Greedy Nasri, or Catalan Cesc?

Remember that stunning goal? Where did that magic go?

    At the beginning of the season (even before his great run of form) Nasri was my favorite player. He had the touch of an angel, his shooting was explosive, his technique was world class, and his technical ability was astounding. But in the recent weeks, I've grown to dislike Nasri a lot. It's not hatred just yet, but it's very close. Why, you ask? Well, for those of you living under a rock...

     Nari's current wage is 90,000 pounds a week, However, the Frenchman wants a reported 110,000. This is where the problems start. 

     

     For Nasri to have the audacity to ask for a higher salary is beyond me. Perhaps if the season ended in January his request would be justified, but the season is a total of ten months Sami. Not five. So, if the board only looked at Nasri's first half of the season, he'd probably get his requested salary. But if the board only looked at Nasri's second half of the season, he would deserve a pay decrease! So when you add the two together, surely that would mean his salary should stay the same?
     Despite that logic, it seems Nasri believes he still deserves his salary increase. Therefore, these are the scenarios we face:


1. No salary raise, Nasri stays another season, and leaves next summer as a free agent.
    The problems with this scenario are clear: he may have no drive to play for the team, which could result in poor work ethic. Also, by leaving as a free agent (if you didn't already know) we would get nothing for a player worth 20+ million.

2. No salary raise, Nasri stays another season, and signs a new contract next summer.

    This is good, but has some cons. Our fan base will be infuriated with him and it will take him a lot of hard work to win us all back. Also, if he were to stay, I suspect the reason would be because of signings we have made, our form, and whether we had won a trophy.

3. No salary raise, Nasri agrees to sign a new contract for with the same wage bill.
    This would be the ideal situation. Is it a real possibility? I highly doubt it.

4. No salary raise, Nasri leaves the club for City for a fee of around 20 million and a salary of 180,000.

    A good 20 million in the bank, but for an important player to got to a side that we will be battling with next season isn't the best scenario. I'd rather not lose him, but is it worth keeping him if his clear his priorities lie in the financial side of football?

     You may have noticed that I left out the scenario which Arsenal gives in to Nasri and raises his salary. I didn't include that because I don't see that happening. Arsenal is not a side that will flaunt their cash in a ludicrous manner just to keep a player, world class or not. That in itself is a problem for Arsenal, they have to learn to splash the cash when required. But in this case, like explained above, Arsenal is right not to increase his wage bill based on the season he's had.

     However, no matter what my suspicions may be, it's down to Nasri's decision, which I think will be 180,000 a week at city.
     Although I truly think Nasri wants to leave for the money at City, let's say Nasri wants to leave to "win things", which in itself would completely nonsensical. Going from Arsenal to City is not a step up.

     Yes, City won an FA Cup. Yes, City is growing into a European football power, but are they better than Arsenal? No. Has City consistently been in the top four for season upon season? No. Has City been in the knockout stages of the Champions League for season upon season? No. Has City gotten deep into the FA Cup and Carling Cup season upon season? No. 

Would 180,000 a week turn that frown upside down?

     But if it's trophies Nasri actually wants, why didn't he get one this past season? Who was the player that played like shit (along with others) in the Carling Cup Final? Nasri. Who was the player that had to create the chances in that final, but failed to? Nasri. Who has always said he likes the middle better than the flank, but never seems to perform in the middle? Nasri.
     Yes, we lost the final in very odd circumstances, but to be honest, we should have easily finished Birmingham off. We lost the final to a manager from CSI and a side that features Lee Bowyer, who will be playing in the Championship next season.
     It wasn't Arsene's fault we lost that final. It was the players. And Nasri, you were one of those players. So fix yourself up and do what you should've done last season, next season. Win us a fucking trophy. Because you weren't injured during the second half of the season, (when our downward spiral began) you were a part of our poor run of form. You started nearly every game, and couldn't muster much up at all. Just because you had a good first half of the season, does not mean you are better than everyone else at this club. Hard work beats quality when quality doesn't work hard.

