It going to be a long season for an average Arsenal!

Morning Gooners,

Where to start? I sat down in my living room on my comfortable over sized sofa, drink within reach of my left hand, food within reach of my right, my boys dressed in their Arsenal shirts that they ask to wear on match days even though they're too young to know the commitment that entails and prepared myself for the upcoming demolition of bottom of the table Blackburn to the hands of the mighty new look Arsenal.

for 45 minutes almost everything was going to plan. Apart from Yakubu's goal everything was going as it should. We took a nice early lead with a gorgeous through ball from Alex Song finding the Forehead himself Gervinho who tucked the ball away nicely into the far corner across Robinson. Our midfield dominated the game, lovely passing triangles left the boys in Blue and White wishing they could just all call it a day and go home early. Arsenal's creativity was there for all to see, we were organised, harmonic and playing the football Arsene Wenger has made our club famous for.

Half time and we left the pitch 2-1 up after Arteta grabbed his first goal for the club after another fantastic passing move involving Song and Ramsey. We were confident, dominant and would surely be using the 15 minute break to plan how we would be finishing the game off and securing another 3 points in the league.

Then came the second half. 45 minutes that saw 2 own goals, one of which from a free kick that was never a foul in the first place and a goal that should have been flagged offside, 45 minutes that ruined Gooner's weekends throughout the country. 45 minutes that gave the British media another reason to use their broken canon image throughout next weeks press but more importantly 45 minutes that may well reveal some unwanted hidden truths about the current state of our great club.

I am a positive Gooner, one of the most positive I know and I come under attack from other football fans for my views on the club and my defence of our players, philosophy, strategy and even our gaffer. But the truth is we have become an average club. An average club that should not be expecting to challenge for trophies every year, an average club that cannot maintain financial equality with the real big clubs in this country, an average club that cannot attract players of the highest calibre, an average club with average players.

How many of our players would make the bench for Barca, Real Madrid, Inter, Bayern Munich, Chelsea or Man Utd, let alone make the starting line up? RVP? probably but only if he proves his fitness. Wilshere, Vermaelen? maybe. The truth is we have a group of good players, a couple of very good players but we do not have any world class players. The fact that we got so excited about a deadline day signing of a 29 year old midfielder that has never been capped for his country wraps up our expectation or more to the point the expectation the club has convinced us that we should be aiming for. The bigger realisation is that Arteta did indeed massively improve our squad.

Questions must be asked at every level of our club, from the fans right up to the owner. Last year I wrote a piece criticising the Arsenal support but the support at the begging of this season has been nothing short of immense so from a fans point of view I don't think we can be accused of not doing our bit.

The club's current problems lie deep within its foundations. Two facts are there for all to see, we can not defend and we do not have anything close to a winning mentality. A quick fix to thump this into our young squad is to introduce a personality such as Keown or Bould, who is already at the club, to first team training to demand the concentration that the art of defending needs and remind our players of what it means to play for the Arsenal. Our back room staff has become stagnant, no fresh ideas have come in and our club has stood still as a result while other clubs around us continue to progress and improve.

I am not saying we should sack Arsene Wenger but at the same time I am saying he should keep his job simply because he is Arsene Wenger. I am not a AKB, I trust Arsene knows what is needed to take our club forward my only question is this, is he able to do it? I'll just add a couple of words for those people who's only argument to keep him at his post is "who on earth would you replace him with" those words being "Arsene Who?" the words being uttered when the great man joined our club all those years ago. Our most successful manager was unknown when he joined so who is to say we have to know the name of our next manager? Anyway, Wenger's current contract expires in June 2014 and Le Prof has never left a contract before it expires so if he leaves the club he will need to be sacked by Kronke and the board. Again, I do not think sacking Wenger is the answer but changes need to be made around him including everything from coaching staff, potentially assistant manger and certainly training methods and routines.

The introduction of new players over the summer has proved without question that the problem does not sit with the playing staff alone. We have almost a completely new squad but we keep seeing the same problems come back to haunt us year after year, after year.

The big worry is that any major changes that need to come will not be made in the middle of a season. It will be next summer at least until we see a massive restructure that is desperately needed which means we will suffer more days like yesterday at Ewood Park throughout the season and I honestly believe this will be the most testing season for Arsenal fans for over a decade and a half and we have to realise the true capabilities of our squad and adjust the targets we hold accordingly. Finishing fourth will be a massive achievement for our current squad and should certainly not be taken for granted. Our only realistic goal for silverware this year is either of the domestic cups, those that believe we are genuine challengers for the Premier League or Champions league need a little reality check, if you automatically aim that much higher than your ability then you will live a true life of disappointment. For the record I am not saying this is the situation we SHOULD be in, smarter transfer dealings and adjustments in the background and training disciplines over the past few years would have made the world of difference, I'm saying this is the situation we ARE in and we need to realise it. The only changes that have been made behind the scenes are commercial ones with the intention of making more money, as it is obvious that all that extra income is not being instantly invested into the playing squad in areas that are needed it seems to me that the owner and board need to readjust their priorities and concentrate on making our team competitive again.

