Inter's wheels are coming off. After such a strong push to within sniffing distance of Milan and Juve, they have lost to lowly Lecce, drew Palermo and yesterday, Roma took the lumber to them. Juan gets the Giallorossi on the board, Fabio Borini's lovely brace follows, and the Bojan Krkic finishes emphatically to give Roma a thumping 4-0 victory. Where was that steel trap defense that reached its heights in that victory over Barca in the CL semi-finals two years ago?
The Nerrazzuri lie in fifth but are adrift by nine points from top club Juve. They trail Milan, who lost to Lazio this weekend, by eight points. Udinese and Lazio are ahead of them. Roma follows closely behind for that crucial fourth spot. And Claudio Ranieri is under pressure again.
Today, owner Massimo Moratti warned the players, "they have to give their soul" and "some of the players must understand that the Serie is not over yet, there is a very long way to go."
Zambia cruised past Sudan, 3-0 to the semi-finals of the ACN, the first time since 1996. Sudan made things difficult for themselves after Ali Saif Eldin was sent off for his second violation when he brought down Rainford Kalaba in the 63rd minute. By that time the Chipolopolos (The Copper Miners) were already a goal up from Sunzu Stoppila.
Christopher Katonga's initial PK effort was parried by Akram but he followed up successfully with the rebound. Substitute James Chamanga sealed the victory adding a third.
"Our target was to reach the semi final for the first time since 1996. We learnt a lot in 2010 where we were not efficient. I think we were better this time."
The Chipolopolos await the winner of the Ghana vs Tunisia match. The Ivory Coast will take on either Gabon or Mali in the other quarterfinal.
Didier Drogba could not be denied as he made up for a missed penalty by pouring in a brace. Ivory Coast added another through Yaya Toure as they send Equatorial Guinea, the co-hosts, out of the ACN. The Taranga Lions are through to the semi-finals.
Drogba will be missing today's huge showdown with Man Utd, and in his absence, Chelsea is hoping that misfiring Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge, take up the goalscoring slack.
Mohamed Abou-treika whose accomplishments as a humanitarian are as luminous as his accomplishments on the soccer pitch announced his retirement from his beloved Al Ahly club. He was joined by fellow icons Emad Moteab and Mohamed Barakat, all stalwarts of the club as they made their announcement on Ahly TV.
Abou-treika was specially shaken up by the violence as he saw a fan die in front of him in locker room.
Manuel Jose, Al Ahly's Portugese coach added to the deepening gloom by reportedly terminating his contract. He returned to Portugal and gives a harrowing account of what happened to him.
"I was beaten with fists and kicks to the neck, head and feet. [In the dressing room] I saw our fans die before us and we were unable to do anything. Nothing happened to any of the players but we feel overwhelming sadness and the return flight was made in silence, full of respect for the lives of our fans who died."
The deaths of so many, the loss of their popular coach, the retirement of three talismans, will surely sadden the hearts of many Al Ahly fans. A heavy price to pay for their part in the revolution. But they and the club will survive this tragedy, as painful as it maybe. It will take time to heal the wounds inflicted on Egypt's and Africa's most iconic side. In that context, good on Liverpool to lend their support to a fellow club in distress.
In the meantime, Egypt could also face suspension from a self-righteous FIFA and their clubs banned from further international competition. Sepp Blatter is doing his best outraged blathering from his soap box.
I leave you with Abou-treika's philosophy:
"Every athlete has a humanitarian role in society. He doesn't live solely for himself, but for others too. I like to participate in charity work and try my best to help the poor and penniless. I'm also seeking to use soccer in humanitarian work."
A few months ago, everything was going swimmingly for City. All they seemingly had to do was to show up for win after lopsided win. But then there was a gradual slide in theor fortunes. At the end of January their season is but a litany of thwarted ambitions. Out of the Champions League in December and by last week, the Carling Cup and the FA Cup, their accelerated program to win the Premiership title seems to have hit a wall and in danger of being snatched by those other pesky Mancunians and the upstart Spurs.