      But of course, I'm sure his main reason to leave our illustrious club is for the money, and not for silverware. Also, just to clear thing up - I don't want it to sound like I'm having a go at City, I'm simply having a go at Nasri but City unfortunately is in the line of fire!

     And for the sake of argument, let's look at this situation with a whole other outlook:
     Perhaps Nasri never intended on actually leaving, and he just wanted to get more money out of Arsenal. If so, he's made himself a greedy, slippery snake, and he's dug a very deep hole for himself. If he chooses to stay another season, Arsenal fans will be all over him; they're not going to cut him any breaks. It will be worse than what happened last season with Arshavin. He'll need an outstanding season to win the Arsenal fans back.

Spot the winner.

     Looking at the entire situation Arsenal is in right now, it's not looking very good. If Nasri and Cesc leave, we're screwed. Even if we sign Alvarez who can play in the attacking midfield role, it would take him time to integrate into that position, which in my opinion is the most important one on the park. We need some experience (at Arsenal) in that role next season.
     I could see Ramsey or Wilshere but I still feel they both aren't quite ready yet. Arsene needs to make a decision. Hold onto Cesc, or hold onto Nasri? I'd be surprised if we could hold onto both, but we also can't lose both, even if we get 55 million in return.
     Every player in replaceable, but what's the price for replacing Cesc or Nasri? The truth is, the price is over our budget.

     In my opinion, it's better we hold onto Cesc over Nasri, but give the armband to Vermaelen, or van Persie at least. Bottom line is, Cesc is better than Nasri. We know that both of them want to leave, but who do you see giving more to the club next season? Cesc. I can see Nasri being arrogant about the whole situation, not tracking back, etc. Cesc would do what he has done, in giving 110% every game and doing whatever it takes to win. That's the difference between the two. There are born winners in my eyes, and Cesc is one of them. Nasri isn't.
     Take this for instance. Cesc tweeted this a few days before the Carling Cup Final:

     "I dont know if ill make sunday or no, but all i know is that from this moment to sunday 16'30 i wont sleep if its necessary. Ive waited Too long to captain a final for arsenal and i wont give up till the last second."

     That is what a winner sounds like.

     With that, I conclude two main points:

• We don't need Nasri at the club if his main priority is money and not giving everything for this club to win a trophy.
• Between Cesc and Nasri, Cesc should stay, but not as captain. Cesc gives more to the club and is a better player.

     You can comment below without a Google account and as an annonymous commenter, so go ahead. Cesc or Nasri? What do you think Arsenal will do with Nasri? Let me know.

     Have a good Saturday, cheers.

Arsenal 1 Birmingham 2 - Let's Be Optimistic

He always has his tongue out it seems...

     Well then. This is going to be fairly difficult to write. I'm just going to start now, and hope for the best.

    When the lineups first came out, I was very, very surprised to see Rosicky start, instead of Diaby or Bendtner. I chose Diaby to start, but because he was not on the bench I can only assume he picked up a knock before the match. So we started like this -

     Arshavin      van Persie       Nasri

                          Rosicky

               Wilshere       Song

Clichy     Koscielny     Djourou     Sagna

                         Szczesny

     A decent squad, but right from the get go I wasn't very happy with the selection of Rosicky. I thought we would've been much better off with Nik in Theo's vacated spot, and Nasri given Cesc's role. And even if Nik wasn't to start, give Nasri Cesc's role and put Rosicky on the right flank. I think Bendtner's physical presence would be important and his height important on set plays. None the less, this squad should be capable of delivering a win. 

     It's important to think about the amount of pressure that was on Arsenal going into this match. The starting XI must have felt like the entire world was watching them, and demanded a trophy, because of the drought. So nerves would be expected in the match. But I'm not here to make excuses, because even with the pressure, all of these players have international experience except for Koscielny, Szczesny, and you could give Wilshere a pass.

     Right from the start, we got lucky. Lee Bowyer was played in by Zigic, our defence split open, and Szczesny made a challenge that surely would have been a red card and a penalty. Thankfully, it was called offside. The thing is, Lee Bowyer wasn't offside. Oooph. That was too damn close.

    
     We started very nervous, you could tell, the jitters in the legs, the chills when the players weren't cold, you could just tell.

