The Rise and Rise of GQ Giroud…

olivier-giroud_2725299b When Arsenal signed Olivier Giroud from Montpellier, I was absolutely stoked.

However, not many Arsenal fans felt the same way. He wasn’t a glamour signing, nor did fans believe he was the right man to replace Robin Van Persie. The expectations were unrealistic and therefore, Giroud’s life at the Emirates started with a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

Despite being the point of difference and main reason Montepellier were crowned Ligue 1 champions in 2012, Giroud’s first season at Arsenal was criticized by the media and fans. A little harsh perhaps when you consider he scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists.

The story this season is a little different for Giroud. He has become one of Arsenal’s most important players and has a look of belief and confidence about him. He wears the shirt like he truly deserves it and he exudes a sense of belonging. When you marry these attributes with his ability to hold the ball, connect play, win the ball in the air, muscle players off the ball, know where to take up positions, it makes for a unique player.

Giroud’s displays this season have made the original doubters become believers. Fans now sing his name with pride. A love affair might be brewing between another Frenchman and Arsenal fans. Long may it last.

In case you missed it, check out this article from the summer of 2012.
Let’s get #GQGiroud trending!

Olivier Giroud: Can He Become the Next Thierry Henry at Arsenal?

Soccerdiva Soundbite…Arsenal’s First Game…

Arsenal-v-Aston-Villa-Premier-League-2179159 A sad start to the new football season for Arsenal Football Club.

How the mighty have fallen. How the once great club has regressed. Eight years going on nine without a trophy. Losing to Aston Villa at home on the opening day of the season. That hasn’t happened in 20 years.

No transfers. No fresh blood. Just the same old story for Arsenal fans to eat. Well the Gooner nation is full from the club’s nonsense. They won’t be fed the PR lines for one more game. They don’t want to hear the lies any longer. They don’t want to be shined.

Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

The End of an Era…

article-2326429-19DC48F0000005DC-327_634x422 It’s that time of the week where I send my weekly verbal memo to the lads over @TheFootyShowKCC. In a nutshell…

Twas the season where everyone retired. Sir Alex Ferguson, Paul Scholes, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and of course David Beckham. All legends in their own right. All have had signature moments in football. Sir Alex the best at his craft in England. He’s won it all. He’s managed great players. He leaves a legacy like no other.

This week’s memo however is all about Mr.Beckham. Father. Footballer. Global sports icon. Beckham has had an illustrious career and leads a dazzling life. A phenomenal ambassador for his country and for his sport, he leaves the game having cemented his name in the football history books.

If you agree or disagree with anything outlined in this week’s memo, lob or header us @soccerdiva.
Football, soccer, call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

Verbal Memo | Battle for 3rd & 4th…

The fight for the Premier League title is over. Anything can happen between now and the end of the season, but the chances Manchester United fold like cheap lawn chairs and concede the title to Manchester City once again are slim.

Robin van Persie is the gift from Arsenal that keeps on giving. The Dutch dynamo is in emphatic form and an absolute goal machine scoring nineteen in the league alone. His transfer from the Emirates to the Theater of Dreams could decide which team is crowned champions of England. And it’s looking more like the Red Devils with every football weekend that passes.

The battle for third and fourth however is far more exciting and unpredictable. Tottenham are playing delicious football. Or should we say Gareth Bale is playing delicious football. Chelsea falter one week, but then bounce back the next. Arsenal are showcasing more confidence and determination as the season goes on. And Everton continue to hang around and threaten to steal a Champions League spot despite a recent dip in form. Who will prevail and bank millions?

Also on the menu this week is a little slice of David Beckham and his move to PSG. Mr.Beckham is a polarizing figure and his new adventures in Paris are causing much debate beyond the football borders. Where do you stand when it comes to Beckham?

Whether you agree or disagree with any of the dialogue, lob us a volley or fire off a header to @soccerdiva. Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

Soccerdiva | Footy Show | 3rd & 4th

Verbal Memo | Robin van Persie & more…

In my weekly memo to fellow football fans there’s a fair bit of passion. Some folks have irked me.

Firstly, Luis Suarez got the football universe all riled up because of his handball in the F.A. Cup against wee Mansfield Town. Suarez certainly had lots of darts thrown at him after his unsportsmanlike action, but are the referees just as guilty as Liverpool’s bad boy?

