Wenger – Page 2 – BRITISH SOCCER {DIVA}

Is Arsene Wenger’s Moral Dilemma Destroying Arsenal?

We recently had the opportunity to spend time with the Gunners during their pre season tour of the United States. Watching them train was an absolute treat. The players seem united and the squad feels like a true team.

Sitting in an Arsene Wenger press conference was a thrill. Wenger was challenged with some great questions. He spoke volumes. Sophie has theories, including moral money dilemmas and mental weakness! Gooners everywhere might not want to hear it! Put the kettle on. Or grab a brew! It’s going to be a long season.

Arsenal v Monaco Soundbite…

This could be a trap game for Arsenal. It has been a good few years since they have been favoured in a Round 16 Champions League game.

Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla are the key to success. Arsenal will also need their chosen goalkeeper to be in fine form at the Emirates!

Here is a wee soundbite from my chat with Talksport last week. C’mon Arsenal!

Finally…

Put your dartboards down. Let the ridicule end. Arsenal have won a trophy. I repeat…Arsenal have won a trophy!

It’s been a rough road for everyone involved with the club. However, for Arsenal fans it has been an even rougher road. They are not shielded like the players. They have to face the world and opposing fans every single day. They have long suffered. As much as I’m happy for the Arsenal staff and players, I’m even happier for my fellow Arsenal fans. Especially those who have travelled with the team even during their darkest hours. The fans who chant and sing, home and away, in the snow and the sun, for these fans I’m the happiest. Let them sing. Let them celebrate this time.

For the players, I hope this feeling makes them want it more. I hope that touching a trophy like the F.A. Cup makes them feel like it’s just the beginning. I hope they imagine themselves lifting the Premier League above their heads next season. I hope this victory makes them believe they can inspire a new chapter at the club and drive each other to win, win, win! That desire is depicted beautifully in this photo of Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs. Arsenal need new leaders. Arsenal need characters. Arsenal need to build on this…otherwise, the ridicule will begin all over again. Lead the way Gibbo and Rambo!

Admittedly, I had called for Arsene Wenger’s head earlier in the season. I ranted and imploded after Aston Villa beat us in the opening match of the season. I wanted him out as all I could see ahead was another season of emptiness and underachievement. Was I wrong? Somewhat. And after seeing the regression of Manchester United this season post Sir Alex Ferguson era, you wonder if Arsenal are better off with Wenger navigating the ship. I applaud him for finding his own confidence to win again. He appears to be reborn. Is Wenger about to re-write his legacy at Arsenal?

Thank you Arsenal. Thank you for finally delivering. It wasn’t easy. In fact, after just a few minutes, it looked like the upset was on. 2-0 down and the team dug deep and found an answer. They finally overcame the hump. They finally found the mental strength to match the physical and football strength. They won. They did it. It was beautifully ugly. #wewilltakeit

Red Card…Arsene Wenger

In this week’s verbal memo to fellow football fans we talk Arsene Wenger and we’re handing out a red card.

The Arsenal empire is crumbling before our very eyes. Gone are the victorious days and glorious moments of lifting trophies. The winning culture at the Gunners has long past and the once dominant and beautiful north London team continue to spiral out of football form.

Arsenal and Wenger have been extremely stubborn with their transfer policy. The ramifications of this philosophy is now evident on the pitch. Something has to change. The red card and criticism is deserved.

Oldham Athletic is our team of the week. We give them lots of football cuddles and love for bringing the F.A. Cup to life this season. Oldham have provided typical F.A. Cup drama and good old fashioned football. And they are doing it against Premier League teams. We tip our hats to you.

Player of the week goes to Barcelona babe Lionel Messi. He can’t stop scoring. He breaks records every weekend! If you haven’t heard about his latest achievement, have a listen and see what the wee magic man has done now.

If you adore what you hear or if you find it completely annoying, have your voice heard and lob us a tweet @soccerdiva. Football, soccer, call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates! Get the drinks in.

Soccerdiva | Footy Show | Red Card to Wenger

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…Derek Rae

A Conversation With Derek Rae is pure football poetry. One of football’s finest voices, Derek always paints a beautiful picture through his commentary. Do you know anyone who can marry the famous poet Robert Burns with football?

From Team GB and the Olympics to all things Premier League including Luis Suarez, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Andre Villas Boas, Brendan Rodgers, Manchester City, mid-level clubs and beyond, Derek discusses it all with an honest perspective. There’s even time to talk a wee bit of Rangers!

Football, soccer, call it what you want, it’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

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.

Wrap Him Up In Cotton Wool…

Robin van Persie is magical. Playing injury free for the first time in a long time, the delicious Dutchman is giving Arsenal fans everywhere hope. And with Fabregas and Nasri gone, it appears the shackles have been taken off his feet and he is thriving on being the main man.

For the first time since Patrick Viera and Thierry Henry, Arsenal have a true leader in their captain. Van Persie is putting this team on his back and you can see that being captain for one of the world’s biggest clubs is a role he is relishing.

He has been playing as an out-and-out striker and some would say that it’s not traditionally his best position. And just like fellow Dutchman and Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp, Van Persie has thrived in that #10 role, loving to drop off, find the killer pass and punish teams. Right now, the Gooner nation is loving where he’s playing and he’s scoring goals at will like never before.

But what would happen to the Gunners if Van Persie were to get injured? Where would the goals come from then? Sure Theo Walcott can score a few and when he finds his finishing touch, Gervinho can be a major threat. However, it’s Van Persie’s goals that are bringing Arsenal back from the dead following that 8-2 thrashing at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

Arsenal have a lot of work to do at the back. And should Van Persie get a nick or bump here or there, they would also have a ton of work to do upfront, because without him, they would be lost. They need to protect him, but they also need to play him. Last week he was rested but came off the bench to score two goals in a win over Stoke.

Just a few hours ago on a sunny Saturday afternoon in London, Robin van Persie delivered another spellbinding performance against Chelsea, scoring a hat-trick and leading HIS team to victory once again. Granted Chelsea were woeful in defense, but to go to Stamford Bridge and inspire your team to a 5-3 win after facing so much adversity shows how much of a leader he has become.

Wrap him up in cotton wool Arsenal…

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…