Written by Mean Lean on Wednesday, 13 April 2011 11:49

Good afternoon Gooners,

Apologies for the lack of blog yesterday, I started writing some form of blog and then bam! My keyboard decided to stop working. I am really taking this very personally. I have broken around 4 laptops in the last year and some of those haven't been mine. I am now getting to the point where I am expecting laptops to break. So if there is no blog today then it is because I have broken the computer that I am using, although if that happens then you will not actually be reading this.

The takeover stuff has been dominating the Arsenal news over the last few days and I must say I am a little bored of it already which is a really ignorant thing to say especially considering the importance of it all, but to be honest off pitch shenanigans do not get my juices flowing. I just cannot imagine myself back in school days scribbling down the formations of the board members at the back of the geography class.

Before I move onto football matters I read that Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith declined a bigger offer from Usmanov before she agreed to offload her shares to Stan Kroneke. Apparently she wanted the club to keep its tradition and values. If this is the case then I raise my virtual drink to Lady NBS. Once Arsenal always Arsenal it seems, even given the fact that she fell out with the board she still wanted what she thought was right for the club and not just thinking of the cash.

For those who like the idea of Usmanov controlling the club, you have to ask the question why wouldn't NBS cash in when Usmanov turned up.

Anyway, I will leave this stuff to people who know more. Here is an interesting piece from Arsenal News

Back on the green grass it appears that we have Johan Djourou and Wojciech Szczesny back in training and ready to take part in the game on the weekend. That is beyond good news, it is just a shame that it couldn't have been a few weeks earlier. The West Brom game springs to mind.

After watching Andy Carroll take apart Manchester City on Monday night I was thinking that we would have a difficult time against him in the air without Johan in the side. Anyway I shall look forward to listening to Wenger's pre match interview to find out what state our squad will be in.

With little to speak about the default conversation seems to be transfers. I wonder if this is different in other countries? Anyway it is transfer time. Apparently.

Jack Wilshere 'slams' or 'snubs' Manchester City depending on which filth you read.

Jack Wilshere tweeted on Twitter: "People asking if im going city? I dont kiss the Arsenal badge then leave <3 this club in my heart!"

Lovely to read for Arsenal supporters, Arsenal DNA clearly running through his veins but it could be dangerous territory when you have to respond back to mindless speculation. Will he be required to swat away every rumour that comes around? Because if that is the case then when the football stops and the hacks have nothing to write about then Jack may lose some sleep by staying up all night retweeting messages that he is not Real Madrid, Barca, Man Utd, Inter Milan bound.

According to the Telegraph Arsenal and Manchester United are rolling around the floor scrapping for 20 year old Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea. Yeah, we need a 20 year old keeper from elsewhere. I cannot think of another 20 year old keeper who could come into the Arsenal side and produce outstanding performances. *Sigh*

I would be utterly astonished if we bought a keeper. Well a number one keeper anyway. Our two Poles in goal have been fantastic this season and they are nowhere near their best so it would make little sense to buy a first choice keeper. We already have two. It may not have been the case during last summer but a year has changed a lot.

Denilson believes that Shaktar Donetsk wide man Willian should forget the advances of Chelsea and join the best team in the world instead. That to me is pretty obvious. Ask me if I want a dry piece of bread or a hot tasty slap up meal and the answer is pretty straight forward. The trouble is if the slap up meal is actually being offered or not.

I have great knowledge of Willian so I am the person to talk to you about him. Before writing this I watched a three minute YouTube clip of him so I now know if he is the right man for the club or not. The rest of the details are totally irrelevant.

Jokes aside (even bad ones) I would like a player of that mould being brought into the club in the summer if someone like Ryo Miyachi was not yet ready for the first team step up, assuming he could get a work permit of course.

When we do not have the direct running or pace of Theo Walcott in the side, we look much less penetrative and less dangerous. Take out Nani and Valencia from the Mancs and they are far less of a threat unless they play a team full of defenders and catch you on the break. *Grrr*

While I am in Football Manager mode, I would like to see another striker tossed into the mix over the summer. A player with the opposite mentality of Chamakh. A quick striker who can play the central striker role as well as wide who wants to turn and shoot first and laying the ball off second. Perhaps someone good enough to play when needed but is happy to bide his time on the bench.

Who? I hear you ask. Well give me a bloody chance to browse around YouTube please. Goodness.

