Holland Blog: Day 5

Day 5
When I woke up I realized how fast this trip has gone and how we have already been in Holland for 4 days going on 5. We had another long drive ahead of us as we had to travel to Arnheim to watch the first team of Vitesse train. The faculty that the training was at was huge and I learned that it is also used for Olympic Athletes who often train there. Anyways, we arrived at the training just as the first team arrived on the field. They started off with a dynamic warmup and then moved into some passing drills that led into shooting. They then finished with a small sided scrimmage which was the most impressive part. A few Vitesse players were out on international duty so they had a few younger guys training with them. I found it pretty fun when one of the penny teams in the scrimmage wasn’t playing well, the coach threatened to send them all to the Sauna if they didn’t score 3 goals in 4 minutes, which they ended up doing. After the training I had a chance to meet Vitesse striker, Wilfried Bony. He was a great guy and we had a conversation with him about soccer. I got a quick picture as well and we were on our way. Up next we went to a pancake house for brunch and as always it was delicious. We were going to see one of my Dutch uncles but he got the flu the other day so we were unable to see him. Instead we went to a military museum a few minutes down the road from the pancake house. It was interesting but a long tour. That evening we trained with V.V.H Vesslebrook again. Just like last time the kids were a lot bigger but I found it quite easy to play with them. It was a very fun training and since it was our last session with them we took a team picture as well. My dad was playing futsal that evening so we had to wait at our hosts house until 11:30 so here I am now typing this at 2:00 AM. Anyways have a nice night to anyone reading this in the states! Look for the last few days as well, coming soon! Goodbye.

Holland Blog: Day 4

Day 4

Today was the day that I was both looking forward to and not looking forward to. My brother, his friend and I visited a Dutch school in Haarlem. We had “buddies” who helped show us around for the whole day. It was my second year in a row going to a Dutch school and it is a lot different than my school and other American schools. The teachers still taught their lessons but they tried to incorporate us into the lessons so that the students could learn about America. Instead of just having one lunch or break time, they had 2 break times during the day where the older kids could leave the school for a little or have a snack in either break period. At the school, all of the classes we were in, were taught in English. Our schedule was…

9:20 – 10:25 ​History

10:25 – 10:45 ​Break

10:45 – 11:50 ​Geography

11:50 – 12:55 ​Math

12:55 – 1:25​ Break

1:25 – 2:30​ English

When the bell rang at 2:30 I was glad school was over but it was better then I thought it would have been. We then header to our hosts house while my dad was giving a talk to a class at the school. My brother, his friend, our hosts son, and me all played soccer outside for almost 2 hours! After a while some younger kids joined and played with us and it was unbelievable how good they were. The main event was next though, Netherlands vs. Romania at the national stadium, Amsterdam ArenA. It was a World Cup qualifier and the Netherlands had to maintain their perfect record a top their group. They did just that and beat Romania 4-0, but it could have been much more. The stadium was amazing even though it was my second time there. People wearing orange were everywhere and the atmosphere was amazing. After every goal the fans would clap and sing and we joined in as well. I got to see Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben, Strootman, Rafael Van der Vaart, Adam Maher, Stephen De Vrij, and a lot of other talent. The amount of people wearing orange was crazy, hence the Dutch are called the oranje. It was a hectic train ride home as people from all around had came out to the game and since Holland is such a small country, people from all over can take the train in to watch the game. We got home very late and finally ended a great, but very long day!

