Transfer Rumors-The Good and the Bad (Part-2)

Arsenal had the team with the most depth in the PL last season.That is a fact.But we lacked players who had a driving force,a player who could conjure up some real magic in our most desperate moments.

We discussed who all could be leaving in the first part of this post.Now we shall talk about who all could be coming in to the squad.

Probable New Gunners


Gervinho

What we need?

The Ivory Coast international who plays as striker or winger for the Ligue 1 champions Lille FC  has been constantly linked with Arsenal throughout the summer.Latest news from various papers say that an agreement has been made and we are waiting for the player to return from holidaying to get his signature and get the personal terms agreed.He is supposed to cost around 11 million pounds and is seen as a strike partner to RVP.He is a skilled player who can play as a lone striker or a right winger,even work as a support striker.He has got good pace and dribbling skills,also he is very strong,also we can even polish his forehead and use it as a distraction to goalkeeper during set-pieces (lame-joke),

Eden Hazard

New Ronaldo?

Another player from Lille FC who is in Arsenal's radar is Eden Hazard.Him and Gervinho were two of the main reasons behind their first title in years.At 20 years old,he is already an established player and also he would be one who could stay in the line-up for years to come.He has got a lot of pace and is very comfortable with the ball,always looking to beat the defender (beats the defender most of the time!).He can play on both wings and also in attacking midfield. He is a player of very high standard and skill and don't come cheap.Lille will be looking at something between 20 and 25 million pounds.Maybe Wenger will be willing to break bank for this shining star.

Christopher Samba

Aerial Prowess

The 27 year old defender was rumored to join Arsenal in the winter transfer window and it still hasn't changed this summer.The Rovers center-back is a very strong and tall defender with bucket-loads of premier league experience.At this age,he would be at the peak of his career and he would be the perfect defender to use against the lesser teams of the PL against whom we struggle.He could also be a fantastic asset for us while defending set-pieces,With Rovers already down a CB,it would take some convincing (and spending) on Wenger's part to bring this Congolese player to the Emirates.

Gary Cahill

Winner in the air

A player similar to Samba in most aspects Cahill is a aerially powerful center back with good ball-winning ability.But his price has been inflated because he is English and Wenger will have to shell out 20 million pounds to sign him.At 26,he too will be at his best and could be a good partner for Vermaelen.As good as it seems,I couldn't see Wenger giving off such a huge sum for one player.But weirder things have happened and maybe he could end up at the Emirates next season.

Thats all the rumors we have for you today folks.Goodnight and have a great day tomorrow.You can follow Goonerburgh on Facebook,Twitter & Tumblr as well! Take care!

Transfer Rumors-The Good and the Bad (Part-1)

Well a season has come and gone and Arsenal are once again left wanting.At one point in the season we were in for a historic Quadruple,but as they say it, "We Choked",again.What went wrong? What is it that needs to change? Goonerburgh discussed this on its post on 27/04/2011,so we won't go more into it.
The topic of this post will be mainly about the transfers that could take place at the
 Emirates,the entries and exits.We shall take a look through on who all could be 
leaving and also a look at possible newbies.


PROBABLE Ex-ARSENAL PLAYERS


Nicklas Bendtner

Supremely Confident

Bendtner joined Arsenal in the summer of 2004 from the Danish club  Kjøbenhavns Boldklub.He has had a pretty decent time in the club considering he has being played out of position by Wenger most of the time. In 196 appearances for the club,he has had 58 goals and 31 assists, a decent return by any standards,and in this season he has had 32 appearances (18 as subs) and gave a return  of 9 goals and 8 assists.This,after being played on the right wing as a sub of Walcott,should be considered a good contribution.But the Danish Mr.Confident has fallen down the pecking order and with possible recruits coming in this summer,he could fall further down the ladder.He has gone as far as saying that he wants to leave publicly and supposedly Sporting Lisbon and Dortmund have made bids.With him down the pecking order,I would like to see him play some good football for some other club rather than sit idle in ours.And he is the kind of player who doesn't sit idle.Dortmund is the more exciting offer and I hope he gets it.

Carlos Vela

Mehican Chipper

The Mexican International,joined Arsenal in November 2005,but was unable to play till 2008 due to the lack of a work permit.He has had a disappointing time at the Emirates despite his massive promise.He will be remembered for his 'Chips' and was a classy finisher,but he failed to make even one PL start for Arsenal this season and his winter loan off to West Bromwich was a failure as well.With him being 5th choice (RVP,Chamakh,Nicklas,Arshavin)and with the emergence of J.E.T,chances of him starting for Arsenal in the future are getting slimmer.There are many clubs interested in signing him,with Galatasaray and Swansea City being the main 2 in the race.