To add insult to injury, today's loss to Everton was at the hands of Darron Gibson, a former Man Utd midfielder, at a reported £2 million providing with one swing of his leg, a lot more value for money than Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri, David Silva, and Sergio Aguero combined at £115 million. Roberto Mancini's future now rests on the narrow case of winning the Premiership but the momentum has all but gone, stalled by inconsistency and patchy performances.
City's intransigence saw Carlos Tevez priced out of this transfer market. The earliest, he could move out would be this summer. The transfer negotiations with Milan which proved to the most promising fell apart because City balked at a loan deal and when the Serie club came with an improved deal it was deemed short. In the meantime, Tevez has lost £9.3m in wages, bonuses and fines. A tidy sum of money. He has served his two week suspension and is training with the reserves which is where Mancini envisions him staying till he leaves. That is being disputed by Tevez's man Friday, his agent, Kia Joorabchian who say's he should be integrated with the senior team.
Mancini has said Tevez will never wear the team's colours and the only way he would consider him for first team training is if he apologizes. However, Mancini is also confronted by the fact that his high priced transfers haven't materialized the way they should have. And there is no indication that they will.
The hugely talented Mario Balotelli provides cameos of what he's capable of but more often that not, is overshadowed by his on and off pitch implosions. Both Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero have cooled off their hot streak, Samir Nasri has been disappointing, and with David Silva, the only consistent creative spark, City is leaving a lot of loose ends. The attack needs a proven and consistent goalscorer which Carlos Tevez always has been which ever club he's joined. Plus, he's always been that clutch player who digs his club out of trouble.
Last season, he was the top scorer and in his 63 league appearances he scored 44 goals, better than anyone else. From Tevez's perspective, the longer he remains away from the pitch, the more he takes himself off the market. And deny he might but Tevez is losing a lot of good money he could squirrel away for a nice retirement nest egg. It is in the interest of both to start a dialogue and with a third of the season still remaining there is still plenty of time for Tevez to be productive and help put those creeping doubts away for good. The more Mancini and City make heavy weather, the louder the calls for kiss and make up. That sounds better than the axe, leaving City to pursue Jose Mourinho. Now that would be galling.
Leo Messi scores his hat trick over the weekend. But this is not so much about his skills as sublime as they are but Ray Hudson's orgasmic Gol TV commentary that accompanies those goals. "Nothing less than the equivalent of a footballing bird of paradise. He is like Dr Spock, out off his Vulcan mind" .
"I'm higher than a hippie at Woodstock" or "He's as competitive as a hungry tiger, yet he's got the sensibility of a village priest" or "We all know Valderrama's big hair is covering the eyes in the back of his head."
" Gazidis has identified a huge discrepancy between the worldwide reach of the Arsenal brand and the revenue that it generates. He believes that bringing the latter up to speed - the club have sophisticated strategies in place to do so - is the surest way forward. It is simply not possible to play the sheikhs and the oligarchs at their own game."
The problem is if Arsenal continue to fail then there won't be a brand to market. This season has seen a number of teams playing attractive, free flowing football, surpassing Arsenal's increasingly bowdlerized version. Flogging a brand that was at its peak more than half a decade ago by dressing it up is not going to win any new customers. It won't matter a whit if the fan sits in Kuala Lumpur, Djibouti, or Anchorage, if your own London base is increasingly alienated with the club and the direction its taking. Nostalgia only puts familiar bums on the seats, the rest of the remote world wants new silverware. Falling out of the Champions League is a surefire way to guarantee that this has no hope of success.
Another thing, these "sophisticated strategies" cost money with no guarantee of returns. The monies would be better spent in transfers, uncovering basic truths why Arsenal suffer so many injuries, restructuring wages in tune with actual performances rather than mere experience. The more hardwired aspects of the club need to work before it can go to the made for TV audience.
Two Chelsea team mates conspire for Cote D'Ivoire's winning start to their 2012 ACN campaign. Salomon Kalou floats the ball from the left as Didier Drobga soars up to power his header. Looks like 34 year old Drobga still has plenty of oomph - is he really leaving for the Chinese Super League? C'mon Arsenal, get him.