However, even with all this negativity we are Gooners. We are the Arsenal and we are family. Whoever wears our crest, whatever the score is we will support our club with all our voice and all our heart. We will share among ourselves disappointment and heartbreak and we will share the joy and excitement when the tide turns. Forward Arsenal.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Gervinho's coming to get you!! Blackburn Preview

Evening Gooners,

Why is it that every game at the moment feels massive?

We travel to Blackburn tomorrow lunch time and you have to believe our fortune will be better than the last time we travelled north. Blackburn are sat on the bottom of the table at the moment with only a single point which they managed to grab at Craven Cottage last weekend. On top of that they are one of the few teams that have actually scored less than our 3 goals this season only managing to find the net twice so far.

Arsenal's team news is pretty much the same as it has been for the rest of the season. Wilshere and TV5 are both out with Vermaelen-itis and Diaby has still not been found so the official line is he's injured too. You can however add to that list Rosicky and Ryo, both of whom are a doubt.

When talking about injuries, Wenger has said that Vermaelen should return after the next international break which I think means he should be back for the Sunderland game. Jack however is still wearing his boot so we won't know how he's doing until the boot comes off. A bit of good news though is that Ramsey seems to have shaken off his injury and has been training normally with the rest of the squad so could be in contention, whether he's fit enough for a start or just able to make the bench we'll have to see but either way it's a pleasant change to see players making a quick recovery. If he plays tomorrow I can see all the Arsenal medical staff doing a merry jig waving their middle fingers in the air to all those people that have been criticising them over the past months.

Another big plus for the trip to Blackburn is that we see the return of Alex Song and Gervinho to League action. The forehead and Song have both finished their bans served to them from the Newcastle game on the opening day and they should both start and Gervinho seems to be raring to go in a recent interview he said:

"It has been a stop and start season for me. I took the red card and I am annoyed with myself"

I have not played in the Premier League at home so far so thank God the wait is over"

"I am looking forward to my return this weekend"

 Gervinho is such an exciting talent and I think when he settles properly into the team we will be watching one of the best players in the league working wonders for Arsenal. His pace on and off the ball is wonderful, he has the ability to take players on - even if he does sometimes try too much - and as his record for Lille showed last year he knows how to find the net. His forward runs and the way he cuts inside reminds me of watching Freddie Ljungberg or Bobby Pires at Highbury. If you haven't guessed already, this guy excites me quite a lot.

Robin Van Persie has the potential to be one of the best strikers in the world, he just needs to stay fit. This is a claim I and many others have been making for years. The Dutchman has all the qualities needed to have his name mentioned in the same breath as some of the greatest strikers in world football. Ewood Park is the place to start proving this. RVP has scored in 10 of the last 11 away games he's played in for Arsenal, only failing to score against Newcastle on the opening day and he will be eager to overwrite his memories of Ewood Park from last year as he came off injured after only 34 mins.

The defence pretty much picks itself at the moment. I think Wenger will keep his faith in Gibbs at left back and these games are the sort of games that Mertesacker will come into his element. His lack of pace will not matter tomorrow he will be there with all his positional know how to stop set pieces and long balls reaching their intended targets and his strength will keep him on top of what will hopefully become very frustrated Blackburn strikers.

The biggest question mark in the line up this weekend is who will join Song and Arteta in the middle of the park. If Ramsey didn't have his set back then I think he's be straight in but I think Wenger may take the side of caution and keep him on the bench. That leaves either Benayoun or Frimpong and that decision depends on how Wenger wants his team to approach the game. If we are going to play carefully and scrap a result together then we could see Frimpong but if he wants to take the game to Blackburn as he should then then Benayoun's attacking mind set would be a much better choice.

My Line-up

                      Szczesny

Sagna - Koscienly - Mertesacker - Gibbs

                         Song

                 Arteta - Benayoun

Walcott                -                   Gervinho

                        RVP

This fixture finished 2-1 last year with Theo Walcott literally breaking the net. Steve Keen is very much a man under pressure at the moment and looking to be one of the first management casualties of the season, as much as I don't agree with the way managers are thrown away after a few bad results these days, I really hope we do absolutely nothing to help his cause. We should have enough to see off Blackburn and in all honesty I'd take another scrappy 1-0 win but I still look forward to that day in the near future when all our players click and we go on an absolute rout against the unfortunate 11 men put in front of us, it's coming and you never know when it may strike.

One thing is for certain, our superb away fans will be out in voice again cheering on our boys whatever the result. Keep it up Gooners and lets hope all of our weekends get off to start we need.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Teaching new dogs old tricks: Dortmund Preview

Afternoon Gooners,

They often say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks but right now I'm more concerned about teaching our 'new dogs' Arsenal's old trick of qualifying from the Champions League group stage.

Arsene Wenger's new look Arsenal embark on this this years Champions League campaign tonight with a trip to the BvB Stadion Dortmund to face Borussia Dortmund. Our boys travel to the reigning Bundesliga champions on the back of picking up our first 3 points in the league against Swansea and although the performance wasn't a reason for the squad to be suddenly overflowing with confidence, it is a start and a good result tonight could be vital in building up a decent run of results and pushing our season forward.