     But after a couple minutes Arsenal began to settle down and the player that really seemed to catch everyone's eye was young Jack. He seemed the most confident on the ball and his passes were intelligent and accurate.

     We created a couple half chances: an RvP volley, two Djourou corners, and a Nasri shot. But credit to Birmingham: they were keeping their shape very well and we found it very difficult to break them down.

     Then, in our own half, Sagna played a ball to Wilshere. A simple pass, but as it was put right between Djourou and Wilshere, neither player knew whether or not to go for it. As a result, Brum got the ball and a cross was put into our box. Thankfully, Kos managed to head the ball out for a corner ahead of Zigic.

     Then lightning struck. the corner was put in and Roger Johnson beat Koscielny to the ball who headed it goal-wards and Zigic flicked it on from close range. One nil to Brum, in just the 28th minute.

     Koscielny should have done better, but regarding Zigic you can't expect much more. Szczesny could do nothing, but you cold expect a little bit more from Djourou despite Zigic's height.

     What I want to note though, is that we gave up possession in a dangerous area, when we weren't under that much pressure,  which resulted in conceding the corner, and then conceding the goal, etc etc.

     Shameful.

     After that, the back four looked very nervous, even more than before. As a result, just minutes after the goal, Zigic found himself one v one with Szczesny, but Woijcech made himself big and made the save. Had that gone in, we would've really been fucked.

     Then all of a sudden, we scored.

     We were on the counter, and Wilshere shot (YAY, he finally shot!) from 20 yards and hit the bar. (SHIT, he can shoot!) Brum tried to clear the ball, but it was a poor clearance and it fell to Arshavin on the right flank. He wiggled a little and made his way to the byline. He put it into the center for RvP, and the Dutchman's scissor-kick volley found the bottom left-hand corner. It really was an absolutely amazing goal. His chocolate leg might just be better than his left!

     Because of his shot though, he was hurt and went off for a bit before coming back on. (Turns out he's injured as a result, more on that further down the post).

     After that, Arsenal played with much more confidence. We were camped in their half, but failed to create anything, until right before the break. Nasri ripped a shot from about 26 yards out which was saved by Foster.

     So into the break we went, and I was thankful that we were level.

     The first half really wasn't that good. We were sloppy in possession, we were too nervous, and we could'nt break Brum down. This was due to a couple of reasons:

• Rosicky is too 'naive' at times to play it wide, he seems to like to have the ball central. There were many times when he could have sent Clichy up the field, but didn't.

• Song was having a terrible game. His passing was poor, and he wasn't protecting the back four very well.

• Arshavin could not combat with Carr. As a result, he continuously strayed from his position to the opposite flank, which created congestion there. Rosicky did not help by playing the ball to that side so often, either.

• Nasri was very quiet. Other than two shots, you couldn't tell he was there.

• We weren't moving off the ball. Everyone seemed to be stationary.

     Other than those cons, Wilshere was playing very well, as was RvP. Djourou was alright, and Koscielny was decent as well.

     So the second half began, and we started brightly. Rosicky put a shot just wide, and the off the ball movement was much better; we had more energy. We applied constant pressure, but couldn't create any clear cut chances.

   
     As the half wore on, around the 56th we started to lose our dominance. It was back to sharing the ball with Brum. As a result, Fahey had a shot and was very unlucky not to put Birmingham two - one up. His shot hit the post, and Szczesny could do nothing about it. Because of Birmingham's chance, it seemed to re-energize Arsenal. But, after a couple minutes, our sloppy play was present again, and we couldn't make anything of our possession.

     Eventually, around the 62nd Nasri came into the match more. This was a result of Rosicky switching to Theo's position, and from that point forward I really didn't know Rosicky was on the pitch. Classic, pointless, unproductive, Rosicky.

     Around the 70th minute the match was very dull, and on came Bendtner for RvP. At first I was upset at this, and wanted Rosicky off. Why would we take our best striker off? I later learned that van Persie was taken off because of his injury he received from his goal.

     I then realized that Jack was on the pitch too, but he wasn't playing as well as he did in the first half. His confidence wasn't there, nor was his dominance of the midfield.

