One man team ? Lets laugh out loud !

True that Robin Van Persie has scored a majority of Arsenal's goals this season. People have termed us a One man team. But how true is it? Because the last time I checked we had 17 different scorers this season. Thats more than any other team in England. So how on earth can they call us a one man team ? We have our vice captain , a center back , has 5 goals this season. Thats more than 50m Torres or the 35m Carroll scored. But that's not the point. Our full backs Sagna and Gibbs scored very recently.Other than that we have Gervinho , Walcott , Benayoun , Walcott , Oxlade Chamberlain , Park , Koscielny and of course Thierry Henry who have scored vital goals. Not to forget the delightful through balls and crosses of Alex Song. And what about the midfield maestro , currently the best midfielder in the country , Tomas Rosicky . Do I need more proof to show that we are not a one man team ?

So all the so called pundits , please check your facts and stats before labeling us a one man team !

Thank you !

Like a BOSS !

A meme that I created , currently doing the rounds in many fan pages in Facebook !

The return of the King !

So Henry has returned . The dream of every Arsenal fan has come true . Although its just for 2 months its going to be amazing to see him play for Arsenal again . I always wished that Henry would end his career here with us and now I am hoping the love will reach a point where Henry will find it hard to leave us again and come back to us in the summer transfer window . I know its too much to ask for but hey , this is Henry and Arsenal . You never know .

So just to be confirm , he will play the match against Leeds Utd in the FA Cup 3rd round on monday. While I was going through some other blogs I found this one and it was seriously so damn funny . Here it is

The Gunners are getting ready for the game against Leeds in the FA Cup.

RvP is hobbling around with only one shoe on his foot, “Where’s my other boot?” Ramsey points over his shoulder, “Over here, skip!”

RvP looks to find Szczesny polishing his left boot. “Give me that, Wojciech!”

Szczesny is crestfallen, “Come on, captain. We’ll need all the luck we can get. You’re the only striker we have now with Gervinho and Chamakh *cough* gone.”

Walcott yells from the other end of the room, “I heard that!” Oxlade-Chamberlain looks up from his phone, “So?” and gets back to texting Carl Jenkinson.

At that moment, Wenger walks in for his pre-match talk.

“Boys, I have a little bit of a surprise for you. We’ve signed a player on loan for two months. Many of you know him quite well. He’s won a double with this club…”

Djourou interrupts, “Pat Rice?” he asks wide eyed. “Boss, I can still play Right Back. Just give me a chance!”

“No Johan, not Pat Rice. Yes, he is still fantastic quality, but he might drop a little bit physically in the second half.” Ramsey murmurs, “So what else is new?”

Wenger ignores the comment, “Wait a minute! Johan, you are suspended. What are you doing here?”

Djourou shrugs as he stuffs a bag of ice between his legs, “The medical center was out of ice. So…”

Wenger shook his head, “We spent millions on that place and they couldn’t get a refrigerator?”

“No, since today’s a match day, everyone’s here. They shut down the power to the building to save up on the utility bills. No power, no ice.”

Wenger raises an eyebrow, “Anyway, I came to tell you that we’ve signed none other than Thierry Henry!”

Henry walks in to the locker room to the surprise of many in the room. He is accompanied by Vermaelen.

Henry smiles, “Surprise!”

RvP curses silently. Looks like I’ll have to rethink getting past that 226 goals mark.

Walcott gives Wenger an apprehensive look, “Boss, you sure about this? I mean, I can’t give up my number!”

“No Theo, he will wear the number 12. And he is here only for 2 months. He will help us all and guide our team in that period.”

“Phew! That’s cool. So Thierry will help me with my runs and stuff?”

“In your case, Theo, he will teach you how to play football.”

Song puts his hand up, “Boss, why is Vermaelen with him? Shouldn’t he be resting? We have Utd coming up soon.”

“Since we couldn’t afford the insurance cover, the Verminator will be his bodyguard.”

Arshavin walks in putting on his shirt and notices Henry. He put two and two together and asked with genuine concern, “Er, boss? Does this mean you’re selling me in this transfer window?”

