Pardew's job is now untenable

Joe Kinnear is the new Director of Football at Newcastle United. Most people will wonder what does this job mean? Is Kinnear taking up an advisory role where he works in tandem with the manager and the club's scouts in targeting players? That's all you'd think he'd be doing because the manager has the final say in everything else to do with football, right?

Nope.

#NUFC say Kinnear "senior executive in charge of all football-related matters. Graham Carr and Alan Pardew will report into Joe."
— Daniel Taylor (@DTguardian) June 18, 2013

So there you have it. Joe Kinnear is the new manager of Newcastle United (again). No, you say? Alan Pardew is the manager? True, that's what it says on his office door, it's what Sky Sports and BBC and the newspapers will call him but in reality he's lost control of one of the key aspects of being manager of a team: the personnel in his squad. From not having the final say over who's bought (the chief scout enjoys that) to not even having the final say over who's sold, Pardew's role is becoming more and more restricted.

Amazingly, losing control of who's sold is probably the least of Pardew's worries. Going by what Guardian journalist Daniel Taylor has tweeted above, Kinnear's "in charge of all football-related matters". That's a far broader role than being in charge of player recruitment and far more unnerving if you're Alan Pardew.

So Pardew has essentially been *demoted, but why wasn't he just plain sacked instead? He's clearly no longer trusted to make football decisions so why not stick Kinnear in as manager instead? In order to explain that we need look at why this appointment is being made in the first place and why replacing the manager was arguably justifiable but not realistic.

Newcastle were awful last season. The club lost 11 places and 24 points on the position it achieved in the league the previous year. Only for a very kind run-in, Newcastle would have been relegated. They tanked massively in a season where the bare minimum expected would have been a top-half finish.

After having such a poor season, most owners would justifiably consider replacing their manager.  But sacking Alan Pardew wasn't really an option.

Ditching Pardew would have been terribly embarrassing for Mike Ashley and Newcastle. After stating how the club wished to emulate the managerial philosophy of the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, it would have looked awful had Newcastle parted company with an incumbent who is less than 12 months into an eight-year contract.

So they did the next 'best' thing they could, they significantly reduced his influence over the direction of the club. And what does this mean for Pardew? In my opinion, it leaves his job untenable. The terms and conditions he signed up for in September have been completely changed and if he has any integrity he should resign. He is no longer master of his own fate and the decisions he'll be judged by this season and in the seasons beyond will no longer be entirely his own.

In my opinion, you can't redesign the management structure of a business without sacking or reassigning personnel. Pardew is now a glorified coach, he's no longer manager, which was the job he was hired to do. This Independent piece states that he's prepared to continue provided Kinnear knows who's calling the shots. But from listening to Kinnear, I doubt he'll give a f***.

*I realise Pardew worked with a Director of Football in Derek Llambias but as Kinnear alluded to in a Talksport interview, he was more financially-orientated in his role and therefore wouldn't have had as big an influence on the sporting side.

Case Study - The Modern Striker

Football, like all sports, progresses and evolves from year to year. As new fitness regimes are designed and playing surfaces are improved, the styles of players change along with the roles of each position on the pitch. And the forward-position is one that has seen a considerable change recently.

In the last half a decade, the role of a forward has been redesigned by many clubs. They are no longer expected to just score goals, and must contribute to other aspects of the team as well. Reasons why this change has taken place vary but most would point to the ever increasing importance of midfield supremacy. Less and less teams are playing a style involving diagonal, high balls to the forward line for strikers to compete for, and midfielders to win at the second phase. Instead the game is seeing a renaissance.

Teams who play the aforementioned style are considered archaic and regressive in modern footballing society. The accepted style of the modern game is based around controlling midfield and using this foothold as a platform for breaking down opposition defences. The 'passing game'. The most common aspect of this style is having a three-man midfield and one striker instead of the traditional two-man midfield and forward pairings. This increases the pressure a team can place on opposition midfields - particularly those of the two man kind - as the extra player provides another tackler and an additional option for simple five-ten yard passes. The striker must also be able to contribute to the midfield's cause and can no longer be idle until the ball is around the penalty area.

This means a striker in the mold of a Van Nistelroy or Inzaghi no longer provides enough to merit a start in most football teams. Whilst goalscoring prowess is still essential, it is no longer the deciding factor in who most managers will start up front. Finishing off moves must now be supplemented with contributions in build-up play. A striker must either have the competence of a mifielder in possession or must be able to stretch backlines and provide openings for other players to penetrate. The traditional no.9 role in football is obsolete in most teams. And the fall of Andy Carroll's fortunes is a fitting example of such. 

A big, powerful centre forward, Carroll was able to bulldoze his way through defences in his time up front for Newcastle. And the team was more than happy to provide the long, high balls and crosses for him to use his height to maximum effect. Now the most expensive player Liverpool have ever signed, Carroll is completely out-of-sorts. He does not have the technical efficiency to impose himself on Liverpool's style of play which requires players with pace and nimble feet in order to be effective. His stats for this season reflect this with the player starting only 12 league games for the club and contributing poorly with two goals and one assist.

Consequently the most successful forwards in modern football aren't big and powerful. The era of strikers like Didier Drogba and Alan Shearer will most likely end with the Ivorian's retirement. Players like Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Lionel Messi are now here to take over the mantle of those players. These strikers are as comfortable on the wings and deep in midfield as they are playing off the shoulder of an opposition centre back. Wayne Rooney's recent stints as a midfielder for Manchester United are an example of such versatility. But they are all devastating goalscorers on top of their contributions in other areas of the pitch.