Yeah, Becks own underwear designs, part of H&M's David Beckham Bodywear collection will feature in a 30 second ad in the second quarter of this years Super Bowl, which will not feature the Green Bay Packers. Will it drive you to encase your goolies in a Becks underwear or will you come up fourth and inches? Tats optional.
By the way, he did sign a two year deal to continue with the LA Galaxy, and every MLS bigwig is happy because he's the saviour of the league after all. The deal allows him the freedom to participate in the 2012 London Olympics. And sell lots of T shirts.
Put this miss down as one for the season. 2 metres out in front of goal and Robbie Findley makes a complete mess after Leicester City's goalie fails to hold onto a cross. Findley's club, Nottingham Forest were humbled by City letting in four goals without scoring any in their FA Cup third round tie. Findley's critics and there were many while in the USMNT must be nodding their heads sagely, " I told you so."
Indians will see Roberto Pires in action next month
Instant cricket, the 20/20 version has found a home in India's Premier league, one of the world's most lucrative sporting brands, till corruption eroded its worth. The success of the IPL is inspiring a new soccer league in India which will see the likes of Roberto Pires, Fabio Cannavaro, Juan Pablo Sorin, and others participating in a soccer competition styled on the IPL format.
30 players and six coaches from overseas will be auctioned off in Kolkata for the month and half long tournament that begins Feb 25th and ends April 8th. There will be six teams and each team will get an "icon" player with a $600,000 salary cap counting towards a maximum of $2.5 million spending money the first year. The league initially will be confined to West Bengal, home of the most soccer crazy fans in India, but the Celebrity Management Group, the brain trust behind this project envisions an expansion to other states in due course. Accordingly, CMG has signed onto a 30 year contract with the Indian Football Association.
To encourage local talent there will be a cap of four foreign players and the rest of them will be picked up from the U21 Indian teams. This component cannot be overstated because India is one of the most dismal nations, if not the most dismal, when it comes to playing soccer with a FIFA ranking of 162. Any exposure to the sort of quality that players like Pires, Cannavaro, or Sorin provide will be good for the development of the sport.
Other players tapped for this league include a number of names in the twilight of their careers. Familiar names like Jay Jay Okocha, Hernan Crespo, Robbie Fowler, Fernando Morientes, and Maniche will get an opportunity to make some pretty easy money while entertaining Indian audiences.
Former Arsenal player and legend Pires is pretty excited about coming to India.
"I am proud to be the first Frenchman to go and play there. And eight weeks is nothing."
He maybe the first Frenchman to play there but India has a long history of French colonialism since the 17th century. Does he know the French used to have a colony near Kolkata called Chandernagore, now renamed Chandannagar? It was part of French India till the 1950s.
CMG was also behind bringing Diego Maradona to Kolkata back in 2008 which brought the city to a standstill. The Argentinian great kickstarted a project called Mission 2020 which envisions India qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. The last time India went to a World Cup was in 1954 but they withdrew because FIFA refused to accede to their demands to play barefoot. More recently, Bayern Munich came calling playing an Indian XI as part of Baichung Bhutia's testimonial which ended rather badly for the home side losing 4-0. Which gives an idea of how uphill India's climb is for World Cup qualification.
India maybe in the soccer doldrums but 60 million fans represents a huge market for clubs hoping to get new business. Bayern and Liverpool have ambitions in India which includes setting up soccer academies. Positive developments like this soccer league which actually helps India improve the quality of its soccer can only be welcome.
Arsenal's bright start through who else but Robin Van Persie was dashed within minutes as Aaron Ramsey brought down Nathan Dyer, an absolute pest to the Gunners, and Scott Sinclair converted the penalty. The foul looked pretty soft. Andrey Arshavin who had threaded the pass through for RVP's goal was guilty of less precision in the second half as Ramsey could not latch onto his errant service gifting the ball to Joe Allen. The midfielder quickly sprang free Dyer and the winger taking a touch swept his shot past Szczesny.
