10 Reasons Why We Will Beat Aston Villa

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1.. All our new signing’s (ONE) have bedded in well after a good pre-season and I can’t wait to see him supporting us from the stands.

2.. We have a settled back 4, not that we have much choice, but they did finish last season up well.

3.. We always win the first game of he season..well after checking we have drawn the last 3 opening games, so if you have a punt get on the draw.

4.. A few positives, Ramsey, Theo, The Ox and Jack have all looked good in pre-season and did well on the pre-season international break.

5.. It’s great to see Jack looking fully fit, this is a big season for him, I’m sure I am not the only one who really wants him to have a whole season without interruptions and go on and drive us to success, then see him go on and do it at the World Cup for Engerland

6…Diaby is out, which is slightly better than him being fit, apart from the fact he still draws wages

7..The main talking point on the morning of the game is as always who will Wenger pick to play upfront, Olivier or Giroud, I’m sure whoever plays we wont notice the difference…

8.. Our Captain, Vermaelen, out injured, I have no idea why Wenger hasn’t put Mertesacker as captain this year, he is the leader on the pitch.

9.. Villa, will not come for the draw, Lambert has not had a 0-0 away from home for over 2 seasons with Villa and Norwich, they will line up much the same as us,4-3-3 but with 2 holding midfielders to our 1, so will try hitting us on the break with pace, will be a case of whose defence copes the best.

10.. Arsene Knows Best….£100 million to spend, loads of money freed up in wages, but he has faith in our wafer thin squad, yes on our day we should have too much for a Villa side that may struggle to get top 10, but still we have the highest match day income in the UK and with increased TV and sponsorship deals we should by now by waxing lyrical about a few new superstars in the team….

Prediction The Arsenal 3 – Villa 1

Likely Line-up:

Szczesny
Jenkinson Koscielny Mertersacker Gibbs
Wilshere Ramsay Oxlade-Chamberlain
Walcott Giroud Podolski

GC

Falcao to Solve Arsenal’s Problems?

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Rumours are circulating that agents working on behalf of Monaco have sounded out Europe’s elite with the view of shipping out Columbian striker Radamel Falcao, who scored on his Monaco debut. Despite the hitman only signing for Monaco this summer for £50 million, it seems that the project has been vastly overestimated.

With Monaco having to pay a premium in wage’s to attract, it seems they are in a potentially similar situation as Malaga, where its own just does not have as much disposable money as first assumed. The report in Spanish paper Marca insinuates that the French club are hemorrhaging money at an unexpected rate.

Arsenal’s search for a striker seems to of stalled with the pursuit of Luis Suarez. If Falcao does come onto the market, he is certainly someone we should be interested in.

Having already bid £40m (plus £1) for Suarez, the fee of £50m will not be a problem. Falcao’s tax free wages – £270,000 per week – might be the stumbling point, as well as the reports that he might be 29 year old, rather than the 27 years he has always claimed.

Whether the rumours do turn out to be true or not with regards to Falcao’s transfer listing at Monaco, it will certainly challenge some ‘mercenaries’ thoughts when it comes to where they end up. With the financial problems at Anzhi Makhachkala, and Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba returning from China after the money did not appear, the landscape of players going for the money will change. Players will become more aware that whilst they might be getting promised untold millions on papers, actually getting that money over the length of the contract is a different story.

He would certainly solve Arsenal’s problems upfront, and provide a big boost to fans morale, which has hit an all time low.

Keenos

Arsenal Down to the Bare Bones

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So tomorrow the season kicks off with Arsenal playing Aston Villa. But who is actually left to pull on an Arsenal shirt? After selling or releasing 22 players from both our first team squad and reserves squad and loaning out an additional 6, it leaves Arsenal with a 24 man squad.

Of these 24 men, according to physioroom.com, 11 are currently out injured and unavailable for 1st team action against Aston Villa. Even with my simple GCSE in maths, I can work out that this leaves us with 13 men available from out 1st team. Of this 13, two are Ju-Young Park and Nicklas Bendtner. It also contains 2 goalkeeper.s That leaves us with just 9 outfield players available from our first team squad.

So before the season has even started, we are down to the bare bones.

Now I would not be surprised if Theo Walcott, Bacary Sagna and Aaron Ramsay shake off their knocks and are fit to start tomorrow. However, worse case scenario and they do not, what are we actually left with?

With Sagna out, Carl Jenkinson will start at right back. Inside him will be Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertersacker. At left back Kieran Gibbs. A solid enough defence which, unless Benteke get’s one on one with Mertersacker, should be good enough to nullify Aston Villa. These 4 are our only fit defenders though. And anyone who has watched our under-21s in pre-season will know there is no one yet ready to step up. God forbid one of these pick up an injury. We will soon be recalling Johan Djourou back from his loan spell to play at right back!

Moving forward, it gets worrying. Of the 8 midfielders listed on our website, 5 are injured (Arteta, Ramsay, Rosicky, Diaby, Frimpong), and 1 (Cazorla) is unfit and has just been to Ecuador and bag for a pointless friendly with Spain. In an ideal world, he would not play.The world is not ideal. That leaves us with Jack Wilshere, and unfit Santi Cazorla and Ryo Miyaichi, who is actually a wing forward and has clearly been added to the ‘midfield’ tab just to make it look like more than what we have. So basically, if Ramsay does not get fit, we have 2 central mdifielders. What is likely is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will drop inside and play the role he has recently played for England against Scotland. But this will mean Cazorla and Wilshere playing deep. We will be bullied.

With Podolski and Giroud fit upfront, they will start. But that is where we now come up short. In all the players I have mentioned, we are now 1 short. So what are out options?

  • Pray that either Ramsay or Walcott get fit
  • Play Bendtner right wing
  • Play Gedion Zelalem, Thomas Eisfield or Kristoffer Olsson
  • Announce the signing of 3/4 players in the pre-match press conference today
  • Play Steve Bould

To be this short before a ball has been kicked is a result of our lack of transfer activity. Yes, we were correct in selling/releasing these players, as most were either ‘deadwood’ senior players, or youngsters who were never going to make it, but a lack of signings is costing us dear. Had we secured Etienne Capoue, Stevan Jovetic or Gonzalo Higuain, rather than spend 2 weeks chasing and unsettling Luis Suarez to no avail, we would not be in this situation.

If you have a pair of boots in your cupboard, bring them to the game. There is a very good chance you might get a spot on The Arsenal bench. Infact, I am surprised our board are not selling places on our bench to the highest bidder. What a money raiser that would be for them!

Dropped points against Aston Villa is a direct result of our poor transfer window.

Keenos