Robin Van Persie plays as a lone striker for Arsenal as well as the Netherlands. The player is a fulcrum to his teams' attacks as he rotates with his wingers and comes deep to support his midfielders to help start attacks. But he finishes his fair share of them too as he scored an astonishing 50 goals in all competitions last year. And this is despite having none of the physical traits that were essential to Shearer and Drogba. Van Persie instead relies on his abilities to identify weaknesses in opposition defences as well as his perfect technique and instinctive reactions. His goal against Everton combines all three of these attributes. Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas described him as "the perfect striker":

"For a midfielder to have a player like him, it is fantastic because he gives you all the options that you need."

The best modern strikers represent a change in footballing philosophy that sees more technically-adept players being preferred to physically imposing ones. They are also the ultimate multi-taskers of the game and represent a new headache for defences who must devise ways of stifling them.

Product Review - Arsenal Player

Arsenal Player Logo

On the field, Arsenal's team has had its struggles in achieving its targets for the season. Online however, Arsenal's presence is rarely matched by its competitors as the efficiency and content of the club website have made using it a joy for fans, rather than a chore as most other football websites are. And it is safe to say that Arsenal Player meets the high standards of its parent-website.

With value for money something all customers seek nowadays, the subscription charge of £36 annually (about €43 for Irish and other European subscribers) is very reasonable. There is a diversity of content available from videos of the manager's pre and post-match press conferences to the live fan's forum hosted by radio presenter and Arsenal fan Tom Watt.

The interviews with the club's players provide the fan's with a link to the people they come to watch on matchday in a football world where fan-player relationships are disparaging. The radio commentary for senior games give fans the ability to follow Arsenal matches where television broadcasts aren't available. Content is constantly updated so it is something the most supporters will find themselves using daily and, in essence, getting value for their subscription fee. 

One of the aspects where Arsenal Player falls down in comparison to other club video services is the streaming of reserve games. Liverpool's website has this facility and it is an element that could improve Arsenal Player if it was brought in.

Other than that the service is diverse with plenty of content to give the subscribers value for money. The service is also linked with the club membership so subscribers will be sent a season pack which this season included a commemorative badge celebrating the 125th year of the club's existence, the club yearbook and a book about the club's legendary manager Herbert Chapman and his reflections on football.

Arsenal's Gamble

First of all, Wenger isn't stupid. But I do feel he is influenced by the favouritism he has for Arshavin. The Russian is an enigma. When he played in Euro 2008, when he first signed and when he played at Anfield everyone acknowledged that this man was a gem. He can dribble with both feet, he has an eye for a pass, his shooting ability is exceptional and the power he generates in his shots is surprising for a man of his stature.

But alas, while those abilities remain, the mentality of that man we signed is gone. Wenger longs to see the ambition Arshavin had to prove himself outside of Russia - which would subsequently see the return of the abilities. So in a way it's easy to understand the persistence with the Russian.

The other factor is that Wenger lost Nasri, Clichy and Fabregas in the summer, three players that he had so much love for, and he can't lose Arshavin too.

People speak about the Man United game yesterday as a watershed moment for Arsene Wenger. But I'd be sceptical of that view myself. Yes we suffered our third defeat in a row but all is not lost either. The team will get stronger in the next month with the returns of Wilshere, Sagna, Gibbs and Gervinho pencilled in. And the team we are seeking to catch is in dire need of reinforcements - even more so than Arsenal. Chelsea's full team lacks balance but ours does not. That will give us an advantage over them coming into the next few months.

If there was a watershed moment for anyone yesterday, it was for Arshavin. Wenger had faith to replace Chamberlain, for whatever reason, with the Russian. And Arshavin let his manager down in a big way. He was quiet in attack and was responsible for Valencia getting inside for United's winning goal. It's hard to imagine Arshavin getting many more chances to show what worth he has left in the remaining games. That's with injuries permitting his disuse of course.

Overall, the team played very well yesterday. Arsenal is not as far away from United as the league table might suggest. Yes Manchester United has a far more resilient side but, player-for-player, there's not too many in the United squad that I think would improve ours except perhaps their strikers (I would take Danny Welbeck at Arsenal any day of the week) and Vidic.

Saying all that though, there are deficiencies in this squad that probably won't be addressed in the next week.   RVP still does not have a solid deputy striker, and a replacement midfielder for the perpetually injured Abou Diaby needed strong consideration this month too.

Yet, I can't help but be positive about this team. Arsenal has so much going for it. Koscielny and Vermaelen will be an awesome centre-back pairing once Sagna and Gibbs are back in their fullback positions. Wilshere's return to midfield will revolutionize our attacking play (some might say that is over-enthusiasm for an inexperienced midfielder but I would turn their attention to how he matched - and at times dominated - Xavi and Iniesta against Barcelona in the Champions League last season). And Chamberlain's first start yesterday can be seen as nothing but a huge boost for Arsene and the squad.

Eight defeats looks awful. The goals conceded in the last few weeks have looked even worse as a lack of fullbacks cost the club nine points. And boos aimed at Wenger yesterday were tough to observe.

It's pretty obvious-looking that Arsenal and Wenger have taken a gamble this month. They have gambled that we can finish fourth without new signings. But the teams around Arsenal aren't exactly demolishing all in their path and more importantly, Wenger isn't stupid. So the gamble may just pay-off yet.

Leeds Preview - Henry Returns

Leeds in the FA Cup feels a little like deja-vu since we played - and struggled past - them last season. Hopefully Henry will start tonight so we can see what he can contribute to the team straight away. Anything close to this and we will have a really good option to interchange with RVP for the next two months:

It's highly unlikely that he will be able to go on those swashbuckling sprints that destroyed many-a-defence when he was at Arsenal last. But with Theo Walcott - and potentially Oxlade-Chamberlain - in the team the pace-aspect of Henry's previous style can be compensated for.

