A murder at The Cannon HQ 30 May, 2009

I was struggling for something, anything to write about today but my subject has just been handed right to me quite brutally. My housemates have a few people over for drinks tonight as a bit of a leaving do for them, so I’ve taken a stroll outside to join in, sit down, have a drink, have a laugh, relax. I’ve had a good day on the beach, I’m in a great mood up to this point and was joking about how nothing could ruin my day right now. But to my horror, I notice a terrible, terrible thing has happened.

My Highbury Turf – is gone.

It’s gone, completely gone. I planted my turf in a pot and was the pride and joy of my garden. Now all that lies there is a pot full of mud and a derelict, rusty Highbury flag laying on the dirt.

Now to be honest I haven’t been taking the best care of it, I keep forgetting to water it. But it was definitely there a few days ago. I thought it might have died but then there would be dead grass, there’s only mud. I would take a photo of it but it’s too dark now…

I look around the garden lost, confused, devastated and realize that all the flower baskets and pots are empty, all gone. Then I remember… the gardener came the other day. [And no I'm not rich or anything, the house I'm renting just comes with a free gardener. Nice] That fucking cunt has ripped out all the flower beds for re-planting INCLUDING my fucking Highbury Turf. A piece of physical memory of a past home holding so many memories – all gone. So much for a free fucking gardener, rather have done it myself than my Highbury Turf get brutally murdered.

What must’ve been going through their head when they pulled it out? I will admit that potted grass does look a bit odd. But there’s a fucking metal flag stuck in it saying ‘Official Highbury Turf 1913-2006′.

Gutted.

I’m sorry for repeating my life story to you but I’m a bit pissed off right now. There’s no news anyway to be honest. Fabio Capello says Walcott wants to play for both England and the U21s this summer and The Mirror have a story saying Eboue is on his way out with absolutely no quotes, facts or insider information to back it up. Is that even a story?

Well anyways I’m going to leave you to it. I’m lost; I don’t know what to do. I’m going back outside and have another drink whilst I phone the police. This is not over.

Have a good weekend.

And the summer begins… 29 May, 2009

Today the long summer ahead of us has finally sunk in for me. The sun has come out and I have been to the beach today with the weather set to be getting even better over the weekend. It might even hit 25℃ around here, which is nice. Friday is usually a busy day with Arsene’s press conference but for the first time there’s pretty much no news to report on – the first of many dead Fridays to come. I can tell this is going to be a long and boring summer.

There is only one football match left and it’s this weekend’s FA Cup Final between Everton and Chelsea. I guess I will be watching it as my last football fix of the summer, and obviously I’ll be going for Everton – Goes without saying really doesn’t it. My hate for Chelsea has intensified this year. Actually so has it for a lot of teams, it’s been a very hate-filled season it has for me. Hmm.

Anyways… well there is a bit of news I guess. Cesc Fabregas has been talking about his old club Barcelona:

“Which player would not like to play for a team like that at the moment? They are probably the best team that I have seen play in history and I have a lot friends there who are always telling me great things.

Of course, you feel envy in a healthy way because of the way they play football. Everyone’s dream would be to play in a team like this.”

I guess he hasn’t really said anything wrong there but this is always going to spark rumours. The Sun has translated it as “Cesc Fabregas: I’d love to play for Barcelona”; however the harsh truth is that he wouldn’t even get in their team. We laugh at Hleb for going there and getting no football but with Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and the likes, even Fabregas will find it hard getting games. It’s the harsh truth for Cesc. They may now be managed by his boyhood hero who has just won the Spanish Treble for the first time in history in his first year as manager, but I don’t think it’s time for Cesc to return to Catalonia.

He’s also been talking about Thierry Henry after his much talked about, long awaited Champions League win:

“I spoke to him yesterday and that was the only thing that he was missing. He was delighted. He had a difficult year adapting and this year he came into his own. Guardiola showed faith in him.

Now Henry has everything and I do not know if there are many players that can equal his honours list.”

Yep, he’s right. It’s something Cesc will be aiming at but I just hope he isn’t thinking of leaving us so soon! He can achieve a lot here if this team sticks together – the fans, players, staff and manager have to all be patient and it should be worth the wait.

Nicklas Bendtner has been talking about extending his contract but Robin van Persie says there are no developments with his. The Dutch striker admits that no progress has been made but, “Maybe I will soon have something new to report.” I hope so. He’s proven a lot this year, for example that he can sty fit for a whole season. With Adebayor likely to leave this summer we really need to get RVP signed up. Sort it out, Arsene!

That’s about all there is today, so I’m going to leave you to it. Enjoy the sun.

I still love Thierry Henry 28 May, 2009

Last night’s Champions League final reminded me how much I love Thierry Henry. Watching it I realized all I really wanted was Titi to do well, get that medal he deserves and maybe a goal if he was lucky. Well he did get that medal beating Man United 2-0 in a fantastic display by Barcelona.

They really are deserved winners and without a doubt the best team in the world. Man United are a great side but they were outclassed by Barcelona. We did well to make it to the semi finals but if we had made it through to Rome we could’ve been ripped apart. Wenger said recently how close we are to being a great side but last night Barcelona proved to all Arsenal fans watching just the kind of football we try to play and how it is done extremely well. We are some way off but that has to be the aim.

In Henry’s post-match interview he talks about how the 2006 final still hurts but it so happy to have won the medal. He can now add it to an incredible list of achievements – The Ligue 1 title, the French Cup, 2 Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups, the La Liga title, the Spanish Cup, the World Cup, the European Championship and of course now the Champions League trophy. It must be one of the best medal hauls by any one player and he can now retire a happy man. There’s nothing really left for him to win; the Carling Cup? Ha, no.

It’s such a shame he never managed to be named FIFA Player of the Year but he was unlucky to come up against Zidane, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. In my mind, he was at one point the best player in the world and I am grateful that I got to watch him play regularly at Highbury. I don’t care if it wasn’t made official, I know that he was the best. He will forever be in my heart and in those of many other Gooners – just as Arsenal remains a true love of his.

Would I take him back? Yeah I would, if not just for sentimental reasons he does seem to have improved since his first year at Barca and I think he deserves to retire at Arsenal. Never going to happen but would be nice.

Wenger has been talking about his proudest product and is really happy for him to have won the trophy he so badly wanted. However Arsene has admitted that Thierry might’ve been that extra bit we needed to win the title in 2008 when we came so close. He might be right you know.

However, last night’s win for Henry means that the experiment to leave Arsenal in order to win trophies has worked. Arsene has hit back at this saying Henry got special dispensation to leave as he had been with the club for many years and he could not stand in the way of his last chance for a move. It’s perfectly understandable, he didn’t leave because he’d had enough of Arsenal or anything but he wanted to try other things while he still could. Wenger has said that it would be wrong for some of the current players to leave after seeing Henry win because they are still so young and have not been at Arsenal long enough. They still have time to play and work towards earning silverware here.

Last night I couldn’t help but think about Cesc Fabregas. He would’ve no doubt been watching somewhere or even in Rome supporting his boyhood team. I do hope that he doesn’t get any ideas and listens to what Arsene has been saying today about the future of this young side.

In other news Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs have been included in the England U21 squad for this summer’s European Championships. It means they aren’t going to get much of a rest this summer but at least we’ll have something to watch until July when pre-season starts. We’ll bring you more on this when we get closer the competition.

And finally it looks like we’re set to sign the Cheltenham 15-year-old Jamie Edge. I don’t think it’s been fully completed yet but looks close. Obviously another one for the youth team but it’s another one to add to the likes of Luke Freeman, Jack Wilshere, Fran Merida etc. of this exciting possible new generation of players.

Right well that’s it for today. Thanks for reading and I’ll speak to you soon.