     Even so, we had some chances. Nasri had shot via the counter which hit Foster in the face. Haha. Then Bendtner was on the edge of their penalty area, and again there was no one moving, and no one for him in the box. Therefore, he took matters into his own hands and showed great skill to get a shot off. It deflected and Foster made a brilliant save.

     In the 78th Chamakh was put on in place of Arshavin. I disagreed with that decision, because even though Arsahvin wasn't playing well, he was more likely to score/create something than Rosicky. Even so, In Arsene We Trust.

     Even with Chamakh on the pitch, their was no movement off the ball. Everyone seemed tired, and unwilling, as if they just didn't want it enough. No one had ideas, until Nasri had another shot from distance and Foster did brilliantly for Brum again.

     In the 83rd Martins came on for Fahey, and despite Zigic being nearly dead from fatigue, our defense would have to stay focused as to not let up a late goal. The match wore on, and Arsenal created nothing.

     Then God shit on us. In the 89th minute, Foster pumped the ball up field, and Zigic flicked the ball on, into our penalty box. Szczesny came out to collect, and clearly gave Koscielny a shout, but still Kos went to clear it out.

     Whether or not Koscielny tried to clear it and missed the ball, our pulled out of his clearance because of Szczesny, it didn't matter. Because Koscielny swiped at the ball two feet away from Sczcesny, the Pole was put off and couldn't catch the ball properly. The ball fell kindly for Martins, who wouldn't miss from 12 yards out on an open net.

     My first thought: Are you fucking kidding me?

     My second thought: Wait, what just happened.

     My third and final thought: Shit, we've just lost the Carling Cup Final.

     What an absurd goal to give away. What bollocks. You'd expect better from them, especially in the final minute of a cup final.

Derp

     After that, Arsenal was just shell shocked. We went forward, but our passes were aimless. Martins had another chance, but  Szczesny came out and made the stop. Other than that, the ball was in our half for the added time and when the final whistle blew I was distraught.

     You can't say that we deserved to win the match. Birmingham was the better team, and they fully deserved the silverware. The only things I didn't like about them winning was that we didn't, and that Lee Bowyer is a cunt and should never have won a trophy in his career.

     You've got to feel for Woijcech and Kos. Poor communication in the last minute and they cost the whole team.
     One thing I especially didn't like was that after Brum scored, a horde of Birmingham players passed by LK6 and WS53. When the group passed, a Birmingham player pushed the head of Koscielny down. Extremely unsporting, and a real piece of cuntery. So, based on my description, who do you think did that to Kos?

     That's right! Ding ding ding! Lee Bowyer! The slippery cunt strikes again!

     The fucker.

     Many of the players for this Arsenal side did not preform today, and I'm not going to list them. I'll just do the damn player ratings now.

• Szczesny - 5.5 - Could've done better with the first goal, was not commanding in the box, and obviously, was at fault for the goal along with Koscielny.

• Sagna - 6 - Had a very poor night. When he went forward he was not very effective, and didn't do very well defensively. He was also at fault for the first goal.

• Djourou - 6.5 - Our best defender on the night. (Not much of a title, though). He dealt with some of Birmingham's crosses, but should've have marked Zigic better on the first goal.

• Koscielny - 5 - Did not have a good game. I hate to say it, but he cost us the game. He really should have either cleared the ball or let Szczesny take it, for Brum's second goal. He and Djourou were easily sliced open at times.

• Clichy - 6 - Did not see much of the ball, mainly because of Rosicky. He did alright defensively. 

• Song - 5.5 - The worst I've ever seen him play. His passing was shit, he left the back four vulnerable, and didn't break up play well. 

• Wilshere - 7 - Had a brilliant first half.  His shot which hit the crossbar started our goal. His second half wasn't very good, though. Perhaps fatigue made it's way into his game.

• Rosicky - 5.5 - Ugh. I just hate Rosicky. He's utterly pointless. He is naive to using the flanks, and isn't productive going forward. A waste of space in my opinion.

• Nasri - 7 - In the first half he was quiet, and unable to make a real impact. in the second half however, he did, especially when he played in Cesc's role. His shots were brilliant, and looked our most likely to create something.