But anyway, Wenger was never looking for that when he re-signed him because what the team really needs from Henry is his sniper-like abilities in front of goal. I've bemoaned in several previous posts (Van Persie aside) the team's increasingly-crippling profligacy in front of goal and hopefully Henry will help arrest that.

In my opinion, the dream for Wenger in the next two months is that Henry provides a reliable option to rotate with - and support - Robin Van Persie, assists in getting the likes of Ramsey and Walcott amongst the goals more consistently and of course provides a few himself. Hopefully by the time Henry returns to the States, Park or Chamakh (or both) will have shown signs that they can be counted on to interchange with Robin, Gervinho and Chamakh find their touch in front of goal while away on international duty and Vermaelen, Sagna, Gibbs, Wilshere and Diaby all recover fully from there respective injuries. Its an idealistic outcome but it isn't completely out of the question either. The injured players just mentioned are all on course to come back in the next month. Chamakh will play consistently for the first time in a year at the ACN which will certainly give him a confidence boost. And Henry undoubtedly has the ability and presence to improve the team and his team-mates significantly.

It's hard not to feel positive when we have our all-time top goalscorer back at the club. It may only be a temporary fix as regards the size of the squad but it might be enough to propel the team towards the top four and maybe even engineer sustained challenges for the Champions League and the FA Cup.

So on to tonight, and the Leeds game will provide Wenger with a chance to rotate players - albeit not many considering the size of the injury-list. Van Persie and Arteta are nearly guaranteed rests after being involved in almost every Premier League game since the start of the season. The boss might consider bringing Yennaris in at the back since Djourou is suspended and Coquelin is worth another start tonight after giving a good account of himself against Fulham. Up front, it will be curious to see who gets the nod. Henry is likely to start with Arshavin and Chamberlain taking the wide-berths either side of him. What will be very curious to see is if Park plays any part in the game. He hasn't played a single minute of any of our Premier League games and wasn't even worth a place on the bench for most of those this season. If he plays no part again tonight then the situation regarding the reason for his place in the squad will become highly perverse.

As for the game, the Gooners really should ease through this one. Leeds have been struggling of late, losing three of their last four games in the Championship. However, the longer the game stays level tonight the more they will fancy an upset so the Arsenal players will have to keep their concentration and take the initiative early on in this match. I'm thinking 3-0 with Henry to score.

A Lack of Options and Outstanding Goalkeeping Hold Arsenal to Fifth

Arsenal 1 Wolves 1

So we miss out on fourth for the time being and a potential record-breaking tally for Van Persie seems to be out of sight as well. Poor finishing, a typically fantastic performance from an opposition 'keeper and ineffective substitutions contributed to a frustrating day at the Emirates as Arsenal couldn't find the solution to break down Wolves' stout resistance.

Even with a man sent-off, Wolves seldom looked more than marginally stretched. The loss of Walcott just before the game was costly as we lacked width and pace down the wings. Also the lack of proper fullbacks in the side was again found out as Vermalaen and Djourou lacked the offensive mindset of a Santos or Sagna to overlap and whip in dangerous crosses. Djourou played very well actually but his big, burly frame left him technically inefficient when trying to force the play down the wings as he took hefty touches and on one occasion he even kicked the ball out of play as he searched for Gervinho on the wing who was charging at the Wolves' defence.

Up front it was a day to forget for Van Persie as his legs simply refused to do what his mind was telling them. The seemingly impending record clearly compromised his normally cool and efficient decision-making as at certain times during the game he couldn't decide whether to go for goal or play in a team-mate. One particular incident that stands out in the mind is when he was bearing down on Wolves' penalty area in the first half. Alex Song had managed to keep up with him and was free on the inside. Van Persie simply had to roll the ball across the box as Song had a clear shot and a chance to put his team two-nil up and out of sight. Instead the Dutchman took the ball even further out wide to the left as he tried to line up his own shot but ended up being fouled by Johnson. It proved to be costly as six minutes later Wolves equalised.

If Gervinho's goal could be described as a wonderful, counter-attacking move of exceptional quality and class with Rosicky and Benayoun playing clever passes to release the Ivorian who coolly stepped past Hennessey to slot home, then Wolves' goal could be described as one of the most loathsome you are likely see at the Emirates.

A Wolves' corner was cleared as far as Hunt on the edge of the box. Rosicky went to challenge and missed man and ball completely. Hunt took a shot that was going well-wide of the goal but it took a wicked deflection and flew straight to Fletcher who was standing alone seven yards out. The Scot showed quick reactions as he redirected the ball to the far corner of Szczesny's goal. The young Pole was well beaten as Wolves had their equaliser and something to hold onto for the rest of the game.


In the second half Arsenal turned up the tempo and really went for Wolves albeit without the composure necessary to pull the Wolves players out of position consistently. We were too rushed in our play and then at times to slow to release the ball. Quite a paradox but the balance in the team's offensive manoeuvres just wasn't there. The team's decision-making faltered with Van Persie's. Indeed it would be fair to say that on a day when the Dutchman wasn't having the luck or the composure needed in front of goal, the team was short on players who could be the difference between three points and one.


Saying that though, there were chances to win the game too. Mertesacker and Vermaelen had efforts well saved from the excellent Hennessey but as regards penetration from midfield, we had none. Arteta and Rosicky couldn't be faulted for their effort but they never looked like scoring. Rosicky in particularly had a few good chances but his finishing was sub-standard. Ramsey came on and failed to have an impact.

Wenger's other two substitutions were a disaster. While Arshavin had plenty of possession and tried to no considerable effect, Chamakh was abysmal. The only memorable incident he was involved in was when Van Persie headbutted him while going for a corner. After that it was as if the team was playing with ten men for all the good he did as Arsenal's chances of claiming fourth faded and Wolves claimed a precious point in their battle against relegation. And with Park yet to play in the Premier League, the need for another striker to rotate with Van Persie is becoming increasingly apparent. Chamakh, our back-up to Van Persie, has scored one goal this season to contrast with the Dutchman's 20. And while it must be difficult to play second-fiddle to a man on such form, it is still an appalling record for any striker.