NEW 2009/10 3rd Kit?? & 20 years on – another trophy at Anfield 26 May, 2009

I came across this image today of what could possibly be next season’s 3rd/European Kit. I just assumed the current yellow shirt would become the 3rd shirt but apparently it’s strictly one season only and we’re getting another shirt for just one season – a bit like that navy and redcurrant hooped shirt we had. The yellow shirt has now been renamed the ‘Sale Shirt’ on the online store as opposed to a ’3rd Shirt’ so I guess we might be getting another kit then.

This photo of the white shirt looks pretty real to me, the badge is always the telling point and it is an official quality version even with the new (incredibly shit) ® logo. However It could be a Photoshop of the new navy away kit. I’m a bit worried that this is the real deal though, because it’s awful. Not only is it ugly and boring but take away the logos and it looks like a crappy polo shirt. Not only that but add a cock on a basketball and a Mansion.com logo and you have a fucking Spurs shirt.

It’s awful – I hate it. Remember the green kit we thought could be next season’s away kit? Well I’m hoping praying that will be our 3rd shirt next season if we do bring one out. I wasn’t a fan of the last white shirt but it sold really well so another one isn’t going to be far off I’m afraid. If I hear any more news regarding a new kit I’ll keep you updated.

Twenty years ago tonight many of us were partying in the streets after winning the title in extraordinary fashion up an Anfield. There’s a load of stuff on the official site to celebrate the St. Michael Thomas Day including a couple of excellent photo galleries. We all remember where we were 20 years ago tonight – I was crying my eyes out as a young boy as my Dad went mental jumping around in the living room after Thomas scored, good times.

Well by coincidence Steve Bould, now manager of the youth team took his side up to Liverpool tonight in the second leg of the FA Youth Cup. They won 2-1 winning the most prestigious youth trophy 6-2 on aggregate. It’s a great triumph by the kids and they should be congratulated for it. So congratulations, kids.

They didn’t have quite as big a task as when we won the league up there 20 years ago it has to be said but it’s still a great win. Our youth academy is just getting better and better, this current group of players is probably the best we’ve ever had coming through and I’m sure a decent number will make it through to the first team, if not they all have great careers ahead of them.

And finally, a bit of old news regarding Walcott but it’s something I have covered on here yet. Wenger is concerned about Walcott possibly playing for both the full England side and the U21′s this summer. It would mean hardly any break from football for Theo all summer long when we really need our players to get a rest ahead of an important season. Here’s what Wenger said:

“My feeling is that I am against it. I have let the FA know that he should not play in both national teams during the holiday period. First there is an international on June 2 and June 5, then he joins up with the Under-21s.

It is not logical that he plays for the first team and the Under-21s. They finish on June 28 and we start training on July 6. It is difficult for us to accept that, but the rules are on the side of the federation and we cannot do anything about it.”

I think it’s ridiculous that he might play in both. England should pick him for one or the other – either include him in the squad for the full side or save him for the U21 championships later this summer. It’s a joke. This has never been done before, a player has always been one or the other, never both. Wayne Rooney at one point was eligible for both whilst being a top player but he never played full and U21 level at the same time so why would they do it now?

Cesc Fabregas is another one who might not get much of a rest this summer, Spain are playing in the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. I am a bit worried about Cesc and Theo being tired for pre-season but there’s nothing in our power we can do about it. In a strange way I’m kind of glad now that both players had a bit of a rest this season due to injuries. I know they’ll be ok but it’s a bit annoying that they wont be 100% fresh for August.

Oh and I almost forgot, before I go I just thought I’d show you this hilarious story. The Rome authorities have banned the sale of alcohol for the entire day tomorrow for the Champions League final. HAHA! Nice way to spoil United’s little trip. Right I really better go now, Thanks for reading.

Arsenal 4-1 Stoke City – 24/05/09 – (Premier League) 25 May, 2009

Yesterday was everything I could’ve hoped for – A comfortable win, played in style, beautiful weather and everyone’s happy. The day could’ve gone a bit better though if I’m going to be picky… We didn’t score in the second half; the end I sit at and Hull didn’t get relegated. Phil Brown once again showing it’s all about him by going on the pitch singing at the end. Oh well at least we’ll get two chances next year to show Hull what we think of them.

We started yesterday with a fairly decent side, which I was pleased to see however we gave a full debut to Vito Mannone in goal. He had a quiet game and when called upon did alright. It’s no measure of the 21-year-old’s ability yet though, he needs more games before I’d be comfortable him standing in.

We opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Fabregas’ low ball across the face of the goal was turned in by James Beattie. The replay showed him almost aiming for the corner…bit bizarre but if that was going to be his only chance of the game then so be it, right end or not.

Six minutes later we scored again. Robin van Persie attempted to drive into the box but was fouled twice in the process and the referee gave the penalty. Robin took it himself smashing it perfectly in the corner, clipping the post on it’s way in.

So it was 2-0 after just sixteen minutes and I was starting to think this could be a rout. Well just two minutes later Stoke found themselves three goals behind! It came from a van Persie free kick deep on the right, he swung it in really well and Diaby made a good jump to get a head on it. It was a well taken goal actually and we found ourselves 3-0 up with just 20 minutes gone!

This didn’t affect the travelling Stoke fans who had come to London determined to have a good time. They were in a good mood because their Premier League survival had already been secured long ago. When the fixtures came out they might’ve thought they have to come to us on the last day and get a result so they were just happy to be there and safe.

I felt a little bit sorry for their goalie Steve Simonsen, he was brought off with what appeared to be an injury – not the greatest 20 minutes of his career then. Thomas Sorensen came on to replace him.

The goals didn’t stop coming but this time it was Stoke’s turn. Denilson brought down Fuller in the area just after the half hour and Mannone had a big save to make from the penalty spot if he wanted that debut clean sheet. Fuller gave him the eyes and sent the ‘keeper the wrong way. Bit of a shame Mannone didn’t get the clean sheet but he wasn’t at fault for the goal.

We bounced straight back though, Arshavin and Gibbs both went close before van Persie got his second and our fourth in the 41st minute. Delap tried to head the ball back to his ‘keeper but completely missed the lurking RVP. He touch a touch on his chest before shooting on the turn past Sorensen.

The half time whistle came to Stoke’s delight and they were told to park the bus in the second half. The way we were playing it could’ve got embarrassing for the visitors in the second half so they shut up shop leaving Fuller up front in case anything came through.

At half time Bendtner came on for Walcott and we carried on playing in style. Stoke were hard to break down but we were in no rush to score simply passing the ball around enjoying ourselves. Sagna had a blast at goal before being replaced by Eboue at right back just before the hour.

A few minutes later we really should’ve got the fifth. A move between Bendtner and Diaby set up Van Persie with open goal in sight at the back post. He slid in but the ‘keeper just managed to get behind it and Stoke survived. It just seemed like this wasn’t going to be Robin’s day for a hat trick.

The game was played out with us in full control looking for gaps in their defense but it finished up 4-1 to The Arsenal. Shame we couldn’t add to the score in the second half but at the end of the day that’s a good result.

After the game there was a lap of the pitch. Adebayor was there but was hanging back talking to Eboue, there was a little wave just before he went down the tunnel that was it. Cesc pulled Bendtner’s shorts down in front of the North Stand…I’m glad the players found it as funny as we did, I bet he got the piss ripped out of him for those photos!

So that’s it, another season over. I’ll do all the season review and awards type things in the next couple of weeks then we have a summer of crazy transfer speculation to look forward to!

Thanks for reading.

Stoke Preview: Lets go out on a high 23 May, 2009

They may not be much to play for tomorrow in terms of places but I believe a good performance is still important. It’s not been the greatest of seasons and although we’ve picked up towards the end of the campaign there are still questions to be asked. Lose tomorrow and this summer will be a depressing one – It will reignite all the criticism and complaints all the way to August. Win however and we can finish the season smiling with all the negativity behind us and look forward to a fresh start next season.

We can’t move from 4th, but if Stoke win and Man City lose to Bolton it will put them in the top half of the table. It’s a big task but a good incentive and you know they will go for it. They’ve beaten us once already this season and they will be thinking, ‘Why not again?’

