Usmanov’s first love are his metals not Arsenal. Information on Usmanov and the value of the club

By 1970's Gooner

Dein has not done what a lot feared. He has not sold his 14.7% shareholding in Arsenal to his friend Stan Kroenke! He has however found a new willing buyer.

He is Alisher Usmanov who forked 75m to aquire Dein’s stake. This places a value for each share at 8200 and the whole club at 510m.

Usmanov is the president of GazpromInvestHolding and the owner of GazMetall/Metalloinvest Group.

This Group controls 40% of iron ore production in Russia and the country's 2 of 9 largest steel works.

According to Forbes Magazine, Alisher Usmanov is the 23rd richest businessman in Russia and the 278th richest businessman in the world.

He has said his first love was his stock, or shares, in his metals plants.

What is unsettling is why has Dein gone ahead with this sale. There are only two explanations.

Either he is getting out of Arsenal altogether with probably a view to investing in another club (maybe in tandem with Ecclestone in QPR) or he is in partnership with Usmanov and will return to Arsenal as part of Usmanov’s team that may eventually take over.

Mr Usmanov's firm, Red and White Holdings, which lists Dein as its Chairman (!), said it wanted to up its stake in Arsenal over time. But it stressed there were no plans for an imminent increase in its holding.

Who believes them? This is what they all say. Why would a man of his means invest 75m without wanting to take control?

What do you think?

Alisher Usmanov Fact File

Age: 52
Fortune: NA
Source: Steel
Net Worth: 2.6 bn USD
Country Of Citizenship: Russia
Residence: , Russia
Industry: Mining/Lumber
Marital Status: married, 2 children

Walcott will be better than Ronaldo. Plus the goals against Sparta on video

By 1970’s Gooner

It was an easier contest for Arsenal than originally anticipated.

Part of the reason was that Arsenal approached this game professionally and gave it the respect it deserved. There was commitment from all the players and a desire to excel in everything they tried to do.

The other reason is that Sparta did not play rough or try and intimidate the young Arsenal players. They probably learned their lesson from the first leg.

They also did not play that defensively as they needed to score if they were to have any chance of getting anything out of this game.

This approach resulted in more space being available for Arsenal to exploit which they duly did. Mostly from Walcott who has really improved this season.

His penetrative and lightning fast runs did give Arsenal real width last night.

He is beginning to remind me of Man Utd’s Ronaldo a few seasons ago when he did everything right but for the crosses. Once Theo corrects this he will turn out to be a better player.

Rosicky was not as penetrative but he did get the goal.

Arsenal’s six of the nine goals scored so far in all competitions have come from midfield players.

This is a real improvement and what everyone has been crying out for: goals from midfielders.

The pairing of two similar central midfielders, Gilberto and Diaby did not really work as neither of them is creative enough. When Fabregas came on Arsenal had more flair and technique.

Similarly RVP’s pairing with Eduardo did not work. RVP needs to play off a front man and so does Eduardo. The latter's first goal for Arsenal a typical fox in the box approach as he connected to Denilson's low cross from the right.

His cut back for the Fabregas goal however was first class. He does need more games to settle in however. More than we think.

Overall a good work out for the team as they prepare themselves for the more difficult task of beating Portsmouth at the same venue.

You can watch the goals and highlights on the video but I don’t know how long they will be available.

Arsenal Vs Sparta Prague: Prediction and Betting Suggestions

By Aries, Arsenal Analysis odds analyser

The suggestions contained in this posting should be read in conjunction with the preview of this game published on this site under the heading:

Arsenal Vs Sparta Prague: Will Arsenal shoot themselves in the foot?

Our previous predictions for the outcome of the games (not the actual scores or other suggestions) have turned out correct! This does not of course mean that the prediction that follows will turn out to be right!

Home win 3/10 Betfair, Betdirect

The prediction for this game is for a home win, 1-0
If Arsenal approach the game as they should a home win is the most probable outcome. The odds quoted are nothing to shout home about but could form part of a larger bet including other games.

Correct Score: Home win 1-0 13/12 VC Bet

If Arsenal go one up they may just contain their opponent rather than go for more.

Half Time/ Full Time: Draw/Arsenal 4/1 Boylesports, Sky bet, Ladbrokes

Arsenal may respond to the opponent’s first half energy by trying to restrict rather than create. So a draw for the first half and win overall.

First goalscorer: Adebayor 5/1 Betfred

Emmanuel Adebayor is coming back into fitness after missing part of the pre season and the first three official games (two in the Premiership and the first leg in Prague). Too much attention given to RVP by the opposing defenders may allow him more space to operate. He will be looking to score his first goal of the season. Check team line up before committing.

Last goalscorer: Eduardo Da Silva 4/1 with most bookies

Eduardo may be started or brought on in the later stages of the game as Wenger tries to give him more playing time. If he comes on late he may be able to take advantage of tiring legs. Check team line up before committing.


The prices quoted are the best prices available at time of writing this article.

You should check team line ups before placing bets especially those involving individual players.

You should only bet if you have money to lose.


Good Luck!

Arsenal Vs Sparta Prague: Will Arsenal shoot itself in the foot?

By 1970’s Gooner

Arsene Wenger has said that two legged ties are usually won in the first leg. This is of course a very true statement as rarely a team that accomplished an advantage from the first leg finds itself not going through.

Unless of course it shoots itself in the foot.

This can usually arise through two ways. The club “lulls” itself into a false sense of security and therefore fails to give the tie the seriousness it deserves. Or the players get stuck into that “in between” state of mind which comes from not really having to win the tie.

This is the danger for Arsenal tonight when they meet Sparta Prague at the Emirates, leading 2-0 from the first away leg.

Sparta Prague have really nothing to loose and this state of mind often liberates players and allows them to express themselves without real fear of failure. If they score the first goal then the jitters set in and it becomes anybody’s game.

On the other hand the team in the lead from the first leg may try to get through the tie without exerting itself too much as there is an important League game coming up anyway in a few days time.

This state of mind was not evident at Anfield last night as Liverpool had only a one goal advantage from the first leg which made them vulnerable if they had conceded first.

They also had quite a few, shall we call them “fringe players”, who had something to prove to Benitez. Players like Crouch, Benayoun, Leto, Hyppia and others subject to the rotation policy.

The outcome of this particular tie therefore will depend more on how Arsenal mentally approaches the game rather than the employment of any specific tactics, formation or team selection. Although these are of course significant too.

The players will have to do a professional job, play their normal game and go for the win.

Getting that first goal will be vital as the opponents heads are likely to drop after that. Overcoming a three goal deficit will be insurmountable even for above average teams (which, having watched the first leg, Sparta is not).

On the subject of team selection: Does Wenger rest some of the key players and give games to players returning to the squad?

The sports writers of the national newspapers seem to think so as some, in their “probable” starting eleven, have RVP being rested or similarly Adebayor.

Others have Gilberto rested or starting at centre back. Flamini is at right back or midfield or rested according to which paper you read. Fabregas is rested and Diaby coming in. Others have Fabregas in…..In other words they are all confused!

Wenger will have to take this game very seriously as there is the factor of complacency creeping as explained above but also the (financial) cost of failure may prove too onerous for Arsenal Football Club to bear.

So he is not likely to take too many chances and will try to keep as close to his first team selection as possible barring injuries and fitness.

The two positions he has to make decisions on are the right back and centre back.

The choice at right back is between Hoyte and Flamini and he may go for Hoyte although Flamini perfomed very well against Man City. Wenger has belief in his players and he likes to show it to them for obvious reasons.