And it may sound like the pleading of a simple-minded fan but Wenger needs to act in January to address this chasm of quality between his frontman options. In contrast, the teams ahead of Arsenal in the league have a plethora of choices. Chelsea have the experienced goal-machine Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres (despite his form there can be no doubting his incredible underlying quality) and the ever-improving Daniel Sturridge. Tottenham have Adebayor, Jermaine Defoe, Rafael Van Der Vaart and Pavlyuchenko who all score goals. The Russian, who is fourth choice at White Hart Lane, scored the winner against Sunderland the other week. Arsenal don't even have a recognised fourth choice striker. Then when you look at the two Manchester teams, their options are on a totally different planet to ours. Aguero, Ballotelli and Edin Dzeko make up a strike-force worth €100 million for Man City while Man United have the almost ever-present Wayne Rooney to lead their line with the youthful and potentially brilliant Welbeck and Hernandez to play with him. Berbatov, who scored a hat-trick in their match yesterday, can barely get a game in the United side.

To sum up we have nothing like those options and are only Van Persie sustaining an injury, or losing form, away from a meltdown upfront for the team. The rumours of Thierry Henry returning are encouraging but that would only be to March as the MLS season kicks off again then. Arsenal and Wenger need something more permanent. For now though, the team has another big game coming up at the weekend against QPR and the team's attention must refocus to that.

Wolves - A Win For Fourth

The Arsenal team has just been announced as I write this and despite some speculation to the contrary, Van Persie will start.

The Dutchman is just two goals from equalling Alan Shearer's record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year and with two matches to go and with the form Van Persie is in at the moment, it would be hard to bet against him reaching and possibly exceeding that tally.

Wolves are in poor form at the moment. I follow Mick McCarthy's team because of the Irish connection and I'm really surprised about their struggles. Matt Jarvis, Stephen Hunt, Steven Fletcher and of course Kevin Doyle are very good attacking players. Jarvis and Hunt are tricky wingers and will provide a good supply to any forward over the course of a season. And I think Fletcher and Doyle complement each other very well, they both work hard and they both run the flanks very well to stretch defences. The only problem I can see with them is that they don't score enough so that's something that they'll need to improve on if the team is to escape a relegation scrap.

Arsenal's form is very contrasting with the opponents today. If it weren't for the fact that all four fullbacks are injured we would probably be scoring more goals and might have even got a result against Man City the other week. The only problem that I worry about is the lack of goals outside of Van Persie. While it was great to see Yossi Benayoun come on and score the winner against Aston Villa, its an occasion that has come against the norm of Van Persie providing the necessary finesse to get the team three points. I said it a few weeks ago but Ramsey really needs to step it up along with Arteta and Gervinho. Unfortunately though, the Ivorian won't really have a chance to overcome his profligacy in front of goal until after the African Cup of Nations. The other two however don't have that excuse and really need to get in amongst the goals more.

Ramsey has been particularly awful in front of goal. He wasted a great chance against Villa the other night and that came in a long succession of bad misses for the Welshman. He is fitter than he's ever been, being one of the first players to achieve over 100-miles of distance covered in the Premier League this season, but his position will be under very serious threat by Jack Wilshere - when he returns - if this wastefulness in front of goal continues.

By all accounts, today's game really should be a comfortable home win and if that's the case it will more than likely coincide with Van Persie equalling or even breaking Shearer's record. Wolves are a tough side despite their position in the league so the team will have to be prepared to match them physically for our passing game to overcome them. I'm going to be positive, seeing as it is that jolly time of year, and say that we'll win 3-0 with a Van Persie brace and one of the defenders to score off a set-piece.

Finally, I just want to say that it would be a fantastic achievement to go into the new year in a Champions League place. We all remember earlier in the season lingering in 17th place and being written off so it's exceptional to have turned that around so fast and to have the season back on track.

Reasonable But Disappointing

Arsenal 1 Fulham 1

So it turns out my bad feeling about this game wasn't misplaced. Although the result itself could have been worse had Vermaelen not been so determined to atone for his error because the rest of the team didn't look very threatening.

Up until the last 30 minutes we were slow and when the own goal was conceded it became apparent very quickly that we weren't going to win the game. In fact if the team was in this position earlier in the season, or even in the back end of the previous one, we would almost certainly have lost.

The Champions League hangover was a factor yesterday but with top spot secured with a game to spare in our group, the first team will have a weeks break in between our next three Premier League games before we enter the busy Christmas period.

So now the gap between us and Spurs has now extended to five points (they also have a game in hand) and while that's worth noting, I can't consider Tottenham a valid threat yet. Even if they are, fourth is more than achievable anyway with only three points separating us and Newcastle. While it's a disappointing result, the two points dropped are not irretrievable if we get back to winning ways against Wigan next weekend. On top of that, Liverpool face Man City today so by the end of the weekend we may have climbed a place in the table compared to our position before the weekend.

One of the final things I'd like to mention is to do with something I highlighted in yesterday's post. The reliance on Van Persie for goals caught up on us yesterday. Ramsey's profligacy in front of goal stood out again as he was teed up by Walcott in the first half. The winger dribbled down the right and broke into the penalty area before sliding the ball to the Welsh playmaker and he skied his attempt. It was awful to look at. Also worth noting was Walcott's performance yesterday. He was probably our best performer on the day and was unlucky to not have a greater return for his endeavour than the assist for the Verminator's equaliser.