We need to retaliate from the game played up at Stoke and show them who’s the boss. To lose again would just be unthinkable; I don’t want to imagine it. Let’s win, and hopefully win in style.

Therefore, I think we should put out our best possible team, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t. This is how I’d like to see us line up:

Fabianski
Sagna – Toure – Djourou – Gibbs
Walcott – Fabregas – Song – Arshavin
Bendtner – van Persie

Wenger spoke about playing Song in defense after the United game so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in there with Denilson or Diaby partnering Cesc in the middle. I’d quite like to see Walcott up front tomorrow actually, I think this is a good opportunity to see him play up top; If it doesn’t work then we can always swap him for Arshavin. Nasri is out – well Sky Sports are saying it and I have heard it mentioned but if I’m being honest I’ve totally missed it, I had no idea he was injured…

It sort of goes without saying now that when you play Stoke you have to watch out for Delap’s long throw. When we played them before we were punished by it and he almost scored straight from a throw last week! I can see Wenger deploying Djourou tomorrow for that little bit extra height defending throw-ins (that sounds weird). I know Fabianski will be keen to come and punch clear any danger but Stoke know about this and will make it hard for him. However I’m not sure if I’m that confident about the Pole coming out to get the ball, the man some people have nicknamed ‘Flappy’. Well whatever the tactic for defending them, I hope Wenger gets it right this time.

There will be a lap of honour after the game with it being our last match of the season. All eyes will be on Adebayor I’m sure – If he turns up of course. I’m going to the match tomorrow, it’s my first game in a little while and as ever I’m looking forward to it. Here’s to a good result and a happy(ish) summer. Thanks for reading.

Friday Round-Up: Away Kit, Cesc, Gibbs and more 22 May, 2009

Yesterday the new away and goalkeeper kits for next season were officially revealed and there are a load of images here. I’m sure you will have seen them by now anyway but I thought if you’d somehow missed it I’d let you know. I still think it looks alright, not sure if I’ll buy it yet but knowing what I’m like I’d say I probably will.

Anyway onto the proper news and Cesc Fabregas has been cleared of all charges by the FA. Hull’s accusations of spitting were ruled out on a lack of evidence. Up yours, Phil Brown. It’s a relief because if found guilty he could’ve faced a ban at the start of next season. I was never really that worried though to be honest, I see no reason for Cesc to have spat at anyone and why should I believe anything Phil Brown says? Glad it’s all over and we can turn our attention to Hull being relegated.

Arsene Wenger has been talking up Kieran Gibbs after the impressive efforts he’s put in since Gael Clichy got injured. It’s quite remarkable really how he came straight from the reserves into the first team and looked just as good as everyone else on the pitch; It makes you feel comfortable about the options we have as back-up. Here’s what Wenger said:

“This year, a player like Kieran Gibbs has been a revelation. I believe he will play for England, and if it happened very quickly, I would not be surprised. However, what happened to him in the second leg of the Manchester United game will not happen to him next year.”

The slip in the United game will play heavily on his conscience but he has to know that nobody will blame him for it – everyone makes mistakes. I think he’s been great for us this season whereas Clichy did lose a bit of form. Hopefully with a bit of pressure on his place in the team Gael can recapture his best and Kieran can keep on learning. I don’t know what this means for Armand Traore though, Arsene said he is recalling him from Portsmouth but with Gibbs doing so well this year anything could happen to him in the summer.

Wenger has told us everything you would expect to hear about Adebayor. It’s the usual ‘he’s under contract’ etc stuff and says he hopes that he stays. He also said it’s best we just don’t talk about it, that’s probably because it might affect his value. He’s ‘injured’ again for Sunday, which is no surprise. Lets see if he comes out at the end of the game though for the lap of honour, and if he does I’m sure all eyes will be on his body language.

The other piece of team news for Sunday is that Fabianski is fit. He was 50:50 in the week and we might’ve had to start Vito Mannone but the Pole is good to go. I wouldn’t be surprised if both ‘keepers ended up getting a run out tomorrow but we’ll see.

I’ll bring you more build up to our final game of the season tomorrow. Just one last final thing, a reader has emailed me asking if anyone would be interested in a season ticket for next season. They want to keep their membership but loan it out for the year. The cost is £1000 and the ticket is located in Block J (green sector) row 20 – the view is 30 yards from the goal line. If you’re interested email me atlasagnechef[at]the-cannon.com (replacing the [at] for @) and I’ll get you both in touch.

Right I’m off to pack my bag as I’m up to London for this final Premier League weekend – I’m quite looking forward to it. S peak to you tomorrow, see ya.

News round-up: Eduardo, Wenger & Adebayor 20 May, 2009

Not a great deal going on this week. I’m taking this as a taster of what’s to come in a long summer. Although Wenger is hinting he’ll be active in the transfer market there’s no World Cup or Euros to keep us distracted – it’s going to suck…

The top story today came as a bit of a shock to me. Eduardo has undergone ankle surgery this morning. It has only been described as ‘simple revision surgery’ and he will spend the next month in rehabilitation ready for full pre-season training in July.

Eddy’s return in the second half of this season has been very stop-start. If he could get an almost full, injury-free term in next year I think that will be very positive. When he has played this season he’s shown that he still has it and is still an exciting player. I’m a bit worried about all these niggles he’s picking up, I’m hoping he can shake that off and get playing again; a strong pre-season should set him up nicely.

Arsene Wenger has cleared the air over his future by committing to Arsenal. It must be quite frustrating for players and managers to keep having to do this, but then it does end the speculation. I’m not really treating this as massive news as it was inevitable, it’s in Arsene nature – he wouldn’t just leave like this.

Alright he’s had a bit of a falling out with a small number of fans but he shouldn’t take it to heart. As frustrated we are with our FA Cup and Champions League semi final exits, deep down we know what a great manager Arsene Wenger is. Also, with the lack of signings and the consistent sticking with young players – there’s not a lot he can do about it with our budget. To keep us in the top four of the best league in the world with such a limited supply of cash is quite an achievement when you think about it.

I think there are a few tactics that Wenger could work on but there’s no way I would want him to leave. And if he did, who would you have replace him? It’s a tough one. So for now, Wenger is staying and I expect him to do so for many years to come.

Emmanuel Adebayor, I do not expect to be around for many years to come. His agent has been talking about his future saying a meeting with Wenger is first on the agenda:

“I have not read the statements from Mr. Berlusconi, I can say that there is no news on Milan or Inter as I have not been contracted. I have not spoken with Wenger either, as I have also not spoken with Chelsea. I have to take stock of the situation with Wenger and at this moment it is premature to talk about any of these things.

I do not know if the future of Emmanuel is with Arsenal. The only certainty is that at the end of the season I will meet with Wenger to assess the situation.”

I’m not sure what Arsene will say to Adebayor’s agent, Stephane Courbis. If I was the manager this is what I’d tell to him:

“Last year, you begged and moaned about a wage increase. I felt that your client deserved one so I gave him one. Now since then his efforts have dramatically dropped and to be perfectly honest he has not been worth the wage he has been put on. If he can buck his ideas up and start playing with a bit of ambition then I am more than happy to keep him – I know he can be a great player. However, if he’s not going to give two shits about playing for the team, continue not putting enough effort in and think it’s all about money then well frankly I’d rather some other team wasted their cash on him.”

That’s it for news  today. On Friday night it’s Arsenal vs. Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup Final at Ashburton Grove. It’s an 8 o’clock kick off so get yourself along if you can and support the boys. It’s a two-legged final with the second game at Anfield next Tuesday. Tickets for the home leg this Friday are £5 if you buy them today or tomorrow and then £10 on match day. Unfortunately I will be in Bournemouth Friday and I’m driving up to London Saturday for the weekend. Bit of a shame I can’t go but if you’re local then why not go along.

Right then that’s it for today, thanks for reading.

