Is Drogba Still In Djourou's Pocket?

At last Johan Djourou is beginning to gain some recognition.

I've rated this fella for a long time and have always believed that he could become a top-class centre-back.

The other night he had Didier Drogba in his pocket so much so I wouldn't be surprised if Drogba was still in there next to some lint and a two bob note.

Granted, the Chelsea man has chewed up our defence and spat them out more times than a Native American munching on tobacco but what a performance by Johan! He was smoking.

The geezer was immense and it seems at last we have someone in the ranks who can handle a powerful striker and lets be honest, they don't come more powerful than Drogba.

In the summer I think a lot of people had Djourou down as Arsenal's fourth choice centre-back, that was something I didn't agree with, but the fact he is getting so much praise now is testament to how far he has come.

Gooners now believe in him and that is very important. It will mean a lot to Johan and now I'm sure he will have even more belief in himself.

Of course he has had injury problems, like many have in our squad, and if he can overcome the niggles and grief I have no hesitation in saying that Djourou will become one of Europe's best defenders.

When Thomas Vermaelen returns from injury I'm sure that it will be him and Johan as the first choice pairing at the back. I'm more than happy with that.

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

Some Chelsea Fans Are Just Bitter W*nkers!

I've thought this for a long time but I have to say that it was finally confirmed to me about 22:34 last night; Chelsea fans irritate me more than any other.

I'm not knocking all Chelsea supporters. I'm sure that there are some nice ones out there. This fella on the Chelsea Daft blog seems like a reasonable bloke. He even gives us some credit.

But most of the others (not on that blog in particular) are just bitter wankers.

You have to admit that their recent silverware collection is quite impressive but with that trophy haul the Chelsea fans have developed a very arrogant attitude. Fuck knows why. They were fuck-all until a Russian gangster saved them from extinction.

To be truthful I'd have thought that maybe they would be a little more humble considering they were on the brink of going more skint than MC Hammer. I might have thought being humble would have been a good option after being outplayed for 90 minutes and soundly beaten, but no. The arrogance and bitterness still shone through.

Especially at 22:34 last night.

I have to hold my hands up here, I did begin the wind-up as soon as the final whistle went at the Emirates. I had typed a text message into my mobile phone ready to be sent to two Chelsea supporters I know. It simply stated; "Too easy".

Now this may seem as arrogant as those mugs but there was a reason I sent it. Earlier in the season when Chelsea beat us I received that exact message myself from one of those pals of mine. So really me sending it back is just a bit of friendly banter right?

What I got back made laugh and realise that I can't stand Chelsea fans, even more so than Spurs supporters. It was solid abuse and to be honest they made themselves sound like spoilt little brats. They proper spat their dummies out.

You know the funniest text I got? That we were lucky. Now I'm not sure what game the sender of that message watched but to suggest that Arsenal were fortunate to win is at best deluded.

It's this arrogance and mugginess that I can't bear and Chelsea fans have both in abundance. I know that the Gooners sworn enemies are Tottenham but I'd say that I hate Chelsea fans more than them.

In the Gunners pub last night I saw a Gooner with the words on back of his Arsenal shirt saying "You can't buy history". That couldn't be more true and unfortunately though it appears that you can buy pure 100% unadulterated arrogance.

The bitterness shone through last night. I can understand being disappointed at being beaten, especially by a club they usually rob three points off every game but just show a bit of decency and admit defeat. It might even endear people to you a little bit.

Keep It Goonerish.......

So, What Is The Difference Between Fabregas, Rooney And Tevez Then?

Since Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney handed in transfer requests something has really bugged me.

Why does nobody really question either players loyalty to their clubs?

They both told their employers that they wanted to leave, made it public, and put it in writing.

Of course the pair retracted the requests in the end but to me it almost seems as though the fact both want(ed) to leave has been swept under the carpet.

Especially in Rooney's case.

In the summer it was clear that Cesc Fabregas was torn between staying at Arsenal or leaving us for a club very close to his heart.

Barcelona, the club he has supported his whole life, managed by his footballing idol Pep Guardiola, made a very public chase for him.

No wonder he was torn between staying with us or leaving.

One thing he never did was throw his toys out of his pram. Fabregas never did what Tevez and Rooney have done.

Cesc never put in a transfer request yet his loyalty to Arsenal is forever being questioned, tenfold now we have drawn Barcelona in the Champions League again.

Fabregas never went as far as either of those two yet the story of him joining Barcelona still lingers.

Why?

As far as I am aware Fabregas has shown a lot of loyalty to Arsenal and yet his integrity towards the club is always questioned.

