Utterly Shameful!

For once I feel ashamed to be an Arsenal fan, its not the defeat in Game One, not the lost 3 points, its the fans that fail me. I am sad to be categorised among those who can't back their own team, their invincible manager, their future legends.

Its not Arsenal, or their policies, or yesterday's game, its the boos, Jeers thrown at my team ( MY TEAM, nobody boo's his own team)

I sure don't reach many of you, but the most (not all) of you I address today, yes! You have failed me, hurt me more than all of my ex's put together, more than all the failed subjects in my graduation, more than watching Zidane walk past the World Cup dejected. For a moment I felt that I made a wrong choice supporting Arsenal. I am sad for yesterday's loss, I don't blame the ref. I think he was an overall fuck up. 

It is bad to lose an opening game in front of home crowd, at the Emirates, in a season where we were expecting to just mount the pressure on other serious contenders. But, look at it as just a small loss, Aston Villa are no easy opponents, we have an entire season ahead of us. This could well be the best 3 points lost ever, come on a right time. Any further, it would make a lot more difference.

Wenger knows he has to spend, he knows he has a thin-squad which gets thinner every time he plays against clubs playing a brand a football which resembles more to rugby. And when you know it, when I know it, so does the only manager ever to manage an invincible squad ever knows it. Wenger is a lot smarter than you and me put together. Lot smarter than the managers of Chelsea, City, United and Liverpool put together. Simple question, will you buy an Arsenal Jersey from me if I am selling it at twice its actual price?

How many times have we lost players due to clubs like Chelsea, United, Liverpool and City outbidding us? ( Count starting from Wright- Phillips to Eden Hazard) 

Do you think it is worth falling into a financial mess trying to compete with these clubs with respect to spending money on players- who may or may not be successful, who may or may not be fit for an entire season, who may or may not be able to match the premier league style of football. 

Does that mean we shouldn't buy? 

No, that's not what Wenger is up to. He has a very subtle style of working, not the credit mongering type, not explaining and exclaiming every action he does, his business is done in a very delicate manner, remember signing Santi? His style has done a lot good to the club and has ruined his image, but being the man he is- he doesn't care for his image and he sure loves Arsenal more than you do, lot more than I do. 

There will be signings- could be three or four or five and each one you will be boasting upon, and then on a day like yesterday you will again be booing them,  the same players you had your display pictures few days back. Learn to back your team, yesterday you were not just throwing those jeers at Wenger or the management. Our lil Jacky, the ever fighting Rosicky, the brilliant Santi were all at the end of it, you did a lot good to their morale. They would sure love to stay another season to entertain your boo's. 

Watch liverpool learn from them. Look at how they responded to a player who was so vocal in leaving them. They are the real fans. We are just a bunch of shameful idiots. 

Be man enough, or a women if you are one,  face your bad days, stand behind your team. Boos are not the answer.

Gunner Minions (Part-1)

Photoshop was one of my favourite activity, its been ages since I've done something on that. Here is a small edit First let me thank @saber_gooner  for the base image, I've flicked it though. I am sure the fellow Gooner will be kind enough to grant me permission.

Started with the easiest More to come!

Our Running Man

What attracts me to Arsenal, and what hold my faith in them stronger every time even after series of disappointments is the class they go about it, the class with which they got a manager dubbed "Arsene Who" to the only manager with undoubtedly the most unique achievement in the modern day football.

You can win it a hundred times, but, to with it once with total conviction is something amazing. 

Speaking of class, it oozes in every aspect that links Arsenal. Be it the way they deal with fans, finances, players, charities and events. Such class only attracts class, yes, the fans. One thing that keeps me going- the Gooners.

One such event- "the running man" showed us what Arsenal Fans are made of. During the Arsenal's trip to Hanoi, Vietnam during the pre-season, a fan ran along the player's bus for around FIVE KILOMETRES, bumping into trees and lamp posts, yet not stopping till achieving a rare rendezvous with the team. 

The Running Man (Image: @Arsenal FC)

No dream to big

The thirst with the destiny

He's efforts were appreciated by the team, with the team singing "sign him up", for the man's efforts and was allowed to board the bus, with a standing ovation from the team he gives standing ovation to week-in and week-out. Truly a delight for any fan. And a gesture of class, unmatchable.  

Reload the Guns

I have been off for a long time, long long time. Its been more than a year. A poor start to last season, personal and professional life crisis and various other reasons. It feels great to be back and the smell of positivity from all around motivates me further.

This is the first time, in a long long time that transfer window is filled with positivity, I am not talking about us being linked with the Higuains, the Rooneys, the Fabregases or the Barrys. I am talking about the fact that for the first time in last 4-5 years that we, the Gooners, are not scared of loosing out on a key member from the starting 11. And, the fact that we have started adding member to strengthen squad makes the aura of positivity smell better.

And for all those who think of us adding to the squad the big names, please analyse, Arsene Wenger has managed to get stability to our overall fee structure compromising on a lot of things, call it trophies to begin with. He's taken undeserved criticism, and from people who don't deserve, and the cristicism his caliber doesn't deserve. He got stability to fee structure compromising and losing his dearest sons, read Henry and Fabregas, and a few who don't deserve a mention.

Forget about the really big names coming in, remember, "we don't buy stars, we create them".

And, lets put our hands together for the new signing Yaya Sanogo. The next Henry, lets see, I give a realistic 3 years target.

Lot more to come. Hoping for  a positive season.

Maintaining the Perfect Balance

Arsenal is financially stable is a well known fact to the footballing world, it probably is one of the very few sporting organizations to make profits and upgrade itself in all aspects to next level, and yet be stable competitively. And it is no co-incidence that during this period of financial turbulence Arsenal has seen a major trophy drought, which, is getting itchy to the fans and giving clubs without class reasons to point fingers out at a club which oozes class in all aspects.

