refu sports page

Only winning will force us back into the race.

2009-01-28T10:06:00.001-08:00

Big game tonight at Everton, only a win will do here. After losing ground badly in the early part of the season we must get a positive result to maintain any hope in the league.

The next few weeks of fixtures are kind as they are the so called weaker teams not the big four type games, whilst the others will play each other. It is in this time that Arsenal must gain some ground and winning is vital in the next 2 months. Then at the end Arsenal will face a run in which is very tough but if they do what they need to do the next 10 games they may be in a position where they could control much of their own fate. These big games will decide who wins the title.

I am not predicting Arsenal will win the title, but to start with a win tonight would be a good start and come april and may lets see what can happen.

Stephen could make me a bit Appiah.

2008-09-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

“There are contracts, there are talks – I can’t say anything yet,” said Appiah, 27, welcoming Wenger’s renewed interest.

“I am not going to put people off, my agents are talking so I have nothing else to say.”

From the above quote it may seem like the only obstacle to this free agent aquisition may indeed be the Arsenal Boss. It certainly seems as though this player who has had some injury "issues" in the past is very keen to come to the EPL. As an ardent Arsenal fan and quite dismayed by the lack of activity in the final transfer deadline hours all I can say is that the team needs him, Fabregas needs him and I fervently hope Mister Wenger recognises this.

There are definite problems at Arsenal and they are probably connected to the stadium. In the past I have wrote about Wengers re-evaluation of the football landscape post Abramovich and how his approach was now going to be a dedicated production line of youth players who would mature into world class players. Now it seems like every year a number of the present stars will be sacrificed in order to make payments on the stadium. This begs the possibility of Fabregas leaving soon and the absolute possibility of Adebayor leaving next year, a move perhaps he wanted this past summer.

However lets get back to Stephen Appiah, an opportunity so great as this does not come along every day. A midfielder with more experience and quality than Arsenal already possess to be a partner to Fabregas, has come on the market. No transfer fee and no deadline apart from other clubs who may act more speedily. People wonder if he still has injury problems, I say lets get him in. Wenger played the part of poker Arsene in the final hours of the transfer window and got played by Rafa Benitez. It was very hard to see Liverpool letting us have Alonso although a bid in the region of 17-18 million would have been interesting, alas we will never know. Now Arsene has been granted a stay of execution if you will, he would be wise to take this opportunity if for no other reason than to give the team some depth. Wenger talks of giving youth a chance, yet in the first 8 years of his time at Arsenal he relied heavily on "established" players. The kind that would not be bullied. Stephen Appiah is a strong midfielder who would add depth. Its a done deal right?

Lets hope Arsene can realise this also. Just when it all seemed like a long season was ahead signing Stephen would really make me Appiah.

The kind of player Wenger should be looking for.

2008-07-30T03:56:00.000-07:00

This guy is a class act and when things didnt go well for him he did not moan are you listening Hleb Flamini & Reyes(where are you now?)

Article follows:-

Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto has warned Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini they could live to regret leaving the Gunners.

The Brazilian has exited Arsenal for Panathinaikos this summer because he was not guaranteed first-team football, but Hleb and Flamini were first choices at the Emirates.

"When you win things, you achieve more than anybody else. You get better contracts, and more money, anyway," Gilberto told The Daily Telegraph.

"I can't blame a player who wants a good contract. But I believe if they stay at the club, they can earn good money and do a lot for the club and themselves.

"So if they win something, it means more and they are more appreciated by supporters.

"I don't know what the reason is for them leaving [Flamini and Hleb] but they could have stayed. If it's for money, I would think they're wrong.

"Most of the players who leave miss the club for lots of reasons. The lifestyle at Arsenal is fantastic. You get so well looked after."

Arsenal end of season review part 1.

2008-05-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

This I feel will be a long post so thats why its gonna be a multi part post. Also bear in mind I have just been watching the Robert Pires video on the other page.

First some words about "that" team. Its obvious to me that this was a team bursting with world class talent. Pires was given the "we are not worthy" accolade by his fellow team-mates in 2002 after a spectacular year I believe ended in unfortunate injury and missing the world cup. The components of the team were all there, a fantastic goalscorer in Thierry Henry ably aided by prolific wingers Pires and Ljungberg who each would score in excess of 10 goals a year. Ljungberg was a grafter always working back and always in tune with the number 10. Pires worked the left side magnificently with Henry and cole attacking from the left back spot. Most of the play came through the left hand side. Number 10 Dennis Bergkamp was the orchestrator of this orchestra, while Pires could be the orchestator for the left Bergkamp with sublime slide rule passing worked the middle for Henry and the right for Ljungberg. All of this should be remembered when I get to talking about the present Arsenal midfield. Patrick Vieira was the ball winner and probably the main line of defense before the back four came into play. Vieira broke up play and set the others on attack mode a lot of the time counter attack mode. Edu was also the hard tackling silky skilled midfielder who was much a reason for the teams success as any of the other team. His story is a pre-cursor to a lot of the bad things that have been happening to Arsenal since. More on that later. The back four were tenacious and verocious and teams often gave up when faced with this lot, they were winners and hated to lose. The team had it all and mostly they were full of matchwinners in their own right. Either one player could win games by themselves.

Ok enough with the past, lets talk about the recent present.