At centre back the choice is between Senderos and Gilberto. Does he go for an experienced but unfit player or does he give Senderos his chance?

But I think we will have to wait and see what Wenger decides.

It appears however that there is more strength in depth in this squad; much more than many people think.

Prediction: Arsenal do not shoot themselves in the foot. Home win. 1-0


Sparta Prague team news: Repka is a lot better and travels to London to face Fabregas


Fabregas has added a “Peter Storey” attitude to his vast arsenal of talents

Sparta Prague team news: Repka is a lot better and travels to London to face Fabregas

By 1970's Gooner

The news coming out of Prague is that Tomas Repka’s knee is a lot better. The swelling seems to have eased and this allowed him to be included in the squad that travels to London.

The Czechs are taking this game very seriously as Pavel Horvarth has postponed an operation so that he could also take part.

If Repka starts the game at the Emirates on Wednesday, all eyes will be on him and young Fabregas after the two clashed in the first leg.

It was Fabregas’s tackle that finally forced Repka out of that game and in a way helped Arsenal towards a fine 2-0 victory.

Repka was not included in the squad that were winners 4-1 away at Viktoria Žižkov last weekend.

The other team news coming out of Sparta is that their most influential player, Pavel Horváth, has postponed an operation so that he could take part in the return game at the Emirates.

He is considered to be Sparta’s creative player in midfield.

He started the game against Viktoria Žižkov but was substituted in the 75th minute. He scored the second goal from the penalty spot.

The other scorers for Sparta were Kisel, Abraham and Došek with another penalty.

Sparta is now lying second in the Czech League two points behind their arch rivals Slavia Prague with 10 points from 4 four games.

Sparta’s manager Michal Billic said in a press conference that it will be obviously difficult to reverse the 2-0 deficit of the first leg but they will certainly attempt to do it.


Fabregas has added a “Peter Storey” attitude to his vast arsenal of talents

Denilson runs the show but Fabregas does it again

Denilson runs the show but Fabregas does it again

By 1970’s Gooner

Arsenal didn’t start well and allowed Manchester City to settle in the game in the early stages. The very late substitution during the warm up of Senderos with Gilberto was probably part of the reason.

Gilberto looked slow and kept making positional mistakes during the first half hour which put the back line under unnecessary pressure. He did however pick up the pace as the game wore on.

It seems that what we all thought was behind Wenger’s decision to let Djourou go out on loan is probably true. He is intending to use Gilberto in this position when needed.

But the turning point of the game was not the penalty miss as you may have thought but Sagna’s injury (inflicted by Flamini).

This forced Wenger to move Flamini to right back (who performed excellently) and bring Denilson on in midfield. He run the show! This boy is going to be a wonderful Arsenal player.

Prior to this Arsenal again did not really dominate the midfield the way we have been accustomed to. I pointed to this possibility in the preview of the game. When Diaby and Gilberto get fit Arsenal will revert to the levels of domination we are accustomed to.

Again Arsenal lacked width as the wide players were not that penetrative. Hleb in particular has reverted to old ways: almost always coming inside rather than going passed his player (except for the penalty)and again afraid to shoot.

Come back Eboue and Walcott. The latter mysteriously not even on the bench.

Overall it was again an anxious striven win; the goal coming at the later stages of the game to liberate all of us from what we feared will be a nil nil draw.

Let’s hope we improve when the missing players return to action.

Arsenal’s weaknesses Vs Manchester City

By 1970’s Gooner

You are only as strong as your weakest link. This is certainly very true in the highly pressured and ultra competitive Premier League where your every weakness is immediately exploited.

Arsenal will enter this encounter with some forced and maybe unforced weak links. But first some background.

Both teams are likely to field the same formation: 4 4 1 1 but one would expect that the away team’s approach to the game would be a more conservative one where the support striker is more likely to drop back into midfield so as to strategically congest this vital area of the pitch.

On the other hand Arsenal’s support striker will be inclined to do the opposite and be more attack minded. In this respect there is a real danger that this game could follow the same pattern as Arsenal’s previous encounter at Blackburn.

During that game Arsenal lost the midfield battle which meant that they could not dominate and dictate play as per usual.

And here is where we come up against Arsenal’s first weakness.

The best way to get round this problem is to have at least one strong and powerful ball winner in central midfield who would also release the ball early to the support striker or the wide midfielders so as to avoid the congested middle of the pitch.

Flamini is a willing and energetic midfielder but there is no comparison when Diaby or Gilberto are fit. Wenger, during his interview for the game on Arsenal.com, has not included Diaby in the list of players unavailable for this game (Gilberto may be on the bench due to lack of fitness).

If Diaby is indeed available then it is imperative that Wenger selects him to start. His strength and ball winning skills will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.

If he or Gilberto do not start then expect more of the same.

The second weakness that has been very evident in all of Arsenal’s games so far is RVP’s utilization as a lone striker.

He has often been isolated and this has unbalanced the team.

He should be playing the support striker’s role where he is most effective.

If Adebayor, who is now fit, is chosen to lead the line then this will go a long way in restoring the required balance.

Senderos’s first start of the season in place of the injured Gallas is the third weakness.

He still looks prone to lapses of concentration and positional awareness; the latter being crucial to him due to his relative lack of pace.

In a way this is a correctible weakness since he is deputising for Gallas (more on the lack of central defenders in another posting).

But Arsenal’s fourth weakness doesn’t look like being corrected in the near future. At least not in the traditional way.

The wide left midfield position is now being filled by players that are not natural wingers. Although Hleb has played well in the support role behind the striker he has reverted to form when pushed to the wide areas.

The players selected to fill the wide midfield positions, probably Walcott (Eboue is injured) and Hleb may prove more significant than normal.

This is because Manchester City appears more vulnerable in the left and right back positions rather than in central defence where the excellent Richards and Dunn are likely to be hard to break down.

I would therefore prefer that Clichy is selected for the left sided position as he is far more penetrative than Hleb ever will be. At least this could be an option during the game if things do not as go as planned (Hoyte could play left back).

Another option that Wenger could consider is to try Eduardo.

Some would consider Almunia’s first start of the season as being another weakness. I beg to disagree. I consider this as a positive.

For one he will be replacing an injured and error prone goalkeeper who was solely responsible for Arsenal’s two goals conceded so far.

Otherwise Arsenal would have had the best defensive record along with today’s opponents so far.

But having watched all the pre season games I am also of the opinion that Almunia is a vastly improved keeper.

I have every confidence that he will prove to be equal to the task and assume the number one position at Arsenal. Sooner than we think.

In fact the real goalkeeping weakness for this game lies with young Schmeichel who looked unsure against Manchester United and weak on crosses.

Arsenal should use their wide midfielders and full backs going forward to by pass the congested midfield and exploit the opponent's weaknesses themselves.

If they put the full backs and goalkeeper to the test then a lot of joy is to be had.

Lehmann’s clanger hides Wenger’s and Arsenal’s sins

Walcott and Clichy should be the wide midfielders against Blackburn

Who should partner Robin Van Persie?

Palacios is set to move to Birmingham not Arsenal

By 1970’s Gooner

It looks that Wilson Palacios travels will have no end.

Steve Bruce the Birmingham manager has revealed that Palacios has been with them for the last three days having a trial.

This was after Bruce was contacted by Arsene Wenger and recommended that he have a look at the “magician” as he is called in his home country, Honduras.