• Van Persie - 7 - In the first half he looked uncomfortable, but his goal was absolutely brilliant. Top class. I still can't get over it. He didn't look as good in the second period, and was subbed off due to injury.

• Arshavin - 6 - We all expected a big performance from him, but he came up short. He didn't convert a chance he got very early on, but he did assist RvP's goal. His movement was poor, with his continuous runs to the opposite flank he upset our shape and balance. As a result we were congested on the right hand side. I think his movement was one of the main reasons why we weren't able to create much.

• Bendtner - 6.5 - He and I were disappointed that he didn't start,  but when he came on he did have an impact. His passing was good, but he had a chance to score and couldn't capitalize.

• Chamakh - 6 - Didn't really have an effect on proceedings when he came on, but wasn't given much time in all honesty. He did help however on defending set pieces.

• Arsene Wenger - 6.5 - I believe he made a mistake by starting Rosicky over Bendtner, and not putting Nasri in Cesc's role. Also, I wasn't happy that he took Arshavin off and not Rosicky, and that he didn't give Bendtner much time on the pitch.

     The team simply did not preform today. It also showed how much we miss Cesc and Walcott. But, again, I really think we would have been better off with Nasri in Cesc's role and Nik in Theo's spot. I can't stress it enough.

    
     This is what Wenger said regarding said regarding the match, and I  have to agree with him:

"I am bitterly disappointed, like the whole team. We had some problems to start the game, the number of games we played caught up a little bit on us. It took us a while to get into the rhythm and pace of the game. In the second half we were on top, unfortunately we couldn’t score the second goal and, in the end, we made a mistake that left us no time at all to respond. We were preparing to play extra time."

     What's very important is how the side responds to this match, obviously. Wilshere has shown the best character, I believe, simply by crying. It shows how much he wants 'it', and his drive. We're still in three other competitions, and while it would have been nice to win the Carling Cup, it's lowest on the list of prestigious trophies, so we might as well just win one of the others!

     Instead of putting this loss behind us, I think it's important that we remember this one. We have to remember the pain and the anguish we have all felt, and swear to ourselves to never experience it again. That is probably the best experience you can get in order to win future trophies, even more so than winning a trophy and going on for another. Why? Because in life, not just sport, we remember the times of pain more than the times of joy, sadly. 

     Some people are blaming Wenger. They're upset at our drought, and the fact that we haven't taken this golden opportunity.
     Those that are upset with him, are off their rocker.

     Wenger has managed the invincibles, won two doubles, brought Arsenal to their first Champions League Final, and won other pieces of silverware. To question him is mad.
     This is nowhere near the team of Keown, Viera, Bergkamp, and Henry, regarding the style of play. It's a new generation. We are no solid team that wins by one goal and holds that lead. We are a free flowing side with flare and excitement. We are a work in progress. Our players our young, and you can't expect them to fully mature overnight.
     Arsenal plays the best football in the Premier League, bar none. We should be proud of the talent we have, and being capable of being one of the very best sides in the world with players so young. And because our players are so young and have so much promise already, I have full confidence that our team will be the best in the world in two years or so. But constantly crucifying this Arsenal squad will get them nowhere. They need our support, and we need to give it to them. Come on you Gunners.

 
     Oh and by the way, I have some bad news. As of right now, van Persie is injured and will not be back in time for the Barcelona match. Bollocks. It happened as a result of his goal.

Robin wincing - a classic celebration after scoring a brilliant goal in a final.

     Oh and by the way, I have some good news. As of right now, Puyol, Xavi, and Valdes all look like doubts for the Barca match against us. Yippee. And if Puyol can't make it, and Pique is suspended, it should be pretty good. Woohoo.

     So obviously everyone feels terrible for the loss, the players more than the fans, obviously. This is what some of the players said on Twitter:

Jack, the best tweeter of the entire Arsenal team -

"All i can say is sorry to the fans..it hurts alot i know but we must all stick together, still in 3 other comps! We have to move on!Sorry <3"

Cesc, who must feel terrible at the moment, but still acting professional -

"Congratulations to Birmingham. This team has great potential and there r still great targets to play for this season. Thanks for ur support."