The slump and the drought which has become a part of Arsenal, and hate to see us getting stereotyped with trophy-less seasons. But, this drought has followed us since the move to Emirates stadium, which people call Emirates-Jinx, lets analyze it sensibly.

Since the move to the new stadium, Arsenal had to cut down on a lot of expenses, which included hefty wage players in the likes of Pires, Vierra, Henry, etc.

A great manager moves on with the available resources to make a team good enough to fight the battle with new stars and new heroes, and this team falling for the greed of few in the likes of Adebayor, Hleb, Gallas, Nasri, etc.

Facing challenges and betrayals (hate to say it, but, read: Cesc Fabregas) and after a disastrous start to the season, we are, competing for the second place (too optimistic), while clubs which have spent 100 times more than us (no exaggeration) have become a joke. (Read: ManC, Liverpool and Chelsea)

Bounce after every fall [pic: www.skysports.com]

Looks like the time when Arsene Wenger's trust on his policies are returning favours, since later Feb, we have:

1. Covered 13 points from our North London's little successful club which forever remains in our shadows.
2. Dramatic comeback over Milan at home. A little more luck and we could have been on the path to Bacra revenge.
3. Won Eight, and Lost only one game on the bounce.
4. Late comebacks in most games in the period, which never looked possible in last couple of seasons at Arsenal.
5. Less reliant on the Captain's goals.

The future looks bright, but with only if Wenger manages to hold on to each of these following players:

ROBIN VAN PERSIE
TOMAS ROSICKY
THEO WALCOTT
MIKEL ARTETA
JACK WILSHERE
BACARY SAGNA
PER MERTESACKER
THOMAS VERMAELEN
WOJCIECH SZCZESNY
ALEX OX- CHAMBERLAIN
ALEX SONG
KIERAN GIBBS
ANDRE SANTOS
FRANCIS COQUELIN

And an addition of Podolski will be magical. Its not long, Gunners will be blazing to the unimaginable heights again.

I'll keep gunning on twitter: @asimgunner

The Journey of Kos - the Boss

If the Journey from being a player to be made fun of by own fans along with the fellow signing, Sebastian Squilacci, to Arsenal's most loved defender since the Invincible's, is not dramatic enough. Lets have it in his own words.

"I don't believe any French player would have refused to come and play for Arsenal. It took me four years to go from the bench of Ligue 2 to Arsenal so it is a great achievement."

Kos-The Boss (Image: www.sports.fr )

Always being #ArseneKnows guy, I hate myself to, at a point, have criticised Laurent Koscielny and not have noticed his steady rise and getting carried away by one or two mistakes, which did cost us a lot, but, definately has given us a defender to be proud of.

From being branded as Kosher to Kos- the Boss. The quick thinking, agressive, and lightning fast defender without a doubt is within 3 places for Arsenal's player of the season and best defenders this season.

From the above table its evident that Koscielny is one of the top defenders this season with the likes of Terry, Kompany and Agger.

But, what pleases me the most is the way he has matured to take up the defensive burden in the absence of Vermaelan, and hasn't committed the mistakes like the Carling Cup final. Its also noticeable that Koscielny gets booked a lot compared to other top-defenders and with time when he improves that we are up to what could get us back the glorious days.

Hope to see opponent strikers getting Kos-trated every match day.

Will keep gunning on twitter @asimgunner

The Arsenal Renaissance

When was the last time Arsenal won six premier league games in a row?

I seriously, don’t remember the last time that happening. But for a club of Arsenal’s caliber it could not have been long since that happened.

But, was it as exciting as this?

I don’t think there was ever EVER a better run of performance, and the games here are not bottom table or promoted sides, this astonishing run of form by the gunners started with a comeback victory over sp*rs, followed by AC Milan, Liverpool, Newcastle and Everton.

The biggest credit of this goes undoubtedly to the manager, and it’s safe to say that, Arsene Wenger’s long term project on this team is starting to show its results. This is the first season since THE INVINCIBLEs left (majority of ‘em) that we are not desperate of signing to complete our team. Or to put it in other words, this is the first time, fans will not be getting behind Wenger for signing.

In Arsene we trust. [Pic: soccersanity.wordpress.com]  

 

We were short in at least one department every season presiding this, DEFENCE, GOAL KEEPER, STRIKER, all in the reverse order for last three seasons. And somehow miraculously its all solved, with out Wenger needing to buy a David Luiz, Fernando Torrez, Andy Carrol, Stewart Downing, etc,. Did he “SPEND SOME FUCKIN’ MONEY?” I don’t think so- Arteta, Santos and Mertesacker were got for peanuts considering their performances compared to all the stupid signings being made by Citeh, Coach Fire Club, and LOLpool.

Buy Podolski or not, mid-field anchormen more or no. I’m not writing my opinions on it, as I have full faith- WENGER KNOWS BEST. But, I hope he holds on to our Captain Vantastic. Wenger is the only person who can lead us to success in all aspects.

Now, the second part of the post.

Read an excellent post on how our performances has changed since we have fit full-backs.

Also, the Arsenal’s renaissance should be credited to one of the oldest race-horse with us. Glad to find hundreds who considered him dead-wood are his admirers now. And, I am glad that my favorite player in an Arsenal jersey is proving what he’s worth.

Rosicky back at his most favorable position is one of the reasons for this amazing run of form. He’s very hardworking, good at possession, crazy without it (that’s what brings those amazing sliding tackles out of him, very creative, always looks to attack.

And here are some stats to prove his worth.    

Also, include yesterday's victory in the stat to further improve my point.