I'm speaking to his agent today," Bruce told the club's website. "We're trying to construct a loan deal to bring him in to have a better look until Christmas, but I don't know if that's possible yet.

As has been reported by "Arsenal Analysis", Wilson Palacios has, for the last month and a half, been travelling around Europe trying his luck with various clubs leaving a big gap in his home side’s line up as he is considered their top player.

His travels took him first to Serbian club Red Star Belgrade where he impressed.

However the deal was not concluded as their offer for the player was dismissed by Osman Madrid, as way below his valuation of the player.

There were also rumours that Italian club Cagliary was interested but again Olimpia’s director denied there was anything in it.

Palacios next traveled to France and had a trial with Monaco but they seemed unable to take him on as the quota for foreign players has already been exhausted.

Bruce revealed that Wenger told him that Arsenal have too many midfielders already.

Hi everybody... I am from honduras... n i would like to tell everyone that Wilson Palacios is one of the best players in Central America

By 1970’s Gooner

Ever since we broke the story of how close Wilson Palacios is to getting a transfer to Arsenal we have received messages and comments from Honduras itself.

They are about the player and how the fans of Olimpia, his club in Honduras, view the prospect of him playing for Arsenal.

Here are some interesting views:

"Hi everybody... I am from honduras... n i would like to tell everyone that Wilson Palacios is one of the best players in Central America.

“Many people don’t agree on your team (Arsenal) signing him up because you don’t know anything about Honduras.. and you think our level is shitty compared to that of other countries; well I would just like to tell you we DO have great players.

I think everyone knows David Suazo? Well he is Honduran and he plays for Inter Milan. We also have players like Edgar Alvarez in Roma, Julio Leon in Genoa, Carlo Costly playing in Poland, Carlos Pavon playing in the MLS for Galaxy (next to your Beckham) and a HUGE list of (other) players...

I also would like to tell you that if Arsenal DOES sign Wilson Palacion they will make a VERY GOOD decision; all you should give him is time to adapt to your team and style of playing... sign him, and you won’t regret it!”

Ed : I don’t think that Arsenal fans necessarily think that the level of football in Honduras is “not high”. I certainly have not seen any references on other sites stating such an opinion.

Another visitor to Arsenal Analysis writes that in fact Olimpia is having a bad time right now and was eliminated from the Central American champions league.

“But I think most of the people in Honduras want to see him play in a great team like Arsenal…. and make us feel proud of our players”

As it appears, Olimpia’s fans are all for Palacios signing for Arsenal. But is Arsene Wenger?

All you football fans in Honduras (and elsewhere) keep your comments coming especially your views and opinions about how good Wilson Palacios is and whether you think he will adapt to English football well.

We will be publishing a selection of your views on the site as we have just done.

Wilson Palacios transfer to Arsenal is a done deal

By 1970’s Gooner

According to the Director of Honduras club Olimpia, Osman Madrid, the transfer of Wilson Roberto Palacios to Arsenal will be concluded tomorrow.

Speaking to the sports programme “Rock'n Pop” as reported by the Honduran Newspaper “Tiempo”, he said that the deal is almost done and the player may initially go to Arsenal on loan.

“the arrangement with Arsenal is practically a fact, but it is not yet clear if the player will go on loan to the English football club”.

This is despite the fact that Arsene Wenger has only recently stated that he was nowhere near to signing any new players!

As has been reported by "Arsenal Analysis", Wilson Palacios has, for the last month and a half, been travelling around Europe trying his luck with various clubs leaving a big gap in his home side’s line up as he is considered their top player.

His travels took him first to Serbian club Red Star Belgrade where he impressed.

However the deal was not concluded as their offer for the player was dismissed by Osman Madrid, as way below his valuation of the player.

There were also rumours that Italian club Cagliary was interested but again Olimpia’s director denied there was anything in it.

Palacios next traveled to France and had a trial with Monaco but they seemed unable to take him on as the quota for foreign players has already been exhausted.

However he seems to have impressed Wenger. According to Palacios’s father, Wilson has made a very good impression on Wenger who was quite happy with him.

Apparently Palacios has understood that he is earmarked to replace Ljumberg as they are considered to be similar players.

Palacios labeled the “magician” is considered one of the national team’s best players.

He is 23 years old and a right midfield player who can also play in defence.

He is most remembered for scoring a goal from the half-way line against Marathón in the final minutes of a game in 2006.

Wilson Palacios Fact File

Date of birth July 29, 1984 (age 23)
Place of birth La Ceiba, Honduras
Playing position Midfielder
Current club Olimpia
Appearances 102
Goals 10

Who should partner Robin Van Persie?

By 1970’s Gooner

For regular visitors to this site my views have been made clear. Robin Van Persie is not really a centre forward in the sense that he is not a strong physical front target man.

He is better deployed behind or next to a strong centre forward and not as a lone
striker.

I also believe that Wenger needs to sign another experienced forward. This is for both football and practical reasons.

Football reasons

The current squad consists of four forward players. Eduardo may be a goal scorer but he is not a front target man.

In a way his style of play is more like Robin’s. Playing them together will not necessarily offer them the environment they seek to score their goals.

Adebayor is a target man and so is Bendtner. Adebayor will do a good job but goals do not come that easily to him and Bendtner is not yet trusted by Wenger to start games.

Another aspect to take into account is the relative lack of experience in this area.

Robin Van Persie and Adebayor are only 23 and 22 respectively. The addition of Eduardo to the squad (aged 24) does not of course do much to increase the average age.

The practical reasons are equally important

Account has also to be taken of injury, suspensions, loss of form and the Africa Cup of Nations.

Remember what happened last season when injuries to Henry and Van Persie in particular deprived the team of its two most lethal forwards? RVP was also close to getting a second yellow card against Blackburn.

Taking into account that Adebayor will be away at the Africa Cup of Nations for about a month then it becomes obvious that the squad will lose serious depth.

Now if a premiership experienced forward with goal scoring ability was recruited (there is talk of Anelka again) then it suddenly gives a very attractive outlook indeed to this Arsenal team.

But assuming that Wenger does not recruit anyone else who should partner RVP?

To my mind it’s a straight race between Adebayor and Bendtner. Barring availability constraints I would opt for Bendtner because he is stronger and more physical than Adebayor.

In this way he provides a different option to Arsenal’s intricate but often predictable style of play. But this is my own biased view if you like!

As you may be aware, for the last week we run a poll on this site on this very question: Who should partner RVP?

In total 734 votes were cast. They would have been many more because the number of visits to the site during that period reached new heights but Google’s new poll facility kept breaking down!

The results are interesting. The player who played most in that position so far, Hleb, received the least votes with only 11%.

Obviously most of you do not think that he will be able to hold on to that position when other players get fit, as indeed was the case for the game against Blackburn.

Most votes went to Eduardo with 45%. Obviously a lot of Arsenal fans are pinning their hopes on the new recruit, trusting Wenger in his judgment.

This is so even if Eduardo did not really feature much during the pre-season and the early stages of the campaign.

The more surprising result is the close number of votes between Adebayor (23%) and Bendtner (21%). It seems that there is a lot more trust being placed on the young lad by the fans than Wenger is prepared to show.

If Wenger does not get the cheque book out then he may well find himself having to trust young Bendtner sooner than he thinks.


Who should partner RVP? Poll results:

Eduardo Da Silva 45%
Emmanuel Adebayor 23%
Nicklas Bendtner 21%
Alexander Hleb 11%

Total votes cast: 734

Thanks for your support, comments and votes!