On first inspection of the season 2007-2008 Arsenal finished in third place 4 points behind United and with an inferior goal difference so in effect Arsenal finished 5 points behind the eventual winners. Wenger will say this was a vast improvement on the last season, 15 points more and a place more. It is true that the team performed well. It is largely a matter of perception. Some say that the team fell away at the end and seemed to lose focus and stamina for the final run-in. Others will say that if they had been behind in the race early and stormed back late in the race then the whole perception of the team would be different. I of course believe that the former is true, This team was in position to win and with some key moments in the premiership race the prize was gone.

Of course over the course of a full season there can be points that are lost and you may hope later in the year they dont become critical dropped points. The draw with blackburn away and the draw with liverpool away (a game in which the team really played well). Getting to christmas in good shape and losing the first game at Middlesboro - a tough place to play. Then when most pundits expected the team to fail at Newcastle they played a creditable 1-1 draw with a team that played hard for their manager Sam Allardyce. Arsenal had taken only one point from 2 games and with Everton away things looked tricky. This is where Eduardo was starting to come into his own and two goals against Everton secured a 4-1 win. The team had come through a tough period. Through December wins against Chelsea and Tottenham move things along. Adebayor comes on strong now with more goals against West Ham and Man City. Eduardo chipping in with a goal against City. And then a win against Blackburn with United busy with FA Cup duty. The following week United lose to Man City and a 5 point gaps appears with Arsenal at the top of the table. At this point in the season all is not what it may seem.

One step forward, one step back.

2008-03-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

Wednesday heralded the end of the old experienced Milan team and ushered in the new guard of an Arsenal team put together by the skillful Arsene Wenger. The two goals came in the last 10 minutes but in all honesty the tie should have been over 45 - 90 minutes before that from either the first leg or from just before half-time when the crossbar was troubled both times. That Fabregas should score the first and Adebayor the sealing goal was extremely apt. This was a big big step in this team maturing and they are in the draw for the quarter-finals.
However the 5 point lead Arsenal had is now reduced to a mere 1 point and that was due in no large amount to that late late goal by Bendtner. The league form has been a bit patchy with two draws and now tomorrow, Sunday is massive with United busy in the F.A. cup a win can spring Arsenal 4 points clear and one game less to play.
Typical that when I hoped United and Chelsea win that they each lose their F.A. cup tie and reduce the amount of games advantage that Arsenal would have had. Tomorrow against Wigan the team must win convincingly. True to say that the points are now most important but for confidence to flow again a big win is needed...at least a two goal margin 2-0/3-1 would be most welcome.

Speedy recovery wished for Eduardo.

2008-02-26T19:04:00.000-08:00

I predicted at the start of the season that what was in effect Thierry Henry's replacement, the signing of Eduardo would in effect be a good one. I felt that he could "weigh in" with between 15-20 goals. Well for this season at least he has signed off with a tally of 12 goals, I dont think that 15 goals as I predicted was going to be a problem for this player who with Robin Van Persie being out injured for a large part of the season. Indeed Eduardo had benefitted from the young dutchman being out of the side and he was starting to make his mark in the team. Eduardo may very well have finish with perhaps 18-20 goals-well within my expectations for a player who had bagged over 30 goals last season.
All of these things came to an end for Eduardo last Saturday when what I have come to terms with saying was now a mistimed tackle. Yes Arsenal are the kind of team that most people cannot let play their type of football, you do have to get amongst them and from time to time these things will happen. Its best now to leave it at that and let the emotions of a horrific tackle subside. It remains only to be said that perhaps the red card offence of three games for violent conduct is proper. The type of thing that has happened to Middleboro with Aladiere getting what was 3 games now changed to 4 games for a mere tap on the chin is absolutely ridiculous and Mascherano escapes all punishment for his inciteful initiation of the incident. It really beggars belief.
What now for Eduardo?... 9 months of rehab with some speculating that 1) he will never play again 2)if he does play agin he will never get back to the level he was getting to this season. and 3)psychologically will he ever be able to withstand a tough challenge again.
I for one hope beyond hope he can dispell all of these fears. I look forward to seeing him get back to playing, get back to the level he was at last Saturday and beyond and I look to see him take that first heavy challenge and get up again to will Arsenal on to greater glory. Now the team must come together and do it for Eduardo and take the premiership against all the odds of the start of the season and even against the odds of now.
Get well soon Eduardo and I will smile happily when I see you back on the field with your Arsenal team again.

Gap to united & chelsea remains close.

