When Aston Villa scored that goal right from that Arsenal corner, as an Arsenal fan you cannot help but wonder the naivety of this defense. That has been Arsenal’s story for this season. Well, not surprisingly, a few seasons now. From the shambolics of Andre Santos to the sluggishness of Szczesny – Arsenal have been telling the same story week after week.

Football has its own way of telling stories. A single goal can inspire a whole generation, one move can immortalise a single player, and one team’s heroics can sometimes change the whole game. Take Barcelona for example. Well, buying Henry, Hleb (well, not so much now) and Fabregas from Arsenal wasn’t the worst thing that they did to the Gunners. They also managed to change Wenger’s playing style. Their tiki-taka is a joy to watch, and when such pretty football yields so much end product, it was really hard for a man like Wenger not to tinker with his side.

Wenger is an extremely intelligent economist who always likes to think 5-6 years ahead. Now, I am not going to ponder on why the Hlebs and Rosickys and the Nasris didn’t quite work. There may have been other saturating factors like a dodgy hammy, or the sweet smell of some extra quid, but Arsene once had a theory of the game evolving – where he said that the modern game is more suited to the “smaller” players (Xavi, Iniesta, Messi etc)– which would explain his obsession that he once had of buying these quint sized, technically brilliant midfielders. But que sera sera. The English game was hard, and these Stokes and Boltons hardly had any sympathy to our tippy tappies, and  always hammered their way through the black gloves and the “snooded” Arsenal players.

In the process to attain the ultimate footballing style, Wenger had to sacrifice better defenders for better “ball-playing” defenders. Old-fashioned center backs like Sol Campbell gave way for the Koscielnys and the Vermaelens – who are more comfortable on the ball but paid less attention to  defending. And for me, Wenger never could decide about the wingers. Pires and Ljunberg were excellent in their times. But Wenger has failed to find proper replacements. For a while, Wenger tried to use an attacking midfielder as an inverted winger. But it never quite worked out as they always drifted in to make the midfield extremely crowded, and in the process, made the build up slow and predictable. And recently, he is relying on two traditional and direct wide players on both sides – Walcott and Podolski, probably the first time in his entire managerial career. And finally, Wenger did his biggest mistake ever – by refusing to play a proper defensive midfielder. Instead, he started deploying this deep-lying play-maker, with another three players in front of him, to give him more flexibility. It did make the play more dynamic and beautiful to watch, but it came at a price of conceding easy goals on the break. There was no proper defensive cover for the center-backs, and the full backs were always left exposed.

He overlooked all his defensive liabilities to be more fluid up top. So much so that he often had to sacrifice the shape of the team by playing an additional midfielder (Ramsey) against “bigger” teams. And inevitably, it failed every single time. It only produced a lot of possession with the inability to break the opponents in the final third. Wenger has tinkered with his original and successful 4-4-2 and gave birth to an unorthodox 4-2-3-1. It’s not always a common sight when a manager changes the whole system under his reign. Fergie has his shape since Beckham and Giggs used to run the wings. David Moyes’ consistent and under-constraint Everton has always stayed the same, while Jose Mourinho, no matter where he goes, always uses the same playing system.

It makes us wonder whether Wenger deliberately changed his well-proven system in order to be more flexible, or is it that he never quite had the personnel to play his old system any more. Bottom line is, in order to adapt himself with the modern game, Arsene Wenger has become a victim instead. Whether or not a big change in formation is on the cards, Wenger needs to look beyond his stubbornness to go back and treat the game in a simpler and much more conventional way. Their Champions League match against Bayern should come as a timely lesson – a team with a steady, technical (not necessarily of flair) and disciplined formation can be of champions’ stuff too.

Mohun Bagan announced their team for the upcoming season (2012-13 season). The last season can be termed as ‘disappointing’, as the team failed to win any trophy. The season started off disastrously under coach Steve Darby, however credit to ‘Bablu da’ Subrata Bhattacharya, as he steadied the ship and we finished at a respectable position in the I-League table. However, the management is desperate to bring home a trophy this season and they went all out with their new recruits.

Here is my squad assessment for the upcoming season.

Arindam Bhattacharya

Last season, Sangram Mukherjee started most of the games for us. And it can be safely said that he was average. He is a brilliant shot-stopper on his day but is also error-prone. His handling inside the box is questionable and has an awful kick. New recruit Arindam Bhattacharya is expected to start this time around. Having said that, I think he is an improvement on Sangram. He is younger, more agile and has a fantastic presence in and around the box. Shilton Pal will be our No.2, although he can easily fill in for Arindam anytime. Both are very good keepers with ample experience. The goal keeping spot looks to be secured this time around.

Verdict: Very good. 

Nirmal Chettri

The back four has gone into a complete change. All of four previous members have been released by the club and we may see an entirely new defense this time around. It will be interesting to see, how the much-hyped transfer of Nirmal Chettri to Mohun Bagan from our arch rivals, East Bengal will pay dividends. He will directly slot in on our side back position. Sur Kumar has been released, after a disappointing season which was marred with injuries and inconsistent performances. Obviously, Nirmal Chettri will be a better option. Nirmal can also play anywhere in the defense and considering that we have plenty of side backs this time around, I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts at a more central position. The other side back position should be occupied by Rahim Nabi. After Odafa, he was the shinning light for us in the last season. Consistent and hard-working – he is everything you will want to see from a player. However, it is the center of the defense that really worries me.

