Arsenalii

Arsenal Take On Underdog Lincoln In Emirates FA Cup: Follow The Match Build Up On These Twitter Hashtags

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 13:39:00 +0000

For some reason, today's Arsenal Emirates FA Cup quarter final against Lincoln City FC brings back memories of that 2011 Football League(Carling)Cup final against Birmingham. Maybe it's because we needed to win as badly as we do today. Maybe because, like that Wembley night, we've lately been shooting ourselves in the foot with perilous defending. Maybe it's because us gooners know the haters are watching waiting to have a dig at our beloved Arsenal once again.

Maybe it is because once gain Arsenal fans are divided over the state of the club and its future(specifically Wenger's future) and there is a real risk that toxicity at the Emirates today will jeopardize our chances of progressing further in the FA Cup: Our last hope of silverware this season.

As is the norm for us International fans, social media offers the best chance of getting close to the action. We scroll the internet in search of that other perspective on things, that backstage access and extra angle view that we desperately crave for but can't access.

#TheScoreKE

Kenyan Arsenal fans are familiar with Gooner Carol Radull and the boys on Kenya's top sports talk show on Kiss 100. For updates on football scores across the world and talk on just about anything relevant in sports today, it's a good first stop. ION these guys and girl should consider doing a podcast.

Is @Alexis_Sanchez really really passionate or really really spoilt? Need your thoughts guys. Use hashtag #TheScoreKE
— Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) March 11, 2017

#EmiratesFACup

The official hashtag for the Emirates FA Cup.

📸

The scene's set for the first of our #EmiratesFACup quarter-finals! pic.twitter.com/z1PFMcFhuQ
— The Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 11, 2017

#Arsene20 #StayClassy

This is definitely the key backdrop to this match. No doubt Arsene Wenger deserves respect. No doubt Arsenal fans have always pride in their club being classy. Follow the tag of online war as fans debate whether Wenger deserves such honor from the fans.

RT if You join singing #OneArseneWenger for our BOSS after minute of applause/appreciation on 20th min👏#StayClassy #Arsene20 @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/2cY351Jgx4
— Jan Szabała (@DzonAFC) March 11, 2017

#AFCvLCFC

Arsenal.com have chosen this one as it is the other official hashtag. Good for the build up but best for keeping up with the game minute by minute, blow by blow

MATCHDAY... win needed 🔴#AFCvLCFC pic.twitter.com/VoYbfKueVJ
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 11, 2017

#COYG

Come On You Gunners!

All focus on tomorrow 💪🏽 #COYG 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/SJzqPAl03S
— Alex Ox-Chamberlain (@Alex_OxChambo) March 10, 2017

#AFC

This is an evergreen hashtag for all things Arsenal all the time, anytime. The downside is that it's cross use with other football clubs with similar abbreviations to AFC

Let's try this again... my team for the game, we can't underestimate the FA Cup but certainly can't go full strength #AFC #COYG #AFCvLCFC pic.twitter.com/HqaN0AW79b
— Louis (@LucxsPxrez) March 11, 2017

Mission Impossible: What Arsenal Fans Want To See Tonight As Arsenal Tackle Bayern Munich In Champions League Knock Off Tie

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 16:16:00 +0000

With the #TR4PHY fading, all indications are that this could be the last night for Champions League football at the Emirates. Gooners are hoping that is also is the last night Arsene Wenger leads us into Europe in search of our traditional round of 16 exits. It seems eons now when we won the group stage unbeaten

Psychological

1. A result is needed. It doesn’t have to be a win but we need to compete. A loss wouldn’t do either for Arsenal.

Right now for Arsene Wenger, it is FA cup or bust.

We don’t want to face Lincoln City after another thrashing.

2. Alexis Sanchez has to be a pro no matter what. Frankly, he needs to grow up!

The Chilean is 28 years old. He needs to cut on his “excessive behavior” and channel all that into a big-landmark- performance. The biggest stars carry their team and in doing so pollinate their team mates with their star dust.

Leave or stay, by this yardstick alone, Sanchez has to be more of Diego Costa and Aguerro than Saido Berahino when caught up in a row with the manager/club.

3. Alex Iwobi. What to do?

Admittedly, the future of Nigerian football could have better been managed. It’s hard at his age to be relied upon to play catch up with the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich in such a toxic environment.

On one hand, with the pressure off today, Iwobi could put in another good shift like he did at Barcelona the season last at the same stage.

Benching him today could send the wrong signals to his young mind. Whilst letting him play in the face of another probable smacking could break whatever is left.

Who to Play, Formation, Tactics

1. Lucas Perez has to get his chance against the German giants.

Can Welbeck handle another start in three days after such a long injury layoff?

Alexis should get back into the starting lineup, like I said, there is a job to be done (operation regain our pride) and Alexis and Wenger need to get over themselves.

Walcott should start too for lack of better options. A fluid front three of Walcot-Alexis-Perez should be thrilling to watch.

I would go for an adventurous midfield three of Maitland-Niles (holding/destroyer), Chamberlain (Let the Ox do his best impression of a trequartista) and Xhaka do his best impression of Cazorla.

It’s times like this when I think of Debuchy and it saddens me: Bellerin hasn’t been close to anywhere near his best since the huge contract and injury layoff.

Meanwhile, Gibbs probably belongs where he’s at. Ospina’s chance to be undisputed No. 1 is here as we clearly bought Cech 2 years late.

2. Arsenal clearly can’t press as a group nor can we play the sit-in-suck-in-the-pressure-hit-them-on-the-break Leicester masterpiece as recently evidenced by failing to protect our lead at Manchester City.

Neither is Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal adept at patient build up, as evidenced by our failure at preserving the credible first half draw at Bayern.

In the recent past, whenever we have appeared at our best, we did what comes naturally to us with our current stock of players right: attacked veraciously (almost carelessly) at pace, decisiveness in transition and superb last gap defending thanks to the pace in our back line.

Translation: When we need to show no fear and just have a go. Let’s have fun. Let the team thrill the fans. Let us have that 5-4 score line in whoever favor. After all, this could be the last Champions League night at the Emirates in a looooooong time.

Beware Calciopoli 2006: In The Wake Of Sutton United Goalkeeper Wayne Shaw Pie Scandal,British Football Needs To Guard Its Neck From The Threat Of Illegal Gambling That Almost Killed Serie A

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 12:28:00 +0000

Wayne Shaw put a wager on not only his job, but also his reputation on Arsenal's visit to Gander Green Lane for Emirates FA Cup knockout round tie. He is 46, has battled weight and depression. There simply isn't room for upward movement as regards his career as a footballer. In any event, he been at the periphery of the action. Maybe life happened and he chose the pie eating stunt as his ode. Maybe he wasn't alone nor doing this for himself only, being the chum he is, he was taking one for the team. No doubt this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for everyone at the non-league side and one takes opportunities as they come. Or maybe, just maybe, Wayne acted under the suffocating press of gambling money in football.

Today's article was to be a public apology to a man who is not only bravely battling depression, but is admirably fighting mental disease stigma: Sutton FC reserve goalkeeper Mr. Wayne Shaw. In promoting this blog's last post on twitter and facebook, we made a point of shinning the light on abyss that the FA cup match between Arsenal and Sutton FC was.

The caught-on-camera pie eating incident involving Sutton goalkeeper Wayne Shaw played right into the make belief narrative that we the media had fortuitously (not)built. The sight of a heavy (far from football physique) Wayne Shaw chomping on a pie delivered the perfect narrative. Here were guys like you and me living it out on the biggest night of their lives. It is these kind of unbelievable nights that push you to push the kids to pop some grand kids just so you can: " Has mummy ever told you about 20th February of 2017 when granddad and his buddies gave the mighty Arsenal the fight of their lives?"

The Apology That Never Was

When some of us captioned images that told in 1000 words the tale of the pie eating goalkeeper, we were sold to the narrative, lost in our imaginations of what it felt to be a Sutton player that night. Then surfaced some murmurs about infringement of FA rules. Not willing to let go of the feel good, we readily swattered the inconvenient truth as one would do a feaces carrying fly. Party pooping we reckoned; I mean these guys are not pro footballers. I no nothing about FA rules. Certainly not more than is necessary to play a decent game alongside the banker and baker against the plumber and lumber from across the valley on Sunday.

We wanted to apologize and stand with the everyday Joes that Sutton FC represented. In there somewhere, we had come to learn that goalkeeper Wayne Shaw has been battling depression and that the Sutton FC gig did wonders for his fight against mental illness. We wanted to apologize for hanging to dry a guy who clearly deserved a break. His day in the sun. Then like a rude dream, there it was.

View the story "More To Former Sutton Goalkeeper, Wayne Shaw,Pie Rent Seeking Stunt: Gambling Money's Real Threat To Football Integrity" on Storify

Betting Money and Football

There is Swahili proverb: Hayawi hayawi huwa. It translates to: It's not happening, it's not happening ..happens. No need burying your head in the sand as that which is doubted eventually comes to pass. This is how a Ugandan fellow ( non-native Swahili speaker no less) chose to end the conversation. I don't remember how we had spoken, but a couple of Guinness each had ensured this talk between strangers kept on flowing.

It was at the end of that gutless Stamford Bridge loss to Chelsea when for the umpteenth time, Arsenal's attention turned to the last remaining excitable moments of another underwhelming season: St. Torringhams day and the 4th place trophy battle. What started off as the ever so therapeutic Arsenal Tv -esque postmortem of a torrid Arsenal performance morphed into a deep convo on the effect of money- more so gambling/betting money- on the beautiful game.

In the context of the manner of the Chelsea defeat, in heat of the moment, I found him probably more wounded then I was given his incredible arguments that drew comparisons between pre-2006 Serie A and today's British game. This Ugandan gooner (now friend) of mine went as far as suggesting that the litany of Premier League bad refereeing decisions that were on the rise; the sometimes suspect FA decisions with game scheduling, player and manager punishments; amounted to implicit evidence that the British game was under siege from money. Gambling money.

