Fashion matters more to football than the average supporter might care to acknowledge. Most spectators aren’t overly concerned about their personal aesthetic at 3pm on a Saturday. In fact, for that matter, many neglect to engage in even the most rudimentary of personal grooming practices full stop.

Nonetheless, players have known for some time that appearance counts. This is especially true of David Beckham, who recently announced plans to launch his own underwear brand in 2012.

Most terrace-hardened supporters will probably decline to purchase a pair of Beckham brand pants that make your bits look like vacuum packed offal. In the absence of demand from club shops, however, there is no doubt that the garments will find a market elsewhere.

Exploiting his good looks, England’s former number seven has carefully cultivated his public image. From bad, to really bad, to stylish, to crimes-against-god’s-creation awful, Beckham’s haircuts have always been designed to catch the front page (of the Sun). Meanwhile, fashion shoots and sarong-wearing, combined with wife Victoria Beckham’s endeavours in the fashion industry, have helped establish him as a style icon.

Indeed, the selling power behind Brand Beckham was a significant factor in his move to Real Madrid in 2003. Already boasting a remarkably high-profile squad of ‘Galacticos’, the Spanish club took a unique opportunity to acquire a product which increased their global profitability further still.

The Englishman’s subsequent move to LA Galaxy, and thus to the geographical nexus of style, was a natural career progression for a footballer who always kept one eye on the pitch and the other on his image.

Football’s fashion connoisseurs aren’t always looking for a catalyst to inflate their celebrity standing, however.

Take Phil Brown and his Hull City side of 2008, for example. Along with a number of squad members, the current Preston North End boss elected to grow a mustache as part of an Everyman campaign to raise awareness about testicular cancer. Despite suffering the ignominy of looking like a perma-tanned Ian Rush, Brown’s style choice successfully brought a worthwhile campaign to an audience of millions.

Sadly, though, touchline accessorising can go wrong. Steve McLaren’s infamous decision to employ an umbrella during England’s disastrous 3-2 defeat against Croatia saw him immortalised as the ‘Wally with the Brolly’. Manager of Nottingham Forest until very recently, the maligned coach is not alone in committing this kind of error.

Why Arsene Wenger chooses to adopt a floor length puffa-jacket at winter fixtures, for example, is an absolute mystery. It isn’t that cold, and surely no professional can respect their boss when he turns up for work wearing a sleeping bag, can they? Every time Arsenal score, Wenger looks like a boy Scout at camp, deviously proud of the flatulence he has just inflicted upon his tent-mates.

Still, in the case of Mr. Wenger, we can simply add his unusual dress sense to the growing list of evidence that he’s completely lost it. David Moyes, on the other hand, has a career to resuscitate with Everton. Not too long ago, Moyes was badgering what was then a ‘Big Four’ for a coveted Champions League spot.

The Scot was even tipped as a potential successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. That ambition will remain unfulfilled, however, if Moyes cannot address the slide which has seen Everton surpassed by both Tottenham and Manchester City.

If he is to revitalise his career, Moyes will need to rethink his choice of attire. Glory no longer falls on the tracksuit wearing coach and hasn’t done for some time. A manager with ambitions on the top four needs to be suited in appropriately auspicious attire.

Even when confronted with a grand occasion, Moyes failed to hit the right note. For the 2009 FA Cup Final versus Chelsea, the Toffees opted to arrive in matching blue suits tailored for the occasion. Blue suits belong on Granddads at weddings and nowhere else. They certainly don’t befit a man embarking on the biggest moment of his professional career. Needless to say, Everton lost that final to a Chelsea team modelling an appropriately imposing getup.

Guilty of the worst fashion faux pas of all, however, are Everton’s Merseyside rivals, Liverpool. Their 1996 FA Cup Final contingent turned up at Wembley in identical white suits like some kind of over-sized Westlife fraternity. Like Everton, they too lost in the final, falling to an Eric Cantona strike for Manchester United.

Former Reds’ striker Robbie Fowler had some remarks to give about the ground-breaking idea in a newspaper interview in 2008, he said:

“It was David James’ fault we wore white suits, it was his idea. Nobody questioned him and at the time, he was an Armani model”.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As Arsenal players struggled to convince Scousers that losing is part of being a trendy North Londoner this weekend, you’d be forgiven for asking exactly where all the adversity came from. A team carrying Robin Van Persie, Andrei Arshavin and Thomas Vermaelen shouldn’t struggle very often, yet it couldn’t pull away from a team containing Charlie Adam.

