August 2011 Archives

His shorts are packed but are his trousers?

NIcklas Bendtner has been shipped to the Black Cats on a year long loan move. His first move was to apply for a three digit jersey number which should coincide with the number of times he steps in it. Or maybe the times he's watched Top Gun.

Henri Lansbury also moves to West Ham in his last year of his contract. Joel Campbell has been sent to Lorient. The last day was some frenetic piece of business for Arsenal. I think I speak for a number of Gooners the Mikel Arteta signing was the best piece of news for a long time.

The Chelsea midfielder confirms on his Twitter feed that he's on his way to Arsenal on a loan move.

Update: The Arteta transfer has not yet transpired. Looks like that is going to the wire. Raul Meireles across town has handed a transfer request in a last minute dramatic move. Chelsea bound?

The Spanish midfielder becomes a £10m signing after he clearly states he does not see a future at Everton.

Arteta brings a much needed injection of creativity in midfield and at 29 years brings vast amounts of experience and leadership. Great signing!

Arsenal are not done yet in the transfer deadline and they're going after Yossi Benayoun for a loan move.

Less than 90 minutes to go! Does Arsenal have the will and the willingness to splash the cash to end strongly? Mikel Arteta back on again with Jack Wilshere driving the negotiations it appears through his Twitter feed.

Btw, why can't all these negotiations be driven through Twitter? No need for reporters then. Arsenal_cheapskates@Moyes, how about £12m for Arteta? Moyes @ Arsenal_cheapskates, drop dead!

Yossi Benayoun is now an Arsenal loan move

Looks like the Mikel Arteta link went cold. Its now Yossi Benayoun who is Arsenal's last minute and increasingly desperate choice to find quality in the attacking third. A number of sources are coalescing around the odds the Chelsea midfielder will land up at the Emirates on a loan move.

A clever player who never got to see his talent come to fruition under Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti. He came off the bench in both clubs providing some singular performances but frequently disappears in matches and is a doubt for a complete 90 minute shift. He was limited to 8 appearances in his first season at Chelsea after an achilles tendon rupture kept him out for 7 months.

Peter Crouch might be on his way to Stoke

Peter Crouch might be Stoke bound with only personal terms to be ironed out. Sebastian Bassong is now a QPR man. Alan Hutton and Jermaine Jenas have been strongly linked to Aston Villa. Wilson Palacios and Roman Pavlyuchenko could also be on their way out. The Russian however maybe kept back if Crouch's move materializes.

QPR have been the beneficiaries of the last day transfer activity. New owner Tony Fernandes and managing director Amit Bhatia have come good on those transfers. Joey Barton has been joined by Armand Traore, Luke Young, Anton Ferdinand, and now most recently, Bassong.

Yes, but can he spit like Fabregas?

Mikel Arteta is in the news as Arsenal are now strongly rumoured to be in a bid for the Spanish midfielder who at one time was the next best thing to Cesc Fabregas. Will £10m do it? Arteta when injury free is the sort of quality that the side need. The fact is he's injured a third of the season makes him a high level risk. It also means that Eden Hazard, Marvin Martin, and Mario Gotze will have to wait.

Arteta linked to Arsenal is an old one but good one.

Andre Dos Santos skills

Holy Saint: As per Arsenal, they haven't exactly decided to park the bus come transfer deadline, and have signed not dos but three players.

Park Chu Young: The South Korean captain from relegated Monaco is a makeshift signing for Joel Campbell who was denied a work permit. Yet another Arsenal fumble but Arseblog points to the scouting department who have been less than sure footed this summer. The striker will sport the no 9 while in Arsenal for the next two years after which he returns to his country for military training. It's a makeshift signing but it comes with the benefit of millions of South Koreans tuning into Arsenal games which is a positive step forward in widening their Asian exposure.

Per Mertesacker: Lets hope the giant German centre back signed from Werder Bremen becomes the Robert Huth for Arsenal. His experience and leadership should make up for his lack of quickness. Huth, a tough customer left an indelible impression with his tackles and his cool head was invaluable in dealing with set pieces. Mertesacker with Christoph Metzelder has been a omnipresent presence in the back for Germany but his place is being challenged by a new generation led by Mats Hummels. With Arsenal inducing a fit of hysterical giggles with their Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka bids he became first choice for his cut price appeal.

Andre Dos Santos: Left back is another area dreadfully exposed. Kieran Gibbs when healthy is a lock but his injury problems have become a matter of grave concern. The sub par Armand Traore has thankfully shipped off to QPR. Dos Santos established a reputation at Fenerbahce for his bombing runs on the left flank and brings a Gael Clichy like presence although less is known of his defensive prowess. He replaced Roberto Carlos at the Turkish club in 2009 and challenges Miguel Bastos and Marcelo for a place in the Brazil squad. He was part of the inglorious penalty shootout that doomed Brazil in the quarterfinals against Paraguay in this year's Copa America competition.

The three signings have one commonality. A lot of experience in both domestic and national levels that will be a great asset in a side that struggles with leadership and composure when the chips are down.

All sorts of rumours doing the deadline. Arsenal are gunning for Yann M'Vila, Marvin Martin, and Chris Samba. Out of these transfer targets the Marvin Martin one makes the most sense because the attacking midfield is where Arsenal have shown a deep drop off in creativity.

Mesut Ozil appears on the left of this video and then vanishes mysteriously.

Two goals from Messi and one more from Fabregas as the new Spanish season gets underway. Fabregas expressed his delight at scoring on his home debut...

....while it lasts

Manchester United - Arsenal 8:2 by FootballKing1892

England overcame World War II buoyed by the bulldog spirit of Winston Churchill, the perfect choice for a war time leader. Yet, it was Clement Atlee who was voted to rebuild an England recovering from the war's aftermath and the decline of empire. 50 years later these two men rank in the list of greatest leaders. Two very different personalities but both provided the proper leadership needed for their country for their times. Those who believe Wenger's departure will be apocalyptic will be well advised to remember this example.

Arsene Wenger led Arsenal to heights never touched before. It led to the cult of AKB for all the right reasons. But something happened on the way. He got too close to the board and co-opted their message. There was no firewall. No separation of pitch from boardroom. Before long he was opining on the shareholding fight and the composition of the board. One doesn't quite know when the shift from managerial duties to a mouthpiece began but the drift has been going for long. It's now a cozy relationship without expectation.

Wenger's present avatar is now one of fiscal responsibility. His transition to an activist has been a natural fit because of the club's own belief in living within its means. It also means putting aside a wishlist which could pose a serious potential conflict of interest with the austerity that is being practiced at the Emirates.

Look at Roberto Mancini's frustration at his board (an entity that can buy the world fifty times over) at their perceived foot dragging on Samir Nasri. Today, Nasri delivered a stinging vindication of Mancini's desire to have him on the board. Manciini's first responsibility is to deliver City's first Premiership title and not a philosophical point. Sir Alex provided Wenger with strong words of support but he's never laboured under the illusion of being any more than the manager of Utd even after a record 20 titles. Juan Mata wasted no time in making an impact after Andre Villa-Boas showed the requisite alarm in not having a wide game. Ditto for Kenny Dalglish with Luis Enrique for Liverpool.

Arsene Knows F**k All (AKFA) might be a bit harsh but there are chinks in the armour.

Peter Hill-Wood: Another prick on the wall

The saddest part of Arsenal's annihilation at Old Trafford is not the scoreline which is in itself a reflection of a heartless and cruel policy of turning to ingenues to save the club's season. That it was done by a Utd side that had its share of injuries and untested talent filling in huge shoes left by Paul Scholes, Edwin Van Der Sar, Nemanja Vidic, and Rio Ferdinand inflicted the deepest cut and left Wenger's bragging rights of turning to youth for provenance in tatters.

Utd's commitment to a deep bench has and always will be a cornerstone to its success. Having the likes of Ryan Giggs and Arsenal killer Park Ji Sung to call on fills its most timorous fans with hope while Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner bring about ennui and at worst cynicism. Both sets of changes have a history of well documented performances on the pitch to back up these claims.

Giggs and Park had little to do the winning but everything to do with driving the nail into the myth that Arsenal could compete with the best. We look squarely at mid table prospects as Ashley Young provided Utd with the sublimest of finishes and Rooney's hattrick of epic proportions. There is absolutely no competition. It is finished. Destroyed by Arsene Wenger and an inept and self serving board.

Wenger could blame the weather for his bedraggled look in the home loss to Liverpool. Little did he know he had signed on for the conducted tour of Dante's Inferno at the Theatre of Dreams reserved for lesser clubs. Lets put it this way, Arsenal have already conceded almost a third of the goals in three games then they did in less than a watertight season last year. The alternative headline reads Arsenal shamed into scoring a brace. An infinite improvement over their previous two league games. Which seems to be about the max Arsenal can score given the paucity of attacking options.

Where did we go wrong?

Wenger lives in a time warp. Potential transfers who previously found in Arsenal a welcome offset for a relative lack of financial remuneration are less likely to do so in the face of sustained failure. Arsenal's weakening grip on Champions League representation means it's no longer a welcome draw. The ham handed and unreal bids are the manifestation of an unhealthy obsession with previous success believed to still turn heads.

Meanwhile the £12m Alex Oxlade Chamberlain vanity project subverts from the zero investment in a quality defense and midfield. Carl Jenkinson was asked to do duty against an Ashley Young. An inept Armand Traore rejected by Juve was supposed to contain Nani. How much more clueless can you get? Thomas Vermaelen is injured once again and the only thing we have remotely in place three days before the end of the transfer period is an unseemly spat between Owen Coyle and Wenger over an offer over Gary Cahill. That's the winning formula Wenger has in mind. It's sadopathic which is an amalgam of sadism and pathetic with psychopathic overtures to describe a club that believes doing business as usual is a recipe for success.

Arsenal's vision is driven by a provincial and narrow based economic policy predicated on saving money with one bullet point. Transfers. Lost in this message is the self sustaining model that believes success begets success. Utd can absorb its enormous debt obligations because it's long term model believes there are new markets out there that appreciate its commitment to winning titles and creating the coattails for companies to ride their brand.

They spread the cash on players who make a difference and that difference is parlayed into more lucrative sponsorships, bond issues, and IPO offerings. It's a simple message. The financial fair play rules are little more than a directive to live within your means. It tells you that the I/O should equal one. But it does not cap spending as long as you have the commensurate revenue to achieve a balanced spread sheet. Arsenal live in London, the financial capital of Europe and therefore privy to a more savvy approach to doing business but the pursuit of Phil Jones, Juan Mata, and Cahill betray a mofussil and anachronistic ideology.

Our boardroom consists of a fat bottomed Englishman who believes his responsibility ends with the Fabregas transfer, an American with social phobias who collects sports teams as one does trophy wives, and a CEO who is a dupe for what Wenger says and does.

One wonders and this not being my forte is how much of this is hurting the economic bottomline in real terms? Perhaps Swiss Ramble can deem this worthy of exploration and his extrapolations can make for a wake up call. If Arsenal have lost £2m in merchandizing because Fabregas jerseys are no longer selling without an alternative icon to replace him then there is a huge problem.

That is the only way Wenger smells the coffee. He's been a bag man for the Arsenal board's focus on economic frugality which looks increasingly to the fans to pick up the tab. All the while we're marginalized as no nothings and an easy touch for our money. Our future sacrifice could include funding transfers. Lets say this as succinctly as possible: Arsenal is bigger than any player, any manager, or any owner. Wenger and the kleptocrats who run Arsenal are channeling Sepp Blatter talking of doom after thousands of years of existence of the sport. A 3-1 loss points to remediable events, an 8-2 up your wazoo points to a structural problem.

Jordan Henderson ,Martin Skrtel and Charlie Adam scored for Liverpool. Ivan Klasnic pulled a goal back for Bolton late into the game...

szólj hozzá: Liv vs Bol

The way Drogba is seen falling in the slow motion replay indicates that he was already uncoscious after the impact.It is fortunate that he did not land awkwardly.He may have broken a bone or worse.He only came to about half an hour or so later.Not a good thing to happen to a player.
So now it may end up that Petr Cech won't be the only Chelsea player on the field with protective headgear.