“No, Andrei. You are on the Arsenal official calendar, for the month of April. It’s a life sized poster too. Selling you now would bring down sales and thereby reduce our profits.”

“Ok, so those who are in the calendar are staying?”

RvP suddenly realizes why he got December. Squillaci thinks aloud, “Why wasn’t I told about this calendar shoot?”

Arshavin continues, “So are you selling me this summer then?”

“I don’t want to comment on speculation. But it is the club’s philosophy to sell players when they’ve reached the zenith…”

“St.Petersburg?”

Wenger ignores the question, “Ok, boys. We have a tough game today. Leeds is not an easy team to beat. Their defense is solid…”

“Pffft! Right…” Henry rolls his eyes.

“We will start with the same lineup as we did against Fulham, with the exception of Djourou of course. Young Nico will get to play today?”

Yennaris looks up, mouth hanging open. He races to Henry to shake his hand yelling at the same time, “Sir, it is a dream and absolute pleasure to be playing with you today!”

Vermaelen intervenes with a shoulder barge that sends Nico sprawling across the room. He trips over a bench and twists his knee.

“Oh for fu… Vermaelen! Relax. *sigh* Yossi, you’re our make shift RB for today.”

Henry taps Wenger’s shoulder, “Boss, what about me?”

“You’re not completely fit, Thierry. I’ll bring you on after sixty minutes. That will also ensure the crowd stays to watch the entire match.”

“I may not have played much lately, but I can still last the full ninety!”

“Yes, Thierry. I know. But you need to lose a little bit of weight before you can start games.”

“I may look more than thirty, but I’ve still got it!”

Squillaci nudges Henry, “Pssst. Lose the beard! Look around, do you see anyone else here with a beard? The clean shaven look makes you look younger. And fitter!”

“You serious?”

“Hey, I’m still here, aren’t I?”

Henry nods in understanding. Outside, the Emirates crowd is aware that Henry will play today. The announcer can be heard in the locker room as the squad is announced. “Number 12, the one and only King, Thierryyyy Henryyyy!”

Crowd starts chanting, “Henry matalo, matalo!”

“What does that mean?”

Wenger looks at Henry and smiles, “Rise!”

RvP frowns, “Hey, isn’t that from the new Batman movie?”

“Yes, Robin. Nolan saw the ‘Who needs Batman when you have Robin’ banners in the stadium and was very worried about how the movie would fare in London. So we signed a £10M deal to publicize ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. It was good business.”

Pat Rice walks in holding a paper, “Arsene, the loan deal hit a snag. It runs only till the 16^th of February after which he’d have to go back across the pond. It will be tough to convince the New York Red Bulls to extend it to the 26^th so Henry can play the Spuds.”

Henry looks at Wenger with concern, “Boss?”

Wenger gives a cold stare, “When Tottenham is ashes; you have my permission to fly.”

And with that, he turned around to lead the team out to the tunnel where the Leeds team was gathering.

RvP shakes Henry’s hand as they walk out, “It’s good to have you back, Thierry. Just let me know if there’s anything you need.”

“You can count on it!” said Henry, eyeing the captain’s armband on RvP’s left sleeve.

As they lined up in the tunnel, ready to walk out on to the pitch, Szczesny whispered into Henry’s ear. “I hope you polished those boots,” he said as he applied some chap stick to his lips.

 

From Sportskeeda.com 

Anyways , have a nice weekend and wishing Arsenal FC all the very best for the next game ! 

 

Cheers . 

2011 : The English Premier League

So how will 2011 be remembered ? The year that saw Manchester Utd winning the title for an unprecedented 19^th time ? Or Manchester City opening their major titles account after a huge gap ? Or Arsenal losing the Carling cup finals against a team that later went on to get relegated ? Its been on amazing ride for a football fan . Every team has had its highs and lows . Some teams went from being high to an all time low. And some teams did the opposite . So lets see the highlights of the top teams now.