Tuesday night we play Man City at home and while we know Wenger is going to rest nearly if not all of the team that played yesterday, it's hard to know what Man City will do. Mancini has a massive squad. He could play a team today with terrific individuals and then go out Tuesday, rest most of those who played Liverpool and pick a team of equal quality again. I suspect he won't do that though and will follow suit with Wenger to play a mix-and-match team of players on the fringes of the first 11 and youth prospects from Manchester City's academy. I really hope I'm right because I would fear for the inexperienced players that will line-out for Arsenal if I'm not and Mancini decides to field a powerful 11.

To go into detail (and this is all speculation) Mancini could go with this team today:

Hart

Richards - Lescott - Komany - Kolarov

De Jong - Barry - Toure

Silva - Balotelli - Milner

and then easily play this team on Tuesday:

Hart

Zabaleta - Kolo Toure - Savic - Clichy

Johnson - Hargreaves - Milner - Nasri

Dzeko - Aguero

More on that game though when it gets closer and we have a better idea of injuries.

Fulham Preview: Nervous is an Understatement

In half an hour Arsenal's match against Fulham kicks-off.

As the title of this post suggests, I'm not confident about this match. Fulham are a really solid side with players that can hurt most defences going forward. And these games are traditionally very tight. Last season Arsenal drew away to Fulham in the last match of the season (the game had very little meaning though). In the match at home, the team relied on two sublime goals from Samir Nasri to edge the game 2-1.

This evening we will be relying on Van Persie to fire us to three points. The man has been unstoppable in front of goal recently and we really need that to continue. While the team has been winning with relative comfort in recent games, the reliance on Van Persie's goals has been considerable.

We need other players to start picking up the slack. While its great to have one of the best strikers in the world scoring more than Brad Pitt in a brothel, the importance of the whole team contributing to our tally can't be underestimated.

Van Persie has 17 goals this season. Our next top scorer is Theo Walcott with four. And while the young winger is on course for a respectable haul in that department (on top of impressive assist numbers) the rest of the team need to get their act together. Gervinho has been very impressive on the left but 2 goals this season is not good enough, especially when you look at the chances he has missed already this season. Ramsey only has one league goal to his name and when you take into consideration his position on the field , that return is appalling. Playing in front of the solid and ever-impressive axis of Song and Arteta in midfield and subsequently behind one of the world's most lethal strikers must yield a better return than a solitary goal. Ramsey has the ability to do better and he must start soon.

Arshavin is a surprise starter tonight and the teams are now out on the pitch. The Russian needs a big performance if he is going to force his way back into the starting-11 on a more consistent basis.

I'm going to go for a 2-0 win because I feel that Van Persie will deliver the end-product again tonight. However, it would be excellent to see someone else on the scoresheet too.

Hopefully my nervousness will have all been for nothing.

The Naked Hypocrisy of the PC Brigade

This is a piece I wrote for work experience in college a few months ago.

Over the last few weeks, political correctness has taken a turn for madness. Andy Gray and Richard Keys lost their jobs last week for 'sexist' remarks made off-camera about the female linesman, Sian Massey. They were sacked for a harmless jibe.

'In all fairness, women don't know the offside rule.' That's the kind of quip men make to each other when watching sport. Banter like that happens all the time, outside of sport too, between both genders.

Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson makes plenty of jibes about the ineptitude of women drivers. He has yet to be sacked by the BBC. There's an entire TV show, 'Loose Women' dedicated to women talking about how stupid men are. It hasn't been cancelled.

So where is the line drawn? It's not okay to say women don't understand the vaguest rule in football (some referees have yet to fully grasp it) but it's okay to say they can't even drive a car? Obviously, if this is the way, there can't be a line, only different levels of tolerance.

The sexism argument is dominated by those with the thinnest skin, they shout above the other voices and take centre stage. This is where it is taken too far: when people get offended by the slightest remark. And when it is taken too far we go into the territory of ultra feminism or ultra masculism. And either of these mean that anything anyone says about the opposite gender can be considered as sexual harassment. Society can't work that way, there is a fundamental flaw in that logic whereby an alternative opinion becomes a criminal offence. It's insane.

What's really interesting, about the latest instalment of the gender-equality debate, is the hypocrisy of those who have fuelled it. The Sun, Karen Brady and Sky Sports have all condemned what Gray and Keys said. So if the Sun is anti-sexism, then their page-3 girls were hired for their expert opinion on current affairs. Karen Brady must agree because she writes in the Sun and her columns, fighting for women to be taken seriously in the business world, would lose credibility if that were not the case. And the 'Soccerettes' of Sky Sports must obviously be brilliant football analysts.

If the sexism argument was looked at through androgynous eyes, it would appear as ideology. Men and women are simply too different to treat each other as entirely equal. That isn't the only flaw in the argument, the people that argue it with the most venom are not innocent of sexism or double-standards and there is not a clear line between what's sexist and what isn't.

Nasri Guilty As Arsenal F.C. Is Sentenced To Third

Bolton 2 Arsenal 1

Well if there were any believers left in this team's title ambitions, their hopes have been well and truly shattered now.

Nine points behind and now looking over its shoulder, the team is on course for that all to familiar collapse at the business end of the Premier League season.

Still though, with four matches left to play, it's probably too soon to start the inquisition into where it all went wrong so I'll just concentrate on this game.

Set-pieces were our undoing again today. One in either half saw us concede two goals. Typical Arsenal is all you can say about them. In the first half Song allowed his man, Cahill (just wait for the everyone to link him to us), to pull away from him far too easily. This resulted in Clichy pulling off of Sturridge to try and challenge him as he won the corner kick. Nasri (nightmare day for him) managed to clear it off the line but only to the unmarked Sturridge's head. He made no mistake from about half a yard out and Bolton were one up.