2008-02-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

Whether it is perhaps due to the idea that Arsenal do not possess the killer instinct or just the sort of results that sometime come about the fact remains that united and chelsea remain quite close to Arsenal.
Dont misunderstand me, it is a gap I would have readily accepted with glee back in August when the league began with a 2-1 win over fulham at home, a game which in many ways have reflected the season Arsenal have had. It is tempting as a supporter to total up the points that perhaps should have been won 2 points dropped against some teams such as blackburn away and liverpool away and of course birmingham home and away.But it is true to forget the points that have been won when things might have suggested we would not collect as many as we have, most notably against everton away and the equalising goal in injury time against united and the home win against chelsea. I believe that the Gallas goal against united may be the defining moment of this league campaign.
The last 3 results have not been good if you support Arsenal. I tend to believe that the FA Cup was "sacrificed" in order to maintain the push for the league title and the champions league. The players were just not interested in that defeat. The Milan game as highlighted already was a close game that perhaps should have been won ....narrowly. A strange kind of result which makes the second leg hard to predict. This latest game against birmingham was just one of those results, I know that Adebayor did see Bendtner and should have squared the ball to him for a simple goal to make it 3-1 and game over. It was appalling to see Clichy make such a basic mistake for the penalty, no argument from me it was a definite penalty but Clichy had so much time to just hoof the ball anywhere, Clichy had been having an outstanding season as has the other full back Sagna, Clichy has made some very uncharacteristic mistakes and this was the worst of the season. So a draw and a display of weakness from the captain Gallas for united to feed off, with his outburst at the end of the game.
In November I was asked if I believed Arsenal would win the league....in my heart I felt that they would just fall a little short. I am now thinking that with 11 games now to go that this team has come too far to now fail. I have fears of a Newcastle type implosion and with some games coming up which are winnable the Arsenal must win the next 3-4 games and then have a cushion to take to the difficult run of games where we will face liverpool and chelsea and then finally united. I have wrote alot about the cushion and gaps to the other teams and now I beleive more than ever that those gaps will be needed. I dont really beleive that the team will implode but rather will rally around the terrible injury inflicted to Eduardo. Now is the time to come together and be a team have Walcott step up and get Van Persie back for the run in. Everything still to play for and those teams have to catch the Arsenal.

1st leg Champions league conclusion.

2008-02-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

Now that it has been nearly a week I think it is time to comment on this game. In essence I thought Arsenal were more than good value for at least a 1-0 lead to take to Italy. Milan came to defend firstly and try to get something from the game, Arsenal contained the Milan midfield very well and were more than dominant but in European football everything is at a much more magnified level, chances dont come as often and it is hard to be as physically imposing as you can in the premier league. This game produced little in the first 35 minutes, Arsenal were dominant but Milan were comfortable defending very well, then the opportunity came a few minutes before half time. A quick one two opened up the Milan defence a simple pass from Adebayor to Fabregas would have seen the young spaniard through on goal with just the keeper to beat. The pass was a very bad one and the chance was gone.
Second half resumed and Nesta had to go off injured, it was at this point that Arsenal really took control of the game creating opportunities almost at will but due to some poor finishing or some last ditch defending the game remained at 0-0. Most of the shots played straight at the keeper, as the second half wore on Arsenal got stronger and stronger and Milan's older legs grew more tired. Arsenal were now pushing for the first goal of the tie, as the game moved into the later stages Walcott came on and in the last seconds of the game he got to the byline and crossed to a relatively unmarked Adebayor. From the picture above you can see Adebayor hit the post perhaps hindered by the slight tug on his shirt. So it ended 0-0.

For the second leg a 0-0 is not a bad result...it will be hard to play in a hostile environment but the prospect of getting an away goal may be enough to put the team through. I expect another cagey and tense first 60 minutes and then for the game to open up and this is when the tie will be decided. It will be tough and I had hoped for at least a goal lead to take to Italy but this team still has an outstanding chance to go through.

Arsenal report card at mid-term.

2007-12-17T09:48:00.000-08:00

The boys are doing alright, I think. Post match reaction from the Chelsea game is very good if you are an Arsenal fan. After several games against Chelsea, Arsenal had found it extremely difficult to beat their new and more recent london rivals. This game answered a lot of the critics, those who felt the younger members of the Arsenal team could not reach the lofty highs of the top tier of English football. Grand Slam Sunday reaffirmed the fact that United and Arsenal will most likely fight it out till the end. Last season the media wondered who had gotten the best deal out of the Cole/Gallas swap deal. Arsenal had at that time got a future captain and a player who is proving to be a legend in the making weighing in with 3 vital goals. One against United in November which effectively keeps Arsenal top of the league and one against a strong defensive Wigan display which was a vital three points and yesterday one against his old team- Chelsea. Arsenal have seized control of the top of the table and can now look down on those who pretend to be challengers. Liverpool after back to back league defeats seem to be out of it 10 points behind but with a game in hand, Chelsea now six points behind a healthy buffer for Arsenal. As i have always predicted it is United who are going to be the main challengers, perhaps it is Arsenal who are the main challengers to United in some peoples eyes.
Arsenal showed yesterday that they will fight tooth and nail all the way to the end. They have played nearly half of the campaign and are still top of the league. United will still feel like they should now be top. They have yet again gone to Liverpool and robbed them of the full three points. Yesterday United were the real winners, going to Liverpool and coming back with a win. Arsenal then responded with the victory required to go back on top of the league. Still more tests lie ahead. Next weekend a Tottenham side come to the Emirates and later in the month away trips to Everton and Portsmouth. There is still a long way to go but if Arsenal can still be on top come the new year United will find it very hard to get in front in this marathon race to the summit of the Premiership.

Arsenal's perfect start still needs some fine tuning.

2007-10-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

Arsenal have started the English premier league in fine form winning 7 games and drawing just once. The main challengers to Arsenal's perfect start are Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United.

Chelsea famously have started the process of decline in my opinion, all sparked off by the parting of ways of Mourinho and Abramovich. This was always an uneasy partnership, yet if Abramovich had just let Mourinho control team affairs and transfers then it is likely Chelsea would have continued to dominate for last year and maybe this year. The beginning of the end was last January when Terry was injured and Abramovich denied the coach the funds to go out and get a player to fill the void. Chelsea went on to surrender their title at Arsenal in May. The signings of Ballack and Shevchenko upset the balance of the team and wingers like Duff and Robben were discarded for central midfielders. Murinho took the easy way out and left before he would be humiliated by Manchester United. Chelsea have since dropped valuable points and Arsenal have a 7 point lead with a game in hand.

