Lukas Podolski – The good and the bad

August 31st 2011 is a day marked in history. The day Arsene Wenger signed 5 players on a single day. However, 8 months on, it seems like lessons have been learnt from that shambolic transfer window. Arsenal secured the services of German striker Lukas Podolski, on April 30, way before the transfer window even opens, from FC Koln in Germany. Podolski will be a great addition to Arsenal’s exisiting array of talents. Here are few of the qualities the German possesses.

THE GOOD

Option in Attack

Apart from Robin van Persie, Arsenal do not have the firepower in the attacking department, that can score consistently enough. Marrouane Chamakh has been largely dissapointing, and Park Chu-Young hasn’t gained the trust of the manager. Apart from that, Joel Campbell, who will be returning from a loan spell at Lorient next season, is a bit too young to be blooded into first team action. Niklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela are headed towards the exits at the Emirates. Gervinho has been woeful in front of goal, while Walcott has been erratic and inconsistent. Arsene Wenger recently admitted that the team has been over-reliant on van Persie this season. This is where Podolski comes in and gives Wenger more options up front.

Eye for Goals

Podolski arrives with a reputation. He is an accomplished German international, and has netted 43 goals in 95 games for his country. He scored 46 goals in 81 league appearances for his childhood club Cologne, in his first spell there. An unsuccessful stint with Bayern Munich followed, where Podolski’s form and confidence dipped. He managed only 15 goals in 71 league games. He returned to Cologne, netting 33 goals in 87 appearances so far,  and is the 4th top scorer in the Bundesliga, behind Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Mario Gomez and Robert Lewandowski.

Pace and Power

Naturally left-footed like Robin van Persie, Podolski packs a punch with his shots. He often operates as a centre-forward, who can not only score but also set up plenty of them. At times accused of not being skillful enough, he has the pace to go past defenders, and this is central to Arsenal’s style of play. It will be interesting to see how Arsene Wenger plays the German. He could be an option on the left, in place of the ineffective Ivorian Gervinho, or as a supporting striker to Robin van Persie.

Bags of Experience

At just 26, Podolski is one of the seniors in the national side, with nearly 100 appearances. He has played in two European Championships (EURO 2004 and EURO 2008), as well as two World Cups (2006 and 2010). He was named the best young player of the tournament in 2006, which was hosted by his homeland, ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, owing to his 3 goals.

Versatility

According to German coach Joachim Low, Podolski can fit into a variety of roles up front easily. The general thought is that he will be deployed on the left wing, because of his natural ability. He has played as a winger in the past, and this could be positive for Arsenal.

THE BAD

Temparament

In the past, Podolski’s temperament has been the source of much debate and controversy. In a league, where tackles keep flying around, and frustration mounts faster than steam in a cooker, Podolski will have to manage his temperament, if he is to succeed in the English league. He once slapped national captain Michael Ballack during a game, and has reportedly got into scuttles with the coaching staff at Cologne. Podolski has even been accused of having a poor attitude at training.

Playing at the Highest Level

While Podolski is a fine player in national colors, queries have been raised whether he can succeed playing at top clubs. His stint at Bayern Munich went horribly wrong. After the arrival of Italian striker Luca Toni who immediately struck a partnership with Klose, he fell behind in the pecking order. Whether he couldn’t get on with the big names around, or whether the play didn’t suit his style, is still debatable. At Cologne, with Podolski being the only big name, and the darling of the club, he managed to blend in quite well, becoming a club legend, at a young age.

Sole Striker

Whether Podolski can ply as a lone striker is a doubt. Robin van Persie, not having signed a contract extension yet with the Gunners, could still mean, he may be sold at the end of the season. Podolski partners Miroslav Klose at the international level, and at club level with Christian Clemens. Podolski prefers through balls to be played into him, as this allows him to venture further forward on the pitch.

SUMMARY

Lukas Podolski’s arrival in North London could usher in a new era for the Gunners. Probably a change in the transfer policy, where we buy more top players, rather than just make them and sell them on. A word of caution, though. Burdening Podolski with expectation would be the last thing Arsenal fans would want to do. Patience is the key as he settles into the English way of life. Of course, he has Mertesacker and Szczesny to help him do that. Remember Jose Antonio Reyes, or the more recent ones such as Marrouane Chamakh. We don’t want one more of that.

Jai Arsenal 🙂

Also, do read Desi Gunner’s writeup on Podolski. It is a good article.

 

Real Madrid 2(1)-1(3) Bayern Munich – Bayern set up historic final

Real Madrid 2 (Ronaldo 6 (pen), 14) – Bayern Munich 1 (Robben 27 (pen)) – Scores tied after ET

Penalty Shooutout – 

Alaba (Bayern) – Scores 0-1

Ronaldo (Real) – Saved 0-1

Gomez (Bayern) – Scores 0-2

Kaka (Real) – Saved 0-2

Kroos (Bayern) – Saved 0-2

Alonso (Real) – Scores 1-2

Lahm (Bayern) – Saved 1-2

Ramos (Real) – Misses 1-2

Schweinsteiger (Bayern) – Scores 1-3

Man of the Match – Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich booked a place for themselves for the European final, in their own city, in their own stadium, as they overcame Real Madrid’s challenge, in dramatic fashion, winning on penalties.

Real Madrid were turning out after a thoroughly absorbing encounter over the weekend in the El Clasico against Barcelona at the Nou Camp, which they won 2-1, thanks to goals from Sami Khedira and Cristiano Ronaldo. Bayern Munich, seemed a bit more relaxed, having almost conceded the Bundesliga title to high-flyers Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern Munich named an unchanged squad from the first leg at the Allianz, while Real Madrid drafted in Brazilian left-back Marcelo, in place of the ineffective Fabio Coentrao.

The start to the game, was completely the opposite. Real Madrid started on the front foot, and after just 5 minutes, young Austrian defender David Alaba was adjudged to have handled a Angel di Maria cross. Ronaldo stepped up and scored. And, within no time, Real had the tie by the scruff of the neck, after Ronaldo’s fine finish after being set up by Mesut Ozil.

With Real Madrid coasting away, Bayern’s response was pretty quick. Pepe fouled Germany international Mario Gomez in the penalty box, and Arjen Robben made no mistake from the spot, to level scores on aggregate. It was justice done, as the German side was as attack-minded as Real.

Gomez, who has been in fine nick this season, showed the same wastefulness in front of goal, as he had done last week, against the same opponent. His low driven shot was saved by Iker Casillas, and his header glanced wide.

Real Madrid almost scored early into the second half, when Benzema was released on the right. His half-shot, half-cross was met by no one, but ambled just short of the goal. Bayern responded as Lahm’s cross was met by Gomez again, but it ended up just wide.

There were more soon shots on goal, with the usual culprits Benzema and Gomez in the thick of things. Benzema has a shot from long range, while Gomez’ shot is deflected away. Arjen Robben, then, went on a fine run, but the alert Casillas, saves from his heavy touch.

Late on, with minutes left to play, Arjen Robben played in Mario Gomez, who was in a fantastic position to score, but he took too long to make a decision, and Real cleared.

The extra time played out was actually quite uneventful. Both teams were visibly exhausted, and lacked the pace to trouble the opposition. However, David Alaba and Luiz Gustavo picked up cards, which meant they would miss the final.

