Barcelona, Rules and another Departure

Ah, why hello there dear reader, good to see you again over the virtual screen of illusion. Anyway, before I settle down to a good afternoon of FIFA-ing and winning the Champions League as Arsenal I thought I’d write a quick blog. One last one before Monday when I sum up the Highbury Cup.

First and foremost, Barcelona are in serious debt (hooray!). Now, anyone connected to European football or Spanish football knew they were in some trouble. They couldn’t pay their stars last month and have just had to take out a £125m loan to do so. Now this is almost insulting that they carry on after Cesc’s signature knowing they can’t afford him or pay him. I mean, they just brought Villa (who was already at a Valencia who last year were in trouble) and they already can’t pay him. Now I don’t want to see any Football club go under (no matter if it was Spurs or Albion) but with all the Spanish banks going under, that loan could soon be called in and they could be in serious trouble. So, unless they miracously win the Euro Millions uber uber rollover that offers like £500 billion don’t expect them to be putting enough on the table or getting Cesc soon.

Now, as for these rule changes for next season. You know, the ones expected to stop us putting out 11 Johnnie Foreigners every week. In fact, that’s exactly what we will do. Now, for anyone who doesn’t know said rules I shall explain them:

Each side has to submit a list of a maximum 25 players to the FA, 8 of these players must be ‘home-grown’ now, this does not mean anything to do with nationality. This means, that 8 of the 25 said players must have trained with their current club for 3 years before their 21st birthday. Initially they must have been there between their 18th-21st birthday’s and still there today. However, anyone under 21 does not have have to be registered in the 25.

If anything, this is very good for Arsenal, players like Cesc Fabregas, Denilson, Gael Clichy, Alex Dimitri Song Billong, Nicky Bendtner, Aaron Ramsey and Vito Mannone can all be registered in the 8 (along with some others) none of which are English. 4 of the match-day squad have to home-grown, now out of that list: Fabregas, Denilson, Clichy, Song, Ramsey and Bendtner all play regularly.

This is probably the best ruling in FA history. It will stop the big spenders like City and Chelsea buying Premiership places. It also means a mass exodus at City with players like Santa Cruz, Adebayor and Ireland are all being sold off. It levels the playing field. Instead of City buying all these lads for too much money and killing English youth, they have to show off their stars for the future. It also spreads out talent between clubs as they will have to get rid of players who cannot make the 25 (like City are being forced to do now).

Hopefully, that clears it up, we’ll be fine and have actually been abiding by these rules for years. If anything, this rule could do us wonders.

Well, Sol has signed for Newcastle for a one year deal. Fair enough, I never saw him re-signing and this could mean Djourou and Koscielny will get more games. However, I’d have rather kept Senderos if Sol was leaving.

Anyway, all the best Sol.

One last thing: Joe Cole

Its no lie, Arsenal have been involved in trying to sign Kentish Town Pikey Joe Cole since his departure from Stamford Bridge. Of course, unless you’ve been away from the English Media you should all know he’s signed for that successful Champions League playing club Liverpool…what? They came 7th last year and play in the Europa League? That seems very odd..oh they offered him a MASSIVE contract….that sounds right then.

Yes, he turned down first team Champions League football for its socially-retarded younger brother, Europa. Of course for the money.

Now, would I have liked Cole on our books? Yeah, why not, when he can walk he has some talent. However, we have a load of prosperous midfielders Diaby, Denilson, Ramsey, Nasri and Wilshere, and without him these lads can get more games and gain experience.

Besides, I’m not over-paying a guy who sits in the hospital most of the season (yes, like most our squad). Yes, he’s talented, yes he’s been misused and yes we could utilize him to our advantage to win something. However, he obviously wants money to make sure this will probably be a final move or at least a penultimate.

So instead of paying his stupid wages, let him bankrupt Liverpool as he sits in the stands.

Pre-Season Glee & Departure

Pre-season has properly kicked off with 2 wins and 2 good performances (so I’ve been told). Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to watch the games so I can’t talk about them. However, I will be at the Emirates Cup so I can see how we’re all doing then.