View the story "The Anatomy Of Calciopoli, Italian Football 2006 Scandal: British Football, Sit Up and Take Note" on Storify

Martin Luther King, Jr The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at time of challenge and controversy. The Sutton FC- Arsenal FA cup match presented such a moment for the Football Association. Being the meeting of unlikely partners, it was inconvenient. The allegations of a betting/gambling scandal make it uncomfortable. Nassim Bentaleb in his bestseller Antifragile notes that it's such moments that determine if a system will thrive or perish. With the pie eating stunt it remains to be seen if cracks are beginning to show for the British game.

4 Quick Lessons: Granit Xhaka, Theo Walcott, Craig Eastmond's Sad parable and Other Insights as Arsenal Rolls Over Sutton FC Into Emirates FA Cup Quarter Finals

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 22:22:00 +0000

Arsenal’s visit to Sutton FC for the FA cup fifth round tie had been billed as another opportunity to showcase the magic of the world oldest cup competition with an upset on the cards as the gunners were expected to still be wobbling under post Bayern Munich stress syndrome. In the end, Arsenal’s comfortable 2-0 win was reminiscent of those evenings at the rugby ground of my public high school facing the more illustrious across private school from across the road that always beat us: Enough to be proud of the lads on the pitch, sickening for dreams deferred, not exactly an embarrassment but good outing nonetheless.

In the end, Arsenal were facing a non-league side whose overweight reserve keeper whiled away the dying game by munching on a pie in the substitutes bench. It was the first time Arsene Wenger was in the dugout of a non-league side in his 20 year Arsenal career. Arsenal millionaires got to see how other football mortals live. The young lads got a reminder of how fast it go bust. Sutton earned their keep including a man of the match ward for Roarie Deacon and good nature old fashioned pitch invasion for Sutton FC fans. This and other observations:

Granit Xhaka

Granit got a needless booking which shouldn’t help with his reputation. You have to start wondering the effect of all these bookings on his psyche. Will they make him cower or will he, like a philosopher king, use the stones thrown at him to build a majestic castle –the crown jewel of a thriving expanding empire?

Xhaka showcased his Xabi Alonso- esque range of passing which in all fairness is such a peat but I still find that he doesn’t do a good enough job linking –picking balls from the defense- or even retaining possession through recycling of the ball. He’s one who we should be excited to watch blossom; though in all fairness Granit appears the kind of player who would flourish under a more tactful manager. Right now it seems Wenger can’t find (or manage to keep fit) an erstwhile midfield partner for Xhaka.

Craig Eastmond

There is a hilarious twitter handle @finishedplayers that chronicles the paths of former football professionals following their fall from grace. It reads like a well done parody account-it can be cruel. Former Arsene protégée Craig Eastmond fits the bill of the kind of player to be profiled there. Eastmond must have had something like 10 appearances for the Arsenal first team. Today, here he was turning out for a side 100 plus places below fourth placed gunners 10 points behind champions elect Chelsea.

A lot can be made of Craig Eastmonds case (such as the sad tale of many youngsters who fail at making it as professional footballers -wonder what his other job is given that Sutton FC are a team of part-timers). But what stands out is Wenger’s reputation as a molder of young football talent. Worse, Eastmond’s story is a perfect microcosm of the sorry state of Arsenal FC those early days at the Emirates.

To think that we believed that we could compete then was fabulously misguided ambition from us gooners. For what it is worth, Eastmond’s case offers rare insight to the ability (or inability) of Arsene Wenger given that he represents a sample of the caliber of players he had to work with. (Depending on where you stand with the narrative of the Emirates move curtailed the clubs spending.)

Considering all this, maybe after all the talk that Wenger should go, Arsene does warrant an extension just so he can have a good go and building the second Invincibles project. Does Arsenal owe him at least that?

A tale of two clubs

Paul Doswell, Sutton FC manger and sponsor (Yes! You read that right- to the tune of $40,000 a year), is a self made millionaire whose second job is running a 100 million pound construction company. You have to admire the work ethic here and the romance of it all. Heck! More stories of this kind need to be told just to counter the Silicon Valley narrative that has got millennials all confused over what entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility is.

In another life, of all the mangers to have managed in football top tiers the last few decades, you can see Wenger as the only one with the skills to emulate Paul Doswell. Wenger has always painted himself as one with the money sense setting him apart from the rest. Arsene Wenger built the 600 million pound Emirates and was still able to compete. Paul Doswell gave Sutton the pristine artificial turf that now hosts Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup. What if?

Theo Walcott the Centurion

100 goals in 380 games give Theo a 1 goal in 3.8 games ratio. You kind of get the criticism leveled against the lad. Bang average returns for a striker, but good enough for a winger. The English lad still has time to better that though.

Winded Arsene Wenger, Angry Fans and Indifferent Superstars: A perfect Recipe For Hull City Tigers To Gore Arsenal In Saturday's Early EPL Kick Off

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 23:46:00 +0000

This time, Arsenal fans concede that the implosion hit us below the belt.Wenger let us down (we are used to that) but he wasn’t alone and that is hard to take. This seasons’s habit of key players failing to turn up in crucial matches such as at home against Watford and then away to Chelsea did it for the fans.

Football can be sad: true. Arsenal can drain you: truest. Our beloved London club can go beyond sad- if there is such a thing. Arsenal fans have always had it within themselves to overcome implosion after implosion and look forward to the new season optimistic that the lessons had been learned.

Don’t be fooled by the vitriol in the blogs or the mike dropping on Arsenal Fan TV; all of us gooners had hoped for one last hurray with Arsene Wenger the creator of The Invincibles. I repeat, ALL Arsenal fans, but it went down so bad. Legend Ian wright doing his pundit thing says he saw a defeated (winded) man in Wenger this past week having spent some time with the boss at a corporate event. It’s bad.

Forgive the tone in today’s post. Excuse the empathetic voice. Will you? I am exhausted at being angry; beyond the hopeful skepticism of denial and through with the self-pity of bargaining. This post is a taxi into the Zen of acceptance.

I am accepting that we’ve had our thrills with Wenger. We’ve enjoyed improbable wins over the mighty Inter Milan and Real Madrid. We’ve created lasting memories with Nwonkwo Kanu at Chelsea; Sylvian Wiltord at Old Trafford and Andrei Arshavin over Barcelona. I accept that things have changed now. As Arsenal legend Ian Wright offers, acceptance leaves one winded.

I accept that Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie is Arsenal’s and Arsene Wenger’s 21^st century answers to Vierra, Bould, and Dennis the Dutchman and Thierry et.al. (Yes, The Invincibles were there in 2004 i.e. past Y2K Armageddon, but you get the drift!). I accept that just like Caesar, Wenger collects his dues with the disastrous Kim Kallstrom, Park and other sad cases signings.

Likewise you can’t fault the Frenchman for the sad tales of Eduardo, Diaby or Rosicky. We also have to let Alexis, Wilshere, Ozil and Cech carry their crosses. I accept that thanks to the aforementioned we brought knives to a gun fight and the second Invincibles project has come to a cropper.

I also accept that be it Juventus Max Allegri, Borrusia Dortmund’s Tuchel, Bayer Leverkusen’s Rodger Schmidt, Monaco’s Leonardo Jardim, Red Bull Leipzig’s Ralph Hasenhuttl or Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone; whoever takes over Wenger will be given a boost by the Frenchman’s frugality as they will have the tools to make it right thanks to Arsenal’s fat bank balance.

In the mean, I accept that I am an Arsenal fan in every regard and await Arsene Wenger to finally deliver the Champions League on his way out.

Arsenal Bottle It Up Again Against Watford: Fans Blame It On Wenger

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 22:18:00 +0000

In our earlier post, we cautioned against Arsenal being caught in two minds by looking ahead at the challenge in the shape of Chelsea away at Stamford bridge and failing to devout necessary resources at Watford who lay before them. In what has now become a habit, a shambolic first half display at the Emirates left Arsenal trailing by two goals from as early as the 15th minute.

Arsenal fans on twitter blamed the poor start on Ramsey who hobbled of midway through the half with another muscular injury. His replacement, Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain took a while to settle in and Arsenal's worst half ever at the Emirates persisted. At this point, Arsenal fans on twitter lamented not knowing that they would be playing Bayern Munich today.

Piers Morgan wanted to die. So embarrassing a half it was. No one was spared. Even the usual empathy for Alexis whose toiling and 'carrying the team on his shoulder' routine spares him from criticism when Arsenal is misfiring, was absent.

So why did Arsenal lose at home to Watford, in a game they could ill afford to lose given that Chelsea ended up drawing with Liverpool, thus presenting a chance to reel them in the title race?

4 reasons why Arsenal lost To Watford

1. Slow start that today came to bite us. I read somewhere that this season, Arsenal has employed the services of the All Blacks psychologist. You have then to wonder why the habitual slow starts this season. Could it be physical? That our pregame routine is not ideal. Or is it tactical? That the team is not adequately debreifed thus being caught unawares by the opposing teams tactics

2. Bad team selection: Surely can Wenger explain why a proper right back in Bellerin is sacrificed for a square peg in a round hole in the name of Gabriel? What does Perez have to do to warrant a start? Is Ramsey Le' boss love child? Why have Maitland in the squad if you are not going to play him? The young lad now faces the prospect of being thrown into the deep end against Chelsea

3. Bad tactics: with a squad depleted in midfield, could a change in formation to match our present resources? I for once would have loved to see a back three

4. Donald Trump

The trip to Stamford bridge is now a nightmare. Chelsea re now nine points clear. In all we have lost ground in the title race, against a team we shouldn't and at a venue we should be ashamed of. We bottled it up. Shame!