Nasri, who never uses punctuation, and says what we want to hear -

"Thank you for your support guys its a massive blow but we have to look forward wednesday FA Cup and we have still 3 competition so chin up"

Lastly, Sagna, who I feel terrible for especially because he apparently invited a lot of friends and family to the match. This tweet breaks my wittle heart -

"Just feel ashamed..sorry."

     Alright then. I think that's enough. Let's look ahead to Wednesday, our home tie against Orient. Very important that the home fans really supports the squad, to give the lads a lift.

     Till then.

Arsenal vs Birmingham Preview - It's Our Time

Let's deliver some karma to Brum.

     Alright then.
     It's the cup final on Sunday and I want to focus on Birmingham, but Barca president Sandro Rosell has stopped me from fully doing so; a small speed bump.
     Apparently in Barcelona it's okay to be hyprocrirtical. This is what Sandro Rosell said:

"We told the Arsenal directors that we knew they were after Toral and we told them we didn't like it.

Legally they have done nothing wrong but it's a little immoral.

There are two philosophies; ours is to invest in La Masia and the other is to fish all over Europe for kids of 15 like Arsenal."

     We can thank @DarrenArsenal1 for the quotes, and you can find him on twitter here.
     Based on this quote, I now hate Barcelona. Not the city or it's people, but those in charge of the club for the manner in which they conduct themselves. This may not be the message the club conveys, however it is clear that the way their president goes about his woes.
    
     Although we have agreed to terms with Toral, and Barcelona is upset, we have done nothing wrong. Toral, being half English and half Spanish, wanted to come to north London, and as a result he has signed for us. It's quite simple really.
     While Barcelona can shop for youngsters in the Americas, Arsenal can't. And if you look at their Cadette A, there are seven non European players. In their Cadette B, nine. Therefore, is it professional to try to call Arsenal out when you yourselves commit the 'crime'  even more so than us, Barcelona?
     When asked about the matter of Toral in a press conference, Wenger simply said:

"If you go in the academy of Barcelona and you look where all the players come from, come back to me and we can talk about it."

     Well played Mr. Professor.

     But let's get this naivety, hypocrisy, and idiocy of Barfelona out of our heads and focus on the task at hand.

     That's right, we're in the fucking Carling Cup final. It is now time we silence all of those that have said in the past that this Arsenal side is not capable of winning a trophy. Sagna said this:

"We were [scared], but we are not any more. We have grown up as a team, we are wiser and now in the final. It has taken time, but we are on a good way to being successful.

We have been close to winning something but we got scared, we stopped playing and were waiting for the result to happen."

     This side certainly has grown. From last year to this year, a massive improvement has been made. Wilshere has flourished, Song has flourished, Szczesny has flourished, defensive signings were made, and we haven't been as unlucky as last year regarding injuries.

     But it's not just what's on paper that has changed, it's this squads confidence, as Sagna points out. A year ago, I would not have imagined Arsenal being capable to close out a match against Stoke with just a one goal lead for 82 minutes. Our side this season has been more determined, and focused. It almost seems that in the past this Arsenal team just didn't want a trophy badly enough, with their minds switching off at times and not finishing matches off. But what we are capable of shined through when we beat Chelsea and Barcelona. It showed that when we want it, we can have it.
     Against Chelsea, we were clinical with our chances. We pressured them, and forced them to give up the ball. Against Barca, we stayed focused, had determination, but came up short n the first half. The second half was a different story. We stepped onto the pitch determined to fight back and get the result. And we did just that.

     The only problem the Arsenal has now is that we must learn to have the same eagerness to win day in and day out, even against sides lower in the table. If Arsenal had the same determination against West Brom or Spuds as they did against Barca or Chelsea, we wouldn't have lost those matches, and we would be at the top of the table.

