Arsenal managerial legend Arsene Wenger

It’s not been a good last couple of weeks for Arsenal. Out of the Champions League at the hands of European ‘bogey’ team Barcelona, out of the FA Cup at the hands of old rivals Manchester United, defeat in the final of the Carling Cup to upstarts Birmingham City and patchy Premier League results with draws against Newcastle and Sunderland. Not to mention an injury list that has contained, at various points of the season, Fabregas, Vermaelen, van Persie, three goalkeepers and now Djourou.

Manager Arséne Wenger must wonder what he has to do to win a trophy these days, because it’s not just this season where things have gone wrong. No, it’s been six long years since the North Londoners picked up any silverware and that, for a club managed by one of the best, is something of a disaster.

Yet Wenger remains in charge and it appears as if he’ll stay that way until he decides to give it up. The Frenchman does have a job for life at Arsenal, of that there can be no doubt. The real question is whether or not he deserves it. Six years without a trophy suggests it might be time for a change, but Wenger made Arsenal great and if Sir Alex Ferguson’s 20-odd years at Old Trafford has taught football anything it’s that you don’t dispense with the men who make you great.

Except Ferguson has never gone six years without winning something…

The success Arsenal enjoyed under Wenger was achieved through a combination of power, skill and a natural goalscorer. Today’s less successful Arsenal lacks both power and, unless van Persie is fit and well, a natural goalscorer. The skill level has been raised to levels unmatched in the Premier League. They are, without doubt, a joy to watch when on song. But they lack what it takes to win the League.

The fact that they have been dubbed “Barcelona Lite” is both praise and damnation in my opinion. They can play like the Catalans in periods of games, for sure, and who wouldn’t want that comparison? But they lack the confidence and winning mentality of the Spanish giants, they just don’t believe that their football, their talent is enough to win anything. And, of course, they’re not quite as good anyway – hence the ‘Lite’.

Wenger, then, has to accept that he needs to make changes. As much as his reputation and even position at Arsenal is secure, he is now in danger of appearing stubborn at best and blind to his own team’s problems at worst. Nobody is questioning Wenger’s talents as a manager but you do feel he needs to take a step back and see that the direction he is taking Arsenal is not going to be a successful one.

He has persisted with the beautiful football on its own for long enough. His transfer policy in the summer must focus on steel not silk and on goals not glamour. Arsenal’s squad is lightweight but the first eleven is only a player or two from making a genuine challenge on domestic and European fronts. Surely if Wenger expects to have that “job for life” at the Emirates he has to acknowledge these facts and act upon them?

If he doesn’t then it is possible that he will be removed from the managers position. This would no doubt cause uproar amongst the Arsenal faithful but even they will begin to tire of season after season of promise but no delivery. Without a holding, grafting midfielder of high quality and a striker with an unerring eye for goal (rather than the corner flag, Mr Bendtner) that is pretty much all I think they can look forward to.

They needn’t worry though. Wenger will be offered a role upstairs involving scouting and youth development more than likely. Job for life, remember, and one he would, I have no doubt, excel at.

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For Chelsea and Manchester United fans, however, it’s a bit of a damp squib. Chelsea face FC Copenhagen, a match which many will view as a virtual bye. Will that prove to be the case given the London club’s recent Premier League form, however? There’s potential for a shock in there, perhaps.

Meanwhile, United face Marseille which is at least a new enough fixture, but another French team in what has been a long line of them since the Old Trafford outfit began their long love affair with the competition. It also sees Gabriel Heinze return to Manchester. Wonder what reception he will get? Sir Alex Ferguson will no doubt be pleased with the draw.

Arsene Wenger, however, will not. He’d have been hoping for a slightly easier tie than the current best team in Europe (according to some…most?), while Harry Redknapp and Spurs will just be glad they were in the draw and will, no doubt, be relishing the challenge of AC Milan.

Other notable ties are Lyon versus Real Madrid and Inter Milan versus Bayern Munich. Lyon knocked Real out of the competition at this stage last year and will be dying to do the same again. Current holders Inter Milan will be feeling a sense of déja vu when they face the German side as it is a repeat of last year’s final. The same result Jose Mourinho enjoyed will no doubt suit Rafa Bernitez.