Wenger starts his new 2 match ban tonight and will be giving his team talk at the hotel before they leave for the stadium but it will be down to the players to ensure his presence isn't missed. There will again be a lot of pressure on a couple of the new boys with Arteta and Mertesacker likely to keep their starting spots.Per Mertesacker worried me during in the game against Swansea, in my opinion he wasn't sharp enough, his decision making was variable at best and he failed to impose his height at all however, tonight's game should suit Mertesacker more than the weekend's game, the Bundesliga is where he played his trade before coming to Arsenal and is definitely more suited to a German pace. Mertesacker needs to improve quickly, especially as we are without Vermaelen for so long and tonight is a great opportunity for him to start. Arteta on the other hand could thrive on the space he gets tonight. I expect him to have a little more time on the ball than he is used to and look forward to seeing what he can make of it, hopefully picking out passes to the lighting bolts either side of him resembling Theo Walcott and Gervinho unless of course he's picking his spot from 30 yards and smashing a shot into the top corner.

Speaking of Gervinho, he must be gagging for a game. Following his dismissal at Newcastle on the opening day of the season he has only been able to play in European qualifiers. I can't wait to see Gervinho get a decent run in the side, he must be strengthening relationships with his team mates all the time and once he clicks he will be deadly for us. I expect Gervinho to leave the traps flying tonight and putting pressure on the Dortmund defenders from the very first minute to the last.

One question for Wenger to answer is that of left back. Gibbs is in the rare state of being fit and had as good a game as anyone on Saturday but Santos will be eager to begin his Arsenal career. Santos was short of match fitness at the weekend and I don't know how much that's changed in the past couple of days however I don't expect to see Santos's full out 'attack is the best form of defence' defending being Wenger's preferred choice.

My Line up:

               Szczesny

Sagna - Kos - Mertesacker - Gibbs
                
                   Song

       Frimpong - Arteta

Walcott          -                 Gervinho

                   RVP

Tonight should be a good game. Two attacking teams who like to play football as it should be played. I think we could see a few goals today and in all honesty if we don't lose then I will be relatively happy with the result. A win would be great, as always, but a draw will not be a bad result. One player we will need to watch out for will be a reported summer target of Wenger's in the form of Mario Gotze. Yet another player being touted as a new Messi will be fresh after not playing in Dortmunds' last league game and is very much able to cause us a lot of issues. I'd imagine Frimpong and Song will be given the responsibility of keeping him quite, my only worry is the temperament and clumsiness of the pair and what damage it would do if we were to end up getting through yet another game with only 10 men.

Results are being scrutinised more than every at the moment by press, pundits and fans so the performance is almost as important as the result tonight. If we keep our discipline and take our chances when they present themselves we should wake up tomorrow happy Gooners.

On a separate note Henri Lansbury has today signed a new contract with the club. This is fantastic news and has been well played by the club. Lansbury wanted to leave early in the summer but the club arranged a loan so they had a chance to change his mind, which they have managed to do. With a year of regular football under his belt this season he should return in the summer a better player and could be the next youngster to make that step into the Arsenal first team.

Till next time,
Goonerfish

Swans gift the gunners but a win is a win!

Morning Gooners,

Yesterday saw a must win game for Arsenal at the Emirates. The fact that we are talking about must win games only 4 games into the season is a scary thought in itself but I won't go into that as I'm determined this is going to be a positive blog.

Swansea City came to town full of intent to take advantage of a frail Arsenal and felt confident they could not only score their first goal in the Premiership but maybe take their first win too. The men from across the bridge looked good. They were sharp, attacking and well organised, I'd even go as far to say if they were playing the team we didn't put out when we didn't play Man Utd a couple of weeks ago that they would have won the game.

As it turned out they didn't, Arsenal did. The goal itself was a very odd goal, it's not something Arsenal fans aren't used to seeing, it's just the fact that it went for us rather than against us that left the crowd perplexed. The Swansea keeper, eager to start another attack rolled the ball out to his right back only for it to bounce back off his heel to the feet of Arshavin on the side edge of the penalty area and he managed to keep his cool and slotted the ball home into the back of the net producing the only goal of the game. The little Russian is constantly coming under a lot of criticism but when you step back and look at the facts, his goal and assist records are excellent. Yes, he appears lazy some most of the time but he has a wonderful habit of popping up in the right place at the right time for that vital flick on, pass or finish that produces a goal and that sort of player is vital for a successful team.

Now, if we're honest then we have to say that the teams performance wasn't one of the best anyone will have seen at Ashburton Grove. We still lack that killer instinct that is needed to be a top, top club. Confidence is nowhere near as high as it needs to be and we still have players that are performing way under their full potential. However, as I said at the beginning, this is going to be a positive blog. First point is that the fans were excellent during the whole game, especially the last 10 minutes to see the result through. There were glimpses of lovely free flowing football throughout the game. We had (admittedly very short) spells of short, quick passing and movement that made me think back to the football Arsenal FC have become famous for under Arsene Wenger's reign. When confidence returns to this team we could be looking forward to something very special and with our next few games all being games that - on paper - we should be picking up maximum points from then hopefully that confidence will be returning sooner rather than later.