Lehmann’s clanger hides Wenger’s and Arsenal’s sins

Bendtner should start every game. It makes more tactical sense

Lehmann’s clanger hides Wenger’s and Arsenal’s sins

By 1970’s Gooner

Everybody would of course blame “poor” Jens Lehmann for dropping a clanger and gifting Blackburn a very fortuitous equalizer. And it certainly looked that, despite Blackburn’s resurgence in the second half, Arsenal were going to hold out for a very scrappy but morale boosting away win.

But having watched the encounter live I formed the opinion that it need not have turned out such a close and scrappy game.

Arsenal strangely enough were outfought in midfield and could not dictate play as we know they can. The result was that Fabregas was subdued and the supply to the two front men was not as often or as good as it usually is.

There are two major reasons for this.

The first has to do with the fact that due to the physical nature of the opponents, the Arsenal players, in their desire to show to everybody that they can mix it too, forgot how to play football.

Blackburn’s physical approach (especially from that prat Savage) was intended to intimidate them and put them out of their stride.

It did not succeed in intimidating them but it shifted the Arsenal’s players focus and minds away from playing the beautiful game to dishing it out themselves.

This is exactly what happened in the away game at Sparta Prague, a game I also watched live. Except on that occasion Lehmann and the post saved Arsenal.

There is another equally important reason for the loss of midfield control and it has to do with Wenger’s selection to start with Eduardo. This is because Eduardo was returning from injury and had not played in the Premiership yet.

As often happens in football, due to its zero sum characteristic and reliance on team coordination, if one or more of its parts or players is not functioning well the whole of the team suffers.

Giving him his debut in such a tough away fixture was to my mind a gamble. In fact it was a gamble Wenger need not have taken because by doing so he not only weakened the side but had to change a thus far winning formula by switching the formation from 4 4 1 1 to a straight 4 4 2.

In addition, this deprived the midfield area of the extra player it needed on various occasions which would have come from the deeper lying forward. Hleb in other words.

Loss of midfield control deprived Arsenal the usual dominance it enjoys against such teams and resulted in a scrappy and physical game which invariably suited the less technical side.



Blackburn Vs Arsenal. Predictions and betting suggestions


Walcott and Clichy should be the wide players against Blackburn

Blackburn Vs Arsenal. Predictions and betting suggestions

By Aries (Arsenal Analysis odds analyser) and 1970’s Gooner

Trying to arrive at a reasonable prediction for this game is a tough task. This is because there are still unknowns about both teams.

Arsenal’s line up is still to be decided with a doubt about Eduardo’s fitness and the pending decision by Wenger whether he should start him even if he is fit. This is because Eduardo’s inclusion is likely to mean a shift for Hleb to one of the wide positions.

Wenger may be loath to do that as it will mean changing a winning formula. Also he may not want to give Eduardo his first Premiership game at such a difficult away encounter especially coming after injury without proper training behind him.

Blackburn have a doubt about McCarthy but if he is unfit they still have Roberts to pair with new boy Santa Cruz. The real question however is what strategy and formation will Hughes deploy for this game. This decision will dictate whether he plays with one man up front or with two.

The fact that they got hammered last season home and away by playing the rather brave more attacking approach suggests to me that he will approach this game the same way in that FA Cup victory last season at Ewood Park. Conservatively.

Although Arsenal are a superior side, they had a relatively hard game away in Prague. They will be the more technical side on the day but Blackburn are a tough side.


Prediction by Aries:

Draw, 1-1

I fancy half time : draw, full time: draw

I also fancy Arsenal to score a penalty which is good value at 5/1.

This is because Blackburn will be defending a lot and with Arsenal’s intricate passing in the penalty area mistimed challenges are more than likely. Remember Arsenal were awarded a penalty against Fulham and had a clear penalty decision not given.


Prediction by 1970’s Gooner:

If Wenger sticks to the same formation Away win,0-1. Flamini could ghost through.


Best Odds at time of writing

Arsenal to win : 14/11 Pinnacle
Draw: 23/10 Paddy Power
Blackburn to win : 5/2 Coral

Score: 1-1 6/1 Blue Square
Away win 0-1 7/1 Stan James, Ladbrokes
Half time: Draw and full time: Draw 4/1 Extrabet, Stan James

Flamini to score first or last goal : 28/1 Bet 365
Arsenal to score a penalty: 5/1 Bet 365

Good luck!


Underrated Flamini can do a job at Blackburn

Walcott and Clichy should be the wide players against Blackburn

Underrated Flamini can do a job at Blackburn

By Eros, Arsenal Analysis resident season ticket holder at the Emirates

Mathieu Flamini has seen his luck change almost overnight. He was on the brink of quitting Arsenal during the summer due to his frustration of not getting enough games and slipping down the pecking order of the midfielders’ hierarchy at Arsenal.

How fortunes change. Injuries to other midfielders Diaby and young Denilson along with Gilberto Silva’s forced absence to Copa America duty for Brazil have opened the road for him to show to boss Arsene Wenger that he is more than capable of holding his own.

He has impressed during the two pre season tournaments that Arsenal won. And he has carried that into the first two competitive games of the season.

He put in a very strong performance in Prague and similarly against Fulham, a game I watched from the Emirates North Bank (I’ve changed stand if you’ve been following my posts. I am now at North Upper Stand Row Q).

Watching a game at the stadium as opposed to watching it from the couch gives you a more representative and hands-on view.

I talked to a lot of people that watched that game on the television and they all thought that Flamini was the weak link in our midfield. I had a very different view from high up at the north bank.

I thought he was fantastic; he run himself in to the ground as you would expect from Matty, but most importantly he covered both full backs very well when they ventured forward. Which they often did.

He did the same constantly filling the space up when Cesc was beginning to make those runs from the midfield trying to take advantage of the high defensive line that Fulham were playing.

He even made the built up himself playing a lovely ball to Rosicky at the beginning of the second half releasing him one on one with Fulham’s goalkeeper of the day, Warner.

It looks like Wenger will have to rely on Flamini for some time to come. Gilberto has only now returned from his lay off and will need a few weeks to get back to fitness. Diaby is injured and has withdrawn from a deserved call up for the France national squad.

Flamini’s intenion is of course to continue giving sterling performances so as to present Mr Wenger with a selection headache when the other contenders return.

Starting with Blackburn away. I can see him scoring.


Ed:Watch the goal he scored last season against Blackburn at the Emirates (6-2)on the video screen.


Walcott and Clichy should be the wide players against Blackburn

Hleb is top scorer, Robin needs a Batman and Fabregas is the real captain

Walcott and Clichy should be the wide players against Blackburn

By 1970's Gooner

This away fixture at Blackburn is the equivalent of a real fitness test for this young but maturing Arsenal side.

All the football pundits are expecting Arsenal to return to their old ways. Their first away fixture in the North with rain gushing down, a partisan crowd and an opponent prepared to stick it up your nose. This is where titles are won or lost.

And there is some merit in this logic.

Yes they battled hard against a physical Ajax in the Amsterdam tournament but that was a friendly after all;

Yes they came back to beat Fulham at the death; but Fulham surprisingly didn’t park the Fulham Broadway bus in front of them and it was a home game after all, in nice London summerish weather.

Yes they had to man the barricades against an intimidating Sparta and Tomas Repka in Prague which indicated that they are up for the physical type of games; but having watched the game live, Sparta did not produce the quality of football as say Blackburn could pose on Sunday.


So if Wenger’s babes can also pass this test then the football world will really sit up and take notice.

Hell, the players themselves will sit up and take notice!

