It seems the competition for third place in the Premier League is now going to be decided on the final day of the season. Here I take a look at each team’s final fixture and their chances of finishing ahead of their rivals.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger takes his Arsenal side to West Brom knowing that three points will guarantee third spot and a Champions League place.

The Gunners have struggled to find form in the last month, considering the last 3 games have produced just two points.

It’ll be an emotional match considering the fact its Albion’s manager, Roy Hodgson, last game in charge before he joins England ahead of the Euro’s.

Wenger will be boosted by the return to fitness of Theo Walcott. The Arsenal winger’s hamstring injury has coincided with Arsenal’s collapse in form.

Personally, I can’t see Arsenal losing this game, I’d expect them to finish in the 3rd place spot.

Tottenham

Tottenham sit in 4^th place, one point behind Arsenal. Harry Redknapp’s side battled back from 1-0 down with 10 men against Aston Villa.

Spurs encountered a period of very poor form coinciding with the resignation of Capello from the England set-up. The speculation linking Harry Redknapp with the national job appeared to have de-railed the squads challenge for Champions League football. Lack of squad rotation and poor tactics have also been blamed, but this is another issue.

However, the Tottenham boss will hope his side has recovered just at the right time. Spurs host Fulham this coming Sunday in a vital game for the London club. Redknapp is anxious to guarantee making the Champions League as Chelsea could take the fourth English qualification spot if they win this month’s final.

Newcastle

Newcastle have already exceeded all expectations this season as Alan Pardew’s side currently sit 2 points behind third place Arsenal. They missed their chance to go ahead of Arsenal on the weekend, after losing to 2-0 to leaders Manchester City.

This Sunday, the Toon need a few results to go their way in order to guarantee a third place finish. Firstly Pardew’s team need 3 points against Everton. They then need to hope that Spurs do not win and that Arsenal lose to West Brom.

Regardless, they are already guaranteed a place in the Europa League, having had their best season since 2003.

Although i’d love to see Newcastle in the Champions League next season, their fate has been taken from their own hands. It’s going to take a lot for both Tottenham and Arsenal to lose on the weekend. Unfortunately they may face missing out on the elite competition altogether.

Chelsea

After a big 4-1 loss to Liverpool, Chelsea now find themselves out of contention for a top four finish. Di Matteo’s men will now finish in 6th place, this cannot be changed in the last game of the season.

Since AVB departed, the Blues performance in both domestic and continental competitions has improved dramatically. However, Chelsea now rely on success in this seasons Champions League final to stand any chance of competing in the cup next term.

The recent FA Cup win, plus the 6th place league finish has already secured a place in the Europa cup. Unfortunately, the clubs fans and owner, Roman Abramovich, will no doubt be unhappy, if their side fail to qualify for the Elite European competition.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Arsenal have had a strong end to the season, but have heavily relied on Van Persie’s goals. In summer I fully expect Arsene Wenger to make some key signings to replace the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri who they’ve dearly missed.

Lukas Podolski

Wenger has already secured the signing of Lukas Podolski from Cologne for an undisclosed fee.

Arsene Wenger: “He is a top-class player, a very good finisher and a proven performer at club and international level. He is a very strong player and will provide us with good attacking options.”

The Bundesliga outfit Cologne have officially announced that German striker Lukas Podolski will be joining Arsenal for the 2012/13 season. The announcement of Podolski signing for Arsenal comes just days after another German club, Werder Bremen, broke the news of Marko Marin moving to Arsenal’s London neighbours Chelsea.

Neither Gervinho nor Park Chu-Young have set the stage on fire, meaning that skipper Robin Van Persie has had to labour on his own upfront at the Emirates this season. It looks like he’ll be partnering the Dutch striker up front next season.

Olivier Giroud – Striker (Montpellier)

Arsenal are believed to be chasing Montpellier and France striker Olivier Giroud, 25, who has also caught the eye of Aston Villa, Liverpool and Newcastle United.