Robin van Persie is having another phenomenal season. He is a world class player who has elevated Manchester United to impressive heights. The delicious Dutchman has been prolific since joining the Red Devils in the summer. Can Robin van Persie play in any team in the world right now? And should someone at Arsenal pay with their blood for selling him?

Finally, Rio Ferdinand declared he would like to be the first black James Bond. Rio is definitely suave enough to be a special agent for the British government. What if footballer’s were movie genres? From comedy, to musicals, we cast the lot!

Grab a brew and enjoy this week’s verbal memo. Connect with me @soccerdiva if you want to rant about anything. I’m here for you.

Verbal Memo | Robin van Persie & more

A Conversation With…Akil Vyas

Arsenal have been busier than usual in the transfer market yet the business conducted still hasn’t satisfied the appetites of many fans.

There’s no doubt the Gooner nation is happy with the arrival of a class player like Santi Cazorla, together with German goal machine Lukas Podolski and rising French star Olivier Giroud. Despite the pedigree of these players, fans are upset Arsene Wenger didn’t do enough to replace Alex Song and they are also disgruntled the club sold Robin van Persie to rivals Manchester United. In A Conversation With Akil Vyas, we break down the Arsenal situation and discuss the hot topics engulfing the famous North London club.

What do Gunners fans really think about Theo Walcott? With all of Diaby’s injuries, can the club trust he’ll be available and fit throughout an entire season as the ready-made replacement for Alex Song? Should The Ox play or be a super sub? What is Arsenal’s best formation? Is there a need to worry about the injury prone back line? Can they have an impact in the Champions League?

Akil answers all of these questions and more in our conversation. You can follow him on Twitter @10akhil. Kick back, relax and enjoy!

A Conversation With…Arseblog

Since joining Arsenal, Robin van Persie hasn’t put prolific back-to-back seasons together for the North London club. Is it fair to say he will not have the same success next season and that now is the time for Arsenal to cash in on the Dutchman? How would Arsenal shape up tactically without him? And what is the scoop with Theo Walcott and his unrest? Could Arsenal afford to lose either or both of these players? What has become of the Gunners? What is the identity of this team? Why does everyone always want to leave?

Andrew Mangan joins us in A Conversation With sharing his insights like no other Arsenal blogger out there. Fans trust his opinion and thousands follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential voices in the Arsenal community today. He doesn’t hold back as we dissect the team on and off the pitch. Put your slippers on and enjoy the conversation.

A Conversation With…You Are My Arsenal

Is it going to end up being another summer horribilis for Arsenal fans? Michael Price from You Are My Arsenal joins us for “A Conversation With” and we talk all things Gunners. From Robin van Persie to Theo Walcott, the return of Jack Wilshere, new boys Lukas Podolski & Olivier Giroud, Michael gives his perspective on how things will shake down at the Emirates as Arsenal prepare for the new season. In recent years, there’s been drama on the red side of North London as the Gunners once again battle to keep their best players. Will RVP stay or go? Sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

Red Card…

This could be the second red card I’ve given to Mr.Wenger in the space of a couple of seasons and I feel it is absolutely deserved. Unless he does something major in this summer’s transfer window, he’ll be getting a lot more than a red card from the Gooner nation. You have been warned Arsene.

It’s an absolute certainty Arsenal will lose Cesc Fabregas this summer. And there are now rumblings his fellow midfield maestro Samir Nasri could be out of the door too. To be without Fabregas is a tough pill to swallow. But to lose Nasri as well might be one pill too many to take.

What could the roll on effect be at the Emirates if these two players were to go? Would Robin Van Persie stay? Could they still attract respectable names to the club despite losing a name like Fabregas or will Arsenal just continue to lose quality players about to hit their prime?

Arsene Wenger is under the most intense pressure since taking the reigns at Arsenal. His philosophy has always been fit to please Gooner fans. However, since the end of last season, he has come under tremendous fire for not being able to adapt outside of his beliefs. Why is he being so stubborn? Why can’t he see what everyone else sees? Arsenal need a goalkeeper, a center back, a left back and a striker. And who will replace Fabregas and Nasri if they both go? Does he have that much faith in Ramsey and Wilshere?