Arsenal Youngsters Head Out On Loan On Transfer Deadline Day

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 19:20:00 +0000

Arsene Wenger has been praised for his giving a chance to young footballers to prove their worth. Of late, there seems to be change in tact as the club increasingly allows youngsters on its books to go out on loan for a chance at regular football. It could be a case of Arsenal following the footsteps of Chelsea who it can be argued own half of the young talent in Europe having loaned them out to leagues across the breadth of European football.
Maybe it's simply a case of learning from past mistakes where young players: Read Denilson, Diaby,Szczęsny, who were forced to develop under the glare of TV cameras.
The fear of cause remains that quite often, being sent on loan means the end of the Arsenal career for that particular youngster: Read Mike Randall, Benik Afobe etc. We surely hope that for this bunch of Arsenal youngsters, the tale will be different assuming the dimension of the Coquelin caliber. Here are the latest out movements

Starting With Watford at The Emirates, Arsene Wenger Needs To Show His Hand

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:48:00 +0000

There is that periods during the season when something inside snaps and you immediately know that in spite of all the work done prior; Arsenal will come up empty again. Once more, the season is dead and the annual chase for Champions league qualification is all that remains.

Last season, it was that FA cup quarter final at the Emirates where Watford knocked us out without a whimper. We were on course for a consecutive FA cup but had one eye on the Wednesday trip to Camp Nou for the second leg of round of 16 tie. Just like now, we were eight points behind the league leaders (Leicester).

With Watford tonight at the Emirates, like any other mid-table team, you just don’t know what to expect. What we know is that we cannot afford to let it slip once again thanks to poor schedule management.

Last season, many argued that Watford knocked us out of the FA cup as we were too focused on a winless Champions League tie. Arsenal trailed Barcelona by two away goals thus needing three goals without reply to progress. Heck, in any event even a win would only have served to derail our feeble title challenge as there was little chance we would pip Bayern, Juventus or the Madrid teams to the European title.

Today, that same danger persists. Arsenal's next ten fixtures include games against Chelsea, Bayern, Leicester and Liverpool. These are crucial times for the team, but we can’t obsess over tomorrow with today not given. A win tonight against Watford will surely relieve the pressure on the weekend tie against Chelsea as it could be the difference between playing for fourth place or reigning in runaway league leaders Chelsea.

In this presser, Wenger acknowledged an embarrassment of riches in attack hinting at rotation in the coming games. With a full defense too, ingenuity in tactical formation could help cover for the obvious gap in midfield. With Gabriel, Mustafi and Koscienly it could be time to try the in vogue 3-5-2 in preparation for Chelsea as matching the formation seems to be the norm when facing Chelsea.

Whether the boss elects to go with Giroud/ Alexis/ Perez up top or persist with the Chamberlain in the middle experiment, by his own admission, Wenger acknowledges that he has the squad to succeed. He could be serving the second game of his touchline ban, but from where we sit, we couldn’t agree more about this Arsenal squad's potential. What remains then is prudent game and schedule management. In other words, it is up to the manger to deliver the goods in the coming days. Excited to see the team sheet later on tonight

#COYG

Champions League Round Of 16, Bayern Munich vs Arsenal : Stop With The Trolling

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 09:27:00 +0000

Even the RB Leipzig challenge for the Budensliga, has failed to excite the Allianz arena fraternity. Blame it on the winter break or Bayern Munich's swat of RB Leipzig just before the break. All that is

clear is that Bayern Munich can't hold themselves with the imminent coming to town of Arsenal for the round of 16, 2016/17 Champions league tie.

On the contrary, the Emirates has been rather quiet with the only notable quote being Arsene Wenger's call for Arsenal to change history by beating Bayern come February of 2017.

Is it a case of taking a game at a time in mounting a challenge to Chelsea who threaten to run away with the English Premier League? Or is that Arsenal are scared sh**less

The build up to this tantalizing Champions League tie is on the simmer around the web. Bayern players seem to have adopted the " we respect our opponent blah *#! blah.... but we will still beat them senseless" routine. The evergreen transfer blogs are busy mashing up a combined Bayern- Arsenal team (Watch out for the lame Alexis- Vidal link). For the fans, the tolling has begun

No Boss. No Problem. Steve Bould's Red Army Blows Southampton Away Into FA Cup 5th Round

noreply@blogger.com (lt) — Sun, 29 Jan 2017 09:44:00 +0000

If memory serves me right, the last time Wenger was banished to the stands, we were deep into a mauling at old Trafford. Right there in enemy territory, Arsene stood arms stretched in a crucifix pose. For all his failings, you've got to give it to Arsene for leading from the front when it matters. Even when Arsenal are under siege (another incident that comes to mind is the Jose Mourinho altercation the season before at Stamford bridge) the boss doesn't back down.

During those moments as a fan watching on, you hope that by Arsene's action the team will get a lift and fight for their pride. Depressingly, in both circumstances any attempt at a fightback was nothing more than the twitch of a dead horse. At Old Trafford, it served to confirm that Arsenal's project youth had run it's course. That you can only do so much with inexperienced lot of Szczesny, Jenkinson and Djourou.

Arsenal's Old Trafford mauling was followed by the mad transfer deadline day trolley dash that brought in Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun. Those unusual signings have build up to this Arsenal team that this term has shown resolve. It has been a long time coming and there have been days like this Mirror headline Wenger's push on Mourinho was packed with years of frustration, anger, dislike and powerlessness.

Now we have a team that going by yesterday's exhibition is ready to challenge. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is 23 now, Theo Walcott is 27. They are six years wiser from that Old Trafford debacle. Shkodran Mustafi intimated that against Burnley, having conceded very late on at danger of falling 11 points behind, 10 men down, with the boss also sent off ; the lads used that as inspiration to rally.

In many ways, Arsenal's team yesterday against Southampton yesterday was reminiscent of that one at Old Trafford: inexperience with the likes of Jeff Reine-Adélaïde, Maitland-Niles and Rob Holding; with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain players in unfamiliar roles. Southampton might be united, but you only need to look at how it turned out for Tottenham, even worse for Liverpool when they put their squad to the test.

Besides, Southampton were overran in midfield despite having two regular starters in those positions. It remains ambitious for Arsenal to head into this critical period with Maitland-Niles and Chamberlain as midfield backup for Ramsey and Coquelin. In the bigger scheme of things, progression in the FA cup adds extra games that disadvantages us against Tottenham & Chelsea in what I believe will be a three horse race for the title.

In another lens, Arsenal's emphatic win yesterday might also mean that everyone is tuned in for the business end of the season. The win does conjure some imagination with thought of a Perez- Alexis-Welbeck attack at Chelsea a tantalizing prospect. Besides, February always marks the beginning of rich vein of form for Arsenal.

In other news, a look across Europe reveals that Alexis is up there with the best in terms of goals scored and assists. It is often said that for a team to challenge for honors, there has to be that guy with gravitas to pull the team over the line. With signs of the end of the Messi-Ronaldo hegemony,the onus is on the likes of Costa, Alexis, Lewandowski to be the main men before the Pogba-Greizman generation takes over.

Expect the Chilean to push himself even further as having led his country, all that remains is club glory: immortality is in sight. Know who else was a complete boss yesterday? Social media reacted to Arsenal's win with puns on Steve Bould's debut as manger. I guess it bodes well for the future when Wenger hangs remains permanently in the stands as a spectator.I have always thought that Steve deserves a shout when Wenger retires. He knows the club, is a legend and looks way cooler than Ryan Giggs in a suit. He could just be our Zinedine Zidane.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"So you trying to take my job now fam?" <a href="https://t.co/bhXW71W2Je">pic.twitter.com/bhXW71W2Je</a></p>— Mike Sanz (@mikesanz19) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikesanz19/status/825421598085754880">January 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Legend <a href="https://t.co/dRe4HBQUgK">pic.twitter.com/dRe4HBQUgK</a></p>— Arsenal Pics (@Arsepics) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arsepics/status/825576695440797697">January 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

#Arsenal welcome a #Stoke city (with makeup) to the Emirates… for dinner?

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Sat, 12 Sep 2015 07:05:00 +0000

With no wins this season, and in the setting of a torrid record at the emirates, Stoke city’s goose ought be cooked. But Arsenal is in the midst of a now infamous inability to score. Worse for the gunners, this dysfunction plays out right in front of their fans: in their own bed, at home.

This is the kind of situation that can spiral its own way. Here comes a Stoke all made up thanks to the Affelays, Shaqiris and Bojans of this world, desperate to right an unflattering record and eager to show off their new b**b and nose jobs.

For a weekend that features Mayweather-Berto, Mancherster United-Liverpool, Inter-Ac Milan et.al #AFCvSCFC has the potential to pull a Roberta Vinci- Serena Williams upset. Here is why

Giroud

The boo boys over at Bordeux may have inadvertently handed the Arsenal striker a start this weekend. The international break was punctured by anger over Arsene Wenger’s ‘lie’ on the seriousness of Danny Welbeck’s injury, coupled by failure in transfers and sporadic calls for Alexis Sanchez to take over as the main man in Arsenal attack.

All that was swept under the rag when Oliver got the boos. Gooners at home with statistics point out that Giroud’s among the elite with a one to every two games goal ratio. Most of us realize that we are stuck with Oliver and we just have to rally behind him. Arsene Wenger knows that it would be homicide to drop him today.

The Giroud situation for me is a bit of a chicken-egg quagmire. Does the Frenchman start or not? Whenever he has come off the bench, Giroud has looked good the team even better moving forward. Is it a case of absence making the heart grows fonder? In that, when he comes on, he reminds us of how good he really is. How integral he is to give our attack a semblance of swashbuckling?