     That being said, we need to be thrown back into reality. This Arsenal side is obviously better than the one of last year, but the Premier Leagues quality seems to have dipped for a season. To have lost five matches and still be in the title race is astonishing in my opinion.
     But this gives us more hope and promise; our squad continues to develop and we are growing into a side that can win the Premier League year in and year out. So even if we don't win a title this season (even though we will), in August I will have even more confidence. Our main problem this year was our defense. We had a rotation of keepers, and I believe we have finally found a confident, promising, long-term number one goalkeeper in Szczesny.
     Also, our key center back in Vermaelen has been unluckily troubled by injury this year. Next year, just imagine this: A fit Vermaelen, Djourou, and Koscielny. A front three of Nasri, RvP, and Walcott. A midfield of Cesc, Wilshere, and Song. Not to mention a plethora of youngsters making their way up the ranks and on the brink of the first team such as Miquel, Miyaichi, Afobe, Watt, and Bartley, just to name a few.
     Some say that we won't have Cesc next season. Maybe we will, maybe we won't. I'd like him to stay, but in all honesty I think that next season we can manage without him if we have to. Ramsey, Wilshere, and Nasri can make up for his absence.

     Well, I just got a little bit off topic. Back to the preview!
     Because of Cesc's absence, RvP will take the armband. And by the way, Cesc was told that he would not play Sunday by the official website. Did no one care to mention it to him? Absolutely absurd. And a very harsh way to find out he wouldn't take part. Kudos to the website of the year? I think not.

     I am more than certain van Persie will lead us out well, he is a very experienced player and will not have a problem leading the lads out on Sunday. While some point out that he has never won anything for Arsenal, he did play in the World Cup final, where I think their is sufficient pressure so that he won't be nervous at all on Sunday. Well, perhaps a little.

     My predicted lineup -

                        Szczesny

Sagna      Djourou      Koscielny      Clichy

                  Song          Diaby

                        Wilshere

      Nasri          van Persie        Arshavin

     Szczesny stated in an interview with Arsenal.com that he understands if he is not picked for Wembley, that he is aware that Wenger likes to rotate keepers for cup games. I on the other hand, think that Szczesny has come a long way and deserves this match. I am also afraid of putting Almunia in goal, especially with the presence of Zigic and Jerome. Certainly a lot of crosses will be put in, which is Almunia's weak point. And I'm scared shitless after seeing his slow motion collapse/attempted save against Orient this past weekend.

     Also you can note that Diaby is back in the squad, and Wenger indicated that he will start. Some suspected that he would play in Cesc's spot, but I suspect Wilshere will be given the nod to take up the important role. Diaby and Song together should give us real physicality in the midfield to deal with the cunt Lee Bowyer. I hope he's booked up the arse on Sunday just for being a twat. Right off the bat. In the first four seconds. Let's set a record, Mike Dean.

     As expected Nasri will take up Walcott's position and the little Russian comes back to the office. it's also very good to have Nasri back because he's scored three goals in his three appearances against Birmingham.
Although I think the line up I listed is the best one we have, it would be interesting to see Bendtner to start, or at least come on late on which I'm sure he will. He's done well in the Carling Cup, scoring six goals in his last seven appearances. Well done Nik.

     While on the subject of Nasri, according to the Sun he has agreed to terms with Arsenal for a five year contract extension. His salary supposedly would be 100,000 pounds, compared to what he was paid before, 60,000 pounds. How much of this story is true, I'm not sure, because Nasri himself has said that the deal would be sorted out this summer, and apparently his agent has said that no agreement has been made. And also it's the Sun that has published the story.
     If it is true, I'm happy to see him stay and his paycheck is a reward for his great form this season.

     Going back to the threat that Brum poses regarding their aerial department, the good news is that David Bentley is cup tied so he won't be able to take part in the match, and we won't have to deal with his damn crosses. Also, James McFadden is out and Scott Dann as well. So clearly, we aren't the only ones suffering from injury. Scott Dann is an important player for Birmingham in the back. Regarding Hleb, he is a major doubt. Meh.

     Regarding the match itself, I believe it will be dominated by the Arsenal. I believe that Birmingham will have a lot of belief being the underdogs, so when they go forward they will do so in numbers. However, when we are pressuring them I feel they will sit deep and invite the pressure onto themselves, and have ten men behind the ball. I am full confident that we can win this on Sunday, and that if we don't it will be tragic and will have a terrible effect on the squad. But we're going to win, right? Of course. My prediction is 2-0 to the Arsenal.