Jan Vertonghen – Defender (Ajax)

Arsene Wenger has set his sights on making Ajax midfielder Jan Vertonghen Arsenal’s next signing after unveiling Cologne striker Lukas Podolski. However, they are facing competition from Tottenham Hotspur.

Yann M’Vila – Central Midfielder (Rennes)

Arsenal are reported to be in “advanced negotiations” with French club Rennes over the signature of midfielder Yann M’Vila. It is thought the 21-year-old French international, who has been capped 18 times by his country, could cost around £22m.

However, having recently been arrested for assault on a 17 year old, it looks very unlikely that Arsenal will make a move for the Frenchman.

Clint Dempsey – Attacking Midfielder (Fulham)

Fulham goal ace Clint Dempsey, 29, has refused to rule out a move away from Craven Cottage this summer despite having another year left on his contract. Arsenal are interested.

Eden Hazard – Attacking Midfielder (Lille)

Arsenal are ready to take on Tottenham, Manchester City and United in the race to lure the highly sought-after Eden Hazard away from French club Lille this summer.

Daniel Sturridge – Striker (Chelsea)

Chelsea are targeting Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott and could be willing to swap him for Stamford Bridge striker Daniel Sturridge. This deal seems very unlikely to me.

Stephane Sessegnon – Attacking Midfielder (Sunderland)

Wenger is also set to go head to head with Paris Saint-Germain over the signing of Sunderland striker Stephane Sessegnon.

Klaas Jan Huntelaar – Striker (Schalke)

Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has put off talks over a new deal until after Euro 2012, alerting Arsenal to the Dutch striker’s possible availability.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa – Defender (Montpellier)

Arsene Wenger is keeping tabs on versatile French defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa – the captain of Ligue 1 table-toppers Montpellier.

The 22-year-old France Under-21 international is a capable of playing anywhere across the back line or as a defensive midfielder, and Arsenal boss Wenger is looking to bolster his defensive options, according to the Daily Mirror.

Bas Dost – Striker (SC Heerenveen)

The Gunners have joined the long list of clubs interested in the services of SC Heerenveen striker Bas Dost, 22, who rejected a move to Aston Villa because he will only move to a “big club”. The 22-year-old who has scored 28 goals in just 31 appearances for Heerenveen, he’s currently the top scorer in the Dutch League.

Younes Belhanda – Attacking Midfielder (Montpellier)

Arsene Wenger has also expressed his interest in taking Montpellier’s £15m-rated Moroccan midfielder Younes Belhanda, 22, to the Emirates

Robert Lewandowski- Striker (Borussia Dortmund)

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, 23, is also being tracked by Arsenal. Lewandowski has scored 20 goals and helped Borussia Dortmund to retain their Bundesliga title.

Nick Powell – Striker (Crewe)

Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are set for a £1.5m tussle over 18-year-old Crewe midfielder Nick Powell, who has been described as having the potential to be the best ever graduate from the famed Alex academy

Javi Martinez – Attacking Midfielder (Athletic Bilbao)

Arsenal have taken significant steps towards a summer move for Athletic Bilbao’s Javi Martinez, 23, but face a £32m fight with Manchester Untied and Barcelona to land the versatile Spanish international.

Christian Eriksen – Attacking Midfielder (Ajax)

Christian Eriksen burst upon the world stage in the 2010-11 season as sensationally as Jack Wilshere. His connection with Ajax and Dutch football in general means, if signed, he will come to Arsenal well-schooled in Wenger’s preferred style of football.

Forget Eden Hazard, who will cost a fortune. Eriksen will cost less for similar value.

Shinji Kagawa – Midfielder (Borussia Dortmund)

Kagawa was Dortmund’s star in 2010-11 season before being eclipsed by Götze. Although most would consider the latter more skillful, Kagawa isn’t far behind. He is solid in possession, and his vision and reading of the game is very good. He wouldn’t be a bad signing for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger is said to have turned his sights on Kagawa after it became clear Götze wouldn’t be coming to Arsenal.