Liverpool in the first few weeks frightened me slightly, they spent big buying Babel and Torres amongst others and they started well...something they had not done last season. They should have taken 3 points against Chelsea but referree error led to a 1-1 draw. Benitez has shown a stubborness to continue in the rotation policy when it has clearly shown itself to be a problem in obtaining results. Without Agger against Tottenham they struggled to get a draw. They remain unbeaten like Arsenal but have a lot of questions to answer fully. Four wins and four draws leave them 6 points behind Arsenal.

Manchester United had a poor start to the season not withstanding the injury to Rooney and suspension to Ronaldo, they did not play well and lost to a new look Manchester City. With that loss and two other draws in their first three games they fell behind early.Since then they have had a series of 1-0 wins lucky, fortunate or deserved it still remains that they won those games. I had been hoping for a draw or loss in their games so that Arsenal will have a bigger cushion. They are starting to play well but I am hoping the law of averages will kick in and they will drop some points. Manchester United are the main challengers to Arsenal and if Arsenal can win their games in hand they can have a 5 point lead.

With those points cushions of 5,6 and 7. Arsenal have built up a nice protective space and allowance for any dip in form. Of course I hope that this does not occur but realistically there are going to be difficult games to come. It has been pointed out that Arsenal have played a lot of games close to home in the london area. However I would say that some of these games would not have been won last season and that Wenger's team is showing a mental toughness that dare I say it, champions are made of. Truly there is a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead. The end of October and beginning of November will tell a big story about the fate of this team this season. Liverpool away is always a tough place to go to and a win there always shows champion potential. After LIverpool away the following weekend will be Manchester United at home a game we always do well in. These two games will show a lot. I hope for the cushions to get bigger and for Arsenal to win these games. If Arsenal have had an easy first 10 or so games then the rest of the league schedule will be tougher, but its always good to go into these games with real confidence and a swagger. However this swagger can go quickly so Arsenal make hay while the sun shines.
The team is scoring freely but also conceding slightly regularly one every other game. Sunderland nearly got some reward from their recent game with Arsenal, this game must be used as a lesson and putting teams away when you are on top is paramount. Something to work on as you cant always guarantee 2-3 goals every game.

it still remains that this Arsenal team seem hungry and harmonious, similar to Manchester United. Without question Chelsea and LIverpool have some small problems in those departments. For this reason I see a return to old days when Manchester United and Arsenal do battle for the destination of the premier league, yes Liverpool and Chelsea will be there or there abouts but for now I can see another famous Ferguson/Wenger war to the bitter end of this exciting premier league season.

They are doing alright so far...arent they?.

2007-09-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

Arsenal are doing quite well so far 4 games into the season in the league and two pre-qualifying games in the Champions league. So they are doing good right now. Think of the blackburn game which should have yielded 3 full points also and they would be clear top of the league. There will be cold and dark games to come in december and january but for now I am happy that they are doing alright....arent they?

Arsenal season preview.

2007-08-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

There are still 20 days for all clubs to bring in new players. However the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated something to the effect of that the team has enough quality and if they heard of an exceptional price for a player they would consider it. Reading between the lines it looks to the average fan that those 3 players who have come in (Fabianski/Sagna and Eduardo da Silva... a goalkeeper, full back-defender, and a striker respectively) may be the last of the summer window. There have been a lot of outgoings in the club Henry/Ljungberg and Reyes to mention just a few. The team of "Invincibles" have truly been demolished and scattered across europe.

Thierry Henry's replacement is not Thierry's replacement.

2007-07-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Eduardo Da Silva is not Thierry Henry, some may try to say that he is going to be a like for like replacement but this new player that Arsenal have just signed for half the fee from Henry's sale, is his own player and will make his own mark.
My opinion is that this player will chip in with at least 15 goals this season and it appears to me that he is the kind of player who is going to be in the right place at the right time. I think that this signing will force almost every player to step up their game and instead of relying on the 25 goals that Henry would have scored, now we will have a situation where each striker can get 10-15 goals. Wenger has always been loyal to his players so I see the starting strikers to be Van Persie and Adebayor, but make no mistake this player whilst not a big big signing, will make his own mark when given the chance. Even if the Croatian league is not of the highest standard this player has scored 34 goals last season and one of those against Arsenal. I hope that he can get 15 goals and maybe even 20.
Henry has left and his stature as a world class player and a senior player often inhibited the other younger players and now that he is no longer there the players that are left can now play a lot more freely and make their own mistakes and play well. Wenger will sign another player or two but the start of the premier season will be viatal and Arsenal must start well. It is unrealistic to see them as winning the premier league but progress would be second or third place. Some fear that Tottenham or Newcastle will threaten this may be true. Liverpool have signed Torres....a great player but way too much money paid. So Arsenal have a tough season ahead but the kids now must stand on their own unaided by bigger players. For what it is worth Gilberto must now be captain, he showed his qualities last season in this capacity. Eduardo will take a few games to settle but he is a different option to what Henry was.

Thierry Henry leaves Arsenal.