There was enough tension at the Bernabeu, to be cut open by a knife, as the match had gone down to penalties. David Alaba made no mistake. Cristiano Ronaldo did, as Manuel Neuer produced a fine right-sided save. This was the second time Ronaldo had missed a penalty in a shootout in the Champions League. The last time it happened, Manchester United went on to beat Chelsea.

Mario Gomez slotted away his, and Neuer produced a photocopy save of the first to deny Kaka. Iker Casillas, then made the most vital of saves off Toni Kroos, to keep Real in contention. Xabi Alonso managed to put away his, and it seemed Real had clung on, after Lahm forced a brilliant one-handed Casillas save.

Sergio Ramos made a complete hash of his penalty, akin to the Charlie Adam miss against Cardiff City in the League Cup Final. Bastian Schweinsteiger slotted home the final penalty, to take Bayern through to the final.

Bayern will be without key players Luiz Gustavo, David Alaba and Holger Badstuber for the final. But, they will relish the chance of playing Chelsea in their own backyard.

 

Bayern Munich 2-1 Real Madrid – Bavarians down the Madridistas

Bayern Munich 2 (Ribery 17, Gomez 89) –  Real Madrid 1 (Ozil 53)

Mario Gomez managed to turn an anticlimax to a massive win for Bayern Munich with a priceless late winner, that will give Bayern a huge boost before they head to Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg.

Real Madrid were overall, very ineffective, as Bayern produced another efficient performance, akin to German engineering.

Bastian Schweinsteiger got the nod ahead of compatriot Thomas Mueller for Bayern, while Fabio Coentrao was chosen ahead of Brazilian Marcelo at left-back. Karim Benzema kept his place, with Higuain having to content with a place on the bench.

The start was pretty even, with Real having the first real shot, when Benzema’s effort was parried by Manuel Neuer. Controversy soon followed, when France winger Frank Ribery went down too easily, after the slightest of touches from Sergio Ramos. There was a small kerfuffle, but it didn’t take Ribery long to get on to the scoresheet.

Sergio Ramos was involved again, as the ball chested off him, into the path of Ribery, whose low shot beat a horde of bodies in the box, as well as beating Iker Casillas. Real seemed to be struggling on the wings, and their midfield seemed ineffective against a well drilled Bayern unit. Cristiano Ronaldo rarely troubled the opposition, while Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria were kept under wraps.

Mario Gomez, the German international of Spanish descent, almost scored, when he lost his markers Pepe and Ramos, but his effort was just about pushed away by Casillas.

But, Real took lead completely against the run of play in the second half. Ronaldo was put through, but his effort saved by Neuer, before Benzema crossed to give Ronaldo another chance. He flicked it back to Ozil, who netted in front of an empty net.

Mario Gomez then missed a few chances for the host. First, he was beaten to the ball by Casillas, having been put through by Robben. Then, he miscued his shot off a Kroos dead ball. He even managed to scamper a couple of headers from goal scoring positions.

When it seemed, Bayern would pay for all their profligacy, Philip Lahm cut from the right, and Gomez finally managed to find the back of the net.

There was a bit of tension at the end, when substitute Marcelo kicked Thomas Mueller, which was a red card foul, but escaped with only a yellow. Bayern closed down, to hold on to a slender advantage to take to Spain.

Match Ratings (Bayern Munich)

Neuer (7.5) – Rarely threatened on the night.

Lahm (8) – A fine performance at right-back.

Badstuber (8) – Commanding game from the young German.

Boateng (7.5) –  A completely different player from what we saw at Manchester City.

Alaba (8.5) – The 19 year old Austrian was tireless in attack, and never shunned his defensive duties.

Gustavo (7.5) – Lost the ball a few times, but a composed game.

Kroos (8) –  In the thick of things, all night.

Schweinsteiger (7.5) –  A bit subdued, didn’t really justify his selection ahead of Mueller.

Ribery (7.5) – Adept at playacting, and scored a vital goal.

Robben (8) – A constant menace to Real’s defence.

Gomez (7) – Scampered way too many opportunities.

Match Ratings (Real Madrid)

Casillas (8.5) – It could have been a rout without him.

Arbeloa (7) – Never really managed the pace of Robben.

Ramos (7.5) – Constantly under pressure. Centre back is not for him.

Pepe (7) – Prone to errors.

Coentrao (7) – Another player who didn’t justify his selection.

Alonso (7.5) – Workhorse in midfield.

Khedira (7) – Anonymous.

Ozil (7) – Scored a vital away goal.

di Maria (7.5) – Alaba had him under wraps most of the game.

Ronaldo (7) – Never really gathered momentum in his game.

Benzema (7.5) – A mixed game for the France striker.

Overall Team Ratings

Bayern Munich – 7.81

Real Madrid – 7.31

 

And while we are about it, here’s another one – Chelsea vs Barcelona

Chelsea vs Barcelona, Champions League semi-finals 1st Leg, Stamford Bridge

Kickoff – 19:45 GMT (00:15 IST), Wednesday, 18th April 2012

The Champions League never ceases to delight. Yesterday, we were witness to quite a mixed game of football. There were occasional flashes of brilliance, but the late drama was great fun to watch.

Bayern Munich have shown how badly they want to be in that final, come next month. Real Madrid were not exactly outplayed, but just that Bayern wanted it a bit more. Bayern’s defence looks really solid, and despite their young age, it looks like we could see this defence hailed all over Europe in the near future. Mario Gomez missed a few opportunities through the game, but he scored when it mattered most to give Bayern a slender going into the second leg at the Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo, looked a bit isolated yesterday, and he was well marshalled all night. Angel di Maria, too looked a bit out of sorts. Questions will be raised as to why Kaka wasn’t bought off the bench. He could have proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Anyways, today’s encounter between Chelsea and Barcelona promises to be another fascinating encounter. It was 3 years ago, that Andres Iniesta scored that injury time screamer to unceremoniously dump the Blues out of the Champions League. What followed was a fracas, as Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba went on a rampage on television, accusing the referee of favouring the Catalans.

3 years is a bloody long time in football though. While Barcelona have built on that win, and become the world’s best club side, Chelsea have stuttered a bit, and are in danger of not qualifying for next years Champions League, unless they win it this year.

Chelsea look a completely different outfit, from, say, a month ago. After losing to West Bromwich Albion in the league, Roman Abrahamovich sacked Andre Villas-Boas, and replaced him with ex-Chelsea player, and assistant manager Roberto di Matteo. The move has worked wonders.

Chelsea secured progress to the final of the FA Cup, beating Bimingham 2-0, and Leicester City 5-2, before mauling Tottenham in the semi-final 5-1. Their league form has been impressive too, as they look to balance their European aspirations as well. Trailing Italian side Napoli 3-1 from the first leg, Chelsea turned on the style, as they beat the Naples club 4-1 in extra time, on an absorbing night of football. They went on to beat Benfica 1-0, and 2-1, to secure a 3-1 aggregate win, despite some nervy moments. Their domestic league form, too has picked up, with wins over Stoke, Aston Villa, and Wigan, as they stay in contention for a top 4 finish.