Rooney and Tevez went a lot further than he did yet it appears that they have been forgiven and the episode forgotten.

Why can't Fabregas be given the same treatment?

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

Why Not Try Thomas Vermaelen (When Fit) At Left Back?

I agree with many Gooners out there that Gael Clichy has been out of sorts in recent times.

It's a shame because he is a such a loyal player to the club and is the last link we have to the Invincible team of 2003/04.

It's hard to pinpoint the exact reason why Clichy seems to have regressed.

Maybe the current formation doesn't suit him as he doesn't seem to get a lot of protection from whoever plays in front of him.

I'd say that Gael looks a lot more comfortable in the 4-4-2 formation Arsene Wenger used to use.

So much more comfortable in fact a couple of years ago I was confident that he would one day become the best left-back in the world so I'm certain that he can't have turned into a bad player overnight.

Maybe Gael needs a time-out to recharge his batteries and get his head together.

Obviously Kieran Gibbs is next in line for the left-back slot but his injuries are so common at the moment a regular run in the side for him is impossible.

I feel for Kieran. He clearly has potential but every time he gets a chance to shine he gets injured. Despite him being injury-prone I've no doubt that he will be Arsenal and England's future left-back.

Whilst Clichy has been inconsistent and Gibbs spends a lot of time in the treatment room I think that Thomas Vermaelen could be a short term answer to the position.

Of course he is injured at present but when he recovers he could play there and a back four of Vermaelen-Djourou-Squillaci-Sagna looks very solid in my book.

There is the problem that Vermaelen is probably our best centre-back so it may seem daft to take him out of the centre of defence but surely it would tighten us up at the back?

Thomas plays left-back for Belgium quite regularly and did so for Ajax too. He is used to the position so I'm sure he would be comfortable there.

We all know he likes to get forward and Wenger encourages his full-backs to roam forward at every opportunity so he would enjoy it.

The most important aspect though in my opinion is that he defends first and obviously is a natural defender, definitely more so than Clichy and Gibbs at present.

And Arsenal need to defend better.

Keep it Goonerish.........

VICTORIA CONCORDIA CRESCIT Or In Some Cases; NOT!

I never thought I would say this but sometimes I am sick to death of the whining and whinging of my fellow Gooners.

Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion. I respect that. But sometimes the criticism of Arsene Wenger, the players and the club in general borders on the verge of hatred.

VICTORIA CONCORDIA CRESCIT is our motto. It means VICTORY GROWS OUT OF HARMONY.

Look around and you will definitely see that isn't a lot of harmony amongst Gooners at the moment.

Supporting a club is about being there for the good times and the bad times. We are lucky that we love and support a club like Arsenal.

We should uphold our motto, we have a duty to and we need to do so, especially with the challenges ahead of this season.

Who knows? In a months time things could so much more rosier. And, if you are completely honest, things aren't really that bad at present are they?

Of course things can be frustrating, I will never deny that, but surely a little harmony amongst us Gooners would go a long way?

Supporting a club is about respecting everything about it. Its history and what a club stands for. Sometimes I wonder whether some Gooners do that.

In my opinion constructive criticism is fine but when I see some Gooners slagging off Arsenal just for the sake of it and with no real reason to do so it annoys me.

I'm not suggesting that everything is perfect at the club, I know that and you know that, but at the moment there is a real split amongst us and that is worrying.

I don't expect everyone to agree with me on this but surely we should uphold our motto a little more?

Keep it Goonerish...........

I'm Glad We Didn't Sign Joe Cole Now

I'm soooooooo glad we didn't sign Joe Cole in the summer now.

In fact, I even wonder whether Wenger made an inquiry at all?

Don't get me wrong, Cole is a very good player but he hasn't exactly hit dizzy heights at Anfield has he?

I admit I was slightly gutted when Liverpool signed Joe Cole on a free transfer. I concede that I really really wanted him to arrive at the Emirates.

Here was a player, available on a free transfer, who from what I heard, wanted to sign for Arsenal.

I thought it would have been a great signing and another added bonus would have been we nicked him off Chelsea under the noses of Spurs!

When I think about it now maybe I was blinded by the fact Cole is a big name player.

We don't seem to sign many of those and the excitement could have caused me to be slightly blind to the fact we had an emerging player coming through the ranks who was ready to make a breakthrough into the first-team.

Had we brought Cole to the club then obviously it would have blocked young Jack Wilshere's path into the side.

Wilshere has been brilliant this season and is probably my favourite Arsenal player these days.

Don't get me wrong, Joe Cole is an experienced player with plenty of ability but I'd rather have Jack Wilshere all day long.