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Holland Blog: Day 3

Day 3

Today was both fun but also very tiring. We got to sleep in since we had evening training today so that felt really good. At around 9:30 AM we left for Enschede to tour the stadium of FC Twente and watch the first team train. It was a 2 hour drive and Enschede is near the border of Germany and Holland and we are staying all the way on the other side of Holland right next to the sea. I find it kind of funny that it takes almost 2 hours to go from one side of Holland to another while it takes almost 2 hours to go from New Jersey to New York City. When we got to the stadium we had lunch, which was quite good, as there was an actual culinary school inside the stadium. Our tour guide gave all us of a FC Twente scarf and we were on our way. We went all over the stadium including home and away dressing rooms, the referees room, the players home, and even a skybox. (see pictures) Our tour finished with going to the Twente Fan Shop. My brother, his friend, and I all got a home jersey in red, and I got the defender Douglas, #19, on the back of my jersey. Up next was the first team training of Twente which I was really looking forward to. They did a light training session with lots of basic technical skills and drills that teams in America as well. Every touch and every pass was excellent and they did every drill with a lot of tempo. At the end of the training we got to meet Dutch international and FC Twente player, Douglas (F Texeira Douglas). After first team training we went to our own training with a team in Haarlem. They were my age so they were a lot bigger then my brother and his friend. Even though these kids were big, a few of them weren’t as technical so we were able to play with them. I think that training with all these different teams is good to see what kind of talent and what kind of players are in Holland. We scrimmaged most of the time but I thought it was a really fun training session. When it was over we said goodbye and headed back to the bungalow and called it a day, an exciting day, but also very tiring!

FC Twente dressing room

FC Twente training ground

Meeting Douglas

Watching the training of FC Twente

Stadium of FC Twente

Sent from my iPod

Holland Blog: Day 2

Day 2

Today was another relaxing day for us but also tiring at the same time. We woke up at 8:00 AM, which really felt like 3:00 AM, local time in New Jersey. So as you could imagine it was difficult to get out of bed. Never less we left our bungalow by 8:30 for training. It was another cold and windy day so we were wearing lots of layers. We trained at a soccer school in Haarlem, at the training fields of Haarlemse Football Club EDO. Training with us were 13, 14, and 15 year olds all being scouted to become part of the school. Every player was incredibly technically and even the smallest of the small players were excellent. I was not surprised but it was more difficult for me as the game is a lot more technical then physical which is different then how I play. The training lasted an hour and fifteen minutes and it was a lot of fun. We did a lot of technical drills that a lot of American kids would call boring but I enjoyed it. When training was over we thanked the coach, said our goodbyes, and went back to Zandvoort. We were all tired from playing so we fell asleep for a few hours. Around dinner time our host and their family came over for dinner and we had tacos for my brothers birthday! It was a fun day and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

 

Training today!

Holland Blog: Day 1

Day 1:

            Hello from the Netherlands. My dad, my brother, his friend and I all landed safely and we successfully got all of our luggage and our rental car. Of course this was only the beginning of a very long day. From the airport we drove to the vacation park we are staying at in Zandvoort, right next to the ocean and the beach. It was very windy and cold as well since we were right next to the water. Once we checked in we went to our small bungalow and unpacked and rested for a few hours. After resting we drove to Spakenburg to watch an amateur game of Ijsselmeervogels against Barendrecht. The home team, Ijsselmeervogels, lost 2-0 but should have done better. They had a lot of chances but could not turn them into goals while the away team scored 2 goals in the second half to win the game. The fans were disappointed with the final result and most of the older men were not happy. I also got to meet 2 dutch boys whom I had met last year and we played soccer for a little bit which was a lot of fun. We then had dinner after the game in the sponsor box and it was good to get out of the cold. It was a very long day and it felt good to spend a lot of it relaxing after coming off an 8 hour plane ride and also we all felt the jetlag. Not much happened today but look forward to more in the upcoming days. Later!

 

Stadium of Ijsselmeervogels

 

2 Dutch Kids I Met

 

Arsenal Transfer News: Looking Ahead to January and Current News

By Billy Rodgers

Today is December 31, the last day of 2012. For many people it means a New Year is about to begin and New Year’s resolutions are being made. For other people it is a time to reflect on things that have happened in 2012, but for me and other football fans, it is the opening of the January transfer window. January is the month when players can leave their clubs for different teams and commit their future to that side. It is one of the most crucial transfer windows in a while for Arsenal, as they only need a few more improvements to become a great and dangerous side. Here are Arsenal’s transfer targets and the latest news on them. All sources are reliable.