When the players can’t explain a failure, a look at the manager often does. Unfortunately for Arsene Wenger, last month’s assertion that Arsenal wouldn’t be a “big club” if they sold Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri is gone but, like the two players, a long way from forgotten. It’s the essence of Arsenal’s woes. When a manager instils such unwavering faith in one small group of his players, the translation into an equivalent lack of faith in those left behind becomes inevitable. Wenger has, over time, placed absolute faith in individuals, and now they’re gone his team is ready to suffer for it.

The players still around will have watched on as Wenger allowed Fabregas to become an all powerful symbol of his club and his project. Whether it be the tactical room afforded to him, the captaincy gifted to him at such an early age, or the desperate – and costly – fight to keep him from Barcelona’s grasp for one more year, the message resounding around the Emirates and the rest of the Premier League is that his loss is more than just the loss of one player, it’s losing the ol’ heart and soul of the club.

Nasri has undergone similar deification. Like Fabregas, an excellent player, the efforts to keep him this summer – prepared, at one point, to let him leave for zilch in 12 months – still far outweigh anything he has done on the pitch. Arsenal’s struggle to keep simply doesn’t make sense for a player who made neither the top twenty Premier League assist makers last season, nor the top twenty goalscorers.

The disproportionate message spelled out by Wenger was that Arsenal couldn’t afford to lose the excellence of either player and, now that they have – or in the case of Nasri, all but have – the players left behind are playing like they believe it.

The reality should be that the club still holds enough cards to win. Above all else, the most suitable replacements for Nasri and Fabregas are already in place: Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere constitute rare talents; more than that, they can call on experience belying their youth and the paths of the men they’re replacing as evidence of their right to a chance.

Beyond them, the £50million now available could do a nice job of replacing anyone. But Wenger has already given away that he thinks he has a bad hand – and that kind of card player never wins.

Alex Ferguson doesn’t lose very often – his players, notably, aren’t symbols of his club. When it came to shifting Cristiano Ronaldo, pragmatism was the order of what could have been a bleak day: he held on for a year and claimed another Champions League final and another league title before sanctioning an £80million deal for his World Player of the Year. Forced into selling, three years on, Ferguson has won more trophies than Ronaldo.

Where players have threatened to outgrow his club of their own fruition, Ferguson has done everything he can to ship them out on the quiet. Roy Keane, one of the greatest players in a history great players, was shipped out to Celtic in the middle of a January; England’s captain at the time, David Beckham was dismissed as a prima donna and replaced with Ronaldo when Real Madrid came calling for him – only the fans stopped for sentiment. Ferguson only stops to flip two fingers.

Wenger has to be his own man, but learning from Ferguson is rarely a wasted effort. Fabregas and Nasri are very, very good players, but as Wenger has said more recently, everyone is replaceable. When his actions meet that rhetoric, perhaps Arsenals have a chance of beating Liverpool at home.

Written by Ethan Dean-Richards, one of the brilliant minds behind Surreal Football. For more of the same (or to hurl abuse at them), follow Surreal Football on Twitter.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There was a time when winning trophies was a habit at the Emirates. Or rather, Highbury. Such have been Arsenal’s performances that they have failed to win a major trophy since 2005. Not a piece of silverware has been won since moving to their new state of the art stadium and it is surely high time that Aresene Wenger accepted the fact this formula has come undone.

The Aresnal squad has been comprised of mostly young  starlets over the past few years and while it must be accepted that the starlets in question have loads of potential, there’s not enough in them yet to mount a serious challenge for any title. When Arsenal reached the final of the league cup in the recently concluded 2010-11 season, many thought the trophy drought would end but even that was not to be. The question then remains is how long Wenger can go without bringing in considerable changes to the structure of his team. The answer to that, is quite evident.

Whilst flair and class are eye-catching features of an Arsenal performance, the thing they lacks the most is the drive and determination. While beating weaker teams by 6 and 7 goal margins around August is perfectly fine, what really counts is beating the big teams in close matches come April and this is something Arsenal faltered at time and time again. One of the main reasons that helped Manchester United, who were clearly not boasting their best ever squad, to the league title last season was the grit and determination put on show by Sir Alex Ferguson’s men. And that very determination is what the Gunners have failed to show, with a fragile state of mind being exposed a time too many. All these add up  to the growing calls for the addition of experienced and battle hardened players to the Gunners line-up, something which might prove somewhat easy this summer.

If the players that will be easy to get are to be looked at, the West Ham duo of Mathew Upson and Scott Parker should prove easy targets. Both players will be eager to get back to the top flight and lure of Champions League football will add up to what should prove considerably easy purchases. They both bring experience at the highest level and a robustness that most Arsenal players seem to be lacking. Blackpool’s Charlie Adam could be next on the list. Rumours linking him to Manchester United and Liverpool seemed to have died down with both clubs looking elsewhere for midfield additions and Arsenal could easily benefit from that and snipe away the Bloomfield Road icon. He and Parker could easily add the base that Andrei Arshavin , Tomas Rosicky or Theo Wallcott need to push ahead from midfield.