So if you are Mr Wenger and you realise the enormous up side potential that an away win at Blackburn at this juncture will give to this side how should you approach this game?

I say this because injuries to Eboue, Rosicky, Diaby and Eduardo are likely to deprive the team of key players especially its wings. Without wings no one can fly. And fly is what Arsenal need to do if they are to have a chance of winning this game.

How Wenger decides to replace the loss of Eboue and Rosicky will, more than any other decision he makes for this game, go a long way in deciding its outcome. And there are two reasons for this.

The first is the need to have penetrating wide midfielders as this will be the only way to bypass what is likely to be a congested midfield; made even more congested by Hleb’s insistence to drop deeper than he should. May be on Wenger’s orders.

The second reason is that Blackburn themselves look likely to play with two wingers who like to go forward. The dangerous Pedersen and old boy Bentley. Exploitation of the spaces left behind them may prove their Achilles heel.

One way to (partly) solve the winger’s crisis is to change the formation and play 4 4 2 by bringing Bendtner or Eduardo in to partner RVP. The result will be that Hleb will move to one of the wide midfield positions.

But I don’t think that Wenger will want to change a winning team’s formation. And as he has said, Eduardo will probably be deployed from the bench. Bendtner he considers not yet ready to start.

The only viable solutions available to my mind are to play Clichy as a left sided midfielder with Hoyte brought in at left or right back.

Clichy impressed during pre season when he was tried in this position and also showed, during these first two competitive games, how dangerous he is going forward.

For the other wide midfield position the choice is between Denilson, who is now fit, and Walcott.

Walcott impressed when he came on against Fulham and he will be adding real penetration, an ingredient necessary if Arsenal are to exploit the wide areas.

The rest of the team picks itself.

Hleb is top scorer, Robin needs a Batman and Fabregas is the real captain

Fabregas has added a “Peter Storey” attitude to his vast arsenal of talents

Fabregas has added a “Peter Storey” attitude to his vast arsenal of talents

By 1970’s Gooner

Francesc Fàbregas Soler is a wonderful midfielder playing football the way it should be played. He has vision, creativity and accurate passing which suits Arsenal's intricate passing game.

But an addition to Fabregas’s armoury of talents is his physical toughness and the desire to not only play the beautiful game but, if the occasion demands it, to be prepared to mix it.

In this aspect, and in this aspect only, he reminds me of Arsenal 1970’s legend Peter Storey.

Peter Storey was a very tough player who never shirked out of tackles. He relished physical games which was just as well as, in those days, you had to have players in the team who were prepared to really mix it.

He was also always ready to protect his own, less than physically endowed, players.

I remember that if an opponent had made a bad tackle on one of the Arsenal players then the crowd would shout the player’s shirt number to him. Especially for the off the ball incidents.

Bob’s your uncle that player was soon on the floor writhing in pain!

Peter Storey could also play football.

He played in two consecutive (unsuccessful) League Cup finals for Arsenal in 1968 and 1969, before winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and the famous double a year later under Bertie Mee.

He played for England at right back. He made his debut in 1971 against Greece and went on to win 18 caps during the early 1970s, later filling the midfield role vacated by the retiring Nobby Stiles.

Now you may well ask how does Peter Storey remind you of Fabregas?

Fabregas dished out the punishment to, of all people, Tomas Repka, the hard man of Sparta Prague and ex West Ham defender. And Repka is built like a tank!

Fabregas’s tackle came just after Repka started putting himself about culminating in a hard challenge against Robin Van Persie. Repka tried to carry on after that but had to come off with a swollen knee.

That showed the opponents who was boss in this game! But it also gave the signal to his team mates that “we will not be intimidated”.

A cry which will need to be repeated many times during this critical, make or break, season for this maturing team.

A cry from far back. From Peter Storey's time.


Is Justin Hoyte the new Pat Rice?

Hleb is top scorer, Robin needs a Batman and Fabregas is the real captain

By 1970's Gooner

There were three very positive aspects to come out of this tough encounter in Prague (apart from the win).

The first was the resilience and character to tough it out against very physical opponents. The second was the midfielders finding their goal scoring touch; at last. And the third was the vast potential that exists in this team when the proper centre forwards return to give it balance and extra scoring potential.

Resilience

This attitude expressed itself in the game against Ajax in Amsterdam for the pre season tournament. We all commented on it but I think we put it at the back of our minds thinking that it was probably a one off.

Or at least we wanted to wait for more games until we were convinced. I am now convinced that this Arsenal team will be no easy push overs this season. And this augurs well for the tricky encounter against Blackburn next Sunday.

What in particular impressed me was Fabregas’s contribution. He has moved on this season up the ladder of what will eventually lead him to world stardom and star status.

This year he is more confident about his scoring ability thus he takes more shots at goal rather than passing the ball; it was usually to Henry last season.

Maybe the latter’s absence has forced him to look at other alternatives.

He has also added steel to his game. His tackle on Tomas Repka was the turning point of the game for me. It forced Repka out of the game and also gave the signal to his team mates that “we will not be intimidated”.

He is the real captain of the team.

The midfielders are finding their goal scoring touch

In the absence of Henry last season, goals were difficult to find especially since the midfielders were not chipping in with their expected contribution.

Well three of the four goals scored so far in have come from midfielders. And the other was a penalty which was not won by a forward player.

The difference this season is of course Hleb’s contribution which is in direct contrast to last year where he was afraid put his boot in and more importantly to shoot. He is in fact top scorer now!

The contribution from the midfielders is more important than one may suppose. This is because of the formation that Arsenal are deploying at the moment.

The lone forward up front is indeed lone and his primary task is first to bring other players in. So if the midfielders don’t score you are in trouble. As we were last year.

The return of a proper centre forward

This team is crying out for a proper centre forward. A tall, strong and physical player who can hold the ball and bring players into the game.

Robin van Persie isn’t that player. He is better deployed behind or next to a strong centre forward and not as a lone striker.

This was very evident last season when Henry was around and now with Bendtner in the friendlies. This is probably the way Wenger intends to deploy RVP when Adebayor returns.

My view on Bendtner’s utilization is that he is indeed ready to do a job for Wenger. As regular visitors to this site are aware.

Lack of support for RVP puts more strain on the midfield and defence as the ball keeps coming back. When this imbalance is corrected this team has the potential to increase its efficiency quite substantially.

And surprise a lot of people.


Bendtner should start every game. It makes more tactical sense

Arsenal look ready to hit the ground running, more so than the others

Strength in depth eases Wenger’s team selection worries for the coming season

Line up considerations for Arsenal plus prediction

By 1970’s Gooner

Arsenal have won all four of their matches against Sparta, each of which has come in the Champions League group stage.

Two seasons ago, a half-fit Henry marked his return from a six-week absence through injury to supply Arsenal’s goals in a 2-0 win in the group stage match in Prague, breaking Ian Wright’s club scoring record in the process.

The striking aspect of that game was the conservative approach adopted by Wenger who appeared to give a little bit too much respect to the opponents than was merited.

The system adopted was a rather timid 4 5 1 with the lone striker more often than not left isolated. It wasn’t until Henry was unleashed from the bench that the whole team was liberated.

Arsenal won their home fixture 3-0 with goals from Henry and two from RVP.

How Arsenal will play

I can see Wenger adopting a conservative approach again as this has served him well in the head to head counters with Sparta Prague. In addition this is an away tie and there is always the home game to come at, hopefully, fortress Emirates where things could be put right if need be.