Wilfried Zaha– This is the most likely of all the transfers so far. It will be a battle between Manchester United and Arsenal to sign this young star. Arsenal was going to start the bidding pretty low at around 8 million pounds but there have been reports they will raise their offer to ensure that they get Zaha. If both bids from United and Arsenal are accepted then it will come down to money and whatever club Zaha favors, hopefully Arsenal!

David Villa– Villa has been linked with multiple premiership sides and it sounds like he wants a move to England. He has been linked with Swansea City, Liverpool, and of course Arsenal. Reports this morning were that FC Barcelona turned down a loan offer for Villa from Liverpool. I don’t think this will end up happening but Arsenal could offer completely different terms and maybe Villa would accept. Unlikely but you never know.

Luke Shaw– One of the more quiet transfers, Shaw is a 17 year old defender for Southampton. In the past, Arsenal has bought youngsters such as Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain from Southampton.  This business in the past should help Arsenal land Shaw for a fee within 5 million pounds. This is very likely.

Arda Turan– This may be unlikely to happen but according to multiple reports Arsenal could target Turan who plays for Atlético Madrid as a left winger. It seems like Turan wants a new contract with Atlético and wants to stay. He has also been linked with Chelsea who could swoop in, show him the money, and take him from Arsenal. Once again it is very unlikely that Turan will leave in January but there is still speculation over a possible move this summer.

Luis Nani– There was a buzz that Nani, Portuguese winger for Manchester United could be on his way out of Old Trafford this January. He has been sidelined with an injury and contract talks between him and the club have stalled. Even though Alex Ferguson made it sure that Nani would not leave in January. Once again though, if a contract agreement isn’t reached by the summer, he could have a possible exit then.

Marouane Fellaini– This transfer is only likely if Arsenal were to splash the cash. Fellaini is a versatile midfielder and would a great addition to the Arsenal midfield. A bid in the range of 20 million plus pounds would probably be accepted. It’s not very likely for Arsenal to bid this much though. It would be a hell of a statement if Arsenal did.

Demba Ba– Ba will surely leave Newcastle in January but no one knows where. A transfer frenzy has begun as a club just has to meet his 7.5 million pound release clause. He has apparently talked to Chelsea but he is linked with other clubs. This will happen but I don’t think he will go to Arsenal.

Other News:

-All sources indicate that defender Johan Djourou is on his way out of Arsenal in January. It will most likely be to Italy.

-Arsenal has set a 2 week deadline to sign Theo Walcott on a new contract. This is almost as crucial as making big transfers.

-Andre Santos is also probably on his way out. 2 big clubs in Turkey are interested in him and only wages need to be sorted now.

-Emmanuel Frimpong has been loaned to Charlton Athletic.

-Marouane Chamakh is likely to go to the Turkish league as well. It just comes down to his wages.

-Sources claim that Arshavin wants to leave, but he wants to move to a club near London for his family. Reading is most interested in the little Russian right now.

That’s all for now!

 

Arsenal vs. West Bromwich Albion Match Review

By Billy Rodgers      

This was a crucial game and sitting in 10^th place Arsenal desperately needed the 3 points to catapult them up to 6^th in the league. It was a great game to watch and after going winless in 5 games, Arsenal was finally able to take all 3 points. The first goal was off a controversial penalty, when Cazorla went down in the box. Many people called for a dive but it’s very hard to tell if there was contact. Never less, vice-captain Mikel Arteta buried the penalty straight down the middle to go up 1-0. The second goal was from another penalty after Alex Oxlade Chamberlain stole the ball off of left back Popov and was taken down in the box. Once again Arteta went straight down the middle and scored. Arsenal had many more chances but they finally seemed to be clicking after a bad run of form. Jack Wilshere had an outstanding game and he is said to be 90% back from his injury. Thomas Vermaelen also has seemed to get his confidence back as his defence was rarely breached this game and he had a few pieces of exceptional defense. These 3 points now move Arsenal up to 6^th place (could change depending on other results) and hopefully the team is able to win out in December! Playing ratings for Arsenal this game are included. Also below the player ratings is a match summary of exactly what happened in the game. Lastly if you read this could you do me a big favor and check out a new twitter, an account for Hertha BSC supporters from America. It would mean a lot if you could take a quick look and maybe follow the account too. Here is the link and the account name, https://twitter.com/HerthaBerlinUSA or follow @HerthaBerlinUSA. Enjoy the rest of the article and have a good weekend.