2007-06-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

Last night as the sports channel I watch for all my football information carried the story and heavy rumour that Henry was to move finally to Barcelona, I had a heavy heart. Arsenal's greatest ever goal scorer was leaving for certain reasons which were not football related. Henry had become destabilised by Arsene Wengers reluctance to commit to his future beyond his current deal which expires next year.
The whole american takeover bid headed by Kroenke and supported by David Dein (which ultimately saw him resign his position) which resulted in Dein leaving had also unsettled Henry. And so for these reasons Henry has decided that his eight fruitful years at Arsenal would come to an end. It appears that the meeting he had with Wenger was the final confirmation that it was best for him to leave. This is a very bad sign for those Arsenal fans who want Wenger to stay at the club beyond next year. Wenger has always honoured his contracts and will do so here also - but his current one lasts only until next year. I have to conclude that when Henry asked him if he was staying at the club longer than next year that at best Wenger could not positively say he would.
So after less than 24 hours of the knowledge that Thierry Henry is leaving Arsenal for Barcelona I have come to terms with the loss of Henry and even come to the realisation that this is perhaps the best senario for all parties, Arsenal have made what some may say a sound business deal, 17 million for a 29 year old who had just had an injury plagued season and whom was earning a reported 120,000 a week. To be able to remove that wage burden and also get a further 17 million for the inevitable signing of the replacement Arsenal needs desperately...but more on that later. Some have said that it was on the cheap side and did Arsenal try to get Eto'o as part of a swap deal. These details may emerge at a later date.
Henry's influence in my opinion had become so big that it actually hindered some of the other players at the club. These players now have the opportunity to grow and develop into world class players in their own right. I have no doubt that Gilberto Silva will now become captain of the club and Cesc Fabregas will be a candidate for vice captain and also even Kolo Toure will be considered. As previously stated Henry was never convincing Captaincy material and the role may even have hindered his game. He will now have 3-4 years at the top with Barcelona in what may seem like a dream team. If I was a Barcelona fan I would be slightly concerned about how exactly all of these glamour players will be able to play together and how the balance of the whole team will be. Will one or two of the big name players have to sit some games out. Of course there will be no way of knowing if Henry will stay injury free as last season he had a very injury prone year. Thierry Henry I wish you the best of luck but life at Arsenal will go on.

The future of Arsenal football club is now really at a cross roads. With the departure of Henry, Wenger whose own future is clouded in doubt must show the other players that the club can compete for all the major honours, this means a suitable replacement for the outgoing captain. The name I immediately thought about was Obafemi Martins, a player who last season came from Inter Milan to Newcastle and one whom seems to have settled very well in his first season in the premiership scoring 17 goals. Newcastle fans will be nervous indeed, another name who has cropped up is Fernando Torres of Athletico Madrid. This would be a major statement of intent from the club as it would not be a minor amount of money. Torres would show the world that Arsenal were a serious force in the transfer market. Other names have been Michael Owen and David Trezeguet but these players are like Henry in the respect that they have seen their best years already and may be past their best.The players also need a statement from Wenger but it seems like this will not be coming so soon, so in the next few days and weeks the existing players need to see the intent of the club in signing some top class players. In the past Wenger has said he is looking for some super world class players and the board has always said that there is money there to be spent. Add 17 million to that from Henry's transfer (a far higher fee than Barcelona wanted to pay) and Wenger has a significant war chest to go out and buy a player that will compliment Van Persie and Adebayor and Niklas Bendtner. Those clubs who Arsenal wish to but from now will know that there is money burning a hole in Wengers pocket and wont sell on the low side. The next week or two will be very crucial in Arsenals short term future. Will Arsenal be a force again? My answer right now is yes, I do however want to see who will be coming in now. I would be relatively happy with any two from this trio...Obafemi Martins/Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel.

F1 safety standards saves Kubica's life.

2007-06-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

This incident occured as I watched the Canadian grand prix yesterday. Robert Kubica touched another wheel of a driver and he was launched into the air and slammed into a concrete wall and rolled back across the track sideways to the other concrete wall. As you can see the cockpit remained intact and only the peripheral machinery like wheels and wings for downforce made of plastic material came apart. As a result of the safety of these cars the driver sustained only minor injury in breaking a leg. The crash was fierce but thankfully Kubica will race again.

Finsceal Beo gets me off the mark.

2007-05-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Horseracing tip number 3, Finsceal Beo won quite readily for me over the weekend at odds of 4/5. Not world beating stuff but a good winner whatever the price is always welcome. I had been negative 2 but now I am getting back some of my losses, now negative 1.2.

Nurnberg deny Stutgart the double.

2007-05-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Nurnberg.....a city where I have very fond memories and many good friends. I have been at Nurnberg's stadium a few times and the atmosphere there has been fantastic.

Here is an exerpt from "Sportinglife.com"........

Nurnberg won the DFB-Pokal for the first time in 45 years after edging an entertaining affair against the 10 men of Bundesliga champions Stuttgart. The Bavarians needed extra-time to finally claim the advantage in one of the most exciting cup finals in recent years. Cacau had put Stuttgart ahead in the 20th minute, but Marek Mintal soon replied before Cacau was given his marching orders on the half-hour mark. It was advantage Nurnberg when Marco Engelhardt headed home two minutes after the break, but just as Hans Meyer's side were beginning to celebrate, Stuttgart were awarded a penalty which Pavel Pardo swept in to force extra-time. A Jan Kristiansen strike just after the first period of extra-time then sealed the win for Nurnberg, earning them their first piece of silverware since 1968.