The Cannon is 3 years old today 18 May, 2009

Yep, it’s our Birthday today and we’re celebrating big style at The Cannon headquarters. By that I mean I’m sat in my room, trying to think up something to write, not with a beer in my hand but some in the fridge. Actually, you know what – fuck it, I will have a beer. Be right back…

I now have cold beer and I am happy. So three years ago this afternoon I sat down and wrote my very first blog entry. It was a bit of a tough one to write, a report of our Champions League Final loss in 2006. Kind of an odd time to start an Arsenal blog you would think but it felt good to me.

3 years doesn’t sound a lot but I feel like I’ve been writing The Cannon for a lot longer. How long ago does it seem now that we played Barcelona in Paris? It no longer feels ‘just like yesterday’ – that was a different team back then. We were one stage away from repeating the final with Barcelona this year but we weren’t good enough.

A lot has changed in 3 years. We’re now in a new stadium and like likes of Henry, Gilberto, Bergkamp, Lehmann and many more greats have departed. We have a new-look young side that promises so much but has frustratingly gone another season without silverware. Wenger constantly reminds us this group will be one of the best, but how long can we and the players wait? Every summer a couple of players get fed up and move on; surely this experiment won’t work if we have to rebuild it every summer?

It’s now four years since we won our last trophy, the FA Cup in 2005. It will be five years next May when we’ll get our next chance to win some silverware. We’re at the point were it’s becoming unacceptable for a top side to be without honours for this long. This next season is going to prove a vital one. The work starts this summer – we have to keep our squad together, add one or two and realize our potential.

I believe the 09/10 season will be a vitally important one to our future. Not only on the quest for silverware but our survival in the top four. Aston Villa gave us a run for our money this season and will be back stronger next term, as will Everton. Manchester City now have a full summer to spend their billions and build a side which will be aiming for the top four. If they can get the sort of players they intend to, then they will threaten the big four – if they do make it up there, it will be at the expense of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool or us. We need to make sure we stay in there.

By the time of The Cannon’s fourth birthday on the 18th May 2010 we’ll know a lot about the future of Arsenal Football Club.

I’ll just quickly fill you in on the bit of news there is today. Our youth side were crowned the Premier Academy League champions at White Hart Lane last night after beating Spurs. There’ll be no DVD of that one for them will there? I didn’t watch it but any win over them lot makes me smile so well done the kids!

There’s been a lot of talk this past day or so about Arsene Wenger’s future after he called the Real Madrid job ‘interesting’. I think there has been a big overreaction, Wenger’s actual words were:

“With Perez, the project will be strongly interesting for every coach.”

He not saying that he finds it interesting or he is interested – he’s saying that the job would be interesting to a coach, that’s all. I’m not worried about Wenger leaving. A lot of fans (including myself to a degree) aren’t happy with the manager at the moment but I do not want him to leave, I think he is the man to bring us back to the glory days. After all, this is his project he can’t just leave halfway through it.

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi says there’s a ‘good chance’ they might get Adebayor this summer. Cool.

That’s about it for news then. If you haven’t noticed Arsenal.com are running a 50 Greatest Goals vote. There’s a little video on that link too worth checking out. I believe it’s the last week of voting so get your entries in.

Well that’s about it for my birthday post, thanks to everyone who’s read the site over the past three years, seriously it means a lot. Here’s to a happy third year of blogging. I’m off to get another beer, see ya.

Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal – 16/05/09 – Premier League 17 May, 2009

Some pride restored then but after all our efforts we could not spoil the Premier League party. The 0-0 draw enough to crown United worthy champions. We had nothing really to play for going into the game but we did well, showed what we were about and were unlucky not to get a goal. Saying that, we had a few lucky escapes too so I guess the draw was a fair result. Shame we couldn’t manage that kind of performance a couple of weeks ago.

We had them on the back foot all game. Fair enough they only needed a draw and were being cautious but we were causing them problems and controlling the game. Instead of being all doom and gloom it’s given us a ray of hope going into the new season.

It was not the team I expected yesterday. Song started in defense over Silvestre and Djourou and had an excellent game against one of the best teams in the world. Wenger has hinted in the week that we might need to add a defensive player in the summer; Song was excellent yesterday but I hope he’s not tempted to avoid buying.

In midfield we started with an attacking five of Nasri, Denilson, Fabregas, Diaby and Arshavin with Robin van Persie playing the lone striker. 4-5-1 going into a game with nothing to lose and a win needed to stop United seems a bit defensive but we had a lot of support from that midfield of five to partner Robin. Everyone had a decent game and it worked well I thought. Diaby did look clumsy occasionally but he made up for himself.

It meant no place for Adebayor. He was dropped for Chelsea but wasn’t even in yesterday’s squad. This after an interview given to Football Focus where he blamed the fans for not supporting him. He reckons we’re still not over last summer and continues to embarrassingly deny saying he ever wanted to leave. Arseblogger has a full round up of the Ade situation, I’ll save my piece for another day. But for now I will say that he has one foot out the door.

So back to yesterday’s game. We started well with Cesc and Diaby having shots inside the first five minutes. I thought it was a good basis to begin off and show our intentions from the start.

Our clearest chance of the game probably came early on when Arshavin picked out van Persie with a great cross. Robin was in a load of space but just couldn’t keep his header down.

Moments later Rooney found himself in a similar position down the other end after a Carrick ball in. He did keep his header low but it was just the wrong side of the post.

We had a good chance when the ball was cut back to Nasri on the edge of the box and smashed it low towards goal. It looked as if it was creeping just wide but RVP was there to stick a foot out hoping for a deflection. He got a bit too much on it and Vidic collected and got it clear.

Some good chances in the first half but 0-0 it was at the break. It was a decent half to build on though and I was optimistic about our chances.

Around the hour mark my heart was in my mouth when Tevez turned Toure in the box leaving him one-on-one with Fabianski. However, the Pole was quick to react and before Tevez could get the ball in a position to shoot he slid in from behind to get the ball away. The ball eventually came to Ronaldo who smashed it wildly over. Initially it looked like a great tackle by the ‘keeper but the replay shows him not getting a lot of the ball from behind. If the Argentinean went down the ref could’ve easily sent off Fabianski leaving Vito Mannone to come on and face a penalty to keep us in the game – so fair play to Tevez for not going down. He was replaced a few minutes later and got a good reception coming off in what could be his last appearance at Old Trafford as a United player.

We made a couple of changes too. Both wide players Nasri and Arshavin were taken off for Walcott and Bendtner. Both players who could inspire a goal for different reasons. You could argue that so too could those players that were taken off but fresh legs might’ve made this difference against a tiring and on-edge home defense.

Just a few minutes after his introduction Ji-Sung Park had the ball in the net but the goal was ruled offside. Ronaldo the culprit in the build up, however the replays show that Sagna might’ve just been keeping him onside.

It was getting late but Fabregas nearly stole the show six minutes from time when he hit the post. It was a good passing a driving build up between Bendtner and Song who spread the ball to the right for the unmarked Fabregas. He took a touch and drove it with his left foot; Van der Sar got fingertips on it but it always looked like it was heading for the post.

In extra time we had one more chance with a free kick just outside the right of the box. Robin swung it in towards the far top corner but Carrick got it away for a corner. Cesc put a dangerous cross in but the ball was cleared and we all knew it was over now.

It finished up 0-0 and Manchester United were crowned 08/09 champions. Their third league in a row – they really are the team to beat at the moment. It was the closest our side got to a trophy party but hopefully what they saw was enough to inspire them on next season.

Last week I was ready for the season to end and I wanted to forget about the past year of football. However yesterday’s performance gave me heart and I kind of wished we had another chance to do it all again. Hopefully we can learn from our mistakes, add one or two in the summer and end United’s title winning run ourselves.

Thanks for reading.

Man United Preview: We have pride to play for 15 May, 2009

This is probably the worst time to take a trip to Old Trafford – confidence is low after the heavy defeat to Chelsea and being knocked out the Champions League by United. However, we have this opportunity to end the season with some kind of a positive. We have a chance tomorrow to go into the summer with at least one fond memory of the end of the 08/09 season.