Sourav Chakraborty is a bright and young prospect for us. However, he hasn’t had any consistent runs in the playing eleven. The little that he played last season was when he filled in for the injured side backs. He is a no-nonsense defender and maybe this is the year where he might get some good runs in the team. Mehrajudin Wadoo was superb in his last stint for Mohun Bagan. However, since then his form has degraded during his time at East Bengal and it remains a doubt whether he can produce consistent performances at a high level. Khelemba Singh has been our new recruit from Salgaocar and Echezona Anyichie (foreign quota) has been signed from Southern Samity. I am curious to see Echezona Anyichie. Apparently, he has represented Nigeria in the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship and started all the matches for his country in the group stages and played alongside the likes of Mikel John Obi and Chinedu Obasi.

Verdict: Good.

Denson Devadas

The midfield will more or less be same as last year, with a couple of addition. Rakesh Masih had a good season last time around. He is a very good blocker and has a good ball distribution, which is vital for launching counter-attacks and spreading the play. The youngster Manish Bhargav is an exciting prospect. He reminds me of Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal. He is fearless and does not get intimidated with opposition. He launched himself to the scene after a stunning display at the Kolkata derby last season. The hard-working Jewel Raja has been retained and he will prove to be a vital member of the team in the later part of the season. However, it is beyond my reach as to why we keep Snehasish season after season. He has lost his pace, his dribbling ability and his cutting edge. He had a terrible last season and it left me amazed to see him in the squad. Manish Mathani has been a squad player from quite a time now for us.

New recruits, Denson Devadas and Stanley Okoroigwe (foreign quota) will be a big impact. Devadas rose to stardom after a superb showing at the Santosh trophy some years back, and to be fair, he has had consistent seasons with Chirag United (Prayag United, later). This is his first big move and lets hope he can produce some crackers.

Verdict: Average

Tolgay and Odafa

No matter how much I say about Odafa, it will be never be enough. Simply put, he has outgrown the Indian football and can easily slot in any other high level leagues. He will guarantee goals and together with the big money signing of Tolgay (foreign recruit), it is the most fearsome strike partnership in the I-League (atleast on paper). Dipendu Biswas – the grand old man of Bengal football, will add experience in the striker’s department.

Verdict: Excellent

With Odafa and Tolgay both guaranteed a place in the starting lineup, it will most probably be a 4-4-1-1 formation.

Probable lineup – Arindam, N.Chettri, Echezona Anyichie, Khelemba Singh, Nabi, Manish Bhargav, Rakesh Masih, Devadas, Jewel Raja, Odafa, Tolgay

What worries me is the lack of personnel in the midfield. Football, being a midfield oriented game, in recent times, is risky when you play two strikers. However, Tolgay is versatile and will most probably given a free role behind Odafa. Devadas will be a key player this time around and the play-making responsibilities will fall on him. The new defensive partnership of Khelemba and Echezona will be interesting to see, however I won’t be surprised to see some other names in the defense.

Contrary to many fans, I think that this is a title winning squad. For the first time in many years, our defense looks to be sorted. The depth of midfield is definitely a negative, however the 4-crore worth of strike force can definitely create something out of nothing through individual brilliance. If everything falls into the right place, I am convinced that we will definitely see the trophy this season.

KHARKOV, UKRAINE – JUNE 17: Robin van Persie of Netherlands shows his dejection as he walks off the pitch after the UEFA EURO 2012 group B match between Portugal and Netherlands at Metalist Stadium on June 17, 2012 in Kharkov, Ukraine.

Remember the time when you touched that hot cup, hoping it wasn’t hot or tasted the week-long milk from your fridge, hoping it hadn’t turned sour but eventually it did? Or the time when you printed your hero’s name on the back of your shirt and they moved on for greener pastures the next season? My point is, hope has killed you enough, hasn’t it? If it hasn’t yet, then you have just been taught a lesson from our very own Robin van Persie.

Now, Gooners and all non-Gooners, you might have already got the news. Yes yes, van Persie won’t be renewing his contract with Arsenal, having a year left. Honest to God, I’d really hate tomorrow morning. Mostly because I’ll wake up to see my timeline getting flooded with disgusting memes. These guys are fast. Phew!

Anyway, coming back to the point of sour milk and hot coffee cups, let me ask you a simple question: didn’t you expect this? Going round and round with the contract talks, like a cheap merry go round. Or Wenger signing two “big name” strikers even before the transfer window opens – that was a no brainer guys.  (Note: If someone was to sign a contract, he would have done it right away. I have lost count the number of times I have waken up to headlines such as: “Diaby pens a 15 year contract”, “Denilson signs 40 year contract extension”, when the very night before, I swear I saw them uploading their pictures on a beach somewhere in Spain)

Now let me tell what I actually feel about this whole saga. Point number one: I am glad its over. All you guys blaming the board should really take a step back. Last season was an eye-opener for many of us when the smell of money and Catalunya’s beauties was too strong for two guys. A terrible summer led to a terrible season opener, as we decided to do everything at the very last moment (although, I am pretty sure Arteta’s signing was after the window closed). However, bringing in two top strikers so early gets a big thumbs up from me.

Now, after that, anyone saying van Persie won’t be missed is stupid. 30+ goals in a season is something special. He made Walcott’s crosses world-class and converted Song’s lobs into wonderful assists. I don’t think it’s quite possible to directly replace him, just as there was no one to replace Fabregas directly. Van Persie has always been class. The very first goal I remember him scoring for us was against Blackburn. It was from an impossible angle and you could see right there that here was a man who oozed class. Well, that ‘class’ was very sporadic and inconsistent in his first eight years at the club. Mostly because of the injuries which never left him. Although, I always thought he was unlucky with injuries – picking up knocks from international duties that would sideline him for months.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 05: Robin van Persie of Arsenal looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium on May 5, 2012 in London, England.

