Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Lethargic days...after the 1-1 draw

Had a late barbecue on Sunday night before the big match... So by the time I reached home and switched on the TV, I was ready to fall asleep. My desperate attempt to walk to the kitchen and bring out a beer was futile as the spirit was willing but the flesh is weak.

As I slump in my ever wonderful sofa with my mrs beside me, my body started to stir from its slumber with the starting whistle of the BIG GAME! The cresendo was sent flying of the Richter scale with the stupid free kick given to Liverpool which Steven G duely dispatched. No fault of Blondie as somehow the wall broke down and left a huge gap for the ball to rocket through.

After that, the challenge was to climb back on level terms. We went on and on and on... The players were not matured enough to take the chances in front of goal and Fabregas even panicked with the whole goal open. The good thing is that the new Arsenal does not give up. We created chance after chance and FINALLY, Fabregas tucked one home.

After the equaliser, i thought we were really going to win it. Only for Bendtner to miss a wide open goal. crazy! even my grandmother can score that.... sigh.....

due to the last night showing and viewing, i was exhausted by the time i reached my bed at 2 am. the following day was a drag at work and things were just swimming all around my head... tragic..

today is Wed and I am still dizzy from the late night. boy, i am getting old......

Mood: Stone

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Acid Test

The next 2 weeks will be crucial to the credentials of our assault on the premiership title. With a visit to Anfield and hosting of Man u next Saturday, we have a big test on our hands. While victories over both will open up a healthy gap at the top of the table, it will also ensure that these two title contenders are further off the radar.

One quarter of this exciting season has flown past with the Gunners confounding all critics and racing to the top of the league. With eight wins and one draw, we have a 2 point lead over second placed Man u with a game in hand. To add to this incredible feat, we achieved this with experienced players like Gilberto, Gallas and Lehmann out.

Some critics may argue that 6 of those wins have been achieved at home and the Gunners have not any of the traditional top 4 clubs. Indeed, they have a point and it is up to us to prove them wrong these 2 weeks. With a convincing win over both rivals, there will be a psychological boost to our players and convinced them that they can do it.

With the experienced players returning back from injuries and suspension, the team is reinforced with the much needed experience when the going gets tough. As Flamini, Fabregas and RVP matures with more exposure, you can be sure that we will pass the acid test and lead the premiership right up to the last day.

Go Gunners!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Flaming Flamini

Six months ago, Mathieu Flamini seemed to be on his way out of the Emirates. Unable to win a regular place in the team, he considered buying out his contract. What a difference now!
'After the first two months of the season, the Frenchman has proved the perfect partner to the effervescent Fabregas'

As Arsenal's season soars with their performances, so does one little man's dominance and reputation. Like the team's performance so far, Mathieu Flamini has proved his critics wrong with amazing performances in the centre of the park.

It seems like years ago (April 2007 to be exact) that his critics were crying for his head; for him to leave the Gunners after his lack of interest and engagement with the team. Indeed, Flamini himself admitted a lack of first-team opportunities could force him to buy out the final year of his contract and leave Arsenal. He was unhappy that he was playing so few games, even though there were a string of injuries to the starting line-up. The defensive midfielder was recruited by the Gunners from Marseille in the summer of 2004, but failed to secure a regular place in the starting 11. At the beginning of this season, Flamini was considered to be behind Cesc Fabregas, Gilberto Silva, Abou Diaby and even Denilson for the central midfield positions.

Instead, after the first two months of the season, the Frenchman has proved the perfect partner to the effervescent Fabregas. His steady passing, accurate tackling and ferocious determination to win games juxtapose nicely to the incisive passing, delicate chips and brilliant crosses of his Spanish teammate. He works hard throughout the whole match in any game and never backs away from any tackles.

In the past, if there have been any complaints about Flamini's play, they have concerned about his often quarrelsome behaviour. To the delight of all fans, the 23-year-old has showed that he has matured over the past year. Indeed, he has even played peacemaker in a couple of flare-ups during matches.

Kudos to the Professor for taming the Flame and bringing the best out of him.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

A Breath of Fresh Air

The start of the new season brought about new changes in Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. With the brand new stadium and brand new atmosphere, a change of the captaincy and departure of the old guards signaled the start of a new generation.

Arsenal supporters who have been subjected to ‘this is a period of transition’ feared the worst. The talismanic Henry is gone and the young successor in RVP seems not to be ready. In the previous seasons, the young successor to Viera (Fabregas) has failed to take over successfully. Will the same story be repeated? Will we get the stale air that surrounds failure again? The 2 pre-season wins in Cup competitions have also failed to raise the expectations of supporters.

However, after 10 straight victories and an unbeaten run of 20 matches, we have left all critics open jawed. We have confounded all odds and statistics, upsetting the form book and now sit pretty on top of the Barclay Premier League with a lead of 2 points and a game in hand over 2nd place Man U.

Like a breath of fresh air, we displayed a brand of attacking football and flair that belied our age. With the maturity of a seasoned campaigner, the young ones have stamped their authority and torpedo-ed our way to the top of the league. In our club management itself, we bucked the trend of foreign ownership. In our manager, he refused to be bullied into spending millions to get the best players. Instead, he grooms them from young.

All in all, Arsenal is like a breath of Fresh air in the cold, stale world of the Barclay Premier League. Go Gunners!