There is also the need to accustom the players in treating this first European game in the manner that will be followed in the away games of the Champions League competition proper.

So a 4 5 1 formation is likely to be adopted

Judging by Hleb’s performance and crucial goal he scored against Fulham he will again play the withdrawn role behind RVP. Only this time he will be instructed to stick to that and not venture too much back into midfield crowding out playmaker Fabregas.

Rosicky and Eboue are likely to be trusted on the wings again although the latter was rather subdued against Fulham. However his defensive background will come in handy if Arsenal have to defend a lead late on in the game.

Diaby and Denilson have not travelled due to ankle problems. The players to travel include the same 16 which were picked to face Fulham, plus full backs Justin Hoyte and Armand Traore. The players on the bench against Fulham were Almunia, Senderos, Song, Walcott and Bendtner.

It is a pity that Diaby in particular could not participate as it is this type of players that have the qualities needed to protect the defence in those difficult European or indeed Premiership away games.

Nevertheless, according to our resident season ticket holder at the Emirates, Flamini put in a very strong performance against Fulham and the same will be required of him again.

Bendtner will probably be on the bench and ready to come on late in the game if need be. I can see him scoring if he comes on. He nearly did against Fulham.

Prediction

I don’t see many goals in this game as both teams will not want to risk too much lest they concede; especially the home team.

Arsenal will also be thinking about the difficult away encounter with Blackburn on Sunday, so if they go a goal up they will probably not break leather to add to it.

Away win. 1 - 0

Best odds at time of writing this post:

Arsenal win : 5/6 Bet 365
Draw : 5/2 Paddy Power
Sparta win : 19/5 Expect.com

Arsenal win 1-0 : 11/2 Bet 365, Better, Betdirect, Sporting Odds, Blue Square

Bendtner to score the first or last goal: 7/1 Skybet, Extra bet, Stan James
Hleb to score first goal : 14/1 VC Bet
Hleb to score last goal : 12/1 Bet Fred, Stan James


Part I: Sparta’s manager fears Rosicky

Palacios has called home and he is alright. He has impressed Wenger and the medical people

By 1970's Gooner

After reporting that neither Wilson Palacios ‘s parents or his club, Olimpia, could confirm his whereabouts, the Honduran Newspaper “Tiempo”, has now been informed by Palacios’s father that he is alright and living in London Colney!

His father, Eulogio, was relieved to hear from him at last. His son who sounded well and lighthearted confirmed to him that he has been having a trial at Arsenal and that he has been able to satisfy the medical and fitness requirements. He will learn in the next few days whether he is kept on.

Wilson for the last 30 days has been traveling around Europe trying his luck with various clubs leaving a big gap in his home side’s line up as he is considered their top player.

His travels took him first to Serbian club Red Star Belgrade where he impressed but the deal was not concluded as their offer for the player was dismissed by Olimpia’s President, Osman Madrid, as way below his valuation of the player.

There were also rumours that Italian club Cagliary was interested but again Olimpia’s president denied there was anything in it.

Palacios next traveled to France and had a trial with Monaco but they seemed unable to take him on as the quota for foreign players has already been exhausted.

Wenger has been impressed

According to his father, Wilson has made a very good impression on Wenger who was quite happy with him. Apparently Palacios has understood that he is earmarked to replace Ljumberg as they are similar players.

The financial side of the deal has not yet been discussed but the whole thing may be finalized in the next few days.

His father said:

“this is not important for us, what I want is that my son continues playing in England. The probabilities of remaining are great.”

The Honduran Newspaper has even given the Arsenal shirt numbers that Palacios could choose from!

These are indeed numbers which have not yet been allocated:

8, 12, 14, 18 and 23.

Palacios labeled the “magician” is considered one of the national team’s best players.

He is 23 years old and a right midfield player who can also play in defence.

He is most remembered for scoring a goal from the half-way line against Marathón in the final minutes of a game in 2006. You can watch it on the video window.


Wilson Palacios Fact File

Date of birth July 29, 1984 (age 23)
Place of birth La Ceiba, Honduras
Playing position Midfielder
Current club Olimpia
Appearances 102
Goals 10


Preview of Sparta Prague Vs Arsenal. Part I: Sparta’s manager fears Rosicky

Spurs fly like a bee and sting like a butterfly!

Spurs fly like a bee and sting like a butterfly!

By 1970’s Gooner

Well who would have believed it? After spending 40m over the summer and reaching the dizzy heights of third biggest spenders in the league, after Manchester United and Liverpool, Spurs have plunged to such low depths where it matters. On the football field.

Yet at the end of last season their weaknesses were apparent for everyone to see. The lack of creative midfielders and quality in defence.

And what does Mr. Jol goes out and buys? A £16.5m forward to add to the other four he already had (Defoe, Keane, Berbatov and Mido).

And in defence he brought in two relatively young and inexperienced defenders, Bale and Kaboul. The former was out due to injury and the latter limped out during the game.

As often happens in football, due to its zero sum characteristic and reliance on team coordination, if one or more of its parts or players is not functioning well the whole of the team suffers.

Tottenham last night in their efforts to appease the plethora of forwards at their disposal sacrificed shape and the balance of the team by playing three forwards, Bent and Berbatov up front and Keane just below them.

This had the effect of depriving the midfield of a genuine central player and putting too much load on Jenas’s shoulders to strive to control it. A task which he is not that capable of performing at the best of circumstances anyway.

On the other hand Moyes is not that an idiot to make such selection mistakes. He played a 4 4 2 even if it was an away game. But at least his team was balanced and his four man midfield had the extra midfielder to provide protection.

We Arsenal fans were starting to get sick of all this Spurs hype during pre season that they will finish above us in the League. They were even talking about challenging the top two for the title!

Lay off it please.


Preview of Sparta Prague Vs Arsenal. Part I: Sparta’s manager fears Rosicky

Neither club nor family can confirm that Wilson Palacios is training with Arsenal

Spurs fly like a bee and sting like a butterfly!

By 1970’s Gooner

Well who would have believed it? After spending 40m over the summer and reaching the dizzy heights of third biggest spenders in the league, after Manchester United and Liverpool, Spurs have plunged to such low depths where it matters. On the football field.

Yet at the end of last season their weaknesses were apparent for everyone to see. The lack of creative midfielders and quality in defence.

And what does Mr. Jol goes out and buys? A £16.5m forward to add to the other four he already had (Defoe, Keane, Berbatov and Mido).

And in defence he brought in two relatively young and inexperienced defenders, Bale and Kaboul. The former was out due to injury and the latter limped out during the game.

As often happens in football, due to its zero sum characteristic and reliance on team coordination, if one or more of its parts or players is not functioning well the whole of the team suffers.

Tottenham last night in their efforts to appease the plethora of forwards at their disposal sacrificed shape and the balance of the team by playing three forwards, Bent and Berbatov up front and Keane just below them.

This had the effect of depriving the midfield of a genuine central player and putting too much load on Jenas’s shoulders to strive to control it. A task which he is not that capable of performing at the best of circumstances anyway.

On the other hand Moyes is not that an idiot to make such selection mistakes. He played a 4 4 2 even if it was an away game. But at least his team was balanced and his four man midfield had the extra midfielder to provide protection.

We Arsenal fans were starting to get sick of all this Spurs hype during pre season that they will finish above us in the League. They were even talking about challenging the top two for the title!

Lay off it please.


