are some of his weak points. He is just not showing his full range, week in week out.

Another issue is he cannot play as a true center forward. Olivier Giroud and Maraoune Chamakh offered more in that aspect. Both have an eye for goal, hold up the ball and be part of plays. Theo, meanwhile, doesn’t have that same skill-sets as they do. So, another alternative has been discussed above. That is, play him out wide, but let him cut inside to the centre. But not only is his dribbling an issue, the role of Bacary Sagna and Carl Jenkinson becomes more of an issue. Although the winger and the full-back are there to provide width, with Walcott out wide, the full-back has to provide width. So they have to be present both in attack and defense, a role which is tiring. And considering Carl Jenkinson hasn’t been up to expectations in offense, that would be like a gaping hole in the right side of the Arsenal play.

Also the fact that Arsenal have been renowned for selling stars to rivals and bigger teams has played a huge role in this aspect. After reading this and after seeing his performances over the few weeks, do you think Theo is worth the 15 million Arsenal are spending for him? Is he the real star when we compare him with RvP or even Nasri? Certainly not. But he is liked by the local population because he is an exception in a team that relies on foriegn recruits than local talent. He is inconsistent, slightly on the over-rated side, one-dimensional but he stays on the team because he is British. If he was an foreigner, he would’ve been gone long back.

Now, Arsene Wenger has realised that he has to satisfy the fans and media first, before anything else. For they are the ones who decide whether the team is doing well or not. I think that Arshavin and Chamakh are out of the team picture because the fans want them out, else Wenger would have integrated them more. Same goes with Theo. He had to keep him, to make a statement that they aren’t a selling club or the media vultures would pounce on him. On another day, let’s say the Invincibles days, he would have had to leave and another player would’ve replaced him. But we are far from those days. Walcott knew he’d have to sign with them anyway because he needs Arsenal more than we need him. Because, let’s face it, where would he go? The Manchester sides are loaded with talent and he wouldn’t get a chance to play there, not even as a full-back. Chelsea is a more realistic option but he’d have to play on the wings, with Torres around. Liverpool is a down-grade from Arsenal and barring Tottenham, no other team would pay Walcott’s wages and fee. So he decided that considering the situation, he could wreck havoc for the Gunners. I believed, to be honest, he had nowhere to go and decided to make an insane demand i.e to play where he wants. That is stupid of a player and he should be given the axe rather than give him the chance. But considering the situation at the Emirates, which was grim, Wenger had to re-sign him or Arsenal would plunge into crisis once more. So is he worth it? On a normal day, no. But considering the circumstances and the state of the club, he is worth it.

In the recent FA Cup tie between the Gunners and Swansea City, we saw the two sides of Arsenal. During the first half, they were calm in their passing but it was sort of boring. The defence wasn’t threatened until Michu came on and scored a goal, which shook the Arsenal setup.

Then we saw the other side of Arsenal, the desperate team which actually upped the ante and started playing the football we wanted them to play. Coupled with Swansea’s inability to defend, they made a string of passes that put them in the lead. But then, they let Swansea get back into the game. There were bad mistakes that the team made during the game and that explains to us how they have performed below expectations this year too.

1. Playing the offside trap is just not working out for Arsenal

To play the offside trap, you require two really quick center-backs, who can make up ground in case the offside trap fails. But barring Thomas Vermaelen, no other center-back has the capability to perform such a task.

In this image, what I have tried to represent is Kyle Bartley’s ball to Danny Graham in the first half. Mertesacker and Koscielny play the offside trap, thinking Graham won’t be able to get onside. But he does get onside and now, they are left to make up acres of space. This is a tricky situation once you put yourself against fast players like Michu which led to the goal.

These players are suited for the cover type of defense.

Here, I am trying to represent how a cover defense prevents counter-attacks. Here, a long ball reaches the second striker (Danny Graham). In that case, Mertesacker should be the first to attack the ball. Koscielny sits back in case no one wins the first ball and Koscielny can clear on the first bounce. Now, you may think the main striker (Michu) is unmarked and will get past both defenders. That is where Arteta plays a pivotal role. He is supposed to protect Koscielny by marking Michu so he can’t get to the ball if no one wins the first duel. This is better suited for Arsenal’s defenders but doesn’t suit the playing style of Arsenal.

2. Offensive problems – Arsenal are missing two players

People may think Fabregas was replaced by Cazorla when he was signed from Malaga earlier in the season. Robin Van Persie was replaced long before by Olivier Giroud, or so we thought. The fact is they are the irreplaceable type of players, like Vieira and Henry. Arsenal’s offensive capabilities have been affected when teams have marked Santi Cazorla. There is a significant difference in the style of play of both players. While Fabregas didn’t have to fear when he was closed down by opposition, the whole of Arsenal trembles when Cazorla is closed down. For while Fabregas’ job is to unlock the defense, Cazorla requires a lot of space to make an impact in the game. Both of them are playmakers, but Fabregas made plays from the center of the park, and Cazorla from the wings. So Fabregas isn’t as quick and a dribbler as Cazorla, he only needs to make a through-ball to…Robin Van Persie.

While we may try to deny it, the fact is we are missing a player of his quality. Olivier Giroud, as in the previous case, plays a different style of football from Van Persie. While RvP can make things happen with his feet, Giroud’s strength lies in his head. Unfortunately, with the wingers feeding him ground passes, we don’t expect Giroud to reach his full potential. Arsene Wenger keeps on saying Arsenal have good players and I won’t disagree with him. But what is wrong with Arsenal?

3. Good players, the wrong style of play

What am I suggesting here? A style which has brought plaudits from everyone in the footballing world should not ideally be questioned. But hear me out. Per Mertesacker is good in the air and Koscielny is a good tackler. But the offside trap is too much for them. Cazorla’s and Fabregas’ style contrast isn’t fit for the former. Our style of play doesn’t fulfil the wishes of Giroud. And so many fans would wish Arsenal would move on from the out-dated style of football Arsenal play. The wrong personnel for the wrong position and a very in-flexible and predictable style and formation. Why can’t Arsene Wenger experiment with another style, make his formations flexible and try new things? You may say, Arsene is stubborn and will stick to his ways. But then again, if he created a style of play that benefited two special players, why can’t he do it again?