Alexis-Ozil-Walcott-The Ox

Has Alexis starting on the left and cutting in become a bit too predictable? Is the key in finding how the ‘free roles’ handed to both Mesut and Alexis can be balanced? How can this be made more harmonious so that the shine of our two jewels illuminate? Should Wenger cut the crap and put Walcott in his place? I mean look at how happy a more gifted player, Neymar, is working the flanks.

Finally, how can we deny the fans the enthralling sheer forcefulness and power of Oxlaide-Chamberlain? Maybe in some games (like this one) we could make up for the defensive frailties of this quartet all starting by fast cover at the back in the form of Kos-Gabriel partnership flanked by more solidity in Monreal and Debuchy.

Whatever Wenger puts out today, let’s get behind the lads making the Emirates a fortress is 90 percent fans. At home, the team should ideally just come out and enjoy themselves #COYG

Wenger Not So Stingy After-all, Arsene Overpaid Chelsea 11.4 Million Euros For Petr Cech

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 21:40:00 +0000

"Welcome back" by Mase would do for this occasion.

I looked at the last date that we posted here and it was simply embarrassing. As embarrassing as this summer's transfer season ala the unending Benzema fiasco. As embarrassed as Arsene Wenger should be over that '3 month' Welbeck lay off, so much so that he couldn't do it himself, Hodgson had to. Other than that, Arsenal news review is pretty much a desperate affair consisting of hype over Theo Walcott for scoring two past part time footballers to finding out how long Ozil lasted in Germany's win over Scotland tonight.

It is in these Arsenal news drought times that guys like those crunching the numbers over at CIES Football Observatory make the headlines. In their weekly post, the nerds hang it all to dry painting a football version of some suburban neighborhood desperate housewives out on a shopping spree. According to their estimates, this summer's window was 23% inflated compared to 2009-2014.

We paid 11.4 million Euros over for Cech (Estimated value of 3.6 million vs reported fee of 15 million). No surprise really for Manchester United's Antony Martial fee where Monaco skimmed a free 27.9 million of the 50 million fee but they recovered part of that (15.3 million) from PSG for Di Maria. Liverpool lost 32.1 million Euros on Raheem Sterling as CIES reckons that the nine goal? winger is worth at least 95 million pounds. Tiny totts actually made a 7 million Euro super profit on Roberto Soldado! Shock.

At the very least this report by CIES lends credence to Arsene Wenger's assertion that there was too much money chasing after too few players.

North London Derby Preview: Lets Claim That Fourth Place Trophy and March On

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 11:13:00 +0000

Happy Sunday everyone.Happy birthday Theo Walcott! Down at the Equator, we are a happy bunch. The rains are here and we break back on the farm. Dependence on rain fed agriculture is a definite no no this day in the 21st century,but we do our best for bountiful harvests. In the premier league, the harvest season is fast approaching and today could be the day Arsenal claims its first trophy

NLD day it is. On a larger scale, it is show-me what-you-got-to-be-champions day. Liverpool face the Manchester United of Moyes David (David? What on irony at the moment. Hopefully, the Liverpool that turns up today is Goliath and not Uriah’s wife) in the curtain raiser event this super Sunday. What a match day it was yesterday. What a title race this is turning out to be.

The Swahili people say Hayawi hayawi huwa. The improbable comes to pass; though you cannot say that of Mou-reen’s tantrum yesterday day. Probably thanks to his success, we tend to smoother Mourinho’s uncouthness as some variant of genius flowering it with terms like ‘mind games’, ‘psychological edge’ et.al. Let’s face it people, the man is a c*nt.

Chelsea’s debacle though utterly a joy to watch, piles up the pressure on the lads tonight. Not only do dropped points and game in hand bode well in Arsenal’s title chase, the spanner of Chelsea missing their two best midfielders, Ramires and Willian, through suspension means that if we beat Tottensh*t today, there is every chance of at least 6 points from the trio of hell games that end with Manchester City at home.

We could as well dream of a perfect nine which surely will build the confidence and momentum needed at this time. Manchester City though presents a different prospect given that they now have only the league to go for from a possible quadruple a fortnight thereabouts ago. Their win against an unimaginative Hull was to paraphrase the commentator, “the type to build a title campaign on.”

A comfortable win having played with 10 men for 80 minutes, David Silva back to his best, six points behind the leaders and with three games in hand, it is City’s title to lose. For Arsenal, it seems rather odd timing for baby the steps approach: Today’s North London Derby should be about securing a top four finish, the Chelsea game should be about vying for second or third while for Manchester City, the aim should be at least stalling the Citizens run away with the title then we can dream.

What this means is that irrespective of what goes down with the Liverpool- Manchester united match where a Liverpool loss and an Arsenal win could see us go second, the objective today ought to be the infamous fourth place trophy. No undue pressure on the lads today, if Liverpool win, that shouldn’t cloud our win with title permutations.

More than ever, we should do the Wenger and focus on ourselves. This is the time for a press moratorium on the players if possible. Apart from whoever Wenger chooses to accompany him on the press conferences, the happenings there should remain in that room. Wenger should also play his part and be at his charming philosophical best. It is a time to divert pressure, not build it up. I find this important and underline it as the reason why a usually vocal Mourinho chose to play bubu game with the press yester night.

I believe that it wasn’t about the assumed repercussions of a full monty tantrum, but rather a decision made in cognizance of the storm that pundits, bloggers and columnists would brew from Morinho’s words. You and I know what could have been had this been the 9^th, 15^th or even 21^{st game} of the season.

For the fourth place trophy, I’d like it for Cazorla to assume the number 10 duties in the absence of Mesut Ozil. Rosicky should start too and share the creative duties with the Spaniard. Little Mozart seems to enjoy the games against Tottensh*t having scored against them in each of his last couple games or so.

It being an away game, and given the spirited display by Flamini in his debut against Tottenham at the Emirates, the double pivot of Flamini-Arteta should form the base in midfield. Given his form, I suppose Oxlaide Chamberlain is currently the first name on the Arsenal team sheet. This means the excellent Podolski could miss out again as Wenger may choose Rosicky’s ball retention skills over the German’s raw threat.

Giroud should get a chance to correct his poor return against the League’s top sides while a fit Monreal or Gibbs should replace captain Vermaelen who did so well against Bayern. Szscensy should return to goal given that he is the designated Premier League keeper. The rest of the team picks itself. We are therefore likely to see

Sagna-BFG-Koscienly-Gibbs-Flamini-Arteta- Rosiky <-> Cazorla-Alex Chamberlain-Giroud

SUBS: Monreal, Vermaelen, Fabianski, Sanogo, Kim Kallstrom, Podolski, Jenkinson? (Or some other kid like Zalalem)

p.s This weekend, Syria marks three years of conflict, hundreds of thousands have been killed, millions displaced and many more traumatized and robbed of life from womb to tomb. #PrayForSyria

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time, God Bless!

A Night In Munich

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 13:29:00 +0000

A lady friend recently elucidated her concerns about dating a bloke whose work involves plenty of travel. This was a conversation that occurred before the disappearance of the 310 ton Boeing 777-200, Malaysia Airline flight MH 370; one of the bizarre happenings this 21^st century. It is in order to tuma rambirambi; pass our condolences and offer our prayers that any semblance of closure is arrived at. Pole sana; an empathetic sorry to the families and friends of the victims.

My lady friend, an Arsenal fan for the record, explained the reason for her unease was the instinctive drive by the Y- genome to mark territory whenever on its travels. Territory marking as exhibited in nature ranges from the simple leak on the fence by your mongrel somewhere along your evening walk, to the human male itch to deposit seed in a warm, wet, well innervated receptacle. Some of my friends call this sampling the local menu.

I am sure for a host of you, alongside the legendary tales of German beer, the possibility of exploring new lands ranks high on the osmotic pull towards Munich tonight. We envy you, us who cannot travel. What, however, makes us all equal is the hope-laced, nerves-tainted excitement; complete with a late kick of the aroma of finality.

It could be a case of a leak on the fence, or like an absentee father, arsenal could exit Munich and leave The Allianz arena crowd pregnant with sadness and bewildered at the cruelty of football. The fantastic @Optajoe quoting @1Davidwall reveals that Bayern have failed to score (only) once in their last 100 games , (the deviation from norm being ) against Arsenal in the last Champions League campaign; lending umpteenth credence to the at least-we-showed-up, at least-we-tried scenario.

The cathedral. Image: stvstreams.com

The optimistic cite Wigan’s double triumph, over a similar period, against Manchester City as proof that football is a master unto itself and at its own discretion, lords over all, including that which has been widely labeled as the unlikely. To that, a humble prayer: May the Liverpool gods of Istanbul descend upon us, may the spirit of Inter Milan away swoon into the away dressing room, Amen.

What to do then for Arsene Wenger? I expect to see some surprises on tonight’s starting line-up. I believe Wenger will dig into the stats and chose energy over any other parameter. His pre-match press conference comments about the referee to me served to prime the way for a high intensity pressing game rather than just an old man crying wolf wolf.

Bayern with all their possession play appear to be less comfortable in asphyxiating circumstances as indicated by our dominating first 10 minutes at the Emirates in the reverse fixture. Going back a season or so, Dortmund’s brief reign over Bayern and the entire Budensliga was premised on an approach.

Delving deeper into the semantics of our possible tactical approach, it would be interesting to see if Wenger goes with Arteta in a double pivot with Flamini, tasking the Spaniard (and Ozil) to do a job on the deep lying playmaker (Lahm, Thiago or Shweinsteiger) forcing errors in the he products of his distribution play .

The downside is the conservatism in such a midfield pairing arising from Flamini’s limited range of passing and Arteta’s lack of box to box credentials. With Bayern’s midfield dominance, it COULD be suicidal to leave the defensive duties to Arteta alone while having Flamini alone would curtail our ball retention abilities.

