Should We Send Aaron Ramsey Out On Loan?

I love Aaron Ramsey. I love him like a little brother. So when he gets a bit of unfair stick from Gooners (and he has done) it gets my back up and I have to defend him.

Now don't get me wrong, I see the flaws in his game like everyone else. He isn't perfect and to be honest he probably hasn't had the best of seasons.

Of course people have an opinion on everything, that is the beauty of freedom of speech, and if they want to criticise Aaron in a fair way (not a golf course fairway) then so be it.

But when I see him being slaughtered like the way we ironed out S*urs at the Emirates, I do feel sorry for the boy.

And that is all Ramsey is really. A boy. A lad who has a career-threatening injury already at his age due to some caveman who snapped his leg into pieces.

Think back to before Aaron suffered his leg-break. He was coming on stronger than a world champion weightlifter and becoming a first choice in the team. His progress was astounding.

That progression has been put back a couple of years due to his injury and, to be honest he was hung out to dry a little in the last campaign.

In my opinion the Welshman was overplayed. He looked jaded from February and Arsene Wenger must take a share of the blame.

In defence of Wenger though, the injury to Jack Wilshere had a big influence on Ramsey being more overplayed more than my Barbie Girl cassette.

Nobody, not even medical experts or Stephan Hawking, could put a time scale on Jack's injury. Well, nobody would have known he was out for the whole season anyway.

So whilst Wilshere was expected to be back at any time, poor old Ramsey was being flogged like an old horse. And his performances suffered.

Now I think that Aaron will be much better next season. And stronger too. This was his first full season since his leg was broken.

I wonder though whether he would be best off on loan somewhere to get a bit of confidence back because to me it looked like he had lost some.

I have every faith in him becoming the top player that he was progressing into one day. And I believe he will achieve those goals wearing an Arsenal shirt.

But I think he could do with a bit of 'freedom' (not from George Michael) to help his progression.

When he makes a mistake playing for the Gunners you can hear the moans and groans from Jupiter. And I worry in case he is becoming a bit of a scapegoat. And we seem to like having a scapegoat recently.

At times the support from Gooners this season has been unbelievable. Its definitely been the best year we've had at the Emirates. Most of the time the place was rocking more than a Rolling Stones concert.

As for the away Gooners, best in the land by far.

There is still that little element, borne out of frustration, that gets on certain players backs. Ramsey is one of them.

I know he can frustrate. I get frustrated too, but I can't have a major pop because he plays for Arsenal and it kills me to have a dig at anything Arsenal related.

Maybe he would be best off on loan, to another premier league club, to help him get his confidence back and be able to grow under less pressure?

Then maybe a rejuvenated boy can become the player and man we thought he would be.

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The Curious Case Of Nicklas Bendtner

Well, Nicklas Bendtner has walked back through the Arsenal door after his loan move to Sunderland ended and I'm sure many Gooners would prefer it if he just strolled back out of it again.

His exit could happen too if rumours that Borussia Dortmund are set to put a £2.5m bid in for the Dane are true, although I think that amount of money might just cover the price of his ego.

When I look at Nikki B I think its a shame at how his Arsenal career panned out really. Deep down, hidden behind the bravado, is a decent player in my book. I think Arsene Wenger believes so too.

I know that Bendtner borders on delusional with how good he thinks he is and that arrogance doesn't really endear him to anyone. Except Steve Bruce's daughter. Who he slept with. Apparently. 

And that is his biggest problem, that belief that he is better than Pele and Maradona combined. He probably, and honestly, thinks he is better than those two.

Now there is nothing wrong with believing in yourself. Every top footballer has that steely belief that they are the best. Look at Robbie Savage. 

But Nikki went too far with how he viewed himself. He and his father (his agent) piped up so much last season, or the campaign before, that Wenger had no option but to let him leave the club.

He only left on loan though, and I happen to think (I may be wrong) that was down to Arsene not wanting to let him go permanently.

In my view (however misguided it may seem) the Arsenal gaffer wanted to keep Nicklas at the club in the long term and let him go short-term to see what life would be like outside of the Emirates.

To give him a taste that the grass isn't greener on the other side as it were.