2012 was a strange year for Arsenal. It wasn’t the year anyone would have expected. Robin Van Persie led Arsenal’s charge for third place, reversing a 13-point deficit on Tottenham before leaving for Manchester United. The 5-2 victory against Spurs would stand out as the best moment of the year, despite the Reading madness and the Newcastle goal blitz. Alex Song also departed for Barcelona soon after Van Persie, but Arsene Wenger had done his homework by bringing in Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla. Coupled with the return of Jack Wilshere and the retaining of Theo Walcott despite his unwillingness to sign the contract, people thought Arsenal had enough to retain their place in the Champions League.

But inconsistent displays from Arsenal, along with the emergence of Tottenham, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, have put pressure on Wenger to make additions to the squad in January, as well as the signing of Theo Walcott. Walcott has stalled contract talks because of his desire to take on the striker’s role despite Olivier Giroud’s presence. And he hasn’t failed. In the four games since he started in the center-forward position, he has scored as many goals, including a hat-trick against Newcastle. Arsenal have been inconsistent, from scoring goals in sixes and sevens to showing a lack of cutting edge against Swansea. Keeping in mind, these are realistic targets for Arsenal for the coming year.

1. Sign Theo Walcott onto a new contract

Theo Walcott has done more than enough to prove his worth. Now, with half an year to go for Walcott’s contract to expire, Arsene must do what is needed. He needs to make a statement to the rest of the league that he won’t bog down to player pressure, and that he can sign stars to contracts.

2. Improve the overall quality of the squad

A title-challenging squad has good players everywhere, even on the bench. Wenger must get rid of all deadwood that cannot help Arsenal’s cause such as Squillaci, Chamakh and Arshavin, and replace them with good players that can win trophies for Arsenal. Enough with the rumors, sign the stars already!

3. Aim for fourth place

With both Manchesters set to fight it out for the title, with Chelsea in the mix, all Arsenal can hope is that they can stave off competition from the likes of Tottenham and Everton for that elusive Champions League spot. This will set-up Arsenal well for the next two seasons, which will determine whether the Gunners will remain a force to be reckoned with.

4. Beat Bayern Munich

The first knock-out round of the Champions League sees the Gunners face off against arguably one of the dark horses for the tournament. Bayern may be invincible in Germany, but their European journey hasn’t been too perfect. With superstars like Frank Ribery and Mario Gomez, Arsenal will have an uphill task ahead, and face the prospect of being knocked out from the Champions League in the first knock-out round for the third year running. If Arsenal win at home in the first leg, and try and hold on to the lead in Germany, they can go on for a long run in the Champions League, and if everything goes well, Arsenal can reach the semi finals.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 29: Lukas Podolski of Arsenal runs with the ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium on December 29, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

 5. Target the FA Cup

Arsenal face a road trip to Swansea for their third round FA Cup tie. The old cup has seen many twists and turns during its long history. All the Gunners need to do is go for a streak of wins, and suddenly they are in the semi-final. If the draw is favourable to Arsenal, they can reach the finals, where at the end of the day, they must keep their nerves, whether its Manchester United or Birmingham City.

6. Keep a fit squad through out the season

The last thing you need is your star to be ruled out for the rest of the season. Well, not at this time, where squad rotations and a string of wins are needed. Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Podolski and Abou Diaby are ones to watch out for as far as the medical staff are concerned.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 29: Jack Wilshere of Arsenal looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium on December 29, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

7. Go after the title in 2013/14

The next season could be potentially Arsene Wenger’s last season at Arsenal. Remember, his contract expires in 2014, and after 16 years of service, Arsenal will need to find a suitable manager. No one will be able to match what he has done for Arsenal, and to honour that, Arsenal players must go all out in the next season and fight it out for all 4 trophies. And I wish all fans show the same respect towards Arsene Wenger as he’s done things Arsenal wouldn’t have thought of.

So these are the realistic targets for the New Year. Let’s hope Arsenal can accomplish all these targets and this will determine Arsenal’s future at the top. Cheers!

One of Arsenal‘s craziest months ever just ended. And the seemingly innocent fixtures made Arsenal work harder than they would have liked. Bad results happened, good fixtures took place and the ugliest fixture turned out to be an historic one! So, let’s rewind to the first week of October, where we took on the Greek Gods and landed a blow to their qualification hopes. On paper, a 3-1 win seems a dominating one, but there were times Arsenal could have lost it. Then during the weekend, West Ham were cooked perfectly by Le Chef Wenger and co. There was a time during the game when the ham wouldn’t let Wenger cook it up, but he added the extra spice (Walcott) and the West Ham challenge was another 3-1 success for Arsenal.

The international break came once again, but there was no break for the Gunners as they had to work harder for their respective nations. This was reflected in the 1-0 loss to Norwich City. Arsenal’s players lacked sharpness and never threatened the Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy. It could be also argued that there were too many Arsenal first-teamers injured, including goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny and Lukas Fabianski. And it again hurt Arsenal, this time against the Wall of Ruhr (Schalke). They played impressively and blunted the Arsenal attack before goals from the ‘Hunter’ and Afellay ruined the mood at Arsenal, just before the Arsenal General Meeting of 2012.

The mood at the meeting was understandably tense with Arsene Wenger trying to convince those present at the meeting that Arsenal’s first ever loss at Emirates Stadium to non-English opposition was a one-off:

“We have, last night, not produced a good performance but as well let’s not forget that it was the first defeat in 43 home games in the Champions League. First of all, not many clubs play 43 home games consecutively in the Champions League, and I think many teams don’t lose at all for 43 games.“

He also believed Robin Van Persie‘s departure to Man United wouldn’t matter:

“During the whole season, we had no Wilshere, no Diaby and of course at the end of the season, we lost Van Persie. We lost Song and we lost Benayoun. We bought Cazorla. We bought Podolski. And we bought Giroud. 

We anticipated a little bit that we might lose Van Persie, because the talks were open but we didn’t know if he could find an agreement and that’s where we anticipated Giroud and Podolski to bring them in. Of course we lost 40 goals, but I think the three players we bought will be [a] success.”