Manuel Almunia

The man who fumbled...a lot

The Spaniard joined Arsenal from Celta Vigo in 2004 and since have made 109 appearances for the club.He has had quite a lot of opportunities to prove himself and has shown flashes of brilliance,but never was it consistent.He started this season as first choice goalkeeper,but fell down the ladder behind Fabianski and Szczesny. Even when both of them were injured,Wenger brought in the Mad German to play b/w the sticks rather than have him play.This showed the fall of faith in this once touted keeper.A lot of clubs are said to be interested in this glovesman and maybe he will go somewhere where he will get a lot of playing time.

Denilson

Not the no.1 prospect anymore

Maybe the most underrated player in the squad after Rosicky,Denilson has been very vocal about his desire to leave Arsenal.He joined from Sao Paulo after making only about 12 appearances for them.But Wenger was supremely confident when he signed him and early sights of him were very promising and it looked a bright future for this young Brazilian.This season has been anything but great,after making 32 appearances (12 as subs),he failed to score a goal or even make an assist.He was even criticized by many fans for his side passes.But they for one failed to see that the much touted "Best Passer" in the world made more side-passes than poor Denilson.He has been pretty disappointed,but chances have come plenty and well,he hadn't shined as much as he could have.Personally I would like to see him play for another season and then make a judgement.But he has been saying he wants to leave and we should respect it,also his loss is affordable,with the emergence of Wilshere and Ramsey.We could see him going to a German club mostly.

Thats it for the day people.Will come back later with the second part,where I will talk about who all could be coming in to the squad. Have a great day folks.You can follow Goonerburgh on Facebook,Twitter and Tumblr.

Sky TV changed Football

The 1990's saw a change in world football that was of epic proportions.The Premiership was born (with the help of Sky TV) and English Clubs discovered marketing.Till then,most of the football clubs ignored the most basic marketing strategies.The relied on meeting just the basic fundamental needs of the fans,which were,broadcasting the 90 minute game and selling a few replica t-shirts.They never imagined the untapped possibilities that lay in front of them.

Other brands envy football clubs.They don't have customers who are as fiercely loyal as club fans.They stick through thick and thin with the club.The trick for the clubs would have been to maintain and build future audiences by seeing them as customers as well as fans.

The Big Four

TV has been the main catalyst behind football's speedy commercial development.The worldwide broadcast of the Premiership brought in more number of fans than the clubs could imagine.All these fans were potential customers who could help in the rise of a club's revenue.This increase in number of fans brought the clubs to improve on its merchandising strategies.More replica shirts were made,along with other things like coffee mugs,key-chains,scarfs,watches etc. Merchandise stores started popping up in other countries,slowly expanding their worldwide market reach and value.This in-turn helped raise their revenue.By 2000, it was evident that some clubs were way better at marketing themselves than others.The vast gulf in b/w the top 4 teams and the rest in the Premiership showed and 'Superclubs' emerged.

Galacticos,batch of 2000

The revolution also changed the relation b/w club and player.The players have become more aware of their commercial power and now make more money than the older generation footballers could dream of.They have become media savvy and have a high valuation of themselves,a good example being the policy of 'Galacticos' favored by Real Madrid FC, where they have a group of star players with enormous commercial power.This brought about the formation of a team of stars rather than a star team.The trick is to bring about a balance in b/w the club brand and the player brand.

Arsenal in the Community

Brands need to be loved.Football Club Brands have a great advantage over brands of other kinds.They bring about not just love,but undying loyalty.Brands have the power to make money and even influence people.The can change minds,mood and behavior.So with all this power,comes responsibility as role models.So a perfect club brand would be the one which has a good balance b/w club and player and is a force for commercial as well as social development.

Season Finale

Another season has come to pass and Arsenal have, as usual fallen out of the title-race towards the the end of the season.This has been a trend we have been following fot the past few seasons .From fighting for the title, we have fallen to scraping for automatic qualification into Europe.

This will turn out to be another season of what-ifs.What if RVP and Fabregas played more than 30 games each?What if Nasri continued the form he was in,the first half of the season?What if Arshavin was more consistent?What if Vermaelen wasn't injured?.But the biggest what if will be 'What if we had won the Carling Cup? '  Well the thing is,that is how life is.Things happen,and there is no productivity in simply sitting and thinking what it would have been had we had won something or had some player done better.All we can do now is focus on the future.