Chelsea took the lead within five minutes.Jose Bosingwa scored from about 25 yards out. Norwich equalised in the second half thanks to the first Hilario howler of the new season.Chelsea then lost Didier Drogba.He was knocked unconscious after getting what looked like a blow to the temple from the Norwich goalkeeper as he went in to try and head a ball goalwards.
Chelsea took the lead through a Frank Lampard spot-kick a little later and Juan Mata scored his first goal for Chelsea during injury time.

.....beating Porto 2 - 0 in the process..

szólj hozzá: sdsd

A canter for Juergen Klopp and his foals

The Champions League group stage is set and Arsenal in Group F find themselves in the company of L'OM, Olympiakos, and Borussia Dortmund. Not an easy group because we play a storied French side that has turned things around, the Greek league champions, and the giant killing Bundesliga champions. Man Utd are smiling all the way to the knock out stage with their draw.

The laser like focus is on the clash with Marseilles because lets face it is a club familiar to Arsene Wenger from his days at AS Monaco and the group stage will renew those hostilities. There has been no love lost either with Arsenal spiriting away Samir Nasri in a manner similar to City. Mathieu Flamini is another association and his arrival at Arsenal was not quite amicable. L'OM is managed by Didier Deschamps who in his first year achieved the Championnat and ended an 18 year drought. There will be inevitable comparisons to Wenger and his early success in the Premiership.

The more prescient comparison is to Borussia Dortmund and their young coach Juergen Klopp who at 44 years of age engineered a no name youth squad into one of the Bundesliga's most potent attacking forces. He joined in 2008 and under him the Borussians lifted themselves from 13th to 6th in 2009. In 2010 they improved to fifth and set themselves on course for their ground breaking 2011 championship season.

Their midfield is loaded with talent and the name Mario Götze is bandied about with relish amongst supporters. He's just 19 years and at this tender age has sparked the same sort of excitement reserved for Mesut Oezil. The DFB technical director, Matthias Sammer hailed him as one of the best German talents.

"He's an exceptional player, has good speed, is extremely creative, and has outstanding technical skills."

Gotze got his call into Dortmund's senior squad last season after an injury sidelined Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa who at 22 years reminds one of Shunsuke Nakamura in his prime with his set piece prowess and skillful passing. Dortmund was in danger of losing momentum in his absence and Klopp turned to Gotze from the reserves.

The 18 year old sparked Borussia with his 15 assists and 6 goals in his first complete season. In comparison, Cesc Fabregas took three seasons to come up with comparable numbers. Gotze and 19 year old Nuri Sahin formed a fruitful association with strikers Kevin Grosskreutz, Robert Lewandowski, and Lucas Barrios which yielded 44 goals. Sahin was adjudged best Bundesliga player by Kicker magazine with Gotze coming second. Real immediately targeted Sahin as a transfer and the German born Turk recently completed his induction as a Blanco.

Klopp wasted no time signing VfL Bochum's 20 year old, Ilkay Gundogan, set to step into Sahin's shoes. Club Brugge's Ivan Perisic who was the Jupiter League's top scorer in 2010-2011 with his 22 goals became another summer acquisition. At £4.8m he became Klopp's most expensive signing. In comparison, Arshavin at £15m is Wenger's most exorbitant purchase.

Connecting the backfield with the attacking midfield is Sven Bender, the 22 years old international prospect who filled captain Sebastian Kehl's shoes admirably after yet another injury kept the former Mannschaft representative out for five months in the winter.

Bender was the lynchpin in the Dortmund's watertight defense like their attacking counterparts wear the fresh bloom of youth. In 22 year old Mats Hummels, the Borussians have found their next Christoph Metzelder and his partnership with Neven Subotic, the 22 year old US emigre, proved seminal in forming the thriftiest defense in the league. Subotic still maintains a cult following in Sam's Army even after his disappointing switch to Serbian allegiance. Marcel Schmelzer and Łukasz Piszczek, the full backs, maintain that youthful distinction while turning in their best performances last season.

Klopp's U23 band of youthful interlocutors have done exactly what Arsene Wenger had promised to do with his 2005 template. Since then it's been the story of this year being different from the last year while remaining almost the same. The average age of the Arsenal squad is 23 years while Borussia's is 24 years. The difference in a year is more than made up by their grasp of a title that has so fare eluded Wenger's revolution. As the CL group stage draws near.

A tribute to Joe Ledley to the tune of Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire' by some kids in Thailand.
"The Thai Tims" - have been posting songs, such as the homage to midfielder Joe Ledley in the video below, to help raise awareness and money for the Good Child Foundation charity.
The link between the charity, Celtic FC, and the schoolchilden, was forged when a 19-year-old called Reamonn Gormley from Lanarkshire in Scotland was tragically stabbed to death near his home earlier this year.
Reamonn had done charity work for the school in Thailand, where he passed on his love for his football team to the kids and the teachers.
All profits from the sale of the song go to the Good Child Foundation and initiatives to prevent knife crime in Scotland.

Eden's balls might prove a hazard to other clubs

Arsene Wenger is making his much awaited push for getting quality into the Emirates by offering £22m for highly rated holding midfielder Yann M'Vila. Rennes had rejected his initial bid of £15m.

Can't see how they can reject an offer that increases the initial amount by almost 50%. This is a record Arsenal bid for an incoming transfer.

Wenger's midfield reconstruction will not be complete without getting a quality creative midfielder and the first choice is Eden Hazard whose club Lille have said is off the table. Reports suggest that might not be the case with the 22 year old indicating a willingness to move if the right club came knocking. A bid of £25m is being prepared for him which should sway Lille's mind. A cheaper and equally attractive option would be to get Sochaux's Marvin Martin or "little Xavi" as he's more popularly known.

There are reports linking Real's Raul Albiol who has fallen out of first squad contention with Arsenal's need to bolster central defense. Frankly, he leaves one cold. Having seen him in some El Clasicos and La Liga matches he comes across as slow and error prone. The Premiership will eat him alive. Wenger is better advised to go for quality within the league.

Marek Hamsik was marginally offside when it all happened otherwise this would be in the pantheon of all time great goals. Napoli lost 0-5 to Barca but Cavani's effort would have been valued at about 10 times as much if it had counted. Technicalities be damned, it still is.

"I really believe if you are a player who thinks only about money then you could end up at Manchester City," said Clichy. "You have to think if you want to play for a big club and have your image or if you want to play for a good club and earn big money. When you ask someone to move for something like £300,000 a week it is just crazy."

That was Clichy in 2009 before he was struck by the altruistic insight that he was moving to City only to win titles. Nasri too hides behind that contention and not the fact that he's going to be paid almost triple of what he was paid at Arsenal.

It's all a bit sad and sadder still that it is Patrick Vieira who is encouraging these moves which are purely motivated by greed. Did he not learn anything at Arsenal? Honour, decency, and titles that were not bought??

You know who's watching. The man who left us with bitter sweet memories. Before the match:

" Tonight ill be watching Arsenal, my ex-team mates, friends and all the fans. I wish u all the best of luck cause u deserve to be in the CL."

After the match:

"Amazing! Come on!"

Follow him on Twitter.

One class act, that Cesc! Thanks for all the memories.

Is this man on his way to becoming a legend?

This was a reaffirming and exhilarating win over Udinese. The pall, the gloom, the self doubt that had dogged the club since the Paleolithic era was lifted and now Arsenal go into the group stage with a sense of momentum. Did we hear a great huge sigh of collective relief? Here in the Stadio Friuli were born heroes that did not wear the name Fabregas, Nasri, or Green Lantern.

All hail Gervinho: For he of the broad forehead jinked and jived all over the field and his endeavour and cut back found Robin Van Persie for the equalizer. I would like to play Purple Haze right now.

All hail Carl Jenkinson: For he all of 19 years old and thrown into the cauldron of fire for his baptism came out smelling sweet as he neutralized all those with Italian sounding last names and the non- Italian sounding last names.

All hail Emmanuel Frimpong: For he off the ripped abs and sliding tackles set a tone in the first half he would eat Friulian babies for breakfast and set aside their feet for tambourines to be used in his jive band. See Gervinho.

All hail Theo Walcott: For he of that 4.2 second 50 metre burst that ate real estate and outwitted Samir Handanovic, the Slovenian goalie who claims Paul the Octopus as one of his many tentacled brethren.

All hail Wojciech Szczęsny: For he stopped the wiliest striker in the Serie and arguably in the world with a save that saved thousands, nay, millions, I say millions of Arsenal lives from cardiac arrest. A pivotal moment in science that could call for the Nobel Prize in medicine or is it peace? Desmond Tutu move over.

All hail Alexander Song: For he of the crab feet and even crabbier disposition not letting daylight pass between his feet and that of Arsenal. He prevented the Udinese midfield from doing any more damage while he snapped at their ankles all evening.

All hail Robin Van Persie: For he of the eternal left foot finally found a pass to his liking and stopped the Udinese uprising. The odds say he'll score are tremendous if you give him the right opportunities. Gervinho to VP's left is the eternal feedback machine that should be played over and over again.

All hail Bakary Sagna: For he of the right disposition had to play left. And he did a great job because Gervinho is no defender. Lovely cameo and hopefully Wenger does the right thing and gets quality cover for Gibbs.

All hail Thomas Vermaelen: For he gave away a penalty kick which made Szczesny look so good. But seriously, he was the real captain (clue Biffy Clyro) and he rose to the task rendering Udinese midgets or were they dwarfs? Sort it out Steve Coogan and Co.

All hail Johan Djourou: For he was a strong injury concern. But Djourou was responsible for forming the last line of defense that Di Natale found hard to breech on a number of instances.

All hail Aaron Ramsey: For it is hard to play in the recently vacated shoes of a near legend like Cesc Fabregas. But Ramsey has not been found lacking in desire. He can only get better as he hones his finesse and vision.

All hail Tomas Rosicky: For the first time in a long time one can say the Czech midfielder put his energy, a quality he's never lacked, into serious purpose. He was not lightweight.

All the players stepped up. The desired results will come when Arsenal strings together such displays. And in a sign Wenger never cheered when they scored. No double clutched fists pumping up. In fact, the celebrations were subdued as he exhorted them to concentrate on the rest of the minutes to bring home the victory. There have been too many false dawns in the past. Much work needs to be done. Tomorrow is the draw for the group stage and hopefully Arsenal catch a break. For the moment we savour a sweet, sweet moment. A toast and one of many to Gooners everywhere in the world. Drink well, my friends!!

According to The Sun, the Sleazy One could be facing up to a 15 match ban for his organ trafficking ways. The Spanish Federation woke up to the world chortling at their lack of spine. At the very least a 4 match ban is contemplated.

Steve McMahon is heading a private venture bringing Liverpool's brand to India and opening football academies in five different venues in India by 2012. The academies will bear his name and come under the auspices of the official LFC academy.

India along with China represent the biggest developing markets for football and Liverpool and Man Utd have been in the forefront to realize their potential for expanding their presence and profitability. Utd with its biggest fan base in Asia have announced plans to go public in the Singapore stock exchange to raise $1b in cash.

Liverpool's entry into India is a far more calibrated approach balancing the concerns of average Indian football fans to see a long term investment in developing the sport in their country with the economic bottomline. The club has ambitions to get their Stanley Park ambitions back on track and write off bank debts dragging down its profitability.

"This is not about the money, this is about me giving something back to the game," said McMahon, who is partnering with Liverpool and Indian real estate developer Carnoustie Management Pvt. in creating the schools. "The English Premier League should have been here a long time ago, we are here finally walking the walk."

The first academy will open in NOIDA which is minutes from New Delhi and McMahon envisions opening three other centres in Delhi and the NCR region. North East and East India will then follow in about a year. The expansion will be complete with centres opening in Mumbai, Goa and South India in the next 18 months. The target demographic is the burgeoning middle class who have lots of liquid cash and can obviously afford the fees to train their children. It's too early to say whether this is looked on as any more than piano lessons, learning French, or a way of keeping them out of trouble.