I may well be in the minority these days but I am very happy to hear Gael Clichy's comments about wanting to remain at Arsenal. I love the little fella and I think recent criticism of him is extremely harsh. Since December he has regained his form of old and has been pretty much faultless in all his games. Yes he almost gave us all heart attacks when losing the ball in a really stupid area against Blackpool but those errors have been few and far between of late. That mistake has been remembered yet I have not heard one person talk about the tackle he made when he was the last man, stood up and nicked the ball off the man at the last moment. His energy and intercepting skills are unrivaled in this team.

As soon as Nasri has been placed ahead of him his performances have largely been fantastic. While his crossing is woeful, the rest of his game is wonderful. *Braces myself for the waves of disagreement*

Ok, that is that for now. I need to find a dry piece of bread for lunch.

Check back later this evening for a view from the opposition featuring a Liverpool fan.

Back later.

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Comments (25)

• 13-Apr-2011 12:28 | | michael konzon  - i agree
  

  i read a lot of blogs on arsenal and i have to say i agree with practically everything you just said....the only thing i dont agree with is, it was science lesson, not geography lessons hwere the formations and strategies were planned!

• 13-Apr-2011 12:28 | | Bala
  

  Nice one ML and I am one of those minority who is happy to hear nice comments from Clichy. He has recovered very well from his shaky start to the season and hope to see him at Arsenal for one more season at the least.

• 13-Apr-2011 12:40 | | kinyua, kenya  - Johan Djourou and Wojciech Szczesny back again
  

  I cannot wait to see Johan Djourou and Wojciech Szczesny back again after a spell out there. However, the entire team should play as a unit now that Liverpool game means so much.

• 13-Apr-2011 13:01 | | ranil ruppasinghe
  

  great post, i agree about clichy, i have never understood why people want him to leave
  he can have terrible moments, but i believe he is a very player
  i would also like to know what kroenke actaully means for this club,
  also i belive arsenal will not sign a new keeper but i hope that he gets rid of theshite like denilson, squillaci, bendtner and almunia
  
  up the gunners for sunday, beat the dirty scouse

• 13-Apr-2011 13:03 | | richie
  

  On footballing matters can't we at least enjoy tonights game ML?

• 13-Apr-2011 13:07 | | EdinGooner
  

  And the WBA game and the Blackburn gmaes didn't mean that much ?????? Those four points would give us a shot at United. But we still have the best club in the land and given a couple of good signings - and getting rid of some serious dead wood off teh playing staff and wage bill - I have a lot of hope for the future.
  
  Come On You Gunners

• 13-Apr-2011 13:14 | | Justus
  

  the truth about clichy is that he can't defend and he can't cross. Most of his crosses end up with the opposition and in most cases they hit us on the break since we play a very high line. Watch Clichy in Both Arsenal An French squads you will realize he is not good enough. To be honest i believe those french bastards should park and go safe for Nasri and Sagna. If wenger was wise enough he should get Baines(everton),Willian(shakhtar), Cahill(bolton), Cavani(napoli)and another defnsive midfielder to compete with song ship out Denilson, Diaby, Asharvin, Rosicky, Either Bendtner/chamakh,

• 13-Apr-2011 13:17 | | richie
  

  If we've really got JD back for the Liverpool game then that really is fantastic news. Whats the source? Is is reliable? We've already had a few false dawns this year with injury news.

• 13-Apr-2011 13:28 | | A Gooner among others
  

  "While his crossing is woeful, the rest of his game is wonderful. "
  
  It's a bit of a shame for a full-back, don't you think ?
  
  You know Clichy is gonna have blips during games. You just know it. It could have been so costly on Sunday.
  Some of our worst memories in recent years have come from his blips (Tottenham 4-4, and Birmingham 2-2).
  
  I like the guy and I like his ability to make really good interceptions but if we really want to improve, I think we need another left-back (unless he can progress quickly, which I don't know as I am not AW).

• 13-Apr-2011 13:29 | | richie
  

  Justus check out other teams full back crosses and you'll realise that they ain't by and large all that different from ours. None of them are budding Beckhams. The difference is when a cross comes in other teams flood the box, which create's panick amongst defenders and inevitably someone gets the ball. We would need a Beckham type crosser (best crosser of a ball I've ever seen) because often we only have one up waiting. Thats the reason none of our lot succeed when crossing, its also why RvP often takes further out free kicks, because he can float one in. Flood the box get results from crosses. Have only one or two up max and you really need a great crosser. Cashley's crosses only work for Chelski because tactically they all like to run in.