The men in form at the moment are Didier Drogba, Juan Mata and Ramires. While Juan Mata has been the lone shining star, in a hugely disappointing campaign, Didier Drogba, has been brilliant of late. With talk earlier in the season, that he is on the verge of quitting the Blues, following the departures of Nicolas Anelka and Alex, the Ivory Coast captain put in a fine display against Spurs in the FA Cup semi-final.

The hardworking Ramires has been given lesser appreciation than he deserves. He has been one of Chelsea’s most consistent players this season, and his link up play from defence to attack has been a positive feature. Frank Lampard, of course, needs no introduction. Despite being on the sidelines, thanks to Villas-Boas’ poor team selection, Lampard has been banging in some vital goals.

Chelsea have some defensive worries, though. David Luiz is out, which means, Gary Cahill, who is inexperienced at this level, comes in. His performances, of late, have been encouraging, though.

Barcelona, have employed a new formation in Europe this season, a 3-4-3. Javier Mascherano and the Spanish duo of Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique form the backline. This could be a weak point, should Chelsea decide to employ wing play, on their narrow Stamford Bridge pitch. Dani Alves, is better off as a right winger than a right back. Sergio Busquets is expected to start tonight, ahead of ex Arsenal skipper Francesc Fabregas, along with the dwarfs Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean winger has been a revelation this season, as he took over the mantle of centre-forward, following the injury to David Villa. Lionel Messi, of course, is another individual who doesn’t need an introduction. The Argentine has been in inspired form, scoring a mammoth 63 goals in 55 matches, and assisting a further 25. He is well and truely in the form of his life.

As a neutral, this clash promises to be a belter, and I certainly hope I am not dissapointed.

Enjoy the game wherever you are. 🙂

 

A little Champions League Preview – Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid

Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid, Champions League semi-finals 1st Leg, Allianz Arena

Kickoff – 19:45 GMT (00:15 IST), Tuesday, 17th April 2012

It is kind of strange to be talking about the Champions League, especially when the club you support isn’t involved in the competition any more. But, the Champions League is the Champions League. It remains the most elite club football competition.

This years semi finals have 4 completely different football philosophies in action. We have the Catalans, who have a brilliant side, featuring the world’s best players, with their unique style of football, where they kill or rather bore the opposition with their passing. We have Real Madrid, who are nothing but Cristiano Ronaldo put together. There’s Bayern Munich, who can really play as a great team at times, and finally there’s Chelsea, who are enjoying a fine run of results under the guidance of Roberto di Matteo.

I may have gone a bit overboard by saying Real Madrid are all about Cristiano Ronaldo, because they are not. Under Jose Mourinho, Real have transformed from being the world’s most underachieving side, to a fearless attacking unit, with handsomely paid superstars like Ronaldo, Kaka, di Maria, Higuain and Benzema. But, they aren’t just about their attack. In the few Real games I have watched this season, I think their most consistent and best players have been the midfield trio of Xabi Alonso, and the Germans Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil.

Ozil may not have scored too many goals, but his link up play is second to none in Europe. With Khedira, he has formed a fine partnership for both club and country, and they have proved to be like the Iniesta-Xavi combination for Barcelona. Xabi Alonso, as well know is a finely tuned midfielder. His presence in the centre of midfield, has been vital to Real’s success in both league and Europe this season. He does most of the dirty work, and as always, doesn’t get as much attention as a Ronaldo or a Kaka may attract. Coming to which, Kaka seems like a completely rejuvenated player this season. Some of his goals have been astonishing, and he remains a great option to have on the bench.

The skinny di Maria also seems a player, whom Mourinho has just allowed to go out and play. He is a real menace on the wings, and with strikers with clinical efficiency, namely Benzema and Higuain, Madrid seem to be a devastating attacking unit. At the back, though, they are prone to conceding goals on the counter, which could just suit Bayern’s attacking style. Marcelo and Sergio Ramos are attack minded fullbacks, while Pepe and Alvaro Arbeloa have had their occasional shaky moments this season.

In complete contrast to Real Madrid’s power in the transfer market, is Bayern Munich. They have built a great side, with foundations from their very own famous academy. Captaining them for quite some time, is proud Bavarian left-back Philip Lahm. Thrust the mantle of captaincy at a very young age, he has shown impeccable maturity, in helping out a young Bayern defence. Holger Badstuber, all of 23 has been a rock at the back this season, and he has a great future ahead of him, while Jerome Boateng looks a completely different player from what he was at Manchester City. And, finally 19 year old Austrian player of the year David Alaba, has proved impressive enough to keep out the seasoned Daniel van Buyten out of the squad.

In midfield, Bayern possess more exciting talent. Luiz Gustavo is making the central defensive midfield position his own, as he forms a good cohesive partnership with another Bayern protege Toni Kroos, who has firmly established himself in the German national side.

Bayern’s attack needs no introduction. Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery are two world class individuals on the flanks, and probably represent the best wing partnership of any club in Europe. Arjen Robben will have some unfinished business with his old club of course. Thomas Muller, like most of his clubmates is proving to be a great prospect for the future, and he is all of 22. Mario Gomez, can be counted among the world’s deadliest strikers. Of Spanish descent, he has scored 11 times in 12 Champions League appearances this season, second only to Lionel Messi of Barcelona. His tally of 25 goals in 30 league games, is astounding too.

Bayern’s loss to Dortmund last week, have all but ended their title hopes. The Champions League final, which is going to be held in their impressive home, the Allianz Arena, will just add fresh impetus to the Bavarians, to make it to the final. It will be no easy task, as they face a resilient attacking force, masterminded by Jose Mourinho. All in all, we can expect two brilliant games of football.

Enjoy the game wherever you are. 🙂

 

Why always Mario?

Love him. Hate him. You just can’t ignore him. Yes, we all know, who I am talking about. It’s Super Mario, Mario Balotelli, the madcap maverick who plays as striker for Manchester City.

Let’s face it, the world would be a duller place without such characters in football. Mario Balotelli offers something fresh. Yes, he may be completely out of order, a maniac even, but c’mon, he is more entertaining than all those ‘holier-than-thou’ footballers we are prone to witness these days.

Let us cast our minds back to 2009, when a young, or rather younger Balotelli made his mark in the Coppa Italia clash, against arch rivals Juventus, scoring twice. With the Turin faithful, chanting rather abusively towards the young striker “There’s no black Italian’s.” Balotelli seemed unfazed at the time, with all the media attention in Italy on him, as he began to brush shoulders with the likes of Dejan Stankovic, Ivan Cordobo, Luis Figo and Javier Zanetti in Inter’s training ground.

Then Inter boss Jose Mourinho accused the young Italian striker of shunning his training schedules, and being a lazy footballer, who left the ground earlier than his more accomplished colleagues. Mourinho, at one stage had enough, and he excluded Balotelli from attending Inter’s training sessions.

His off the pitch antics made news, too. He had to pay nearly £10,000 in parking fines, along with 27 impoundings on his Maserati. If that was not enough, he left his car unattended, with £25,000 in cash just lying on the passenger’s seat. When enquired by police, he said ‘Because I can’.

Another story revolves around Balotelli’s fascination with prison women. Yes, once he and his brother trespassed into a female prison, before they were held by police.