Player Ratings: Arsenal

Starters:

Wojciech Szczesny– 6.5: He didn’t have much to do this game but he kept a clean sheet and dealt with the few opportunities West Brom had.

Kieran Gibbs– 6.5: Another solid game for Gibbs as he did well getting up and down the flanks and defended well also.

Thomas Vermaelen– 7: The Arsenal captain seemed to finally find his form again and had several great blocks. Consistent all around today and one of the best defenders on the field.

Per Mertersacker– 6: Mertersacker was put under pressure a few times but he seemed to do well. He picked up a yellow card which is the only reason why his rating isn’t higher.

Bacary Sagna– 6.5: Sagna was reportedly supposed to miss this match but Wenger says he played through a bad ankle injury. He should be commended for this and put in a good performance through the injury.

Mikel Arteta– 7: Scored both of Arsenal’s goals on the day, Arteta had an exceptional game second to Jack Wilshere.

Santi Cazorla– 6: Not the best match for the Spanish playmaker as he was accused of diving. Almost scored a fantastic goal though.

Jack Wilshere (MOTM) – 8: For sure the best player on the field today, Wilshere was superb. He almost scored twice, created chances, and okayed scintillating passes into the attackers. His best game since he has returned from injury.

Gervinho– 5.5: Average performance as we have started to expect from Gervinho. Sloppy in the final third and nothing special on the day, not bad though.

Alex Oxlade Chamberlain– 6.5: Chamberlain was subbed off after a decent 70 minutes of play. Put in decent crosses and used his pace and skills to win Arsenal’s second penalty kick.

Olivier Giroud- 6: Giroud was disappointed not to take the second penalty kick but he could’ve scored earlier on. He had good layoff play today and looked more of a threat to assist a goal then score a goal.

Subs:

Francis Coquelin– 5: Didn’t have much of a chance to do anything but made a few decent passes and tackles.

Thomas Rosicky- 5.5: Just like Coquelin, Rosicky couldn’t do much but in the small time he played he knocked the ball beautifully, and you could tell how much faster Arsenal move the ball with him in the side.

Lukas Podolski– 5: Came on at the very end of the match and had a glorious chance from 6 yards away but somehow put it over the goal.

Match Summary:

1′ The game is underway and West Brom starts with the ball!

4′ Corner kick to Arsenal which is cleared by West Brom.

5′ Gervinho comes close to scoring as the ball is crossed back in onto the head of Giroud who makes a challenge with the keeper, and the ball comes out to Vermaelen who heads it onto Gervinho but his shot goes wide of the goal, should’ve done better.

10′ Wilshere makes a great driving run, and slides a ball to Giroud who fails to find Gervinho with his chipped ball.

11′ Cazorla’s curling shot from distance goes wide after avoiding a tackle.

17′ A long ball is played to Alex Oxlade Chamberlain who tracks it down and plays a cross onto Cazorla’s left foot who fails to hit it on the volley and it goes over the goal. It would’ve been a spectacular goal.

21′ Cazorla tries to slide a brilliant pass into Alex Oxlade Chamberlain who is off but puts a dangerous cross into Giroud.

23′ The first chance comes for West Brom, as the ball falls to Brunt who curls a shot over the goal, not far from the post though.

24′ Possession so far is 68% to Arsenal 32% to WBA

25′ Penalty kick to Arsenal, as Cazorla was tripped up in the box. There is a lot of controversy though as the replay showed that not much contact was made, if not any.