Demba Ba 

Demba Ba has a nose for goal despite being overshadowed by countryman Papiss Cissé in recent weeks. His introduction to the Premier League has been remarkable.

He would be a very good signing for Arsenal, who in January were said  to be interested in signing him in the coming summer.

Junior Hoilett

Arsenal are said to have their sight firmly trained on Hoilett, who could bring his salvific touch to the Emirates.

Honestly, I don’t think Arsenal should sign Hoilett, but again, rumors are rumors.

Matias Suarez

Matías Suárez was all the rage in January with reports claiming he had come to an agreement with Arsenal for a move in the summer. He could well be a player that Arsenal look to make a move on in  the next month or so.

Also See:

• More Arsenal News.
• More Transfer Rumours.
• Team-by-team Premier League Summer 2012 Transfer Previews.

You can follow The author, Chris Linnell, on Twitter or his blog.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With Fifa Financial Fair Play coming into effect and extortionate transfer fees blighting some clubs’ efforts to reinforce, the tried-and-tested loan system is an option can make or break a team’s season.

One only has to look at the track record of young players evolving into top-class athletes whilst on loan deals, or a club being boosted by a temporary signing. It’s seemingly good for the player and parent club, as first-team football leads to development, and the smaller team gets the benefit of having a player they most likely couldn’t buy outright.

However, the loan system is not perfect, seems only to work when there is a match between the player and both his clubs and has a number of negative countering factors.

Pros

There is no doubt that loaning a player can make his career, as he returns to the parent club revitalised and improved after a run of regular football. The list of players to have undergone this process is startling, with three recent cases catching the eye:

• Jack Wilshere – A promising youngster when he left the Emirates Stadium to join Bolton in 2009-10, he returned to the north London club ready to play an important role for club and country. Would he be the player he is now without the six-month spell of regular Premier League football at the Reebok Stadium?
• Kyle Walker – Bought by Tottenham back in 2009, the young full back was not immediately considered by Harry Redknapp, and spent short spells at QPR and Aston Villa before becoming an ever-present at White Hart Lane this season.
• Daniel Sturridge – Signed by Chelsea from Manchester City, youthful Sturridge could not get a game under Carlo Ancelotti and was loaned, again to Bolton. Eight goals in twelve games showed that the attacker was ready for regular Premier League inclusion, and he is now a key player at Stamford Bridge.

The list continues; Danny Welbeck and Jonny Evans at Manchester United, Jermian Defoe at West Ham, Aaron Ramsey at Arsenal, Joe Hart at Manchester City – plenty of young players have cut their teeth elsewhere and gone on to become international players.

In fact, looking at the England squad for the international fixture against Sweden in November 2011, 16 of the 25-man squad have been subject to loan deals. This spans back years and decades, with David Beckham’s successful stint at Preston North End in 1995 proving this is no recent phenomenon.

The case of Emmanuel Adebayor at Tottenham shows that bringing in an experienced head on loan also works. Robbie Keane has looked sharper than ever since joining Aston Villa and inspired Celtic fans by scoring 12 goals in 16 games back in 2010.

The player’s wages are generally taken on fully or partly by the loaning club, so everyone’s happy. Right?

Cons

Despite the advantages of the loan system, sometimes for one reason or another it just doesn’t work. There are also a number of negative factors that must be considered when sending/taking a player on a temporary basis.

Arsene Wenger has strong opinions on the loan system, and despite taking advantage of it in the cases of Ramsey and Wilshere, he has seen the other side of the coin with a number of other players.

Brazilian youngster Pedro Botelho was bought by The Gunners in 2007, but since has been loaned out to five different Spanish teams with little or no benefit to Arsenal. Samuel Galindo is a Bolivian defender signed by Arsenal, but was not granted a work permit. He is in his second loan spell in Spain, and struggles to get any regular football, the same is the case with Wellington Silva, who is now at Alcoyano.