Having won the Bundesliga title seven days ago, Stuttgart were hoping to complete the double by breaking their seasonal jinx against Nurnberg. The Bavarians were the only side to twice beat the Swabians in the Bundesliga this year. It looked like that was about to change, though, when former Nurnberg striker Cacau beat the onrushing Rafael Schafer to put Armin Veh's side in front. The lead lasted seven minutes before Mintal brought Nurnberg level, starting and finishing a move which involved Bastian Reinhardt sending in a cross from the wing for the Slovakian to divert in. The turning point of the game came minutes later when Cacau was shown a red card for aiming a punch at Andreas Wolf.
With just 10 men, Stuttgart found it more difficult to create any chances. Early in the second half, Engelhardt finally put Nurnberg ahead, heading Javier Pinola's cross past Timo Hildebrand.

The Nurnberg fans were beginning to celebrate when referee Felix Brych gave Stuttgart the chance to get back on terms from the spot. Mario Gomez fell under the challenge of Schafer and, although the ball was running harmlessly out for a goal kick, the intervention was judged worthy of a spot-kick, and Pardo swept it in in the 80th minute. Extra time it was, then, and once again it was Nurnberg who made their one-man advantage count, particularly as Stuttgart began to tire.

Four minutes into the second period, Kristiansen stole the morning headlines with a wonder-strike from almost 30 yards. It was a goal worthy of winning any match and as it cannoned in off the underside of the bar, the Nurnberg fans began to celebrate, this time with the result not challenged.

Jockey Fran Berry.

2007-05-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here is an exerpt from Irish-Racing from last week....

"There was also a double on the card for champion jockey Declan McDonagh who got Hard Rock City back to winning ways on his seasonal debut to complete the two timer. In a dramatic contest the Michael Grassick trained seven year old got up by a half a length from the game Duff in second. Duff was ridden by Fran Berry who's irons snapped leaving stalls and following an uncomfortable spin around was unlucky not to hold on."

I saw this race last week and watched in amazement as Frans footing in the stirrups were lost. I felt at that stage that his mount "Duff" had no chance of registering any kind of result. And yet as the group approached the last furlong it appeared that the pairing might in fact get an unlikely win. Fran was riding this horse at a very high pace and with no real control over his balance in the saddle there was no sign of him taking the easy way out and just saving himself. He cojoled his horse to give everything and it was great shame that in the end he got worn down to finish runner up. I felt sure that he would have won this race had he not have had that misfortune and Fran lost nothing in coming second.

Fran has been a long time friend of my brothers and for a long time now I have been following his racing career with interest. There are a lot of good jockeys in Ireland and Fran does not always get the kind of good rides he deserves but with the rides he does get he has proved well up to the task. It is a difficult lifestyle and I wish him the best in the future. I take delight in watching his every victory and just yesterday he had a nice victory on "Munnings" at the Curragh, his home venue.

Horseracing week 3.

2007-05-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last time my selection "My Paris" was narrowly beaten into second place leaving me with a negative 2 points, and still having no winners.
This week, in an effort to recoup those losses I am going for "Finsceal Beo" at the Curragh in the Irish 1000 Guineas. It will be a short enough price, maybe evens. Lets hope I can get a winner today.

Manchester United miss chance to assert their position.

2007-05-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Manchester United had the chance to beat Chelsea not only today but for what could possibly would have been a large part of next season. United had only beaten Chelsea previously on one occasion and having successfully wrestled the premiership title away from the londoners, today was the perfect opportunity to assert that dominance. They did have chances to do so, and now may regret the fact that they did not win this game.
Who will now know what the effect of Chelsea losing today would have meant as the club may have transpired to lose certain personel and second guess the season that has just concluded. As it stands the season has not been an outstanding one for Chelsea but however it has not been a terrible one. The victory in the F.A. Cup will have put a positive spin on the club and now they will have the holidays and summer to re-group and come back stronger for the challenge of regaining the premiership. The competition for the main prizes again seem to be coming from Manchester United, Chelsea and I think Arsenal will be there also if they can get off to a good start particularly. This season has concluded with no apparent top dog in the english game. Yes United did win the league but today Chelsea have stated that they are going to be vying for that position also, they have stated their hunger for the fight. Arsenal -if injury free- can join the fight for the title next year, but for now United have lost the psychological initiative.

Horseracing Week 2.

2007-05-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Last week I picked "many volumes" and it really was never in the running. I am now negative one point. In an effort to get into the positive stakes here is my pick for Sunday 20th May.
Ripon 3.40 "My Paris". It has a very handy weight pull with Rio Riva and has had a recent victory and a good jockey.

Arsenal Season review.