Looking away from England, Russia’s Igor Akinfeev remains a hot target for a number of clubs and could be the man to give Arsenal firm cover between the sticks. Goalkeeping woes have been one of the biggest problems for Arsenal last season and to get Akinfeev, who has amassed a considerable amount of experience for both club and country, would be an ideal addition to the Arsenal dressing room. He should also be cheaper than other big name goalies.

Other than the aforementioned names , a number of players who could be interested in a move to the Premier League would be Borrusia Dortmund’s commanding centre back Neven Subotic. The Serb has been nothing short of brilliant for Dortmund lsat season and was integral in driving his club to the Bundesliga title. Add to that, the likes of Belgian Axel Witsel and German Per Mertesacker all remain potentially brilliant but reasonably less costly targets.

Regardless of who exactly Wenger does opt for, the criteria remain unquestionable. Arsenal is in dire need of players who will add a solid foundation to an otherwise spineless team. It is only then that the full potential of the likes of Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie will be realized. A few good signings in key areas, namely defense , will be enough to trigger a great season from the London outfit.  Otherwise, it just might be time to bid farewell to one of the greatest foreign managers to have been graced of English football.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

“This team might not have the ‘Ronaldo’ factor, but it doesn’t understand the word, ‘defeat’. It’s determined, gritty and very professional…”

“I’m not here to motivate players. I’m here to help players who are motivated.”

These are comments made by Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, respectively. Certainly, they explain the contrasting fortunes experienced by Manchester United and Arsenal in not just this season, but in recent years.

Without doubt, we have not seen the best of Manchester United for some time. Yet, somehow, they currently find themselves in pole position for what would be a record 19th league title. Meanwhile, Arsenal, who please the eye almost every week with their dazzling football, are set to be left wanting yet again. What separates Arsene Wenger and his team from unprecedented and long overdue success?

The answer lies in the comments mentioned at the outset. Ferguson’s comment is rather self-explanatory and it rings true. A certain pizazz has been missing from United’s performances since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, but as was mentioned,  most times they still find that extra gear to go to when needed. We’ve seen that as recently as this season, where United went in at halftime seemingly down for the count on more than one occasion, but somehow live to tell a remarkable tale come full time. That ‘never say die’ attitude is what champions are made of.

Though, it’s an attitude that couldn’t just come into existence among the players. It had to start with the manager.  Indeed, when a team is against the ropes, it has to be able to turn to it’s manager for motivation to get back out there and fight tooth and nail right down to the end. Skill and flair are not the deciding factors. Rather, strong will comes to the fore, as does an unflappable desire to achieve set goals even when seemingly insurmountable barriers present themselves.

With eyes on the prize, a manager with a ‘never say die’ attitude lifts his players and moves them to claim that prize. Such an attitude is infectious. Thus, inevitably, the manager’s players would develop the same attitude. This is visible among the Manchester United camp and that’s why the club is where it is, regardless of the calibre of players no longer at Ferguson’s disposal. This is simply not the case with Arsenal.

Let’s examine Wenger’s comment. He may have said those words while fulfilling a role at a youth elite tournament, but no doubt he applies the same thinking to his dealings with Arsenal. That comment outlines a failure to put two key managerial duties hand in hand- helping a player who is already motivated and helping a player who loses motivation. Thus, it explains why Wenger and his team find themselves in the predicament they are in today.

Bringing already motivated players to the club and developing them is all well and good, but players are not machines. At some point and for some reason or another, they will lose focus. It’s a manager’s duty to put them back on track. If Wenger doesn’t see that as part of his job, then where does that leave his players? The answer- just where they are now.

Things are not right behind the scenes and they haven’t been for some time- dressing room bust-ups, a player stripped of the club captaincy and now the club’s current captain is publicly undermining his manager in addition to casting his glances at another club. These things have a telling effect on a team and certainly not a positive one. A manager has to not only nip these things in the bud, but lift his players off the pitch so that they can provide good, consistent performances on it. Although the main trouble-makers have since left the club, off-field problems still linger. The biggest of them all centers, embarrassingly, around the club captain.

“I would understand if Cesc leaves. He has been here at Arsenal for a long time and he wants to win trophies. As professionals, we want to be successful and win cups and titles, but we haven’t won a thing for six years. It’s embarrassing to be part of a team that hasn’t won a trophy for six years. We failed. It’s not the manager’s fault, it’s the players’. Some people say Arsene Wenger’s not doing well, but he doesn’t play. We know we are not a bad team. We have the quality to finish first, but we lost. This is the fault of the players – we have failed.”