Our immediate  attention should be on the final fixture of the league against Fulham at Craven Cottage,where we will have to win,in order to stand a chance for third place.We have to win,as well as hope for a City blunder to directly go into Europe next season.Otherwise,we will have to go through the qualifiers to get to the group stage.

Arsenal head to Craven Cottage with just 2 wins from the oast 10 matches.The manager puts this bad run of form mainly due to the loss in the Carling Cup final.He said more than the result,it was the manner of the loss that affected the players.He said "If you get that first trophy,then you hope more will follow." Well,we didn't get that trophy and more hasn't followed.So,we need to learn how to come back from such dissapointments on a much higher note

.

Arsenal could be playing without Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas,both of whom will be carrying their injuries in to the summer.Gibbs and Squillaci could be given starts along with Arshavin

Possible Starting Line-up: Szczesny,Sagna,Squillaci,Vermaelen,Gibbs,Song,Wilshere,Arshavin,Ramsey,Walcott,RVP

Only a win would do,and Wenger's men would do everything they can to secure that 3rd place and restore some lost confidence.So I would go on to predict a 2-1 win to the Gunners. 

The Return of the Verminator

The Stoke match on Sunday could see the unexpected return of Thomas Vermaelen after an Achilles injury that kept him out of competitive football for nearly the entire season and his return is because of the Hamstring  injury suffered by fellow defender Johan Djourou.Arsene said that he is match-fit and that he doesn't lack any sharpness as his,was not the type of injury that would cause him to be in the bed all the time.His return would be a welcome addition to a side that just lost Samir Nasri,Diaby and Cesc Fabregas to small injuries.

The Arsenal defense has come under a lot of criticism this season,but statistics speak differently.Arsenal have let in the least number of goals from open-play (51% of the goals we have let in have come from set-pieces),but set-pieces still pose a big problem.And that big problem could come to bite Arsenal in their ass on Sunday if they are not alert the whole 90 mins.Stoke are a team who like to play football with their heads rather than their feet.Long throws(and I mean looooooooooooong) and free kicks are their main source of goals and up front they have a very tall and physical player in Jones. So Koscielny and Vermaelen will have to be on their toes and play very intelligent.A Squillaci-Kozzer pairing wouldn't worry me too much either as he was pretty stable in the ManUre match and I'd rather not risk starting Vermaelen against the physical Stoke.

With Clichy having a big chance of missing the match with a niggling injury,Gibbs might get a rare start.But I rather have Clichy recover in time and make the start.One of Arsene's mistakes this season was thinking Gibbs was ready to make the jump.If it were upto me I would have sent him on loan to one of the BPL clubs to get some premiership experience before coming back to fight for a place in the first team

Ruggers Beware!

Leaving all that,another big media story about this weekend's game is AarOne Ramsey's return to the scene of the crime,the place where it all nearly ended for him.15 months after that horrific "accident" that nearly ended his career,AarOne Ramsey is returning to the Britannia Stadium where he will start against Stoke.This would be the final step of his rehabilitation (unless Shawcross decides otherwise) for the 20 year-old."Yes [it is good for him to go back and] the earlier the better because there will always be a question mark about that.At the end of the day you focus on football and you play. It is like if you have a car accident - you do you never drive again? Of course you drive again and the earlier the better." said Wenger. 

The midfield trio of Ramsey,Wilshere and Song bossed the United midfield last week and in particular,the partnership forged between AarOne and Jack was really effective as the two outpassed the United midfield.This is exactly what Stoke will try to disrupt and it will be  the ones who come out of this battle unscathed  who will control the match.

A lot of banter has being going on around Stoke fans about Ramsey and about how he did not accept the apology from Shawcross.Well to all those asses,I have just one question "If it was your leg broken by an opposition player causing you to stay on the sidelines for over a year,would you hug him the first time you see him again? I am guessing NO.Stop and think for a minute you WANKERS.Be grateful that not apologizing was all that he didn't do." Quoting tomorrow's headline from a friend "Ramsey scores a hat-trick,drives to Shawcross's home and does his mum." Something that he could be doing.......Now I am not saying that Ramsey shouldn't accept Shawcross's apology,but he is still a kid,a 20 year-old whose career nearly hit the trash before it even started.So let him grow up a little and one day he will forgive the guy.Maybe not today.

Aerial Prowess

On team news,we can expect a similar line-up from the second half of the ManUre game with either Squillaci or Vermaelen starting .Arshavin will start instead of Nasri and he could continue his good form into the Stoke game.Against ManUre he played a very good defensive game and i hope he continues that tomorrow.