Another big thing people were watching for yesterday was of course the performances of our new recruits. Arteta and Mertesacker both started the game whilst Park, Benayoun and Santos took their places on the on the bench. Arteta looked like he had been playing with his new team mates for years. He fitted in perfectly to our midfield, interestingly he took a deeper role than I expected with Ramsey taking responsibility for the more attacking role in our midfield trio. Our new number 8 still managed to enforce himself on the game and was fundamental in most of our attacking flurries.

Mertesacker on the other hand looks like he will need a little longer to settle. On a few occasions his lack of pace and inability to turn as quickly as needed almost got him into trouble but on the positive side, his positional awareness was excellent and his input to the overall defensive organisation was there for all to see. Benayoun was the third player to make his debut when he replaced Arshavin in the second half and looked sharp and competitive and I think he will become a very useful addition to the squad.

At the end of the day Gooners, we won and that is surely the most important thing. We get just as many points for our 'lucky' win against Swansea as Utd did when they beat us and replacing Blackpool with Swansea, we are only 1 point down on the same fixtures last year. On top of all this we have Vermaelen, Song, Wilshere and Gervinho all to come back, all of whom would have started the game and two of whom will be back for our next game.

The team's minds now need to turn to the Champions League and Dortmund before we travel to Ewood Park to face Blackburn. Now our squad is settled they need to string together a series of wins and with the confidence that will provide the performances we are used to seeing from players wearing our cannon will quickly return.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Don't forget to follow me on twitter for more ramblings on all things Arsenal - you can do it here @goonerfishblog

FORWARD ARSENAL: Swansea preview.

Morning Gooners,


Here we go, match day!

I can't believe how contrasting my feelings can be before two consecutive league games. As we approached the game against Utd a couple of weeks ago I was full of fear and dread. I knew we were outclassed and although I am a hugely optimistic gooner, the best possible scenario I could muster in my mind was holding out for a 0-0 draw and maybe, just maybe, getting lucky and stealing a  sneaky 1-0 win. But as there was no football that weekend I guess we'll never know.

Today however, I just can't wait for the game to get started. Fresh new faces in the squad, the Nasregas saga finally behind us for good, and a new feeling of optimism and hope flows across the Arsenal camp even Arsene Wenger looked more like his old self in his press conference. Getting through the internationals with no new injuries and our players scoring for fun it's turned out to be almost a perfect international break and it seems to me that just about everyone connected with our wonderful club is ready to go.

A couple of guys that are not ready to go are Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen. Both players face a continued spell on the sidelines and won't be back on the pitch for at least 6 weeks but at least now we have a squad big enough to field a team that will put up a decent fight.

I have for a long time believed that one of the biggest issues with our players is that they are too settled. Players who are at the club from a very early age then break into the first team and such is Wenger's nurturing nature that by the time they get their chance they don't have the same hunger to  perform and impress the manager that a player that is new to the club would. Mertesacker, Santos, Arteta, Benayoun, Park, AOC, Jenkinson and Gervinho all have that hunger and desire to impress and I honestly believe that difference will give us an edge for the remainder of the season.

On to the game. Swansea are a fantastic team to re-start our season against. They are weak in every department. They are yet to score a goal in the league and despite all their flaws they still play quite open football which should suit us perfectly.

Per Mertesacker should be the first new face we see at today's game standing in for the injured Vermaelen. Gibbs and Santos are both fit but Wenger has hinted he feels our new Brazilian may be just short of match sharpness so I'd expect Gibbs to get the nod to play at left back.

Frimpong returns from his suspension and will take his place in the holding midfield role he performed so well in against Liverpool. Frimpong's biggest problem at the moment is his inexperience and the rash decision making that comes with it. If he can control that today he should be very effective for us. He will also get opportunities to stride forward which he does with great power so I'm looking forward to seeing a couple of 'DEEEENCH' attacks. Arteta should be the next player to make his Arsenal bow today. The uncapped Spaniard will bring all of his creativeness and premiership experience to the table and today should be the first game of a successful Arsenal career. Everyone is excited about Arteta joining the club - if for nothing else it means that someone other than RVP can start taking free kicks - hopefully his debut will be one to remember.

The third midfielder of that trio should be either Ramsey or Rosicky. Rosicky has had a relatively rested international break whereas Ramsey played his arse off at Wembley against England so may still be feeling the fatigue. I hope it's Ramsey that enters from the tunnel as he and Arteta will be our first choice pairing in midfield for the next couple of months so the sooner they get their relationship going the better.

Walcott has been passed fit and Van Persie......wait for it....... has returned from Holland duties without a scratch on him, not a single broken bone, not even a bruise, nothing!! It looks doubtful that Park's paperwork will be sorted in time and even if it is done then the lack of practise with his new team mates will surely mean that a place on the bench is the best he will achieve. The only real question for our front line will be who joins Theo and RVP. For the first time this season we have options. Arshavin is most likely to start and this should be a game we don't need to panic over when it comes to his lack of defensive cover. Wenger may give yet another debut in the form of Benayoun or a full debut to Chamberlain both of whom will be desperate to get their chance to impress in front of the Emirates crowd.