Interestingly enough, Bacary Sagna says that they know they’re not a bad team and that they have the quality to finish first, but the players and not Wenger has failed to do so. What does that imply? Certainly, it gives one the impression that this Arsenal side is a bit lackadaisical in approaching fixtures, especially if they are the favorites to win them. Wenger’s philosophy of having young players play entertaining football is admirable, but could it be that this very philosophy has caused the development of this laid back, cocky mentality where the team thinks that it can win games based on talent and flair alone? Certainly, that’s something that Wenger needs to address.

Sagna’s willingness to protect Wenger in his comment to the News of the World is noble, but something else just does not add up here, especially seeing that the club captain obviously feels differently. Fabregas recently said that if Wenger worked at one of Spain’s top clubs, he would’ve been fired already. Clearly, he feels the manager is to blame for Arsenal’s trophy drought. Given that the likes of Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are yet to sign new deals, are they too concerned about where the club is going or not going for that matter?

This is not the first situation this season where a player has challenged the goings on at his club. However, Arsenal is the first top club to not effectively handle the situation. Pepe Reina and Fernando Torres grew disillusioned with life at Anfield and were intent on quitting the club. Although Torres has since departed, the way Kenny Dalglish stepped in and handled things at the club has led to a vast improvement in on-field performances as well as a change of heart from Reina. Dalglish is a manager who commands respect and is great at lifting his players and getting the best out of them. The dramatic, positive change in atmosphere now seen at Anfield is clear evidence of this.

Wayne Rooney also became disillusioned with life at Old Trafford. He rejected a new, five-year contract extension and was adamant that he wanted to leave Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson showed his vast experience in handling the situation. After holding talks with Rooney, the player was moved to apologize as well as sign the offered contract extension. His on-field performances have improved since.

In both these cases, the manager’s interaction with their player(s) and overall handling of what was a delicate situation led to positive results. We have not seen that with Wenger and his Arsenal side, even though the situations are very similar. Thus, questions must be asked about Wenger’s ability to handle situations like these, where morale is at an all time low.

For more evidence, look no further than the extended, bad run of form Arsenal found themselves in after choking in the Carling Cup final. A win versus Manchester United was the perfect tonic, but unsavory performances and results prior to this victory do little to dispel the doubts that still remain. Certainly, if Arsenal are to win trophies again, Wenger must be prepared to effectively handle off-field problems and motivate his players when they lose focus for one reason or another, especially as they are at that young age. The lackadaisical mentality that seems to exist within the squad must be rooted out. He also needs to ensure that his team, starting with the captain, respects him.

He has already said that Fabregas was feeling the strain of captaining Arsenal. How he handles that situation will have a crucial impact on the team, particularly from a mental point of view. A strong, unified and determined spirit within the team off the field will see a remarkable change in performances on it. In a nutshell then, dipping into the transfer market is not the only solution to Arsenal’s problems.

While we are on that subject, what kind of changes does this Arsenal side need? Generally, their starting lineup is good, but one must wonder about the depth.

Alex Song and Robin van Persie have been immense this season. Theo Walcott, Laurent Koscielny, Wojciech Szczesny and a few others have also been doing well of late. When these players went missing through injury or otherwise, the likes of Bendtner, Denilson, Squillaci, Rosicky, Almunia and others failed to effectively deputize. There have been endless cries for experienced players to be brought in. Wenger has done this, but the problem surrounds the quality of experienced players that he brings in. The likes of Sebastien Squillaci and Jens Lehmann, for example, have not been great or sensible recruits.

While Lehmann is just a short-term option, the likes of Squillaci must be moved on. Other dead wood like Bendtner, Denilson, Rosicky, Eboue, Arshavin and the like must also be moved on so that fresh, quality players can be brought in to make a telling, positive difference. The team certainly lacks maturity. That’s something that even Wenger has admitted. Thus, these new players should represent a quality mixture of youth and experience.

With Vermaelen on his way to full fitness and with Koscielny and Djourou continuing to mature, a Center Back is no longer a priority. The fourth Center Back slot can be given to a promising youth. The young Spaniard, Ignasi Miquel, seems a bright prospect.

Confident performances for the most part by Szczesny indicates that a Goalkeeper may not be needed either. On the agenda should be an Attacking Midfielder who would provide cover for Cesc Fabregas. If the Spaniard leaves, then Arsenal would need a top quality Attacking Midfielder to play off of Robin van Persie. Wilshere and Ramsey can both play there, but they both look at home alongside Song in Arsenal’s ‘double pivot’. A Defensive Midfielder may be needed to provide cover for Song. However, with the impending return to fitness of an impressive Emmanuel Frimpong, Wenger may well decide to hold off buying someone for that position.