I mean no disrespect to Sunderland but maybe Wenger thought that a move to the North-East would bring him down a peg or two. Or three or four. 

What has happened is the Danish striker hasn't exactly set the world alight, at The Stadium of Light, and to be fair the ego remains the same and his comments about leaving means there is one option open to him.

Germany would probably be a good destination for Nikki to ply his trade. The style of football over there would suit him and I honestly think he would thrive in the Bundesliga.

As I've said he is a decent player and I honestly believed that had he knuckled down and stop thinking he was world-class for 5 minutes he could have developed into a seriously decent striker. Or a self-publicist. 

Unfortunately the boy won't be fulfilling his potential at Arsenal and I think when he has left the club permanently he'll realise that he had a good thing here. Or maybe not. 

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Of Course Robin van Persie Is Going To Be 'Coy'

I wouldn't read too much into Robin van Persie being 'coy' about his contract situation at Arsenal.

He is bound to be after all isn't he?

Robin's next contract, wherever that may be, is going to be the most important one he will sign in his life. Well, except for his next mobile phone contract I suppose.

It will be his last 'big' deal and of course he has to weigh up his options. And his free minutes.

If it's any consolation, and I doubt it will be, at least he won't weigh up his Golden Boot to get the best deal on eBay like Samir Nasri would.

I'm quite calm about the whole thing actually. Obviously I want him to sign a new deal at Arsenal, but I also want to marry Kelly Brook, and I realise I'm not going to get everything I want in life am I?

In my very honest opinion, I honestly think that he will stay with us and sign for life.

Now I know that counts for nothing. I have no inside information on him. Its only my gut feeling. Although that feeling could be the dodgy sausage roll I had for lunch earlier.

Regardless of how that feeling in my stomach came about I still believe in it.

Of course some players out there earn a lot more than Robin does. And the worst thing is the Dutchman has more talent in one of his little toes than most of them.

This would turn anyone's head. And I'm sure he could earn nearly double somewhere else.

But, for me, it's not all about money for RvP.

Obviously whatever deal comes his way means he won't go starving. He could probably afford to have caviar at least twice a week. Sharks caviar too.

But there are some thing's money can't buy and more importantly he wants to see his wife and kids happy.

And going by what his missus has said recently she is more than happy with him staying at Arsenal.

I know he wants to win things. And he can. At Arsenal. This season hasn't been the greatest but a bad one has still seen us finish above Chelsea, S*urs and Liverpool.

And I thought we were in a relegation battle.

Robin wants to see Arsenal compete. He is a Gooner and when he wears that Arsenal shirt his chest swells to twice the size of Pamela Anderson's.

He wants trophies, for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger and the club need to show we will compete next season. The early signing of Lukas Podolski suggests to me a change of transfer tactics and I expect some decent players to arrive.

I've said it before, and been wrong, but I think the penny has finally dropped at Arsenal. We need to start showing how big a club we are and show our intent in the transfer market to do that.

Try to ignore all the 'crunch' contract talks in the coming week or you will end up going barking mad.

What will be, will be. Regardless of what happens Arsenal will still be standing. Unless several raving lunatic Gooners pull it down.

As I've said, I think Robin will stay. I might be wrong but its very rare that I am. I have a 20% success ratio.

Don't get sucked into what the media say. The most important thing is the club and Robin are sitting down, having a cup of coffee with a bit of cake, to discuss the contract.

In the mean time bombard him with tweets, messages and use emotional blackmail to the best of your ability.

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Steve Bould May Replace Arsene Wenger Too

Firstly, I would like to thank Pat Rice for everything he has done for Arsenal Football Club. 

He has been at Arsenal so long that he is part of the furniture. And the shorts. Oh those shorts. It will be strange not seeing Pat buzzing round the technical area in them shorts, that's for sure.

Steve Bould has replaced him as Arsene Wenger's number 2, a move that was possibly the worst kept secret since Harry Redknapp was announced as the new England manag...........Oh. Oh my.

This is a great move in my view. Steve Bould was a fantastic defender and one thing Arsenal need is too learn how to defend a little better. In fact, at times, our defending is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Hopefully Wenger will allow Bould the opportunity to drill some of his defensive nous into the team. I'm sure that he will. 