Arsenal

Highlights

•The 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Emirates in February.
•The extraordinary goalscoring form of Robin van Persie.
•Going to Stamford Bridge and winning 5-3 with a newly constructed team.

• Celebrated 125 years for exixtence and opened a statue for Theirry Henry in front of the Emirates.

Lowlights 

•Losing to Birmingham City in the final of the Carling Cup.
•An 8-2 humiliation by Manchester United at Old Trafford.
•The departures of both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri during the summer.

Hero : Robin van Persie (Amazing goal scoring form)

Villain : Samir Nasri (Putting money before loyalty and joined Manchester City)

Chelsea

Highlights  

• It says much for Chelsea’s frustrating year that the bright spot may have come very recently with the 2-1 victory over Manchester City

• Beating Valencia against all odds and qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions leauge.

Lowlights 

• The Champions League exit to Manchester United who comprehensively dismissed Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
• The race row that has surrounded John Terry has been a potentially hugely damaging distraction.

Hero : Daniel Sturridge

Villain : Fernando Torres

Liverpool

Highlights

• Dalglish, back in his oversized Adidas bubble coat, walking along the touchline at Old Trafford for his first game in charge in January put the spark in the starry-eyes of every Liverpool supporter.
• Luis Suarez first goal for the club against Stoke in January also signalled the start of another love affair between The Kop and a star striker.
• Dirk Kuyt’s hat-trick against Manchester United in a comfortable 3-1 Anfield victory in March was the performance of 2011 by anyone in a red shirt.

Lowlights

• A limp European exit to a mediocre Braga side was unexpected given the rapid improvement under Dalglish.
• Having gone above Spurs in the race for qualification this season, a home defeat to Harry Redknapp’s side on the penultimate Premier League weekend was equally anti-climactic.
• This season, the cruciate injury to much improved midfielder Lucas, and continued toils of Andy Carroll, have caused most concern.

Hero : Suarez ( also a villain right now for his 8 match ban )

Villain : Fernando Torres (Yes! He is the Villain again )

Manchester City

Highlights

• Winning the FA cup .

• Qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history

• Thrashing Manchester Utd in their own den 6-1

Lowlights

• Crashing out of the Champions league despite winning the match against Bayern Munich

Hero : Joe Hart

Villain : Carlos Tevez

Manchester Utd

Highlights

• Winning the premier league title for the 19^th time .

• Beating Arsenal 8-2 at home to record the biggest win of the year

Lowlights

• Crashing out of the Champions league after an embarassing defeat at the hands of FC Basel

• Crashing out of the Carling cup , again , after an embarassing defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace

Hero : Chicharito

Villain : None .

Stats :

Manchester United are the current holders of the Barclays Premier League . They wrapped up the title in May. It happens to be their 12^th Premier League title and the 19^th League title over all. They are now the sole leaders in terms of number of titles. Liverpool come 2^nd with 18 and Arsenal 3^rd with 13.

Highest scorer in the Premier league in 2011 is Robin van Persie who has now scored 34 goals equaling Thierry Henry's record. He is now two short of Alan Shearers record of 36 goals in a calender year. 

The highest scoring game in 2011 was the 8-2 victory of Manchester Utd over Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Biggest home win in 2011 belongs to Manchester Utd with a goal difference of 6  when they beat Arsenal 8-2 in september.

Biggest away win belongs to Manchester City when they beat Manchester Utd 1-6 at Old Trafford .

Longest winning streak in 2011 belongs to Manchester City who won 7 games on the trot until they faced defeat at the hands of Chelsea earlier this month.

Longest losing streak belongs to Wigan Athletic who lost 8 continuous games in 2011. 

Highest Attendance in a single game belong to Manchester Utd . 75,627 people attended the match between the Red Devils and Wolves .

Most goals scored in a match by a losing team: 3 goals . Arsenal were involved in both the games.