Even though Arsenal have been playing tennis in the Capital Cup this season with a 6-1 win against Coventry City in September, Arsene Wenger still lists the League Cup below qualifying for the Champions League.

“That’s why I would like to come back to one thing. We speak about trophies. For me, there are five trophies – the first is to win the Premier League, the second is to win the Champions League, the third is to qualify for the Champions League, the fourth is to win the FA Cup and the fifth is to win the League Cup.

I say that because if you want to attract the best players, they do not ask: ‘did you win the League Cup?’, they ask you: ‘do you play in the Champions League?

I say that as well, because recently we had a meeting in Geneva about when a manager is in some situations, what does he do? For example, a guy came out with a problem. He said ‘I played the semi-final of the Europa League at home and three days later, I played the decisive game in the championship to qualify for the Champions League. 

And I was thinking ‘what do I do?’ Do I go for the semi-final of the Europa League? Or do I go for the qualifier in the Champions League?’ And the whole meeting was about that decision. 

What came out as a 90 per cent conclusion, is that all the managers said ‘if you take care of you, you go for the semi-final of the Europa League. If you take care of the club, you go for the Champions League position.’ And that’s what we do, always. “

Technically, qualifying for the Champions League may never be called a trophy, but considering the teams surrounding them spending bucket-loads of cash, it is not far from the truth. The very fact that Santi Cazorla at 16 million is Arsenal’s most expensive signing tells something. Yes, Arsenal have the highest ticket-rates, so the argument may be raised  - Where is the money going?

With a desperate mood at the Emirates, Arsenal took on QPR but Arsenal were lacklustre in the first half. Infact, the very fact that Jack Wilshere, who was playing for the first time in 17 months, was the best player on the pitch, as was Bacary Sagna, just reflected what was happening at the Emirates. Arsenal were at their lowest since the season began. Arsenal played like they always do, dominate but never score. Finally, Arsenal’s 270-minute goal drought spread over 4 games ended in the least Arsenal-ish way when Mikel Arteta scored via a goal-mouth scramble. Even though QPR got two bright chances at the end, they got what they deserved when Stephen M’Bia pressed the self-destruct button for no reason.

And, in hindsight, the easiest fixture of the month turned out to be the craziest one. Arsenal’s youth failed to read the Reading attack and found themselves 4-0 down in the first 40 minutes. Theo Walcott and Maraoune Chamakh, who were outside the first-team plans, netted 6 goals between them as Arsenal staged one of the greatest ‘Sporting comebacks’ as Arsenal won by a tennis score of 7-5. The way the game was played reminded me of the way I play FIFA on my desktop! Unfortunately, I couldn’t watch the game but the contrasting emotions throughout the game makes this game the game of the month.

Now that October is out of the way, we have got a tougher November coming up. First up, the Theatre of Dreams is the challenge of the season. Even a Manchester United with a patched-up defense and an ineffective midfield is enough to score against Arsenal. Add Robin Van Persie to the equation and now you have got a game on. Then, we travel to Schalke, who might get another good result against us, because German teams are almost invincible at home. Two London derbies against Tottenham and Fulham follow, both at the Emirates Stadium, which gives Arsenal a big edge over the opposition, but in a derby, you should never underestimate your opponents. And the same applies for the two games as they have game-changers in their sides, not to mention a certain Togolese striker who was rejected at Man City even when he was scoring goals for us.

Bradford City host Arsenal in the Capital One Cup quarter-final. Arsenal should be expected to win this game even though we scraped past Reading. Arsenal can easily win the Cup, provided that they can solve the Chelsea puzzle, if they ever have to do so. The Birmingham win was more of  a lack of team morale than anything else, which is high right now, so Arsenal fans will be flying high.

Arsenal then play Montepellier at home. They are arguably the whipping boys of the group despite being the Ligue 1 Champions. Away games at Aston Villa and Everton wrap up the month for the Gunners who could find it hard to play at Everton, so I expect 4 points from those two fixtures and 7 from the first three (yes, I am an optimist). Arsenal will gain 11 points and might go up to 25 points, which I reckon will be good enough to put them in 4th position.

This month will be a trying one for Arsenal Football Club. But if they do well this month, they can show their title pedigree and show the world they are a force to be reckoned with.

NORWICH, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 20: Andrey Arshavin and Per Mertesacker of Arsenal look dejected in defeat after the Barclays Premier League match between Norwich City and Arsenal at Carrow Road on October 20, 2012 in Norwich, England.

Norwich finally broke their winless streak and kept a rare clean sheet, all against an Arsenal side who thought three points were in the bag. In the late fixture, Arsenal attacked and kept possession throughout the game but a poacher’s goal from Grant Holt after Vito Mannone failed to keep the ball after a super save was all it needed for Arsenal to face Schalke with zero points for the second time in the last three Premier League fixtures. So what went wrong?

Let’s find out.

Arsenal went into this fixture with a 4-2-3-1 formation which suits their passing game:

Andre Santos was drafted in at left-back in place of Kieran Gibbs who was out injured. Aaron Ramsey continued in the box-to-box midfield role even when Jack Wilshere was on the bench and Francis Coquelin who could have played in front of him. Gervinho started off in the wide position where as usual, he plays poorly.

I felt neither Mertesacker and Vermaelen were marking Grant Holt like they marked Peter Crouch at the Britannia Stadium. Holt was first to the ball after Mannone managed to save the long shot beating the ever-so-slow Mertesacker and toe-poking it past Mannone. Maybe it is the hangover of the international break, but Arsenal players were generally tired and exhausted and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, who was a substitute, picked up an injury and had to be replaced after just 12 minutes on the pitch. Arsenal had 15 players on duty while Norwich had just two players, both of whom didn’t even play the game.

Arsenal, in general, don’t do well just after international duty but this wasn’t the time to lose. Now, with Tottenham ahead of Arsenal, they will be desperate to make it to the Top 4 by December. But Norwich displayed the same defensive shape Arsenal did at Anfield last month. Let’s see how.