26′ Goal! The penalty kick is coolly taken by Arteta who slots it straight down the middle, 1-0 to Arsenal.

36′ A free kick is awarded to West Brom and a great curling ball is played onto Olsson’s head but he is offside. 

37′ Great ball slid into Gervinho who crosses it to a diving Wilshere who hits it wide of the net. Much better play from Arsenal and Wilshere should have scored.

42′ Gervinho tries to cross up the keeper with a shot across his body but a great save and the rebound can’t be converted by Cazorla.

45′ Corner kick falls to Alex Oxlade Chamberlain who attempts a spectacular volley but it is just over the goal.

45′ Halftime and it is 1-0 to Arsenal. Arsenal playing well but are lucky to be up 1-0 after a controversial penalty kick. Wilshere is playing great and Vermaelen is taking charge in the back and Arsenal is dominating.

46′ We’re off again as Arsenal gets the second half underway!

53′ Cazorla is fouled on the edge of edge of the box but nothing is given.

54′ Wilshere’s cross falls to the Ox who grazes it off the post from a tight angle with a great first time shot, great play and good chance.

57′ Lovely play orchestrated by Wilshere, as the ball is crossed in by Gibbs but Gervinho’s header goes wide, should’ve at least put it on goal.

60′ A beautiful flick from Giroud to Gervinho who is in on the 6 but cannot find his shot on his left foot.

63′ Another Penalty! Oxlade Chamberlain is taken down in the box, and it is a clear penalty. Some more controversy as West Brom thought Popov; the left back was fouled in the process. Arteta to take the penalty kick for the second time in the day.

64′ Goal! 2-0 to Arsenal, brilliantly taken penalty by Arteta once again right down the middle. His second goal on the day, and second penalty!

76′ More from Arsenal, great flowing play from Arsenal but the chance can’t be converted. Wilshere having a brilliant game as he creates another chance. Arsenal is sending crosses to Giroud and they are just looking for that last goal to seal the victory.

78′ Arsenal substitution, Coquelin on for Oxlade Chamberlain, Cazorla slides to the right wing and Coquelin plays defensive midfield.

79′ A free kick is won on the edge of the box by Gervinho after he is knocked off the ball.

79′ A curling free kick by Arteta goes just wide, and he is on a hat trick!

81′ Arsenal substitution, Gervinho off, Rosicky on.

87′ Another chance for West Brom, a wide open header for Lukaku but he puts it wide of the goal.

88′ Substitution for Arsenal, Podolski on, Cazorla off.

89′ Wilshere has a shot inside the 18 but it is blocked by Popov, another good chance.

91′ Podolski should have easily scored! He is 6 yards from goal but somehow manages to hit it over with his left foot. Should be more then 2-0 at this point.

95′ Full time! 2-0 to Arsenal! A very frustrating game for West Brom. 2 controversial penalties that were converted by Mikel Arteta to take the 3 points. In all honesty Arsenal could’ve scored more than 2 goals.

 

How Arsenal’s New Signings Are Doing

By Billy Rodgers

It was a huge summer for Arsenal Football Club and three significant signings were made in light of the departure of Robin Van Persie and Alex Song. These three players were Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski, and Santi Cazorla. All three players have goals and assists to their names and seem to have settled in quite well. Lets dive in and take a closer look at how they are doing starting with Olivier Giroud.

The big Frenchman who was regarded as the replacement for Robin Van Persie has seemed to finally find his feet. He is starting to consistently find the back of the net. As well as scoring he has lent a hand in the assists department as well, playing some brilliant layoffs to set up goals. In the recent champions league match against Montpellier he had a fantastic floating ball that found the left foot of Lukas Podolski who hit a screamer of a volley into the top of the net. There was some speculation at first that Giroud could be a flop in the EPL but he has proved all his doubters wrong. He has scored 5 goals in 5 games heading into today’s match vs. Everton. Giroud has scored crucial goals, against Tottenhmam, Reading, Fulham, and Schalke. Look for him to increase his goal tally for the rest of the season and score some more great goals. Expect a lot of goals from his head because he is a force to be reckoned with in the air. Here are his stats so far this season in all competitions: 7 goals, 7 assists, 3 yellow cards, 0 red cards, in 627 total minutes for Arsenal.