Quality cover for Theo Walcott on the right and Samir Nasri on the left is also needed. As mentioned, Arshavin and Rosicky have been anything but impressive. Meanwhile, Bendtner has no business being in those positions and one can hardly see a future for Carlos Vela at the Emirates.

Finally, proper cover for van Persie is a must. Bendtner has been struggling for form and fitness for some time and Marouane Chamakh seems to be suffering from burnout. After a glut of goals at the start of his Arsenal career, his form has dried up. We must remember as well that van Persie is an injury-prone player and therefore, when he goes missing, a quality finisher is needed to ease the loss of the Dutchman.

All in all, Arsenal are not far off from silverware. We’ve seen that Wenger has some work to do though, if he is to appease the many fans who feel frustrated and let down as the club’s trophy drought extends by another year. Important changes are to be made, both from a mental standpoint and a personnel perspective. It’s good that Wenger has finally conceded that his side is not good enough and that he has made the decision to get some help come the summer. If he gets things right, we will be in for a thrilling campaign come next season- in the Premier League and the Champions League.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Following a 2-1 defeat at Bolton on Sunday, Arsene Wenger had the look of a defeated man. And for good reason. Despite plenty of promise, as the season unfolded the same old Arsenal deficiencies stood out. Sure, the Gunners continue to play with a style and panache that, with the exception of that little outfit in the Catalonian capital, hardly another team on the planet can match. But, Arsenal’s glaring defensive warts stand out. Thus, for a sixth consecutive season, the Gunners will not be adding to their trophy case.

So now what? With Arsenal essentially out of title contention with just a handful of games remaining, where does Wenger go from here as he looks to retool the Gunners for next season? The obvious answer is that he should look to add a quality central defender, or two, and a goalkeeper. But that may not come cheaply, which is why a more drastic approach is needed. To start with, Wenger should sell his captain, Cesc Fabregas, and use the proceeds to strengthen the squad’s overall depth.

With the emergence of Jack Wilshire, Wenger can afford to sell Fabregas, who has made no secret of his desire to return to his roots and suit up for Barcelona. Along with the teenage sensation, Wilshire, the development of Samir Nasri has been considerable, making him an ideal candidate to fill the position of Fabregas in the attacking midfield role for the Gunners. While filling in for Fabregas on several occasions this season, Nasri has appeared very comfortable in that position, and his goal-scoring has improved enough to the point where he is capable taking on a more substantial role.

By contrast, Fabregas has been a disappointment this season, and his lack of full commitment has hurt the Gunners. He continues to not be very durable (missing significant time due to injuries), and his goal-scoring form has dipped this season. What’s more, Wenger simply can’t afford to have his captain, supposedly the team’s leader, making controversial comments off the field, and essentially playing with one foot out the door, while waiting for a move to Spain. Surely this is not good for the psychology of the team.

As usual, from a purist perspective, the Gunners were a joy to watch many times this season. But a lack of leadership on the pitch, little in the way of resolve in crucial situations and far too many defensive lapses cost Arsenal on numerous occasions during the 2010-11 season. After his team were essentially eliminated from title contention after conceding a second set-piece goal to Bolton, even the stubborn mastermind himself had to admit his team’s faults.

“We still lack something that is called maturity, experience or calmness in important situations”Wenger said on the team’s website.

While it is true that the Gunners are young, simply blaming his team’s failures on a lack of maturity is a bit of a cop-out. There’s more to Arsenal’s disappointment than just the youthful absence of composure.

Throughout the season (twice against arch-rival Tottenham, at home to Liverpool, at Newcastle, at Bolton), the Gunners lacked defensive resolve late in matches. Too many last-minute goals allowed meant too many points dropped in the standings.

“I am convinced we are a very good footballing side. We have not been stable enough defensively”Wenger admitted. “We were too frail defensively during the season.”

Clearly at certain positions the Gunners simply don’t have the quality that other top European clubs do. Aside from Thomas Vermaelen, who has barley seen the pitch for months because of an Achilles problem, the Gunners just don’t have enough talent at central defender. Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, or even Manchester City, all have more talented options in central defense. Johan Djourou, Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci are not good enough to win titles with at the back and if Arsenal are serious about claiming silverware this needs to be addressed.