Sadness

First and foremost I’m in a state of depression right now after our Number 9 departed yesterday. Yes, Eduardo has left for Shakhtar. It almost feels like 2007ish when all our immortals were walking out the door, Henry, Dennis, Freddie, Viera and Pires. Eduardo was a player that like the 5 (and many others whom either left or retired before 2007) that connected with the fans and loved us. Much like some others at the club whom are still with us at time of writing. It’s true when they say “Injury can make you a better player” because initially I think Eddie went up in everyone’s estimation when he had his leg broken, not saying Eddie wasn’t loved already, but I remember going to Villa the following year whilst he was still in rehabilitation and hearing “Eduardo Da Silva, Arsenal’s Number 9” sung throughout the game. He wasn’t even on the bench, let alone playing. He’d shone in his first few months, and we looked like he and Adepaymesomemore were going to help us win the title. Then a silly tackle and all was lost, I think Martin Taylor should pay Arsenal huge compensation for costing us a talent and the title, but in reality, he doesn’t owe us a thing but an apology and a “It wont happen again”.

I am sad, he never will be remembered by anyone outside the club for doing anything. He didn’t win anything nor come too close. Yet, for any Arsenal fan he must remain a legend. If you haven’t already, go to the Arsenal website and read his message to all Arsenal fans, its like he has been here for 10 years and was there when we won the double and the immortal season and is an Arsenal legend who is moving on. Instead, he’s a lad we signed, who had a horrible injury and unfortunately became a burden with his obvious fear of such thing happening again.

He didn’t have to write us such message, but if anything he was pure class for doing so, and will remain a favourite of mine forevermore. I wish him the best in his future endeavours and thank him for his contributions.

Oh and to the media saying he was a failure, I think you will find Taylor can’t tackle and is the only reason he couldn’t win us anything or score goals after his injury.

We’re the North Bank…

In 2003 I made my first trip to Highbury (at the age of 9) and was introduced to a chant that forever became familiar with my association of Highbury. Yes, you guessed it “We’re the North Bank, We’re the North Bank, we’re the North Bank, Highbury!” It became a popular chant of mine and wherever it was heard I joined in (even at Molineux where it has now been adopted). However, that chant faded (even though still sung at Emirates on occasion) until now. In this ‘Arsenalisation’ project the clock is back and so are our precious terrace names. Its good to finally be able to sing the chant again, and hope during my two days it is at least sung once.

The Numbers Game

Well, I hope you haven’t pre-ordered any Carlos Vela 12, or RVP 11 shirts because they’re all obsolete. RVP has officially changed from 11 to 10 (following Arsenal & Dutch legend Dennis Bergkamp) whilst Vela has been moved to occupy the 11 shirt. I’m guessing anyone who got a shirt before the switch will probably get an exchange like they did for Bendtner after his move from 26 to 52 late in pre-season. Or I’m sure the club have held back shirts for that reason. This brings into question whether 9 or 12 will soon be occupied by anyone else in the coming few days. For me, it’s fine, I’m following my FIFA Virtual Pro’s footsteps and choosing ‘Tonkinson 94’ (this in a bid to stop the player jinx I apparently cause when getting players names printed).

 

Anyway, I think that’s all the big news, hope you enjoy the rest of pre-season and hope anyone going to the Emirates Cup has a good time.

Why we need to stop jumping to silly conclusions.

After a very eventful few days I think it’s time I give light on this situation concerning one Arsenal Captain and some Spanish Football Giants.

Not long ago, a certain Francesc Fàbregas i Soler said he would like to return to Barcelona, a club he came through the youth ranks with, with players like Lionel Messi, Xavi etc. To me, this is no surprise, we all want to play for our boyhood club, ask one Cristiano Ronaldo. I am the same, as much as I am an Arsenal fan, if I was a pro-footballer playing at Arsenal, I’d love to play at Wolves where I was born and raised. I mean, Cesc never got the chance to play for them. Yet, despite this I doubt he’d be going just yet.

If you examine the words of Cesc, he says “..one day…”. One day as in one day in the future, the distant future, it’s almost like he’s saying he would want to finish his career there in 5-10 years time, like Thierry Henry wanted to 3 years ago.

Cesc is the current captain, of a growing side who WILL win something soon, and he will be the first to lift that trophy above his head as captain. Why would Cesc give up captaincy to be a bench-warmer?

Look at that team, Xavi and Iniesta will probably always be ahead of poor Francesc. I mean, they are the same Spain team-mates he can’t beat to the head of that squad. As much as Cesc shouldn’t be a bench-warmer, I see it that for most weeks he probably will be. Look at Thierry, one of the best in the world at Arsenal, soon as he left he is losing out to Francis Jeffren (I made that up).