Possible starting XI : Szczesny,Sagna,Koscielny,Vermaelen/Squillaci,Gibbs/Clichy,Wilshere,Song,Ramsey,Arshavin,RVP, Walcott

Pre-Match Press Conference & ATv Online Interview

It could be a very tough game,but I predict a 2-0 win for the Gunners with Van Persie and Walcott getting on the scoreboard.

You can follow Goonerburgh on Twitter and Facebook.Thats all for today folks.Have a good Sunday.

PS: Happy St.Totteringham's Day!!!!

Grit,Discipline and Fighting Spirit

Grit,Discipline and Fighting Spirit.These are the things that Wenger thought we showed in the match against ManUre.This is what we should have been showing for all the games.Fighting spirit,this was clearly something we were lacking in the past few weeks and it showed how much we were missing it.

This match was one that held great importance over the last few weeks and it was good to see the lads come into the game with a high focus level and determination.There was a feeling going around that we were gonna succeed.

Our captain  Cesc Fabregas took a last minute injury during practice and was forced to sit out the game.Instead of bringing Nasri to the middle and playing Arhavin wide,Wenger put his trust into AarOne Ramsey.This was his first start for the club since he got 'Shawcrossed' and he showed to everyone why he was so highly rated.This just goes to show that if he gets some games and a proper pre-season,he could be much greater for the club.

AarOne Ramsey

Many have touted him to be the perfect replacement for Cesc if he chooses to leave this summer.Well,all these people are stupid.Not to take anything away from Ramsey,he is great and he could be a solution if Cesc leaves,in the long run,but not now.He is not ready,yet.He needs to churn out some more consistent performances and get himself established before we consider him for the job.

Coming to the match,we practically owned their asses dominating possession and creating some chances.Theo had a good chance of opening the score when he got on to the end of one of Clichy's crosses,but he put it over the crossbar. We also had a clear cut penalty denied to us when Vidic jumped high and 'played' the ball out of bounds.maybe the ref hadn't seen it,maybe he did,but there is no use talking about it now.

'Played' the ball

Half time came and Samir Nasri was subbed out by Arshavin because of of a hamstring problem.Instead of his usual attacking play,the little Russian was all over the place winning ball,successfully sliding into tackles and defensively more active than normal.His commitment into the game inspired the others to play better.

The loss of Djourou did not seem to affect the team much and Squillaci gelled into the defense prettty well and  it was a good solid performance from the back four.Sagna was brilliant as was Clichy.Both kept the wingers quiet all match and also went forward whenever they could.Chezzers was brilliant at the back.He didn't have much to do most of the game,but when needed,he made brilliant saves to deny Nani from set-pieces.

The only goal of the game came from some real good football b/w RVP and Ramsey.AarOne played Persie  down the right adn continued his run.Van Persie moved to the near end of the box and when he saw Ramsey literally screaming for the ball,he played him in and AarOne shot it first time and it went under Carrick's legs and into the goal.After missing more than a year and to come back into a game of such high calibre and score a beauty of a goal,it was well and truly deserved.

Into the last minutes of the match,ManUre had an appeal for penalty turned down.Replays showed that  Clichy rammed his studs down the back of Owen's thighs (Kudos),but because of his theatrical dive,Arsenal were saved from another self-destruction.

After the game Arsene said "We had a good performance that had everything in it; discipline, fighting spirit and our usual passing game. Until we scored the goal, I feel we completely controlled the game. Then, because we have not won a lot recently, we tried to protect our advantage and were more under pressure. Overall, I believe we deserved to win the game"


This was a good way to respond to one horrid month and maybe we can continue this on to the end of the month and finish on a high note.

On a much lighter note,today is the birthday of our one and only El Capitan Cesc Fàbregas Soler. Fans from around the globe have wished him and all the readers can go to his twitter profile to wish him a Happy Birthday or Feliz Cumpleaños (Spanish).One of my dear friends Gurleen Kaur who is a mad Fabregas fan went all the way and made an entire animated e-book as his birthday present. It is ruddy brilliant and you all should have a look at it.

You can follow Goonerburgh on Twitter and Facebook.Thats all for the day people,have a good day.

Pride,Revenge, Asswhooping

This season has been one of a lot of ups and downs and we need to end it on a high.We don't have much left to fight for other than our pride.Its all about pride now and beating ManUre is just about proving that Arsenal are still a force to be reckoned with.

A month back,everyone looked at this match as the title decider. Four weeks down the lane, a lot has changed.Arsenal are virtually out of the race and ManUre all but need a draw at the Emirates to ensure the title return to Old Trafford.Well,the Gooners all round the world will be hoping that their team will make ManUre wait another week for that.