European giants Bayern Munich have also expressed an interest in opening a soccer academy in West Bengal near Kolkata. Blackburn Rover's Indian owners are also contemplating opening a similar school in Pune.

It's reflective of the nascent interest in the sport in India long starved off institutional support and now relying on the private sector to fill that lacuna. Hopefully Liverpool's presence represents translates into real gains. The club should open up opportunities for Indian youngsters to play in their senior teams because only exposure to international standards will bring commensurate improvement in the Indian national team's fortunes. McMahon sees that happening:

"We expect about 500 children in each location and that is what we want, more the better. Our aim is to build small blocks and then move around the country. We are also hoping to send children from here to Liverpool FC and maybe, they will play for the club and other big European teams."

Carnoustie Management Pvt Ltd manages the Lions, an international polo team and they have also been active in promoting adventure sports in India. Their real estate ventures include developing office and retail spaces, hotels, spas, and golf courses.

Comparisions with Zidane are inevitable.Borja Valero butted Andreas Johansson with his head after they got into a bit of tangle at the touchline in the Villareal - Odense CL qualifier...

The dangerous Pablo Armero looks to trouble Arsenal

The good part is Arsene Wenger will be on the sidelines sparing us the sight of the hapless Pat Rice searching for cues, any cue in the Udinese first leg. There is a story in this too which we'll get to in a later posting.

Robin Van Persie is back from suspension to give the attack more teeth. The midfield has been bolstered by Emanuel Frimpong's performance which allows Wenger the luxury of switching Song to centre back and partner Vermaelen as Johan Djourou although included is not quite at 100%. Armand Traore has also been included as the specialist left back allowing Sagna shunted to that position during the Liverpool match to resume his usual right back duties. Tomas Rosicky has also been declared fit which see his pairing with Ramsey in midfield.

Should Walcott start? He's more useful as a striker than a winger. But his pace could peg the dangerous wingback Pablo Armero into defensive duties. Armero's forays into attack provided the most dangerous moments for the Arsenal defense already feeling stretched containing the wily Antonio Di Natale. Walcott of course provided the only telling piece of Arsenal magic with his 4th minute goal that keeps this series competitive so there is a psychological aspect to his inclusion.

Arsenal has to go all out for another goal and put pressure on an Udinese side more than capable of scoring a handful. Wenger had to contend with a robust midfield of Giampiero Pinzi, Mauricio Isla, and Kwadwo Asamoah with their mix of youth and experience who had the better of Arsenal's midfield by some distance and should expect no drop off at home.

The starting line up should then read Szcz- Traore- Vermaelen- Song- Sagna- Frimpong- Rosicky- Ramsey- Gervinho- Walcott- Van Persie.

There is also the possibility that Wenger might bring Alex- Oxlade Chamberlain off the bench for his debut to try and force the pace if Arsenal falls behind.

The critical importance of this match cannot be understated. Win and Arsenal will go a long way in vanquishing the banshees of gloom and self doubt. There is a chance of changing the barrage of negative headlines and narrative enveloping the club. Each player needs to understand the full import of this match and seize the moment. The financial implications are equally important with €25m- €30m at stake. This is big money to a club that likes to keep its finances on the straight and narrow. The prospect of playing Champions League football could favour Arsenal in a player's decision to leave his club.

Meanwhile, Wenger likes to get much publicized credit for finding cut price talent and turning them into gems, Udinese for those less informed have been doing the same for years. Fabregas's Barca counterpart Alexi Sanchez is the most visible product of the Udinese system.There is Gokhan Inler and Cristian Zapata who have found homes elsewhere and earned the Friulians a buck or two.

The departures of these key players have not brought the same level of angst and disquiet roiling Arsenal perhaps because they labour under no illusions of being a small club. The money made through these sales have been quietly plowed back into one of the most intensive 24 x7 scouting operations which monitors leagues from all over the world without bias and sentiment for their talent. A rise to the top is a reflection of that commitment.

This Guardian picture says a thousand words: Defiant and in denial

Something rankles about an Arsenal ankle.

The ranks falling foul of a ankle injuries swells as Jack Wilshere joins Robin van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen, Kieran Gibbs, Abou Diaby, Theo Walcott, Thomas Rosicky, Andrey Arshavin, and Aaron Ramsey in the present squad to be kept out for substantial periods of time through injuries to that specific anatomical structure.

Wilshere has been sidelined for an additional three weeks at the least and its not clear when he will return. Wenger on his injury:

" It's a hot spot on the bone of his ankle that if you continue to play can lead to a stress fracture. So we had to stop him."

The timing could not have been worse. By the time Wilshere returns we could be picking up the dregs of an Arsenal season challenging the likes of Wislaw Krakow in the Europa and fighting Swansea for a race to the bottom. Then again we might be looking at a Thomas Vermaelen epic of stops and starts to a "mysterious" ankle ailment that refused to go away and finally called for surgical intervention.

In Ramsey and Diaby's case, horrendous tackles which led to ankle fractures and severe ligamentous damage kept them off the pitch for months. Diaby obviously has not yet fully recovered from that 2006 injury with his recurrences and it is not idle conjecture Ramsey could be faced with the same problem. The rest of the players show a less clear aetiology. There appears to be enough evidence to question their training and fitness methods. Are we looking at a systemic problem?

Arsenal obviously over drill the passing game and it is reflected in their possession stats so there could be an element of "wear and tear" which forms the basis of RMI's (repetitive motion injuries). The obvious remedy lie in fitness programs that build the supporting structures around the ankle and foot and repeated stress tests to see if the bio-mechanical linkages (an extra-ordinarily intricate piece of scaffolding) are patent. The obvious counter to this argument is Barca whose passing game run the pants off anyone in the world but are never beset with the same injury crisis. Their training and fitness methods are offered as panacea notwithstanding Mourinho's insinuations of "doping" which add to medico-surgical procedures on display in the Super Cup to slow them down.

The ankle problem points to yet another area where Arsenal have been caught short. We have already written tomes about Wenger's fumbling response to the telegraphed departures of Fabregas and Nasri. And we can also bring up the "set piece" crisis that torpedoed Arsenal's last season. Who thinks these crises are unrelated? The frustrating part is that in each instance the remedy is clear. The side that now wears a unenviable reputation of shooting themselves in the foot does it once again.

If anyone missed this, here is Annie Kelly's gripping account of the barra bravas, the gangs that control Argentinian football.

At best its the romantic notion of a fan fighting back to get a piece of a pie that is making everyone else rich. However in a football mad country like Argentina with its huge economic disparities these Robin Hood notions turn out fanciful. The clubs and the players feed off the adulation off their fiercest fans who in turn bask in the afterglow. But behind this seemingly innocuous symbiosis lies an underworld of mercenary gain. The barra bravas in return for their fealty are given control of everything from ticket sales to drug trafficking to player commissions. It's a racket fit for the Mafia.

The violence has gotten worse as rivals have turned on each other to muscle the other out and increase their share of the loot. They are aided and abetted by willing accomplices in a corrupt police force that receives its share of the spoils.

In River Plate's case these barra bravas actually did more damage than good when their club was relegated for the first time in their storied history. The extra-ordinary scenes witnessed grown men weep and then inconsolable turn their anger towards the players and the club. The Monumental was damaged, cars were set on fire, and then riots broke out injuring 89 people including 35 police officers.

Players like Diego Maradona and Carlos Tevez who escaped the slums of Buenos Aires to adorn the game with their genius have unfortunately created a vacuum. They have left legions in hope but very few can become like them. The next best thing is to become the most dedicated fan. That is the hook these gangs use to recruit new members.

Tom Marshall in his blog FMF State of Mind highlights the possible repercussions of the drug cartel related violence that erupted outside the Estadio Corona in Torreon which brought a match between home team Santos Laguna and Monarcas Morelia to a standstill this weekend.

The shootout between the drug cartels and police authorities led to the players and officials fleeing the field and as the gunfire intensified part of the crowd invaded the pitch heading towards the exits. Many took refuge behind the barriers. The match was finally suspended.

Marshall makes an important point when he says that the Mexican Primera has been successful in attracting very good talent from other South American leagues (Christian Benitez, Humberto Suazo) because of its higher wages. The influx of quality which has enhanced the Primera considerably is now in danger because of the escalating violence. Players from other leagues may decide it is not worth taking the risk and stop coming.

Drug related violence has claimed over 34,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon launched his crackdown on the drug cartels in 2006. This BBC report has more on the cartels and the territories they control. The spike in execution style killings is partly due to the turf war between the cartels and their battle with the Mexican army which has been inducted by Calderon to clean up the drug trade. Caught in between are the innocents.

The Joan Gamper Trophy is an annual friendly football competition held in August, before the start of Barcelona's La Liga season.The competition is hosted by Barcelona at the Camp Nou stadium and is named in honour of Joan Gamper, a founding member, player, and later president of the club. The competition has been around since 1966.
The 2011 edition saw Barcelona take on Napoli and then beat them 5 - 0.
Fabregas showing how much he's enjoying the return to Barcelona by scoring the first...

On the heels of the news that Samir Nasri has asked not to be included in the squad comes the even grimmer one of Jack Wilshere being declared unfit for the crucial Udinese second leg playoffs.

Nasri's request comes after Roberto Mancini expressed his concern he would consider pulling the plug on a transfer deal if the French midfielder was made cup tied. The board probably put out a memo to Arsene Wenger that this was bad business. At least there was some hope that Wilshere would make this trip because it does not take too much to realize how much is at stake if Arsenal fail to progress in the Champions League.

By now Udinese are sharks smelling a mortally wounded prey. The midfield is lightweight without Wilshere and the defense wears a makeshift look with Johan Djourou an injury doubt which could mean Ignasi Miquel might get his second start. Sebastian Squillaci has not come off the bench which means he's picked up an injury or worse, lost his coach's confidence.

The Chelsea midfielder's father who was kidnapped in Nigeria more than a week ago has been rescued by the Nigerian police. Michael Obi was found in the northern city of Kano and six of his captors were arrested. His face bore the marks of a number of beatings that he said he had to endure at their hands.

Got to hand it to Mikel who continued to play his matches against Stoke and West Brom without showing signs of strain at his father's ordeal. Andre Villas-Boas was all praise for his player's professionalism.

Mikel released this statement after his father's rescue:

"John Obi Mikel would like to thank everyone in Nigeria, his family and friends, Chelsea FC and their fans and his agents for their total support during this terrible time."

If you noticed like I did a pint sized player who took over midfield for the Philadelphia Independence in Sunday's semi-final against the MagicJack and wondered idly, "She is something special", don't go into the scouting business just yet.

Veronica Boquete is already out there and is the WPS player of the year because she is special. For those who've followed her career in Spain, her exploits for the Independence come as no surprise. In the 8 months since she joined she has led them to the final scoring 5 goals and providing 4 assists. Three of those goals have proven to be match winners.

Boquete is listed as a striker but her versatility lies in her attacking midfielder role where she shows Cesc Fabregas like vision with her passes. She might have something to say about that because she played for FCD Espanyol at the Cornella Prat, fierce derby rivals of Barca for a season before Independence coach Paul Riley brought her to Chester in January. The Independence have since gone 10-1-1 when she plays. Their record without her is a less stellar 2-3-2. Which sums up what instant impact is all about.

"When she is in the line-up, the rules say that we win the game," laughed Riley.

The semi-finals against the MagicJack pitted them against a side which boasted nine internationals who had done duty in the recent World Cup. Amongst them Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Christy Rampone, Lisa De Vanna, and Shannon Boxx. A side packed with talented individuals with a track record of changing the game in an instant. But it was Boquete showing her patience and touch on the ball who opened up the game for Amy Rodriguez and Natasha Kai. The movement on and off the ball was quite outstanding and behind it all was Boquete playing conductor. The Independence came ever closer to scoring but Kai and Rodriguez proved a trifle wasteful.

There was a moment of petulance just before halftime when her finely measured pass collected by Rodriguez failed to find the net. She quickly recovered and encouraged Rodriguez after which she checked on Kai stretching on the sidelines.