In a match of fluctuating fortunes, Walcott relatively anonymous so far was fed a beautiful ball by Johan Djourou, and with his pace was able to get past Williams for the equalizer. But we have seen it before against Stoke, Blackburn, Spurs, and just about anyone, Arsenal's concentration is at its most vulnerable just after it scores. Somehow they have trouble gathering their wits and so it was with Swansea as Danny Graham took advantage of some soft marking to sweep to the right of Laurent Koscielny and unleash a majestic finish from a tight angle for the winning goal.
Thierry Henry's much anticipated return to the Premiership did not yield the same result as the FA Cup match. Which of course begs the question, after how many appearances does expectancy wear off and the fumes of hope extinguish themselves? Did Wenger ever prepare for that possibility? We can live washed up on a beach head of nostalgia but to expect 34 year old Henry to provide the answers everytime he sets foot on the pitch is to believe in the alchemists stone.
So where does this defeat leave Arsenal? In fifth position, four points behind Chelsea with a far more adverse goal differential. More ominously, with two defeats in a row, Arsenal are now level on point terms with Newcastle and just a point ahead of Liverpool. Which means they are now competing for a Europa spot. In term of quality of play, Arsenal were dire with their passing game which led to Swansea capturing much of the ball. In truth, this was never going to be an easy match as the Swans have made a point of showcasing their own considerable skills in communication.
Ramsey had a particularly forgettable day in his return to Wales. Arshavin was at his infuriating best, setting up RVP's goal but also providing a number of pointless passes, one which led to Dyer's goal. The lack of full backs pressing down the flanks ever since Sagna and Andre Santos left us leaves us with most of the thrust generated centrally which is easier to bottle by putting more bodies which is what Swansea was able to do.
Wenger also made a mistake putting in Per Mertesacker who clearly has not yet recovered from his flu like symptoms as the big German looked even more ponderous. His miss off a corner when a toe poke would have scored the elusive equalizer was emblematic of his slowed senses. Instead he whiffed on a ball that landed invitingly at his feet in front of goal with Henry telegraphing his frustrated reaction. More bizarrely, was the cross that Ignasi Miquel lifted finding Mertesacker in the box which led to an major embarrassment of ungainly moves and a foul. What was Mertesacker doing there in the first place?
The answer is quite troubling. We have no center forward. Chamakh has failed. RVP is a slot striker and Henry is actually a winger with incredible shooting skills. Passing crosses has become a redundancy. The subbing of Mertesacker with Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and relocating Song to central defender should have taken place at least a half ago.
Here is what the last 7 matches look like ever since that distant 4-0 drubbing of Wigan early in December. Three wins, 3 losses, and a draw to drop 14 points. The loss of Bakary Sagna and Andre Santos has proven immensely damaging. We have rejiggered with Vermaelen, Ignasi Miquel and Francis Coquelin on the left and on the right with Djourou and Miquel but really this is just plugging a leaking dam with putty. Next up, Utd and if they were to miraculously turn into three toed sloths, would still find a way to beat us.
This is Wenger's reaction to the match. Spot what is wrong with it.
" Coincidences are always against us and it is difficult to understand what is going on. I don't know, I feel we are a bit too nervous. We cannot panic every time they have the ball in the final third of the pitch. We have to show more composure and ambition. I think we panicked a bit too quickly today. "
First, this is a manager who says he doesn't know what's going on. To blithely say coincidences is to deny a systematic pattern. Second, to equate Swansea to City or United invoking a panic attack every time they camp out in our final third is a huge problem. Why? For the umpteenth time, Wenger finds himself behind the coaching curve. We have done well to get to fifth but like last season we are heading to a swoon that could leave us with more rationalizations and denials. This time spinning fifth as the new fourth will not do.
Tevez's 52 goals in 91 City appearances may again prove appealing to Mancini
Alexandre Pato put the spokes on a PSG move as he came out with a statement.