Winning this match is not about getting those three points.Its about proving a point.Its about showing that we are still a great team.People say that we should never fight for revenge.Well this match should be played for revenge.Revenge for the FA Cup loss.Revenge for the league loss.Moreover we have to beat them just for the fact that they exist.

In recent times,ManUre always seem to get the better of us.They sit tight and give a disciplined defensive performance and attack on the counter and score.This has worked for them in our previous encounters,so we should be ready for them and defend well when they counter-attack. Our full-backs will have their hands full if both Park and Nani start.Park has scored in his last three encounters against Arsenal,so Sagna should be on his toes.Clichy has gotten a lot better since our last meeting with ManUre but i still expect Nani to trouble him.So he should contain his runs and concentrate more on his defensive duties for the match.I expect Nasri and Arshavin to trouble their full-backs in a more devastating manner.So it should turn out to be a very exciting encounter.

Arsenal will be going into this fixture with virtually a full strength team.We have Thomas Rosicky returning from illness.We lost Diaby to a calf strain and also will be without long term absentee Lukas Fabianski.Other than that,we have the whole squad available.I expect Arshavin to start alongside Nasri.These two are danger-men who can shoot from almost anywhere and go through any defense.So Walcott might be benched to come on as the super-sub.

Predicted starting XI : Szczesny,Sagna,Djourou,Koscielny,Clichy,Wilshere,Song,Arshavin,Fabregas,Nasri,Van Persie

Now for some good news.Thomas Vermaelen returned to competitive football after a long-term Achilles injury when he completed 90 minutes for the Arsenal Reserves in the goalless draw against ManUre reserves.This comes as a mental boost for the whole squad and he could still feature in the first team before the league ends this month.I would rather have him get some deserved rest and have a good pre-season rather than rush him back to the first-team.He is a vital part that we have been missing this season and we can't risk losing him to an injury again.

Lets hope he has had enough bed-rest

Our defensive capabilities will once again be tested this match and we have to get out of this unscathed if we are to even finish in third place.We have conceded penalties thrice in the as many games (Liverpool,Sp*rs,Bolton) and we should play well enough and contain them rightly so as not to give away any cheap penalties.Chris Foy will be the match referee and he has always been a fair one.Lets hope he stays one for this match as well.

I predict a 2-1 win with RVP and Arshavin scoring and Rooney getting on the scoresheet for them.A win here could be exactly what Arsenal needs to end the season with some sort of confidence.

That is all for the day folks.You can follow Goonerburgh on Twitter and Facebook. Have a great day and pray for a bigass asswhooping against ManUre.

What we really need...

It finally looks like it could be over for Arsenal this season.We had been playing catch-up all season and finally we seem to have run out of steam.And this is more saddening than any of the other seasons as this one had so much promise and in the end,it looked like we just faded away.

Even in the last game,the guys showed no signs of urgency.There was a kind of lazed manner going around, the way they played in the first half.Only after Chezzers saved the penalty did i see some life.They pushed and pushed and some really good chances fell to some of the players,the best being to Samir Nasri when he got an over the top pass from RVP and was 1 on 1 with keeper and what did he do? He shot it straight at Jaaskelainen.He blew it when he needed to just calmly slot it in.

The goals we let in yesterday were in a typical Arsenal fashion,set-pieces.This just goes on to show,more than buying new defenders who will make the same old mistakes,its better we educate the ones we have on rectifying the regular mistakes we make while defending.

We can't have this happening often.

The manager himself admitted that 'defense' was a weakness in our team.I would like to disagree.It is not just the back four,but the team as a whole has been weak defensively.A team can be rock solid only when all the eleven players work together.Even when a mediocre team works as a unit to defend,they can be world class.So we need a team ethic which will help in making us a tough nut to crack.

Also,our players need to calm down,whenever we seem to go down,or the opposition piles up some pressure,we seem to panic and make silly mistakes.This is something else that needs to change.We need to be confident off-the-ball.

Talent-wise there is not much of a big difference b/w the Invincibles and the current team.The one major difference would be the mentality.The guys don't seem to have that real 'want ' to win.They seem to wait to get a chance rather than going out and taking it.

The teams of old used to put soo much pressure on the opposition even without the ball,this made them a very strong team to play against.We had some instances where we played like this,a memorable one being the 3-1 win  against Chelsea.That high tempo has to be maintained throughout 90 mins,all through 38 games.