I also remember the last time Robin signed a contract with us. It was in 2009. And I quote:  “If you look at the last five years, look at the steps I have made every season, if you look at the support the boss and the whole club gave me, the fans gave me, my team-mates gave me – this is the right decision.”  Yes, the club stood by him. We, the fans stood by him. Playing 15 games a season was his norm and he would spend most of the time in the injury table (Hell, Arsene even got him Diaby to keep him company there!) and with a secured contract he never had to worry about not getting paid. Well, some people might call it investment on a top-class player. But come to think of it now, we have been really bad investors – investing for seven years for one good season.

I don’t think that the whole van Persie saga leaves us heartbroken and betrayed. I think it gives us perspective. It’s sad what footballers have come to these days. I can’t even imagine this, say five to ten years ago. I remember someone saying, “Well, I hate our players for not loving my club, as I do.” From a players’ perspective it’s all natural. Leaving clubs, changing suitors – they are after all professional players and all clubs make sure that they don’t get affected by fans’ abuses by hiring football psychologists and what not. From an Arsenal point of view, I don’t see much harm. If you look at the business end – getting about €20m (although I seriously doubt it) for a player who is 29 and has only one year left on his contract is terrific. Also, that’s one more of the ‘non-committed players’ off the board, but it’s the fans who suffer. One night we are singing, “Robin van Persie: He scores when he wants” and the other night, we are imagining him in a Manchester City shirt – this is the stuff that nightmares are made of. On one day we hear van Persie talking about how great life is at Arsenal and the next moment we see a cheesy, “Well, I am leaving” message on his website. Makes you think, if he had a good, injury-free season some years ago, he would have left a long time ago. Times like this puts things into perspective. “Ambition for trophies” is a phrase that is used too often and too nonchalantly these days.

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – MAY 13: 13: Arsene Wenger, manager of Arsenal with his assistant Pat Rice seated during the Barclays Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal at The Hawthorns on May 13, 2012 in West Bromwich, England.

Putting up a message like that on your website and taking the Arsenal board by surprise is not a great example of class. For me, it was just a way to attract clubs after a disappointing time at the Euros. And considering Juventus making a laughable 8m offer for him, it surely had got him thinking. However, I am not blaming van Perise. I am in a way blaming us, the fans – the hopeless romantics for creating demi-God statures, when, lets face it, most of them aren’t worth it. But maybe, even the darkest of clouds have a silver lining.  Well, look no further than Arsene Wenger. You got to feel sorry for him. Maybe he is to blame after all, for making us hope, that like him, all of his signings will stick by.

Or maybe sometimes, the best thing is to just be glad to put YOUR name at the back of the shirt – no one will love your club more than you do. Players come and players go, but it’s the cannon on that chest that matters. Come on you Gooners!

Seven points from seven games. Need I say more? The horrible failures of the summer were directly highlighted throughout the initial games. Wilshere, the person tipped to replace Cesc, was out for the season with an injury. Nasri’s flirtings with the Manchester clubs finally paid off, as he signed for the Citizens.  And the initial injuries/suspensions to key men like Vermaelen, Wilshere, Sagna etc saw the likes of Miquel to fill in for the team. Probably the 8-2 drubbing by the hands of Manchester United was just what we needed, and after that Wenger went on a shopping spree on deadline day, to bring in five new faces into the team.

Yes, I was alive when Wenger made 5 singings in 5 hours. The injection of new blood into the team worked like a miracle. Arsenal finally found their feet after a thrilling 5-3 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, which kick-started our season. Slowly, we were on a winning run(yes!). The juggernaut steadied in November (our traditional bogey month), and then we had a solid December. Great results continued to flow in from both Europe and from domestic ventures – with Robin van Persie firing on all cylinders. He scores when he wants, they say!

You can call it luck, misfortune or the inability of our medical staff, but I think that Lucifer finally managed to break the 66 seals and cursed all the full backs at our club (well, also the persons who went to play there). Santos, Gibbs, Sagna, Jenkinson – these were the specialist full backs who were lying on the treatment table. Coquelin and Djourou managed to keep up with our ‘being injured’ reputation. Finally, Yennaris (right from the reserve team) and Miquel (centre back) were to be seen playing there. Without natural full backs, the team was heavily off balance, and suddenly we surrendered to a mini slump. Defeats at Sunderland, Milan (a 4-0 nightmare!) were followed by a 3-2 defeat in the hands of Swansea. A certain Thierry Henry was signed (read: very short term) in January, where he took exactly 12 minutes to outscore Chamakh this season. His stint with the club was celebratory, where he scored an important winner against Sunderland.

The scoreline read 0-2. The heads were already down and with the heroics of two Senegalese at Newcastle United, Arsenal’s hopes of playing under the bright lights of Europe looked bleak. But a Sagna’s header changed the direction of the ship’s rudder. 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2, and finally 5-2. Spurs were demolished at home and we headed into another magical run of form. We almost acheived the impossible against Milan and went on to win 5 games in 6 matches. Arteta was significant in this time, with Koscielny solid and composed at the back. Vermaelen’s return from injury gave the side an automatic boost while the 29 year old (read: footballing age) Tomas Rosicky probably felt that it was 2006 again. Suddenly, some people were told to mind the gap, and we looked to be the favourite to seal the Champions League Spot.