It’s not all roses for the club getting the player on loan either.

• Overdependence – An overdependence on temporary players is seemingly occurring in the lower leagues, as a team can bring in up to five loan players at any one time, almost half a team. Add to that the fact that the parent club can generally recall the player at any point, and it makes for a shaky alliance.
• Is he ‘our player’? – The fans at times struggle to feel any real loyalty or bond with players who will be leaving in six months, and depart the club after showing any semblance of form or ability. The loanee’s motivations will always be questioned also, as he naturally will be more interested in putting himself in the shop window and progressing with the parent club than aiding his temporary team’s plight.
• Youth systems – A loan deal may well benefit the parent club’s youth system, but what of the lesser of the two clubs? Wilshere’s loan to Bolton or Walker’s to Aston Villa, although successful for the duo, is stopping another home-grown young prospect from progressing at the Reebok Stadium or Villa Park.
• Knock on effect – With the sheer number of players on loan, it is only natural that a team’s season can be decided by the actions of a temporary player. This also applies not only to the team the player goes from or to, but others in the division.

  Arsene Wenger’s main gripe with the loan system is typified by the example of Adebayor, who helped Spurs challenge for the Champions League spots, but wasn’t available to potentially derail Manchester City’s title charge.

The case for the loan system sparks a debate that will never get a conclusion, as each individual deal will be looked at differently due to the potential player’s success. As the FA look to review the loan system, the current formula may be changing – but what’s your view on its current form?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Plans leaked from Wenger’s mobile phone (which also contained some tasty photos that we’re never going to share – respect, Monsieur Wenger, respect) reveal Arsenal’s secret plans to outsmart their rival football clubs – by creating test-tube footballers using the finest possible footballer DNA collected over the last decade.

Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal project is nearing fruition as he prepares to unleash his first batch of test-tube footballers to the Under-5s clubs around London. Wenger has taking DNA samples from some of the best footballers in the world – Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Jens Lehmann, Robin van Persie, Jack Wilshere and Nicklas Bendtner – to create the perfect footballer(s).

The revealed plans also show that Arsenal had previously attempted to create test-tube footballers right after their Invincibles season but the first batch – dubbed the Patrick Vieira batch – only produced crybabies. But after several botched attempts that have severely delayed Arsenal’s progress on the pitch in the last 6 years, it seems that Wenger is now ready to start producing the test-tube footballers (nicknamed ‘Gunner in a bottle’) to

Extreme care has been taken to blend the best talents of great Arsenal players together to create the perfect footballer. However, while Wenger is confident that his test (tubes) will succeed, everyone else is not so certain.

It’s reported that at least one major Arsenal shareholder believes that these bottled Gunners will display are equally likely to display the worst characteristics of the players whose DNA was chosen – meaning that they could be as injury prone as RVP, as self-absorbed as Bendtner, as infuriatingly talented but going missing in big games as Henry, a little crazy, like Lehmann and homesick like Fabregas. This shareholder has also said that Arsenal should have just bought Mario Balotelli, but given that test-tubes are cheaper, it does make sense to make your own crazy footballers.

And if all else fails, Wenger can sell them at £1m / pop and with the supply almost limitless, they can use this to pay off their debts while waiting for Wenger to find the right formula.

You shouldn’t believe everything you read on the Internet. If you liked this ‘news’, check out all the ‘football news’ here.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Cesc Fabregas was overtly forthcoming in his love and admiration for Arsenal as he left for boyhood club Barcelona. His sentiments were admirable and no doubt appreciated by many an Arsenal fan sympathetic with his situation, but ultimately it was of little consolation as their club lost a genuinely world class player. In the case of Samir Nasri the feeling was more one of “this lot have got more money, so I’m off,” than of a heart wrenching departure. Nevertheless, the outcome was the same and Arsenal had lost another of their stellar performers.