My Line-up:

              Szczesny

Sagna - Kos - Mertesacker - Gibbs

              Frimpong

         Arteta - Ramsey

Walcott        -                   Arshavin

                 RVP

Yesterday saw this year's team photo finally taken and today marks the start of Arsenal's future. Arsenal football club must be looking for nothing other than a win against Swansea and I have a lovely feeling it could be a big one.

Today is not a time for negativity so I plea to anyone planning to take part in any protest, march or demonstration whether it be the 'Black Scarf' or otherwise please don't. Today is a day to get behind our club and our team and start our march FORWARD.

Until next time,
Goonerfish.

Failed transfers or not, now we know who is Arsenal.

Taken from Arsenal.com

Evening Gooners,

Is it just me or can the Swansea game not come quick enough. There is a feeling of excitement and anticipation around the Ashburton Grove at the moment following the most active transfer window I can remember for an age.

The late flurry of window activity has lifted the spirits of everyone involved with the club. Now, I'm not going to pretend that the window had no issues, and I'm not talking about the departires of Cesc and Nasri, I'm talking about the sambles behind the scenes that allowed both the mentioned sagas drag on for so long but also left the majority of our business to the last few days. We virtually sacrificed our opening three games of the season, we knew we would not be ready yet those people responsible, whoever they may be, allowed our players to leave our already thin squad before replacements were sorted whilst at the same time allowing targets such as Mata slip through our fingers. I know the argument with Mata is that when Chelsea came in for him they were the more attractive option but my counter argument is that we should have wrapped up the deal before Chelsea even made their interest known. We even nearly cocked up the Arteta deal when it came to the contract, in the end the player took a pay cut in order to secure a 4 year deal but those negotiations could very well have took too long and cost us the deal.

Sorry, this wasn't supposed to be a moan, I just diverted my train of thought, at the end of the day, the players we have brought in have made our squad stronger and that has to have been the ultimate goal.

As it turns out, the window could have been even nicer. It has been confirmed that we had large offers in for 3 more players. Eden Hazard could well have been on his way to London after reports suggest and an 'unnamed source told the Daily Mirror (yes, I know!! Just remember a certain member of our board has some good friends with that particular paper) that Lille had accepted an offer and personal terms were agreed however it happened so late in the day that Lille didn't have time to replace him so the deal fell through.

Officials in france have also confirmed that Rennes turned down a substantial offer for M'Vila believed to be in the region of €25m. It's also been reported that we had a deal worth around €35m turned down for Goetze. Although these reports show Wenger and Arsenal are willing to spend large amounts of money on a single player, it also confirms my above argument that we are still lacking the cutting edge in the market.

I hope lessons have been learnt by the club for future transfer windows but for now we need to get behind the players we have, both new and old, and push forward to find the success we deserve.

One of those however will not be Jack Wilshere the Arsenal wonderkid has confirmed via twitter that he will be out for 2-3 months. This is a bitter blow but it is a fantastic oppurtunity for the likes of Arteta, Benayoun, Ramsey or Frimpong t take a leading role and become the new sparkle in fans eyes. Get well soon Jack, we need you.


I the more ridiculous side of the news, Arsenal.com have confirmed that UEFA have been trueto their responsibilities of putting a stop to the true crimes in football and withheld Arsene Wenger's two match ban so will miss the Champions League games against Dortmund and Olympiacos. It's a good thing there's nothing like racism in the game otherwise an offence as serious as Wenger talking to a bloke in the seat next to him in the stand might have gone unnoticed and unpunished and that would surely start the inevitable downfall of football as we know it.

On a happier note, I noticed tonight that Arsenal.com have finally put some photos of Arteta in red and white on the website (you'll find them here), it made me smile, especially the shots of his happy little face in training, but miss proper football even more. I really can't wait until Swansea travel to London to be issued a spanking by the new Arsenal.

I know it's a bit of a short one today but that's international week for ya.

Till next time,
Goonerfish

Arsenal back on track: Transfer Window roundup

Morning Gooners,


So there we are, we all now finally know how it feels to be involved properly in transfer deadline day.

Arsene Wenger knew that his squad needed major strengthening in this window, in fact he's known for a while. I am not going to go into my annoyance that deals weren't completed much earlier or how much early signings would have helped our appalling start to the season, it's not the day for that, I will however congratulate Arsenal on what has in my opinion turned out to be a very, very decent transfer window.

All summer fans and pundits alike have screamed that we must strengthen our defence. I have always been a fan of a Vermaelen & Koscielny partnership but when TV5 is out for whatever reason our defence just corrodes away to dust. Clichy left early in the summer and with Gibbs very injury prone and Traore.......well, shit, a left back was another must.

Wenger responded by brining in Jenkinson quite early on for a tiny fee of £1m. Jenkinson's role will be as backup for our full backs but has already been called into action and (Utd game aside) he's done very well. Transfer deadline day saw confirmation of two more defenders. Andre Santos was the first to be confirmed, the Brazilian left back made 52 appearances for Fenerbahce last season scoring 10 goals - at this point I'll remind you he's a left back - I just wonder how long it will be until he passes Clichy's grand total of 1 goal. He sounds like a typical Arsenal left back, defending is sometimes questionable but is a monster going forward. Santos will wear number 11. The second addition confirmed yesterday was Per Mertesacker. Initially I wasn't over inspired by the signing but the more I thought about it the more excited I got. Per stands at 6 foot 6 inchs tall and has 75 caps for Germany including games in the World Cup and European Championships, he is in essence a tall, powerful, experienced central defender and is exactly what we have been crying out for. I have a feeling that the partnership of Vermaelen and Mertesacker is one that will prove to be very successful. Mertesacker is now the clubs new number 4.