Man United have the chance tomorrow to win the league in front of their own fans against one of their rivals – this is a massive game for them. They will be well up for this and they are full of confidence. They only need a draw to take the title.

If we were to go there and win, it would be amazing. We can deny them their Premier League party forcing them to inevitably lift it a week later at the KC Stadium. Their fans will fill Old Trafford tomorrow in a mood to celebrate, but we will be going up there to spoil the party. We don’t really have much to lose, United and have beaten us already proving they are the better side, we can’t move up or down in the league and there’s no need to rest anyone for any games. To win is a bit of a long shot but if we could manage it, it would be quite funny and restore a bit of pride.

We will play a full strength side. If we don’t then I’m certain Wenger has gone mental. We have Arshavin back; I’m hoping he has a good game like he did at Anfield. Rosicky Gallas, Clichy and Eduardo will not play again this season but Almunia will be back for Stoke – otherwise we are full strength. As well as this is being chance for the team to prove themselves before the season is up – it’s also a big chance for Adebayor. He was rested for Chelsea but I think he will start tomorrow and I hope he is up for it. I think this is our best side:

Fabianski
Sagna – Djourou – Toure – Gibbs
Walcott – Fabregas (c) – Song – Arshavin
Adebayor – van Persie

Theo found it hard to get into the games against United but he is still a dangerous player and I think we need him. If Wenger wants to save him as an impact sub we have Nasri to start.

Man United are without Ferdinand so it looks like Evans will partner Vidic. Ferdinand was good against us so I guess it’s a positive he is out and we can look to capitalize on that. If we can start like we did against Chelsea an early goal would be really good to get settled.

I was thinking about not watching this game but that seems ridiculous now. I really hope and believe we can do it. If it doesn’t go then oh well, we’ll get over it. Sunday will be The Cannon’s 3rd Birthday, lets hope I’ll be writing a happy match report then.

There’s not much more I think I want to say, lets just watch and see what happens and see what our players want to prove. Come on you Gunners.

Rosicky and Arshavin back in training 14 May, 2009

Arsene Wenger has revealed that Tomas Rosicky has returned to full training with the rest of the squad. I did think that he was in training already but whatever, this is good news. Tomas is really pleased to be back with the rest of his team mates and is working on being fully fit for the start of the 09/10 season:

“I am very happy to be back with the rest of the squad. I was a bit nervous I have to say. When you have been out for so long you don’t know what to expect. I did not know if I would still have the same sense of the game, the same understanding, as I had before. But it was great and I did everything with the team.

It has been a tough time for the medical staff and for me. I thank them but I hope I don’t have to go to the medical room again! Of course I still have a lot of work to do before I will be 100 per cent. I think I will not have a holiday like the other players over the summer. Tony Colbert has told me it will be different for me. That is what I expected because I was out for such a long time. But now I have started training again I don’t want to stop.”

He has to just take it easy and get himself 100% for August. It’s going to be a bit weird having him available again next season but it’s another quality player to choose from. Him returning to full fitness could mean Walcott can push forward and Arshavin can play a more central role; Andrey has been talking about playing out on the left but is happy to fill in when we need. It’ll be nice to see him play in a moe natural role next term.

Talking of the Russian, he’s fit for this weekend’s trip to Old Trafford which I guess makes it slightly better for us. With United winning last night they only need one more point to take the title. To beat them on their own ground is going to be one hell of a task but if we could do it, it would be amazing.

Gallas, Clichy, Eduardo and Almunia won’t make it but everyone else is fit to choose from. Although Manuel should be fit for the Stoke game, so we’ll see if we can end the season without any cock-ups at the back. I don’t see any reason why we would rest anyone else for Saturday’s game. Yes, we have nothing left to ply for but it’s pride. United will be well up for it and I’m not up for watching them win the league against us.

I’ll preview the game tomorrow so I’ll save all that talk for then. Thanks for reading.

09/10 Away Kit, Gazidis on Wenger & more 13 May, 2009

Well the away kit for next season has been leaked and Arseblog has the pictures. It’s a navy blue number with lighter blue pinstripes and a collar. Initial reaction is not good, seems like everyone hates it! It’s not the nicest kit I’ve ever seen and I don’t see it going down as one of the classics, but it could be worse I think. I think it’s ok; it’ll look better worn than in those pictures. Some people have a problem with it being blue but I’m not that fussed – it’s better than white and it’s more navy than blue anyway. Soon enough we’ll get some better shots of it with the players wearing it and we’ll see. What do you think of it?

Ivan Gazidis has been defending Arsene Wenger saying his is open-minded after being criticized recently. This after accusations of Wenger being so bogged-down by his own ideas he’s not taking in anything else. Gazidis says that he’s constantly asking people for opinions and taking advice. Seems hard to imagine but that’s what he says anyway…

Robin van Persie has been saying how we must keep the team together if we’re want to go forward. He is one player that still needs to tie up his new deal so if he’s saying this I’m confident he will sign on. It’s true what he’s saying though; the players need to be patient. If we have to build a new team every summer every time a group of players gets fed up and leaves we’re going to get nowhere. I’m expecting maybe one or two to move on this summer, it’s inevitable but we should be doing our best to keep this squad together.

One player who will be linked with a move away is Kolo Toure. He’s been explaining his January transfer request saying he wasn’t sure if the club wanted him anymore and,
“When you love somebody it’s important that they love you back.” Although he’s lost his touch a bit, he’s still a quality defender because you know he will give everything to the cause. Sometimes effort is more important than talent; for example look at Adebayor, got bags of talent but hardly bothers trying to apply it. Kolo Toure might not be quite the player he was in 2004 but he puts in the extra effort to make up for that. I love you, Kolo.

Fabregas has been talking about our failures this season saying how hard it must be for the fans. It’s difficult for the players too though, they are the ones who have to do the business and Cesc has said how it’s hard not to feel like they’ve let us down. The good thing about football is there’s always next year. I just want it to come now; I’ve had enough of 08/09.

I best be going, I’m off to a gig in Southampton tonight. I’ll speak to you tomorrow, hopefully there’s a bit of news to talk about. Let me know in the comments what you think about the new kit.

Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea – 10/05/09 – Premier League 11 May, 2009

Hmm, well that was a load of fun wasn’t it? I’ve pretty much had enough of football for one season now thank you. An inspiring opening to the United game on Tuesday night gave us hope, the great start against Chelsea yesterday made me believe once again and then we go fuck it up, again. Next up we face United who will almost certainly win the title against us, and lift it there at Old Trafford. Excuse me if I don’t feel like watching the game next weekend…

I’m usually quite high spirited, I mean after United this week I wasn’t too upset – but I’ve just had enough now. I’m pissed off with a number of things, mostly to do with Arsene Wenger’s now ‘mental’ thinking. I’m almost convinced Arshavin never had the flu after seeing him sat on the bench yesterday – I don’t understand this tactic not to play him against Chelsea(if there is one). I mean I can see some reasons but nothing that stops you playing your fucking best player.

Why is he still playing Cesc behind the striker? It doesn’t work. He is anonymous there, he’s a fucking good central midfielder, he runs games from there, put him there.

Diaby is neither a left winger, nor a good enough footballer. The boy shows ability but lacks any application or desire. He’s lazy and doesn’t give a shit. He’s not as bad as Emmanuel Adebayor though, booed onto the pitch yesterday after his hopeless efforts…performances…displays in the two legs against United; not to mention the rest of the season. He was booed at the beginning of the season and now you’re being booed at the end – you’re not liked. Either buck your ideas up or please just leave.

We started the game really brightly yesterday and we really should’ve scored at least one in the first half hour. Walcott was looking lively and could’ve had a couple himself. Abou Diaby had a sitter laid of a plate for him that anyone with two working legs could’ve done better. We were punished yet again for not converting chances when Chelsea scored in the 28th minute completely against the run of play.