It was a season where no team, probably, wanted to play in the Champions League. Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea were playing ‘pass the ball’ with the each other, as none of the teams looked sure to secure the 3^rd and 4^th spot. However, till the last day, we had it “in our own hands” (although at half time at the Hawthorns, we looked to have made a meal out of it). Finally, a Koscielny header and a 35 million pounds block from Gibbs were enough to seal our participation in the most elite tournament of Europe. From 17^th to 3^rd. Not a bad season, if you look at the whole perspective of things. However, it was another season filled with a plethora of “trophyless” jokes. Honestly, I have lost count of how many years it’s been. And I sincerely hope that it changes this time around (Although, hope has killed me enough).

Robin van Persie

Marouane Chamakh

Henry scoring on his ‘debut’ against Leeds.

Robin van Persie, trying to  chip Abbiati from point blank range (Arsenal 3-0 Milan)

Here is the Link

 Arteta’s Free kick against Aston Villa

Had it been a better/more organised summer last time around, we could’ve posed a serious threat to the Manchester clubs. Maybe it was a lesson that was learnt the hard way by Wenger and co. So, without wasting any time, Arsenal have secured the services of the German, Lukas Podolski. A right move, and in the right direction. With names like M’Villa, Martin Suarez (although there may be some work permit issues) doing the regular rounds, I won’t be surprised if we do make another quick, uncharacteristic signing. With some clearance of dead wood, getting the signature of our hitman Robin van Persie, and with a fit Wilshere (like a new signing!), next season could just be ours. Come on you gooners!

Thank you for everything, Barreto!

For the majority of today, this song(Everything will be alright) by Bob Marley has been stuck inside my head. I don’t know why.

Now, that is probably a strange introduction to a tribute article, isn’t it? However, if I think too carefully, it probably isn’t. Because the man I will be talking about for the rest of this article, is Jose Ramirez Barreto and all Mohun Bagan fans(well, at least I) can visualize the imagery of Barreto singing “Everything’s gonna be alright” to us in his calm and magnetic aura during every match. Yes, this is THE Jose Ramirez Barreto, the sabuj tota, the very heart and soul of Mohun Bagan for eleven long years.

Well, it was official about two weeks ago – this will be Barreto’s last season in a green and maroon jersey. I must say when I heard the news, it became all too sentimental for me. Yes, I’m the same person who had to see a certain Cesc Fabregas leave for Barcelona at the start of the season, but this felt different altogether. This is different. This is Indian football – a dark place, unlike the gloriously lit European nights. However, for eleven long years, one foreigner lit our Salt Lake stadium with his sheer brilliance and commitment. Yes, he had his stints with Mahindra United and in Malaysia but he was always our Bagan boy.

Frankly I don’t really care about his record. For starters, it’s brilliant. Here’s a detailed version for the stat freaks out there:

Barreto, who joined Mohun Bagan in 1999-2000, has played 397 matches for the green and maroon brigade. He scored a total of 227 goals. His first came against Dempo way back on January 17, 2000. In the National League Barreto scored 93 goals in 187 matches

He scored 10 hat-tricks and netted 17 goals against Bagan’s arch-rivals East Bengal. He has been the top-scorer of a tournament 10 times. However, in the National League, he was the top scorer only once. That was in 2000-01, and he got 14 goals. (Stats courtesy: Hariprasad Chattopadhyay)

An unthinkable situation where an East Bengal supporter is in the Mohun Bagan gallery, cheering for Barreto.

But to me, he was closer than any other players – he was humble, God-fearing, charismatic and then an amazing footballer. I’ve lost count of how many times he came to our rescue. Be it a Kolkata Derby or a friendly match against Pune FC – he prepared each game like he was going into war. He is a brilliant example of a ‘Play for the badge in front of your shirt, and the people will remember the name on your back’ player. The crowd loved him. In an atmosphere of incessant swears and blames, you could hear chants of “Barreto! Barreto!” multiple times in every match he played. I considered myself honoured to have joined in those carefree and lung-bursting chants. He attained a demi-God stature that players can only dream of.

Off field, he was the perfect role model. I was fortunate enough to have lived close to his home. Every time you’d see him, he will always greet you with a loving smile. It never bothered him when someone asked to get pictures with him and he gave autographs unhesitatingly.

India has been fortunate enough to have been graced by many foreigners, but for me he is the greatest ever. A captain, a thorough professional and an even better human being – this guy has it all. And the finish to his Mohun Bagan career couldn’t have been better. On a day where tickets were made free for Barreto’s last game, thousands braved the summer heat to cheer for him one last time. It’s his habit not to disappoint us – he scored in his final match and got the MoM award to finish off his glittering and legendary career at Mohun Bagan. This was probably the first time when there were tears after a Barreto goal. There was an unseen delirium and a devastating void looming over the galleries today. This was his last time.

At the age of 35, he will now play for Bhawanipur next season and I wish him all the best in the world. This man deserves it. Thank you for everything, Jose Ramirez Barreto!

In an exciting derby match at Kolkata, Mohun Bagan held Kingfisher East Bengal to an 1-1 draw at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday. It was an all important match in the I-league as the winner would have gotten an upper hand in the race for the I-league title. However, the result would suit Dempo SC and Churchill Brothers, as this year’s title race is bound to go till the very last game of the season.