After a league game, against AS Roma, which Inter drew 1-1, Mourinho claimed in the press, that Balotelli’s performance deserved a zero rating. He faced the wrath of the Juventus faithful again, later that year, as he made a complete meal of a Felipe Melo elbow, and went down to the ground theatrically, clutching his face. While Melo was sent off, the game drew bad blood between the sides, a game which Inter eventually lost 2-1. The relation between player and manager soured more, as Balotelli was a late surprise exclusion from Inter’s Champions League squad to face Chelsea, after an altercation. However, it didn’t stop there, as Balotelli was heavily criticized by Inter stalwarts Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi. Then, Mario went on to do something unthinkable, for Inter fans, as he appeared on national television, wearing Inter’s crosstown rivals’ AC Milan’s jersey.

This kept him out of the team for a while, and on his return he was in the headlines again, as he threw the Inter jersey on to the pitch, in a Champions League clash, against Barcelona, in retaliation against fans, who had booed him through the game. He was even at the end of an attempted attack from angry Inter fans. His behaviour was increasingly getting out of hand, and this seemed the last straw for Inter, as they put Balotelli on the market.

The suitors. Well, Manchester City, of course, and their new oil-bankrolled business tycoons, managed by a former Inter manager, himself, Roberto Mancini, who were looking to take the English league by storm, by signing the best players in the world, at outrageous prices.

Despite a slow start to life in the Premier League, Balotelli was back in the thick of things, as he turned hero to villain in a league match against West Brom. He crashed home his first two league goals, in England, and then got himself a red card for an altercation with Baggies midfielder Yussef Mulumbu.

He was once fined, for throwing darts at Manchester City youth players, hitting one in the eye, and was immediately fined by the club. On being asked why he did it, his response was brutally honest. He was bored. Another story says, Balotelli, after winning £25,000 in a night club, splashed the cash on a few lucky homeless in Manchester.

While his talent was obvious, so was his cockiness. As he held aloft the Golden Boy award in December 2010, he exclaimed that there was only one player in the world better than him, and that was Lionel Messi. When asked about runner up to the award, Jack Wilshere, Balotelli claimed he had never heard of him, and told the next time Manchester City meet Arsenal, he would show his award to Wilshere. Funnily, he was spotted using his iPad, when on the bench for Italy in a game against Faroe Islands.

He went on to score a fine hattrick against Aston Villa, later that month. Couple of months later, Balotelli headlines resurfaced English tabloids. He left the first leg of the Europa League match with Dynamo Kiev, after strangely claiming to have an allergy with grass. Weird, a footballer having an allergy with grass. If that wasn’t enough, Balotelli did a Jackie Chan style freekick, in the second leg, on a Dynamo player, and received his marching orders. Manchester City lost and were knocked out of Europe. He, however, put in a man-of-the-match performance in the FA Cup final win over Stoke, City’s first major piece of silverware, in over 3 decades. Previously, after the semi-final win over rivals Manchester United, he provoked United defender Rio Ferdinand, which led to a mass brawl between both sets of players.

In pre-season, Balotelli completely outraged his manager and fans, in a friendly against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Put through, and clear of the defence, Balotelli attempted a backheel, and the ball rolled wide of the post. It was a show of utter disrespect towards the opponents, and minutes later, James Milner replaced him.

That, however, did little to affect his form, as he began the 2011-2012 campaign in fine goalscoring knick, with goals against Birmingham, in the Carling Cup, and in the league against Everton and Blackburn. Mario’s next moment of madness came on the eve of the Manchester derby, against Manchester United. Balotelli lit fire to his own home, as he played with firecrackers indoors, and narrowly escaped the fire. He stayed in a posh hotel, till he found himself a new home. The match, itself was Balotelli’s headline moment. He scored the opening two goals, as Manchester City humiliated Manchester United 6-1, with Balotelli revealing the message “Why always me?”, after scoring the first. He was then involved in an incident, early in the second half, which led to the dismissal of Manchester United centre-back Johnny Evans.

A month later, at Anfield, in a pulsating 1-1 draw with Liverpool, Balotelli came on as a sub. But, in no time, he was back in the dressing room, after receiving two red cards, the second of which was for a stupid foul. He stayed on the pitch for sometime, trying to explain to Mancini, a moment captured by the video cameras, but the manager was having none of it, as he ordered his fellow Italian off the field. Then, prior to a league game against Chelsea, Balotelli broke curfew times, to go to a local restaurant, where he was involved in a mock sword-fight, with rolling pins.

On the field, however, Balotelli was scoring goals. He used, his right, shoulder, yes, you heard right, his right shoulder, to score in a 5-1 win over Norwich City. He then scored in a 2-1 loss to Chelsea, a game remembered for Balotelli being called offside numerous times.

Super Mario faced the same disciplinary issues, he had faced when he was at Inter, as he involved in training ground bust ups with teammates Vincent Kompany, Jerome Boateng and Carlos Tevez. One highly publicized bust up was that between him and Micah Richards, who the maverick Italian accused of ‘not running hard enough’. In the meanwhile, he even managed to ram his Audi R8 supercar. Sigh!

Another incident involves Balotelli and a high school kid, who came to the Manchester City training ground to take his autograph. On being asked, why he wasn’t at school, the kid replied, he was getting bullied. Balotelli summoned the kids mother, and along with them confronted the bully, in the presence of the principal, and resolved the matter. Manchester City, a little embarassed, released a statement, saying Balotelli feels strongly against such issues, and had no qualms in standing up for the bullied party.

If that was not enough, he was summoned for a high profile Mafia court in Italy. During his time with Inter, Balotelli was constantly spotted with drug cartels in Naples.

On the field, Balotelli was involved in an incident with Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker, whom he stamped, but escaped the attention of referee Howard Webb. The match, itself was decided by Balotelli’s injury time penalty, as Manchester City won 3-2. After the match, he was given a 4-match ban. After his return, he scored goals against Blackburn and Bolton. He also scored 2 goals in the 3-3 draw at home to Sunderland, a game which probably cost City the title. With Sunderland leading 3-1, and 16 minutes left, City managed to win a freekick, in a decent position, at the edge of the penalty area. Then, ensued an on field fracas between, Balotelli and left-back Aleksandr Kolarov, as to who would take the free kick. It took Vincent Kompany, the captain, to seperate his bickering players. The subsequent look on Mancini’s face was that of helplessness, as he saw his team fall from being title favorites, to being behind Manchester United.

Amidst this, Balotelli even found time to interrupt an Inter press conference, to congratulate new manager Andrea Stramaccioni.

Finally, as recently as Sunday, Balotelli unleashed his leg on Alex Song’s knee, which had it struck slightly below, would have been a career threatening injury. Luckily, for the Italian, the referee missed the incident, and he stayed on the pitch. He, however, did see red late on, after receiving two yellows, both for poor fouls on Bacary Sagna. Mancini, after the match described Balotelli as chaotic, dangerous and a birdbrain, while also stating that he absolutely loves Mario as his own son, despite all his shortcomings. He also suggested that he might not play a further part that season, and might be transfer listed at the end of the season.

