Champions League Final (That Could Have Been Us)

Again The Arsenal have qualified for the Champions League for the millionth time in a row and this time it feels better than the first time I had sex. And the feeling will last longer no doubt.

The final of this holy grail is upcoming this week and I often wonder had we defended in the first leg vs Bayern a lot better then it could have been us at Wembley sucking Dortmund's eyes out instead.

Bayern Munich have looked unstoppable this season. Like a big German Juggernaut powering their way through teams like Frank Lampard eating a Krispy Kreme. Not surprisingly they are massive favourites for the final and you can see those odds here at Unibet.

If I was gambling man, and I am, I would be lumping on Dortmund. Arsenal proved by winning in the Allianz Arena that Munich are human and not some form of extraterritorial football Gods.

Dortmund are a fantastic little outfit and as long as outgoing Mario Gotze doesn't score an own-goal to provide his future club with a victory in the last minute I believe they are a match for Bayern.

This is what it's all about. The Champions League. And despite thousands upon thousands of Germans descending into London early to put towels on the Wembley seats its going to be a great game to watch.

With our win yesterday Arsenal have guaranteed that we will be in the same company as the Germans for next seasons premier European competition.

That means no Thursday night games for us which is handy because I play snooker Thursday evenings but not so handy for my S*urs supporting snooker partner.

When I watch the game on Saturday I'll feel a pang in my stomach and I doubt it'll be the result of my usual Saturday fry-up but a little bit of jealousy.

I want those big nights for Arsenal and I'm confident that in the future we will get them.

For now we've made sure we have a chance to play the likes of Bayern again next season. Who knows? This time next season it could be us in the final.

Follow me Twitter @_Wrighty7

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A Legend In The Making At Arsenal?

The term 'legend' is thrown around rather loosely these days. In fact the word legend is almost on a par with being as loose as Katie Price's muff. 

Some footballers are given that accolade well before they deserve it. And some aren't even given the status when it's clear they should have it. 

For example, was Cesc Fabregas a legend at Arsenal? In my opinion, no. Was he an icon? I think yes, but he certainly was not a legend. 

I hear people all the time say that the Spaniard was a legend at Arsenal Football Club but I don't know why. I'm not having a dig. I love the man like he was my own brother.

Fabregas could have been one of the biggest legends in Arsenal history if he had stayed at the club. 

He could have been up there with the likes of Bergkamp, Henry, Adams and the chef who worked at the Marriott Hotel, Canary Wharf, in 2006.

Instead Cesc left us and he now spends a lot of time plucking splinters out from his buttocks that have cruelly been inflicted from the Barcelona bench.

Nowadays at Arsenal we need a hero. Well, we have one I suppose in Jack Wilshere. But he can't carry all that hero status on his back. It'll weigh too much.

We need more heroes and one man who I think is fast developing into a fans favourite is Carl Jenkinson.   

If a year ago I would told you that Jenko should be first choice over Bacary Sagna I would have been shipped off to the funny farm, given an umbrella, had my head shaved and told to beat up a car.

Well now that doesn't seem so doolally does it?

Jenkinson has easily become the most improved player at the club and when I see him wear the Arsenal shirt I feel prouder than the time I drank 22 bottles of Budweiser in Lloyds Bar, Bexleyheath.

I love the fact he is a Gooner living the dream. Playing for Arsenal. And I also love the fact that he is fast becoming one of the best right-backs in England.

When he first played for Arsenal I felt sorry for him. It was like he had been thrown in at the deep end without so much as a 10 metre swimming lesson in the shallow end.

Jenkinson looked well out of his depth. But he worked at it. And worked. And worked. And that work has paid off.

You just know that Carl Jenkinson would run through a brick-wall for Arsenal. He would put his head, legs and bollocks on the line for the club because he loves Arsenal. Like us.

I've always said don't judge players straight away. I went against my own advice because in Jenko's case I was concerned. But I shouldn't have been. He's a top player who will only get better.

I'm not going to say Carl Jenkinson is a legend. Although him telling that interviewer last night to pretty much f*ck off could give him a case to be called one!

What I will say is here we have a legend in the making. A Gooner, playing for the club, getting better all the time who will, and I say will, have a long career with Arsenal.

In ten years time we might be saying that Carl is an Arsenal legend. In fact I think we will be. And who would have thought that a year ago?

Follow me on Twitter @_Wrighty7

Keep It Goonerish........ 

I Love It When Gooners Play For Arsenal

Bacary Sagna has been ruled out of the North London Derby this coming Sunday after busting two of his dreadlocks and there seems to be a mass debate (not masturbate) as to who will replace him.

I'm seeing plenty of opinions about the subject and one bloke even went as far as saying that Arsene Wenger should bring Lee Dixon or Lauren out of retirement as a one-off.