Lastly, the goalkeeping situation at Arsenal has been laughable for several years and clearly Wenger no longer has faith in Manuel Almunia (although it remains a massive mystery why it took him so long to come to this conclusion). Rumors of Pepe Reina, Maarten Stecklenberg and Maneul Neuer have been reported on occasion, but surely none of these options, or anyone who compares to them, will come cheaply.

Which is yet another reason why Fabregas must be sold. The money his sale would bring in would add to the reported £40 million already available to Wenger this offseason. And he and the Gunners must finally admit, success nowadays doesn’t come on the cheap. It would be a drastic move, but unless Wenger wants to spend another season trophyless, the Arsenal captain must go.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Arsenal were practically knocked out of the title race when they lost 1-2 to Bolton Wanderers on Sunday. The defeat meant that Arsenal are now nine points behind leaders Manchester United and three points behind second placed Chelsea with only four games remaining in the season.

Arsene Wenger was left notably disappointed after a turbulent week in which they could only manage to draw their games with Liverpool and Tottenham, despite being in the lead in both encounters.

And now the defeat to Bolton has ensured that Arsenal, who lost won a trophy in 2005, will spend another year without silverware.

Arsenal Philosophy

However, Wenger has reiterated that there is no problems with the footballing philosophy at Arsenal. While speaking to Arsenal TV Online, he said:

“If someone can convince me that the principles are wrong I am ready to change, but I feel we try to play football the proper way”

“When you don’t win you question your principles, but you have to give yourself the right distance to see what is right and wrong in what you do.

“I think if something is wrong in our team, it is not the principles in playing our football.

“The team have had an outstanding attitude and will not be rewarded because of small things, but small things cost you.

“It is frustrating because the team has produced the efforts.

“We have to be realistic that it [the title] is very unlikely now, but we have to finish as well as we can.”

Transfers

However, Arsene Wenger outlined his plans to make important changes to his squad during the transfer window. He said:

“We have the quality, that is for sure. We have to strengthen the squad where it needs and make the right decision on that front. It [transfers] is always in my mind every day”

Defensive Instability

If the Arsenal boss is planning to make changes to his squad, the addition of some quality and solid defenders must be on his mind.

The Gunners have let leads slip in crucial matches this term which has ultimately dashed their hopes for silverware and brought the winning mentality of the team under question.

Arsene Wenger acknowledged this fact when he said:

“We have not been stable enough defensively.”

“The numbers are the numbers – this week we have conceded six goals and you cannot afford to concede six goals in April in three games and win the championship.”

“Defensively we have been too frail this season.”

Arsenal next play Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on 1st of May. But a game that was once touted as a potential title decider, is now anything but.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Jack Wilshere is the future. The chosen one, he’s the face of English football for the twenty-first century. Miraculously, he remains somewhat personally underexposed for the amount of hype that surrounds him. Without him, the future of both Arsenal and England seems less positive.

His rise has been meteoric. Two seasons ago he was a seventeen year-old making occasional Carling Cup appearances, whereas today he is first-choice for both club and country. People have lined up to douse him with praise, not least his managers Arsene Wenger and Fabio Capello. The future’s rosy, the future’s Wilshere.

But his wish to play in the Euroean Under-21 Championships this year has put Wilshere’s two footballing allegiances on a direct collision course. North London management has no desire to risk their prize asset suffering burn-out, injury or fatigue. In the eyes of Stuart Pearce and many others, he is England U21s best midfielder and hence the best chance of a podium finish at the tournament.

Which poses the question – is Jack Wilshere more valuable to England or to Arsenal?

There are many parallels between the Wilshere dilemma and that of Wayne Rooney 6-7 years ago – he is young, talented and enthusiastic about playing for both club and country. Their teams are/were in the Top Four and each represented the tantalising taste of a new, unscarred generation. Wilshere, like his now struggling colleague has the combination of exuberance, sublime skill and mongrel that has occasionally looked lacking in his teams and is so crucial to success – the mix to become a world-beater.

Since Rooney’s debut, the only potential world-beaters to debut for the Three Lions have been (maybe) Arsenal teammate Theo Walcott and custodian Joe Hart. Other England debutants have been functional and usually leading premiership players but most often limited; Jack Wilshere’s recent displays in white mean he should be among the first midfielders Capello selects.

Not only is it Wilshere’s talent and potential that’s vital to England, but also what he represents. Jack Wilshere is the first of his U21 brethren to make the leap to full International regular. Though it’s likely, Wilshere isn’t necessarily even the most talented player of his generation either, just the first to make his mark on the international stage and therefore the best for his age. He is a glimpse into the future of England football, impossible to ignore. Jack Wilshere needs to play for England not for Fabio Capello, Arsene Wenger or even himself, but for English football fans.