Here’s the full Champions League Draw:

Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk
AC Milan v Tottenham Hotspur
Valencia v Schalke
Inter Milan v Bayern Munich
Lyon v Real Madrid
Arsenal v Barcelona
Marseille v Manchester United
FC Copenhagen v Chelsea

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That was the question asked in commentary at the end of the game anyway.The answer is no, there’s not been a shift in power. For that to happen Arsenal would have to be falling back, and they’re not. Spurs, however, are very much on a par now, or close to it. What Harry Redknapp has done is assemble a squad of good quality players and moulded them into a team of true class. He has done what Arsene Wenger has been doing for so many years at Arsenal in fact.

It can only be good for London and the Premier League. A rivalry down South of the type enjoyed by Northern clubs – Manchester United and City and Liverpool and Everton in particular – is needed and fantastic. It’s been too long. Arsenal now know they have a true local rivalry. The battles with Chelsea are just not the same.

Redknapp crafted a victory today of huge significance and Wenger must now be worrying about the often raised fragility of his team and squad. They are a hugely talented bunch but they lack a certain steel that Spurs DO possess. They have for a few years. But that’s Wenger’s way. He prefers skill over power now – despite having several very large men in his squad, they aren’t a patch on the likes of Patrick Vieira.

Spurs have mixed the skills of van der Vaart and Modric with the relative power of Huddlestone, Gallas and Kaboul. It’s proving to be a most potent mix. But on their day, Arsenal are still the better side. Today, for 45 minutes, they weren’t, bit over the course of 38 games, yes, they are still the better team. I still thik the Gunners will finish above Spurs – but it would no longer surprise me if it didn’t happen.

Awhile back Redknapp claimed he was two players away from the title. He might well be right. A proper, goal scoring striker and a defender slightly better than he has already is all he really needs. January should be interesting. There’s no doubting his ability to spot and get a talent.

The balance of power hasn’t shifted. But it’s far more equally shared now. That is down to Redknapp.

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Arsene Whinger needs to look closer to home

Having watched the Arsenal versus Birmingham game this weekend I was struck by one thing – Arsenal’s over aggressive tackling. There were some shocking tackles from a number of players. So why, I ask myself, does Arsene Wenger bother complaining about teams being dirty against his own men?

This was Birmingham, of course, and there’s history there, going back to Martin Taylor’s challenge on Eduardo, which led to a horrific leg break for the Arsenal man. That was back in February 2008 and despite the fact the challenge wasn’t malicious – or even particularly bad – Wenger ranted and raved for weeks, if not months.

Sam Allardyce’s Bolton and Blackburn sides have been equally accused, as has Wolves and Stoke by the Frenchman. Not a word about his own players’ indiscretions though. Remember Patrick Vieira in his pomp? Described as hard but fair, yet some of the challenges he dished out were lethal. It’s part of the game as long as it remains within the laws and, as was more than adequately displayed on Saturday, Arsenal are just as capable of dishing it out as the aforementioned clubs.

I’ve no issue with it. The game should have tackles and the argument that clubs lacking in as much talent as Arsenal have to turn to heavier tactics is a sound one (though how far they go sometimes is another argument all together). What really rankles is Wenger’s hypocrisy.

That his team gets kicked a lot is a fact. That his team kicks back a lot is also a fact – just one the so-called professor of football chooses to ignore. At least he had the decency to agree that Jack Wilshere deserved his red card on Saturday (Arsenal’s third of the season by the way…). Ask him about some of the other tackles in the game though, I’m willing to bet he has nothing to say and would prefer to rant about Birmingham’s heavy handed (or should that be footed?) play.

The game is physical, Arsene, and your team are equally as culpable as any other team you care to turn your blinkered view upon next week. Just deal with it and move on. After all, at least your Arsenal are capable of playing beautiful football and in with a serious shout of the Premier League this year if you avoid injuries.

Ah…now I see your worries…!

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Chelsea have it rather easier, with Marseille, Spartak Moscow and Zilina. They should qualify easily from that group, as should Arsenal, who face Shakhtar Donetsk, Braga and Partizan Belgrade.

For Manchester United there is a return to Valencia and, interestingly, Glasgow Rangers. I was at Old Trafford the last time Rangers came to visit and events after the game can be described only as “tasty”. For some reason, the Rangers supporters thought kicking off right on Sir Matt Busby Way was a good idea. Coins and bottles were thrown from the car park into the street and as I made my way up to the Metro station I had to dodge a fair few.

It wasn’t a scary experience at all. I can only think the Rangers fans were very drunk as their aim was appalling. If anyone was hit it would have been a total fluke, as one fan threw a coin at me from less than a yard away and missed me by a mile. The hatred on his face was disgusting and I didn’t understand where it came from. The police will be out in force for this one, I have no doubt.