While I don't doubt that Cole would have done a decent job with us I'm glad that Arsene Wenger knew better than the likes of me and resisted signing him knowing that Wilshere was ready for first-team action.

I've always rated Jack but if you would have told me 12 months ago he could be starting at Old Trafford, in such a crucial match, I would have been slightly worried.

Now I have no such worries and I believe he is ready to play anywhere despite his age.

Wilshere played at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season and more than held his own. In fact, he was marvellous that day and impressed so much.

The boy has so much talent and the fact he has been raised through the ranks with us makes him extra special.

I hope he starts tomorrow night against Manchester United. I really believe he would shine there.

He has the potential to become an Arsenal great and I cannot speak highly enough of him. I'm so pleased that he is a first-team regular.

Sometimes we criticise Arsene Wenger for his dealings in the transfer market.

Of course sometimes he gets things wrong. Who doesn't?

What I will say is this is one decision he got spot on.

Keep it Goonerish..............

Patrice Evra's Comments Should Be Taken As A Complement

I'm sure many Gooners will be pissed off with Patrice Evra after his comments that Arsenal were a 'training centre' and that we have 'nothing' on Manchester United.

Do not give him the satisfaction of letting him wind you up! The gobby little shite wants a reaction and wants to get underneath Arsenal's skin.

Arsene Wenger's team-talk has now been done for him. He only has to pin this up on the changing room wall before the game and that is motivation in itself.

The reason Evra pipes up about Arsenal every time we play them is because he sees us as a threat.

He rarely says anything about any other club and for some reason we rile him.

Perhaps it is jealousy? Perhaps its because Wenger loves signing French players and Evra feels left out?

All I know is Patrice Evra sees Arsenal as a rival, and perhaps at the moment, the direct rival to Manchester United for the Premiership title.

He can say what he likes. I quite like it. It reminds me of the days when Vieira and Keane did battle. It means we are back and in the mix.

I'd love a new decade of Arsenal and Manchester United dominance. Those were good days and exciting to watch.

Now we have to contend with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City too.

For Evra to dig us out makes me feel that Arsenal and Manchester United are proper rivals again. I see it as a backhanded complement.

Keep it Goonerish..........

Yeah It Was Laboured, Yeah It Was Sh*t, But It Can't Always Be Sublime!

Right, lets be honest, that performance was an absolute pile of shite. Pure and utter dookie.

But really who cares?

The main thing is that we are through to the last 16 stage of the Champions League isn't it?

Sure it was more painful to watch at times than having an ingrown toe nail but at the end of the day our name is in the hat for the next round.

Of course we know we can play better than that, in fact my Nan could play better than that, so things can only get better. Right?

Obviously the performance was pony and Wenger left the changes too late (in my opinion) again but we won. That's all that counts.

Maybe we have been too spoiled over the years. We expect super sublime performances every game and that is just not possible.

Footballers have off-days too, they are human, and tonight was an off-night.

There are question marks over whether we can win the Champions League but when have we ever done things easy?

We should have qualified to the last 16 in the Stone Age but we decided to make it hard for ourselves.

That's cool.

We face one of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Schalke. Not the easy route but I guarantee none of that lot will fancy playing us.

You have to play the best to win the Champions League. Bring 'em on!

I wasn't expecting to play any big guns until later in the competition but shit happens.

We've scored the most home goals in Champions League group history and the best progression rate to the last 16 of the English teams involved.

Not too bad eh?

A win is a win. Ugly or beautiful. They all count.

Keep it Goonerish...............

Adebayor Has F*cked Himself

I'd love to say that I feel sorry for Emmanuel Adebayor but I just can't.

The man has completely and utterly fucked himself. His career at the moment is right in the balance and it appears that nobody wants him.

It seems Manchester City, his employers, do not want him and even that shlaaaaaag Harry Redknapp, who tries to turn all his clubs into mini-Arsenals, has turned a blind eye.

It could have been all so different for Adebayor.

Had he stayed at Arsenal I firmly believe that he could have progressed into one of the worlds top strikers. Honestly.

He can say all he wants that we should be grateful for receiving the sum we did for him from Manchester City but deep down I'm sure he regrets leaving Arsenal.

Of course Adebayor earns huge money at City. Those earnings probably soften the pain from the splinters in his arse gained from the bench, but surely playing regularly is what most professional footballers want to be doing.

Under Arsene Wenger he could have become an Arsenal icon. Instead he saw pound notes waved in front of him and took the bait.

His career and reputation is in tatters and I remember all those City fans coming on here to gloat when they signed him.

Now they curse him.