2007-05-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

This has been an Arsenal season like no other. Last season was quite simply the worst season Arsenal had ever had under manager Arsene Wenger. Arsenal had to rely on another team and an improbable "lasagnegate" situation in order to finish in the last champions league position. Fourth was a big drop from the lofty heights of the Invincibles. The season was largely called a year of transistion whether the team liked it or not.
Now one year later Arsenal find themselves in only a slightly better position having secured the same fourth position with a few games to spare and having contested another final. Arsenal have gone in recent times from being the winners of such prizes to now being the runners-up and getting to finals without winning any. Arsene Wenger has started the process of re-building and his plan is now in year two. The reality of a Chelsea who has had unlimited funding for the last 3 years has caused Wenger to start again with a new blueprint for success. Casting away the older members of the Arsenal recent past Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira, Edu, Ray Parlour, and perhaps the biggest ones Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp. Due to the current state of the team Bergkamp and Pires have not been replaced properly, for so long Bergkamp had provided the flair and inspiration, the incisive pass and the fast counter attack whilst Pires has provided 10-15 goals consistently from wide positions. Arsenals decline has seemed to coincide with that of Bergkamp and there seems to be very few current members of the team that can do what Bergkamp used to do. Fabregas who just turned 20 years of age is the only player who seems to be trying to do the job of Vieira and Bergkamp together. That is surely too much to load onto one young player. All of the goals are now coming only from the strikers and very few are coming from midfield, with our player of the year Gilberto contributing 10 goals and he is supposed to a defensive holding midfielder. We are too well endowed with passing midfield players Fabregas, Hleb and Rosicky and they do not score enough goals.
This Arsenal team is totally different from the team in recent years, they are very bad at defending set-pieces and especially corner kicks and a lack of concentration has seen the team too often concede the first goal. It is very hard to win games in the premier league if you concede the first goal, although Arsenal have shown great character a number of times to come from behind to win or draw games. How many more points would this team have amassed if they had not conceeded a number of those goals first. The transistion to the new stadium has taken its toll also with a number of points dropped at the stadium in the first half of the season. There is however cause for great optimism as the team has scaled the heights against the best, they have beaten the best team twice home and away and drawn twice with the second best team and won once and lost once against the third placed team. It has been lapses against the lower teams that has cost this team. Arsenal are a team that at their best can beat anyone but with injuries and inconsistencies resulting from the younger players inexperience.
Arsenal need to add a wide player in the mould of a Ljungberg or a Pires someone who can add some goals from midfield. Ribery will suit, that and an injury free campaign, the adjustment ot the new stadium and some of the younger players growing up a bit will all contribute to a better campaign next year.

HorseRacing picks through the summer.

2007-05-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

Just for the hell of it I am going to pick a horse each saturday or each week and starting with 1 unit stake lets see if I am going to be in the positive stakes or negative stakes.

Todays selection is in the Lingfiled Trial and the names is "Many Volumes". Lets see how I do through the summer.

Update: Arsenal Vs Chelsea will be title decider.

2007-05-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

With Manchester United leading 1-0. Tommorow Arsenal will play for themselves in order to claim third place in the premiership- a situation Arsenal must improve on next year. If by some happy coincidence this will mean Chelsea and especially Cashley Cole do not win the premiership and lose their champions tag then I will be all the more happy.

I do however have a distinct feeling that Cashley Cole will have some kind of phantom injury which will enable him not to be selected to play against Arsenal. Arsenal are not at full strength but nevertheless I hope that they can win tomorrow. Certainly I do not expect them to lose. Tomorrow will be sweet as Mourinho will have to shake Wenger's hand and then make some kind of perverted excuses for the reason that they did not win the premiership this year. Start thinking Mr Mourinho.

Now Chelsea are happy to look to the future!

2007-05-05T05:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry Mr Mourinho, you cant now say that this team is going through a period of re-building and that in the future the Chelsea team will win such prizes that they were not able to win this year. Shevchenko (30 million) and the other high profile transfers Ballack and (Cole) signalled Chelsea's intent to take any/all of the major trophies this year not next year. What was patently obvious last august was that Chelsea were serious about retaining the premiership -something they probably took as a given- and very very serious about winning the champions league. The champions league was the whole reason why they brought in the two high profile players and it was widely regarded that Chelsea would be one of the favourites to win the highest european club trophy.

Now Mourinho is happy to say next year will be better for them. They will have lost the premiership by tomorrow evening and have been dumped out of europe in the last few days. It appears that the F.A. cup will be their last chance for a semi important piece of silverware. Everyone would agree that the premiership and europe are the two top trophies for the top teams. Now Chelsea who have already won the Carling Cup wrestling the trophy from the grasp of the Arsenal "kids", will have to go toe to toe with Manchester United just to have a semi sucessful season. Would the F.A. cup and the Carling cup be enough for a financial giant that Chelsea is?. I dont think so... and this is presuming that Chelsea even win against Manchester United. For both teams can soon turn their attentions to the final in a couple of weeks as the premiership will be won quite soon and its not going to London.

This is not how the season was supposed to be for Abramovich and his Chelski henchmen.

Champions league final - I make Liverpool favourites.

2007-05-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

Having won their way through to the final of the champions league final, Liverpool look set to repeat their thrilling victory over AC Milan. Chelsea have been dispatched by a gutsy Liverpool victory in going to penalties and Milan will feel a very familiar and nervy deja vu in which they will fear another defeat.

If Liverpool can bring the game to Milan and the game becomes tight then Milan will fear an inferiority complex and wonder if they are going to be good enough to prevail. My best guess is that they will not prevail and as in 2005 Liverpool will become champions of europe again.

Chelsea to lose title at Arsenal A.K.A. Poetic Justice.

2007-04-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

In times such as these when there is a dominant power you will find many different unlikely alliances. This is the nature of things.