Bringing in new players will only do one thing,restrict the growth of the current crop,and we will have to sit around watching them make the same old mistakes. So more than bringing in new personnel,its about improving the knowledge of our current crop.We need to learn how to win.

I agree some of the deadwood needs to be let go.But further discussion into that shall be done only when the transfer window opens.Till then,let us support our players.They need to know that the fans are behind them.

Arseblog talks about how money is a big factor in the players' minds.How its not just the big name players,but the mid level ones as well, are all on good money and how some of them refuse to go to other clubs that offer them 1st team football,but not as much money.Players refusing to go to clubs who have a proud history, where they are guaranteed playing time just because the money is not great.

So when did playing the game become secondary motive?When did winning not matter as much as the wages you were on? This trend has created a sort of laziness or complacency in the players,that winning did not matter as much anymore.

Winning Matters

So more than anything,what REALLY needs to change is this attitude of the players.They need to prioritize things the right way and bring that winning mentality back.In the end, WINNING MATTERS.

Finally,i would like to talk about Le Boss. A lot of people have been shouting for the sacking of Wenger,our manager who has kept us in the top 4 throughout his reign.Something no other manager has managed.The Professor has been the best manager in Arsenal's history,period.But he has immersed so much of himself into his project in these recent years,that he might have forgotten what it is that was needed to win.I think he should take a step backward and have a look at the situation.I want the project to continue,but Wenger should concentrate more on the First Team from next season other than finding out all the prospects in the world.He should let his staff worry about that for once.THE LOSING STOPS HERE!!!!

The Losing Stops Here!!

A new Tumblr profile has been opened by Goonerburgh.Follow us there for the latest videos from ATV Online and quotes froms players and the manager and  pictures and songs of Arsenal .You can also follow Goonerburgh on Twitter and Facebook.

Finally we would like to give a shout-out to Arsene T-shirts.They are a group of Gooners who started a T-shirt business to fight all the anti-Wenger movements going around.

Have a good day folks.All sorts of comments are welcome,as long as it is constructive.

Bolton Preview-A Must Win + Arsene's Pre-Match Press conference Video

Well its Sunday,and here we are,playing catch-up to Man Utd and Chelsea.Both the teams won their matches   yesterday and Fernando Torres finally ended his cold streak(FINALLY!!).

                          Our mid-week fixture against Sp*rs was a tough one and the guys will have to bounce back quickly.I hope the unbeaten streak continues with a win.Playing away to Bolton is always tough,its gonna take some tough work to crack them.But with Bolton on a bad run having collected just 10 points from six games,there will not be a better chance to to beat them at their own ground.

Bolton have Owen Coyle in charge and he has changed the way Bolton play and has finally got players like Elmander and Kevin Davies to do well. Lonee Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea has been making waves like a certain Jack Wilshere did last season.He has found the net six times from eight appearances.

Not on the Losing Side
                                                                          ©WonderGunner

                 We haven't been on a great scoring form recently.Most of our recent goals came from just one source-RVP.That needs to change a bit.I hope the boss gives some sort of role other than that of a late-sub to Marouane Chamakh.I wish he would push him a bit more than he has done.Maybe he would have tried harder if he felt he was needed more.Hopefully he will be give a late chance in this game.

Walcott and Nasri scoring in the last game was a welcome sight and hopefully they can continue their good form going into the game.We need more people chipping in with goals at this point of the season.With Wilshere coming in for this game,you can expect Fabregas to maybe drop deeper during periods in the game to allow Jack to go forward.It will be good to see him play against some of his previous team-mates(maybe break their hearts by scoring a goal as well).

On the injury front,we lost Diaby from last game to a calf strain.He is certainly out from today's game,and will have a late assessment before the Man Utd game.Vermaelen has returned to full training and should be available before the season gets over.

            We fielded a full strength team last game,and we will have to do so again today.I expect Theo Van Nasregas to start,along with the Jack-Song midfield duo.

Possible line-up:Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Wilshere, Song, Fabregas, Nasri, Walcott, Van Persie.

Theo Van Nasregas

                                                   via ArseGirl

          The last time we played them,it was in September and we beat them 4-1,with Kozzers,Song,Vela & Chamakh finding the net.This time around,we have a stronger defensive line-up and hopefully if we lose the clumsy tackles,we can expect a better display.I predict a 3-0 win for Arsenal.

Happy Easter Folks!!

You can follow Goonerburgh on Twitter and Facebook.Thats all I have for the day folks.Happy Easter!