Her mini intervention seemed to have worked. The Independence struck twice through Kai and Rodriguez in the second half and the MagicJack's increasingly desperate but entirely predictable response was to find Wambach who was effectively marshaled by Kia McNeill. The MagicJack had no one in their side that could match Boquete's command of the game.

Boquete knows exactly the difference she brings to the game.

"In Spain, soccer is more possession of the ball, touch and movement. It is less physical but more technical than in the U.S."

Coach Riley elaborates on it further crediting her for her football IQ.

"She is as smart as everybody thought," said Riley, who was recently named the WPS coach of the year. "She is that good. She is clever and I think she is just different. She is one of those world-class players."

These qualities make her a standout. The Independence will never be a one dimensional team with her in the midst. Now, they take on Western New York in the finals this Saturday with their big ticket names including Marta and Christine Sinclair in the WPS's most potent attack.

szólj hozzá: Man Utd 3-0 Tott

Spurs came to Old Trafford having not won there since 1989. For about 60 minutes both sides created little with David De Gea providing a moment or two of nail biting stuff. The sight of Edwin Van Der Sar in the stands served a reminder of the huge shoe to be filled by the young Spanish goalie.

It's also an axiom that Utd will outlast you. Danny Welbeck got things started with his header of Tom Cleverley's cross and soon after his back heel set up Anderson's goal. Ryan Giggs came on for the last 10 minutes and picked out Wayne Rooney for a ridiculously simple header and a 3-0 scoreline. There was also a welcome Chicharito sighting after Welbeck's substitution.

Next up, Arsenal, another NE London team with a litany of problems whose aetiology is far from clearly understood save it is a virulent condition with multiple foci. Hopefully Arsenal can anesthetize itself into mind numbing nothingness from the ablative surgery sure to follow.

AC Milan have won the 21st edition of the Trofeo Berlusconi.They beat Juventus 2-1.
Kevin Boateng's opening goal was quite brilliant. Abate's cross from the right to the far side of penalty box was met with a spectacular volley. Seedorf then scored from a free kick that did not give Buffon much time to move either.

Samir, your manager needs you. Do the right thing.

Roberto Mancini has threatened to pull the plug on the Samir Nasri transfer deal because Arsene Wenger could cup tie the French midfielder if he is featured in the Udinese second leg playoffs.

Wenger has made clear he expects Nasri to be ready to play which if it should happen will render him ineligible to play for City in the CL should the transfer go through. Mancin's reaction to that possibility:

"If he plays in the Champions League [for Arsenal] it is a big problem. I don't know [if we would still sign him]. I'm sure we can close the deal."

Mancini has directed his anger at the City board for footdragging on the Nasri transfer. He said they had 40 days to act and he doesn't know why they didn't close it. There has obviously been quite a bit of back and forth with respect to Nasri. It's possible that the board did not rate him on the scale of a Sergio Aguero signing. So far City have looked very good going forward and Mancini reserved his concerns for the defensive lapses which allowed Bolton to comeback strongly in the match. A cup tied Nasri might weaken the resolve of the board further.

Wenger mentioned that the transfer will not happen for a long, long time and that Nasri is very happy at Arsenal which is how he characterized his frame of mind more than a month ago. A very positive spin on a gold-digging player. But it could also mean Wenger has made a personal appeal to Nasri now that the club faces a troubled season.

If this transfer deal falls through then Nasri can walk out on a free next season which of course makes for bad business sense but so does a premature end to further Champions League participation. There are far more serious consequences to a diminished European presence. More importantly, it puts Wenger under even greater pressure to set course for a fourth place finish.

Nasri did not look fazed while on the pitch against Liverpool with all the speculation swirling around. He gave a very good account for a player who had seen very little pre-season action. Arsenal should not count on that one goal advantage standing up for another 90+ minutes despite that lauded rearguard action at the Emirates. Udinese showed they were very strong going forward and only a lack of finish and some luck saved them from doing damage. With Nasri there is at least one player capable of weaving some individual magic.

UEFA has imposed a two match touchline ban on Arsene Wenger. Meanwhile Jose Mourinho can go around gouging out eyes, kicking a player while laying on the pitch, and engage in wholesale rabble rousing. No problems. Thank you sir, can I have another gouging with perhaps a serving of organ entrails on the side?

Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila has been linked with Arsenal

Arsene Wenger might finally bring in a late cavalry charge to add quality to the midfield.

Yann M'Vila the highly rated holding midfielder from Rennes is a £15million target, although there are reports of Rennes denying any such link.

Further upfield Arsenal is linked with Lille's Eden Hazard once again to provide the creative spark. His transfer fee is in the region of £20m. Another player in the same role on the short list is Marvin Martin, Sochaux's eye catching attacking midfielder who may come at a more reasonable price.

The usual linkages to Phil Jagielka are still doing the rounds.

The caveat is all of this will have to hold till after Wednesday because a major attraction playing for Arsenal is the prospect of Champions League participation. If they are able to overcome Udinese then Arsenal goes into negotiations for potential transfers with the upper hand. If they are eliminated then it becomes a tougher sell as personal terms and the transfer fee in the absence of a direct appeal figure more prominently.

Wenger has reiterated he wants to buy, but the difficult part is who to buy. He says he's bought quality in his recent signings but it is potential quality and not experience. Plus the jury is still out on whether his recent signings of more experienced players have proven successful. An intelligent ideologue like Wenger is probably going through some analysis paralysis and yet the pressure to act has never been greater.

There are other positions that are uncovered where Arsenal could do with strengthening. One is at left back where the options after Kieran Gibbs is very limited with Armando Traore also out with an injury. Wenger missed a golden opportunity in Luis Enrique who signed with Liverpool and then subdued Walcott in the weekend match. And Arsenal need a genuine target man in front who can take the pressure of RVP. Bendtner is unsettled and Chamakh shows no appetite to be that player.

szólj hozzá: Bolton - Manchester City 2:3

Jussi Jaskailanen could have done better with a David Silva shot which he failed to stop cleanly. However there was no mistaking the quality of the Gareth Barry goal which followed. This was one in a lifetime because when was the last time Barry and quality were mentioned in the same sentence?

Bolton answered through Ivan Klasnic and at halftime the match was delicately poised at 2-1. Edin Dzeko made it difficult for Bolton thereafter with his second half strike as City built a two goal lead. But Kevin Davies taking advantage of a slow reacting defense was able to rise above to head the ball and cut the deficit. The match ended with City taking all three points and on top of the table.

Sergio Kun Aguero did not have to do much after his sensational debut against Swansea. But Bolton look good. They moved the ball well and they seem to come up with goals. They might be in for a high finish this season.

And Jesus said, go forth and save Arsenal for a recompense of loaves and fish

Kaka's future in Real is a mystery. The 2007 Golden Ball winner is drifting in a team that signed Mesut Oezil, Nuri Sahin, and Fabio Coentrao to bolster the midfield.

Jose Mourinho played him sparingly in the pre-season fixtures with the LA Galaxy as the only substantial outing. He came on for 13 minutes in the Super Cup second leg against Barca where he did little of consequence. In the meanwhile his €65m transfer fee and a yearly salary of €10m is a proving an albatross. Offloading him has become difficult and Milan ruled out a return move.

The rumours are a loan move to Arsenal could materialize as Wenger tries to introduce a spark of creativity in a midfield lacking Fabregas. For all the happy talk, Nasri is at best a short term bandaid.

Whether this has any traction is debatable. Kaka has been far, far short of his magnificent form for a number of years. He was MIA with athletic pubalgia which kept him out for a year and required surgical intervention. It's difficult to envision Kaka being match fit to play 90 minutes without risk of re-injuring himself. In addition, he's lost a lot of his quickness and ability to get through defenses.

David Beckham's launched free kick finds Robbie Keane and the former Spurs man waits for Jon Busch to make a fool of himself to find an open goal. Nicely timed run by Keane and no, he was not offside. Busch made a royal mess of it. Galaxy win 2-0 and Keane shows why he will be a big part of this LA attack.

Too bad we can't improve the commentating though. We've to endure inanities like "Irish eyes are smiling. Welcome to Hollywood."

Mika, Portugal's outstanding goalie who had not conceded a goal in 574 minutes found he had feet of clay against Oscar who completed a memorable hat trick to lead the Brazilians to their fifth U20 title. The former colony reversed their 1991 penalty shoot out defeat (4-2) against Portugal.

Brazil went to their deep bench introducing Negueba, a force on the right with his speed and great crossing ability and Allan after halftime. The match turned around when Dudu, the super sub coming off the bench showed great footwork to get better of the packed Portugese defense and found Oscar on the rebound for Brazil's equalizer in the 78th minute. Till then Portugal looked like it was coasting to victory.

In the 110th minute Oscar launched a beautifully measured ball which found Mika reacting a fraction too late for all the critical winner. Congratulations, Brazil! The 2011 class has some outstanding talent and just in time for the 2014 World Cup.

Bursaspor's Teteh Bangura used his hand to flick the ball over the Anderlecht defender.The referee awarded a penalty to Bursaspor.
If we assume that the ref was trying to do his job as well as he could then why would he award a penalty when it should have been a free kick for the opposite team ?
After looking at the video a few times I think he saw the handball but just connected the hand to the wrong body.
But then he just got one look at what happened in real time.
No slow mo replays.
Can you blame him ?

Chelsea played against West Brom with Drogba on the bench again.Torres did not score again. Anelka and Malouda were the goalscorers. Andre Villas-Boas got his first taste of victory thanks to comeback goals from them after West Brom had gone in front with a goal from Shane Long.

Emmanuel Frimpong is a unit: Now he needs a bit more control

It's hard to believe we're just three matches old and already Arsenal wears the scars of a full season. The weak of heart need not apply because we really do not how this will all end. A spectacular supernova implosion or a gradual decline into a red dwarf?

The summary: Arsenal were further depleted with yet another defender limping off, the second match in a row a player was sent off, three 19 year olds making their debuts, a comedic own goal which was actually offside, and the genie of Titi Camara that had lived in a bottle for 11 years till Aaron Ramsey decided to rub it on his chest. Yes, include Luis Suarez into that mix. Because he made the difference between another goalless draw and the a 2-0 scoreline in favour of Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish might be rubbished for every other transfer but Suarez makes him look like a genius.

I suspect Arsene Wenger loves these spectacles. It's very Moliere. He sent in Samir Nasri who actually spent time away from Twitter to put in a decent shift. Rumours are that he might not be singing Blue Moon quickly enough for his liking. We shall see.

This new Arsenal will make George Graham perk up with interest. They don't score goals and they look ugly. I sort of forget the number of forays made in the first half that found no one in the middle. No one. Van Persie had to go off his orbit to find the ball because Ramsey is no Fabregas. And there is no one to give him company up top. Andy Carroll may be a lump of clay but compared to Marouane Chamakh he's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Wenger said something about "focusing on the players we have". I don't think Arshavin got the memo. He is a shadow of the player who spent his earlier career terrorizing Liverpool. There appears to be no desire to even try and fill the vacuum left by Fabregas. As a reminder: Arshavin is Arsenal's most expensive signing at £16.5 million. His tongue in cheek comments on his website attract more attention than his exploits on the pitch nowadays.

It's the defense that's gathering all the encomiums. Thomas Vermaelen looks like he's making up for that missed season. Carl Jenkinson playing out of position looked game for the toe to toe. Miguel Ignasi settled after his early jitters. Bakary Sagna was his solid self. Which brings us to Emanuel Frimpong who looks like he could tear a bunny rabbit to bits and send its uncle the bill to clean the mess. The best player in the middle at 19 years but also one who looked most likely to go out of control. Which is what happened and Arsenal's afternoon quickly turned to loose sewerage.

Everyone is baying for new signings. But Wenger always the contrarian, thinks differently. His history boys will make it one of these days.

Headmaster: There's a vacancy in history.
Tom Irwin: [Thoughtfully] That's very true.
Headmaster: In the school.
Tom Irwin: Ah.