Not to mention, Cesc’s current long-term deal, a deal with 4/5 years left. A deal, with 100million get-out clause, Barcelona are rich but not Manchester City rich, and that’s before bidding for Cesc himself, something Arsenal will push to the end, besides, if you look at Cesc’s character he’s no Joleon Lescott, he’s not going to flick the V’s to Arsene when he says, “you’re too important to his squad to be their super-sub.”

I feel, that Cesc will stay, which is great, and if he does go, then that’s life, Manchester United have not degraded into oblivion when they lost their man last Summer like we all thought. In fact, it’s let Wayne Rooney shine through, something it could do for say an Aaron Ramsey, Samir Nasri or Jack Wilshere even more.

Why Video Technology is needed in Football…NOW!

How many more decisions must we get wrong before FIFA realise the referee’s are only human. I mean if they got some amazing Terminator’s as referee’s I’d understand, but what 4 officials see, is not always what a camera sees.

Football for many of us is a passion, a lifestyle. But it’s hard for any of us to carry on watching when so much is missed by average referee’s. To be fair, most of the time, a referee is not always to blame for a poor decision, he doesn’t have eyes in the back of his head (he’s not a teacher). Yet, as he is in charge of the game and because he is the only one to blame, we blame him when our team should’ve got a penalty and yet we lost 2-1.

I hate the excuses, “Well it’s unfair on the small teams on the hackney marshes”, I forgot how much was at stake at Windsor Vs Penn Rovers last month compared to you know an FA Cup Semi-Final.

When you have the technology why not employ it. Maybe just for a trial season would work, even your 2 extra officials are only human.

I don’t think it hurts the game to stop it either. It took ITV less than 15 seconds to determine the was it a goal, was it not for Portsmouth/Chelsea, and that’s two men. You could employ a whole team of officials to watch over decisions like that. From different angles and make them say yes or no.

I think this has to be trialled or better yet have a motion sensor on each goalpost and the ball and make it beep if the ball crosses the line.

Anyway, just my views.

And after all that, we’re still in it.

So this week, we lost to Tottenham and auto-matically the world says “It’s a two horse race” but after Chelsea’s loss to Tottenham this Saturday, a win against lowly Wigan, would see us firmly back in the title race, sitting 3 points off the top. If Liverpool and Tottenham could grab results off Chelsea and United and we beat City, we are back in it and could well win it.

Throughout this season, everyone told us, we’re not going to it, and I still believe there’s a twist to this race. Chelsea have little defence and United have not scored too many goals in a few games.

So I leave you with one word, BELIEVE.

Stick with Arsène

“Arsène’s taken us as far as he can, he should go”
How fickle are we, our reserves get undone by the best player to grace Football in this young century and already the head of the French Maestro is already being called. Didn’t you hear? Barcelona didn’t win f*ck all for six years. Just like er….oh ARSENAL! By the way, this wasn’t back in the 1950’s this was from 1998-2004. As Real Madrid were spending gajillion’s of euros on their ‘Galactico’s’, Barcelona looked at the next generation. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas etc. Just a few names Barcelona had in their camp. Whilst Madrid made the news with established signings (Beckham, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos etc.) Barcelona made the next established names. Remind you of anyone? It’s like today with the Premier League. Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United over-spend to buy the best players around to win trophies, whilst we continue to make new players like Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere through our youth academies or buying these players from other teams and raising them ‘The Arsenal Way’.
Look at the last few years, to even match us teams have had to spend 100’s of millions to attempt 4th place, whereas we spent £2.50 on a player most of which probably takes care of his bus-fair from wherever to Islington and yet we’re still making Champions League and still getting close to the League. Not to mention, our big stadium debt which is being dealt with. No fickle green and yellow scarves at our great stadium.
Wenger is by far the best manager for the Arsenal job, plays the most attractive football in the Premiership on a shoe-string budget and still manages to get close. Believe! I think in a year or so, our young bloods will take us to finals and win us the Premiership, like they did at Barcelona. Besides, if Wenger is sacked tomorrow, who in their right mind would we get in without breaking the bank, especially so close to the end of the season where we could still win something who would still play great football. Pep Guardiola? Well last time I checked he was winning everything with the best team in the World. Here’s your answer, there isn’t a soul who can replace Arsène right now and I don’t think there will be. Stick with the manager, that’s the only way we’ll ever win anything.

(Image taken from: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3376/3421059607_b1e0538ec7.jpg)