Full Draw

Group A
Inter Milan, Werder Bremen, Tottenham, FC Twente

Group B
Lyon, Benfica, Schalke, Hapoel Tel-Aviv

Group C
Manchester United, Valencia, Rangers, Bursaspor

Group D
Barcelona, Panathinaikos, FC Copenhagen, Rubin Kazan

Group E
Bayern Munich, AS Roma, Basel, CFR Cluj

Group F
Chelsea, Marseille, Spartak Moscow, Zilina

Group G
AC Milan, Real Madrid, Ajax, Auxerre

Group H
Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Braga, Partizan Belgrade

Full Champions League Fixture List

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Well, ok, Chelsea are Premier League champions and FA Cup holders – but that counts for nothing THIS season.

For Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City and Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea, pre-season friendlies have proved a bit more than disappointing.

Just last night City were well beaten by Borussia Dortmund (3-1) while Chelsea slumped to defeat by Hamburg (2-1). Germany is still not a nice place for English clubs to go. But the story goes deeper than that. Chelsea lost to Eintracht Frankfurt (2-1) last Sunday and on the same day City lost 3-0 to Inter Milan.

Sure, it’s only pre-season and fitness and experimentation are the watch words, but you do wonder what psychological impact losing so often has on the players. Especially players unfamiliar with each other, as is the case at City more than Chelsea.

I have no doubt that both clubs will be up there at the top of the Premier League this season (though in City’s case, I still don’t believe they can really win the league), but there are very visible chinks in their respective armour that the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United will be keen to exploit.

Compare and contrast these club’s pre-season results with City and Chelsea and it’s a whole different story. United won 7-1 last night, albeit against much weaker opposition in a League of Ireland XI, while Tottenham defeated Benfica 1-0 and Arsenal’s last run out was a 3-2 victory over Celtic (who crashed out of the Champions League last night, by the way, losing on aggregate 4-2 to Braga) as they won the Emirates Cup.

Fact is, it doesn’t matter how much you spend, you need a manager capable of turning mercenary players into a team, as Mourinho did with Chelsea’s first expensively assembled squad and as Ancelotti has done since. You have to doubt Mancini’s ability to do the same with City.

Money doesn’t buy you happiness, shrewd management does. That’s why Spurs, United, Chelsea and Arsenal will once again be the teams to beat this season – and City will learn a very harsh lesson, with Mancini ending up the ultimate casualty.

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But I’m just not feeling it. The ONLY thing that’s ‘good’ about this upcoming season is that the annoying international match always scheduled for this time of year takes place BEFORE the season starts. About time.

Now I know once the Community Shield kicks off the excitement will begin to build, the problem these days is that the constant media coverage of transfer news and, more pertinently, the constant rumour-mongering is deadening the senses.

Oh, for the days when you first knew about a player signing for your club when they held the damn press conference. It was exciting. That’s all ruined now by the speculation – with so many rumours flooding our eyes and ears, you know one of them is going to be correct and it’s a pretty safe bet which one, usually.

Enough about that though, it happens every year and it’s not going to change now. It shouldn’t really affect what used to be a growing excitement about the first day of the season, should it. Yet that isn’t there either. Now maybe it’s my natural pessimism about the chances my own club (Manchester United) has of success this year – that could certainly be the case.

It seems to me that we’re standing still and allowing the rest to catch up with us, not least our bitter rivals, Manchester City. The first eleven they COULD put out this season is frightening. The only consolation I have is that this is City, hence they will find some way of cocking it up. They always do. Oh, and the fact Mancini does nothing for me as a manager – gone by Christmas if I was to guess.

A saving grace? Liverpool are no closer to winning that 19th title than they were the last time they won it. Further away in fact. Lovely.

Chelsea haven’t done too much, but they didn’t need to – age is being cited as their potential downfall. Not seeing that THIS season myself. Arsenal continue to rebuild and will push the top two, whoever they may be. It is not a forgone conclusion it will be Chelsea and Man Utd yet again.

Not with City and now Spurs assembling really good squads. So yeah, maybe it’s that.

Or maybe I’m just getting old and (more) cynical, wondering what the point of it all is? Which may have you asking why I wrote this article in the first place!

Well, I’ll be at Old Trafford a week on Monday to watch us take on Newcastle and I strongly suspect that buzz will come flying back then. I wanted to record the lack of it now to compare it to. Because what happens ON the pitch is so much more important to me than what goes on OFF the pitch and it’s THAT that gets me down. I cannot be bothered with it anymore. Just give me the Beautiful Game, in all its magnificence and leave the rest of the crap to those more willing to play in it.