" Milan is my home. I did not want to interrupt my career with the Rossoneri after winning my first two trophies with this shirt. I want to contribute to the history of Milan and the future success of this club with happiness and in perfect harmony with everyone here."
The club website had this to say:
"Alexandre Pato will remain in Milan. The striker has decided to continue his young, splendid, and already successful career with Rossoneri."
The development occurred when Adriano Galliani was poised in what appeared to be meaningful negotiations to bring Carlos Tevez to Milan on the assumption that Pato was PSG bound. Galliani was in London meeting with City officials thrashing out a possible deal. Pato's move to the Paris club would have financed Tevez's transfer on a repurchase option after a free loan move for €25 million + €3 million in bonus. With Pato's refusal to leave, the talks collapsed and the end result Tevez is still at City leaving Inter in the strongest position to bring him on board.
The other choice is and it is a convoluted one, is to keep Tevez at City, where there appears to be a thawing in the once frozen relationship between the Argentinian and Roberto Mancini. City's once unstoppable attack is stuttering with Sergio Aguero as the only viable striker left. Edin Dzeko is going through a lean spell and Mario Balotelli has an ankle injury with no return date available. The last eight matches have resulted in 4 losses, a draw, and three wins. Only 10 goals have been scored in that streak which is a steep decline from the three averaged per match.
In Milan, there was a sense of overwhelming relief. Not many are sold on Tevez, who's reputation as a serial wantaway had many worried. Especially since it meant Pato leaving the club and even with his injuries, a far greater talent than Tevez. In fact, Galliani seemed quite content to throw the ball in Inter's court.
"I must say that I'm happy, it will be a good omen. I believe that players have the right and opportunity to choose their lives."
There is a big laundry list of things new manager Mark Hughes needs to get QPR off and running. The London side have scored just 19 goals, one more than Wigan's output, the worst in the Premiership. Apart from the scoring woes, one of Hughes's biggest priorities will be to get Barton to act like the senior citizen he should be at 29 years of age. Not a Twitter fiend, cavorting with the EDL, or getting red carded for bone headed reasons.
The loss of Alejandro Faurlin to an ACL injury that will keep him out till the end of the season has robbed QPR of their one genuine creative hub. Time for Adel Taraabt to step up to the plate. Tony Fernandes has been quite generous with his check book so Mark Hughes will have the option to go to the transfer market to find a replacement. With Hughes's higher name recognition, overseas prospects become more feasible.
Well, what do you know? Barton is taking a sabbatical from his endless Twitter yakking. This after his jibe at English born Irish origin players who choose to play for Ireland.
" His reaction is raw, visceral. From sheer delight to chest thumping, from crowd waving to an embrace with Arsene Wenger, it's a moment that nobody will forget."
" the years rolled away as Song slid the ball through the line of defenders, the left edge of the penalty melted as Henry's body shape dictated where the shot was going and inevitably ended. This was Arsenal's Sex Pistols at Manchester Free Trade Hall moment."
" The first touch was immaculate, the body shape breathtakingly familiar. The giant clock suspended from the Emirates canopy seemed to stop, dead. Time wound back to 2004 and, briefly, Thierry Henry was invincible again."
" And he is different. But in that vintage finish and the run at the end, he was there again. Perhaps, in my case as I'll miss the next two home games, for one night only. But he was undoubtedly there. It was unmistakable."
Goodplaya was at the Emirates when it happened in front of him. He saw history in the making.
The stage was set after 68 minutes of frustrating football with Arsenal brought to a standstill by a Leeds Utd team that parked the bus. The moment everyone was waiting for with bated breath. Number 12 strode in to a standing ovation - Thierry Henry had arrived home to a flood of good time memories. And it could not have been written better. In a seamless series of moves, he moved inside as Song released the ball perfectly, controlled it deftly, and curled it into the far corner. Vintage Henry. And he knew and everyone knew how special this was. Tremendous goalscorers have a way of making it look so simple. After the match Henry stood soaking in the Emirates adulation as thousands transmitted their love to a favourite son.