The match started with an one-minute silence for the victims at the Egypt football stadium’s tragedy, which took place earlier this week. Mohun Bagan started with Sunil Chettri and Odafa Okolie, with a 4-4-2 formation, thus abandoning their winning formula of 4-5-1 from the previous derbies. East Bengal gave Robin Singh a start, with a compact midfield comprising of Penn and Mehtab. With two out and out strikers for Mohun Bagan, the East Bengal midfield were dominant from the start. Mohun Bagan failed to stamp their authority in the midfield as they were outrun and out played by the East Bengal midfielders.

Hudson Lima was always closely marked by two players, as Trevor Morgan realized that he provided the creative outlet in a lack-luster mid field of Mohun Bagan. Lima was on the receiving end of hard tackles, throughout the match. Robin Singh was constantly seen to run beyond Sur Kumar down the left channel. However in spite of dominating possession for most of the  first half, East Bengal were unable to create a good chance from the open play. The best chance fell to Tolgay, but the Australian striker lashed his volley wide.

The goal however came in the 34th minute when Robin Singh ran through past the entire Mohun Bagan defense, for a lobbed ball. The back four could only hope that the linesman would put up his flag for offside, however it was the other way round and Robin Singh made full use of the defensive lapse. There was a hint of offside – however none of the video replays proved to conclusive enough. East Bengal went into the half time, leading 1-0.

The second began with a bang. Hardly the supporters had returned from their half-time refreshments, when Odafa proved once again, why he is the best striker of the I-league. The lanky Nigerian dribbled past four defenders before unleashing a powerful shot which took a deflection on it’s way into the goal. It was 1-1, and parity has been restored. Barreto, probably playing his last Kolkata derby came on for Zeleny, but was unfortunate enough to be injured after going in on a tackle – he was in turn replaced with Asim Biswas. Sunil Chettri then, missed a chance after some good work by Lima Hudson on the left hand side. The next talking point of the game was when Tolgay rounded off the keeper to put the ball in the back of the net, however the goal was disallowed because of offside. It was a controversial decision, as the video replays showed that he could have been on.

Mohun Bagan played the last fifteen minutes with ten men, as Lima was stretchered off, after being fouled by Penn. It was a bad tackle from the East Bengal player, which got him booked. Early reports say that the Brazilian could be out for atleast two weeks, although there was no fracture at the ankle.  However, the Mariners were able to hold the red and gold brigade, till the final whistle , and looked the happier of the two to get the one point. Given the circumstances it was a good point for the Mariners. This was the third derby of this season, and the Mariners came away unbeaten from these three matches – having won two and drawn one.

With this draw, East Bengal are at 2nd place with 35 points from 19 games and Mohun Bagan are at 3rd place with 34 points from 19 games. Dempo SC are at 40 points, having played one game less.

Robert Pires to play for Howrah Manchester Sports in the PLS

The auction for players and coaches for the upcoming season of PLS took place on Monday, 30th January. Five of the six franchises were already sold yesterday, with Barasat, the costliest of all – sold to a whopping Rs. 25.15 crore.

Barasat, which had a base price of only 80 lakhs, was picked-up by URO Infra Reality India Ltd. The Siliguri franchise was bought by Aajay Consultants at Rs. 18 crore. Kolkata became the third highest franchise, after being bought by the Camelia Group at Rs. 11.5 crores. Syncsys Infotech Ltd got Howrah at Rs 9 crore, while Durgapur was sold at Rs 7.6 crores to Tulip Inofrnet Pvt. Ltd. However, Haldia couldn’t attract any suitors. Thus, the opening season of PLS may see five teams, instead of six.

Former world player of the year and world cup winner, Fabio Cannavaro was sold to the Siliguri franchise for $ 830,000 from a base price of $ 780,000. Hernan Crespo, who once held the World record in transfer fee for his move to Italian giants Lazio, was the top draw of the show, as he became the costliest player of this season’s PLS with a staggering $ 840,000 – bought by Barasat. French world cup winner and Arsenal legend, Robert Pires was sold to Howrah for $800,000 after he was the subject of several bids from different franchises. Liverpool legend, Robbie Fowler Nigerian superstar Jay Jay Okocha was bought by Kolkata and Durgapur respectively.

Samson Siasia and Teitur Thordarson is set to become the most expensive coaches in the inaugural season of PLS for Durgapur and Barasat respectively, at $210,000.

Bhaichung Bhutia may feature for the Barasat franchise along with Hernan Crespo. He was named as the brand ambassador for the Barasat team. If Bhutia, does not play in the second division of I-league, he may play in the PLS. United sikkim coach D Ridder is their sporting director.

However, with only five teams in the PLS this season, there is a huge doubt over the involvement of Argentine defender, Pablo Sorin and English coach, John Barnes. The remaining auction (for Indian players and other new arrivals) will take place on the second week of February.

Here is the final list of the players and coaches auctioned in the day one of the PLS bidding.