Arsenal started off in this 4-2-3-1 formation against Liverpool, as they do generally. But when they weren’t on the ball, their formation looked like this:

Arsenal broke into the 4-4-1-1 formation against Brendan Rodger’s men when dispossessed. This cramped the Liverpool players for space and they never got a clear-cut chance. Arsene Wenger chose the best wingers for this job in Podolski and Chamberlain. Both of them track back well and help out their full-backs in defense. As Liverpool had the ball for the better part of the first half, Arsenal stuck to this formation. It wasn’t an irony that Arsenal’s first goal of the season came off a counter-attack. Steven Gerrard‘s misplaced pass went to Diaby who then passed to Podolski on the left who then passed to Cazorla and he continued with his run and got the ball back from him and smashed it past Reina. From then on, Arsenal started to loosen up a little bit and got the second goal due to Cazorla.

That was pretty much the same at Carrow Road, but with Norwich playing Arsenal and Arsenal playing Liverpool. I believe Arsenal should revert back to playing like this for all games henceforth, starting to loosen up once we have a two-goal cushion. That’s my solution to the problems we face. Play with this formation (when off the ball, of course) and Arsenal will have few problems come May 2013.

Do you still wonder why Arsenal played the 4-3-1-2 formation against Sunderland? Well, let’s compare both Arsenal’s and Barcelona‘s formations.

With Dani Alves pushing forward, this can easily change to a 3-5-2, but let’s keep it as it is. Now against Sunderland:

Whether he knew it or not, Walcott might have been playing at centre-forward against Sunderland. Comparing the two diagrams above, Messi and Walcott were playing at CF. There is a reason why Messi cannot be caught by anyone. Because he is so deep for a center-forward, defenders and midfielders alike will be confused as to how to mark him. This formation is effective for Walcott as he can use his pace all over the park and he can become an effective player. Gervinho can play in this position as well with his dribbling.

What is good about this formation is that it can change into a 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-4-2 with ease. This formation should be used by Wenger even though it didn’t reap any rewards against Sunderland. But tactically, Arsenal are very flexible and Arsene Wenger may hopefully use what I have mentioned above.

The Premier League is a marathon where you have to be consistent through out to achieve your goals. Whether Arsenal want to be in the Top Four or at the top, they need points and they have to start achieving it from now. So let’s hope this Norwich debacle was a one-off and cheers to Arsenal finishing this month with a bang!

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/10/21/arsenal-discussing-tactics-and-formations-vs-norwich/feed/ 3 34433 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/10/19/arsenal-olivier-giroud-needs-jesus-navas-to-complement-his-game/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/10/19/arsenal-olivier-giroud-needs-jesus-navas-to-complement-his-game/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:19:38 +0000 AKB http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=859300  

It was the dying moments of Spain vs France. France were down 1-0 at this time. Suddenly Frank Ribery makes a super run to the box and crosses it to the head of a person who has been criticised for his poor club form. And he set himself up nicely for it to head past Iker Casillas relatively easily. The fixture ended 1-1.

Arsenal pride themselves for having a plethora of wide men but there is a characteristic of all these wingers and full-backs that is, they are poor crossers of the ball. Agreed, Arsenal strikers right from Thierry Henry to Robin Van Persie haven’t been the best headers of the ball and Arsenal’s passing game means they don’t rely on crosses for the goals. But crossing is still an important facet of any good winger.

With Olivier Giroud upfront, Arsenal have options. Like a Plan A and Plan B. Plan A is to pass the ball around the ball forever and letting the striker play link-up with Santi Cazorla and the wingers, which works most of the time and fetches wins. But there should be a Plan B which was lacking badly for Arsene Wenger’s men last season and for this year’s Liverpool team. Well, what’s the catch?

Brendan Rodger’s men have been relying on the passing game like Arsene does since forever. But name the number of strikers at Liverpool. As of now, wait, only Luis Suarez exists at the moment! Now, I know Suarez is a top striker but what if he’s useless against certain teams or he gets injured, where do Liverpool go? Where’s the point in loaning Andy Carroll?

Andy Carroll is a good striker but his game wasn’t matching with Liverpool’s. At Newcastle, the players in the midfield were playing to Carroll’s speciality, playing long balls to him and causing the center-backs a hell of a problems. You could argue the poor form of Stewart Downing was a factor, but even now, Liverpool don’t have a proper winger. Jose Enrique is the closest person to cross properly to him, but his primary duty is in defense. So he had to be loaned out. What that has done is, Rodgers doesn’t have a plan B and that is letting his team down.

Back to Arsenal, they should avoid this situation with Olivier Giroud. He has a good positional sense, so that isn’t a problem. I advise Wenger to get Walcott out ASAP and sign Jesus Navas. Yes, it is all in the rumor mill, but Navas can add that extra dimension that Giroud needs to establish at Arsenal. Navas is arguably the best winger who can assist (no offense, Ribery, and Ronaldo is basically a goal-scorer) and Arsenal need him to succeed in their trophy hopes. Hope you guys enjoyed this, and cheers to Arsenal thrashing Norwich this Saturday!

The German attack is just mind-blowing; the bags of experience Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski have, combined with the youth of Marco Reus, Andre Schurlle and Mario Gotze. And if I start off with the midfield, with Bastian Schweinstiger, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira, it will never end. So the attack has nothing to do with the spectacular collapse (well, that’s obvious!)

Now before talking defense, let’s switch to goalies. Manuel Neuer, Marc ter Stegen and Roman Weidenfeller are some names that come to mind. Even Spain don’t have such a number of good goalies! Now the defense. The culprits for this horror show: Jerome Boateng, Per Mertesacker, Holger Badstuber, Mat Hummels, Philip Lahm; regular members of the squad. Boateng was a flop at Man City, and it is not hard to see why. Per Mertesacker, even as an Arsenal fan, I feel is a tad too slow, even with his intelligence in reading the play. Badstuber is not benefiting from playing at left-back at Bayern, as he will forget how to be a center-back. Mats Hummels was injured that day, and that could have been the difference. As for Lahm, I am confused as to whether he should be playing right-back or left.

Now the perfect German defense would be Lahm on the right, Hummels and Badstuber at the center and Schmelzer of Dortmund at left-back. I believe Joachim Loew should have more faith in this consistent player who deserves a chance. Fuchs of Schalke should also be considered. Now, the German defense should be forgiven, as this is quite a young bunch of guys representing their country. I believe this team will have enough experience under their belt before the 2014 World Cup.