He has turned his garden into a racetrack for quadbikes. He has slept with the same prostitute, Wayne Rooney once used to cheat his girlfriend. He has dated some of the hottest models in the world, in Kelly Espinoza (10 years older than him), Betty Kourakou, Melissa Castagnoli (whom Balotelli dumped via a text message), Sophie Reade (Supposedly, he slept with Reade’s best friend, and on being caught, he kicked Reade out of his house barefoot) and finally Italian supermodel, Rafaella Fico, once girlfriend of Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. He has scored some fine goals, (remember that freekick against Rubin Kazan, whilst playing for Inter), and he has some chants to his name by the City fans.

He is enigmatic, he is crazy, he is random, and that’s what makes Balotelli the personality, or rather the phenomenon, that he is today. Without him, the Premier League would be a little duller. Everyone wants him to leave Manchester City, but then, why always Mario? 🙂

We have no idea ourselves, Mario!

 

Team Spirit, Keown Talk and Wenger Thoughts

Good day, Gooners, across the world.

This is completely unrelated to Arsenal, but yesterday we witnessed a sporting miracle, when Sachin Tendulkar scored his 100th century in international cricket. His career has spanned over 22 years and he has carried the weight of expectations of a billion countrymen, and he remains the humblest man you can find. A bit like Ryan Giggs for football. A salute to the Little Master.

Back to football then. Of course, a long weekend awaits, with Arsenal not in action, thanks to the FA Cup involvement of Everton, who host Sunderland. Liverpool host Stoke, who haven’t won at Anfield, for, god know’s how long, while Chelsea and Sp*rs host Leicester and Bolton respectively.

Arsenal fans are certainly hoping Leicester can do a Birmingham and take Chelsea to a replay, and add to their growing list of fixtures, while Sunderland can frustrate Everton and do the same. Speaking of growing fixture lists, the draw for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals have been made.

Chelsea, who trounced Napoli, to qualify, drew Benfica. It might look like an easy draw at first, but remember Benfica were equally responsible as Basel to oust Manchester United. Basel’s slayers Bayern Munich face Marseille, who surprisingly knocked 2010 winners Inter Milan. AC Milan vs Barcelona is clearly the round of the tie, while APOEL Nicosia will experience some great nights in their history as they host Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid. Come to think of it, had we beaten AC Milan, we would again be facing Barcelona for the 3rd season running. No one would want that, really.

Coming back to Arsenal, youngsters Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson have all spoken about the camaraderie in the team.

AOC 

I think it’s gone really well in terms of bedding in with the boys and into the squad,Not so much as a first-team regular as obviously as I am still young and there are lot of good players around me doing really well. I just feel part of the squad now, am really comfortable with all of the lads, the fans and feel a massive part of it. Maybe not so much now but I can see myself being a part of Arsenal’s future. That is where I would like to be anyway and I am going to work as hard as I can to make sure I achieve that. Obviously it is a big step up from League One last year. With the boss bringing me here in the first place that gave me confidence. He thought I had some ability so to have his trust gives me a bit of confidence and you can work on that. I have belief in myself as well but I know I still have a lot of hard work to do. There are just little things in your game that you don’t maybe know when you are younger and you might not see in League One. You make mistakes and you get punished for them in the Premier League. You are always learning and it has been a good education so far.

Jenkinson

I have only been at Charlton before, but the team spirit here is fantastic,Everyone gets on, which is quite rare in football. Often you have cliques of people or people who argue all the time, but we all get on well here.That is a big thing and it boosts the morale of the team. We are all friends, which helps on the pitch because you have that faith and trust in one another.A lot of us younger ones hang out and do stuff together. I spend a lot of time with Chamberlain in particular, just hanging out and going for dinner and that sort of thing,I love a bit of FIFA. Who is the best one? That’s a silly question, isn’t it! The boys are alright, but on my day I think I am definitely up there. I am still in my family home, so a lot of the time I will drive down to Alex’s house and we will just chill and play some FIFA.We have to rest up a lot of the time, so we normally just chill and watch films. I am quite into Prison Break, so we have watched a lot of that.We can’t be running around in theme parks and that sort of thing. We have a round of golf now and then. Normally we tend to take it easy, but that suits me fine.

Gibbs

You can see how much it means to the fans and we need to continue that now to keep the atmosphere going,When the Emirates is like that, other teams can’t play because it is too difficult. We feel like we have a lot more power when the atmosphere is kicking like that.It’s just been a great turnaround. We took a lot of stick a few weeks back, especially after the defeats in Milan and the FA Cup, but everyone has come together and shown a real [resolve] to turn the season around.I think that was the case after my first game back,We were playing a few days later away at Sunderland and I realised then that I wasn’t ready to play again so soon. I thought that something would happen because I hadn’t recovered quickly enough.I was better for it [missing the Sunderland game] because I came back in for the next game against Tottenham and now I feel like I can recover quicker and play consecutively.

The team spirit is there for everyone to see. The last 4 games, Arsenal have fought hard and earned some impressive results. Even Marrouane Chamakh afforded Arsene Wenger a hug, despite being kept out of first team action for so long.

In other news, Martin Keown, was in Beijing to finalize details of the pre-season tour. He spoke about van Persie and the defence.

We have to keep him. We’ve lost of course Fabregas and Nasri last summer. The team has done very well to adjust.It’s interesting to see how he has developed. I was at the club when he came as a young man and I think the captaincy has given him something extra.He’s a real figurehead for the team and we can rely on him to score. He’s our Messi.He scores the goals, which are really important for the team. It would be a backwards step to lose him.I can’t imagine he’d get the same adulation if he went anywhere else – the Arsenal fans love him and they recognise now that we need to get this [contract talks] sorted out.Maybe it’s linked to how successful the team is going to be, but he certainly looks happy at the moment. He’s in great form.

Regarding the defence, I think it has been a problem keeping people fit; we’ve not really had everybody available,If you look at left-back, Santos has come to the club and got injured straight away. Young Kieran Gibbs has been injured also at left-back – it’s nice to see him return. Sagna broke his ankle as well.I think the manager has had real difficulty in those areas. I certainly like Vermaelen and Koscielny, I think those two have massive futures at the club.Koscielny is so nimble in his movement and the way he can transfer his weight. We saw that last year against Barcelona when he played against Messi – that was a good sign for the future.Vermaelen we know about – he’s real leader type, a no-nonsense defender. I think we have the makings of an outstanding defence.We just need those guys fit. What we need also is a little bit more from the people who come in [as back-up]; they need to iron out mistakes.You can’t be fit every week, so you’re only really as strong as your squad. If you’re going to win something that is perhaps an area that needs to be looked at. If you put our best back four out there I think it’s as good as any in the Premier League.

Finally, Arsene Wenger spoke on a host of issues, ranging from 4th spot to the fans.

AW on 4th Spot

It’s too early to say that,I wouldn’t completely rule out Newcastle nor Liverpool. Of course the most obvious battle is between Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal but you have to wait two or three games. There are 10 games to go, but three games ago we were 10 points behind Tottenham. Things can change quickly. You just want to be focused on your next game and give everything.

AW on the team

We had a relentless dynamic in the team [against Newcastle],I think what sums our game up is when Vermaelen scored the goal. We had seven Arsenal players in or around the box, that means only three stayed back and everybody else was throwing everything forward.What stands out is that huge refusal to not win. That stood out throughout the game because in the second half we pinned them back, dominated the game and created chances.You wouldn’t [always] like to leave it until the last minute but the result was just a consequence of the game.