•   Blackburn Rovers 4–3 Arsenal

•   Chelsea 3–5 Arsenal

Fastest goal of 2011: 26 seconds – Robin van Persie

The 20,000^th goal in the Premier League was scored by Albrighton of Aston Villa in the game against Arsenal at Villa Park . The match ended in a 2-1 victory to Arsenal.

Biggest transfer in 2011 was the purchase of Fernando Torres in January by Chelsea for $50m, who has also turned out to be the biggeest flop in 2011.

- Larsen Lamington

The Kings. Past and Present

The reasons Manchester City cannot buy success !

So has the best league in the world now come to the level that it can be bought ? Manchester City and Chelsea are prime examples of the statement. Last sunday Manchester City thrashed Manchester United by 6 goals to 1 in Old Trafford . Did Manchester City buy the victory ? Many believe thats the case . If you analyze the starting XI of City during sundays game only two players were playing for them since before 2008. Or to be precise before the reckless spending phase began . And the cost of the Manchester City team that beat their local rivals was nothing short of a whooping $185 m. City are without doubt the strongest team in the league right now. Chelsea , meanwhile , have spent 222 m in the last four years. But will all this spending help them in the longer run ? Lets find out.

For success in the long term prospect , a club needs to forge a really strong team . All the clubs which are backed by rich Sheikhs or oil oligarchs look to build a team full of superstars . Now the problem is that building a team full of global superstars come at a price . What happens to the players of the youth academy ? Few clubs have a good youth set up and Manchester city is without doubt one of them. The players they have produced in the last few years are Micah Richards , Stephen Ireland and Daniel Sturridge and Dedryck Boyata. While Richards has established himself and Sturridge left for more green pastures , Ireland and Boyata have struggled to make a name in the first team . The same thing happened at Chelsea . After some initial success they decided to put in more money and buy the best available. What happens when they keep on buying new players is that their youth set up becomes a mockery. None of those players are going to get a chance to shine on the top level . And with the rule of home grown players being a must in the squad , they finally decided to spend on the academy . While no notable names have come out of the academy so far , Chelsea need to step up their youth set up.

Secondly , these rich owners have limited knowledge of football and that came to light after Roman Abramovic fired Carlos Ancelotti who led Chelsea to a strong 2^nd after a very disappointing mid season. The rich man at Etihad stadium also fired Mark Hughes just because few results did not go their way. If a club needs success then first they need a strong management. Firing the manager just because of a few bad results will not work. This only puts more pressure on the manager. If that was the case then the world would not have seen the greatness of Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger. If the club needs to stay on top for a longer run , they need to stick to their manager and instill confidence in him no matter what the results are.

The financial restrictions coming into play from the coming season means clubs must break even on a rolling 3 year period or risk a possible ban from UEFA competitions. Now that would put an end to all the big money transfers from all clubs . So what happens when all mega stars get old and retire ? That will be the time clubs like Manchester City will face the problem . So in my opinion big clubs who just spend big and with the thought that money can buy success will not succeed in a long term . All across Europe , the top sides have/had a set of players associated with them . Xavi , Iniesta , Puyol and Messi at Barcelona , Zidane , Figo , Raul , Casilas at Real Madrid , Giggs , Scholes , Neville and Beckham at Manchester United , Henry , Pires , Vieira , Tony Adams at Arsenal , Del Piero at Juventus and the list goes on. But when is comes to Manchester City , no name will spring to the mind. Simply because they just keep shuffling around. They buy the best thats available to them. Thats the key ingridient they are missing. He needn't necessarily be a local guy from Manchester. He needs to be a player who embodies their style and be a leader who works harder and be appreciated for that. Now City may be leading the premier league. And who knows ? They might even win it. But will all this reckless spending and the enormous wages their players receive be an answer to their long term success ? In one simple word the answer is NO .

For many years , the noise that was coming from the City fans was that they were the real local football club of Manchester and that United were now a global brand. They said Manchester United has “sold out” by losing its soul. And now ultimately what City combine to create is a soulless and cultureless team playing for a lot of money. For all the years of the fans talk of being the real “local” club , they have now forgotten what they stood for and they look set to become the least authentic football club in the world.