By no means are Germany are out of WC qualification. But for Loew, it’s all about perfection of his defense that will determine whether they manage to stop the Spanish Armada. For like Spain, Germany have great offensive talent, but lack in defense. If Loew gets his defense to be better than that of Spain’s, they shouldn’t be counted out of the WC challenge. So here’s to Germany stopping the unstoppable Spain.

Goalkeepers:

Wojciech Szczesny, Damien Martinez and Vito Mannone

Even with Mannone knocking on Szczesny’s door, I can’t see Arsene Wenger displacing Szczesny’s position as top goalie. Szczesny certainly worked hard for his spot, right from the time he was at the academy, to feature in his first Premier League fixture against Manchester United and to being such a figure at Arsenal that he needed injections before every game of the last five of the season so that he could play in it despite being injured. So the 24-year old ( in 2014) will have enough experience to be a good goalie. I believe Lukaz Fabianski will leave sooner or later.

Defense: 

Full-backs: Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, Sead Hajrovic, Martin Angha

Center-backs: Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Ignasi Miquel, Daniel Boateng

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 14: Daniel Boateng of Arsenal during the Markus Liebherr Memorial Cup match between Arsenal and Anderlecht at St Mary

Yes, academy players don’t necessarily make good first-team players, but I am pinning my hopes on these guys to become prominent players for the Arsenal squad in the next 2 years. As Per Mertesacker will be 30 and Vermaelen and Koscielny will start to age by 2014, it is essential to manufacture players for the future. Also, don’t expect Bacary Sagna and Andre Santos to be part of the squad at the time mentioned. The ages of Miquel and Boateng(22), Angha(20) and Hajrovic (21) along with Jenkinson at 22 and Kieran Gibbs at 25 means Arsenal have a defense for the ages. This will be a perfect blend of youth and experience.

Midfield:

Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby, Emmanuel Frimpong, Nico Yennaris*, Chuks Aneke, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Thomas Eisfeld

This is a midfield to die for. At the moment, none of them are superstars in the sense. But by 2014, expect Wilshere to be a sensation and Santi Cazorla will be a superstar and Ramsey will also establish himself in the setup. Mikel Arteta would play as a Pirlo or a Xavi and guide the youngsters into the path of greatness. This will be the best midfield at its zenith. I have added the asterisk to Nico Yennaris as I doubt whether he will make it to the first team. So I believe either Etienne Capoue and Celtic’s Wanyamba could make it to the Arsenal team and strengthen it. Either way, the future’s bright for Arsenal. I think Francis Coquelin’s time at Arsenal.

Forwards:

Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Ryo Miyachi, Sergi Gnarby, Wilfred Zaha*, Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski, Gervinho, Adrian Lopez* or Fernando Llorente*, Benik Afobe

Now that’s a loaded forward line. The trickery of Chamberlain, Miyachi and Gnarby is enough to send fear to the back line. Add to that an in-form Lopez and Giroud with Podolski and Afobe ever ready to score goals, man, this could be the Invincibles all over again. With or without Walcott(Zaha and Llorente as well), Arsenal look dangerous upfront, and I am making a bold statement, that this team at its peak is better than the 2003-04 Arsenal team which was the best team of the 20 seasons of the Premier League. The asterisk stands for players who are not at Arsenal.

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 1: Jack Wilshere of Arsenal in action during the Barclays Under-21 League match between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal at The Hawthorns on October 1, 2012 in West Bromwich, England.

Fascinating, isn’t it? Let’s hope that this Arsenal team can carry Arsenal to the heights that it used to be known for. Comment if I have missed out on a rising star in the Arsenal setup. Up the Gunners!

What is a transfer?

A transfer is simply put, the player changing one club for another during a particular window. For this, we should ask some questions.

1. How can a club allow themselves to sell a player?
2. Why are there contracts then if players can leave?
3. Is there a compensation for the team that loses their player?
4. Can a player be unemployed, i.e., without a club?
5. Is there an option to sign a player temporarily?
6. Even if they agree on compensation, can they still lose out on a player?
7. Can medical problems hamper a deal?
8. Who are transfer agents? What are their roles in this business?
9. Does the media play a role in a transfer?

Let’s see the answer to all these questions.

1.  There are many scenarios where a club has to sell a player:

a. The club is financially strapped and they have to overcome their debt, eg: Santi Cazorla from Malaga to Arsenal.

b. The club is too small for a player, i.e., like a big fish in a small pond, for example Alex Oxlade Chamberlain in Southampton and Nick Powell in Crewe.

c. The player has aspirations to play for a particular team.eg: Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal to Barcelona.

d. The player is not part of a manager’s plans. Eg: Dimitar Berbatov from Manchester United to Fulham.

e. The player has disciplinary problems, eg: Joey Barton from QPR to Marseille on loan (to be discussed in Q.7).

There are too many scenarios to discuss at this stage.

2. A contract for a particular length of time is not exactly a reassurance that the player will stay for a particular amount of time. But it certainly helps in increasing the value of a player in the transfer market. For example, a player with one-year left on his contract has less value than one with a four-year contract. Also, signing a contract indicates that the player is ready to co-operate with his manager and will be part of the team for some more time.

3. This compensation, is in fact, the transfer fee agreed between two clubs for a player. This transfer fee depends on various factors such as:

a. The number of years left on the contract:

If a player on a three-year contract is to be sold, this means the team loses three years worth of services from the player. Depending on whether the player is a star or a squad player(to be discussed next), the fee will vary.

b. The importance of a player:

Robin Van Persie, when he was an unknown commodity, was signed by Arsenal for 2.75 million. Eight seasons later, he was sold to Manchester United for 24 million. This is because of his importance in the team. Van Persie two seasons back would be barely worth 10 million. So, the importance of a player plays a role in the fee.

c. How important a player is to the club:

Unless billions of euros were offered to Barcelona, they wouldn’t let go of Lionel Messi. That is how important he is to Barca. He is the virtual face of Barca. Barca know that he is more than a player. He is an asset.

d. Age

In a dream world, Arsenal would be wishing Van Persie was 25 and had four years remaining on his contract, to go with his current performances. Then his transfer fee would reach unimaginable proportions. If you are a young guy who wants to break into a class team, teams would pay more for you than a 38-year old Alessandro Del Piero.