Arsenal were down to 10 men against Liverpool when a clearance from Miquel bounced off Aaron Ramsey into the goal....
Liverpool went on to win 2 - 0
The 10 men on the field was because Emmanuel Frimpong collected a second yellow and had to take an early break from the proceedings.
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szólj hozzá: Ar0-1Li[matchhighlight.com] HD

The horror will be if Juan Mata scores the winning goal against Arsenal. At £23.6m, he's not that expensive. Chelsea acted decisively after Andre Villas- Boas was left unimpressed by their lack of cutting edge in the midfield in the Stoke opener.

He was keen on coming to the Emirates but Arsenal failed to make a bid in July. Chalk this up as a huge missed opportunity. Mata is undoubtedly quality but he's not "super quality". Not in the same league as Marouane Chamakh. No sirree.

As Bashar Al Assad looks on Mourinho scoops dirt out of Tito Vilanova's eye

There has been much talk of a Jose Mourinho return to the Premiership after his Real Madrid spell. It has been fueled partially by conjecture but mostly by the man himself who has talked of the emotional pull of his days at Chelsea. On the face, he has an impeccable lineage, taking each of his teams to the top, in three different leagues. Real Madrid waits in the wings for a Barcelona stumble for him to accomplish his own personal goal. He should be on the top of every coaching wishlist.

In his quest, Mourinho has become the master of mind games, by insinuation, milking every weakness, and wrecking every semblance of self esteem. In Italy he enraged his rivals rubbing their faces in zero tituli derision. While at Chelsea he often delighted in skewering Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez while maintaining a personal friendship with Sir Alex. Which forms sort of basis for why some see him as a heir apparent to the Man Utd manager who has furthered that notion by singing his praises. The psy ops warfare on his opposition often mean spirited, nevertheless, were looked on by many, as entertaining diversions, to the build up to the game. Mourinho also used the media to paint himself as a persecuted man constantly at odds with the establishment. It was all good theatre which was best of all, free.

Yet, what he did the other day at Barcelona clearly crossed the line. Verbal jousting is one thing, trying to deliberately maim a member of the coaching fraternity just sent it out of the ball park. Paul Hayward mentions him as being out of control. I tend to agree with commentators pointing to his measured walk to Tito Vilanova, trying to gouge out his eye, and walking back with a smirk as the actions of man who clearly and malevolently set out to deliver a clear message of intimidation.

Mourinho choosing the banality of evil turned what was actually an engrossing match full of rightful drama on the pitch into a tragic sideshow. It takes away from the fact that an outstanding Real team forced a magnificent response from Barca to beat them. The second leg was a fitting coda to the first till it dissolved into an orgy of extra-curricular activity. The post mortem has not been pretty. The biggest fear is Mourinho might finally deliver a meaningful title for Madrid but by then Spanish football would would look like the bastard child of Steve Tyler and Roseanne Barr. La Liga would be the black hole of nothingness as other clubs are sucked into the vortex by the immense gravitational pull of these two clubs.

In England, the very thought of diving sent Joey Barton into paroxysms. For a player who has had his share of acting out, this represents a return to a very rudimentary sense of conscience. But if Barton is a troubled soul what is one's reaction to nihilism?

Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger don't pretend to be good friends but even at its bitterest the rivalry between Man Utd and Arsenal was played out on the pitch with the managers maintaining a cordial relationship. Sir Alex even went as far as making a personal plea to fans to stop chanting that ugly pedophilia ditty that goes on tap every time Wenger makes an Old Trafford appearance. And last season Wenger heard no end of it for refusing to shake Kenny Dalglish's hand after that deflating draw. He was excoriated on both sides of the aisles for being a poor loser.

When you think of such instances as representing the skew in English decorum within members of the coaching fraternity, Mourinho's actions begin to take on perspective. Many will point to Mourinho's less amicable departure from Barca as the starting point for these troubles. And the well known distaste of Madridistas for a club associated intimately with Catalonian autonomy. There is always an edge to these El Clasicos which is why they're one of the most anticipated matches in the world. A chip on the shoulder if harnessed well is a good thing. But the combination is proving to be poisonous.

Imagine Mourinho if he came to Utd. There is just a hint that Roberto Mancini (who he replaced at Inter) and City could end a one sided derby. All it would take is a polarizing figure like him for all hell to break loose. Riots. Who wants that? More likely, Mourinho comes out so damaged by the end of his Real Madrid career, he's virtually unemployable. Well, there is always Rupert Murdoch, his kindred spirit who could use his talents to start Gouge Eye News. On the other hand there could also be a more salubrious result. Like the epiphany of the emperor Ashoka renouncing war after surveying the death and destruction on the battlefield of Kalinga. We hope.

Hearts suffered the heaviest European defeat in their history as Tottenham took them apart 5- 0 in the first leg of the Europa League 4th & final qualifying round .

David Dein has appealed to fans to get behind good friend Arsene Wenger

Attribution theory is a central pillar of social psychology and was studied extensively by Fritz Heider in the 1950s and 60s. Our life is made up of sets of circumstances that can be controlled and are also beyond control. The personal choices we make put us in charge while at the same time natural disasters or death remind us of our mortality and contribute to feelings of helplessness.

The interaction between the two sets and our own personal biases make for a variety of human responses. Feelings of drift, angst, and denial are very much part of those responses. These terms have been used increasingly as a gestalt of Wenger's state of mind.

In the wake of David Dein's appeal to fans that we must unconditionally get behind Arsene Wenger, facing possibly his toughest season as coach. Dein's rationale is that Wenger is very much in control and points to circumstances elsewhere for the problems facing the club.

As Arsenal fans, we too face one of our most testing times. The dilemma is that the manager who gave us all our best years seems to be taking them back one at a time and consigning them to the dustbin of history. Dein is right in asking us to support Wenger but we should remember where exactly this support needs to be given.

Do we believe in Wenger's philosophy of finding and developing talent? Yes. There is no other way out. It is perhaps the raison d'etre of any sport and the only pure one. Everything else is money and steroids. Arsenal is one of the few big clubs that shows us a way around the calumny of the blank check. Wenger has been a tireless advocate of that philosophy and an increasingly isolated one.

Do we believe Wenger changed the face of Arsenal's football? Yes. The above reason might be an abstraction for most. The more visceral response is to Wenger's blueprint which transformed a club from defensive deadwood to the free flowing brand that made Arsenal one of the most followed clubs in the world. In the process he achieved stunning success and gave rise to our legends. I for one will always remember he gave us the incomparable Dennis Bergkamp, a joy to behold, an artist, an auteur, and an Arsenal true blue. Wenger spoiled us too early, too soon.

Do we believe it's too early to be pulling our support from Wenger? Yes. The Premiership is just one game old. It could have been worse at Newcastle with Gervinho's dismissal. We just beat a very good Udinese side in the first leg of the CL. There appears to have been work done on the defensive end with a more assured display on set pieces which should steady us. The rest of the clubs apart from a few have not looked convincing either.

There are many other more personal choices for supporting Wenger including his vast breadth of knowledge about the sport and his ability to see its direction. But the first two are Wenger hallmarks and sets him apart from all other managers and ipso facto, Arsenal from every club. For this he needs our undivided loyalty. Set aside every prejudice when you think of all the good he's done for us and to the sport.

We now get to why this support should be discriminate. All those good words spoken above do not obviate the fact that Wenger is not a helpless bystander wringing his hands at the sight of a car wreck which appears to be of his own making. It appears Wenger has boxed himself in with his particular set of self serving biases.

Do we believe Wenger is responsible for the current impasse? Yes. For someone gifted with soothsaying abilities, Wenger has been remarkably shortsighted in heading off a situation that one could see coming for months. At the end of last season, the deficiencies that dogged Arsenal were laid bare. Barca were going to come back for Fabregas, now at the end of his tether. Nasri was going to be a tough sell with his agent baying for more money. The time to act decisively had long come. Instead, we saw a Wenger, unprepared and paralyzed, to stop this from becoming an avalanche of bad news. The board has provided no remedy. It operates on cues. In fact, Wenger so far has made Ivan Gazidis eat his own words.

Do we believe Wenger has lost his touch in the transfer market? Yes. Words like "super quality" are just that. In fact, those words brought out an incredulous reaction. You do not have to cast your eye far back to see glaring examples of a fine mind gone wrong. Arsenal makes on an average fewer transfers and spends less. Keeping that context, the transfers it does make have to count more. Yet, here too we have an exercise in futility. Wenger also shelved his principle and re-signed players for quick fixes. There is a haphazard, off the cuff look about the transfers he's made in recent years and there appears to be no financially commensurate value to them. £12m for Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain is not a small sum of money for an untested player.

Wenger's response have amounted to condescending dismissals of these concerns. He understands our fears but we've been misled by a rabble rousing media into a three ring circus. We do not understand that buying players is not exactly the same as a supermarket shopping spree. His exasperated reaction to Arsenal's decline was "if it means second for the next twenty years, I'll be happy" a volte-face from his bombastic "quadruple" prediction. Such pendular swings in expectations are jarring and unnerve fans who have every reason to wonder if Wenger's grasp of affairs is slipping with each season and is not just a projection of their own neuroses.

David Dein is asking us to fall in line. We will do so. But not in a blind, witless way. You can't wave the memory eraser stick every time you talk to us. Arsenal with its long history will move on without its best players. Of course, the unspoken part is it too can do so without its best coach. But no one is thinking of that yet.

Samir Nasri finds a clever way to hide from Arsenal fans

Here is news that is further distraction to Arsene Wenger and effectively puts the lid on any more transfers into the club.

Samir Nasri might not an Arsenal player come Monday but there are reports suggesting he will be included in the squad to play Liverpool tomorrow. That's quite daft frankly. Who is Wenger sacrificing for short term gain?

On yet another level does Wenger believe exposing Nasri to all the slagging at the Emirates while in an Arsenal jersey is good for team morale? If I were Nasri I would facebook polar bears and slink off to Kamchatka till the winter solstice.

Fulham under Chris Coleman a few years ago was affectionately called Fulhamerica because of the distinct American look to that squad. Now only Clint Dempsey is left from the days of Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra.

It's Rangers who are now providing the welcome mat for Americans. Coach Ally McCoist signed Bocanegra to a three year contract from St Etienne after injuries and suspensions depleted his back four.

The centre back/ left back will join US national team mates Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya, signed a few hours earlier who will be arriving this January from Swedish club Orebro.

Gersamerica?? Ameribrox?? Add Stars and Stripes to the blue and the orange.

Apart from eye gouging here's a video that suggests that Mourinho took a kick at Fabregas while he was down after the challenge by Marcelo.

He's barely recognisable without his traditional headgear.
Chelsea manager Andrew Villas Boas reveals he was relieved to hear Petr Cech will only be out for 3 to 4 weeks after fearing that the injury sustained during training was worse. Cech injured knee ligaments after falling awkwardly and an MRI scan confirmed the extent of the damage.

Low budget pioneer Tony Fernandes takes over at QPR

Malaysian businessman and Tune Group chairman, Tony Fernandes completed his takeover of Queen Park Rangers buying out Bernie Ecclestone and Flavia Briatore's stake. He now controls 66% of the share while 33% belongs to the Mittal family who've made their fortune in mining and metals.

Fernandes's pioneering venture into low budget travel opened up the market to millions of Asians who could not afford to fly the expensive state owned airlines. His Air Asia modeled on low cost carrier Ryanair and JetBlue, offered no frills services and plenty of connections within Malaysia and between Thailand and Indonesia. Within 5 years of his Air Asia takeover Fernandes saw revenue grow 18% year-on-year to $562 million with a profit of $131m. He was able to cut costs of operating an airplane to 3.52 U.S. cents per available seat-kilometer, the lowest in the world. Forbes named him as Asian Businessman of the year in 2010 for changing the face of air travel in Asia.

Sports plays a huge part in Fernandes's life and as Tunes Group chairman he also owns Lotus Racing and has just launched the first professional basketball league in South East Asia. The QPR takeover is not out of leftfield as Fernandes, although a West Ham supporter (the Hammers at this point would gladly trade owners) spent time watching the Rangers play while growing up in England. His interests also include music where he first made his mark as an executive in Richard Branson's Virgin Group and then as head of Warner Music's SE Asia operations.