However, either’s deficits could be compensated by whoever pairs each. Rosicky provides the tactical nous to act as the orchestrator of the side, alongside his credible box-to-box abilities. The other option, The Ox provides the energy, skill and directness to make him a hit as a central player, although his defensive awareness may prove to be drag.

Given the musings above, I would go for an Arteta-Oxlaide Chamberlain pairing in midfield. The obvious miss in such a set-up will be lack width in our attack that proved so effective the last time out with Bayern. Rosicky would then deputies on the right flank while Sagna would have to be his Everton best to patrol the right wing up and down.

The question therefore is who plays at left back with Monreal and Gibbs out? Vermaelen is the easy choice though his performances for arsenal at left back have not been a master-piece.Conversely, I feel Wenger will consider it too much a risk to have an inexperienced Jenkinson at right back and Sagna in an unfamiliar role at left back.

Flamini as an option at left back remains my favored choice as with him, we have his voice to organize the defense plus it would allow us to start Podolski ahead of him thus doubling our goal threat. However a Flamini unlikely to overlap will obviously curtail our left attack play, but might just give us the stability needed there given that Bayern sought to exploit that flank in the first leg.

Wenger,if feeling sufficiently adventurous, might go for a pseudo back three of BFG, Koscienly and Vermaelen with Sagna slightly in an advanced position though this might expose us to Bayern's excellent wing play with Robben and Ribbery.

Finally, it might be time Arsenal to open the closet and exploit our English roots. Sagna and Podolski ought to whip those balls into the box for Giroud. While we should make the best of set-pieces as the Germans appear to be uncomfortable dealing with these. The guile of (a) Santi Cazorla and the pace of Serge Gnabry offer credible options from the bench.

Is Munich mission impossible? Do you believe in Miracles? I do. Enjoy your night in Munich you all Arsenalii Damu. Have one and then another one on me #COYG

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time, God Bless!

After Everton, What Next? Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup Permuations

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Sun, 09 Mar 2014 13:37:00 +0000

Wow! Tra-lala tra-lala. A great Sunday it is. We dispatched Everton and are now one game away from, at the very least, a runners up medal. If the Premier League is Chelsea’s to lose, the FA cup is ours. It has felt that way at least. The luck of consecutive home draws against top sides, coupled with the relative ease at which we surmounted these hurdles, at the bare minimum reveals that the Arsenal fraternity fancies this cup.

Enjoy the Sunday, you know what's coming in the horizon

Thinking about it, there has been no trace of trepidation at any point in the knockout stages. The swag is back; hell we even saw an invincible-esque counter attack goal yesterday! The walk of Champions I must add. The beauty of this win against Everton was that for the first time in a long time, we appeared to have so many gears that we could still engage, and yet never really needed to.

Come the FA cup this season ,It is like we leave it all behind: the desertion of luck in the Champions League that has seen to it that we land unfavorable round of 16 draws in the past couple years, and the dogged inconsistency that stalks us in the Premier League.

Whoever the opponent, the Arsenal players put on their game face on, consciously aware that we are the joint most successful team in Europe’s oldest cup competition. However, it is universally felt that the silver than lines the dark Arsenal cloud over the past 8 years, should be of the EPL variety.

These are understandable wishes, given the fall from grace of this competition, though on a personal level, I wouldn’t mind Arsenal picking it up from where they left it with the FA cup. For the league, I embrace the spirit of the Luganda saying that translates to “whoever chases after the free range chicken is rewarded upon slaughter even if it is by the token of a pair of chicken legs.”Meaning, I would gladly take 2^nd or even 3^rd spot.

Not to mistake me, I’d hate it for Chelsea to be EPL 2013-14 champions, of the two evils I’d rather Manchester City lift their second EPL title. Going by the Tottensh*t debacle yester night, it seems that any chance of upsetting Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool in the title race more than ever lies in the match-ups among us.

What an orgy fest!

Keeping that in mind and the holy grail of momentum in football, it then becomes apparent that we ought to make the most of our trip to Bayern. A one nil win resulting in an aggregate Arsenal loss, looks like the obvious choice for any Arsenalii Damu. We get that morale boost, while we save the legs for the EPL run in. However, you just have to consider how the Champions League scene will be upset IF the odds on favorites and reigning champions get knocked out at this stage: All of a sudden It becomes anyone’s cup as there would be no clear favorites!

Besides, it appears that Arsenal are a tournament team. We might have a chance if we are in the mix at this stage when the Champions League traditionally abandons its league format roots and metamorphoses into a KO competition proper. Furthermore, it could turn interesting here as the arena of the EPL orgy shifts to European stage. Why do I say so?

Whatever Mancini and Drogba wish for, Chelsea have it in them to finish off Galatasary; and I still maintain that Manchester City will knock out Barcelona (My observations were that Barcelona were lucky to get that win at the Etihad; even at 10 against 11, City still looked like getting a result. Moreover, the Catalans appear uncharacteristically beatable as evidenced by recent league results.) If all these Ifs be, with all the Premier League contenders distracted, Liverpool might just pita kati kati ya hao, sneak in that elusive 20^th Championship! What a feat that would be!

Like Arsene said yesterday, “We fight all season to be in positions like this.” If Mesut Ozil and Giroud keep it at that level and allow their partnership that seems to have been re-born at the adversity corner of Arsenal football club to blossom; If Alex Chamberlain, The Ox, maintains on his journey towards the form that we saw in pre-season; if Kim Kallstrom is even as half descent as we think him be; if Ramsey’s comeback rides along smoothly; if BFG and Koscienly continue to hold fort; and if Wenger makes it a habit of ensuring good use of the Arsenal squad as he did yesterday, maybe.

Just maybe, these permutations might spring a wonderful surprise at the season’s end. #COYG.

p.s I bountiful plentiful week. I am reliably informed that the internet celebrates 25 years this coming week. What a ride this has been Miss Internet.

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time, God Bless!

Is Arsene Wenger Really That Tactically Naive?

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 10:00:00 +0000

A man has to earn his bread some way or some how. You have to bring the bacon home if your missus is anything like mine- a magician in the kitchen. So the mundane affair of keeping an 8 to 5 got the best of me this week and the posts dried up here. Sorry folks! For Arsenal though, the excitement never dries up. Being Arsenalii Damu is quite the roller-coaster ride.

Early this week, the glorious news that Rosicky and BFG showed their faith by extending their contracts.Then the heavenly news of Ramsey getting back to fitness, alongside rumors of Rambo tied down with a mega £100,000+ per week contract running the next five years. Late in the week, the bombshell of Wilshere's injury lay off. Six weeks out with a navicular hairline fracture!To that, add the uncertainty surrounding Arsene Wenger's future being it that he is yet to sign on a new deal

What a ride. You've just got to Love Arsenal. Being an Arsenal fan is so much like the perfect relationship where as soon as it gets routine, something always props up to get juices flowing again.Ask any girl and they will tell you just how utterly intoxicating and exciting it is to love a bad boy and wonder not why nice lads finish last.

Facing Everton in just over a couple of hours, it must feel like the girl on Valentines eve. You might end up on the sunny beaches of Malindi or find yourself squeezing your way past potbellied women and psedo-pregnant men in a smokey Nyama Choma and rock bottom prized Tusker joint somewhere in the precincts of Nairobi. Either-way, it is sure to be a ride.

Will Everton repeat their swashbuckling display at the Emirates earlier at the turn towards mid-season? Will Ozil make it a habit of scoring against Everton? With the benefit of hind sight , I find that Everton game as the nadir that turned our season. The point when a team on the average-to-good transition came to our own turf, out passed and out played us, bringing doubt to our own good-to-great transformation fairy tale.

This Everton side reeled us in into the mediocrity that had plagued the league at the time, their late equalizer after such a dominant display punctured our chute. When we look back at the season so far, this draw against Everton and last weeks loss against Stoke stand out as those moments that deferred (If we fail to win the league) or derailed (if we do win the league) our season.

The blue side of Liverpool are likely to face a rotated Arsenal. This does not necessarily mean a weaker Arsenal as most of our blips this season have followed periods when needed utilization of our limited squad through rotation was ignored in favor of 'not changing a winning side.'

Besides, save for Manchester United, any team that we have lost to and we didn't think we will lose to, has suffered a hammering on take two. Think Aston Villa and Liverpool. The infamous Allianz arena win in last season's Champions League remains the stand out example in the past 2-3 years.

The reason why I mention this is the paraded notion that Arsene Wenger's inward looking ways: focusing on the team and way of play; is responsible for his perceived lightweight tactical nous. We still remain exposed time and again, but over the stated period, we have become harder to beat as a side. Some credit this to a newly found defensive steel thanks to Steve Bould, some say it the more mature players playing. My little observation was meant to suggest that there could be a little bit more than that.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. So who do we expect to line-up to test this notion that indeed on take two, the Arsene Wenger of today can just about out- tactic any manager on the planet? And indeed prove his recent bullish talk where he refers upsets as accidents, calls other managers cowards for failing to state their ambitions and constantly refers to the Champion- state-of-mind of his current squad?

Fabianski- Jenks- Mert- TV5-Gibbs- Flamini-The Ox- Ozil-Gnabry-Sanogo-Cazorla

Expect to see Arteta-Flamini given that they have had some rest over the international break. Following the injuries, a youngster, Hayden? Maybe promoted to the bench as our defensive options are thinly stretched. Of course we keep dreaming of Zalalem.

Ring in the changes Arsene. The freshness will do the squad some good. Looking at it, we don't have poor options either. Go for it and then carry the momentum to Bayern. #COYG

A happy International Women's Day. Make her smile won't you?

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time, God Bless!

Goodbye Title, Welcome Fourth Place Trophy

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 17:48:00 +0000

One of football's been-round-the-block maxims is: Don't change a winning side. |But just like all things life, there are only two absolutes: death and taxes. Once again,Wenger ballsed up in his team selection. Further more, he chose his own executor in his dithering at making the changes early enough. I know many of you will agree with my conclusion: The title is lost!