There are more factors, but these are the most important.

4. A free agent is a person whose contract with a club has expired but has also not been able to negotiate an extension. In that case, they are left club-less. Some players deliberately become free agents, knowing that clubs will come after them, as happened for Junior Hoilett’s move to QPR.

5. A loan is agreed between two clubs for a player when:

a. A young player seeking first-team football experience moves to a club for a fixed amount of time.

b.A player is dead-weight for a club but has no other club interested in buying him, so goes on loan. Eg: Andrei Arshavin from Arsenal to Zenit. St. Petersburg.

c. A club is suffering from debt/have an injury crisis, and turn to loan deals to help them out.

6. Even when they agree on a transfer fee, the job isn’t done yet. The player in question has to set his demands as far as salary and other personal motivations go. There are situations where two or three clubs agree on a fee for the player (Eden Hazard), leaving the player to choose where he wants to go. At the end, it is not just the club, but the player also, who must agree.

7. A medical is mandatory for a player before signing a contract with a club. It is considered a formality in a vast majority of cases, with very few cases of a failed medical jeopardising a deal.

8. A transfer agent deals with negotiations for the player as far as personal terms go. The negotiators try to get the best deals for their clients.

9. Some deals are caused due to media frenzy. Some reporter drinking coffee at his office combines some logical chains of events and forms a transfer rumor about a player even though the player is nowhere near leaving his club. The newspapers then publish the rumor. 95% of the time these are dismissed, but sometimes the player might think about it and hand in a transfer request following the story.

Now let’s see how to make a transfer possible:

Let us consider a player ‘X’ playing for Newcastle United. He has been performing consistently for quite a while. He is 23 and plays in central midfield. He is very good at making tackles and has great vision.

Newcastle have played the group stages of the Europa League and he has played five out of the six games. ‘X’ notices that the scouts from Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal have gathered to watch him play. He suddenly thinks of the club he is playing for, Newcastle. He knows that the team is far away from a trophy win. Fortunately for him, the January transfer window is opening. He consults his agent ‘Y’ before finally handing in a transfer request.

The aforementioned clubs suddenly start making changes to accommodate him in their lineup. Manchester United have loaned out their under-performing midfielder ‘A’ to a La Liga team. They are the first team to bid for ‘X’. But their bid falls well behind Newcastle’s evaluation of 12 million. Manchester United, due to their lack of resources, pull out of the race to sign ‘X’.

Arsenal and Liverpool also make bids for ‘X’. But by now, Newcastle’s performances have dipped because of a disharmony between the players due to X’s transfer request. The Newcastle manager realises that he has to sell his player at any cost.

With three years remaining on his contact, Newcastle aren’t under any pressure. But as the manager insists, the owners agree that he has to leave anyway. ‘Z’ is signed from AC Milan.

Arsenal and Liverpool’s bids match Newcastle’s evaluation. Now it is up to ‘X’ to choose his club. It is January 31. The agent meets up with both the clubs and informs the player that Liverpool are offering better wages than Arsenal. But the player realises that the key midfielder for Arsenal ‘S’ has been ruled out till April. So he thinks that he can cement his spot at Arsenal easier than in Liverpool. With five hours to go, he leaves St. James’ Park for the last time and reaches London by 8pm, with three hours to go. He reaches the medical centre where he is supposed to have a medical. After two hours he comes out, having passed of course, and reaches the place where he will sign the contract. After half an hour, ‘X’ is unveiled as the new no. 4 of Arsenal, 20 minutes before the transfer window shuts. He doesn’t play a part in Arsenal’s semi-final run in the Champions League as he was cup-tied, having played in the Europa League earlier in the season.

So, there you have it. This is the world of transfers. Hope this has been an educational experience for you readers. Thanks for reading!

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Olivier Giroud (C) of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his first league goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground on October 6, 2012 in London, England.

A 3-1 win over West Ham United isn’t something you see everyday. But Arsenal have done it and proved that they are ready for the title challenge. Yes, they weren’t the best in the air, especially against Andy Carroll, but they were too good for the Hammers and, to the delight of the Arsenal fans, Olivier Giroud scored not just a goal, but a classy one at that.

Playing Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta in the midfield was a bad mistake for me. For the first 20 minutes, Arsenal were looking to be the team to take the lead. But against the run of play, West Ham played a superb counter-attack and Mohamed Diame, a holding midfielder, got the better of Ramsey and curled in an Henry-style goal against Vito Mannone. I thought Per Mertesacker left too much space for Diame, but everyone, including him, thought Diame was going for the cross. Diame then recieved a yellow card for celebrating with the crowd, which would change the game altogether.

A few minutes later, Diame fouled Arteta which I think deserved a yellow and thus, a red card. But the referee gave him the benefit of the doubt, because that was Diame’s first challenge. From then on, he didn’t make too many rash challenges.

Just before half-time, Arsenal dispossessed West Ham and went for the counter-attack. Olivier Giroud passed the ball wide to Lukas Podolski, from where he whipped in a cross. Giroud continued to make his run into the box and toe-poked it past the West Ham goalkeeper  Jussi Jaaskelaainen. This was an RvP-style goal and gives the Gunners confidence that Giroud can make the striker’s position his own.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Mohamed Diame of West Ham celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground on October 6, 2012 in London, England.

After half-time, Arsenal went about their game, and were better than they were in the first half. But Carroll was still a constant pain for Arsenal as he won many balls in the air and the set-pieces came thick and fast. West Ham weren’t parking the bus like Chelsea did against Barcelona. They parked it only when they when they were not in possession but when they had the ball, they either went long for Carroll or tried to go for a counter-attack as was in the case of Diame’s goal.

Kieran Gibbs suffered from a thigh strain and was replaced by Andre Santos. Arsenal hope that Gibbs is fit enough for England duty because that is a reward for the shifts that he has put in since August. Ricardo Vaz Te was a major injury for West Ham with a dislocated shoulder and from there, West Ham’s collapse started.