Preview of Sparta Prague Vs Arsenal. Part I: Sparta’s manager fears Rosicky

Neither club nor family can confirm that Wilson Palacios is training with Arsenal

Preview of Sparta Prague Vs Arsenal. Part I: Sparta’s manager fears Rosicky

By 1970’s Gooner

Last season, Sparta became the first club to record a league and cup double in the Czech Republic since the country split from Slovakia in 1993.

For the first two games of the current season Sparta have one win against Slovan Liberec FC with striker Libor Došek scoring the only goal of the game. A goalless draw against Viktoria Plzen was the result of their second game.

In Tomas Repka, now 33, they have a captain who is accustomed to London, having played for West Ham United for five seasons.

The defender’s 12 yellow cards last season reflect his reputation in England, where he was sent off twice in his first three appearances in the top flight. He has not featured for the first two matches of the league campaign due to suspension, but will be back for this one.

Their creative and inspirational player is Pavel Horváth in midfield. He has not played in the last game which may mean he was rested for the Arsenal encounter.

Tomas Postulka, the Sparta goalkeeper, believes that Arsenal will be an easier proposition than they would have been last season.

“Arsenal are totally different to before,” he said. “Henry and Ljungberg have left and there are young players.


The Sparta manager Michal Bilic speaking to Czech internet paper “Sportonoviny” has identified the quartet of Fabregas, Hleb, Van Persie and Rosický as the players to look for.

The key, he implied, is not to allow space to the Arsenal players especially old boy Rosicky.

Rosicky started playing for the club at the age of eight so it will be an emotional return for him.

He won three league titles and the Czech Player of the Year award while he was there.

"It will be strange to go back, but I'd rather have played them in the group stage," said Rosicky.

"My brother played for Sparta Prague and my father played for Sparta Prague so it is a bit emotional".

Let’s hope that his performance is not affected.

Other outstanding former Sparta players include among others Petr Čech of Chelsea, Karel Poborský ex Manchester United, Pavel Nedvěd of Juventus and Jan Koller of Monaco.


AC Sparta Praha Fact File

Full name: AC Sparta Praha fotbal, a.s.
Nickname : Železná Sparta(Iron Sparta)
Founded : November 16, 1893
Ground : Toyota Arena, Prague
Capacity : 20,111
Chairman : Jozef Chovanec
Manager : Michal Bílek
League : Gambrinus Liga
2006-07 Gambrinus Liga, 1st


Ed: Part II which will deal with Arsenal will follow on match day.

Neither club nor family can confirm that Wilson Palacios is training with Arsenal

Neither club nor family can confirm that Wilson Palacios is training with Arsenal

By 1970's Gooner

According to The News of the World Arsenal are giving a trial to Honduran international Wilson Palacios.

However according to Honduran Newspaper “Tiempo” no one from the player’s club, Olimpia, or his family, when contacted, could confirm that Palacios is on trial at Arsenal.

What is true however is that the player, for the last 30 days, has been travelling around Europe trying his luck with various clubs leaving a big gap in his home side’s line up as he is considered their top player.

Palacios labeled the “magician” is also considered one of the national team’s best players.

He is 23 years old and a right midfield player who can also play in defence.

He is most remembered for scoring a goal from the half-way line against Marathón in the final minutes of a game in 2006. You can watch it on the video window.

On the playing side of things it’s difficult to see where such a player would fit in Arsenal’s current squad.

He is after all a right sided midfielder and currently Eboue, Walcott, Hleb and Rosicky could fill that slot. If Arsene will go into the transfer market for a wide midfielder it would probably be for a left sided one.

Palacios’s travels took him first to Serbian club Red Star Belgrade where he impressed. However, the deal was not concluded as their offer for the player was dismissed by Olimpia’s President, Osman Madrid, as way below his valuation of the player.

There were also rumours that Italian club Cagliary were interested but again the club’s president denied the rumours.

Palacios next traveled to France and had a trial with Monaco. This would be just before jumping over to London Colney; if he is indeed with Arsenal.


Wilson Palacios Fact File

Date of birth: July 29, 1984 (age 23)
Place of birth: La Ceiba, Honduras
Playing position: Midfielder
Current club: Olimpia
Appearances: 102
Goals: 10


Bendtner should start every game. It makes more tactical sense

Back to back for Manchester United?

Bendtner should start every game. It makes more tactical sense

By 1970's Gooner

There were two tactical weaknesses apparent during Arsenal’s first game of the season against Fulham at the Emirates. The first concerned Hleb’s positioning during the game and the other the obvious lack of a strong centre forward.

In my preview of this game (and considering that Wenger was not going to select Bendtner) I favoured Hleb to partner Van Persie over Eduardo even if the latter had been available.

Hleb looked sharper and rejuvenated during the pre season relishing his new role behind Van Persie and getting on the score sheet too. A feat which he promptly repeated again in a real game.

However what he tended to do a lot during the game was to drop deep into midfield and try and dictate play from there.

This crowded out Fabregas and Flamini not only in terms of space but more importantly restricting Fabregas from running the show as only he knows how.

And I think that we all agree that Fabregas is much better at it than Hleb; who has shown however that he can replace Fabregas if need be.

This had another negative effect. There was no support for Van Persie which restricted his passing options when he was able to receive the ball.

The second tactical weakness concerns the role of Van Persie himself. He is better deployed behind or next to a strong centre forward and not as a lone striker.

This was very evident last season when Henry was around and now with Bendtner in the friendlies. This is probably the way Wenger intends to deploy him when Adebayor returns.

However he chose not do so for this game probably because, as he has said recently, he does not consider Bendtner ready for the Premiership yet.

In my posting after the Ajax game for the Amsterdam Tournament I argued that Bendtner was the new fox in the box that we have for so long been looking for and that he should be starting against Fulham.

Wenger I think has underestimated the boy’s capabilities. The answer is staring him in his face yet he refuses to see it.

Bendtner has proved more than capable of playing that role and it clearly showed when he was brought on the pitch at 72 minutes.

This had a multiple of positive effects as you often get in football games when a weakness is corrected.

The introduction of a strong and tall centre forward raffled the opposing defence and allowed Van Persie to play off him thus becoming more effective himself. Additionally Hleb’s repositioning on the left flank (to make room for Bendtner) released Fabregas to weave his magic.

Bob’s your uncle Fabregas releases the killer ball that Hleb dispatched into the net on 90 minutes for the winner.

The latest news is that Eduardo has joined Adebayor on the injury list. Bendtner, if called upon, is well capable of performing well in the Champion’s League qualifier.

We have set up a poll on the issue of who should partner Robin Van Persie. Please cast your vote and leave a comment!


Bendtner makes a case for starting against Fulham

Strength in depth eases Wenger’s team selection worries for the coming season


Ed: Can Asa or anyone linking here from the "Same old Arsenal" blog please contact me using the comments box as the link from Arsenal Analysis" does not appear to be working!

Arsenal Vs Fulham: Line up considerations

By 1970's Gooner

Arsenal’s line up for the first game of the season against Fulham is not yet that clear. Nor is Fulham’s.

Arsenal are giving a late fitness test to Eduardo who therefore looks likely to start if he passes it and partner Van Persie up front.

But if he doesn’t then Wenger is faced with a very interesting choice between rookie Bendtner and more experienced Hleb. Both have impressed during the pre season and both will to my mind do an excellent job.

If he chooses Bendtner then the likely formation will be a straight 4 4 2 with Bendtner the front man.

If however Hleb gets the nod then the formation is more likely to be 4 4 1 1 with Van Persie the front man and Hleb playing just off him as he did so well against good opposition in the pre season tournaments.