This time of the season is all about momentum. Look around us and smell whats cooking. Chelsea have found that extra gear. Mourinho's men have dug in just a little bit more. Liverpool have dug deeper and have chosen to out score the opposition if that is what it takes. For city, well Agurero is back and if they taste glory tomorrow, you can guess the knock on effect.

We did just about enough in our traditional worst month, February, but now, surely, are we placing our bet on beating Bayern to get that fire burning in our belly again? Bullocks!

For Christ-sake, why didn't Wenger utilize Alex Chamberlain's pace, trickery and form? What took him so long to realize the team's flat affect. What about Gnabry? Yes, he is still learning the curve, but I thought it was about dimension. About having the right mix of solutions to a problem. Just look at what Januzaj has done to the shambolic United campaign.

The German lad could at least offer that, dimension, as it was so easy for Stoke to button us up: With no other attacking outlet, shackle Giroud and ignore woeful Podolski -just as his team and manager does. Occupy,press ( and rotational foul) the middle of the field to take care of Rosicky et.al.Then break with verve and periodically bounce the ball up in the air just to unsettle them.

In my prematch write up, I thought it unwise to start Wilshere and the my self-righteous eyes concludes that Wenger's late substitution vouched for that. We needed a Flamini to hurry Stoke when in possession. For all of our banter at Stoke for rugby football, they actually matched us for possession save when they needed to protect their goal late on. Why did we respect them so much, why weren't the front three pressing the ball?

And what's with these slow starts to games? Is it to do with our pre-match preparations as attested by us suffering most of our defeats in early Saturday kick-offs (a fact that Wenger alluded to following the Liverpool 5-1 drubbing)

I thought Wenger was the diet master. If that's not the problem, you have to question our warm up routine and his motivational techniques.Has Wenger lost his edge over the years? How is it that every team we play of late seems fitter and more hungry. Don't make excuses about tiredness, these players haven't played since last Saturday and benefited from a two today rest which most found curious but Wenger vehemently defended.

What next? As a bare minimum, lets at least win the FA cup and get third. Depressing given that we had a chance of the title in years, but that will be some progress...and for this summer, lets address that striker issue.

p.s Forgive the typos. This post was done when very pissed off and on my Ipad. When is that Swedish guy (forget his name) we bought coming back from injury? Sad how low we have sunk, looking forward to see some been around play for Arsenal just for excitement sake. Even worse to think that we had the time,opportunity and resources to create the right conditions for winning the EPL title.

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time, God Bless!

Arsenal Squad To Face Stoke: Forgett Ozil, It is All About The OX

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 13:44:00 +0000

A happy first of the month to you all.

As part of my mid-morning -OH group detox routine, I have just re-watched Arsene Wenger’s presser on ArsenalTV online; you just have to love the man. Sitting behind this blog sifting and shifting words through my cranium then sending them down my fingers, it remains a dream to have that kind of access that mainstream journalists have. The man “Le professor” is a class act.

Ozil is back

You’ve got to give it to the man. I mean outside Mourinho, who takes the liberty to troll whenever there’s a camera, and/or when a bunch of guys with iPads and microphones bustle to gather in front of him, there is little else that can pass for an engaging press conference.

I dream of that day when, with his discerning look towards my direction and his French accented English, he lets out another philosophical gem. We are allowed to dream, aren’t we? All the same, there are whispers about a possible bow- out by the boss given that he’s uncharacteristically stalling on his new deal.

I don’t buy into that train of thought. Look at the man people; he looks to relish every challenge coming his way. He actually is enjoying himself at this moment in time. I wouldn’t label him bullish as it would be a lazy word to use, but there is some blatant arrogance in his actions: Like throwing Sanogo into the deep against Bayern and Liverpool.

Yes, some might argue that the Sanogo trick is typically Wenger, but the juice lies in his responses to queries on his decisions: the man speaks as if he has his own oracle, “mganga kutoka Tanga”, looking into some crystal ball, perched on his shoulder and whispering wisdom into his ears.

The demeanor of le boss right now can only be compared to that of I-am-the-greatest-ever-F*ck- Messi- you-can-ignore-me-but-I-will-show- you-why-I won-the-ballon d’or-Ronaldo. Moving on swiftly to the away game against Stoke, the pundits build it up as the make or break tie for Arsenal. It is the tie that will set the momentum for the killer fixture schedule that March is.

The game that is winnable of ahead of Tottenham, Chelsea and City away, albeit that the Gunners have failed to win in their last three visits to the Brittania, a ground that has seen Chelsea, Manchester United and City shed blood. So who will we see today? With Ozil back from his short sabbatical, you expect The Ox to be handed a start so as to make most of the German’s eye for the pass and running player.

More than any player, the Ox needs to be an absolute monster tonight. I watched a premier league magazine show where they traced the Portsmouth roots of Alex Chamberlain, and his father cum childhood coach (a celebrated former England International), put forth his scions decision making attributes as his greatest attributes.

I would like to see The Ox call upon all his faculties if we are to emerge from windy, cold Stoke with a valuable three points. The England has to be available for that pass from Ozil/ lay off from Giroud when called for, has to read the game well to know if runs from deep or off the shoulders of the Stoke defenders would do the trick, depending on how Stoke set up and our control of the game.

Additionally, he and Jenkinson(meaning Sagna fills in at left back) have to provide those quality crosses that will make the best of a rejuvenated Giroud. The onus falls on him more, the reason being that traditionally, Giroud has been at his best whenever paired up with a menacing Theo on the right. This is not to mean that The Ox ought to be his old Southampton mate, but rather try emulating his influence.

In the middle of the pack, Flamini is better placed to match the industry of Stoke rugby club. There have been suggestions that Flambo should deputize at left back given that Gibbs and Monreal might be short for the match, but I would prefer him and Arteta at the base of midfield.

Such a set-up leaves the improved Jack Wilshere on the bench. Am not so sure about Wilshere in this match, the future Arsenal captain loves sticking it in (which is good), but he also likes to play the referee a lot, a thing that could back fire given that the referee expects this of Stoke and may let some half challenges pass to get the game flowing.

This doesn’t augur well when coupled with Ozil, who is likely to be targeted a lot, leaving us with the unpalatable option of losing the ball in midfield on 50-50 challenges. Cazorla should start on the left to provide that creative spark and aid a likely to be shackled Ozil. The rest of the team picks itself.

I pray for an early goal to settle things down, preferably within the first ten minutes as this would pile the pressure on Mourinho’s Chelsea, who if am not mistaken, kick off ten minutes after us. Today is world #Zerodiscrimination day; do some good all you Arsenal Damu! Hug a brother, kumbatia a sister, embrace a stranger. Discrimination remains a key obstacle in the fight against HIV/AIDs

Wishing you gooners a prosperous month. And oh! Did the good news reach you? Theo is walking again! Thanks for tuning in #COYG

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time, God Bless!

An Open Letter To Arsenal Youngster Joel Campbell

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 09:38:00 +0000

Dear Joel Campbell,

First, it is to thank you for making us all proud yester night. The whole,27 million plus, lot of us Gooners splashed all over the globe- from Kogelo to San Jose- jumped in elation, shouted , danced and even laughed when you skipped past Carrick and let fly a delightful left foot strike that curved its way round a wtf-faced Rio Ferdinard , past a fully stretched De Gea to dink just at the root of the right upright and seal the deal for your adopted football home, Olympiacos.

So cute, Joel Campbell, we fell in love. Image: nacion.com

In our brief open letter at the tail of yesterday’s post, we had beseeched upon you to do just that. Even though you didn't do the half-turn and “I’ll be back thing,” as promised, you have officially taken over Carlos Vela’s place in our hearts. From now hence, Joel we will talk about you in the barbershops and fantasise about you in the red and white. We will debate what a front line of you (RWF), Gnabry (ACM), Theo (LWF) and Sanogo (CF) might look like and dream of the future.

Joel Campbell, we will wonder if your tricks on the ball will only get better, and marvel at your composure in front of goal. We will nostalgically laugh at how you made Evra make school-boy errors -more particularly how the experienced French left-back only had an the option of a handball and yellow card to escape that audacious back of the heel kanzu that you pulled on him.

When Arsene Wenger signed you in the summer of 2011, the whole lot of Gooner nation jammed YouTube with search queries of ‘Joel Campbell tricks’, ‘Joel Campbell videos’ and such like variants. We got a taste but were denied of the full monty when you UK work permit fell through. Since then, we learn that you have been educated at Lorient, Real Betis and now Olympiacos.

Joel, we learn that your work permit issues were resolved in the summer of 2013, but the boss chose to give you a chance at being Greek Champion first. It is highly likely that you will be given the chance to tour and get a full preseason with Arsenal come the summer 2014. You will be competing for a place in the team with the likes of the upcoming Gnabry and the might-leave Podolski.

Campbell, this is your chance. Keep cutting to size the likes of Evra, pop up with the odd goal and rack up the assists (Wenger loves assists) and you might just get a double figure number, with your name at the back and the flying puma on your left breast. Joel Campbell, work hard on your fitness levels. To let you in on the Arsenal way, tracking back and having the lungs to be available for those little triangles is big in Arsenal.

We noticed that you have a liking of touch and go football. This should serve you well playing with the likes of Giroud, Sanogo, The Ox, Ramsey, Rosicky (basically the whole Arsenal team). Don’t get frustrated making use of the space behind the full backs and hitting the channels between the central defenders and fullbacks, whilst not getting the requisite service at Olympiacos, at Arsenal, we have Mesut ‘assist’ Ozil , (a)Santi Cazorla who dream of a guy just like you.

As we conclude this open letter, like every mother calls everyday just to remind their son who just moved out of home, “eat your spinach and minimize on the take outs.” Joel Campbell, eat right work hard at the gym as you will need to bulk up for the Premier League.