This is probably a good fit for QPR if you apply a low budget business model to Fernandes's high impact vision. There will be money in the QPR coffers obviously nothing close to City's blank checks but enough for one or two high priced signings that could be enough to keep them in the top flight and in a position to challenge for bigger goals in the seasons to come.

The colonizers meet their former colony as Portugal take on Brazil in the finals, a repeat of the 1991 edition won by Portugal on penalty kicks, 4-2.

The Luso won against France in a match where they maximized their few chances and then turned to their outstanding defense and their goalie, Mika to do the rest.

Mika broke the previous record of not conceding a goal which stood at 492 minutes logging 570 minutes and counting. The Portugese have been watertight in the back as well going 615 minutes without conceding a goal and requiring 19 more minutes to log yet another record which coincidentally belongs to their upcoming opponents. All this while they've scored a grand total of just five goals to get to the finals.

Henrique was the hero with a brace. Brazil has a great talent in Negueba who has a motor, ball skills, and great crossing ability. One to watch out for. Danilo, Allan, and Dudu also caught the eye with their slick passing that led to Henrique's second.

Brazil now meet Portugal in the finals on Saturday.

The reaction of the commentators around the world irrespective of language or TV station was one of uniform horror as Jose Mourinho goes neanderthal on Barca assistant coach Tito Vilanova and then walks away smirking. Those Real Madrid players have a fine role model. Can you blame them for being sore losers? This will probably land Mourinho a 5-6 match ban.

His action let loose a furious response. "Mourinho is a scourge on Spanish football," "Madrid's behaviour is pathetic" or "Mourinho is destroying Spanish football"

The Blancos did themselves no favours by refusing to attend the Super Cup trophy presentation. La Joga Feio indeed.

The Arsenal midfield gets busy without Fabregas

Juan Mata is now a Chelsea target. Jadson disappeared down a black hole. Eden Hazard is the choice of the chattering class but there is no traction in the circles who make these things happen. Meanwhile, Nasri is on the cusp of leaving for City which further weakens the midfield.

The Udinese match was the first serious test of a post Fabregas era and the midfield came out looking at best competent. At its worst it was a pushover for lengthy periods of time. Certainly adjectives like "attacking" and "flowing" aren't exactly what came to mind. Udinese's ability to switch from defense to attack in 0-60 was in direct contrast to Arsenal's approach which was one gear, ponderous, and lacking in ideas. A more brutal summation would be one minute of magic, 90 minutes of trying to keep the ball out of goal. The heroics were provided by the defense in a positive turnaround for a much maligned group.

Jack Wilshere's return will no doubt be a boost but at this stage of development he is nowhere near the quality of Fabregas. The conventional wisdom accepts that Wenger has no choice but to find a suitable replacement and with Nasri leaving this becomes an imperative. But what makes one believe that this thinking resonates with him?

Wenger after the Newcastle match was asked that question and his answer was a reiteration of past statements.

"What I want to say is we are not frightened to spend money but we have to be convinced that the player is better than what we have. Just spending money is not a target that is defendable."

His concept of "better" has proven rather contrarian. Everyone acknowledges Sergio Aguero could be the best thing in the EPL this season and in the years to come. His debut was equally convincing. Wenger might not see it that way because £35m is not exactly an investment in his book. He can point to Fabregas as a countervail to that argument. His tutelage of a virtual unknown developed a peer in today's game. There is enough inhouse talent in Wilshere or Benik Afobe to follow through on that success while it achieves the practical goal of home grown representation.

There is further evidence that he does not expect to be active in the transfer market because he expects present squad members to step up. The quality of opposition gives him a glimmer of hope the present configuration might not require any major tinkering.

"We focus on the players we have and we believe we have enough strength. I saw all the games over the weekend and I don't see why we should be suddenly afraid of anybody in England."

Wenger is also working hard to redefine success. If twenty years of finishing fourth was what he would take raised the inevitable "No, he didn't just say that" reaction, there it was again in the more fleshed out "We have built a team and a stadium in such a short space of time, we have a strong financial situation and we always survive at the top level."

There is this great desire on Wenger's part to level the playing field. Strip aside those highly moneyed players and the grim levels of unsustainable debt and one gets a clearer picture of who comes out ahead. At this point he's wearing two hats coaching Arsenal while he transforms himself into the saviour of the game. Why doesn't he just resign and join UEFA as Platini's trusted lieutenant? The answer maybe his belief that he's more effective as a reformist while in the trenches. UEFA cannot ask for a more effective pugilist to counteract criticisms of operating from an academic ivory tower and Wenger has shown no signs of pulling back on the punches.

It's a great frustration on Wenger's part that fans love the accessories more while spurning the "love me for who I am" spartan mantra that he's putting out regularly. There are so many questions he raises, the most existential one, "Who exactly is a fan?" He seems to be willing to impose his will which sets him up for a clash with the board if they start complaining of the bottomline. Don't underestimate the financial clout of the bandwagon jumpers. They're the ones buying the luxury boxes and the pies.

This is not an endorsement of his views as much as it reflects an attempt at understanding where he seems to come from in his reluctance to replace Fabregas. Wenger is trying to immunize himself after losing his best players by creating an alternate reality. The fallout is on view in the two matches so far. Arsenal is in grave danger of bowdlerizing its attacking and free flowing style into night of the living dead zombie football.

Cesc Fabregas's night was not done after his critical pass contributed to the winning goal. He was brought down moments later by Marcelo's vicious scissor tackle for which the Brazilian received a red card sparking a full out conflagration on the sidelines as Fabregas lay writhing on the pitch.

Just when you thought Jose Mourinho could go no lower he walks upto Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova and twists his ear. This will probably be reviewed by the Spanish FA and the Real coach could face a fine and a suspension. Por que, Mourinho??

Real's brownshirts led by Pepe, Higuain, and Ramos were in full flow as they shoved, pushed, and in Higuain's case tried to grab Jose Pinto's throat. Barca were not spotless either as David Villa punched Mesut Oezil in the face which led the German, normally a cool customer to go ballistic.

This is all down to Marcelo who shows poor impulse control in addition to his defensive liabilities. He's on the team primarily for his undoubted attacking talent but both he and Pepe are a horror show when it comes to tackling.

Cesc Fabregas came on for the last 10 minutes in the second half to make his Barca debut as the match hung in the balance with Karim Benzema equalizing for Real moments before. Would this be the turning point for Real?

As it turned out Fabregas made a critical contribution to the winning goal when he found Messi with an incisive pass which the Argentinian turned towards Adriano who had timed his run to perfection. The wingback cut to the right and then sent in a looping cross which Messi was able to guide into goal with his left foot as Pepe, a bystander could do little. Barca were able to claim the Super Cup with the 3-2 win (5-4 on aggregate).

Fabregas collected his first trophy on his first night. That's already half of what he won in eight years at Arsenal. It must be a wonderful feeling to be back home but all the success sure to come makes it even more worthwhile. This was the right move for Fabregas even if it leaves Arsenal short of badly needed quality in the midfield.

The silver lining is he left for a good cause - to make Real, a supremely arrogant club run by arrogant overlords and coached by an arrogant tyro continue to eat humble pie. Fabregas's debut was seminal but this match saw Leo Messi at his brilliant best scoring two goals and assisting in the other. Real gave a real fight in more ways than one and were able to make a match of it with Ronaldo scoring his first goal at the Camp Nou in five trips and Benzema taking advantage of a poor clearance by Adriano following a corner by Kaka to head the ball past Victor Valdes.

Aaahr! Me maties, where is that Caribbean loot?

Chuck Blazer, the whistleblower who first brought to light the bribe for votes scandal which implicated Mohammed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner is now in the crosshairs of an FBI investigation looking into payments received in his offshore accounts in the Caymans and Bahamas.

Blazer, CONCACAF's general secretary revealed brown paper bags containing $40,000 in cash were handed out to Caribbean Football Union members in a May 11th meeting between Bin Hammam and the CFU which was arranged by Warner, the CONCACAF president at that time. The fall out was immense as Bin Hammam, the Asian Football chief challenging Sepp Blatter for FIFA's presidency was forced to withdraw his candidature and banned for life from all football related activities as a FIFA run court found him guilty of bribery charges.

Warner also charged escaped further punishment when he resigned from his post as CONCACAF president. Blatter was elected unopposed and with an overwhelming majority. His election run up was punctuated by hyperbolic statements of " a black hole" confronting FIFA if he was not elected president and accusations of a revolt led by the English FA.

Blazer came out smelling like roses even as he sold out his good friend Warner, who was responsible for his elevation to CONCACAF general secretary in 1990. In 1996, Sepp Blatter upped the ante by including him in FIFA's 24 man executive council, the all powerful body that has seen more than a third of its members investigated and suspended on bribery charges and vote rigging the World Cup. It's clear who feeds Blazer's hand.

The feeding frenzy continued as Lisle Austin, a close Warner ally who took over as CONCACAF president retaliated by firing Blazer, clearly an arbitrary move without the sanction of the rest of the executive council. Blazer continued in his post and returned fire by barring Austin from entering the CONCACAF office located in the Trump Towers in New York. Eventually, this went to civil court where Austin won a judgment which confirmed him as president. But FIFA in a clear sign it is business for them as usual immediately suspended Austin for a year because he sought legal redress in civil court contravening the organization's policy of settling disputes within the footballing family.

It is clear that Blazer, a high flyer with a huge appetite for the good things in life knows where his bread is buttered. He has received a number of payments from the CFU all approved by Warner before their split without any disclosure to the type of services rendered. These payments have been credited to offshore accounts in the Bahamas and Cayman islands where Blazer operates private companies which appear to be shells which obviously make tracing back money very difficult. Then there is the small case of a vintage Mercedes which he claims he owns but is registered in Zurich as belonging to FIFA.

Whether the FBI investigation unearths evidence of financial impropriety or tax evasion is unclear at this stage but it appears Blazer's whistleblowing was not driven by altruistic motives. In the end, one cannot sum up FIFA better than Austin's lawyer, Barry Blum who after the verdict said this:

" It is laughable that FIFA enjoys a status as a not for profit sporting organization. It is actually a sinister business organization operated by robber barons with no regard for ethics or integrity; power is all that matters."

Placido Domingo sang while the beautiful game burned. Andrew Jennings and his one stop website for all matters related to corruption in football has more on Chuck Blazer and his dubious dealings.

Wenger had to sit through his touchline ban while Arsenal were going through the proces of beating Udinese 1- 0.Arsenal were under the impression that Wenger would be allowed to pass messages to assistant Pat Rice via first team coach Boro Primorac. But Wenger was warned at half-time that this was not allowed. Now he may have to face more disciplinary action for the long range breach of the touchline ban.

Meanwhile the goal of the game ...

The slim down diet continues as Emmanuel Eboue finally departs for Galatasaray (fee about £3m) after a typical protracted will he won't he where will he go quality which has come to define an Arsenal transfer.

Next in line, Nicklas Bendtner and Manuel Almunia. And despite Samir Nasri's syntax challenged Twitter about still being a (sic) Arsenal player after fans slagged him at the Newcastle match, he is widely seen as a player who will ditch his club for a better pay packet.

As for Eboue, I don't think he departs a happy camper. He would have liked to be at Arsenal but his exhilarating turns of speed which used to energize the game should be looked in the context of his defensive liabilities and momentary lapses of reason. The breaking point was his senseless foul on Dirk Kuyt Lucas Leiva last season which gifted Liverpool an equalizing penalty and set in motion Arsenal's funk.

He was an uplifting locker room presence with a genuine comic touch. Whether performing eye catching and unconventional warm up routines, or dropping in on a North Korean spy mission, Eboue was a one in a million character. And he always gave a 100%. The above video clip is done with lots of love and gives an endearing insight into Eboue.

It's been a heartbreaking summer for Arsenal fans. With the departure of Clichy and Fabregas, Eboue represents yet another player to see the last Arsenal success. That was such a period of promise. Seven years is a generation in most football careers and he moves onto Galatasaray where by all accounts he's already a hit judging by the number of comments on various You Tube clips. Farewell and good luck! You will not be forgotten.