Forward options seemed to be the one thing that we didn't lack at the club however Wenger moved early in the summer to secure the services of Gervinho who we are now all used to seeing in an Arsenal shirt. Wenger then signed Costa Rica striker Joel Campbell. Definately one for the future Campbell has a lot of people excited but unfortunately was unable to secure a work permit so has been loaned out for the season to Lorient  in France. Probably because of this Wengers attentions turned to South Korea's captain Park Chu Young who at the time was having a medical with Lille. Park agreed personal terms with the French outfit and completed  the first part of his medical but when he didn't show for the second part on Saturday morning it turned out he had travelled to London and was in fact completing a medical and agreeing terms with us. If the scenario was reversed I'd be annoyed but as it is, I actually enjoy seeing a little bit of ruthlessness on our part in the transfer market. Park will effectively replace Bendtner who eventually finalised a season long loan to Sunderland and will wear the number 9 shirt. He looks a tidy finisher with a fantastic work rate and a useful set piece taker that will give Wenger another option in attack.

Following the departure of Cesc and his most obvious replacement Nasri in the window left a massive gap in the centre of our midfield. This was the one position that really worried me. With our complete lack of creativity in the middle of the park in our opening games of the season that gap had to be filled and sweet Jesus, did we ever leave it late! Stories came and went about who we'd bring in but the two stories that stuck were those of Yossi Benayoun and Mikel Arteta. At one point the Arteta deal looked dead in the water and the thought of Benayoun being our only CM addition scared me a little. As it turned out we secured the signatures of both players. Arteta is a magnificent signing for Arsenal. He has both the skill and experience to make our side much, much better. Arteta seemed to be going a little stale at Everton and as the club was going nowhere a move to a club with Champions League football was too good an opportunity to turn down. Although Everton obviously didn't want to lose him David Moyes has said:

"Mikel informed me he wanted to join arsenal.I'm disappointed to lose him but Champions League football is not something I can offer him"

 I've always liked Arteta and I'm sure I'm not the only Gooner that is delighted to see him join our mighty club.

Benayoun is another player that has a wealth of experience. Racking up 163 Premier League appearances for West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea Yossi will provide much needed experience to an overall young and inexperienced squad. It's hard to see Benayoun being a regular starter for us if everyone is fit but he is the type of player that can make a difference from the bench and is welcome depth to a squad that was very thin. The joy of twitter came into play on this one as Yossi announced the deal himself before any press could beat him to it he tweeted:

"I sign with arsenal,very happy and excited about it,but now my head is only in the game against grecce on friday,thanks for the support."

Interestingly it was reported that Benayoun was very close to signing for Liverpool but Wenger called him personally and persuaded to come to Ashburton Grove instead. Wenger was also the one that worked his magic with Park. I expect players appreciate that personal touch from the club's manager and is just one aspect of why players seem to love playing for Wenger.

So, transfers are all done now and we can concentrate on winning football matches. Here a summary of our dealings and how I see the players leaving have been replaced:

Cesc > Arteta
Nasri > Gervinho
Clichy > Santos
Eboue > Jenkinson
Bendtner (loan) > Campbell > Park Chu Young
Denilson > Benayoun
Vela (loan) > Oxlade-Chamberlain

OTHERS OUT:                                    
Sunu
Lansbury (loan > release)
Traore
Bothelo (loan)
Bartley (loan)
JET
Shea (loan)
Randall
Cruise
Lehmann

OTHERS IN:
Mertesacker
Ryo (technically signed last year but only just made available)
Olsson
Torrel
Gnarby

I want to put Almunia on one of those lists but I think Arsenal have simply lost him. My guess is they took him on a training camp or away game but forgot to bring him back. If you do find him anywhere, please return him to a good home, just as long as it's nowhere near north London, we don't want him finding his way back.

It's been so busy that I must have missed some ins and out somewhere in the ether but as far as the first team is concerned we have 9 new faces to enjoy at Ashburton Grove this season. We asked for Premier League experience and in Arteta and Benayoun we got it, we asked for leaders and in Mertesacker, Park and Benayoun we have 3 international captains, we asked for a big money signing and we didn't need it, we got half a squad for the price of a single Torres and we spent no more than £10m on any single player, Arsene Wenger once again proving you don't have to spend £30m on a player to add quality.

I personally think this has turned out to be a successful window for Arsenal as far as brining players in is concerned and I'm now looking forward to seeing our new boys gel and bringing success back to the mighty Arsenal. I was trying to think of ways to sum up the transfer window but nothing I can think of sums it up better than an analogy by @yankeegunner on twitter, he tweeted:

"August was like the opposite of sex for Arsenal fans. Started with disappointment, seemed to last forever, ended with everyone satisfied"

I can't put it better myself so I won't try.

