Arsene Wenger – The second coming

The arrival of German International Lukas Podolski from FC Koln marked a change in Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy. The signing of the £11 million rated striker would be the peak of the change in the way players are bought into the club. But this change is not sudden, it did not start overnight. Maybe the actual spark was the 8-2 humiliation at the hands of Manchester United that hit Arsene right at his head; it really must have nerved him to watch his team lose so badly at the hands of his long-standing rival, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Dejection

That loss saw the panic button being pressed and saw Wenger bringing in a plethora of players (Park Chu Young,Mikel Arteta,Andre Santos,Per Mertesacker).Till that day,he had made only what you would call ‘ Wenger Signings’ which included Alex ‘Ox’ Chamberlain,Gervinho,Joel Campbell and Carl Jenkinson,all great talents, unproven and young. The difference in the two groups of players were easily identifiable, the second set,the ones bought after the 8-2 loss were all older and more experienced.

Change of ways??

Out went the regular scrimmaging for a bargain and a more readiness to pay the top dollar for the proven talent was seen in the old warhorse. It looked like he is more ready to pay money to get his targets before other teams come in and swoop away a deal. This also shows with his dealing in the current season. He already has secured Podolski and looks to add Yann M’vila, Shinji Kagawa and Matias Suarez to the ranks. All reputed and proven names (maybe the exception of Suarez, but what would Wenger be if he can’t bring in at least one gem??)

New-Boy Lukas

Seven seasons without a trophy would be enough for any person to take a change, and this has been long enough for Wenger and this could be part-II of Wenger’s reign at Arsenal. There are many reasons being said, some say it was the move from Highbury and the debt that followed. Some would say the loss of several high profile players in the span of 2-3 years. All this together forced Wenger to build a squad deeply based on Youth Development and Shrewd Bargain Buys and hoping that the team chemistry and raw hunger among the players would help them win trophies. Somewhere along the way, Wenger lost the plot, that foundation he built never had the strength to mount a serious challenge. There were moments of greatness but there was never enough substance for them to ever become serious enough. Each time, the failure was more hard to take and more players kept leaving off for ‘Greener Pastures’.

More to come?

Now it seems that the time has passed and Wenger is making a very hard effort to keep his best players and sign more well-accomplished ones. Wenger was heard saying that he wanted to build another invincible squad and I and rest of the gooner community hope that this is the dawn of a new age at the Grove.

For some of you viewers who are interested, Podolski's first interview as an Arsenal Player.

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. 

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.

Wenger-He is still god,get that?

After the recent results,a lot of blame has been put on the gaffer.It is really admirable of him to take the heat and let the players do their thing.For those of you who are pointing fingers,just take a sec and think,as a club we spend as less as some of the bottom placed ones and look at where we stand.We are in second place,we still have a chance to win the league,on top of that we are unbeaten since December.

For all the haters!!

Have some patience you asses.All of you shouting 'Out with Wenger',find me a replacement who will continue to help the club be self sustaining and go for all trophies at the same time.Wenger has managed to change the 'Boring boring Arsenal' tag,singlehandedly created the exciting football we play today,and established the club as a consistent trophy fighter without having to spend big money.

Maybe Wenger did make some mistakes.He or the board may have sold off too many first team members during the 2004-2006 period.This put a lot of youngsters in to the forefront.Maybe they were not ready for it then.A normal football team would be the perfect balance between youth and experience.With the experience gone,the youth had to cope with all the new responsibilities with nobody to guide them.Have a read at this article.They have written pretty darn well as to why we have been lacking trophies these past few years.
                                  
                   There will be nobody better than him.Everyone who has been supporting this club long enough will accept that fact.The team is not up-to the "Invincible" standard,that is what seems to be the problem nowadays.Everybody need to get this fact into their mind "This is not the same team!!!Well yea one of our teams from the past went through a whole season unbeaten,that was great,now get the fuck over it and live in the present.Enough with all the 'The invincibles were that,the invincibles were this'. Yea they were great,now lets start supporting the current squad.How about we do that a bit now ehhh??

Wenger is God

                   Wenger has been described as a coach who "has spent his career building teams that combine the accumulation of silverware with a desire to entertain and attack", and as "A purist, dedicated to individual and collective technical quality."His approach to the game has been an emphasis on attack. All his teams have played football 'the way it has to be played.' 


The man has won FA manager of the year 3 times,French Manager of the year,twice,Manager of the decade, once and is an English Football Hall of Fame member.So maybe he may not know everything,but sure as hell knows more than anybody out there who dare question him.He ain't called the 'Professor' for nothing.


                 Wenger has been criticized a lot for not spending as much as he could have,but dont you think that would have hampered the development of our younger players??Also with the financial fairplay rules coming up,clubs like Man Utd,Chelsea,Man City and even Liverpool who are in a tonne of debt are gonna find life in the premier league different.So for now why dont we.for a change,just enjoy the beautiful game?


I will leave you all with a video to remind you all for the days to come,that 'Wenger is GOD!!!!'.To download the song in the background,you just go here. You can follow Goonerburgh on Twitter or Facebook.

Have a good day folks!


©goonerburgh