The script was made familiar by an Arsenal side that dominated the match but just could not come up with the finished product. Wenger went with Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny at center with Ignasi Miquel and Francis Coquelin at left and right back, respectively. Disaster struck in the 29th minute as Coquelin exited after pulling his hamstring. The makeshift defense already stretched thin was forced to induct Nico Yennaris making only his second appearance in the senior squad. Arsenal's attacking thrust came from Andrey Arshavin who was a handful all evening and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, always a threat with his pace.
There were too many chances to enumerate and there was continued set piece futility from a dozen corners. But as they say, it was all written in the hand, scripted perfectly for Henry to score on his return. His 227th goal for Arsenal, the 12th against Leeds, and the first goal for the club since his header in a 2-0 win against Utd in 2007.
As heartwarming as this moment was, as dream like the finish, the inescapable fact is Arsenal before Henry came on, did not have anyone capable of finishing off a chance. Mikel Arteta in the starting XI had the distinction of topscorer with 3 goals. And Chamakh at this stage is just poor. He looks enervated.
"It's all kind of weird," Henry said. "When I came back from holiday in Mexico, 15 days ago, I never thought I'd play for Arsenal again, let alone score the winner. I don't know what to say, to be honest. The feeling I had when I scored was amazing."
His return makes Wenger look like a genius who said he was impressed with what he saw in training.
"He's sharp, physically. I'd seen that in training and I wouldn't have used him if he wasn't ready. But he was already a legend here. Now he's added just a bit more to the whole story."
Henry's current contract has him at Arsenal for six weeks extendable to eight weeks which will see him do duty in a mouthwatering encounter with Spurs as well as AC Milan in the Champions League round of 16. But with his instant impact there is all kinds of talk that Arsenal could find a way to keep him till the end of the season. Which of course is not fair to the Red Bulls and more seriously does not solve the need for a long term partner to RVP up front.
With this result, Arsenal are spared a trip to Elland Road, and through to the 4th round where they will meet Aston Villa. Today, Arsenal fans can sleep well after an evening written in the stars.
16 year old Romarinho, the son of one of the most prolific goalscorers in history, Romario, scores a vital winning goal for Vasco's youth team in their opener against Sao Francisco.
Romarinho begins his career at Vasco, like his father, before he moved onto PSV and thereafter Barcelona cementing his place as one of the world's most feared poachers. Undoubtedly scouts are already tracking his progress and if he is inherited his father's nose for goals, a big European club will surely come knocking.
David Beckham's MLS fans will be delighted by the news that he will not leave for PSG. They have many more years to look forward to new tattoos being added to his various body parts and then orifices. Oh! yes, and a few sublime deliveries. Forgot about that.
Frank Lampard should have been sent off for his dangerous tackle. The Blues did enough for a must win against Wolves who made it very interesting. Ramires put AVB's boys up but Wolves answered back through Stephen Ward. It was left to Lampard, an increasingly likely transfer prospect to score the winner.
1. There are no free passes in the Premiership: Even the so called lesser teams have their moments under the sun. You underestimate them at your own peril. Teams that got bitten badly this past weekend: United, City, Chelsea, and Spurs. Two days later, Arsenal got burned after going unscathed against QPR.
2. RVP proves Arsenal is a one man team: The proof is to show otherwise. When Theo Walcott, Gervinho, Aaron Ramsey, and Arteta have ample opportunities to score but defer to the man, we have a problem. With Wenger reposing no great faith in Chamakh and Park, we have a problem.
3. Arsenal needs its full backs: Fulham's pressure on Arsenal in the second period could have been relieved if we had some speed down the wings to peg them back. Zamora's second goal should have never been if we had a specialist left back on patrol as Arseblog so astutely points out.
4. Wenger's pat on the back backfires all the time: On New Year's ever after the QPR match, Wenger praised the team for its grit and character (all very true) pointing to the team's rise from 17th to fourth (absolutely stellar). History has shown when he opens his mouth to praise, the team does its damndest to prove him otherwise usually by the next match.