The penalty, right after the break, was a non-event really. It was the wrong decision to award it and Szczesny made a comfortable save with his feet.

Van Persie then proceeded to equalize almost immediately after. A lovely one-two between him and Fabregas (who had another very good game) saw space open up for the former to strike home his 17th goal in as many matches.

Robin has come to form in the second half of the season and he's most definitely my player of the season. The differences in fortunes between him and Nasri speak volumes. Nasri played his best at the start of the season with almost no pressure on him. Van Persie has done it when it matters the most, at the most important time of the season. If the football awards were handed out after the end of the season, he'd have won both the PFA and Football Writer's player of the year without a doubt. His goal today meant he has scored in seven consecutive away games in the Premier League, a new record, and that just says everything about how he's playing.

Nasri had a day to forget. He was put through three times and made a meal of the opportunity offered every time. Perhaps Chamakh might have made more of his header if he had went for goal rather than the tap-down on one particular opportunity, but Nasri's display in front of goal was not good enough for this level.

The winning goal for Bolton was all about Djourou. He let Cohen get in front of him and the Bolton substitute sent a terrific header in over Nasri's head. And that was it.

So we have four games left. The team needs to restore some pride and provide us with some glimmer of hope for next season. Manchester City are eight points behind us with two games in hand, and we have to go to Stoke and play Manchester United next week. So don't rule out finishing as low as 4th if this run continues. And if that happens then Wenger will have some serious reflecting to do in the summer.

Time To Plan For Next Season?

This is something I've been sitting on for a while. And today United went nine points clear while we cant seem to win even when we play well (a la Spurs).

Season over?

Well in the context of the title race, it is. Over, gone, finished. For us anyway. Even if we see a late collapse from Manchester United, Chelsea are in poll position to take advantage, and the win against West Ham this evening confirmed that.

On top of that, our next three games are terrible. We face a Bolton side tomorrow that will be looking to put a shocking F.A. Cup semi-final display behind them. Then we play United at home and Stoke away. Nine points from those three on our form? Chances are slim and none of that happening.

Even the Aston Villa and Fulham games seem like chores now. So is it time to freshen up the first team a bit?

Maybe Wenger should give the likes of Henderson a game and maybe even Emmanuel Frimpong. I mean we're heading for another calamitous finish to the season as it is. And make no qualms about it, one win from six in the league is a disaster for Arsenal F.C. So Wenger has every right to consider mixing it up a bit.

Because he needs to attempt something to stop the rot. And I think a few new faces in the line-up would freshen things up and go towards getting some form back. Frimpong and Henderson would be more than motivated to impress and subsequently attract a few nice offers for loans next season. If they played well enough they might replace a few players like Rosicky and Denilson in the first-team squad next season. It'll be interesting to see his line-up because Wilshere looks very tired and Diaby is unlikely to make it due to a calf injury.

In my opinion the highest we'll finish this season is second. It's a heartbreaking reality from a few months ago but that's where we are. Every time United left the door ajar, WE shut it in our own faces.

We're not a bad team but we are a team that has a taste for being the bridesmaid. That's what Wenger needs to address this summer. Add 'winning' to the ingredients of the squad along with more pace and I think the problem would be solved.

Tomorrow we face a Bolton team that got smashed last Sunday. They can react two ways: go out tomorrow nervy at the back and terrified of getting another thrashing against a team who, on its day, would have no problems tapping in a few goals against them. Or they could go out motivated towards making amends for what happened a week ago. The latter is the most likely.

The match is at Bolton which will suit both teams. But Arsenal have shown no evidence of being capable of winning against a decent team in recent weeks. Another draw looks on the cards. And that's not being masochistic but our run does speak for itself. I think we should go into the game looking to enjoy how we play and not expecting any kind of result. At least then we can't be too disappointed.

N.B. It'll be interesting to see how Gary Cahill, you know the man who will fix all of Arsenal's defensive problems because he's tall and English, performs tomorrow (providing he plays). Any decent performance will surely spark a quantity of 'reports' that Arsenal are in for him. So he's someone worth looking out for just for that.

A Disastrous Result

Arsenal 0 Blackburn 0

Our title chances are officially out of our hands.We're now relying on United dropping points and us winning all our matches.

There's actually more chance of us drawing all our matches. There was no drive in this team today, they didn't have it in them to grind out the win.

I said I was feeling complacent looking ahead to this match. Maybe the players were too. But the fact is Blackburn wanted that draw far more than we wanted the win. You only need to look at Olssen's performance, not one player in our team can say he matched his drive and enthusiasm today.

This Arsenal team was faced with four major tests of their nerve this season and they've failed every one of them. United in the F.A. Cup was a shambles, Sunderland at home was bottled, we practically threw the match away to West Brom and today when we needed to win, our attack was toothless.

The blame can only go with the players. You say the manager buys them but he can only bring them to the pitch, he can't make them put the ball in the net.

Whether it's a culmination of bad luck or bad attitudes on everyone's part is impossible to judge. But this team is now on life-support battling for every breath in this title challenge.

One more result like this will pull the plug.

(Insert April Fool's Pun Here)

Blackburn have been uninteresting this year. They're where they should be. And a cumulation of two points in their last six games in the league shows that they are struggling at the bottom. They'll be there or thereabouts in the race for the drop and they only have one weapon that could damage us in Samba. Although Hoilett looks decent too.

The international break has been very kind to us. I can't actually remember a break that's ended where we've had more players fit than we did before it. Fabregas, Walcott and Song all return which is a massive boost. Van Persie's scare mid-week seems nothing more than that so he should be fit too.

So I think the team will be Almunia, Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy, Song, Wilshere, Fabregas, Walcott, Nasri, Van Persie.