• 13-Apr-2011 14:09 | | MeanLean
  

  Unless of the course the unthinkable happens. I would love a 4-0 away win for Madrid. I am sure the press would still find a way to hail king Arry.

• 13-Apr-2011 14:10 | | MeanLean
  

  I think a few Journo's have run with the story. I also think that Gooner Talk or Young guns have mentioned it.

• 13-Apr-2011 14:10 | | MeanLean
  

  I love the guy, think he gives so much to our pressing game as well. His ability to win the ball back in very underrated.

• 13-Apr-2011 14:12 | | MeanLean
  

  Baines is a fine crosser of the ball but he would get slammed for his defensive lapses. Look back to Sagna's goal at Goodison park for an example.

• 13-Apr-2011 14:53 | | gavin  - g4eva
  

  that striker is cavani, with no other option even coming close. GET IT DONE WENGS

• 13-Apr-2011 15:24 | | king gooner  - wee jack
  

  all's jack has to say to shut the scumbag press up is that he has,wait for it...............yes,ARSENAL DNA....bet the scumbags wouldn't report it as much as the barca bumboys bang on about cesc hey?

• 13-Apr-2011 18:47 | | ranil the lad
  

  Richie
  wenger said taht djorou and cesney are both back in full training this week
  hopefully JD will start, i would like mad jens to start in goal, hopefully he can sort out Kos and JD and deal with carrol in the air.
  there is also news that vermealen is back in training, i hope that he might be able to play against the manuer
  
  
  also about clichy the guy is not a bad player he has done brilliantly for 7 years and although he has slip ups notable agianst the spuds, the reason his crosses go no where is because arsenal dont load the box with players and unfortunately gibbs just hasnt done well enough to justify his spot, he looked really dodgy against huddersfield.. a league 1 outfit and he is constantly injured, also baines will cost 1-0-12 mill, wneger wont spend that

• 13-Apr-2011 21:05 | | ...  - Birmingham
  

  in that 2-2 he actually got the ball.

• 13-Apr-2011 22:20 | | richie  - ML The injustice was even better than 0-4
  

  Arry did fantastic! And all those who believe that spending money is the way to win either the EPL or the CL should remember how well Arry did.
  Remember also all those who say "Its nothing, its not good enough to qualify for the CL 15 years in succession" or even 15 out of 18. The Tiny Totts have thrown money at the problem for years and only qualified once. So one in 15 with all that money spent, if your name was Daniel Levy you'd be pulling your hair out over 1 in 15. Which might be why Mr Levy is talking about cutting the squad "If" they don't play CL next year. The fact they could've got a couple of pens was icing on the cake for all the diving with which they tried to con the Ref. Marvelous!

• 13-Apr-2011 22:25 | | richie
  

  Not only that but as ML points out Baines is crapy defensively. So where's the benefit?

• 13-Apr-2011 22:40 | | richie
  

  I'm not reveling in their defeat but after the dogs invaded our bloggs after we lost by a goal to Barca. Their 0-5 looks good through these rose tinted glasses.

• 14-Apr-2011 01:05 | | Serhan Akman  - GOONER
  

  Some good points...if anyone fancies watcing a good arsenal compilation for our seasonhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tBzlM9klk8

• 14-Apr-2011 01:06 | | Serhan Akman
  

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tBzlM9klk8

• 14-Apr-2011 12:13 | | nicoman
  

  Many of you gooners are selling us short the fact is clichy and sagna cannot defend and their productivity going forward is non existent ... eboue is better than both but wenger ruined him by playing him in midfield. Give me baines and azpilcueta any day over our two muppets.

• 14-Apr-2011 19:03 | | richie
  

  Baines ain't a better defender than Clishy he might float a slightly better cross in but then Everton crowd the box so its hard to be sure his target was the intended recipient. Thats a 50/50 exchange and so of little value to us gain a slightly better cross, but lose out defensively.
  
  The young Azilcueta is unproven a bit like our own Gibbs, If your saying with Sagna ageing you fancy taking a punt on young Cesar well then maybe....... But there's so much time to cross a ball in both Ligue 1 & La Liga that many of our Premier league players would be able to cross well. Likewise defending. Would he be as effective defending in the million miles an hour EPL? And whats his Engine like for 90mins at that pace?
  
  I'd have to see a lot more than I have to be convinced.

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