The word talisman is overused in football – “As Zidane goes, so does France”. “As Cantona performs, so do United”. Though those two players properly defined the word talisman, they could also simply be known as instrumental in performance. The word is belittled when lower echelon players are dubbed a talisman rather than instrumental. Wilshere’s importance for the national setup has now transcended his increasingly important performances on the pitch and he has become a talisman of things to come.

This may be true of England, but what of Arsenal? Their case is also based on what he represents: a local boy with the talent to stamp his authority on a famous club with an equally famous (and expensive) lineup. It could be that his value for Arsenal, moreso than England, depends on his performances simply because there would seem to be greater central midfield depth. This depth comes from players in their prime, like Fabregas, Song and Nasri or the potential of Aaron Ramsey, Henri Lansbury and even Abou Diaby.

Jack the Lad’s skill/mongrel ratio is weighted differently from each Arsenal’s midfielders and his enthusiasm and work ethic allow him a unique role and thus able to fit in seamlessly with all of Wenger’s other options. He is so treasured by Arsenal supporters (host of the Arsenal podcast The Tuesday Club Alan Davies recently said he wouldn’t swap Wilshere for Andres Iniesta) because he forms with Nasri and Fabregas a vital component in a troika of midfield poisons of which an opponent must choose one. Of course England relies on his performances as well, but for the Gunners faithful, they know they have a player on whom they can rely.

The question presents an unthinkable and theoretical choice, but it may be England’s bigger picture need which means Wilshere is more valuable to the Three Lions than for Arsenal. If only for reasons of depth – while Lampard, Gerrard and Barry drift into the ether, Wilshere has been anointed to pick up the pieces, perhaps even as captain.

At Arsenal, he is supported by the high-profile-but-still-amazingly-young trio Fabregas, Ramsey and Nasri. Song and Diaby remain in their early or mid-twenties, where Lansbury and Miyaichi look to follow his lead. Wilshere’s value to Arsenal is immense – measurable only by a fictional, guesstimated transfer price (40-50 million pounds perhaps, in the unthinkable situation of him wanting out of Arsenal).  He may not be replaceable, but there is more fertile soil for Wenger to plough in search of a substitute.  For England, he is new hope.  Can you measure that?

Matthew Wood writes at Balanced Sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Arsenal’s alleged title drought has taken on alarming proportions. Since the Invincibles of 2004, only the 2005 FA Cup sits in their trophy case as the North London faithful suffer through a rejuvenation period persistently promising – but ultimately failing – to bear fruit. Their weekend draw at WBA, coupled with Champions’ League and FA Cup exits has served to throw the focus upon Wenger and his sometimes effete charges. Ever since the “drought” began, the same flaws have been identified: imitation steel in defense; goalkeepers suffering personality crises; the odd plague of locusts or rivers turning to blood and finally – critically – slightly effeminate hairdos.

The combination of these elements has left Gooners clamouring for defensive reinforcement.

Again.

Wenger has not deviated from this youth policy in six years. He’s hardly likely to do so now.

This apparent disdain for acquiring senior, battle-hardened Premiership stalwarts may be part of Wenger’s grand design. Or it could be that his boardroom refuses to pony up for experience and disrepute. The players Wenger has tried to develop into replacements for Ye Olde English Bastards (Adams, Keown and Parlour) haven’t evolved into even adequate facsimiles of former greats and this leaves the Gunners struggling for spine.

Could it be then that the flaw is not in Wenger amassing vast quantities of youth, but how they’ve gone about acquiring that youth in the transfer market? Since the Young Gunners movement began when Patrick Vieira was sold to Juventus, it’s regularly assumed that young British and continental talent flocks to Arsenal to develop into World Class players. But to look at Arsenal’s transfer business since The Invincibles makes for interesting reading (link): much of the costly, highly-touted youth simply hasn’t evolved into the players we all thought they’d be.

All the Arsenal prospects in Table 1 are meet three specific criteria. Since 2004, they are the twenty youngsters bought with high expectations and consequently a significant transfer fee. All have had exposure to the Arsenal first team. They are categorized according to whether they have accomplished what was expected of their potential while at Arsenal. Of twenty highly-rated players, only Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri could be thought of as reaching their potential. The rest – well, there’s hope for Walcott and Ramsey, but it’s fair to say any development from Nicklas Bendtner or Abou Diaby is unlikely given their age and track record. It’s probable they are now the player they will always be.

Pundits and angry fans alike question Wenger’s methods in buying young and sweeping statements like this confirm they have ample reason to. This table obviously forms half an argument, the other side taking the opinion that Wenger’s made solid Premiership players out of players obtained at minimal expense, guys like Emanuel Eboue and Manuel Almunia. Also, Arsenal’s youth system has several exciting teenagers who dazzle the first two rounds of the Carling Cup each year and Jack Wilshere is a full England international at only nineteen.