Barasat:
Teitur Thordarson($210,000) – COACH
Hernan Crespo( $840000) - ICON
Park Byoung-Gyu($90000) – ASIA
Joaquin Botero($180000)
Christian Lara( $200000)

Kolkata:
Peter Reid($200000) – COACH
Robbie fowler($530000) – ICON
Park Ji Seung($140000) – ASIA
Daniel Varela($110000)
Robert Egbeta($350000)

Howrah:
Fernando Couto( $240000) – COACH
Robert Pires( $800000) – ICON
Byun Yoon Chui($115000) – ASIA
Jose Gabriel Rios($180000)
Diego Madreigal( $120000)

Durgapur:
Samson Siasia($210,000) – COACH
Okocha – ICON
Kim Bong Kyeom($11500) – ASIA
Jose Carlos Castillo($80000)
Alonso Solis($200000)

Siliguri:
Etcheverry($200000) – COACH
Fabio Cannavaro($830000) – ICON
Hwang Gyu Hwan – ASIA
Santino Quaranta($180000)
Limberg Gutierrez($180000)

The FA Cup 5th round draw took place on Sunday, 29th January 2012. Liverpool, Chelsea got comfortable home draws against non Premier League sides, Brighton and Birmingham respectively. Tottenham were drawn against League One (third tier of English football) side Stevenage FC. The winner of Arsenal and Aston Villa will take on the winner of Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

Here is the full draw.

Liverpool vs Brighton

Everton vs Blackpool/sheffield wednseday

Chelsea vs Birmingham

Crawley vs Stoke

Stevenage vs Tottenham Spurs

Norwich vs Leicester

Sunderland/middlesbrough vs Arsenal/Aston Villa

Millwall /southampton vs bolton

Italian World Cup winner, Fabio Cannavaro

Remember the goal scoring prowess of Hernan Crespo and Robbie Fowler, or the mesmerizing wing play by Robert Pires, or that image of lifting the World Cup for Italy by former world player of the year, Fabio Cannavaro? Well, stop dreaming and prepare yourself in a chance of a lifetime, as you can see them playing live in a football stadium in India! As reported earlier, World Cup footballers — including stars like Robert Pires, Hernan Crespo and Robbie Fowler –  will feature in the inaugural season of PLS (Premier League Soccer) this year, in what is possibly Indian football’s biggest coup, even possibly overshadowing Messi’s one-time arrival.

Today, IFA (Indian Football Association) and Celebrity Management Group met and launched the Tender Documents to award the six Franchisees for the proposed seven weeks premier league soccer. Kolkata, Barasat, Durgapur, Haldia, Howrah and Shiliguri are the assigned locations for the Franchisees to choose for the next ten years, with each locations having a base price for the auction – Kolkata & Siliguri is Rs. 1 crore per year, Barasat at Rs. 80 lakhs per year and for Haldia & Durgapur, Rs. 70 lakhs per year. Any group or corporate owners, with a combined net worth of 5 million USD or with an annual turnover of 10.00 million USD during each last three years may bid for a PLS Franchisee. They must build their teams within a limit of 12.5 crore INR.

Argentine goal scoring legend, Hernan Crespo

Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Juan Pablo Sorin (Argentina), Jay Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Robert Pires (France), Robbie Fowler (England), Hernan Crespo (Argentina) and Mari Anthes (Spain) are listed as ‘icons’ and each of them will lead a team in the PLS. Each team will be monitored and trained under eminent coaches,which includes Peter Reid (England), John Barnes (England), Samson Siasia (Nigeria), Marco Etcheverry, Colin Todd (England), Teitur Thodarson (Canada) and Milos Rus (Slovakia). 

Each team will be comprised of 4 foreign players, 6 under 21 players, 6 catch mate players (Domicile players), and 14 other Indian players. The matches will be played from Wednesday to Sunday (excluding Friday), under both floodlights and daylight. The tournament will most likely to commence from 25th February.

Mr.Bhaswar Goswami, Executive Director of Celebrity management group has said that the paperworks have been submitted in Zurich at FIFA, and got the recognition of Sepp Blatter, who reportedly showed great interest in PLS.

Arsenal will look to get back to their winning ways after suffering a loss to Fulham, last time around. They are on a high after beating Leeds Utd to secure a 4th round spot in the FA Cup. With the return of the charismatic Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie, Arsene Wenger will be tempted to play both of them together.

Arsenal will be without Gervinho, who has left for Africa on national duties, however Arsene Wenger have plenty of options to replace him. Arshavin, Chamberlain, Benayoun and Henry himself, are all available, whereas Rosicky is a doubt. Defender Djourou will be available again after a suspension, while young midfielder, Coquelin is out with an hamstring tear.

For Swansea, it will be a tough task to maintain their impressive home record, against Arsenal. They have just conceded 4 goals at Liberty stadium this season. Michel Vorm, Joe Allen, Steven Caulker and Scott Sinclair are likely to return after being rested against Barnsley in the FA Cup, while Gylfi Sigurdsson could get a full debut. Swansea’s impressive passing game has accumulated many praises from the footballing sphere this season, with Manchester United being the only club to beat them at home this season.

Previously, both the teams have locked horns 10 times, with the Gunners winning six of them and Swansea winning three.

Form Guide:

Arsenal – WLWDWL

Swansea – WDLDDW

Va va Boom!

In my previous article, I wrote about how Henry’s comeback was like a fairytale for all gooners around the world. And if his signing was a fairytale, then yesterday night was a dream come true – where everyone witnessed the execution of the most romantic of scripts from the football Gods.

Leeds United, with their five thousand chirpy faithfuls visited the Emirates in the hope of maybe getting a replay or maybe even producing an upset in the third round of the FA cup. Their strategy was simple – to park the bus. There was always 11 men behind the ball with Arsenal trying hard with their neat passing to break them down. Out of form, Arshavin and Chamakh along with the teenager Chamberlain spearheaded the Arsenal attack, with the Russian, probably wasting the best chance in the first half. Ramsey collected a ball from midfield and passed it to Chamakh who did the same to Arshavin, however the Russian’s first time effort was well wide. There was not much action in the first half, with not many chances for either side.