Consistent with recent summers there appeared to be no rush on Arsene Wenger’s part to plug what seemed glaring holes in his squad, a decision even more startling considering the long-term injury of home-grown replacement Jack Wiltshire. By the first game of the season as the sense of Wenger’s contentment with his squad grew it seemed more than reasonable to hypothesise that Arsenal’s season held little promise, consistent with the predictions of most bookie reviews.

August 28^th 2011 is a date that will be forever painfully scorched in the minds of Arsenal fans. An extremely inexperienced Arsenal team were demolished 8-2 at Old Trafford by a team they had sparred so evenly and intensely with in the first half of the decade. The immaturity of this inexperienced outfit was ruthlessly exposed by what has proved to be a good but not exceptional Manchester United team. Arsenal were left with 1 point from their first 3 games and were effectively out of the title race before summer had even passed.

Wenger had undoubtedly paid the price for his transfer inactivity and the response was immediate. On the face it a sign of encouragement however, what followed raised as many concerns as it appeased.Arsenal’s transfer dealing’s had more an air of a frenetic January Sales smash and grab than one of a series of calm, considered and calculated investments.

Wenger who had become notoriously reluctant to delve into the Emirates coffers was suddenly spending in excess of £25 million pounds on three arguably unconvincing signings.  The additions of Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos aswell as the loan of Chelsea squad player Yossi Benayoun were not in the same bracket as the aforementioned departures and thus, hardly a rousing a statement of intent by the North London club.

Yet, bodies were needed badly and Arsenal proceeded to win 8 out of their next 9 league games parallel to good results in the Champions League, eventually culminating in qualification for the last 16. This had come as a result of a more direct style of football as Arsenal looked to get the ball up the field quicker, with fruitful consequences due to the scintillating form of Robin Van Persie.

Arsenal had, albeit with initially positive results, substituted style for substance and no doubt disconcertingly for Gunners fans; North London rivals Tottenham had now taken the mantle as the Purist’s choice with significant success. More worrying though was the fact Arsenal won just 4 of their next 10 league encounters, including 3 defeats in a row in January, and also exited the Carling Cup following defeat to Manchester City.

Wednesday night at the San Siro once again illustrated how large the gap has become between Arsenal and Europe’s elite as Arsenal were crushed 4-0 and a third trophy was (barring a miracle) struck from the list. Once again Arsenal defended poorly and with immense immaturity. Attacking players such as Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott, trusted by Wenger with Arsenal’s creative duties in the wake of messrs Nasri and Fabregas’ departures, looked completely out of their depth and as a result Arsenal were rendered toothless. Arsenal toothless? That was a trait unthinkable in Wenger’s previous Arsenal teams much revered for their attacking prowess.

Of course the retort to the aforesaid is that it’s only February, Arsenal sit fourth in the league and are still in the F.A. Cup. But that is the sad fact when considering Arsenal, their failings have become predictable, more so with each year, and excruciatingly so for gunner’s fans. Obviously Arsenal may win the F.A. cup but equally, and due to their often exposed mental fragility more likely won’t. Clearly, champions league qualification is far from guaranteed also and even if achieved is that a successful season? Is finishing fourth inferior to their bitter rivals Tottenham in both style of play and league position a successful season?

Undoubtedly, the revenue and kudos Champions League football brings is immensely desirable, yet, conversely, Arsenal seem at a loss to take advantage of such benefits. Exactly why a team third on the Forbes list of most valuable soccer teams, with revenues of $336million at the last count, is consistently reluctant to invest on improving the teams playing staff is a question requiring an article of its own for worthy analysis to be conducted.

The fact is that Arsenal must invest both significantly and shrewdly. Wenger has proven in the past that he has an incredible ability to spot potentially great players and Arsenal have both the stature and, it would appear, money to buy already established top level performers. Wenger must simply be willing to renege on his apparent reluctance to enter the transfer market because if he does not Arsenal may once again enter the new season feeling that all is most probably already lost.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

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