Theo Walcott, who came on for Gervinho, made use of a superb ball by Olivier Giroud and showed fantastic technique in curling the ball along the ground for the second goal. Arsenal, now that Walcott can play as a striker, have five strikers, all of whom are extremely versatile.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Santi Cazorla of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal uring the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground on October 6, 2012 in London, England.

With Tomas Roscisky, Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna yet to come back to the first team, which they will in the coming weeks, Arsenal will have enough depth everywhere. And that is a prerequisite for a title challenge. Jack Wilshere, in particular, is the player to watch out for. He can replace Aaron Ramsey (where he was against West Ham)and play like Bastian Schweinstieger. The Gunners also have depth in defence, with three good centre-backs in Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker. Vito Mannone might not be first-choice by any means, but he has stepped up his game, having replaced Wojciech Szczesny in goal.

After the second goal, West Ham tailed off, although they did have two good chances. One was Kevin Nolan breaking the offside trap, one on one with Mannone only for Nolan to slow down and allow Mertesacker to clear. The other was a free-kick by Mark Taylor which was well-stopped by Mannone  and for the captain Vermaelen to clear.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 06: Mikel Arteta of Arsenal is tackled by Kevin Nolan of West Ham during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground on October 6, 2012 in London, England.

Theo Walcott set up a magnificent curler for Santi Cazorla, who is the perfect player for Arsenal because he displays the Spanish flair Arsenal missed last season. He has vision, which Giroud could do justice to more often and a magnificent shooting technique which allows Arsenal to score goals from. The curler by Cazorla bamboozled the West Ham goalie. He is the Player of the Season as far as I am concerned.

All in all, Arsenal were comprehensive against West Ham and have three more points in the bag. After the international break, Arsenal face another three-pointer against Norwich and then an out of sorts QPR. This is the perfect time to consolidate their title challenge before they take on Manchester United at Old Trafford. To all Arsenal fans, keep calm and keep the faith.

For we can do it!

MONACO – AUGUST 31: Falcao of Atletico Madrid celebrates following the UEFA Super Cup match between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid at Louis II Stadium on August 31, 2012 in Monaco, Monaco.

The success of Atletico Madrid is obviously due to a certain Radamel Falcao. A natural poacher along with the likes of Mario Gomez and Edinson Cavani, he has scored goals aplenty, and Atletico Madrid are now in the title race along with Barcelona. Their style of play suits him to a T. Madrid play a counter-attacking brand football which he relishes. His team mates include the playmaker Ever Banega, striker Adrian Lopez and on-loan goal-keeper Thibault Courtois from Chelsea.

He used to play for River Plate in Argentina before moving to Europe with FC Porto. He won the League, Cup and Europa League with F.C Porto. Andre Vilas Boas’s 4-3-3 where he played the lone striker along with the likes of Zenit striker Hulk suited his game.

His goal-scoring caught the eye of many top European clubs, such as Chelsea and Juventus, but he moved to Atletico Madrid for 35 million Euros which compensated the departure of Sergio Aguero to Manchester City. He immediately settled into the La Liga and this season, he appears to be entering the prime of his career, scoring goals for fun.

MADRID, SPAIN – JANUARY 13: Sergio Aguero of Atletico Madrid reacts during the Copa del Rey quarter final first leg match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on January 13, 2011 in Madrid, Spain.

But this is where teams like Atletico have faltered. They have the means to mount a title challenge, but the team stands out from the rest when Falcao plays for them. There is a reason why La Liga is a two-horse race between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Pretty much all the teams in La Liga are in debt. Even the television broadcast fees won’t be enough as 90% of the money is shared between Real Madrid and Barca. The other 18 teams fight for the other 10%.

This is why they have to sell their best players even when they are trying to construct a title-winning side. This season, Malaga have sold Santi Cazorla to Arsenal for a paltry 16 million and Atletico Bilbao sold Javi Martinez to Bayern Munich for 40 million (Bilbao might not buy players unless they are Basque-based). Atletico Madrid must avoid that happening to Falcao.

Unfortunately the January transfer window is edging closer and only one team has the means and the quality to offer to Falcao.

Chelsea.

MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 15: Fernando Torres of Atletico Madrid celebrates after scoring a goal against Levante during the Primera Liga match at the Vicente Calderon stadium on April 15, 2007 in Madrid, Spain.

Real Madrid, with Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema, might not go after him. Chelsea need him as they have only two front-line strikers in Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge, both of whom are not good enough when compared to the midfield of Oscar, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Frank Lampard. Falcao might leave the men in Red and White and jump ship to the Blues.

If Barcelona lose to Real Madrid and Atletico beat Malaga this weekend, they will jump to pole position with 19 out of a possible 21 points. As they don’t face Barcelona until December the 16th, they have time to consolidate their position at the top of La Liga. But if Falcao leaves, the whole scenario changes and La Liga will return to the same old two-horse race that we have become accustomed to over the past seasons.

In short, not just Atletico, but the whole of La Liga must hope that Falcao stays and Atletico Madrid challenge the Big Two and attempt win the league.

5. Per Mertesacker

A tall but not so imposing personality, Mertesacker focuses on making the correct tackle using his mind. Injuries to Laurent Koscielny allowed him to start 6 games and he has not made bad mistakes that put his team in sticky situations. His absence was felt badly when he didn’t play against Chelsea. Arsenal have conceded 3 goals from set-pieces ever since.

4. Mikel Arteta

Quite a low position for him since he does a lot more than the position suggests. He is the pivot that holds the Arsenal midfield and enables Abou Diaby to go forward. He may not be the fastest but he compensates with his defensive discipline. Also, Arsenal have won only once ever since Arteta was signed and didn’t play. That is enough said about why Arteta is vital to Arsenal’s hopes.

3. Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson

Injuries prevent Abou Diaby from making it to 3rd place here. Both the full-backs contribute more in attack and equally in defense. Carl Jenkinson deserve a special note.