Of course whoever plays there could be in for the ride of his life. Gareth Bale has been playing out of his skin recently after AVB, the gravelly voiced S*urs manager, offered him a lifetime supply of bananas if Bale managed to help them finish above Arsenal.

Now I don't think its fair at all that monkey's as talented and fast as Bale are allowed to play in the Premier League but there's nothing in the rule book to stop it apparently. 

So we have to stop an in-form primate without using a tranquilizer and we have our 'best' right-back ruled out. Triffic.

People have said that Bale won't play down the left because he has this new free-role but if S*urs had any sense they would use him there because our number one right-back is out. It could be our weakness.

That said, funnily enough, I'm more than happy for our supposed second choice Carl Jenkinson to start on Sunday. And I don't think it would be too much of a weakness either.

Jenkinson is a Gooner. He is one of us. If he didn't play for Arsenal then I've no doubt he would be in the stands with us telling AVB to suck on a strepsil or tormenting Bale about that Orangutan who banged his sister.

He'll want to play more than anyone in that Arsenal squad because he knows what it means to play against them. He had Arsenal bed sheets for crying out loud. 

Not only is Carl a Gooner, but he is a decent fullback too who started the season in more decent form than my pal down the bookies last Saturday.

He may only be young, and has a lack of experience in this type of game, but he is fast, athletic and could be just the type of player who should start because he will want to win so bad.

I've seen it said that Laurent Koscielny or even Aaron Ramsey might start at right-back on Sunday and in my opinion that would kill Jenkinson. Having someone playing ahead of you in your position who doesn't usually play there would be soul-destroying. 

Arsene Wenger bought Jenkinson into this Arsenal squad to fill in when needed and to learn from Bacary Sagna. He should be used against Sp*rs this weekend. He can cope.

I love it when actual Gooners play for the club. It fills me with a lot of pride. Jenkinson is living the dream and I wish someone like him all the luck in the world. 

Imagine playing for the club you love? How good would that be? I could have played for Arsenal but I was too good and banned from English football. That's a true story. I swear.

There won't be as many players in the Arsenal squad pumped up as much Carl will be for this game. Play him.

Follow me on Twitter @_Wrighty7

Keep It Goonerish.........

Give Wenger A New Contract But With Less Responsability

Arsene Wenger's contract at Arsenal runs out next summer and although people are saying it may be time to replace him I think that would be the wrong move.

He's been with Arsenal for a zillion years and sometimes change can be good to freshen things up but I genuinely believe that Arsene has it in him to end his days here on a high. 

Wenger does an awful lot for a manager. He pretty much runs the whole club from top to bottom and I think if he could just focus on the football side of things and get some help then we can compete for titles again.

The board need to help him a bit more because the likes of Stan Kroenke are about as useful as a chocolate teapot at the moment. 

They need to take the pressure of the clubs finances away from the gaffer and let him get on with the playing side of things again. 

We all know that Wenger is incredibly stubborn. In fact I've seen mule's gaze at him in awe. But if he can get some guys with the clubs best interests at heart alongside him then it can only be good right?

I'm sure the likes of Keown, Parlour, Henry and Bergkamp would love the chance to work at the Arsenal again. They hold the clubs values to this day and Wenger can trust them.

And it may put a few noses out of joint but maybe the bullet could be bitten and David Dein, or a man Arsene can work with, could be brought in because that would benefit the club.

What's most important here is Arsenal Football Club. We all want to win things and need the right man to lead us back to those days.

In my view Arsene Wenger can be that man again. Give him a new deal but with less responsibility.

Take the finances away from him. Let him run the footballing side of things and get people in to help. People that he trusts.

Follow me on Twitter @_Wrighty7

Keep It Goonerish.... 

Tomáš Rosický MUST Start Every Game For The Rest Of The Season

It doesn't take much to baffle me. I'm easily baffled. One thing that does baffle me immensely though is that Tomas Rosicky has hardly been used this season when fit and available.

I don't know why he has hardly played. Maybe he and Sebastien Squillaci had a sleep-over in Arsene Wenger's jacket and left a whoopsie in there. But seriously, and I mean seriously, surely Rosicky hasn't fallen that far down the pecking-order?

Robin van Pissflaps, the twat, obviously takes the accolade for being the most influential player last season. But Rosicky was arguably our second most influential player in the run-in so I can't understand why he has hardly featured this year. 

Of course, Tomas began this campaign injured and was out for a while. But he has been overlooked more than I am when standing outside Kelly Brook's gaff stark naked wearing  nothing but a smile.    

Maybe people won't agree with me (different opinions and all that) but I think Arsenal are a completely different side with him playing and I would look to play him in EVERY game he is available from now until the end of the season.

Jack Wilshere has tried his best to drive the team on in recent games and at the end of 90 minutes he looks more knackered than I am after a 4 minute power walk. Rosicky, for me, is the only player who could match that enthusiasm Jack shows.