5. Sebastien Squillaci? What was Wenger thinking?: Squillaci is breathing proof of Wenger's blind spot in his transfer decisions. Yesterday, he did nothing to dispel it.
Depressing. Very depressing. As bright and incandescent as Arsenal were the first half, the second half was an absolute blight. The Gunners looked drained, bereft of ideas, and they let Fulham walk all over them. It was an reversion to many a game last season where Arsenal showed distinctly no ambition other than to run out 90 minutes.
Why, oh why do Gervinho and Theo Walcott have no self confidence when it comes to taking shots? The Cote D'Ivoirian had at least three close looks but he spurned them all by passing to players who were not open. It leaves Van Persie with the enormous task of having to come up with goals. And he being only human has his off days. The last five matches have seen only 4 goals with the scoring tailing off perceptibly. It was left to Laurent Koscielny to break the scoring drought with his header, his first goal of the season.
These painful displays are not made easier when decisions go against you. Lee Probert did rob Arsenal of a clear penalty when Phillippe Senderos brought down Gervinho. Even worse, Johan Djourou was sent off for his second "offense", a very soft foul on Bobby Zamora.
That opened up the door for Senderos and Steve Sidwell, two Arsenal alums to collaborate with each other on a set piece and come up with the equalizer. With Sebastian Squillaci coming on you knew this would end badly.
And lo and behold Squillaci's botched clearance of a cross saw Zamora letting loose a volley home for a 90th minute winner. It was Jol's first victory over Wenger in eight attempts. Yet another record set against this Arsenal side in a season that has been good to their opposition. Full marks to a Fulham side that showed up to fight in the second half. And might I say, Brian Ruiz looks awfully good. He was a constant thorn in the side of the Gunners.
Wenger in his press conference chose to rage against Probert but the bigger story really should be Arsenal's inability to add further to their tally which led them to this embarrassing defeat. Thierry Henry can of course score but clue me skeptical. Wenger needs to find someone who is in his prime of his career.
John Terry's BFF, Wayne Bridge rumoured to be on Wenger's radar
A bridge to nowhere. With Thomas Vermaelen out with a calf strain, there is officially no left back specialist left on the Arsenal senior roster. In the match Wenger subbed off Vermaelen replacing him with Francis Coquelin who looked a bit suspect when tracking back but looked in his element pushing up the channel. This of course opens up a debate whether Arsene needs to dip into the market to get a full back.
Vermaelen maybe out for about three weeks with a calf strain and he's been quite outstanding although the wide game has suffered as he's rather more stationary than Kieran Gibbs and Andre Dos Santos. The former is expected to return at the end of the month and the latter is due back in March.
The buzz is that Wayne Bridge maybe on the short loan list to tide over Vermaelen's absence. If that is the thinking, we're better off with an incontinent one toed sloth drugged on valium and fattened on Cheetos. Plus, do we really need the locker room distraction of someone who reminds us of John Terry's peccadilloes? The real issue is Bridge will give us nothing in terms of going forward or tracking back. He has not played competitively a single minute this whole season with Kolarov and Clichy ahead of him. Plus, he's kept himself fit motoring on the greens in a golf cart on Saturday afternoons.
Another reason is that by this weekend, Gervinho will have left for the ACN which means if Thierry Henry deputizes for him, the left flank stands to be exposed for its lack of mobility, if Bridge is picked up. No knocks on Henry but at 34 years, he's lost a yard or two of pace and although he is a better finisher than Gervinho, tracking back will be hard on him.
A better option would be to retain Coquelin for the Premiership matches against Fulham and Swansea as well as the FA Cup showdown against Leeds. By the time Man Utd roll into the Emirates, we should have Vermaelen back. At the end of the month Gibbs will be back and then Wenger will have a few more options whether to reunite Vermaelen with Koscielny in central defense or to keep him going at left back.
SoccerBlog.com is a fan-driven site founded by Christian and Shourin. Our goal is to cover the beautiful game and talk about some of the issues that may not be covered elsewhere. Since we aren't any good at playing, we decided to talk about soccer instead!