That's our strongest possible front-eight. That much of the team is world-class. Those players would get into any matchday squad in the world. The other three is where the worries lie. Koscielny and Squillaci appear to be very decent centre-backs, individually. Collectively, they just can't seem to click, hopefully they'll get it together soon.

I've been thinking a lot about Almunia. No not in that way. But regarding his ability. As a shot-stopper he's as good as anyone. But his concentration is poor. So I think he'd be the kind of player that works well in a lower side that concedes a lot of shots on goal. But, in a team like Arsenal, a team who keeps the ball for long periods, he doesn't see much action. So he finds it extremely difficult to maintain his concentration. Meaning he does stupid things like he did at West Brom.

I'm not worrying about this match. As a fan, I must say that I feel quite complacent. I think if we show up and play our game, we'll win. I can imagine Walcott given these guys nightmares. It's going to be sweet seeing him scorching the wings again. I'll say 2-0 because I expect Blackburn to defend in numbers and to do everything possible to frustrate us. All going well with fitness tests, we should have our best attack on the pitch, so surely they'll have enough to break Blackburn down at least twice.

Also, the Emirates pitch has been shrunk to the Highbury dimensions. How making the pitch smaller helps us take defenders out of position is a bit of a mystery to me. So I'm really looking forward to seeing what difference it makes.

Let's win this one for Rocky!

Get Everyone Fit and It's All to Play For

W.B.A. 2 Arsenal 2

I've been debating this result in my head for the weekend, reading various pieces from other blogs and just trying to come to some conclusion about our chances in the league.

We're still in it. There's no real debating that. If we beat United and match their results as well as win our game in hand then we win the league. No matter what way you look at that much, you have to admit it's still more than possible.

But when you consider everything, our chances seem slim. Particularly when you look at the defence. When we play the likes of United and Spurs, who's going to stop Van der Vaart or even Hernadez? We simply don't have the backline to cope with top-class firepower. So if we're going to beat those teams then their attacks need to have an off-day. Even if we got Song back, I don't think that would be enough because there seems to be a fundemental problem with how we defend. In a funny way I think having Walcott back too will help this because he does his fair share of tracking back.

The other thing you wonder about is our attack. We look toothless to out it mildly. Nasri's form has completely evaporated and RVP seems to be getting scraps at the moment. Arshavin had one of his good days against West Brom but that won't be enough. So we need Fabregas and Walcott back in a big way. Particularly Walcott.

Why him? Well without him, we look like a really slow side. Nasri has a bit of pace but we have no one in attack who could seriously burn a player off unless Theo is in the starting line-up. His pace takes him into positions that other players simply can't get to on time. He makes Eboue's passes look as good as Fabregas'. Simply put, we need him fit and on-form because he gives us another dimension that other players in the squad don't offer. Obviously, Fabregas is crucial too because we haven't dominated in midfield since we lost him to injury but, in my opinion, Walcott is key.

The internatinal break could not have been better timed. Providing everyone comes back from their respective teams without an injury then we should go into the final part of the season with an almost fully-fit squad. I can't predict what will happen but I'm confident that we can do it.

Saying that though, if we get anymore howlers of the proportion that Almunia provided then we really don't stand a chance.

Need. To. Win

I was looking at the report I posted for the home game against W.B.A. Needless to say, I, like many fans, was angry after match.

I also said we could forget about the league title if we lost the next game to Chelsea... I really hope I'm wrong!

We'll start with the injuries. Vermaelen's season is over which is disappointing but looking at it, it was very optimistic of me to expect him to slot back into the team for the last few games and dominate everyone. Djourou is out for six weeks so I don't think we'll see his best again this season. Diaby has returned to his normal level of fitness (injured). And then Walcott, Song and Fabregas are out too.

At the time of writing, the team was announced:

Almunia, Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy, Wilshere, Denilson, Nasri, Ramsey, Arshavin, Van Persie

Ramsey!!!!!!!! In all seriousness though, I'd be surprised if he finished the match but I was afraid Rosicky would start in front of him today.

Also before I go into predictions, Arshavin has returned to best in the press as you'll find in the Daily Express (that's where I read it anyway). Sell him, Arsene.

As for the match, I'm nervous. West Brom have players capable of hurting us. They won't lie down and with Hodgson in charge, they'll defend stoutly and look to punish us on the break.

We need big performances from Wilshere, Nasri and Van Persie. It'd be unfair to expect too much from Ramsey and Denilson is lacking in confidence so as long as he doesn't make a major mistake, I'll be happy with him. Arshavin will be Arshavin. He'll either be lazy and give the ball away cheaply or he'll rip the West Brom backline to pieces. The former is the more plausible outcome nowadays.

I think we'll win. I don't think it'll be comfortable with the way things have been going lately but I'll take a 2-1 where the winner goes in off the back of the West Brom 'keeper's head. I don't care about style, just the three points today please.

Mediocrity Must Go

The last time I blogged was the Braga game. After that, I lost interest for a bit.

But I'm back now to report on the end of the season. In layman terms, we're in a big hole. The backline has now been completely ravaged and there's a lot of players who aren't performing. Nasri's good run has come to an abrupt stop and Van Persie doesn't look fit. Add that to the Fabregas and Walcott injuries and we're looking a bit stretched to finding goals at the moment.

But none of those problems would bother me as much if it weren't for the total lack of effort shown by our other players. Denilson has taken three or four steps back in his development. Diaby looks like he's hit the ceiling regarding the improvements he can make as a player (although injuries and suspension have hampered him in recent weeks). Rosicky looks twice Giggs' age; he isn't scoring and he isn't creating so what else can he offer us? And the only words that come to mind when I think of Arshavin is: 'Not fit to wear the shirt.'