The British top flight is full of defenders whose only skill in thwarting an attack is to literally stop it on its tracks. You’ll need to be prepared. A caution though, no need to be the next Ashley Young or Luis Suarez, you get what I mean? Do you? Son, we wish you all the best. As you prepare to make your maiden playing trip to England, remember this time to do the half-turn, and with a twinkle in your eye growl under your breath, “I’ll be back.”

Happy 28th Birthday Nacho Monreal.

Regards,

Arsenalii & Arsenal Damu.

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time, God Bless!

Assesing Arsenal Title Chase: Lessons From Shaun Of The Dead & Why Celebrating World Wildlife Day Will Do Us Some Good

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 15:46:00 +0000

Monday blues? Tuesday’s grey? Well, today’s post is all about urging all you Arsenal Damu to assume an extra-corporeal mindset. Translation: for a change, get over yourself. 72hrs later, I have some gooner pals yet to come around over some mundane stats such as our conceding of two goals, one each, in two consecutive games from shots outside the area. I mean (!?) spare a thought for Ukraine, Egypt, Taiwan, Venezuela and The Central African Republic.

To that, add other 21^st century societal struggles like the LGBT divide-that assumed new levels the past 24 hours with the Ugandan presidential assent to a law that outlaws same-sex relations. Some insist that Whatsapp recent system blip ranks up there with that. Mix it all up and you have the perfect storm. In no way are these simple ugali and mrenda issues. I tell you, things are elephant! A friend recently quipped “gay rights and Africa…” and left it at that. I’ll follow that cue and….

Picking up the wildlife theme, do mark the 3^rd of March 2014 on your Google calendars. No, it’s not the day the double whammy of Ramsey and Walcott (complete with a Diaby special) turns on its head as the duo (plus Diaby special) burst back into full training just in time for the March Madness fixtures.

This happens to be the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as the UNEP website so eloquently puts it; in simple speak, it is the first ever World Wildlife Day.

Let’s all drum up the day, wind up your boss by naively asking if it means that there will be no clocking in the 3^rd of March. Insist that being a fundamentalist- animal- lover -environmentalist, World Widlife Day is as good as Christmas. Come on! Give it a try, besides, there is a chance to that your boss is half as asinine as you secretly think he is. I am yet to know of the ribbon colors that would signify your support for the protection of the world’s flora and fauna, but in the Utopian world of football, it’s all Mars-red.

Save for Bayern Munich, across Europe’s three major leagues, the stellar cast of Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City and rank outsiders Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, still sweat over being league champions. It‘s refreshingly tight; when admixed with knock-out domestic and continental cup football, the fixture list is a dream.

This, the more reason why we all need to step out of ourselves, take in the world about us lest we be like Shaun and Ed in the first rolls of Shaun Of The Dead: Spaced out in a zombie infested world. In many ways, Arsenal’s journey to this point in the 2013/14 season is akin to the Shaun led escape to the Winchester pub. Now that we got there; what next? Do we sit in the dark and eat peanuts?

Does Arsene Wenger have a plan?

Is it about time (just like how Shaun had to shot his zombie mother in the head to destroy her brain as besides removing her head, it was the only plausible way to kill a zombie) that arsenal kills off beloved yet lost causes like the Champion’s league round of 16 tie against Bayern by fielding a weakened side? Or will a thrashing in that game scramble the team’s mentality in effect killing of any chance of glory after such a hard worked season?

At the end of it all, unlike in Shaun of the dead where Shaun ends up with both the prized possession (the girlfriend- read the premier league) and his zombie, hidden- in- the- backyard-life goals-derailing-sleeping on your couch-best mate Ed( read the FA Cup); will we rather settle for Ed (the FA Cup) and avoiding the perennial fourth place dog fight?

Or will the imminent return of Ramsey be that God sent moment when Shaun and the Girlfriend Liz being trapped in Winchester’s cellar and out of bullets contemplate suicide only to chance upon a goods lift via a matchbox light as they attempt to light a cigarette? What’s your take? All the same remember to commemorate the World

Dear,Joel Campbell,
Hope you are holding up well and Olympiacos is treating you just fine. Though you are yet to don the white and red, today is that chance to tattoo yourself in all gooner hearts. Gun down united and at the end of it all,do a half-turn and with a twinkle in your eye, beneath your breath growl, "I'll be back!"
Regards,
Arsenal

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time....

Dennis 'god' Bergkamp At Hand To Pass The Baton, Mesut Ozil MIA

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 18:44:00 +0000

I was up for a six, but in the end it was three points, a three goal difference gained and three different scorers in a 4-1 mauling of Sunderland at the Emirates. To be honest I expected more of the black cats, something close to the verve of their display in the first twenty minutes or so of the second half.

The flying Dutchman. Image BBC/PA

A lot of positives from this game, first to mind is the consistency we have shown, now in two consecutive games, to impose ourselves early on. For huge swatches of this season, we have been stronger as the game wore on the.

This ‘patient play’ approach has done some obvious good, but as Liverpool (we were on the receiving end here), the Bayern Munich game (where we had the ‘best team in the world’ on the ropes) and Southampton (an example of the most lethargic of starts to a game) illustrated, a controlled gung-ho approach is an important arsenal in one’s armory.

What was most pleasing is that this high energy start came in the heels of energy sapping 50+ minutes of chasing shadows against Bayern in midweek. The choice of the starting cast (finally some squad rotation- another plus) against Sunderland played its hand with Arteta stealing the show acting as the sinoatrial node, setting the pace for a pulsating attack.

Jack was at his best with archetypal thrusts from deep, to hug the edge of the Sunderland box and be available for that decisive, extra, deft touch. (a)Santi Cazorla, his usual self, putting a thorough attack and defense shift on the right, you only can thank him. Little Mozart strum the strings with so much gusto allowing Wenger to conclude that his number 10 display was the closest Arsenal had witnessed since the now immortalized Dennis ‘god’ Bergkamp.

I wonder how long Ozil’s ‘injury’ will keep him out; however, with Rosicky and Cazorla in such fine form and at the same time insanely telepathically wired, we can afford to let the German recuperate and get some of that juice tonic that they fed Giroud-does-things-in-twos. After which we then let him loose against Bayern in Munich and enjoy a Napoli-like sit-back-and-enjoy performance.

Too sad it is that the happenings of yesterday denied Arsenal fans to witness the future unfold with the passing of the baton from Dennis ‘god’ Bergkamp to Mesut Ozil. I know the Ozil to Arsenal digest is getting tired, but in many ways, parallels can be drawn between the transfers of the two to Arsenal.

In a wrap, both were marquee signings that heralded THE moment (though the jury’s still out on Ozil). Those moments in time that punctuates the 150 year history of our great Arsenal. In fact, if ever the Arsenal story were told in the style of great players, there would be a post-Bergkamp era and we sure hope and wait to regale to our kids the magic of the post-Ozil era.

As we wrap up, allow me this African analogy. Among the Marachi sub-tribe of the Luhya community of western Kenya, certain rituals accompany the burial of any one of a set of twins who is survived by their womb-mate. These rites are an apt example of a body of almost homogeneous traditional African beliefs that surrounded multiple pregnancies.

In a deviation from the norm of most African burial ceremonies, a prolonged eventful affair, the deceased should be buried in an expeditious manner, as it is believed that any delays might occasion the untimely demise(or some misfortune) of the surviving twin. The thinking here MIGHT have been: “they came into this world together and might as well leave together.”

More, the surviving twin is to no way be involved in the send off of their kin, including but not limited to, not being in close proximity with the deceased. Back to the 21^st century and homing on to Arsenal, what better cherry on the cake; pardon, how legendary would it have been to have Mesut Ozil do a Rosicky on Sunderland, with that act of football wizardry being the climax of the day of the unveiling of Dennis ‘god’ Bergkamp statue at the Emirates?

But it is what it is.

To Dennis ‘god’ Bergkamp, a Swahili saying: “Chanda chema huvikwa pete.” To Mesut Ozil, if #DB10 spoke some German am sure the chatter between you immortals is best summed by “Anfangen ist leicht, beharren eine Kunst”.

Ozil, may you pertake huge gulps of that Gaul Asterix-era concoction and come back pumped up like pop-eye (pun non-intended) on spinach. We are behind you mate! To the rest of us mortals, chow down the last week of February in the manner that we blanked Sunderland; or should I say, “fortune favors the bold.”

A blessed, prosperous week you all Arsenalii Damu!

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time....

Arsenal Squad To Face Sunderland

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 12:26:00 +0000

Giant slayers Sunderland are in town and going by manager Gus Poyet presser, they smell blood. Sitting in the red zone at the wrong end of the table, the Black Cats will give it all to take advantage of the likely negative effect of the much talked about handicap of our thin squad and a punishing fixture list.

How will we line-up against Sunderland?

This, when coupled with the manner of our loss some 72hrs ago against the reigning European champions: a game that had swara written all over it, meaning the stars simply didn't align for us. I am reminded of the reaction of my new pub pal that eventful Wednesday night when Alaba’s penalty hit the post on its way out.

It was something along the lines that Arsenal’s football gods were finally awoken from their deep slumber. As it turns out, that fair bit of luck was merely a startle from their deep REM sleep as we were soon immersed into the nightmare that in the first place had startled them from the slumber.

It must have been a particularly harrowing experience for Mesut Ozil. The past few days for the German star upped the ante as he has lived through the nightmare of partisan, sell-the-papers, get-the-page views media talk. When he signed for Arsenal, part of the talk was how his move finally afforded him the stage to shine.

To shine away from the blinding luminescence of the Ronaldo’s of this world. Moreover, for that to happen, the consensus was that he had to improve his game. Then from his stats, the only blotch appeared to the pitiful goal return for an attacking midfield genius. There were whispers about his all round game and fitness levels, but his blinding start premier league life ensured that they were drowned in the uuhs and aaahs of his performances.