Robbie Keane's final stop in his rolling stone career appears to be the MLS. More specifically, the LA Galaxy, where Juan Pablo Angel has proven disappointing with his paltry contribution in front of goal. The Colombian will have to make way probably on a transfer to Chivas for the Galaxy to accommodate their third DP.

Keane comes with a price tag of $5m which is hefty change for a league that has yet to fully embrace the DP status. He joins a side that boasts David Beckham and Landon Donovan and there is hope his arrival will be the the crucial piece in their quest for success that has so far proven elusive. It's a move that has the blessing of Beckham so Keane starts off on a very good note.

The upside: Keane is relatively young at 31 years in keeping with the more recent MLS acquisitions of Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez. Which could translate into a number of productive years. He's seen action in the EPL, the most competitive league in the world, and was part of a potent Spurs strike force that included Dimitar Berbatov, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Peter Crouch, and Jermain Defoe. The ROI striker is still a hugely influential figure in his national squad and continues to be their main goalscorer.

The downside: This move for Keane is a downgrade. It's a signal that his struggling career in England was going nowhere. He did not fit in at Liverpool and on his return to White Hart, he plummeted in Harry Redknapp's depth charts and forced to making occasional cameos. A move to the Hammers was not the resurrection that Keane hoped it would be and showed a player with waning speed and whose poaching instincts were not as sharp as they once were.

Would he provide the spark that Angel failed to deliver at the Galaxy? Angel's creativity as a striker saw success in New York and Aston Villa. Such qualities are not necessarily additive in a Galaxy side where Donovan and Beckham drive the attack. Keane, a lesser talent makes up for it with his work rate which ensures a second and third chance to come good on the spadework done by Donovan and Beckham. The X factor is Keane's vocal leadership qualities which might uplift a taciturn squad.

Barring the 4th minute moment of magic which led to Theo Walcott's strike and another near Walcott goal in the dying minutes, it was Udinese who looked far more threatening for major spells of the match. Arsenal looked distinctly uncomfortable as Udinese kept the defense and Wojciech Sczeszny on their toes.

The Emirates could not have asked for a better start as Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott combined impeccably with the former curling an inch perfect cross past the Udinese defense and Walcott bursting forth near post finished emphatically. The fans were finally rocking after days of trepidation and uncertainty.

Udinese kept their counsel with the evergreen Antonio Di Natale in command and a robust midfield led by Kwadwo Asamoah, Giampiero Pinzi, and Pablo Armero it was not long before they got into the game. Arsenal survived a Di Natale free kick which had Sczeszny beaten but fortunately for them the ball hit the woodwork. A few minutes later, he had to get down low to save an Armero shot as a break away move had the Arsenal defense in sixes and sevens with Song finally clearing the ball out of danger. Udinese finished the first half with a good head of steam.

The second half started ominously with Kieran Gibbs being subbed by Johan Djourou because of a hamstring strain and Udinese applying a vise on the proceedings. Arsenal struggled to break free from their own half which ended in more misery with Djourou being in turn taken off because of hamstring concerns and Carl Jenkinson, the 18 year old central defender making his CL debut. Jenkinson was put to the test straightaway with Di Natale almost getting the better of him but the former Addick guided the ball away for a more harmless corner.

Udinese were by now bossing the ball- they looked fast, exciting, and decisive while Arsenal were ponderous, boring, and timorous. The only thing keeping Udinese from scoring was their inability to convert, a problem not unknown to Arsenal.

It was all getting a bit desperate as the thousand or so Bianconeri fans gave throat to their excitement as the Gunners looked short of ideas and control. With Arsene Wenger averting his eyes from the pitch as he served out a touch line ban it was Boro Primorac furiously texting messages to a courier with instructions. It wasn't until the 70th minute Udinese had to do their first real bit of defending of the second half as Gervinho mounted a challenge. Emmanuel Frimpong was brought on for Tomas Rosicky and like Jenkinson was tested by the wily Di Natale. A free kick by Udinese captain was saved smartly by Sczeszny.

The pressure eased off as Udinese began to tire and Arsenal were able to regain possession of the ball in the last 10 minutes and Walcott almost struck again after Gervinho did all the spadework but Samir Handanovic showed us why he's considered such a top rate talent.

In sum, it was a good win but it already has the feel of a long drawn out season. Whether this one goal lead will be enough in the return leg at the Stadio Friuli remains to be seen. We will have the services of Van Persie and hopefully Jack Wilshere.

A note on Marouane Chamakh who occupied space but did little else. He had the energy of a potted plant. His job description when successful consisted of holding up the ball and passing the ball back. Most of the times he was bundled off the ball like a cheap suit. Why he wasn't replaced by Nicklas Bendtner is a bit of a mystery but maybe the thinking was to try and hold onto the one goal lead which explains Frimpong's presence. Theo Walcott had an excellent game which is all very well because Fabio Capello watching him was less impressed by his comments. Gervinho was a live wire and showed the necessary endeavour although he appeared out of control at times. Alex Song and the back four also put in a solid shift. Aaron Ramsey drifted in and out of the match.

Arsene Wenger is having none of it.

"We focus on the players we have and we believe we have enough strength. I saw all the games over the weekend and I don't see why we should be suddenly afraid of anybody in England."

Alright then. This is all deja vu time. Wenger puts up another one of his bombastic statements (choose your pick: Quadruple, Super Additions, Abou Diaby is the next Patrick Vieira) and then on the day of the match prowls on the sidelines looking sick as a dog as things don't go Arsenal's way. It's the body language and the facial expression that give the lie to these protestations.

Did you see his frustration increasing as the Arsenal vs Newcastle match plodded on to a goalless draw? The one that got two of our players suspended for three matches and was otherwise notable for its attacking futility. The Newcastle goalie Tim Krul was never seriously tested because Arsenal lacked composure in front of goal.

What really strikes one as bizarre is not what he said in this press conference. It came after Joey Barton went mental on Gervinho and then blasted a series of tweets exculpating himself. Wenger called Barton a great player. This on the eve of losing his best player to Barca. It's moments like this when one realizes Wenger may be living in an alternate reality.

The Wenger of 2004 would not have looked at Barton, a moderately talented midfielder sideways let alone elevate him to a selective pantheon of players who have earned greatness. I would like to challenge Wenger to name Barton in the same breath as Dennis Bergkamp.

Wenger has more to say to the fans who aren't too happy about the way the club is progressing towards the business of transfers.

"Rather than convicting this club, the fans have more reason to be proud of the whole situation here," he said.

"We have built a team and a stadium in such a short space of time, we have a strong financial situation and we always survive at the top level."

Did Wenger not see his best player walk away because Arsenal were unable to win titles? A player whose devotion to his club was second to none and who left not for money but with the eternal regret that he could not do more. Fabregas stayed on as long as he could but in the end the status quo that Wenger paints as a pretty picture did not suffice. Our family has a roof over our head, cash in the bank, and we always get invited to the party. What more do you want? The American dream. It's a myth, more so than ever. Get over it.

I don't know whether Wenger wakes up chanting that particular mantra so he can get through the day. He probably does because it sounds suspiciously like something Arsenal should consider posting on their website so fans don't labour under delusions of grandeur. But let fans put their own spin on his statement.

" It's the sixth year running this team is being built and now its talisman is gone, it's been five years since we moved to the Emirates, we've money in the lock box but we never get to see it or spend it, and surviving might be the right word to use because this year we might fall out of the top four."

Some bad hair days and mullets in them pictures but he could play!

Swansea lost 4 - 0 to Manchester City in a game where Sergio Aguero scored 2 of those goals and was hugely impressive in his debut....

szólj hozzá: Manchester City - Swansea 4:0

That shiatsu feels good, doesn't it mate?

As anticipated Alex Song is charged with violent conduct by the FA after his stamping offense on Joey Barton went unpunished.

He faces a three match ban which Arsenal can appeal except they don't have a leg to stand on because what Song did was blatantly malicious and captured on every camera in the world. Gervinho's three match suspension is also being appealed but there is very little chance of that being overturned. His Barton handbag too went viral and is being celebrated in the French media as a return of the Norman invasion via the Ivory Coast.

Arsenal now face the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd without the services of Song. His likely replacement, Emmanuel Frimpong could not have asked for a bigger stage to usurp Song. Lets hope he can prove to be a disruptive presence stopping the likes of Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney. Tall order for a 19 year old with little first team experience.

Lets recap: Arsenal just lost Song and Gervinho to suspension. Jack Wilshere is injured. Robin Van Persie and Samir Nasri are both suspended from the first leg CL playoff against Udinese. Cesc Fabregas departs for Barca and Nasri might follow suit to City. We have 18 year old Alex- Oxlade Chamberlain as our rabbit in the hat. It could be worse, Gunnersaurus finding out the Ice Age is ending and he might be a puddle of protoplasm. That's already happened, I've been informed, a wee over a million years ago.

Cristiano Ronaldo should feel rightly aggrieved because Victor Valdes did grab his leg but the penalty was not given. In addition, Valdes could have been red carded.

Before the Madrid fans get their knickers in a twist Barca were equally hard done by the referee, Teixeira Vitienes who failed to spot or chose to ignore Marcelo's blatant foul on Pedro in the box. Two wrongs don't necessarily make it right but in this case both cancel out.

The real story is Jose Mourinho turning around the board's opinion in his favour after Madrid's display in the first leg of the 2011 Super Cup. The Merengues showed real attacking intent with 20 goal attempts forcing Victor Valdes into making seven saves. A marked contrast from his negative defensive tactics which cost them the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals from last season and opened him up to unrelenting criticism.

At long last, Fabregas is at Barca

Cesc Fabregas who completed his move to Barcelona did not forget to praise his former coach.

"Wenger is like my second father. I am here, in large part because of him."

" Here you have a bad image of him but this is not so, I assure you. You've said things like I was kidnapped which is not true. He will always be in my head and my heart. Saying goodbye to him was very hard" he concluded.

On joining Barcelona:

" It is the biggest challenge of my life, competing in the best club and with the best players in the world. But I have no fear. "

He also referred to his departure for Arsenal when he was barely 16.

"People are hurt because I left when I was young, but I'm here to give everything."

He might also see minutes on the pitch when Real come visiting in the second leg of the Super Copa on Wednesday. That would be quite an introduction. Fabregas will be wearing the number 4 which was previously Thiago's to have but was set aside for his arrival.

A few thoughts here. Throughout this whole saga, Fabregas conducted himself with the utmost restraint and dignity. His new -old club and his team mates did not. Even Wenger and Arsenal were found petty and short sighted. Really, there is only one winner here and it is Fabregas. Barcelona might have found their future number 4 but they paid a price in goodwill and conduct. Arsenal lost because they refused to acknowledge the writing on the wall and failed to move for quality additions. In sum, Barca should acknowledge that Cesc's development under Wenger went according to plan. They get a player more than capable of taking over the reins from Xavi when he finally bids adieu.

Brazil made the U20 semi-finals beating top rated Spain. At the end of regulation time the teams deadlocked 1-1 as Spain managed to equalize through Rodrigo after Willian had put the Brazilians ahead. At the end of extra time, both sides deadlocked again adding a goal each with Dudu scoring for the Brazilians and Spain again having to come back, this time through Alvaro Vasquez.

The match was decided by penalties and Brazilian goalie Gabriel was the man of the match stopping Jordi Amat and then Vasquez. It fell to Dudu to guide the Brazilians to victory and he did it with elan.

They now meet Mexico who beat Colombia, 3-1. The other semi-finalists are Portugal who also went to penalties (5-4) to send Argentina home and they meet France who sank Nigeria, 3-2 in extra time.

Ousmane Dabo will be relieved to know Barton is doing most of his damage on Twitter

Joey Barton provides a prime example of how social media can be a double edged sword.

Days after his inconvenient truths about his club earned him the respect of thousands of fans from not just Newcastle but many others frustrated by the way clubs do business, he's gone and destroyed his whistle blower image to become another cheap aunt agony who unloads every thought shallow or otherwise on a ready audience. The Gervinho episode has transformed this man into a gibbering galoot who mistakes cause and effect and makes him sound less like a social reformer and more like a closet narcissist.