All of these need to be sold in the summer. They're not good enough. Rosicky and Arshavin are gone past it. And how much more football do people need to see Denilson and Diaby play before they cop on and realise that they're never going to make it? You might say that they're good as squad players but they don't have the required work ethic to fulfil this role either.

And that's something that is seriously wrong with this side. There is no willingness to hunt down the ball and win it back. Wilshere is the only player that I've seen do it consistently. The rest jog around and 'look busy'.

Look to the Nou Camp game last week. Barcelona didn't pass us off the pitch, they tackled us off of it. They chased and harried Arsenal and won the ball back at a canter. That is something that needs to be embedded in this team. It is crucial to any success in the future. This team will never win anything unless they are all prepared to put a shift in.

However, it's too late to fix those things now. That must all be filed away until the summer. And it isn't all doom and gloom either. We play West Brom away this weekend and then there's an international break. Beat them and we'll end the little slump we've hit and we'll enter the break on a high note. Plus when the team returns, it should have its two most important assets, in Walcott and Fabregas, back. Also Ramsey is back! And he looked good for the time he was on the pitch against United.

The Alex Song injury appears to be a mystery. He won't be back for the game on Saturday and whether he'll return after the interlull is unknown. We need him fit because we are incredibly short in the backs at the moment and there may come a game or two where he'll be playing CB.

Vermaelen is working to be fit for the last six games. And if you look on the Arsenal website there's a few crackers in those in which his services will be much appreciated. But that's ages away yet so don't get your hopes up.

Now time for some special treatment for some players. First of all, Jack Wilshere is our player of the season. Commitment, desire and serious ability. The man has been carrying the torch for the team in the last two weeks and while his efforts bore little fruit, it is still greatly appreciated.

The other man is Bendtner. In my last post, I gave him a rollicking and he's done nothing to lift himself from this rollicked state. He missed a sitter against Barce and now seems destined for a new club. Good riddens. His touch on the ball is as soft as a cinder block and he's fooling himself if he thinks he can become as great as he claims.

If have anymore thoughts, I'll post them during the week sometime but I hope to get in a proper match preview of the West Brom game. Until then.

Finger Ready For The Panic Button

Braga 2 Arsenal 0

I'm angry, but this is definitely a hangover from the disaster on Saturday. The goals were sloppy and it was amazing that we get caught on the counter-attack, at nil-nil, with ten men.

'How is it amazing?,' you say.

Well why is everyone pushing forward when all we need is a draw and we've been reduced to ten men because of Eboue's injury? I mean surely, when you don't 100% need to win with ten men, you should be defending. And it was only a long ball too! And why the fuck is our backline at the halfway line when we don't need to score!?

The Vela yellow card was ludicrous. It was a stonewall penalty and the ref, who was right in front of it, books him for diving. If we get that penalty and convert it the match is over. However that isn't an excuse for what happened after. We needed to be solid and it never looked like happening.

I want to pick out one player for criticism (a rollicking). Nicklas Bendtner bitched and moaned to the media about not getting his place in the team. Then when Wenger picks him, he does nothing. He was shite and looked like a man who has made up his mind on his future. He's a pathetic excuse for a professional footballer if thinks he can walk into this team. I mean, for fucksake, Chamakh came on and did more in twenty minutes than Bendtner did seventy! How can he expect to play in front of a player that actually looks bothered?

Villa away is a match that doesn't necessarily define our season but another defeat would be castastrophic for confidence. There's a lot of work to be done until then though so get cracking Arsene!

You're Killing Us.

It's turning into a bit of a cycle. One minute I start thinking 'we can actually do this', then the team commits the most heinous of sins and loses to the unmentionables.

It's amazing, though, how much ability is there in this group of players, not the forever-tomorrow potential that the Boss loves so much but actual clear-as-day, right-here-right-now ability. Nasri, Fabregas, Arshavin, Van Persie... these are all world-class performers, not legends of the game by any means yet, but players who would make it into any matchday squad in the world. How can these players turn up and capitulate like that to 'them'?

I have an opinion but, like it or not, there is no definitive answer.

This team has developed technically and physically over the past three years. The core group of players Wenger wanted has been kept and these have been supplemented with some astute purchases on the transfer market.

If this were a team of machines, we'd win the league every year. But it isn't, and like all-things human, there's the mental factor as well. And it has weighed this team down for years.

Wenger harps on about it all the time, this 'mental strength' we must show and how he believes the players have it.

No they don't.

That is a lie the Boss tells all the time.

And I call it a lie because there's no way in hell that genius of a man would delude himself into thinking that. He's just protecting his players and I admire him for it, even if it does grind my gears at times.

And in reality, the team collapses. Regularly. It's not something that's going to go away overnight and we'll probably still be talking about it at the end of the season. But mental weakness is taking away from this team's success and if it's not dealt with we'll be stuck in this limbo, between first and fifth, for five more years and I don't want that, I want this team to achieve what it is capable of.

This is Wenger's biggest challenge ever. In the past the mental strength was there with the likes of Adams, Keown, Henry and Vieira. But no one has showed they can provide it in this team. And I don't know who will.

Arsenal Winning Me Over.... And I'm Loving It.

Everton 1 Arsenal 2

This match right here was it. It was a championship-winning performance. 100% of what Arsenal fans deserve. Every single player on the pitch showed what they're made of today.

They showed pride in the great Arsenal jersey. Commitment to the cause. Everything you want from your team.

This is the proudest I've been all season! They really were tremendous. Sagna and Fabregas scored excellent goals. Song was having a nightmare with his passing but he never once stopped running. And Arshavin had one of the hardest-working games of his Arsenal career.

I know what I said about this team not having the fight but two games later I'm singing their praises. Does that make me hypocritical? No it makes me a football fan.

But it is only two games. It's a good response from the team but they could just as easily collapse again. But I believe we can continue this.

C'mon The Arsenal!!