Sir Alex Ferguson always gets so much credit for believing in “his kids.” Wenger gets ripped for having the same beliefs. The problem however Mr.Wenger is that Sir Alex actually wins trophies with his kids. You don’t. You can’t and you never will unless you add a little adult into the mix. The kids need a bit of hand holding at Arsenal. These kids have no leadership skills and yet they also have no leader to follow. Fabregas was a laughable captain. He didn’t lead by example. He just wanted to be led out the front door straight to the Camp Nou. Can we blame Wenger for this?

Actually I think we can. It’s a bit like the LeBron James story in Cleveland. Sure the owner of the Cavs tried to build several teams around LeBron but he did a lousy job and bought the wrong players in over and over again. Eventually LeBron got tired of being in a losing team and having to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Wenger didn’t necessarily buy terrible players, but he didn’t give Fabregas some guts and leaders to help him carry the burden. He kept handing him more kids to babysit. After a while, losing gets old and winning becomes a distant dream.

This could be a painful summer for Arsenal fans. Let’s hope we have to retract this red card for Mr.Wenger and he makes us eat our words…

Who will cross the finish line first..?

horsesOur crystal ball spoke to us clearly and concisely when the excitement and anticipation of the 2009/10 season kicked-off.  We made our predictions. We chose the chosen ones and it was off to the races.

As the best of the best galloped into the eyes of victory and defeat, we raved, we ranted, we posted and we polled about the beautiful game. And as the race to be crowned champion nears its end, we can’t help but wonder, who will cross the finish line first?

For so long Chelsea have been the favourites to scoop the Premier League title. If I remember correctly, we warned the Stamford Bridge outfit not to celebrate too soon. At Christmas, the Chelsea players and faithful believed they had it in the bag. There was an evident cockiness to them which has become synonymous with Chelsea. But a loss to Everton and a whipping by Manchester City in their own park soon made the Blues players and fans realize the fight to the finish will not be so easy. Did they under estimate their opponents? Did the John Terry scandal hurt them? What would they do without Drogba? Will the iron Chelski curtain find its strength again as they head towards the finish?

With Wayne Rooney turning on the style and making a case to be European Footballer of the Year, Manchester United are once again finding their strength and form at the right time. Determined to create history and make it four Premier League titles in a row, the Red Devils are as hungry as ever for silver ware. They’ve already bagged the Carling Cup, they have one eye on a Champions League quarter final spot and they are two points clear at the Premier League summit. Granted they haven’t been as exciting to watch as a team this term, but Rooney has given us every reason to be up for watching Manchester United play. Do you think they’d be flying if Ferdinand and Vidic were fit all season? Do you think Rooney deserves to be Player of the Year? Has Valencia been a success? Will Berbatov be the man United fans want him to be?

And what of Arsenal? After losses to Manchester United and Chelsea, everyone had written off their title chances for good. How could the Gunners win the league if they couldn’t beat the two best teams in the country? Somehow, some way, Arsenal have hung in there. Even though they lost to the big two, they picked up some good results in games we’ve easily seen them lose over the last few seasons. Beating the likes of Stoke and Hull has helped. Losing Ramsey to such a horrific injury has not. But unlike the Eduardo injury experience which saw Arsenal implode that season, it appears this time around the team are galvanized to win it for Ramsey. They seem to have a purpose we may not have seen in recent times. Can Arsenal finish strong without Fabregas? Would they be clear of United and Chelsea on points at this stage if Van Persie hadn’t been injured? Was Vermaelen the best buy of the season? How good could Arsenal actually be if they bought three more world class players?

The rest of the league are fighting for a fourth Champions League spot, a Europa League place or just plain old fashioned survival. How do your predictions match up to what you thought at the beginning of the season? Who do you see wining it all? Chelsea? Manchester United? Or Arsenal? Can Tottenham really steal a Champions League birth? Will Manchester City or Aston Villa ruin their coming out party? Will we see another famous old club like West Ham go down? Has Hull City’s luck finally run out? When Portsmouth go down, how much further will they sink over the next few years? Remember Leeds?

There is still much to play for. It’s sad that the season is almost ending but fear not fellow footie fans! The silver lining is that we are in a World Cup year so the wait for some quality football won’t feel like eternity. Could this be the year Wayne Rooney shines on the world stage? Is it his time to be crowned a world football superstar? The race to the finish line is almost over. The only question is, who will win?