While your on the internet, why not jump over to twitter, you can follow me at here @goonerfishblog for more Arsenal ramblings through the day.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Utd Preview: Time to come out fighting

Afternoon Gooners,

Is anyone else bricking themselves about tomorrows game? I am a bit but mainly because I work in an office full of Utd fans. With our current squad status, this is the most nervous I have been going into a big game in the Premier League.

Manchester United haven’t won their three opening games since the 2006/07 season, when they beat Fulham, Charlton and Watford and by coincidence the 2006/07 season was also the last time Arsenal failed to win any of their opening three games, a feat which will be matched if they don’t win at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The European result midweek will lift spirits of everyone involved with the club which will be vital going into this game. Even with our vastly incomplete squad, if the players we do have put in the right effort and show the same spirit they did against Udinese then we may be able to get a result.

Our biggest concern for this game is the obvious void in the defensive midfield department with both Song and Frimpong serving their suspensions.Wenger has very little options open to him but has hit a bit of luck with the likelihood that we will have Vermaelen, Koscielny and Djourou all available which means Wenger's first choice pairing of TV5 and Kos can watch our defence and Djourou can move up a little into the DM role. I think this could work as Djourou likes to stride forward, has the pace to cover the whole pitch and is defensively aware enough not to leave the back four unsupported. It would be a huge task for Djourou and his ability to adapt and put in a performance will be vital to any result we get. Gibbs is still short for the game so I'd  expect Jenkinson to keep his starting place.

Wojciech Szczesny is now beyond doubt Arsenal’s number one. It's hard to believe that he only made his league debut at Old Trafford last season. Ji-Sung Park’s header sealed a 1-0 win for the home side that day in a tight game but I get the feeling that many people involved with Man Utd are expecting a bigger margin this year.

The rest of the midfield is honestly anyone's guess. Ramsey could continue his run of starting spots or Rosicky may well have done enough on Wednesday night to secure the start himself. Maybe both will start. Maybe Arshavin will be moved centrally?  Honestly I have no idea which combination Wenger will go for.

I am personally gutted that Gervinho is suspended tomorrow. I would have loved to see him running riot against Utd's depleted defence. His skill, pace and trickery would have been too much for Rafael or Fabio or Smalling and he would have provided a massive chance of picking up a result.

Captain RVP will lead the forward line hoping to pick up the first points of his official captaincy with Walcott and probably Arshavin supporting him from each side. As the game goes on, due to our limited numbers I think we will see a debut for either Ryo or AOC at some point, maybe even both.

My Line-up

                        Szczesny

Sagna - Vermaelen - Koscielny - Jenkinson

                        Djourou

                Rosicky - Ramsey

Walcott                 -                     Arshavin

                          RVP

As much as I am not looking forward to this game, I have a little feeling that we could surprise a lot of people at Old Trafford. We always perform best when the odds are stacked against us and no one can see us pulling out a result, if I'm honest I would happily take a draw today but if we are to achieve it there will be a lot of hard work and commitment from everyone in an Arsenal shirt.

As pessimistic as it sounds the key to tomorrows game is not to over react, whatever the result. If we lose we are only on the third game of the season, plenty of time left and we play all the big boys at home in the second half of the season. If we win, again, we are only 3 games into the season and unless we pick up other results during the rest of the season it'll mean very little but what the hell, lets enjoy it.

This is the last game of the month which means by the time we play Swansea in our next game we will know our squad. Whoever is in that squad it is our job as fans to support them as best we can. It is our club so lets show it in what will probably turn out to be our most difficult season of recent times.

Till next time,
Goonerfish

Thoughts from Italy: Proud to be a Gooner

Afternoon Gooners,

Well done boys, well done!

Arsenal and Arsene Wenger made certain to continue their phenomenal record of appearing in the Champions League group stages for the 14th consecutive year. For a club working on our budget whilst moving to a brand new stadium as well as all the other troubles we have faced this record is fantastic and credit should be given for that alone. Playing consistently at Europe's highest level is what keeps us as one of the world's biggest clubs (Are you listening Liverpool?)

As always Arsenal decided to do it the hard way. Following our collapse at the end of last season we lost our automatic entry and were forced to go through the agony of a two legged qualifier against Series A's Udinese. We took the victory in the home leg with a narrow and uncomfortable 1-0 win so the evening at the Stadio Fruili would decide our fate.

Udinese played well over the two legs and will be disappointed they didn't progress but their pain is our joy so I'm not going to cry too much for them. The return leg in Italy called on our entire squad to grow up quickly, show their character, bravery and spirit and put the loses of Fabregas and Nasri behind them and in line with the clubs motto for the season move the club 'forward' into a new age, a new age that had to include Champions League football. This was not a time for boys to have a kick about, this was a time for men to wear the cannon with pride and show no fear. Our boys did just that.

On the night, Udinese took the lead just before half time via a looping header placed over Szczesny and we went into the break a goal down and our hard work at Ashburton Grove cancelled out.  This was a time for Arsene to show us he is still the right man to lead Arsenal. Wenger did not disappoint, he lifted the players showing he still has the ability to get the best out of the players he has to hand and he replaced Frimpong with Rosicky to give us a more attacking dynamic - a move that in my opinion won the game for us - to show that he can still make the right calls when it comes to all things tactical.