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Gio, as he is affectionately known, has not only captained his country to the World Cup final but has lifted two Scottish Premier League titles, two Scottish FA Cups, and a Scottish League Cup with Rangers, an English Premier League title and two FA Cups with Arsenal, two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups and the Uefa Cup with Barcelona and two KNVB Cups with current and final club Feyenoord.

Could he cap it all with a World Cup winners medal? There’s no doubting he deserves it.

Here’s some of his best bits right from when he was a kid. Enjoy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Pmhxrvris[/youtube]

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Ford Super Sunday will feature Liverpool versus Arsenal from Anfield on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1, while the first Monday Night Football welcomes Newcastle United back to the Premier League as they visit Manchester United at Old Trafford, also on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1.

Not a bad weekend of football, especially for High Definition viewers.

FULL LIVE SKY SPORTS FIXTURES

DATE	GAME	KICK-OFF
AUGUST
Saturday 14	Tottenham v Man City	12.45pm
Sunday 15	Liverpool v Arsenal	4pm
Monday 16	Man Utd v Newcastle	8pm
Saturday 21	Wigan v Chelsea	5.15pm
Sunday 22	Fulham v Man Utd	4pm
Monday 23	Man City v Liverpool	8pm
Saturday 28	Blackburn v Arsenal	12.45pm
Sunday 29	Bolton v Birmingham Aston Villa v Everton	1.30pm 4pm
SEPTEMBER
Sunday 12	Everton v Man Utd Birmingham v Liverpool	1.30pm 4pm
Monday 13	Stoke City v Aston Villa	8pm
Saturday 18	Stoke City v West Ham	12.45pm
Sunday 19	Man Utd v Liverpool Chelsea v Blackpool	1.30pm 4pm
Saturday 25	Man City v Chelsea	12.45pm
Sunday 26	Wolves v Aston Villa Newcastle v Stoke City	2pm 4.10pm
OCTOBER
Sunday 3	Chelsea v Arsenal	4pm
Monday 4	Wigan v Wolves	8pm
Sunday 17	Everton v Liverpool Blackpool v Man City	1.30pm 4pm
Monday 18	Blackburn v Sunderland	8pm
Saturday 23	Tottenham v Everton West Ham v Newcastle	12.45pm 5.30pm
Sunday 24	Stoke City v Man Utd Man City v Arsenal	1.30pm 4pm
Sunday 31	Bolton v Liverpool Newcastle v Sunderland	1.30pm 4pm
NOVEMBER
Monday 1	Blackpool v West Brom	8pm
Saturday 6	Bolton v Tottenham	12.45pm
Sunday 7	Arsenal v Newcastle Liverpool v Chelsea	1.30pm 4pm
Tuesday 9	West Ham v West Brom	8pm
Wednesday 10	Man City v Man Utd	8pm
Saturday 13	Aston Villa v Man Utd	12.45pm
Sunday 14	Everton v Arsenal Chelsea v Sunderland	2pm 4.10pm
Sunday 21	Arsenal v Tottenham Fulham v Man City	1.30pm 4pm
Monday 22	Sunderland v Everton	8pm
Saturday 27	Aston Villa v Arsenal	12.45pm
Sunday 28	Newcastle v Chelsea Tottenham v Liverpool	1.30pm 4pm

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That’ll make for a nice return to the top division for West Brom. The same goes for Championship champions Newcastle, who travel to Old Trafford for a reunion with Manchester United while Blackpool get their first ever taste of Premier League action at home against Wigan. The Tangerines will be well pleased with the tie at Bloomfield Road as it gives them a great chance of getting some points on the board early.

The tie of the opening weekend is undoubtedly Arsenal versus Liverpool at Anfield. Liverpool, presumably with a new manager in place, will look to get off to a good start to provide the foundation for a more successful season than last year but they won’t find it easy against Arsene Wenger’s men. Expect this one to move to the Sunday for Sky coverage.

The two teams that battled it out for fourth place last season, Tottenham and Manchester City, get to resume their rivalry early as City travel to White Hart Lane in a potentially mouthwatering clash that could also be chosen by Sky.

Premier League Opening Day Fixtures

• Aston Villa v West Ham
• Blackburn v Everton
• Blackpool v Wigan
• Bolton v Fulham
• Chelsea v West Brom
• Liverpool v Arsenal
• Man Utd v Newcastle
• Sunderland v Birmingham
• Tottenham v Man City
• Wolves v Stoke

Full club-by-club season fixtures here.

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