Rosicky injects a bit of pace and directness to our play, something, lets be honest, we lack at the moment for long periods of a game. I would go as far as saying I've seen sloths less lethargic than us in London zoo at the moment.

I've said before our team has so much talent. And I still stand by that. But you can have all the talent in the world and it won't work if you lack character. I may be wrong but I think that is our biggest problem and something Rosicky doesn't lack is bollocks. And talent. And bollocks....

We need all the fighters we have at the moment to play. You could say a team line-up of only Wilshere and Rosicky might have a slight disadvantage but I bet those two would still make up the rest of the teams nuts. And some.

Leaders are crucial to us at the minute. Who do we really have as leaders in this squad? Wilshere, Rosicky, Arteta and maybe Squillaci (who is also being left out at the minute for whoopsieing into Wenger's jacket) spring to mind so they need to play.

I have left out Thomas Vermaelen purposely because I don't think he is a leader anymore. I love him like a brother about to buy me a years supply of Coors Light but I think the captaincy has hindered him and it hurts for me to write that.

Shit has begun to get real. Arsenal, and Wenger, need to buck up their ideas because we are in a real battle here to finish in the top four. I am confident we can get there but players like Rosicky are needed to achieve that. 

Follow me on Twitter @_Wrighty7

Keep It Goonerish.........

Could Arsenal Be Worth A Sneaky Bet For The Champion's League This Season?

It's not been the easiest of seasons so far for the Gunners, although the news that Theo Walcott has signed a new contract will give them a much-needed lift, and the problems that they are experiencing is reflected in the long odds offered at sports betting sites on them winning the Champions League - or even beating Bayern Munich in the next round.

Arsenal are currently rated around 33/1 to win the tournament at football betting sites, and 12/5 to beat Bayern. Thus clearly most bookmakers feel they have a greater chance of the latter and, although they are not the favourites, betting on them getting past the German side is at least a reasonable outside gamble.

Winning the tournament is another thing, and it would be as unexpected as Liverpool's win in 2005 if they did - that's how far off the domestic pace the Gunners are.

Most Arsenal fans are realistic about the club's current position - which was emphasised again by Manchester City's routine win at the Emirates last week - and will not be expecting to win it, but it is unlikely that those of them who enjoy betting will fancy gambling on a rival team.

This is where online casinos can offer a pretty decent alternative option, especially as those opting to play here rather than at sports betting sites will find entertaining football-themed games.

An example of this would be the casino slots game Soccer Safari, which revolves around a goofy group of animals competing in their own World Cup-style tournament deep in the jungles of Africa and is found at http://www.luckynuggetcasino.com/au/.

For fans who are finding the season a bit hard going (which many Gunners fans undoubtedly are) this can provide a fix of football betting alongside escapism and traditional casino benefits like bonuses and the chance of a cash payout or jackpot  on the roulette- certainly a stronger chance of the latter than Arsenal look to have of winning the Champions League this season.

(This article was a guest post from Discover Media)

David Villa - Will It Happen?

I don't care that David Villa rhymes with Aston Villa, serial killer, chincilla or a tub of ice-cream flavoured like vanilla.

I love him. Like a brother. Always have, always will.

And if there is a smidgen, even just a smidgen, of hope that we can sign him, I hope Arsene Wenger goes all out to do so.

If people complain about his age (Villa has just turned 31) then they have no right to whinge when Arsene signs another teenager do they?

David Villa is exactly what we need. Experienced, classy and a born winner. He can play anywhere across the front-line and I think an arrival like him would be a massive Cadburys boost for the whole club.

There are some players who's career you follow. Villa is someone who I have followed since his days at Real Zaragoza. Not like a stalker, just watching from afar. I mean I've never sent him a valentines day card or anything.

Now I know he has suffered a bad injury (broken leg) in recent times but Villa is no injury crock. Abou Diaby's place in the treatment room is safe.

Along with David Villa we are being linked with every Tom, Dick and Harry. Namely Demba Ba.

I won't moan if Ba comes in, but I wouldn't be overly excited. Especially since its seems we're after either Ba or Villa and for me the Spaniard would win that race every time.

Maybe I am blinded a little but I honestly think Villa is a genuine world-class player and that Ba is a decent Premier League player. So I know who I want.

In the past Wenger has had a transfer policy of not signing anyone over the age of 12. In more recent times he has relaxed this a little and maybe there is substance in the Villa rumours.

I hope so, because in my opinion Villa would hit the ground running.

Yes, David hasn't played in the 'intensity' of the Premier League before but he plays for Barcelona. And I don't know a team out there who play with their intensity or desire to win the ball back.

He would be fine for Arsenal.

Follow me on Twitter @_Wrighty7

Keep It Goonerish.......