The second big German player at Arsenal, Lukas Podolski is a fantastic goal scorer. He has over 100 caps for the German national side and is now bringing his experience to the Arsenal starting lineup. Podolski can play on the wing or can slide in as a striker which is good when Giroud or Walcott needs a rest. Podolski seems to settle from the start of the season, scoring from a brilliant free kick against a 6-1 romping against Southampton. He saw a dip in his goal scoring after a bad run of form but he netted against Tottenham and scored a peach of a volley against Montpellier in a 2-0 win. Podolski has pace and has fantastic power in her left foot and is dangerous anywhere. Look for him to have a strong season and finish with 20+ goals if he can find consistent form. Here are his stats so far this season: 7 goals, 4 assists, 2 yellow cards, 0 red cards, in 1,373 minutes for Arsenal.

Probably one of Arsenals best signings this summer, Cazorla has been Arsenals little magician in the midfield. He has scored some fantastic goals like his screamer against West Ham. He has also made some unbelievable passes and he influences the game every time. In his first three games with Arsenal he completed more passes, scored more goals, had more pass accuracy, had more key passes, and had more assists then David Silva and Juan Mata. Two other top class Spanish midfielders in the EPL. He is one of the few world class, proven players that Wenger has signed and it has payed off. Cazorla, Arteta, and Wilshere are quite an appetizing pair of midfielders but they don’t have much size. In the future Arteta needs to be replaced with a big strong defensive midfielder. Hopefully Cazorla can stay off the injury list. If  he does expect Arsenal to play through him and expect many more goals and assists from Cazorla. He is a top class player who has fit seamlessly into Arsene Wenger’s match plans. Here are his stats so far this season: 4 goals, 3 assists, 2 yellow cards, 0 red cards, in 1,501 minutes for Arsenal.

Arsenals signings have been crucial to the club and they have scored a lot of great goals. These 3 players could hold the key to Arsenal winning a trophy this year. They could make or break whether Arsenal lands in the top 4 or top 3 this year in the EPL.

Latest Arsenal News

By Billy Rodgers

Below is the latest news from London from the past week or two. Please enjoy!

1. Tomas Rosicky and Wojciech Szczęsny are back in training. Szczesny is returning from an ankle injury which he suffered in Arsenal’s 6-1 win over Southampton. Vito Mannone has been between the sticks and many people are glad Szczesny is finally back. He is expected to start 1 or 2 U-21 games first.Rosicky hasn’t played this season after undergoing surgery on an Achilles tendon, which he picked up while on international duty at Euro 2012. He was pictured back in full training last week.

2. Carl Jenkinson signs new 5 year contract with Arsenal. The 20 year old will be at the club for at least 5 more years! Jenkinson also commited his future to the English National team.

3. Arsenal are starting to listen to offers for the Ghanaian defensive midfielder after choosing not to offer him a new contract. 

4. Kieren Gibbs is expected to return to the squad for this weekends clash against Tottenham.

5. Lukas Podolski has expressed his concerns that he wishes to play in a center forward role rather then on the left wing as he think it diminishes his finishing abilities.

6. Olivier Giroud fears that Arsenal’s weak defense can hold them back at times.

5. Walcott has been playing through and injury and apparently he is going to miss the Tottenham game with a glute injury.