"If he doesn't dive then the incident doesn't happen. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved, but diving and trying to win a penalty is s***. Needs stamping out. I train all summer to have him cheat us out of a hard-earned point? It's not on. Diving should be a three-game ban. Respect the game."

Where is the man who twittered a George Orwell quote as an intelligent riposte to the undesirable status quo?

What's the difference between Barton going down like a pole axed steer and Gervinho's simulation? They're both using subterfuge in trying to hoodwink the officials into achieving a desired end. Barton can also claim no moral ground. Anyone who tries to maim his teammate stands on shaky grounds when they say respect the game.

" I train all summer to have him cheat us out of a hard-earned point?" Really? This so whiny and self absorbed. If Barton stops training its because the game has been over run by cheaters. Now, the four goal comeback that shocked Arsenal was a hard earned point. Did I say something about Barton not respecting the game?

Barton was entertaining and informative when he had something real to say about the game. Now, when he really should be keeping quiet about a manipulated and artificial situation of his own making, he's trying to stay relevant inventing stuff out of whole cloth.

Which brings us to an example of the real doubled edged nature of social media.

Facebook and Twitter were used to drive the Arab Spring. Overwhelmingly used as a social platform to organize thousands to protest their undemocratic governments and paving the way to change in Tunisia and Egypt. Unfortunately, for the first time they have been exposed in an undesirable way in their propagation of the traumatic looting and violence that swept England resulting in the loss of lives and destruction of property worth millions of pounds.

Maybe Barton can reflect on that having shown promising signs of being the first footballer philosopher since Albert Camus.

The Super Copa 1st leg between the two behemoths made the Community Shield seem glacial in comparison.

This is it, the two best clubs in the world going mano e mano. Within all the histrionics and the grandstanding was a heads up play by Karim Benzema resulting in a Mesut Oezil goal followed by a gem of an equalizer by David Villa. A gangbusting effort by Leo Messi put Barca ahead but a sweet Xabi Alonso strike restored parity. The amount of high wattage talent on display was enough to power a small country. The body count was high with several Barca players crumpled up at various points of time at various parts of the pitch nursing clipped ankles.

There was even a repeat of the permanently unhinged Pepe tangling with Dani Alves yet again. The Barca players surrounded the referee demanding retribution. Pepe slunk away awaiting his fate with a worried look. To his relief there was no red card which ended his CL semi-finals last season. In fact, he played a part in the Alonso equalizer and thereafter, controlled his psychopathic urges to a large extent. One of the scariest moments was Sami Khedira going kung fu style on Eric Abidal. Luckily, it only resulted in a glancing blow to the head which left the defender stunned for a few minutes.

Messi recorded his 11th goal against Real while Cristiano Ronaldo once again drew a blank. The 2-2 should be considered a win for Barca because they now go back to the Camp Nou putting pressure on the Merengues to score at least two goals.

Cesc Fabregas returns to his boyhood club

From the FCB website:

Arsenal FC and FC Barcelona have reached the beginnings of an agreement for the transfer of Cesc Fàbregas with the documents to be signed and the medical to take place on Monday.

The website also details his return to Barcelona after eight seasons with the Gunners where he established himself as one of the world's foremost midfielders.

According to Marca.com, he's asked for jersey no 4 with the name Fàbregas in the Catalan accent.

The Daily Mail reports that Shakhtar Donetsk have confirmed Arsenal's interest in Jadson and have left his future in his hands.

Mircea Lucescu, head coach of the Ukrainian champions:

" I can confirm Jadson is wanted by Arsenal,' said Lucescu. 'Now it all depends on him."

Arsene Wenger's reaction was a typical button downed response. Jadson has been described as Tomas Rosicky plus the goals. Here is video clip >>

Shows genuine pace, unafraid to go for his shots from distance, and shows good finishing skills. Jadson you recall was was one of the Shakhtar players responsible for the 2-1 loss that stopped Arsenal's unbeaten CL group run last season. He's not in the Cesc Fabregas mould without the same array of passing skills but at this point we're looking at an overextended team which will have to fight Udinese for a CL spot in the group stage and then deal with the likes of Liverpool and Utd.

http://youtu.be/M3V86w2NN18

szólj hozzá: West B. 1-2 Man UTD ALL GOALS

Man Utd again pulled out a trademark late winner and for the second weekend in a row bailed out David De Gea, who Sir Alex has tapped to fill the giant shoes of Edwin Van Der Sar.

This time it was a low angled shot by debutant Shane Long which De Gea should have safely covered. Last week, it was Edin Dzeko's belter that got past him. If one can hypothesize, De Gea seems to have a problem predicting shots on either side of him. He's far more comfortable when he's reflexive and in the air. Whether these are growing pains or a structural issue it is worthy of exploration by opponents.

Before Long's goal changed the equation it looked like this was going to be an easy Utd win and in the 13th minute Wayne Rooney's lovely backheel pass found Ashley Young
cutting in and finding Rooney again. He corralled the ball and with Gabriel Tamas out of position turned and shot with his left foot between the legs of the defender and out of reach of an unsighted Ben Foster.

Rooney's fast becoming an expert on high percentage shots only pulling the trigger when he's sure. Unfortunately, the same principle does not apply to Nani who was profligate. West Brom got back into the game as Utd eased off and Somen Tchoyi with his huge frame filling the screen batted aside defenders to pass the ball to Long who showed some patience and nerve to release a low angled drive which De Gea barely got his hands to for a much debated blunder.

The second half was underwhelming on both ends and Utd were further set back by the injury departures of Vidic and then Rio Ferdinand twenty minutes later. Sir Alex went to his bench and out trotted Jonny Evans followed by Phil Jones leaving Utd looking quite green at the back. There was further bad news for Utd with Rafael, Fabio's twin brother set to miss the next 10 weeks with a dislocated shoulder.

West Brom sensing an opening had one of their brightest spells but against the run of play Young, the brightest of Utd's debutantes justified Sir Alex' faith in him as he lost Chris Brunt with his change of pace and direction and in a flash drove in a low angled shot which was deflected into goal by Steven Reid.

This was not the best Utd display and at times they looked short of ideas and cutting edge. But Utd have won before despite playing some underwhelming football and so this result was not unexpected. It fits well into the narrative of successful teams always finding ways to win. West Brom showed some promising touches and should consider themselves unlucky to have lost.

Before we depart let us acknowledge the classy gesture of both clubs wearing black armbands in remembrance of the three British Asian men who tragically died in the recent riots, one whose father Tariq Jahan became the face of racial reconciliation with his heartfelt plea for national amity. Birmingham like other cities were left scarred by the mindless orgy of violence and looting that enveloped England this past week. Any gesture however symbolic that furthers the healing process needs to be appreciated.

Andre Villas- Boas GQ style and football IQ did not impress Stoke

One of the most anticipated coaching debut's this season ended on a disappointing note as Andre Villas- Boas a one time Mourinho protege could not get his side to crack open Stoke's doughty defense.

Chelsea began with Fernando Torres declared match fit after surviving a concussion scare in the match against Italy but despite the striker looking lively, he and Salomon Kalou were unable to finish.

Frank Lampard thought he had a penalty after being tripped by Ryan Shawcross but referee Mark Halsey detected an embellishment. Villas- Boas then brought in the heavy artillery with Nicholas Anelka and Didier Drogba partnering Torres in a trident formation to take control of the game but Asmir Begovic was able to thwart their efforts.

Stoke earn a fully deserved point while Chelsea looking distinctly uncreative relied on the individual efforts of their stars. AVB was lucky to have the services of Fredy Guarin at Porto whose eye for a quick pass and pinpoint crosses found his Colombian counterpart Radamel Falcao on numerous occasions for a successful partnership. That sort of association is missing at Chelsea.

A year late but tomorrow will see Fabregas don a FCB jersey under no duress

Cesc Fabregas is to land today evening in Barcelona and he's expected to undergo a medical examination before the club formalizes the deal tomorrow. He might be unveiled as early as Wednesday at Camp Nou for the second leg of the hugely anticipated Super Cup between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The deal was set to be announced Friday but Arsenal threw a bit of a hissy fit as Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique tweeted their excitement over his arrival and in a subsequent conference Victor Valdez extended the welcome mat. The euphoria did not sit well with Arsene Wenger and the board and they refused to sign the agreement.

Pep Guardiola had to do some damage limitation by saying Cesc was still at Arsenal. The negotiations were very advanced but nothing had been confirmed yet. He also said he did not have to read Puyol or Pique's tweets to keep tabs on the situation when all he had to do was approach Andoni Zubizarreta and Josep Maria Bartomeu.

In other news, Wenger ruled out Juan Mata's arrival which is a pity because apart from a few exceptional moment against Newcastle there was a lack of quality movement.

Joey Barton and Gervinho discuss dinner plans

There should now be a disclaimer in all Arsenal matches and it should read playing without Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri can be injurious to your chances.

However, this is not completely true, the midfield against Newcastle minus its two leading lights was actually quite functional if not particularly penetrative. Andrey Arshavin had a few moments of sparkle with a very visionary chip that found Robin Van Persie in an advantageous position versus Tim Krul. Unfortunately, he made a meal of trying to circulate onto his stronger left foot and Krul and Steven Taylor were able to collar the ball.

What was noticeable right away was Arsenal's speed in midfield with Arshavin, Aaron Ramsey, and Tomas Rosicky accelerating their way upfield with less linkage than Fabregas would have liked but it was the forward players who were wasteful. Gervinho was a relentless presence down both flanks but his finished product was awful. RVP had an exceedingly poor game except for a well taken set piece but that was about the extent of his contribution. Its clear Arsenal lack that all important clinical finisher.

The defensive aspect was one of the few positives in this frustrating opener. Arsenal looked very organized in the back with Thomas Vermaelen back and Laurent Koscielny elevating his game. Bacary Sagna was his usual solid self and Kieran Gibbs was surprisingly a reassuring presence taking on an aggressive Cheikh Tiote.

Wojciech Szczesny's impressive development continues seeing off Newcastle's set pieces without too much trouble.

Alexander Song put some extra mustard into his tackles and in one of the two controversial moments sent a message stamping on Joey Barton. It would have been a straight red card had Peter Walton or other officials caught it but luckily Song survived.

Here comes the part which does not jive with the caricature of Barton as a wild eyed loon. He did not go after Song which is why he was baited in the first place instead he made his point on the sideline with the fourth official. He preserved himself and then turned table after his cynical tit for tat got Gervinho sent off. This was a calculated ploy and once again Arsenal's naivety was exposed by Barton.

With 15 minutes left there was every chance that Newcastle could come up with a damaging last minute goal. Wenger brought on Emanuel Frimpong and then Johan Djourou in order to avoid yet another painful flashback to those set piece goals that destroyed Arsenal last season. Fortunately, the defense held strong.

A draw given these circumstances, even a goalless one, is a good result. The midfield needs to show more patience but the defense looked solid. On the other hand we do not need another winger.

How Arsenal steps up in a post Fabregas and Nasri era is obviously one of the key concerns. But this display also tells us we're becoming a sideshow whose performance is now dictated by the number of controversies generated. Our manager is the media's ideal of the Fool on the Hill. It's not the John Terry type sleaze that dogs this club - it's the mentally fragile born under a bad sign sort of stuff that results in own goals, red cards, and bottled water projectiles.

This month sets a template for any realistic expectations as next week brings the CL playoffs against Udinese and thereafter two enormously significant encounters against Liverpool and Man Utd. Injuries and suspensions are already proving a headache for Wenger in deciding his squad's composition and his body language during and after the Newcastle match was bad.

The 20th season started with drawn games for Fulham,Aston Villa,Liverpool,Sunderland,Arsenal and Newcastle .

szólj hozzá: LFC vs SAFC 1:1 HIGHLIGHTS
Arsenal got the first red card for the season.Gervinho got a red card on debut.

szólj hozzá: Newcastle vs Arsenal HIGHLIGHT

Teams that started on a winning note included Wolverhamton .
They beat Blackburn 2-1 ...........

.......Queens Park Rangers returned to the EPL for the first time since 1996 to lose 4- 0 to Bolton.