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Arsenal Squad

May 18, 2011 By

Well Arsenal have had yet another failed season for a team of they level. Improvement is needed at the Emirates, although I have the greatest respect in what Arsene has done with the Gunners he needs to have a good look at the squad and is in need of making some big signings. The youth players they produce at Arsenal are good, but not many of them make it all the way at the club a few examples are Upson, Bentley and Pennant. Wilshere has already without a doubt made it, in my eyes he’s going to be world-class, his creative ability is outstanding and if it’s true what Pep Guardiola said about having a number of Wilshere’s in their B-team then we should expect to see one of the greatest teams ever in the future at Barcelona. What do Arsenal need though?

Wenger, one of the world's best but needs change

Wenger, one of the world's best but needs change

Top of they wish list has to be a goalkeeper, a keeper who has a proven record in a top leagues. Almunia isn’t good enough to be in a side with a top 4 status and especially who are trying to gain a top 2. Fabianski is a great shot stopper but is he good enough yet, he flops at crosses to much, and my opinion is that their young gun Szczesny is currently the best keeper at Arsenal and has a bright future, but the pressure of standing between to the sticks in the Premier is too much. Manchester United are already speculated with a new goalkeeper for when Edwin Van Der Sar retires, this just shows how important a goalkeeper is and you can’t just expect your substitute to fill the boots of your number 1 straight away. I think he should look back at the goalkeeping stars of the World Cup 2010.

Sagna and Clichy are good enough to keep their places at full back I also think Eboue and Gibbs are great back up, if not rotation options for Arsenal.

The central of defence is a strange situation, Djourou has impressed me this season, but he is prone to making mistakes. Koscielny is a good defender these two both played pretty well against the attacking power of Messi and Barcelona; once again he’s also due to a mistake every now and again. You can never have too many quality centre backs; Thomas Vermaelen is the best man at the back for Arsenal.  One more centre back is needed; I would love to see Gary Cahill at Arsenal but I think they need to move fast before he gets another England cap and Bolton decides he’s worth an extra 5million.

Koscielny mistake

Koscielny and Szczesny mix up in League Cup Final

I think Arsenal need another Patrick Vieira figure, Song is great but I think he needs to mature more as a player to be the protection in front of the defance. Gilberto Silva and then Flamini leaving was massive, it was like Liverpool losing Alonso. I’d keep Song and play him further up field and get a new defence midfielder, another English man Scott Parker would fit the bill.

Wide midfielders at Arsenal are not a problem the volume and quality they have in that department is as good as anyone.

Van Persie is one of the best front men in the world, he can score from any situation, Bendtner can’t, and he’s a good back up for a top 4 club if that. Chamakh would come be before Bendtner in the pecking order but I still question if he’s good enough to partner Robin upfront, one striker to click with Van Persie and Arsenal could have it.

One of the best Robin Van Persie

One of the best Robin Van Persie

I’m no Wenger, the closest I’ve got to managing Arsenal is on the laptop at home, but I think we all know and he knows that something is needed to keep up with Manchester United and Chelsea. Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool are all improving and the Gunners need to make sure they do to.

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Bullets, Bombs, Punches and Football, Starring Neil Lennon

May 13, 2011 By

Celtic manager Neil Lennon has had many great moments in his football career; he was capped 40 times for N.Ireland, won the League Cup with Leicester City on two occasions, adding another ten medals to his name at Celtic, five for winning the SPL title, Scottish Cup three times and two Scottish League Cups. Not bad for a Northern Irish player, Neil Lennon’s clearly been an asset to the clubs he’s played for, as a strong battling midfielder with great love and effort in everything he does.

His career started off at Manchester City, Lennon only made a disappointing one appearance for the Citizens, it was when he moved to Crewe Alexander where he got his name noticed and with a six year spell, 147 games and 15 goals he brought in plenty of interest. In 1996 he signed for Leicester City where he won the League Cup twice and played 170 games for the Foxes scoring just 6 goals. 2000 was a start to a new millennium and a new club for Lennon. He moved to the team he supported and the team he would go on to manage, Celtic. He turned out for Celtic 214 times and had many opportunities to leave but stayed to captain the team he loved.

Neil Lennon played 214 games for Celtic

I think everyone around football knows that Neil Lennon is no introvert, his first game in charge of Celtic was a 3-0 defeat to Braga, he was later handed a six game touchline ban, for excessive misconduct. March 2011 and another ban was given to Lennon for exchanging handbags with Rangers assistant manger Ally McCoist. There is no hiding his passion for the game as a player or a manager, and unfortunately Neil is disliked by a lot of football fans for his actions.

Some people go too far with hatred; religion has become an issue in the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers and always will be. Neil Lennon was attacked back in September 2008 and recently he’s had threat after threat. It was a worrying start to this year, in January the Celtic manager and two Northern Irish players were sent Bullets, the point is clear. Three packages were sent to Neil Lennon believed to have been parcel bombs and during Celtics 3-0 win over Hearts a fan ran on the pitch to attack Lennon, the pictures look like a scene from a Jackie Chan movie. All three are petty actions, hopefully this will not affect Lennon’s role at Celtic and these fans will get what’s deserved.

The attack on Celtics, Neil Lennon

I’m no killjoy, I appreciate every rival game in football and the atmosphere it brings to the game, hate teams, hate players and hate managers but I don’t think anyone should be put under threat for doing there job.

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F.A Cup final – Stoke City

May 12, 2011 By

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that the F.A Cup is the biggest domestic cup in the world. The passion and fight that comes from teams is admirable, this years F.A Cup is an example involving Tony Pulis’s Stoke City, they first ever F.A Cup final after a thumping 5-0 win over Bolton at Wembley. They will be known as the underdogs all the way up until Saturdays kick off but you should never, ever write Stoke City off.

Etherington celebrating his goal against Bolton but will he star in this weekend's final?

My opinion of Stoke has changed alot over the years, I remember them getting promoted in the 07-08 season, with a countless number of loan players, Cardiff City are this years example, and I suppose it has to be done, the teams who make the most of loaning Premier League players prove to be successful whether they’re battling for promotion or survival. This was the beginning of the future for Stoke City, a future which is looking bright, next season they’ll be competing in the Europa League, which will attract more players to an already improving squad, Kenwyne Jones is a top class striker and Huth and Showcross are the backbone of such a strong, well organised team, I think that all three could get into most premier league sides.

Kenwyne Jones Goals

Kenwyne Jones, Stokes top goalscorer

Stoke’s style of play has been called boring by many but alot of respect has to go into the way they play and I think this could well get them the F.A Cup this Saturday against the most expensive team in the League. Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington are both fighting injury battles and both could be major losses in the Stoke side, Huth was brought off in Stoke’s 3-1 win over Arsenal and Etherington tore his hamstring against Wolves when the teams last met but has been recovering well and could make a return.

This final is going to mean as much to City as it does to Stoke but in a totally different way. I honestly can’t choose a winner for this years F.A Cup final, In the red corner is the strength and steel of Stoke City and in the blue corner the million dollar babies Man City who have players with phenomenal technical ability in all parts of the pitch.

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