Goals from Van Persie and Theo Walcott eventually gave us the win we needed but it was the fight and spirit shown by all that made it an even sweeter victory. Gervinho impressed no end and once he returns from suspension we will see the difference he can really make in the league. Gervinho is an experienced player, he's played in the World Cup for Ivory Coast and last year won the league and cup double with his old club Lille. I am not surprised that 'the Forehead' stepped up to the plate but huge credit needs to go to our youngsters who faced the game as though they felt no pressure at all and took it all in their strides. In particular you need to look at Jenkinson and Frimpong. Both 19, both making their Champions League debut and both must have been quietly cacking themselves but they both did exactly what they had to do to get the job done and did it very, very well.

Rosicky produced quite possibly the one of the best performances I have seen from him during his time at Arsenal. He was a game changer and deserves all the credit he gets. He will be a useful impact player for the season, full of experience and hunger, could be exactly what we need to see out those tougher games that saw us drop points last season.

I can't talk about the game without mentioning the magnificent penalty save from the ever more impressive Wojciech Szczesny. If for any unexplainable reason you haven't seen the save, here it is:

With the score at 1-1 on the night this was a crucial save as had that gone in the momentum would have been well and truly with the Italians and our feeling today could be entirely different.

Last night was a credit to every Arsenal player and was much needed by anyone involved with the club at any level. The massive morale boost this provides the players should give us more of a chance for the trip to Old Trafford on Sunday and retains our reputation as one of the continents elite which should help attract the players needed for this to become a successful season.

The draw for the group stages starts from 4:30pm today and in all honesty I don't care who we get, we're in the competition and for right now, that's all that matters. We have had so much misery and disappointment in recent months that last nights victory and everything it means should be enjoyed for as long as possible. Enjoy the moment Gooners, we deserve it.

Till next time,
Goonerfish.

Udinese Vs Arsenal Preview: Nerves? What Nerves?

Afternoon Gooners,

Is everyone as nervous as I am? I cannot remember a match I have been more nervous about going into. Our status across Europe depends solely on tonight’s game and with that status, our appeal to potential targets. Champions League football, or the lack of, can be a final decider for many players when considering a move. For example, if the news is true that we are heavily perusing Eden Hazard then will he move from the French champions, automatically qualified for the Champions League, to Arsenal, playing in the Europa League? The answer is simple. No.

To say this game is a must win is an understatement. The permanent Champions League status we have gained during Wenger’s reign is the one stat that keeps Arsenal FC a ‘big’ club across Europe, without it we are a team that will challenge for a top four finish in the English league, good but not great. We could be viewed by potential signings as a club on par with dare I say it the Spuds or Villa or Everton, those teams that always finish quite high and in contention for European spots. I AM NOT SAYING WE ARE ON THAT LEVEL!! But that is how we would start to be seen by Europe’s top players.

OK, enough of what ifs, on to the game itself. The best bit of news is that Van Persie returns from his suspension so our new captain is available to lead the team out. RVP will provide so much more to the team than Chamakh did in the first leg and I fancy him to get on the score sheet tonight. Walcott has been picked out by the Italian press as our dangerman but I expect a lot from both him and Gervinho who is fresh after serving the first game of his three match ban.

Our defence almost picks itself by default, whoever is fit plays. Traore is back in contention after being passed fit but I think Wenger will stick with the full backs that played against Liverpool. More good news is that Djourou is fit again so I’d expect to see him partner Vermaelen.

Our midfield is my biggest concern. We showed no creativity at all at the weekend and that included Na$ri who has now gone on to pastures new. Ramsey needs to step up a little, he has the ability to spot and produce a pass but it was missing at the weekend. Song will take back his DM role but the questions sits as to who will be the third man making up our engine room in the centre of the pitch. Frimpong has started his full Arsenal career in style putting in a fantastic performance against Liverpool even if his red card did cost us the game in the end. Rosicky faces a late fitness test so even if he travels I doubt he’ll make the starting line up. Jack Wilshere is still out and now looks to be out for around two months. This injury scares me as it is slowly becoming more and more familiar to the TV5 saga last year. Hopefully everything goes right for Jack and he’ll be back on the pitch before you know it.

My Line up:

                      Szczesny

Sagna – Djourou – TV5 – Jenkinson

                         Song

              Ramsey – Frimpong

Walcott               –             Gervinho

                         RVP

As worried as I am tonight, I have to remain positive and believe that we can get the result we need and carry on to the group stages. If we score then Udinese will need to score three which I don’t see happening so if we can score in the first half hour or so then I will enjoy the game much more. My money is going on a 2-0 win for Arsenal.

Luckily, Udinese have been talking up the opportunity to play in the group stages as one of the biggest achievements the club has seen with their captain Antonio di Natale describing the game “like a World Cup final” so there is as much, if not more pressure sitting on the shoulders of their players as there is on our own.

This game could shape the club for the next few games so lets hope the boys get out there and do the job needed. Lets show players like Na$ri  and Juan Mata that we are still a top European club and lets retake our rightful place among the football elite.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS!! FORWARD ARSENAL!!

Till next time,

Goonerfish.