AW on the run-in

[Sometimes] there are games that you think will be difficult but they are slightly easier than expected, and sometimes the easy game is harder than expected,You don’t make any plans. The only thing we know is what is needed from us: to be at our best no matter what people say about the situation.[It is important] to keep your squad available and keep your spirit, togetherness and teamwork at a very high level. Also you must maintain belief and not tighten up. Be relaxed, focused and determined.We have created the momentum, so let’s take care of it,Keep the urgency high, the level of commitment high, then momentum can be an advantage for you.

AW on the pressing game

No [they are not covering more ground] but it is not only about distances, it is about doing it together,It is the timing of doing it [pressing] together that is vital, because you can run even more if you don’t do it together.I believe we put the effort in from the first to the last minute. We don’t look at the result, we just want to win. We are in a battle until the end of the season and that will be at stake every time. You see that even by doing that [working hard off the ball] the games are very tight and that will be requested until the end of the season.I just think that is what the target is,Hard or not, you don’t even have to think about that. We know what is demanded and when you want to win the game you just put the effort in that is requested.

AW on the fans

I always said that the vibes have to come out from the team,When the fans feel that the vibes are right they stand behind the team and support the team. With the recent history of the team having been more positive, the fans have more reason to believe that they can support the team and that they will win the game. But the dynamic always has to come from the team.

That’s it for today, then. Have a good weekend, and enjoy the football.

Jai Arsenal 🙂

 

Dutchmen, Young Guns, Profits, Szczesny, Injuries, Reyes, Internationals + Liverpool Preview & Lineups

Liverpool vs Arsenal, Anfield, Premier League

Kickoff – 12:45 GMT (18:15 IST), 3rd March 2012

Another weekend, and with it comes another ‘cup tie’. This weekend, it gets bigger. Yes, bigger, because this time we are playing a club, bestowed with success throughout its history, added to by last week’s Carling Cup victory; unlike last week, where we had to show Spu*s, where they stand in the scheme of things.

The Liverpool game could be one of the major games of our season. It comes at a very delicate time. With just 12 games left in the season, Arsenal will have to find atleast 10 wins if they want to make sure of that 4th spot. Chelsea are breathing down our necks, and separate us only by virtue of head-to-head. Liverpool, themselves, boosted by their Carling Cup triumph, will look to push on. They are 7 points behind us, with a game in hand, of course. Newcastle have defied all odds and remain in contention too.

The match could be a cagey affair though. Liverpool have struggled to score goals this season, and suspension to their best striker, who missed a total of 9 games due to bans, hasn’t helped either. With it, coinciding was the form (rather the lack of it) of Andy Carroll. The bulky striker has scored just 3 times in 23 league appearances. Add to that, long term injuries for Gerrard and Lucas, two vital players for Liverpool. To compound the frustration, Liverpool have been unlucky at times. They have hit the goalpost highest number of times, this Premier League campaign, and this has resulted in failure to convert draws to wins, at home. Kenny Dalglish has managed his resources remarkably well this campaign, ensuring progress in cup competitions.

Liverpool’s defence, however has been stifling. They have played a consistent back 4 of Johnson, Skrtel, Agger and Enrique, and are a well-drilled unit, having conceded only 23 goals in 25 games. Arsenal on the other hand have conceded 37 goals, in 26 games, and have used an entire 11 at their back. These include Sagna, Jenkinson, Djourou, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Squillaci, Santos, Gibbs, Miquel and Coquelin. Funny, ain’t it?

While Arsenal have managed to bang in 53 goals, Liverpool have managed a paltry 29. The game will be a combined result of two battles. One is an attack which can’t score against a defence which can’t stop conceding, and the other is an attack which can’t stop scoring, against a defence that rarely concedes. Seems like we have a cracker jacker of a game on our hands.

Meanwhile, Arsenal chairman Peter Hill Wood has paid a tribute to the clubs two premier strikers, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie.

It was a special moment to have Henry back with us for his statue unveiling. This was only surpassed by that winning goal against Leeds United on his return to action in an Arsenal shirt during his loan period with the Club. It was a truly memorable football moment from an outstanding Arsenal servant.

I would like to recognise another outstanding Arsenal servant, our captain Robin van Persie.He has been in tremendous form and has scored many spectacular and valuable goals.In addition, he has proved to be an exceptional leader of the team and I am delighted by his contribution on and off the pitch.

Riding high on the Spurs win, van Persie has been subject of interest among the football world, regarding his contract. While clubs like AC Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid look to price away Arsenal’s most prized asset, the Dutchman has gone out to say he is fully committed to the Arsenal cause.

There have been a lot of stories, generally contradictory ones, about my contract situation recently so I’d like to make it clear,There’s nothing complicated or sinister – the club and I have both agreed to speak at the end of the season and see how things stand. The boss, Ivan Gazidis and I are all comfortable with it.I need all my focus to be on football – on captaining this team, improving every day, doing extra work on the training pitch and preparing for the very busy schedule of fixtures we have.

I have been there for eight years and I’m proud. At the end of the season I will it down with the trainer and the president. Then we make a cup of coffee all together.I am a true Gunner. I love this club and that’s no secret. We will soon talk about many things. I do quite often with the trainer anyway. Only later on is the president there.

Arsenal fans will certainly hope so. RVP staying at Arsenal could hinge on whether the club manages to qualify for next year’s Champions League. Actually, a lot of things hinge in it. It could affect our transfer kitty, which means the likes of Podolski and Gotze, certainly won’t be arriving at the Emirates. We wouldn’t be able to attract too many good players, either. Our best players, more importantly, van Persie, could be on their way out in search of a Champions League club.

Dennis Bergkamp showered praises on his compatriot, and the successor to his throne.

He has been playing in a role which is very difficult,I think it’s easier for a guy like Robin or me to play behind the striker, and feed the main striker and sometimes get the space to do your own thing. But basically he is the one up front who has to make a difference, which puts a lot of pressure on him, but it seems like he can deal with it. It seems he can make the difference time after time and in my opinion that describes a great player. It’s fantastic how he has developed himself, and players like that deserve trophies. So I honestly hope that comes soon, because his character and style of play is fantastic.

As soon as he trained with us you could see his potential,He seemed free, he played with a lot of freedom. You could see immediately he was a very talented player.I got to know him a bit, obviously with us both being Dutch, so I tried to help him with a few things. You could really tell that he’s a good person, a good lad, and totally the opposite to the stories that were coming out of Holland at the time about him. They said he was a difficult character, wouldn’t listen to experienced players and so on, but he was a great example of a player making the right move at the right time. He joined a settled team with a lot of big players, and from day one he respected those players and listened to them, and I think that helped him a lot.

Meanwhile, another Dutchman contradicted another Dutchman’s statement. Recently, AC Milan midfielder Mark van Bommel came out and said van Persie would be perfect for AC Milan. However, his AC Milan team mate Clarence Seedorf, feels van Persie should stay put.

A player must not leave a club because one is not in the Champions League. There must be other reasons. Van Persie gives Arsenal a lot, but he must not forget that Arsenal and Arsene Wenger in particular, have given him a lot, they have been waiting for him and given him time to show his true potential. If Van Persie leaves, it should certainly not be because they will not participate in the CL.