The ref fell for a Drogba dive giving them a free kick in nearly exactly the same place Ronaldo won a free kick on Tuesday after that ref fell for his dive. The ball was put in, Alex rose well and a put a good header past Fabianski. Fucks sake.

10 minutes later they were 2-0 up, I couldn’t believe this. Anelka allowed to run into space going forward hit a swerving shot that maybe the ‘keeper could’ve saved.

In stoppage time it should’ve been three when Anelka went one-on-one but Fabianski did well to react to the attempted nutmeg.

Half time came and how the fuck we were 2-0 down I don’t know. We showed for the most part of the half how good we can be and so, although difficult, we could turn this result around. We needed a good start to the first half.

So when I walk down from the toilet in the pub what do I see? Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea. It begs belief. I still haven’t even seen the goal, can’t be bothered with it. Apparently Cole got down the wing and Toure diverted it into the net for an own goal.

Long overdue again, Wenger made his changes. Bendtner, Denilson and Adebayor all came on between the 60th and 70th minute replacing Diaby, Walcott and Song respectively. Walcott at this point looking probably our man of the match, yet he’s taken off…

Bendtner made a good impact and he is one of the players that Gooners actually have some respect for at the moment. The whole trousers-down incident outside the club the other night means nothing to us, we can all sympathize with him – all we care about is his efforts on the pitch and that is what he’s doing well. He got our goal in the 70th minute meeting Sagna’s cross with a giant leap.

For a while it looked like we might start a late revival. A were putting the pressure on Chelsea and probably should’ve got another. Adebayor claimed a penalty when he tired to take the ball around Cech but dived as the ‘keeper came out. Well I say he ‘tried to take the ball around Cech’ but I don’t think he ever had that in mind, he knew what he was doing and was aiming for the penalty. Embarrassing.

Chelsea went straight up the other end and made it 4-1. They broke and Malouda’s initial shot was saved by Fabianski but straight into the path of Anelka. His shot came off the inside post, bounced behind the goalie and back to Malouda who had a simple tap-in. An unlucky goal really.

So 4-1 it ended, maybe not a deserved score line but maybe the kick up the arse we needed ahead of next week.

It’s the consistency of our failures that gets me. We show promise, we can attack, we come so close to scoring without doing so, some players never put in enough effort, putting players in the wrong positions and it not working… I could go on. These are all problems that should be rectified after one or two games but these are all things that have been going on for more than a season now. Wenger is so obsessed with his vision of the future that he’s ignoring the present. He’s so controlled by his study of statistics that he is no longer affected by what’s happening on the pitch.

I’m losing patience with him. I know how much he’s done for the club but he’s being judged now by the standards which he has set. I’m looking for one actually positive summer of transfers rather than the tedious inevitability of signing fuck all. We needs signings, he can’t avoid it this time. Another summer with more talent leaving than coming in and we will be lucky to hold off Everton and Villa next time around.

That’s all I have to say, thanks for reading.

Very Quick Chelsea Preview 10 May, 2009

It’s a very late preview today, we kick off at the Grove in a couple of hours so I’m gonna make this a short one. Arsenal vs. Chelsea always has been and always will be a massive game, the Premier League obviously placing this one late in the season to try make things interesting but it’s all but over for the two teams.

We both have ambitions of possibly jumping one place up in the league but I guess it’s too little too late with just three games left. A win today would need only one more loss (or two draws) from Chelsea in their remaining games for us to overtake them. But with out penultimate game at Old Trafford it is a bit of a long shot.

It’s it worth a try and it is a bit of inspiration for today’s game; not that we should need it. This is Chelsea for fucks sake – of course we want to beat them. It would be nice to win after what happened at Wembley and I don’t think they’ve won at the Grove before.

Team news and it looks like Arshavin is going to miss out playing Chelsea again. He has this flu. I have this niggling feeling that this is some kind of mental tactical plot from Wenger so that Andrei misses the Chelsea game again, but I would be so furious if that was the case I don’t even want to know. I don’t think there is any need to rest any players unless they’re actually knackered; I’ve heard no news about any of that so I’m going to assume it’ll be full strength. Here’s what I think it might be:

Almunia
Sagna – Toure – Djourou – Gibbs
Walcott – Fabregas (c) – Diaby – Nasri
Adebayor – van Persie

Gibbs has a chance to forget about that slip today, I’m looking from a strong performance from him. It would be nice to see Adebayor do something useful too.

As for Chelsea well they’re sure to bring a bunch of cunts to the Grove. We’ll be welcoming back Ashley Cole again – I cannot bare to see him or any of his team mates celebrating so lets win for that reason alone.

I’m off to the pub in a minute for this one, I really better go now if anyone is to actually read this before the game actually starts. Enjoy the match, speak to you tomorrow.

Friday round-up: Lets all laugh at Chelsea 8 May, 2009

It’s back to the Premier League now – the only competition we have left to play in this season. There’s 3 games to go and there’s still a chance we could make that all important 3rd place. The team above us are visiting the Grove on Sunday so it’s a massive game, win and any late slip us from Chelsea we could capitalize on.

As hard as it was being knocked out of the Champions League, it was much, much worse for them. They were about 3 minutes away from a trip to Rome before Iniesta fired into the top corner to take Barca to the final on away goals. I left the house at 90 minutes sulking at another absolute cuntfest Champions League final. It wasn’t until a few hours later I heard they’d lost it late on and I was fucking cracking up.

Yesterday morning I must’ve watched the highlights three times. It was almost as funny as John Terry’s penalty slip last year. The terrible refereeing made it even sweeter, they could’ve easily had a few penalties on Wednesday night but the ref decided to be an absolute cunt which was just great. There have been some great .gif animations from the night; this was one of my favorites.

I’m sure you’ve all seen the aftermath of the game and I’m sure there will be some consequences for that. A one-year European ban would be amazing but I’m really hoping for some sort of mass execution or something.

I’m hoping they’re still rattled when they come to us on Sunday. Yes, we got knocked out too but under much better circumstances, we were fairly beaten and I’ve all but forgotten about it now. Wenger says moral isn’t the greatest it’s ever been, but we’re ok. If we could beat Chelsea this weekend those two defeats in a row could cause an upset in their final two games and maybe we could jump into third. That’s what I’m hoping anyway.

It looks like Andrey Arshavin will miss another opportunity to play against his national coach. He has the flu and has been sent home from training this week. There’s a chance he could recover but we won’t know until nearer the time. We’d definitely miss him, he has already established himself as one of our best players and I was kind of looking forward to seeing what he can do against Chelsea and United.

Nicklas Bendtner has been fined by the club for his piss-up after Tuesday night’s Champions League exit. If you haven’t seen it already there are pictures here. Wenger’s not happy but I haven’t met a single fan who holds it against him. In fact, I know some people have warmed to him a bit more because of it. He had the day off the next day and it was a disappointing night – we would’ve all done the same! Hope he doesn’t get in too much shit with Mr. Wenger.

And finally, Theo Walcott has signed a new contract. There’s no confirmation as to how long but it has been described as a ‘long-term’ deal. This is great news; he’s been an important player for us this season and is still improving.

However, this news does make me think what has happened with Robin van Persie’s new deal? Wenger hopes something will be sorted because he is an important player but says we’re still not “close”. It is slightly concerning, I do think he will sign in the end but it will be a huge loss if he’s decided he’s had enough. To be fair, I don’t see why he would’ve done; this has been his first (almost) injury-free season after a frustrating career. I believe he is our most important striker – we have to keep him. Other than him we’ve also got Eduardo who still needs to show he’s going to make a full recovery, Theo Walcott who I think will gradually start to move centrally next season, Bendtner and Vela will also be making a push next year and I think they will both have improved. As for Adebayor… meh, he can do whatever the fuck he likes.

Right that’s your lot for today. Thanks for reading, speak to you tomorrow.