To suggest this proves a lack of talent for developing youth would be extremely ungenerous. Wenger empowers youngsters unlike most other Premiership managers and this results in Arsenal fielding talent other top clubs would kill for. The failing may therefore not be Wenger’s ability to develop prospects but in his ability to accurately identify buyable talent. Attracting the world’s top youth can only benefit a club and Arsenal have the most enviable reserves of young talent in England. This must prompt Wenger to ask himself – and his scouts – if these players ever really had what it takes to become top class.

A policy of “buy young and relatively cheap; sell old with profit” cannot, in itself, be flawed. The application of that policy, however, can be and is most often severely flawed. Developing talented youth is not easy because it relies on all the backroom staff to be the very best of the best. The talent identification must be the best. The coaching and development staff have to be beyond excellent. The manager, who supervises all, must be both sure of his players and his staff. Somewhere at the Emirates, there has been a breakdown in the Gunner production line as allegedly “can’t miss” players turn into also-rans.

Arsene Wenger chose wilfully to walk down the road of almost absolute youth. Unfortunately, Midas touch and all, he has found himself not walking down a road, but a very thin red-and-white line.

For more of Matthew Wood’s analysis and opinion, visit Balanced Sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Arsenal are locked in talks with former goalkeeper, goalkeeping coach and television presenter Bob Wilson as they look to alleviate the injury crisis between the sticks at the Emirates Stadium. Manager Arsene Wenger is believed to have turned his attention to tried and tested goalkeeping candidates from the North London club’s successful past.

Arsenal’s choices at the back have been limited severely by injury and immaturity. Lukasz Fabianski is waylaid with a shoulder injury and Wojciech Szczesny out with a broken finger, whilst young understudies Vito Mannone and James Shea are believed to be suffering from severe cases of tummyache and nappy rash respectively. The club believed that they had plugged the gap last week by signing former goalkeeper and murder suspect Jens Lehmann on a short-term basis until the end of the season. Despite Wenger’s assurances to an assembly of journalists at a press conference that Lehmann’s eccentric and violent past was behind him, Lehmann reacted badly to one journalist’s opinion that Manuel Almunia was still undoubtedly Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper, brutally stabbing said journalist a number of times in the legs and ankles.

With Lehmann in custody, Wenger has contacted a number of former greats to occupy the berth, according to an insider at the club. With David Seaman unavailable due to a clause in his insurance payout and his inability to re-grow his talented moustache, the experienced French schemer is thought to have turned to Pat Jennings and John Lukic, only to be swiftly and firmly rejected. Rumours of the club being unable to contact Jimmy Ashcroft and Hugh McDonald are unconfirmed but not improbable.

Speaking of his potential return to the Emirates, Wilson rejected the suggestion that he was too old to compete in the Premier League, stating: “I firmly believe I have at least one year of powerwalking left in me, and after that a good two years before my ticker gives way.” He also expressed his desire to supplant Almunia as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper until the end of the season, allaying any fears of his weakened physical condition in the twilight of his career and life. “The osteoarthritis would make little difference. Look at Manuel: strong, healthy wrists, and they rarely do him much good anyway.”

It remains to be seen whether injury-stricken Manchester United will follow Arsenal’s lead in calling upon old favourites in their bid to retain the title. David May and William Prunier have already expressed a desire to return to the Red Devils’ backline, should the F.A. approve of any emergency signings.

This article constitutes satire. Despite the use of real footballers, the events discussed within the article are humorously fictional, and should not be taken deadly seriously.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Read Part 1 of Alex Ferguson v Arsene Wenger, and also check out our United v Arsenal FA Cup preview.

Castrol Performance data shows Manchester Untied manager, Sir Alex Fergsuon, has enjoyed a superb run of form against his old rival Arsene Wenger, in recent seasons, with the Red Devils winning five of their last six meetings with the Gunners, drawing the other game.

The two footballing icons have met on 43 occasions in all competitions, with Ferguson winning 42% of those clashes compared to Wenger’s 33% figure.

At Old Trafford, the Gunners have won  on just four of their 19 visits in all competitions, with that last victory coming all the way back in September 2006.

Recently, Wenger has struggled against his old nemesis, winning only one of his last 10 clashes with Sir Alex Ferguson in all competitions.

At Old Trafford, Wenger has lost on five of his last six visits, drawing the other one. In those six games, Arsenal have scored just two goals in total.

Interestingly, in each of Wenger’s three Premier League title successes, Arsenal remained unbeaten against United in the league in those seasons.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News