Moving on to the transfer rumour mill, the Lukas Podolski story seems to be getting bigger and bigger everyday. The German tabloid Bild published that the 26 year old German striker has already signed a pre-contract agreement with the Gunners, and will definitely sign in the summer. To what extent, these are true, I have no idea. But, being an Arsenal fan for so many years, I wouldn’t believe in it unless it is on the Arsenal website. Meanwhile, rumours suggest that Fiorentina have offered Marouanne Chamakh an escape route, and will place a £6 million bid for him in the summer. That is actually great, if we could get so much for a flop, whom we had acquired on a free transfer.

While we are about the subject of strikers, RVP has heaped praise on reserve striker Benik Afobe.

I was delighted to see Benik Afobe back in the Reserves on Tuesday night, scoring against Norwich. Six months is a long time out at his age, especially when he did really well with the first team over pre-season making fast progress. He’s returned impressively though – I watched him in training ten days ago while I was doing my warm down and he looked really strong and quick, a proper English striker who holds the ball up well and works very hard.When you’re young you just want to be playing, improving your game and making your career, and he was denied that for a long time. To come back as he’s doing is tremendous – he’s a fantastic lad, a really good character to have in the squad and a player I genuinely rate, so I’m really proud of him,He absolutely loves his football and treats it very seriously. That’s the main thing for a young footballer – if you really love the game like he does then you will make it, and he has everything to become a great player.

The future seems bright for Arsenal, with young talent like Szczesny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Frimpong, Wilshere, Afobe, Lansbury, Miyaichi and Oxlade-Chamberlain coming close to the first team.

And while, we are still about strikers and talented players, Emmanuel Frimpong, who is out with a long term injury, spoke fondly of his time on loan at Wolves. He also praised striker Steven Fletcher.

I think Steven Fletcher is a good player, I told him to come to Arsenal!Stephen Ward at left-back isn’t bad either. They’ve got decent players, and the thing about them is that everyone works so hard. They base everything around work – people there even told me they haven’t got the ability of some of the teams in the Premier League and need to make up for that by working hard and I think that’s the right attitude.As a footballer you sometimes have to make decisions, and I think going to Wolves was probably the best thing I could have done.They may not have been doing too well, but the manager [recently departed Mick McCarthy] was very good to me – I think it’s very important to go to a manager who likes you, and he showed belief in me.He put me in the team, and I’m just happy that I was able to do him proud on the pitch. I had a great time, and if I come back from injury and need some games then I’d be happy to go back there.

Moving on, the club has announced the interim financial results, which boasts of a healthy profit, owing to player sales. Following are some of the main features of the announcement.

Group profit before tax was £49.5 million (2010 – loss of £6.1 million).

Profit on sale of player registrations amounted to £63.0 million (2010 – £4.0 million).

£74.7 million of investment in new players and extended contracts pushed amortisation charges up to £17.3 million (2010 – £10.1 million).

The resulting profit from player trading was £46.1 million (2010 – loss of £5.9 million).

Turnover from football rose to £113.5 million (2010 – £97.6 million) with increases from match-day (4 additional games played) and commercial income streams.

Operating profits (before depreciation and player trading) from football increased to £15.2 million (2010 – £9.4 million).

Period of minimal activity, as expected, in the property business with turnover of £3.2 million (2010 – £22.5 million) and operating profits of £0.5 million (2010 – £3.3 million).

Group has no short-term debt and continues to have a solid financial platform from cash reserves of £115.2 million (2010 – £110.4 million).

I am not very sure what these mean, as to if the manager will have all of it at his disposal, should he decide to splash the cash on reinforcements. It will be interesting to see.

Going back to the Spurs reaction then, one enduring image is that of our young Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny performing a somersault and hugging a ball boy during the match. He is gonna be a legend!He was full of praise for Arsenal’s frontline.

It is comparable to that of beating Barcelona. “It is a great feeling, probably one of the best I have ever had. Every single goal felt better than the previous one and I was celebrating quite energetically. But I loved it. It is the first time I have beaten Spurs and it is just great.

Theo scored two goals, which is all you can ask for,They were both very good. He has come under a little bit of stick for his finishing but he took those two very well and we are very pleased for him. He’s a very good lad and he is probably one of the best trainers in the dressing room.  He works very hard every day, scores a lot of goals in training and just needs to get the goals in games. But we are very pleased for him and we hope he can do it all over again in the games from now.

He’s not bad is he?(RVP) He only scored one goal today though, which is really disappointing for him! We are used to him scoring a hat-trick.But he set up a couple and he was great. He worked very hard defensively, headed a few balls away when we defended corners and scored a fantastic goal.That’s what he is all about – he is the best player in the Premier League and we are very pleased to have him.

After what we have done, we believe we can challenge Tottenham. We have the momentum. Will there be psychological effects for them? As an Arsenal fan, I hope so. I said ages ago that we can’t realistically win the Premier League any more but now, my main ambition is to finish above Tottenham.You can see that we are not any worse than them and when we have the momentum and are on the front foot, we are very dangerous. I hope we can use that to our advantage and get the momentum to start challenging.

Legend!

Per Mertesacker, who is nursing an injury, and watched the game from the sidelines, too was full of praise.

As you can imagine, the Champions League game was torture. And on Sunday it didn’t look good for half an hour or so. But then I thought: wow, that’s some cool club – they are turning it around!I almost felt like in the old days, when I followed Arsenal from a distance and felt like a fan: “This is a great club!” I am really proud of being part of a team that is capable of putting in a performance like that.I’m already looking forward to being back in London next week (to watch the Milan second-leg), because it is annoying – especially in your first season – to be away from the team on account of an injury. You want to spend as much time as possible with your new team-mates.

On his own injury, the Big F*cking German had this to say.

I can report that all’s going pretty well for me, to be more precise: for my ankle. I was able to put aside the crutches relatively quicklyI’m able to walk rather normally thanks to a custom-made boot and a splint that prevents the ankle from twisting. The condition has become more and more stable by the day, so I’m quite light on my feet.The ankle is still swollen, but since I’m walking daily more and more fluid is being, so to speak, “lymph drained”. I’m really happy about that.It’s only when we get to the phase of placing load on the foot that we’ll be able to see what we’re looking at, in terms of the length of the lay-off.

Speaking of injuries, Johan Djourou has suffered a muscle tear on his right thigh, and could be out of action for a month. My first reaction was, this is great news. But then, I realised that another injury to a centre-back and we will have Sebastien Squillaci strutting about there. That ain’t a pretty sight. I would certainly hope Ignasi Miquel to be next choice centre back. Wenger recently told Djourou will be fit for the Milan game.

Meanwhile, Andre Santos nears to first team action, after a long term injury, which he sustained in the dead rubber Champions League game against Olympiakos. Wenger told,

He is doing good, he is not far as well – two weeks away from returning to the group. It is a bit ahead of time and he works with a fantastic attitude. He is unbelievably focused, motivated every day and he is a credit to himself. It is a joy to see how hard he works and sets himself targets. In two weeks we will assess how well he is doing in training.

Moving forward, the club has announced it will play Manchester City in Beijing, more specifically the ‘Bird’s Nest’, the beautiful arena built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, on July 27th in preparation for the new season. It will certainly set tone for the season. Ivan Gazidis had this to say.