     For those of you (and myself) who were gutted for Cesc because he couldn't play, and also because he could not lift the trophy, there is some good news: There are rumors going around that Fabregas will be able to lift the trophy for us. I'm not saying it will happen, but it would be brilliant if he could.

     Well that's that. We're off to Wembley. The best of luck to the lads, and lets take home the Carling Cup.
     Enjoy yourselves on Sunday, and let's bring home some silverware.

Arsenal 1 Stoke City 0 - Three Points With A Catch

This is actually a brilliant picture.

   
     Well then. An important three points, and well deserved. We got the early goal and held it for the entire match, keeping a clean sheet. Not often can you say that with Squillaci in defense, or the entire squad for that matter.
     But a brilliant match from Djourou, he really took the initiative and dealt with Stoke's aerial threats well. Squillaci also played better than we're used to seeing him, so overall, a good defensive display has earned our side a clean sheet.
     But at what cost? We've lost Cesc and Theo as casualties. Two key players to our title and cup contention. Without Walcott, I think we can still survive. But without Fabregas, wins are going to be much harder to come by.

     Arsenal started very, very brightly. Right from the beginning, Cesc found Theo, who smashed his shot onto the post. Just minutes later, Wilshere put a corner in and it fell to Bendnter who put it back into the danger area and Squillaci was there to head it home from close range. An early goal, and from a set piece at that. The most unlikely source.

     Then Cesc started to limp and kicked at the grass. He came off for Arshavin and headed straight down the tunnel. He has aggravated his hamstring once again, and will be out for 7 to 10 days. That means he will be back for Sunderland perhaps, but not for the Carling Cup final. But more on that later.

     After that, it was a very uneventful first half. Other than a rare Carew volley forcing Szczesny into a great save, it was a bland half.

     So the second half began and it seemed that Tony Pubis gave his side a good speach to pump them up. We were subject to some Stoke pressure, with Robert Huth heading over and Ryan Shwacross's header deflected just wide.
     And by the way, more than happy with the boo's Shawcross recieved. Thank you to all of those who were present at the match.

     Slowly, we got back into the match, and our posession was better. Then 20 minutes from time Dean BigAwkwardlySizedHead took down Theo who hurt his ankle. the result is Theo out of the Carling Cup with a sprained ankle. How long he will be out for is unknown at this time.

     Denilson then came on for Walcott and we were under pressure yet again, with Pennant brushing the side netting, but we managed to see the game through. One nil to the Arsenal it ended, and a fantastic win. Song referred to it as "Nights like this will win us the title."

     So back to the Fabregas injury. The man who will take up Cesc's vacated spot is Nasri, but Nasri isn't the same type of player as Fabgregas. Obviously Nasri is very good, however Cesc is better at opening defences up. I believe we can defeat Birmingham this weekend with Nasri, and a trifecta of Arhsavin - RvP - Bendtner, but I highly doubt we would be as effective when going up against Barcelona.
     It is more important to have Cesc fit for Barca than risk him for Sunday, and as a result he won't play Sunday. It's very sad for our captain, being the first final for him as Arsenal captain, but we all know what he has contributed.
    
     Now unfortunately I cannot do player ratings for this match because my stream was very poor and kept freezing, so I could not asses the game properly. But just a couple points-

• Szczesny had a very good match.
• Djourour also had a very good match.
• Wilshere had a brilliant match.
• Arshavin is back on form now for sure, and is a real threat now.
• That's Bendtners second assist in two games. Yes, he doesn't seem very effective, but like Arhsavin when he was off form, on paper Bendtner is fairly effective.

     Okay. I think I'll wrap it up with that. Not the best blog post, I know, but sadly I have many things to attend to that sadly aren't Arsenal related.

     If you want a substitute, check out Gooner Talk - a fantastic Arsenal blog.

     I'll be back later for a preview of Birmingham, and how Barcelona doesn't stop pissing me and other Arsenal fans off. I'll be back friday.