When at Arsenal Adebayor needed the right guidance. He isn't the brightest bulb in the box. Instead he got the wrong advice and look where he is now.

I know almost 99.9% of Gooners were glad to see the back of him, I was one of them. But he had talent and nurtured the right way would have made the most of that talent.

The money maybe greener but the grass isn't always greener and Adebayor has truly mangled his career.

Keep it Goonerish...........

Andrey Arshavin Has Got His Enthusiasm Back!

Samir Nasri has been Arsenal's best player so far this season and quite rightly is the name on all Gooners lips.

I'd even go as far as saying that had he been born on these shores then the English media would be wanking furiously over him just like they are over Gareth Bale.

Unfortunately a French man will never get the plaudits like a British man over here!

Thanks to France leaving him out of their World Cup squad Nasri seems to be a man possessed this campaign.

Eager to prove himself and France wrong, he has been a revelation. Dragging us through sticky situations he has been compared to past Arsenal greats Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg for his new-found goal scoring ability from midfield.

I kind of feel for Samir. He has been compared to so many players. The new Zidane, the new Pires and the new Freddie. I think he is just Samir Nasri and a player in his own right.

The summer of 2010 has seen a new Nasri. Reborn with a point to prove. And we are reaping the benefits!

As I've said Nasri is THE man at Arsenal right now but someone else's recent improving form has gone relatively unnoticed.

Like Samir Nasri's, Andrey Arshavin's form is getting better in recent weeks too.

I don't know if its anything to do with the weather conditions in England getting rapidly colder but I have definitely seen an improvement in the little Russian lately.

I think it would be fair to say that over the last 12 months we have only seen glimpses of Arshavins talent and what he can actually do.

It appeared that he lost a lot of enthusiasm for the game after his country, Russia, were beaten in the World Cup 2010 qualification play-offs against Slovenia and although its taken a long time to get rid of that hang-over I think he is finally turning the corner.

He has that ability to do something special and he is a match-winner. Frustrating at times but an important player none the less.

If Arshavin can continue to improve his form and get back to the top of his game then he will be just as important to Arsenal as Nasri is proving to be.

Keep it Goonerish.........

Are Gooners Hypocrites Or Just Desperate?

In a way I find it slightly embarrassing that we are chasing the Carling Cup 'trophy' after dismissing it as being 'Mickey Mouse' in recent years.

When the Spuds won it I laughed. It wasn't a 'real' trophy and we had better things to aim for. Watching them parade the Carling Cup had me pissing my knickers.

We were the mighty Arsenal and 'that' trophy was beneath us.

Even the FA Cup, a competition Arsene Wenger used to take seriously, took a backseat as we pursued the major honours in the game.

The Premiership title and Champions League were our targets. Especially Arsene Wenger's.

Now what? Finally the Carling Cup is being taken seriously because we haven't won a thing for nearly six years.

I don't buy it. How can I?

Sorry, I know it would be great to actually win something after so long (despite the longer periods of not winning things in our history) without silverware but for some reason I'd feel a bit hypocritical to celebrate winning the Carling Cup.

Of course I want Arsenal to win the damn thing. I want Arsenal to win everything but we usually 'dismiss' the Carling Cup as a youth exercise and that is down to Arsene Wenger.

Over the years Wenger has blooded his youngsters through this competition and now we have to win it, to keep the pressure off him, we are using stronger team-sheets and it all seems slightly fake to me.

I know the players are professionals and should aim to win every trophy but they would have noticed that Wenger in recent years has seen the Carling Cup as second-rate. A cup not really worth winning so why now?

I hate having a pop at Wenger, believe me I do, but how can we go from not caring about the Carling Cup to it suddenly becoming a major honour again?

By treating the Carling Cup (and FA Cup) as being not that 'important' to win Wenger has bred complacency in the squad. They are both more than winnable competitions and maybe if taken a little more seriously in the past, and not just now, we wouldn't have gone without a trophy since 2005.

On the positive side winning the Carling Cup could springboard this Arsenal squad onto future success. That would be brilliant and of course that is the view of a lot of Gooners these days.

I do understand that reasoning. I believe that could be the case too.

However I think raising the Carling Cup is more down to keeping people off Wenger's back. People have been banging on about us not winning things for a while now and Arsene is under-pressure, probably the most pressure in his Arsenal career, to win something.

I'm just finding it hard to get excited about the Carling Cup. I've spent so long not even considering it as a 'proper' trophy that I feel a bit embarrassed that now it is considered a priority.

Maybe I'm just being a mug and should be more grateful that we are in with a serious shout of winning something but its just the way I feel.

Keep it Goonerish.............