I also think that promoting Steve to being his assistant is a telling move by Arsene. 

Maybe I am reading into things too much, like I do with a Playboy magazine, but I'm starting to think that Bould might be the next manager of the club too.

Forgive me for jumping the gun here. In fact, I might be losing the plot. But I reckon that the gaffer will have a big say in who is his successor at Arsenal.

I've often wondered who would eventually succeed Arsene. Pep Guardiola is the candidate that has always sprung first and foremost to my mangled mind. 

And I think that Pep would love, yes love, the chance to manage our club. The structure and foundations are here to achieve whatever he would want.

But I'm starting to think that an internal move is more likely.

Steve Bould has played at the club, knows it inside out and would command instant respect. But most importantly, he would continue the philosophy of Arsene Wenger.

I think Wenger's contract ends in 2014. Or is it 2040? I'm not sure, but while he isn't going anywhere yet, one day he will be and this is a big statement for me.

Bould has moved up through the ranks at Arsenal. And it wouldn't surprise me if he was appointed number 1 when Wenger's time as manager ends.  

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I Hope Rooney Doesn't Pip RVP For The Barclays Golden Boot

Robin van Persie has been unbelievable this season. Honestly he has been like Superman on steroids. But recently the goals have dried up, and despite Betfair football betting having the Dutchman as favourite to win the Barclays Golden Boot, Wayne Rooney is hot on the trail too.

Now I really hope that our man finishes as the top scorer in the Premier League ahead of Rooney, like he did after being crowned Footballer and PFA Player of the Year, for obvious reasons. The most obvious being I dislike the Manchester United striker almost as much as I dislike Harry Redknapp. And that's a lot.

Of course I admire Wayne Rooney's football ability though. Perhaps equally as much as I admire his pace when running from an OAP massage parlour. I'd be as silly as a sausage to suggest otherwise. But while I'll begrudgingly admit I think he is a great player, I also believe that Robin van Persie is far better. And that's not me being biased either. 

By all accounts Robin won both of his individual awards by an absolute country mile and that, in my opinion, was more than fair enough. The man has been as unreal as Kim Kardashian's bumcheeks but I have to hold my hands up though and say fair play to Wayne Rooney for even making the Golden Boot a contest.

At one stage it appeared that van Persie was running away with the award but, as I've said, the goals have dried up quicker than Paris Hilton's porn career for him. We need him to find that Midas touch again so he can win the top scorer award to cap off an already outstanding campaign and also to help cement 3rd place for Arsenal.

Although his back must be aching carrying a lot of the Arsenal players this year I hope that van Persie can muster up a few more goals. Our skipper has been untouchable at times and it would prove a lot of the doubters wrong about him.

People said he couldn't sustain an injury-free period for over 24 minutes and he has proved them wrong. Others said he would be a bad choice of captain for Arsenal and he has arguably proved to be Arsene Wenger's best choice for the role since Patrick Vieira. 

And there has always been doubts about his temperament. Sure, he can still be as fiery as a red-headed half-Italian half-Spanish woman, but he really has curbed that side of his game and leads by example. The rest of the Arsenal squad look up to him.

From a petulant nutcase to becoming Arsenal's captain and main man, Robin's transformation has been complete. To top off this achievement I really hope that he adds the Golden Boot to his awards because he deserves it immensely. And I'm confident he'll sign a new deal at Arsenal too.

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Should Yossi Be Offered A Permanent Deal At Arsenal?

Yossi Benayoun has surprised me since joining Arsenal on loan last summer.

I've always believed that he was a very good player, an Arsenal player in the wrong shirt really, but what I have been impressed with most of all is his fantastic attitude. 

He hasn't spent as much time on the pitch as he would have liked but, when he does play, he always give 110% to the cause.

Looks can be deceiving I suppose. I see Yossi and honestly want to take him home and feed him up. He looks so weak and wimpy but surprisingly he is a real fighter. 

His talent is unquestioned. This may seem more outrageous than a pair of Simon Cowell's high-waist trousers but I think that technically he is up there with the best in the league. 

And he has plenty of experience in top level football too. 