The second half was more or less the same. Apart from a couple of Arteta and Chamberlain long attempts, and with Arshavin and Chamakh  lacking form and confidence, the game was slowly settling for a draw. Arsene Wenger then popped up with two deciding changes – Theo Walcott for Chamberlain and Thierry Henry for Chamakh. The reception for the legendary striker was fantastic. The whole stadium roared and embraced the homecoming of Highbury’s favourite son. And then the inevitable happened.

With 12 minutes remaining, Henry scored his 12th goal against Leeds in 12 appearances wearing a number 12 Arsenal shirt in 2012. Song got the ball in the midfield and threaded a great pass through two Leeds defenders. Thierry Henry gets the ball near the left hand side of the penalty box. His immaculate first touch takes the weight of the ball, tilts his frame and slots the ball into the net. Is it 2012 or 2003? Everything about the goal was so him. The way he made a late diagonal run into the box, the way he opened up his body and then his trademark finishing. “You’ve still got it.” – echoed through the walls of the Emirates stadium. After running around the pitch with his arms outstretched past the juvelant supporters, Henry hugged Wenger, his ‘spiritual father’, near the bench. His teammates soon followed him.

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny raced the length of the pitch to join the delirium.  His celebration was emotional, genuine and highlighted his love for the fans and the club itself.

Afterwards, Henry, the man of the match was visibly moved and spoke about how he scored for the first time, after being a player turned fan.

“When he got in this position, I thought, ‘That’s your angle.” Wenger said. “He doesn’t force the shot and still made it look easy. That was the Thierry Henry finish.” Henry himself said, ”I never thought I was going to play for Arsenal again or score a winner.” “I love the club and I hope I can do more. I hope it won’t be the last one. The feeling I had when I scored was amazing.”

“It was like a dream when he scored, it was the story you would tell a kid. It is not often like that in our game. He has seen it all, he has done it all, we knew if we could find him he would be dangerous.”, said Wenger whose happiness at the press conference.

And with the win the Gunners progress to the fourth round of the FA cup and will face a Villa side at the Emirates.

Arsenal will look to start the New Year with a bang, when they will face Fulham at Craven Cottage tonight. It will no doubt be a tough test for the North Londoners as the Cottagers are traditionally a tough team at Craven Cottage.  This is the second game inside a space of three days for both the London clubs. Arsenal go to this game on a good run of form and on the back of a 1-0 win against QPR. Fulham’s previous game was against Norwich, which they drew 1-1.

Fatigue will be an issue for both the clubs, with these continuous run of games. Arsene Wenger said, “It will be tough again this time. You can see that everyone finds motivation against Arsenal, everyone organises well and stops us from playing. That will happen again at Fulham. But, after the three points against QPR, we will be very focused to get the win there.”

Defender Thomas Vermaelen will be out after suffering an injury in the QPR game, while Robin van Persie may be given a rest after dwelling over “the red zone” for quite a while now.  With Gervinho gone, Arshavin may be given a start while Wenger has also the option of Rosicky, Benayoun and Oxalde-Chamberlain to use when necessary.

Fulham will be without Bobby Zamora, while Andy Johnson may return into the squad. Former Arsenal defender Senderos will start and may have a point or two to prove to his former club. In the middle Etuhu should start to provide space for the American Clint Dempsey ahead.

KRISTOFFER OLSSON

Born: 30/06/1995 Norrkoping, Sweden
Position: Midfield
Height: 5ft 9in

Club: Arsenal FC

How did you get started in football? Did you play any other sports?

My dad used to play and was a coach so I think it was through that. But I’ve always loved football so it was natural. I used to play table tennis. I was one of the best in my town but I quit when I was about 12.

Who do you look up to as a player in football?

I really liked Zidane when he used to play, but now my role models are Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere. They are all great players and I like the way they play football.

What was your first reaction when you learnt that Arsenal was interested in you? Did the signing process take a long time? Was there any interest from other clubs? 

Of course I was really surprised and happy, my dad called me when I was on trial for the second time and said, ” They want to sign you!” At that moment, I was in a hotel, watching TV; so it was a really surprising! But  I can’t describe that feeling. It was like a dream. The process took a long time. My home club wanted the most money they could get and things like that, but in the beginning of July, I arrived here and I became an Arsenal player.

Why did you choose Arsenal FC?

I chose Arsenal because I know the club is one of the best clubs in the world, and also that the boss ( Arsene Wenger) lets young players to get chance in the first team.

What is the difference between England and Sweden? Are the training facilities, staff etc different from your previous club?

The biggest difference is the football. Here [England], all the players are really good and you have to give your 100 per cent all the time to get involved in the training and match. In Sweden I had school every day before the training and now it’s only 2 days a week. The focus is more on the football. In the beginning it was a bit difficult adjusting with the language, I didn’t understand everything and I didn’t talk so much, but now my English is much better and that makes everything easier.

You are working with Steve Bould at present. What is his role in developing reserve players? Does the reserve team follow Wenger’s philosophy of passing football?

Since when I started playing football(4  years old), I always had good coaches, but Steve Bould is absolutely the best I have ever had. He makes you learn things, which you have never thought about before and he is tactically good as well. His role is to make all players ready for the reserve games as quickly as possible, and then after that, the first team. We, in the youth team follow Wenger’s philosophy of course. We are all good on the ball and technical sound, so we try to play on the floor and move the ball as quick as possible.

How do you like the training facilities at Arsenal?