Arsenal 1(1) – 3(4) Manchester United – 05/05/09 – Champions League 6 May, 2009

Well, that was not what I was expecting. Well, to be fair in the day yesterday I had pretty much come to terms with the massive task that was ahead of us. I tried to tell myself I wouldn’t get too upset if we got knocked out. I was instead hyped up about the possibility of us going through, to have done it last night would’ve been amazing. But oh well never mind.

We were beaten by the better team. Over the two legs Man United were much better than us and deserve to be in that final. It hurts to get so close and for them to knock us out, it hurts a lot. Everyone will have taken defeat in different ways. Personally, I have been alright about it. I have been quite calm and come to terms with it quite quickly. I’m still wearing my Arsenal shirt now and I don’t want to take it off! On the other end of the scale there is a Kenyan Gooner who hung himself after a night in the pub watching the game. That is ridiculous, I would only ever hang myself if it was against Tottenham.

There’s no point in me going through the game now in the detail I normally do, it was ages ago and we all know what happened.

The Grove looked amazing last night. All those flags and the noise on the TV was amazing, I was so jealous of all of you. It just goes to show what we can do, and I know it was a huge game last night but if we could find the same inspiration for every game I am certain we’d urge the team to turn a few more draws into wins.

Anyway, yeah it was a great atmosphere and it’s such a shame all that effort only lasted 10 minutes. The game was over before we even had a chance to get in it. We started so well and with so much promise and to concede that first goal in the 8th minute was really upsetting. I do not blame Gibbs, well – it was his fault but I am not angry with him. I’m sure he is devastated but I hope he gets over it.

After the first goal went in I was a bit shocked but I knew it wasn’t over. We had 80 minutes to come up with 3 goals and I didn’t think that was impossible. I still believed. Once that second goal went in it was all over I’m afraid. There was still a chance and I still watched on with the (slightly drunk) belief that we could do it but inside I knew it was over.

Almunia will be a bit pissed off conceding that goal. It was incredibly well hit but nothing should be beating him from that position. When Ronaldo stepped up to the ball he should’ve anticipated the shot from the off. Oh well, nothing we can do it about now.

After the second goal we were ruined, there was so much hope and belief in the week but that had all gone now. I noticed one or two leaving the ground already which was a bit sad to see.

At half time it was going to take one hell of a team talk to get us back in this one. I was screaming for us all first half to bring a striker on – what did we have to lose? I was in disbelief that at the break the only change was Emmanuel Eboue for Gibbs. Wenger, what the fuck? Alright it’s a long shot but we might as well give ourselves a chance!

The second half was a tedious inevitability, just waiting for the final whistle to go. We carried on playing and we were pushing but United caught us out on the break making it 4-0 on aggregate. The stadium really started to empty at this point and although I can understand the different circumstances why, I’m glad there was a few that stayed.

We did score from a van Persie free kick but it was the definition of a consolation goal. It was a perfect penalty, no ‘keeper would’ve saved that. Celebrations were muted except for Robin throwing the ball at the ground in frustration. The spot kick was given when Fletcher brought down Fabregas going through on goal and he was sent off for the challenge ruling him out of the final. The challenge itself was a great tackle and never a penalty. Sweet justice.

So it ended up 3-1 on the night and United go through to Rome, deservedly. We’ll be back next year, with a team matured an extra 12 months with the ambition to go another step further. Hopefully we can keep this team together over the summer and maybe add a few quality players.

So two semi finals in the space of a few weeks but no final to look forward to. The blow of last night would’ve been a lot easier to take if we still had Everton to play at Wembley but that’s something Wenger has to think about.

That’s it for tonight, I’m off. Speak to you tomorrow.

Man United Preview: Rome awaits the winner 4 May, 2009

I’m lost for words as how to start this preview. It is without doubt the biggest game of our season and the most important fixture since the 2006 Champions League final. For many of our players it will be the biggest game of their careers so far. The 2009 Champions League Final in Rome is just one step away. After a disappointing season we never would’ve thought we’d find ourselves here, but we are here, and we have to produce.

Our players need to realise how big this game is. They need to put in everything they possibly can give like their lives depended on it. This is no time for a lazy performance, this is where it matters – Adebayor, yes I’m talking to you; we all know how good you can be so fucking prove it. You can score a goal out of anything if you try, make us forget this whole season with a strong performance tomorrow night. There might be one or two playing tomorrow who have been slightly disappointing with regards to their efforts this season – well the same goes for all of them too, everything can be forgotten with a winning performance tomorrow.

I just can’t put into words how important this game is, I really can’t. So I’d like to describe to you a mental image: The final whistle goes and Man United are through, the players go wild running around hugging and that away corner of the ground erupts to complete silence around the rest of the stadium. The players and staff are running over to their fans and celebrating reaching the Champions League Final on our ground. We’re walking up the steps, heads hung, thinking of what could’ve been.

We cannot let that happen.

It’s fucking Man United for fucks sake. We can’t let those dirty Mancs wherever they’re from cunts celebrate on our turf. Our players need to think about this, and so do the fans. Give every single last breath you have to the cause, we’re going to need the home atmosphere to carry us through. I don’t want to hear a single word from the United end. I’ve heard us make noise in that place before but we need to better that tomorrow night. This is the biggest game we’ve had at this stadium since it was built, I want it to rock.

Let’s look at the team then. For once, there’s a bit of good news injury-wise! It sounds like van Persie’s going to be fit, he trained today and Wenger describes him as “available”. As for Silvestre it doesn’t sound so promising, he is in the squad though. It would be a massive boost to have RVP back in the team, he has been our best striker this season. He can create things which is exactly what we need. We could also do with one of his free kicks going in, it’s been a while. If Robin is fit enough to play, we have no excuse not to play the traditional 4-4-2. We’ve been messing around with players in different positions recently but this is no time for experimentation, lets play with what we know we’re good at. Here’s what I hope for/think it might be:

Almunia
Sagna – Toure – Djourou – Gibbs
Walcott – Fabregas (c) – Song – Nasri
Adebayor – van Persie

I don’t see why that team can’t beat Man United. At some point this season every one of those players has put in a really good performance. Wenger’s been talking about this being a great team performance tomorrow night rather that individual moments of brilliance and I hope he’s right. If we all pull together, all get stuck in and all concentrate I know we can beat any team in the world.

Almunia needs an even bigger game this time around. A goal conceded means we have to score three. If he can keep a clean sheet we have a massive chance. The defense need to do their bit too, it’s a bit of a makeshift back four but so was the one in 2006 that got past Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal. They need to be big, strong and not let United create anything; So, no big gaps at the back post this time please.

In midfield we have Theo Walcott who is just a menace, he needs to get more in the game his week, we need to make the most of him. Alex Song should be in there helping the back four and cutting out anything United try and develop. Cesc, is Cesc – we could do with another beautiful assist tomorrow please. Nasri scored two against this lot when they came down for the league game, let’s hope he can find that magic again.

I’ve already spoken about the strikers. They will be the man men tomorrow night in our search for goals. Missed chances are not an option; we need to take everything we get, I hope they’ve been practicing their shooting.

They will be up against Vidic and Ferdinand, who has recovered from that rib injury. Two of the best in the league, but so are Ade and Robin so there shouldn’t be a problem…

This game can go either way. United have the upper hand but there’s no reason why we can’t win. A 1-0 would take it to extra time, a 2-0 would win it and if they score we need a 3-1 to go through. It’s not impossible, there is no impossible. We’ve beaten them 2-0 already this season and just think back to this time 20 years ago up at Anfield; we got the result there when it mattered. A lot of our players would’ve still been in nappies back then, it’s now their chance to become the new crop of heroes.

If we do get through tomorrow night it’s going to be one of the most memorable Arsenal performances ever. If it doesn’t go our way, well I want to be proud of our performance and not go away thinking we fucked it up. I’m hoping that if we do fail we go down with a fight and we can go home knowing we gave it everything. If at the end of the night they do go over to that corner celebrating I want them to do it with the Arsenal fans still singing loud and proud over the top of them.

There’s nothing more I can say here, it’s up to you lot going and the players now. Speak to you Wednesday.