He showed that his skills in close ball control and dribbling can be very effective when playing off a front man.

More importantly however these are the skills that will come in very useful when trying to unlock defenses, as I suspect Arsenal will be trying to do against Fulham.

For a preview of the game see my posting “Preview of Arsenal Vs Fulham. Breaking up packed defenses is hard to do”

The other consideration is who to play on the left side of the midfield. The choice is between Rosicky and Hleb (if Eduardo passes the fitness test). Wenger may opt for Hleb as he has impressed lately and has shown that he is returning to form. He even scored a goal.

Rosicky on the other hand looked subdued during the pre season which may count against him.

In the absence of Silva this is a perfect opportunity for Wenger to pair Fabregas with the excellent Diaby. If Diaby is fit that is as he had a slight knock on the knee which kept him out for the Ajax game. If he is not available then Flamini will most probably get the nod.

For the rest of the positions it looks straight forward with the interest focusing on the Sagna Eboue combination on the right side. Will they repeat the very good performance they put in against Ajax under the pressure of a football league game?

Fulham

Fulham will be missing their best player Jimmy Bullard, who has been out for nearly a year.

Antti Niemi who will play in goal has thwarted Arsenal before with excellent displays when he used to keep goals for Southampton.

New signing Aaron Hughes looks like he will be missing due to injury (ankle). Also centre-backs Philippe Christanval (knee) and Ian Pearce (ankle) are rated doubtful for the match.

In the center of defence Bocanegra could therefore be paired with Zat Knight.

Also new signings Chris Baird and Paul Konchesky look likely to make their debuts at right and left back.

It’s difficult to guess what Sanchez will choose for midfield as he has signed a few players. Lee Cook may play on the left, and American Dempsey on the right wing. Alexei Smertin and Steve Davies ex Aston Villa look to get the nod to start in the centre of midfield.

In attack, Brian McBride the new captain could be paired with new boy Diomansy Kamara but David Healy and Buazza who was only signed two days ago are in consideration.

“Preview of Arsenal Vs Fulham. Breaking up packed defenses is hard to do”

Who will win the title? Poll results

By 1970's Gooner

About ten days ago I began a four part series of analysing each of the top four’s strengths and weaknesses and giving my prediction as to where they might end up by the end of next season.

These posts were:

Part I: Arsenal against the odds?
Part II: Liverpool. It’s getting serious.
Part III: Chelsea come back?
Part IV: Back to back for Manchester United?

They attracted a very large number of visits to the site as well as votes on the poll we had set up on who will win the title.

In total 918 votes were cast which are only a very small fraction of the total number of visits. Nevertheless I am told by my statistician friends that this is indeed a large and more than adequate sample to derive meaningful observations.

Let’s get one thing clear. The largest number of visitors to the site are of course Arsenal supporters and you wouldn’t expect any other result but for them to vote Arsenal as the team they expect to win the title.

However what is interesting is the overwhelming support for such an outcome (86% of the total).

It seems that us Arsenal fans have recently grown more confident about our team’s future and expected performance this coming season.

You would not have expected such an outcome for example in the immediate aftermath of Henry’s departure.

In addition the excellent performances in the two pre-season tournaments that Arsenal won appear to have rekindled our spirits. I certainly feel that way.

What is also interesting is that from the other three contenders, Liverpool received the least support with only 2% of the votes! It seems that you, like me, are not convinced that Benitez’s new signings will make any difference to where they will end up this year: 4th.

Manchester United received almost twice the support Chelsea did with 8% of the votes. This might be a reflection of what many people consider that Man U, with their recent signings, have edged a little bit ahead of Chelsea.


Who will win the title? Poll Results

Arsenal 86%
Manchester United 8%
Chelsea 4%
Liverpool 2%

Total votes cast : 918

Thanks for your support, comments and votes!


Who will win the title?

Part I: Arsenal against the odds?
Part II: Liverpool. It’s getting serious.
Part III: Chelsea come back?
Part IV: Back to back for Manchester United?

Preview of Arsenal Vs Fulham

Preview of Arsenal Vs Fulham. Breaking up packed defenses is hard to do

By 1970’s Gooner

You knew what you were going to get from Fulham when Chris Coleman was in charge. Attacking football home and away, having a go at you with the midfielders and full backs encouraged to go forward.

His philosophy was that if you put a lot of players behind the ball you will eventually succumb. Attack was the best form of defense.

This was the reason that Fulham surprised a few teams but it was also the reason why they ended up letting in fours and fives, as in their opening game of last season against Manchester United.

They did in fact concede 60 league goals last season. As compared to Watford’s 59 and Sheffield United’s 55. Both went down.

Judging by Northern Ireland’s excellent performances on the international scene, Lawrie Sanchez appears to be of the other persuasion.

Stick men behind the ball and pack the midfield whose first priority will be to adopt a more conservative approach.

And become more adventurous through quick counter attacks when the opportunity arises.

Sanchez’s recruitment strategy has reflected this mentality.

The players brought in are not necessarily top quality but they are well equipped for tough battles out there on the football field.

Also in Kamara and Buazza they have two very pacy players who can hit you on the counter attack.

The problem however will be to assimilate all these new players in the squad and also keep them happy. Not an easy task.

So it will appear that Arsenal will return back to familiar ground.

No I don’t mean that they are by now used to the Emirates; it was to me a very feeble excuse anyway, invented by Wenger, in desperation, to keep the players’ morale up when points were being dropped at home left right and centre.

What I mean is that Arsenal are likely to face a packed defence. And we all know that breaking up packed defenses is hard to do!

This is what Arsenal failed to find answers to last season. And if they haven’t learned their lesson then this game could turn out another first home fixture where points are dropped; again.

Remember Aston Villa last season?

It is this background that Wenger’s team selection will have to take into account for the two positions that are really still open.

These are deciding on who to partner Robin Van Persie in the forward areas of the pitch and who to trust for the wide left slot.

I say this because the occupants for the rest of the positions are either well known or have passed their trial during the “perfect pre-season”.

The right midfield position has to my mind been successfully claimed by the excellent Eboue and the right back slot by the new recruit Bakary Sagna.

These two have gelled together very quickly and they compliment each other very well.

Now who will partner RVP up front is not as straight forward.

I have advocated for Bendtner’s inclusion before for the fact that he compliments RVP very well who himself is better deployed not as a front man but playing off the centre forward.

But obviously Wenger thinks otherwise so who am I disagree!

I believe therefore that Hleb should get the nod before Eduardo as he has played very well in that position during pre-season.

He showed that his skills in close ball control and dribbling can be very effective when playing off a front man.

More importantly however these are the skills that will come in very useful when trying to unlock defenses, as I suspect Arsenal will be trying to do on Sunday.

There is no obvious candidate for the wide left midfield spot simply because no one from the usual suspects impressed there during pre season.

Rosicky who may get the nod was not up to his usual standard. Clichy did impress but he will be trusted with the left back spot.

Wenger may make therefore the pragmatic decision and play Hleb on the left and partner Eduardo with RVP instead.

I personally would keep Eduardo on the bench and introduce him to Premiership football in a more gradual manner rather than throwing him in at the deep end.

My starting eleven would therefore be:

Lehmann

Sagna Toure Gallas Clichy

Eboue Fabregas Diaby Rosicky

Hleb

RVP

Prediction: Arsenal carry their pre-season form into the League and hit the ground running. 2 - 0

Arsenal look ready to hit the ground running, more so than the others
What does Arsenal need to do to challenge for next season?
Bendtner makes a case for starting against Fulham