I don’t like them, I love them. I don’t think there can be any club which has better training facilities than Arsenal. The pitches are the best in the country and the changing rooms and the gymnasium are world class. If it’s snowing or raining outside, we can go indoor and train on the artificial turf. The food is great as well. We can’t complain about anything.

What is the atmosphere inside the club? Do the senior players help younger players like you?

The atmosphere is really great. If you see a player in the first team, they always wish with hello and sometimes they ask you how are you feeling and things like that. The older players in the reserve team help you as well if you have a problem. It’s like a big family.

What is the best and the worst thing about England? How do you spend your day, while not training?

The best thing about England is the football league. Also the shopping is good. The worst thing about England is… I don’t know, the girls maybe..! When I’m not training I’m just relaxing, watching football, playing fifa, going out for a coffee or go into town for shopping, I really like shopping.

How is life in England different from that of Sweden? Do you miss your family?

A lot different actually. I missed my family and all my friends back home a lot in the beginning, but it’s better now. I still miss them but it’s worth it. My dream is to be a professional footballer and so you have to take the risks. But I can also go home sometimes and see them and they can come here and visit me. I do not regret about the fact that I moved here, it has only made me stronger as a person and a better football player.

Ok. now for some quick fire questions.

Favourite Food – tacos
Favourtie Clothing line – baggy, sporty, converse
All-time favourite footballer – Zinedine Zidane
Favourite Swedish player - KIm Källström/Rasmus Elm
Three words to describe you as a player – smart, technical, witty
Three words to describe you as a person – calm, happy, humble
And finally, where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?  Of course I hope to see myself as the best player in the world, but you have to be realistic and then maybe in a team in the Premier League. Hope it will be Arsenal.

Arsenal midfielder, Emmanuel Frimpong has joined Wolves on loan till the end of the season.

It has been reported that Frimpong underwent a medical at Compton yesterday and may make his debut against Chelsea on Monday. Frimpong is Wolves’ second winter signing after they signed Eggert Jonsson.

Frimpong has recently been linked with a number of PL clubs, like QPR, Swansea and Fulham but he ultimately signed for Wolves. The Ghanaian born central midfielder will get much needed playing time, which is important for any young player.  The strongly built midfielder is keen to build on his hard-tackling reputation. He, himself has stresses that he can also be a good distributor of the ball and not only just a ball winner.

“Sometimes I’ll go on Twitter to see what the fans are saying and people are suggesting I’ll deal with any players they don’t like,” he said.

“They seem to have created a ‘wanted’ list for me.

“I think I’m going to have to make a YouTube video to show fans the other things I’m good at.

“But then again, I’m not exactly Lionel Messi!

“I’m definitely less reckless now. Since the Liverpool game I feel I’m a different player.

“I still try my best to go into challenges but I think twice about what kind I go in for.”

Arsenal Goal Machine – Thierry Henry: 226 Goals from 369 Games. To be continued..

Well, you must be quite aware of the saying – ‘no player is bigger than the club itself’. And mind you, I am always a firm believer of it. But when I see Thierry Henry, I just cannot seem to fathom myself. Henry and Arsenal go hand to hand. Whenever you think of Thierry Henry, that image of him in a red and white jersey, tearing down the left side and then slowly putting the ball past the goalie, always appears in your mind. It would take forever for the ball to hit the net, but once the ball fizzes pass the goalie, you’ld just know that it would settle right at the bottom or top corner. That was Theirry Henry for you. That sudden burst of pace, that dribbling at such high speed, that monster-like strength to hold the defenders off – were all the attributes that highlighted this goal machine. The King of Highbury, Premier League’s greatest goal scorer and most importantly a player, whose name is forever engraved in the hearts of every gooner.

His last interview at www.arsenal.com was a recipe for heartbreak for all gooners around the world. A most emotional interview that concluded with these magical sentence :”Once a gooner, always a gooner.” Well, fair play to him when he got that elusive Champions League medal with that scabby lot in Spain. Yet, you could just see that Arsenal was in his heart, when he dedicated the win to all Arsenal fans. By this time, he has past his prime. And a move to the America was on the cards.

The love affair between Arsenal and Henry got reignited again, when Henry started training with the Arsenal boys to remain fit during the MLS off season break. Coincidentally, it was the same time that the club decided to erect a staute of him along with two other Arsenal legends – Chapman and Adams. It was an emotional moment for the King as he broke down during his speech, citing his admiration and gratitude for the club that he truly loves. And what else, a month later, like a fairytale, he’s back playing for us again. The King is back!

So, where does it take us? Is it an extremely short-term replacement of the departing Chamakh, with another striker (Podolski, anyone?) waiting to join us this month or is Henry just a direct replacement of Chamakh for these two months? Frankly, I don’t know. And my gut feeling is that, it’s the latter. Being a gunner, it’s useless to raise your hopes up for an established International to join us. Is Henry’s signing a step backward? Maybe. Is his presence going to affect the positive spirit inside the dressing room? Don’t know. Is his signing means a deadlock to any move for other strikers? Can be. Isn’t his age a hindrance to play in the fast-paced BPL again? Of course.

So, where’s the bright side? Well, besides the fact we’ll loads of pictures of Arsenal players with the king, on twitter with ‘DEEEENCH’ captions; there is one thing that overrides all negativity. He is THIERRY HENRY. He is the King himself. And while, I may never get to hear Martin Tyler scream, ‘HENRYYYYYYY, Goal!” this time around, but the feeling of Henry, back in an Arsenal shirt should overawe every gooner. Come on!

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