Portsmouth 0-3 Arsenal – 02/05/09 – (Premier League) 3 May, 2009

3-0, 3 points and 4th place secured, couldn’t really ask for more. It was a strange end of season encounter at Fratton Park yesterday, although the points would’ve helped either side they weren’t really that important. We started with a slightly under strength team; Almunia, Toure, Gibbs, Fabregas, Nasri and Adebayor were all rested. That meant Fabianski played in goal, Eboue at left back and Song partnered Djourou in defense. On the left we had captain for the day Andrey Arshavin, in the middle Denilson and Ramsey and Theo Walcott retained his place on the right playing just over an hour. Up front it was what I expected with Bendtner and Vela, the two had a chance to impress here before United on Tuesday and both ended up on the score sheet.

My day started at 10:22am getting the train from Bournemouth to Southampton then on to Fratton Station. I was there by midday and met up with a few Arsebloggers. It was a beautiful day on the coast yesterday so a beer garden sounded like a great idea. A few chilled beers there and then we walked off to the stadium. The Arsenal fans occupied most of the stand behind the goal except for a little section of home fans in the corner, which was quite weird. I was standing near them, and about four rows from the front.

We were in good voice yesterday and were fully up for supporting our young guns. I was just happy to be at an away match again, the atmosphere at home games does frustrate me sometimes, I love being with the away crowd. It might well be my last trip this season so I was determined to make the most of it. I’ve tried to upload a video of the crowed but I’m fucking useless and I can’t do it. Will try later…

We started well showing that although we might not be at full strength we still meant business. Walcott fired a shot across goal in the first minute and we were taking control of the game very early on just as Man United had done to us in the week. Portsmouth did have one chance when Belhadj drove through our defense but as was the story in the end today, their shooting wasn’t good enough.

We should’ve got a penalty in the 13th minute when Distin shoved Vela off the ball but we did score from the resulting corner. Arshavin’s cross came back out to him and he clipped a great ball to the back post which Bendtner rose well to meet but it looked like a comfortable save for James. But it wasn’t – the ball slipping through his hands and over the line. Oh dear. Nicely worked goal though, Nick could’ve got more on it but I guess we did score! Celebrations were slightly delayed as we watched the ball somehow go across the line up the other end of the pitch

A few minutes later Vela should’ve certainly made it 2-0. Eboue made a great run down the left taking on a through ball and cutting inside the box to pick out the Mexican free in the middle of the box but he took far too long and they got a block in.

Peter Crouch registered his first miss of the day when a great one-two with Belhadj put him through on goal but he somehow directed the shot wide of the far post. Our defense wasn’t dealing very well with the Portsmouth attack and this was already the second time we had let them through for them to miss.

Just before half time we were given a penalty when Arshavin was brought down going through on goal. He appeared to shake his finger saying it wasn’t a penalty and the replay showed the defender might’ve got a touch to it but it could be a bit of justice from a few minute before when Arshavin was brought down but no penalty. Anyway, Bendtner claimed the spot-kick and it was a great finish right inside the right post, James went the right way but couldn’t get to it.

At half time Portsmouth brought on Kanu and Utaka and were clearly going to go for this. They did improve in the second half and had a great spell of attack in the opening 15 minutes. A mixture of missed chances and one Fabianski save from a long-range Kanu shot saw us keep a clean sheet by the skin of our teeth. Utaka was proving troublesome since coming on and really should’ve scored just before the hour when a ball was put over the top of him. He almost rounded Fabianski but got the ball stuck in his feet and Sagna was able to recover.

Portsmouth paid almost immediately for all those missed chances when Carlos Vela made it 3-0. After a good passing move between him, Arshavin and Walcott on the edge of the box Vela somehow found some space to shoot with his left and the ball rolled in perfectly inside the far post. A goal very much against the run of play but we showed Pompey how it’s done to take your chances.

It got worse for the home side when Pamarot was sent off for bringing down Arshavin going through on goal after a good ball over the top by Ramsey. I initially thought it was a penalty but the ref rightly gave it on the edge of the box. Ramsey took his attempted drive under the wall didn’t work.

By now we had brought off Walcott, Bendtner and Ramsey who had all had decent games. Aaron has shown the boss that if he needs him for Tuesday he is very capable. To replace them we brought on Bischoff, Merida and Randall for cameo performances.

Portsmouth had a couple more chances towards the end and their best came right at the end when a corner fell to the feet of Distin four yards out. It looked a certain goal but to everyone’ disbelief it stayed out! I watched the replay last night and it turned out to be a great goal line save from Fabianski.

So in the end it finished up 3-0 to The Arsenal, not a fair reflection on the game but I won’t complain. You can see the goals and highlights here and if you look closely you can just about see my Yellow 80′s ‘triangles’ shirt celebrating the 2nd goal. You probably can’t but I can just about anyway!

Not the most convincing performance at the back, we let them through too many times and were lucky to keep a clean sheet. We’ll have to be better than that against Man United in a game where we can’t afford to concede. Aaron Ramsey I thought played well, as did Eboue who now has I think 5 songs. Fabianski made a good couple of saves and although both we’re a bit iffy, you have to be happy with Bendtner getting two goals.

It was a great day out for me, really enjoyed it. I have to admit I’m just a bit sunburnt but oh well! I’m going to miss away games, maybe I’ll catch one at the start of next season. If not, Rome

There will be a lot of changes for Tuesday night so it’s going to completely change around. I’ll preview our biggest game since the 2006 Champions League Final tomorrow. Until then.

Pompey Preview: Guess what. Injuries. 2 May, 2009

We have to concentrate on another league game now and try put the massive game next week against Man United to the back of our minds. It’s hard I know, I’m sure the players are feeling it too and I have no doubt tomorrow’s tactics will be with the Semi Final 2nd leg in mind.

This isn’t a nothing game though. 3 points here will secure our 4th place spot and with United and Chelsea still to play would be a massive relief if we had the Champions League spot in the bag. Not just that but we need to keep the pace up with Chelsea and have the fight to chase 3rd. The difference between 3rd and 4th is massive now; it means automatic qualifications to the groups as opposed to a difficult qualifier. Chelsea play local rivals Fulham who will be well up for a fight against a team also with a Semi Final in mind. Hopefully Fulham can do us a favour there.

It seems to be a recurring theme – A new match preview, a new injury to worry about. Arsene Wenger has described Eduardo as the unluckiest player he’s even met as he is ruled out for the season with his groin problem. It’s such a shame to lose him as he’s absolute quality. I just hope he takes the time to recover properly now and look towards a strong 09/10 season; was good to see him back though. Silvestre’s groin also puts him out and is a doubt for Tuesday. Johan Djourou will no doubt take his position and I’m looking for a strong performance today ahead of the United game.

I’m not sure who Wenger will rest here. I’m thinking Theo, possibly Cesc, maybe Adebayor but I don’t see how tired he can be after Wednesday night’s efforts. I can only guess, so here is my guess:

Almunia
Sagna – Toure – Djourou – Gibbs
Eboue – Fabregas (c) – Denilson – Arshavin
Bendtner – Vela

I think this is a good chance for Bendtner and Vela to prove their worth ahead of Tuesday going into a game knowing we need goals. Not only that but Eduardo and maybe van Persie will be out and Adebayor will certainly need a partner.

I’m sorry this preview is referencing Tuesday night’s game so much but that’s the nature of the situation we’re in. All four teams will be doing it this weekend I’m sure. We have to find the right balance between resting and still winning the game. There’s been enough talk in the last couple of days saying that they are up for this game.

I definitely am, I’m going to this one, getting a train at 10:22 from Bournemouth to Portsmouth along the coast. I think it’ll be my first away trip since Fulham at the beginning of the season. I’ve been looking forward to this for ages now, can’t wait to mix with the away crowd again. Should be a good day.

I’ll do a write up of my trip and hopefully a few photos tomorrow. I better get to sleep now, early start. Enjoy the game today, thanks for reading Gooners.