The Cesc Interview With Don Balon,Original and Full Transcript

A lot of talk has been going around recently,about the interview Cesc gave to the Spanish newspaper Don Balon.I tried hard to get the original because of the fact that i just wouldn't believe all the shit the press were printing.Well finally with the help of my good friend Gurleen Kaur aka Wondergunner I got the original Spanish Transcript. I have published it below in English(translated using Google Translator).

Don Balon .- What image was a boy of 16 years on Arsenal?
"I knew I had a great coach, who gambled by playing young players like Henry, Bergkamp, ​​Viera, Pires. Nor was I a fan of the Premiership, still abstracts on Sunday but that's it.Perhaps it was even harder to come here, nor knew where I was going ...

DB .- What has changed this picture eight years later?
-Buff. At all. I have also changed a lot physically and I've matured as a person. If I start I learned a lot has to analyze all this time, I also made mistakes and now I am, ultimately, much more complete.

DB .- Do you feel a child prodigy?
-No. Well, maybe at the beginning itself. Not now. I've been a couple of years that injuries have left me not evolve in the way he wanted.But with 17 years playing 51 games after winning the Cup with 18, playing the final of the Champions and the World Cup with 19. I remember well from my early days but people are not much. In those first three years was very fast, a blast to use. It's time that I have evolved, the change I made stronger. At age 21, after the European Championship, I had more injuries, everything has been less continuous and cost me more progress.

Child Prodigy?

DB.-First things first. His first season in the first team, with 17 years is not a team anyone ...
"It was a great team. 'The Invincibles', who came to win the Premiership without losing a single match. I started there and was between 15 and 18 more games where we knew no defeat. That year I played 51 games and many starts. The truth is that I feel a little part of that record, a total of 49 league games without defeat.

DB .- Is the best team he has played?
"No doubt. Wow, is that it goes without thinking. It was a year in which I evolved a lot. Even I sometimes wonder whether it was better at 17 than now. When you realize that you see, what happens is that before playing on a winning team and was impressive. Felt that if you made a bad game it was okay because your partner you solved it. Those players made you better. I've always said, as that team, either.

The Invincibles

DB .- things have changed a lot. Do you feel pressure now have to always offer the best version?
"Yes, yes, man, of course. That I have it very clear, which I pass failure on the man everyone has on the eyes. I hate to say but it's true. If I play bad, I feel the responsibility and pressure from the fans. It's something I had not ever happened but since I'm captain this is reality.Only Van Persie and I stayed in that generation, and we like a lot of responsibility. But it is what it is.

DB. "But I do not deny that something like ...
- Of course I like it! What happens is that sometimes it is too. Why? Because football is a team game. Nobody wins games alone. You win two or three throughout the course but not a title. Sometimes all that surrounds me is oversized but it is the responsibility of leading a team that is very young. The most important thing for me is that injuries to respect me because otherwise it is very complicated. And the continuity is what made me get where I am.

Arsenal DB. "This is a very young team but from the outside gives the impression that it always is. Is not it a loop?
"Look, I believe that the key is in a good combination. So I feel very, very fortunate to have played in the great team where I started.Because I was alone, also Van Persie, and the two were growing watching our idols. We learned from the best. Now it's different because we are all too young to have a person say, Guaaau!

DB. "Well, now the youth of the team are set and want to learn from you ...
- That and I do not know but I have only 23 years and that's important to remember. I started as soon as you appear to have 27 or 28. Then you look and I have a long way to go. So I was very lucky. Young people learned from the greats. It is now more complicated. Wilshere if you put the computer on which I played before ... is different. Do not say it is neither better nor worse. Before there were references, winning players, stronger and faster she learned playing with them.

DB .- Do you mind to associate the name of Wenger to him like someone who guides his steps, which decides for you?
"Man, he is the boss, I have a contract and he has every right in the world to decide. But the truth is no. You can see or interpret from the outside but not so. I always speak openly and honestly and he accepts quite what I say.

Wenger and Fabregas

"It seems DB. have to find a 'guilty' that you follow in the Arsenal ...
I do not know but it seems that if I do not step now I will not ever give. I have 23 years and if I go this summer, I'll have 24, if I go to the other, I 25; if I go to the other, 26, and if I go to another 27! Things have to bear with patience and bide our time. The day I leave Arsenal I will head, not because. Besides, who says you're going to play on the new computer? Or maybe you do not evolve. I here I have the good fortune to a personal level, despite not winning a lot, I'm getting very strong. Puyol and I talk to tells me that to 26 did not win anything.Puyol, who has won everything in the world of football! Patience and work is most important in life.