6. Bacary Sagna is now back in the squad and

Arsenal vs. Fulham: 7 Things We Learned

By Billy Rodgers

Arsenal vs. Fulham: 7 Things We Learned

1.     Teams are in Their Best Form Against Arsenal

It seems that every time Arsenal plays against a mid-table or bottom table team, the other team always seems to be in top form. It’s questionable whether it’s the Gunners style or if it’s just a coincidence. Against Norwich Arsenal played awful while the Canaries had one of their best games of the year. Then against QPR, the team that everyone is beating, played out a 1-0 win to the Gunners. It could have been a completely different result if QPR finished their 2 chances they got at the end of the match. Many fans seem to notice it and it is becoming quite frustrating. I think that when Arsenal goes 1-0 or 2-0 they get way too comfortable and can easily blow the lead. This is the main thing that separates Arsenal from title contending teams. When teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid go up 2-0 you know that your chances of winning that match are almost hopeless. When Arsenal goes up 2-0, no one feels comfortable.

2.      Olivier Giroud Is Settling In

Probably one of the only positives from the match today was Olivier Giroud, who netted twice off 2 great headers. People were in doubt if Wenger had made the right signing and some even thought this could be a repeat of Chamakh. He has shown that he is not the most consistent in front of goal with the ball at his feet but it seems every header he puts on goal is dangerous. He and Theo Walcott have been combining seamlessly, after Walcott had 2 assists to him in this game. Giroud has now proven that he is ready to make a say in the English Premier League. With the right service, Giroud is deadly with his head in front of goal.

3.      Arteta Can Have Bad Games

Mikel Arteta isn’t usually in the form he was in on Saturday. Statistically he is one of the best if not the best midfielders in the league. Many fans are not used to Arteta having a poor game but today was no exception. Arteta seemed slow on the ball and he was caught in possession many times leading to dangerous Fulham counter attacks. He missed a penalty on virtually the last kick of the game which he got even more stick from the fans. I don’t think this is justified because many people would not step up in the last minute of a game and take a match deciding penalty. It was also a great save by the goal keeper. Fans and people alike need to realize that every player has a bad game and he just needs to find his confidence again.

4.      Santi Cazorla Shouldn’t be Depended On

Many people thought that last year the Gunners depended too heavily on Dutch striker Robin Van Persie and this year it can be argued that it is now Santi Cazorla. I have noticed that most of the time when Cazorla is not in top form and creating chances, Arsenal isn’t winning. With Jack Wilshere back in the squad a spark of creativity needs to come from somewhere and fast.

5.      Arsenal Need a Pacey Striker

Giroud is finally hitting good form and scoring goals but his consistency is still questionable. This coming January will be a crucial month and probably one of the most important transfer windows in a while. Arsenal is sitting on 30 million (plus) pounds and these needs to be spent on a top class striker who is not only pacey but can consistently finish in front of goal. Some players who I think could be slotted in front of Giroud could be players like Robert Lewandowski, Stephan Jovetic, Wilfried Bony, Wilfried Zaha, and even Gonzalo Higuain. Even though some of these players are not world class right now, they are gems waiting to be discovered.

6.      People Can’t Call for Wengers Head

Arsene Wenger can pick whatever squad he wants but in the end it comes down to how the players perform. Yes, you can argue that the Managers tactics come into play but you need the players to execute those tactics. Wenger hasn’t won a trophy in 7 years and the fans need to realize you can’t just expect a trophy to come forth. If the poor season continues then maybe people can have an argument but I think Wenger has done an outstanding job in his years with the club. I have to say if Arsenal finish under the top 6, then it may be over for Wenger. This early in the season nothing is definite and as of right now fans just need to stay optimistic and hope for the best.

7.      It Isn’t Vito Mannone’s Time Anymore

He played exceptional while it lasted but sadly it is time for Wojciech Szczesny to come back into the starting spot. There have been many doubtful moments in Mannone’s stint in the starting lineup is over. Fulham’s second goal, a header from almost 8 yards out somehow got away from Mannone and it seemed he didn’t react even close to quick enough. Szczesny’s reactions are second to none and many people will remember the penalty kick he saved against Liverpool and then dived back across the game and saved the rebound shot. I think Mannone has locked up the second string, over injury prone Łukasz Fabiański.