Today, presents a test to Wenger’s much vouched for nothing-to-something, something-to-star credentials. Does Mesut warrant a rest? Will leaving him out of the starting lineup negatively impact on the inevitable psychological imbalance occasioned by Wednesday night’s penalty miss? Or maybe Ozil needs this game to get that out of the system?

The other selection problem has to be that left side that has been exposed time and again. When Gibbs is fit, he steadies the ship somewhat. With the England international out of the side with a buttock injury, Monreal starts. The Spanish international is not a downgrade in many regards, the question is on who starts ahead of him in midfield to provide the cover. An obvious concern thanks to the threat of an inform Adam Johnson.

In our line-up above, Podolski stays out of the squad. We love the German and the Prince Poldi loves Arsenal, but Wenger…..well. Save for the penalty conceded against Liverpool in the FA cup, he tracks better than Cazorla, we think. Besides, # Podolski #aha offers a potent goal threat. If it were our wish, Podolski would start on the left with (a)Santi Cazorla shunted to the center in the number 10 role.

On the right, we go for Gnabry as we are sold to the young German’s abilities; besides, playing The Ox in consecutive games after a long injury lay off is a sure recipe for a Diaby-like lay off. For Giroud, well he needs to get back to playing football.

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time....

Welcome To Our New Home, Looking Forward To Hosting Bayern Munich

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 13:13:00 +0000

Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance

It is on days like this that it becomes apparent why fourth place is a trophy. The chance that comes with Champions league football is one to savor. Yes, we are rank outsiders against Pep’s Bayern, but it this is one of those moments when just being there, there to compete is enough.

You see, the world’s problems are precisely because of that: Too many people without the chance to engage and contribute to humanity’s forward march into the 21^st century; their attributes locked out of the collective pot because of their age, sex, creed and even geography.

Have no doubts about it, Bayern are excited too. In all probability, the Bavarians ought to be significantly more pumped up for this Champions League round of 16 tie than last year. A lot of water has passed under that bridge since our aggregate 3-3 score against the eventual champions, at a similar stage, thanks to the “so-Mourinho’s-19^th century-like” away goals rule.

For starters, Bayern Munich cannibalized Dortmund and have effectively turned the Budensliga into the new La Liga. Goetze, Lahm and company must be bored of the Freiburg, Hamburg and Franfurt diet. The Bavarians have ripped the league apart and stand 16 points clear, being unbeaten in 46 matches this season. Everyone considers them to be the team that will do the impossible and become the first to retain the Champions league crown.

Arsenal has had the proper preparation for this tie having faced a quality Liverpool side twice and a creaking Manchester United. This trio of games that preceded this quartet of killer fixtures offered a complete exam, including a thorough cavity search by Liverpool, for a side that many consider to have exceeded expectations.

Moreover, football is one cruel (B word that rhymes with Witch). The Liverpool nightmare could replay or Arsenal could make most of their underdog status to register The upset of the season. When compared to Bayern, will Arsenal be in the zone mentally given that more than once, against Manchester City in this season’s group stage and against us in the second leg tie in the last campaign, the Bavarians have fallen to the temptation of complacency that comes with routine fixtures?

Will the physical freshness that comes with a winter break and astute rotation from Pep make the difference? Or is it a case of one manager in the grammar of Big Sam “out-tactic” the other? One thing is for sure, we head into this tie in better mind frame, form and sense of family than last season which saw us face Bayern in the wake of second-tier Blackburn knocking us out the FA Cup.

A positive result against Bayern, even in this first of two ties, and the wind will be up our sails in the EPL title run in. An inglorious result and we could find ourselves deep in the dungeons, 9 light years away fast approaching Liverpool’s 20 plus light years away from the gleam of a premiership title.

This statement has the stink of a Suarez-esque fall in the box, but you only have to look at Barcelona’s staggering after the unrelenting hangover of Bayern’s mauling in last season’s Semi-final. It becomes more perverse given the maturity of Barcelona as a football club in all regards financial, brand equity, youth systems and identity in style of play.

Catch us tomorrow on match for our thoughts on how we might line up. Drop us a line in the comments on the article and our new look. In case you are yet to take note, we have a new home on the web www.arsenalii.co.ke as you can see; we are still working on the décor. All this is thanks to you Arsenal damu for your continued support. Kwaheri ya kuonana

*For the story behind the image,checkout our sister photoblog morancitymyworld

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time....

Arsenal v Chelsea - Why That Early Christmas Gift May...

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 16:57:00 +0000

Decisive times indeed. It should be god sent, the match being at the Emirates. You and I know that home always doesn't irrevocably feel like so.

Could be the spouse you can't stand or the neighbors who ought be glad that you don't bear a screwed sense of justice about you.

Tv pundits have been all about how home advantage should tilt the scale in our favor. I suppose it's all part of their job: Build up scenarios to wet the appetite.

Not to discount them,principally because we are cut from the same cloth, home as I mentioned earlier, can be a drag.

To contextualize this, all you have to do is remember the last time you had to roast some Christmas goat for those relatives.

Yeah, the rich aloof type that make it sound like spending the holidays the African way -extended family feeding of grandma's pot- is such as step down, so they regale you with tales of their escapades last Christmas on the white beaches of Zanzibar,Malindi et.al.

Being host doesn't always mean you are king.

Then there is the little fact that Ozil hasn't had to spend the holidays away from his family since he became a pro footballer.Yes, Ozil is muslim, but any working dude out there is grateful of Diwalii or Ramadhan closure irrespective of their religious leanings. Nothing like a holiday, they say.

Cashley cole couldn't help himself when the aroma of roast goat wafted into his London pad from Ashburton groove. For that, Maureen might just bench him tonight.This goes to show how difficult it is to get work when the party mood is on.Theo has to get the better of Azipu%-(6-@%#+ta at left back today. Theo is key and this ought be one of the battles of the night.

Finally, the weather is reported to be unkind. We hope it doesn't ruin the surface. Worse still, occasion a postponement. That would kill me.

#COYG. Give us that early Christmas gift.

BE WARNED! Understrength Manchester City Does an Arsenal in Munich

noreply@blogger.com (Lwandaz Tales) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 22:46:00 +0000

A look at the Manchester City starting line-up against Bayern Munich at the Allianz arena for their final group stage match would have left the taste of home concocted sugar-salt and warm water ORS (Oral rehydration Salt) in any Arsenal’s fan chops.

Pep Guardiola’s Munich machine was going to chew this version of the Manuncian blues to bits: No Yaya Toure, no Sergio, no Negredo, no Kompany. For a team struggling on its travels, having the spine of the team absent while away to the Ribery charged, Goetze engineered seven star UEFA Champions League defending champions was sure to be suicidal.

Pellegrini’s men to do the German job of a two goal margin win, that would see Manchester City take control of the group and land a favourable draw in the last 16; included just a recovering Silva, a Dzeko with bench imprints on his tooche, a beleaguered Joe Hart and the supporting cast of the likes of Jesus Navases,Kolarovs and Lescots.

Just?

Arsene Wenger has raised concerns about the scheduling of Arsenal’s pre Christmas matches which sees Arsenal face the 2011-12 Premier League Champions early Saturday having traveled to Naples for a crucial champions league game where a three nil loss would mean relegation to the Europa league despite the impressive 12 points accumulated so far in the group stage. Having played a day early on Tuesday and as hosts on Saturday, Manchester City has the edge, logistically, over Arsenal.

A rejuvenated Yaya Toure ready for the wizard of Oz, Rambo, Arteta, asante Cazorla and company wouldn’t do no harm to the cause. Besides, it was about time to unleash the full armor jacket: the 1 billion pound squad. The FA cup having snaked itself up the lower rungs of English football had romped into town with the third round draw last weekend; this, itself a surrogate marker that the season had matured with games coming thick and fast. Not just games, but big mama important games like the lunchtime Arsenal visit where a loss would see Manchester City with the considerable ground of nine points off the league leaders.

On the night, Pellegrini’s squad tinkering lent his subtle contribution to the needless debate on the oomph and credibility of Arsenal’s title challenge. It is worth noting City’s unparalleled home record with Moyes’s Manchester United and Bale-less Tottenham being stripped naked and slaughtered, respectively, at The ETIHAD a few moons past.

Over in Munich, the score line at 12’ threw mud on Pellegrini’s name, affording him to seat at the Moyes-AVB-Allardyce-Martin Jol poorly lit table by the toilet door. Pep didn’t even afford a smile when Muller beat the offside trap, steal off Kolarov’s shoulder to chest down and find the far bottom corner, off Dante’s diagonal ball barely 5’ in. He was better bothered when eight minutes of possession play pinned City back pressuring a corner off them, which found its way in via Goetze after hesitancy in the City box 12’ in. 2-0 to Bayern Munich.

59’ : 2-2 stood the score. Impressive display by Manchester City? Truly a class act in comeback play by Pellegrini’s men. A lesson on taking chances that come your way, refusing to be cowed down, by just ploughing at it. You could sense the misguided cockiness in Bayern’s play was getting to Pep with his agitation by the byline as early as the 24th minute. By the 28th, Jesus Navas’s cross found its way to the back post for Milner to head it back across onto Silva’s boot for City’s opener. The equalizer? A rather soft penalty off Dante on Milner for Kolarov to burry it home.

62’: A silva-Navas interplay results in a speculative cross across the face of goal for Milner to smash back the way it came. 2-3 to City

Damn! Bayern made Milner look really really good. Heck! There’s hope for England after all.
Let’s see how Wenger balances between qualifying (and topping the group of death) and preparing for Saturday with his team selection tomorrow. Cheers!

Join us on our facebook page, follow Swahiligunner@ twitter, leave your comments below. Till next time....