Further to our hugely successful visit to Hangzhou in 2011, everyone at Arsenal is extremely excited to once again be visiting China this year.We enjoy huge support in Asia and by playing a match in Beijing, we will once again be bringing the Club close to our loyal fans in China. The players and staff had an amazing time in China last year and we are all looking forward to visiting this great country again in July.The match against Manchester City is sure to be an exciting spectacle, with many great players from both sides playing in front of thousands of supporters in the wonderful ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium. It is also fitting that two English clubs are playing each other on the opening day of the London 2012 Olympics, in the stadium which hosted the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

This friendly, along with further friendlies in Hong Kong and Nigeria are to replace the Emirates Cup, which has been cancelled owing to police shortages in the English capital during the Olympics.

Spanish striker Jose Antonio Reyes recently spoke to the Arsenal magazine, and reminisced fondly his time in North London.

I have nothing but positive and happy memories of that time,I follow their matches whenever I have time and I always hope the best for them. At the time I joined it was really exciting, one of those experiences where you pinch yourself to make sure it’s actually happening to you. It was a big step to take at that time but my family and girlfriend supported me a lot.I felt happy and flattered about Arsenal’s interest, and I left Spain to go and win titles with them, which I achieved – but it was a big leap.I have to say that everybody was very, very helpful, and not just the players and the staff at the Club. I found the people in England to be very kind.I did not realise it so much at the time but after the job was done I started to realise that I, we, were part of football history and that we had written ourselves into the history books,I think all of us who were part of it treasure that particular season. The intensity of the emotions was incredible. At times like that, you feel proud and self-confident. You feel you are doing a good job. You feel happy, you feel strong. And you feel you took the right step in your career.

Reyes made a huge impact when he came to Arsenal in early 2004. After a reasonably good year, his form dipped, and he never really fulfilled his potential. He soon moved to Real Madrid on loan, scoring 2 goals in the final game of the season in 2007, to hand Real the Spanish League. He has since played for Atletico Madrid and Benfica.

Internationals, then. Overhyped and overrated England took on Netherlands at Wembley and ended losing 3-2, thanks to a masterclass from Arjen Robben. Arsenal fans, for sure, were more concerned about the fitness of Robin van Persie, and there must have been a collective sigh of relief when he was bought off at half-time. News had percolated before the match that van Persie had walked off with a slight problem 10 minutes before the end of a light training session. But, then, he played, and Dutch coach Bert van Maarwijk bought him off at half-time.

After the weekend, Arsene Wenger stated that both Tomas, and Thomas hare injured, and are big doubts for the Liverpool clash. However, Vermaelen played 90 minutes against Greece, for Belgium. Which mean, he is fit, but exhausted. Rosicky didn’t feature for Czech Republic against Republic of Ireland. And there was no mention about him in the press conference, which is slightly puzzling.

Moving on, on loan Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury scored a brace for England U-21’s, one of which was an absolute screamer. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, too got on the scoresheet. Elsewhere, Gervinho, Alex Song, Park Chu-Young, Szczesny,Benayoun etc. all were away on international duties. Szczesny kept out Cristiano Ronaldo and Co., while Ukraine beat Benayoun’s Israel 3-2. Andrei Arshavin, too scored for Russia in a 2-0 win over Denmark. Chamakh featured in Morocco’s 2-0 win over Burkina Faso.

Meanwhile, Yossi Benayoun recently revealed he is frustrated at the lack of opportunities at Arsenal, where he has fallen down the pecking order below Rosicky, Arteta and Ramsey.

To play 88 minutes, especially in a derby, is a great pleasure. I enjoyed every minute of it, but I still don’t know what will be next week because at Arsenal you are at the top and the competition is tough.The bottom line is that I’m not playing enough games. I haven’t been given enough opportunities.

I scored the winner at Aston Villa and made a goal in the next game. But for some reason I didn’t get opportunities after that, even though the team had a string of disappointing results. But I still believe in myself and that I will play much more.My inclination at the moment is to sign for a mid-table team and play another two or three years.

I do like Benayoun as a player. Not just because he scored against Spu*s in 2006, whilst in a West Ham shirt, to hand us 4th place, and a place in the Champions League. He is quite a talented player, and has good experience in the Premier League, having played for West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea. He is a good passer of the ball, and as last week suggested, he can stamp his authority in midfield. Unfortunately, his Arsenal stint has come at the wrong time in his career. He is 32, and hence the reason behind him saying that he would want to turn up for a mid-table team. I think an Everton, Newcastle or Aston Villa would suit the Israeli perfectly.

Team news, then. Speaking in his pre-match conference, Wenger revealed that 3 important players will have scans ahead of the game, but he is expecting them to be fit. They are Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Thomas Vermaelen.

I do not know if they will play, Personally I think international friendlies are becoming more difficult to accept. It’s difficult to understand that our players had to go away when injured, it’s disrespectful to the players.

It could spark another country vs club debate. Clubs lose their best players to injury in meaningless friendlies. It has happened in the past to Arsenal at a worrying rate. Players have aggravated their injuries by playing unrequired international games in the midst of a hectic domestic schedule.

If all goes well, it would be interesting to see how the midfield shapes up. Whether Benayoun will keep his place, after impressing in the Spu*s game, or whether Wenger will decide to deploy wingers, namely Chamberlain and Gervinho. One should also remember that Alex Song and Gervinho will be returning from long trips to Africa. Moreover, Gervinho returned from the Africa Cup of Nations, just a couple of weeks back, and him flying back for the friendly, goes to show how poorly framed the fixtures are. I would expect Wenger to rest Benayoun and give a start to Chamberlain. It would mean we could be susceptible to losing a central midfield battle to Liverpool. One player returning for Arsenal is Abou Diaby, and he will be expected to feature in next week’s league game against Newcastle.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are sweating on the fitness of Steven Gerrard. After playing the full 120 minutes in an absorbing League Cup final, Gerrard injured himself in the meaningless friendly. Daniel Agger is out for a month after he cracked a rib in the League Cup Final, which means a fresh Jamie Carragher will start. Liverpool have a host of options in midfield, namely the defensive-minded Jay Spearing, Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam. Stewart Downing is expected to start after putting in a fine display in the Carling Cup final, which earned him the Man of the Match award. They also have the option of the industrious Dirk Kuyt. Up front, Craig Bellamy has looked lively. Andy Carroll’s performances seem to be improving gradually, while Suarez still seems a bit affected by the racism scandal. I would expect Dalglish to keep faith in Suarez and Carroll, again.

Here is how I think the two teams could line up.

As you can see Liverpool’s midfield does look slightly imbalanced. Spearing or Henderson should take up the defensive midfielder’s role. Gerrard will gradually drift towards the centre, to support Adam, while Downing will run the left flank. Bellamy or Kuyt are other options on the flanks or in strike, depending on Dalglish’s decision to go with one or two marksmen. All in all, we are set for an enthralling midfield battle.

A lot hinges on this game, regarding who will finish 4th. If Arsenal win, they will move to within 4 points of 3rd place Spurs, who play on Sunday against Manchester United. With Chelsea playing away at West Brom, and Newcastle at home in their derby against Sunderland, Liverpool could move up to 4 points of Chelsea and Arsenal, with a game in hand.

That’s it for this week. Enjoy the game!

Jai Arsenal 🙂