DB .- How is it that a technician as Wenger, who has not won anything for so many years, remains as little question?
"Man, it is now easier to understand because I've been here for many years. But it is clear that if you come from Spain and tell Emery, Guardiola and Mourinho who will be three years without winning anything is assumed that they will not follow. But here is different, the coach is a smart person and the club appreciates other things, that the team is always in the Champions League, which fights to the end, which serve young people, economic stability. I guess for the presidents that is important. Although I imagine there will be a time when you have to take the plunge ... Or win or not win.
DB. "That was getting at. The label accompanying the Arsenal is' never win anything but ... What soccer practice! ".
"It's true. When I started we won the Cup and then we reached the final of the Champions League, well, we do not win but you say, 'Ostia', you have won one less and Barcelona in the last minute. Do not give it as a victory but think, is the first time the club reached the final of the Champions League, have played millions of players here and we've got us. But from 2007 I already started to say that the''do not win but we played very well.'' And then you realize it does not work. Enjoy, during a phase of the championship, as this year, for example, when we were in four different competitions. And say, if I have it all! But after missing that final point and it is here where you have to make a decision: Either go to win or to train players.


DB. "Last year, following the departure of Adebayor, you explode as a scorer. What happened?
"Well, I changed my position. I'm playing more than playmaker, last year was the first in that position. I felt very good physically and most goals came when he was with Van Persie up. I get along very well with him for his way of interpreting the game.

DB .- Do you feel comfortable in this position?
"I still think that my position is a little delayed. Because you see the football face, give support, move fast ... In short, you participate more. Now all teams know me and I put a guy back. I'm not a player used to turn around and get back. Now I'm used to, do not play as many balls but I have more chance of giving the final pass and score. If the team needs me here because I loved it.

DB. I do not know if in this respect the emergence of Wilshere will be influenced. The kid is on everyone's lips.
"Normal is a great player. I love, going to crack. It is very strong for his age. I wish I had the leg strength he has. To which matures and improving the pass will be a great player.

DB. He assembled quite a stir because Guardiola said that the subsidiary had many Barca players like Wilshere. I do not know if it will seem a lot but what is clear is that next year will be Thiago Alcántara FC Barcelona first team. What do you know him?
"As speech is a great player. I've only seen a few minutes into the first team. But with little and you realize you have an incredible quality, is one of those players who do not know very well that position does. You can play attacking midfielder because he has dribbling and vision of the game but it can have an organizer. Let's see how it is defined over the years. I think it will be good for Barcelona and the Spanish team.

DB.-Fernando Torres to Chelsea ... Did you expected?
No! The truth is that how it happened, in so few hours, not what I expected. I imagined Torres outside the Premiership, but also to leave mid-season. But: I have clearly been a good decision.
DB .- And if you come to Chelsea with the millions made by Torres Cesc wondering, what do you do?
- Me? Paint pictures! Do not paint anything.

DB. "You know what I mean: imagine you are trying to convince an ambitious project ...
"Do not you see. If one day I'm leaving for Arsenal will never sign for another English team. Quite sure.

DB. He had heard the hype about Jon Toral, another player in Barca's youth system which has recently joined Arsenal. Were you surprised by criticism of his coach, given the similarity of his case?
"I think this makes the whole world. I was the first, yes, but there have been other cases that have transcended both. Manchester United also won Pique. Here the only thing that is clear is that in Barcelona there are homegrown real good that can come to play in the elite, 60% likely. But not everyone will do at the club and some players are aware of it.

DB .- Do you it was?
"Look, in the Barcelona first team reach the privileged: the Xavi, the Puyol. And then there are the superprivileged, Busquets and Pedro, they've won the lottery. They've worked but now a coach and told them, 'you play tomorrow. " This does not happen much. I have many friends who are still in Barca B, and Víctor Vázquez. Believe me, some were better than me. But you have to choose. Each finds his way.

Now that you have read the whole interview,you can see that the British Tabloids are a bunch of Cunts writing anything to sell their papers.


Also I would like to apologize to Abhishek Biswas,a dear friend.The earlier version of the interview I posted  was actually translated by him and it took him quite sometime and I,just to save some time searching for the Spanish Article in the morning just reblogged it.Sorry Mate,really thought your version was a google translation.Sincere apologies..Took some time,but this is the GOOGLE TRANSLATION.

You should Check his BLOG out 'From the Heart of a Gooner'He is a Top Gooner and a Wilshere lover :).Follow him on Twitter.

Also i would appreciate it if you readers shared this on Facebook or Tweeted about this post.A lot more people need to read about this and understand how the media twists everything.


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