In & Outs so far

In

Out

Toure

Adebayor

Maybe ???

New Season, New Hope

I have been an ardent supporter of Arsenal FC for more than 30 years. I cherished the fond memories of the George Graham days where I was watching the infamous finale in the 1989/90 season where we scored in the last minute of the game to clinched the then Division One League title from arch rivals Liverpool. I recalled that I was then watching the game from a old CRT TV in the living room while my siblings and parents were asleep in their bedrooms. I had almost given up hope and when the goal came from Michael Thomas, I was jumping & screaming for joy. That gave me bragging rights when I went to work that same morning and met my colleagues who were mainly Liverpool supporters.

How times have changed. George Graham moved on, Bruce Rioch came and went, followed by Arsene "Le Professor" Wenger.

Arsene ushered in a new era of football never ever seen in Arsenal before. Arsenal was built on the tradition of "if you do not concede, you cannot lose". Most of the games were won on a 1-0 score. With Arsene, the word "entertainment" was added to the Arsenal's football vocabulary. He brought in foreign players, albeit strongly Gallic flavour, into the team. Players like Overmars, Petit, Vieira, Anelka, Henry, Fabregas etc have all graced the stage at one time or another. The supporters were also spoilt with success, with 3 titles & 4 FA cup wins.

The successful period was then succeeded by a drought lasting for 5 seasons where we came close but like the Americans would say, no cigars. There were times where the fans were tearing their hairs out wondering why Arsene failed to see weaknesses in the team which were blatantly visible to those fans who were virtual managers by sitting by their goggle boxes at home. Together with Man U, we used to be the top 2 team in the EPL. Now, we are fighting to stay within the top 4 so that we can qualify for the Champions League the following season.

We all know the weakness of the team. Weak defence, no height, midfield has no muscle, cannot play with teams who refuse to play football, no plan B...and so the list goes on. But does Arsene know?

Every season comes and go, with the club selling one of their prized assets, apparently to raise monies to pay off the mortgages on the new stadium. The finance people seem to be running the club instead of the football guys. We sell more than we buy. In all fairness, most of the players whom the club released did not fare too well at their clubs. Look at Hleb and Flamini who both moved on and did not start in the first 11 for their respective clubs.

In any event, the rant here is not about the past. Every season brings new hope. What happens last season is long forgotten. It is akin to buying a lottery. You know it is not likely for you to win, but still there is a hope, however minute or remote the possibility is.

I have been watching the transfer movements closely. Arsene has brought in a relatively unknown Belgian defender. He had sold Adebayor & Toure to Man C. I am in fact quite happy to see Adebayor go. Despite a strong showing 2 seasons ago, he has been rubbished last season and it does not help when he was openly flirting with the other clubs for a move. Nothing irritates the fans more than a complete lack of loyalty. Of course, we do not expect the players to play for peanuts nowadays and everyone is entitled to look after their own welfare, but in a passionate game like football, you have to be seen to return something back to the fans who backed the club and its players thru good and bad times. As for Toure, I was kind of sad to see him go. He was after all, the last remnant of the Invincibles and have been a loyal servant to the club. His personality clashes with Gallas forced him out and I wished him all the best.

Now the club is flushed with almost 40M pounds of cash from Man C. Surely Arsene will be looking at reinforcements? I hope he would go for Huntaleer, a player I liked. At a reported 15M, I think he is a bargain. He should also get a defensive midfielder, someone like Alonso or Eissen. Names linked include Velosso, Blassi, Melo, De Rossi. As for centrebacks, I hope he goes for someone who is good in the air and defends set pieces well.

It will be interesting to see how Arsene spends that 40M. In the meanwhile, I am looking forward to the Emirates Cup being screened on my cable channel. Hopefully, by the time I blog again, there is someone who is joining the club I can speak of.