Despite his ability, taking him on loan raised more questions than Who Wants To Be A Millionaire but its only now we are seeing the best of him and what an influence he appears to be.

It seems the decision to bring him to the Emirates was a good move by Arsene Wenger. Especially at the business end of the campaign where his experience and influence is counting. 

Benayoun has been a little unlucky at times this season that he has picked up little niggly injuries otherwise I am sure we would have seen more of the Israeli on the park.

It's clear Wenger trusts him. He has played in important games and I wonder whether the gaffer might offer him a permanent deal at the club in the summer.

The only thing blocking that idea in my eyes is that Yossi might want assurances of a more active role in the first-team. And that is understandable.

If it was down to me I would offer him a contract at the club tomorrow. Or even right now, this moment. 

I know we are clamouring for signings with names bigger than Frank Lampard's waist size but in my opinion Yossi is one of those unsung heroes in a squad that are needed by everyone.

He might not be a massive name. He might need convincing that he is an important part of the first-team squad furniture, but I've seen enough of Yossi to believe that he deserves a contract at the club.

Or at least be offered one. Because if we don't, I think someone will get a real bargain in him this summer.

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Mikel Arteta, The Biggest Panic Buy Since Petrol

I hope everyone out there who described Mikel Arteta as a panic buy will stand up and apologise profusely until Tottenham Hotspur one day win the league. In other words, you'll be saying sorry for a long time. Maybe forever. And ever.

That man is a complete class act and the fact that he was even acknowledged by some as purchase of panic not only insults him but it insults me too. And my family. Even my cat was pissed right off.

I would describe the hysteria, amongst some, when Arteta signed for the club as bad as when people were rushing out buying petrol in a state of panic last week.  

The truth is Mikel is an unbelievably talented footballer who constantly lives in the shadow of Cesc Fabregas and that is not fair on him. Especially when a lot of people seemingly didn't want to give him a chance to prove otherwise.

It makes laugh more than seeing Harry Redknapp having a twitching episode when I read or see that Arteta is no Cesc Fabregas. Of course he isn't. And he wasn't bought to replace Cesc either. Arteta is Arteta and I am grateful for what he has brought to Arsenal.

And I am not basing this assessment just on Arteta's performance yesterday. He ran the show by the way. I have always believed that he would be a fantastic acquisition for Arsenal and even wet myself a little when he signed in the most dramatic of circumstances.

He has been immense for us all season long and it is evident that he brings the best out of the players around him. Especially Alex Song. His calming influence, and simple yet effective style of football, is a joy to watch at times.

Unfortunately Jack Wilshere hasn't had the opportunity to play alongside Mikel, due to his injury that seems to have ruled him out since the Dinosaurs ran amok on the Earth, but when that day comes we Gooners have a lot to look forward too.

Is it a credit to the strength of the Spanish national team that Mikel Arteta doesn't really get a look in. The Spaniard would get into most international sides but the fact is, unfortunately for him, he plays in an era where this Spain team, despite a lot of them being mugs, is full of world-class midfield players.

That's not to say that Arteta can't force his way into that Spanish squad at least. And I doubt he would turn into a mug if he did. His game has improved even more since joining Arsenal and he seems to be getting better with age. Like a fine wine. Or Jennifer Aniston. 

How he was ever associated with being a panic buy was beyond me. Perhaps if he had cost Arsenal £20m instead of £10m then the words would never have been linked with his name. 

The fact that he was bought on dead-line day may be a factor I suppose. But that is the only logical explanation I can think of. However I didn't see Robinho described as a panic buy. He cost £32.5m though didn't he?

Arsene Wenger has bought a player, with plenty of Premier league experience, to the club and has been proved right again. Of course, he gets many wrong, but Mikel Arteta is one of the signings that even the doubters must now admit they were wrong about.

One thing for certain, in my eyes, is that Mikel Arteta is no panic buy. I'm gutted in a way that he didn't sign a couple of years ago. But he has always been on Arsene's radar and we had been linked with him for years until he actually signed for us.

Whatever the case I'm glad he is a Arsenal player. I always felt he was an Arsenal player wearing the wrong shirt and now he proving all those who didn't believe in him wrong. But do they admit that? 

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