 Last season, Carl Jenskinson was the man who was criticized by one and all. Everyone demanded for him to be sent out on loan. But Arsene Wenger’s faith in him has paid off as he has stepped up in the absence of Bacary Sagna. Now, at this stage, he is so much better than Glen Johnson and pretty much on par with Kyle Walker, so he should make it into the English National Team. And, oh, Kieran Gibbs has made it into the national squad. This is a credit to Gibbs, who has made himself the first-choice left-back at Arsenal.

2. Gervinho and Lukas Podolski

With 5 and 4 goals respectively, these two have provided the goals for the Gunners. Gervinho’s move from  the wing to the CF position has paid dividends and he is scoring the goals needed for Arsenal. Last season, he only managed 4 goals. This time, he might crack the 15 goal mark which he achieved at Lille OSC. On the other hand, Lukas Podolski is class personified. He is a tried and tested performer and surely will crack the 15 goal barrier despite playing on the left wing. He is superb at tracking back and helping out the full-backs. Such work-rate is appreciated at Arsenal.

1. Santi Cazorla

He might not have the numbers Eden Hazard has, but he has effectively replaced Cesc Fabregas while adding his trickery to the trequartista position. He has that vision that Cesc Fabregas had which Arsenal sorely missed last season. 16 million is a bargain for a player of such quality and his departure from the then-in crisis Malaga has promoted the growth of Isco who has helped Malaga a lot.

He runs the show and got the first assist of Arsenal’s season for Lukas Podolski. He can help the likes of  Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud get the numbers they are expected to get, while helping Podolski and Gervinho crack the 15 goal barrier. I could add a lot more, but this is enough.

Arsenal fans should look up and say that we have the players to win the 38-game Premier League. It is all about belief that we can do it and once we do that, we are good to go. Up the Gunners!

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla of Arsenal at the finsl whistle during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on September 23, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Santi Cazorla might have shown creativity in the final third, Lukas Podolski might have got his goals going, even Per Mertesacker might be in the form of his life, but Mikel Arteta is and will always be the player that is key to Arsenal‘s hopes. He is the pivot that holds the shape of the Arsenal midfield. He might not be the fastest to the ball but he makes up for it with his discipline.

He is, just magnificent to say the least. That he has an overall of 81 in FIFA 13 doesn’t take away the fact that his presence in the midfield makes Arsenal fans heave a sigh of relief. Arsenal have only won one game to date when they haven’t played Arteta. The ankle injury he suffered in training yesterday, which might just rule him out of the Olympiakos encounter is a severe blow to Arsenal.

He is 30 years old and personifies a quality Arsenal have been missing over the years – experience. Youngsters like Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong lack that quality that he has- the one that allows you to read the game well and do the right thing always.It is this ability which allows you to make tackles that are razor sharp if executed successfully, or can send you out of the game if carried out clumsily.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 29: Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on 29th September 2012.

This is also the reason he is the vice-captain of the team.

At Everton, he had that freedom to go forward under David Moyes. But now, he is restricted to defensive duties. Unlike others, however, he doesn’t whine about it. He knows it is a privilege to play for a top team like Arsenal. So he goes about his job dutifully. That quality has been rarely seen in players that Arsenal have had over the last few years.

Arteta’s role at Arsenal can be summarised as a person who protects the back-four, who frees up his midfield colleagues with his discipline. A player of his calibre is rare to find and who knows, when he departs from Arsenal, his position might just become a void few can fill.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/10/03/arsenal-arteta-remaining-fit-is-key-to-arsenals-hopes/feed/ 0 06410 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/10/01/arsenal-a-look-at-the-month-ahead/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/10/01/arsenal-a-look-at-the-month-ahead/#comments Mon, 01 Oct 2012 07:15:14 +0000 AKB http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=789110 Yes, a home loss to your rivals might be the last thing you want. But the fact is that Arsenal and Arsene Wenger aren’t as bad as you think they are. Chelsea might have the cash to win the Premiership, but Arsenal’s start to the season isn’t too bad (think last season). However, Arsenal need to learn to take and defend set-pieces well.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 29: Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger looks on during the Barclays Premier League clash between Arsenal and Chelsea on 29 September at the Emirates Stadium, London, England.

Let this loss not take away the fact that Arsenal have done well, considering the calendar (September was a bad schedule for us). Another thing of note was that once Abou Diaby was off the pitch was when things started going wrong. Arsenal also let Fernando Torres have too much of the ball along with the trio of Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard. This showed a slight lack of depth in midfield despite the presence of Francis Coquelin. I think its time we bleed him into the first-team as he is highly talented and merits more than just playing for the reserves. Also, with Emmanuel Frimpong and Jack Wilshere coming back  from injuries, he won’t have enough time to break into the the first-team and might think of leaving.

Despite losing the first game of the season, Arsenal have started solidly. They now have a solid base on which to build their title challenge. October can be described as a month of consolidation. This month, we face West Ham and Aston Villa away and QPR at home. On paper, we should be thinking of nine points out of nine and we should get them. West Ham, despite making some astute signings such as Andy Carroll and Yossi Benayoun, aren’t strong enough to beat Arsenal. Aston Villa under Paul Lambert are yet to click and QPR might well be having the worst team chemistry in the Premier League after they signed  ten players over the summer.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 29: Gervinho of Arsenal celebrates scoring with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain during the Barclay’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on 29 September in London, England.

Arsenal should therefore cash in big time as we play Man United and Tottenham in November.

Arsenal may not be the favourites for the Champions League but they could be a surprise package. They play Olympiakos at home and Schalke away. At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal would be playing a second string team which will overpower the Greeks. But to travel to Germany and come back with a win is something that is quite tough. I expect Arsenal and a Schalke team with Klass-Jan Huntellar, Lewis Holtby, Jefferson Farfan and Jermaine Jones to play out a draw.

The other fixture of the month is Reading away in the Capital One Cup. Although Arsenal are expected to win away at Reading, I think the team fielded should be a mix of experience and youth for we can’t afford to take any Cup game lightly.

We also have an international break in the second week of the month. It remains to be seen, therefore, whether the squad can cope with the rigours of club and national football, while Wenger and Bould would look to discover the magic formula.

October seems to be an exciting month for Gooners, which could see Arsenal maintain their title hopes. Come on you Gunners!

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