Next Saturday an alliance of sorts will be formed. The Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has already stated his vote for manager of the year will go to the Manchester United manager. On Saturday we will see Arsenal play for themselves firstly and then see where that helps Manchester United. It is no secret that Arsenal and Wenger have a few scores to settle with Chelsea. Only a matter of weeks ago Arsenal lost a cup final whilst playing arguably an understrength team in controversial circumstances and with an unsavoury melee at the end of the game due to Chelsea's sly time wasting and shirt pulling tactics. Add into the mix that Arsenal has struggled to beat Chelsea in recent years and almost did beat them in the reverse fixture and the whole Colegate saga and a final minute transfer of Gallas and Cole last summer, and you can see that Arsenal will be motivated beyond belief to bring the Abramovich era to a slight slow down. Mourinho has made much of the fact that he has never lost a league title in four seasons. Saturday will give Wenger the opportunity to drive the final nail into the "champions" quest to retain the title they have won for the last two seasons.

It is with great satisfaction that Arsenal fans will see Chelsea's reign as champions come to a close on saturday-if results transpire as they should. Manchester United whilst engaging in a full blooded derby with neighbours Manchester City should really get the three points they will need. When Sunday comes around Chelsea will need to get a win to counter and take the league to another weekend. Last summer Mourinho finally got one over on Wenger in his show of strength in finally getting Ashley Cole, however Wenger did get a measure of revenge in engineering the swap of William Gallas for Cole. As events have shown Chelsea have needed a William Gallas more than they have needed an Ashley Cole and over the christmas period Cole conceeded an own goal...a result that ultimately may condemn Chelsea in the long term to second place.
Saturday will bring an accomplished Arsenal team without star strikers Henry and Van Persie but nevertheless a team that has lost only once at the Emirates Stadium. Ateam that has played its best against the bigger teams. A team that is not at its strongest but a very strong team capable of taking points away from Chelsea which will make Manchester United champions on Sunday afternoon. Chelsea have made some major mistakes over the course of the season. Showing their bravado in desperately getting Cole whilst allowing Gallas to go and priceless cover in the defense lost. Not buying a defender in the transfer window in January and trying to rush John Terry back from injury.
Chelsea will lose the title at Arsenal and it will only be their own fault through bad management and an egotistical atitude towards their rivals.

Senderos the weak link.

2007-03-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

This is a considered view, carefully considered and concluded after watching many hours of football in which Arsenal have taken place.
Since winning the FA Cup in 2005 (Arsenals last major trophy) the team has gone out of the cup on the last two occasions, both of which have been away from home and to the scoreline of 0-1. Senderos has been at fault for both defeats, first away to bolton last year and more recently away to blackburn rovers playing at right back. His ditribution may be good but playing alongside his arsenal team-mates he has been found to have bad passing.

Carling cup post mortem.

2007-03-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

As it transpired it is only now that I have had a chance to rake through the ashes as it were in relation to the Carling cup final. Maybe the 4 days have been needed in order for me to have some semblance of perspective, but I am an Arsenal fan.

The "kids" started really well and very forcibly set chelsea back on their heels, arsenal got the goal that their play had deserved, commentators have stated that it was reminiscent of Michael Owen and I have to agree. Nobody knows what kind of player Walcott will mature into but at Arsenal he has a better chance than most. At only 17 he remains an unknown quantity but has many years ahead of him. It was only a matter of minutes when Chelsea levelled the game with what I thought to be a perfectly legal goal. I do blame a combination of both Senderos and Traore and in particular Traore had a hard time with his positioning, seeming to get dragged into the central areas of defense far too easily. It was from this indiscipline that the goal eventually came as Traore was out of position and Senderos tried to play Drogba offside. In hindsight clichy should have played leftback. The remaining of the first half continued with Arsenal in control but without too much incidence.

Mourinho may think that his half time substitutions won the game for chelsea but right after the half time changes came Arsenal had the first two chances to score, first Fabregas flashed a drive inches wide and then in a more incisive move Diaby (who had a very good game) fluffed a shot into the far corner which Cech saved quite easily some oppertunity to go 2-1 up. This was not the turning point. The turning point came ironically enough when Terry got kicked in the head by Diaby, one of those clearances with the foot that Terry had to try to head the ball. Ironically and whilst Terry was indanger of losing his life and had to go to hospital Diaby who looked visibly upset had to also go off as he had injured his foot. Up until this time Arsenal had been in control of the game, with Diaby leaving Chelsea seized the control of midfield and of the game, Arsenal tired and Chelsea scored late on. Then they continued to foul and waste time in a very cynical manner. The melee started through thiese tactics and whilst it was very unsavory can anyone tell me why arsenal lost 2 players to chelseas 1 and indeed have 3 players to Chelseas 1 serving suspended matches as pinishment. And why Lampard has escaped punishment...maybe because he is an England international.

Quick free-kicks.

2007-02-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the game in the champions league between Manchester United and Lille highlighted a contentious issue and area concerning the area of free kicks.
The ref apparently allowed Giggs to take the kick quickly, thus catching the Lille keeper at his near post lining up his wall. Some have said that this is a scandalous action...I disagree. The game has become ever faster in the many years I have been watching football, the back pass to the keeper has been made illegal and other areas of the game have been addressed in order to keep the sport as a viewing entity.

Why should the game now stop so that the defending team can slow the pace of the game down and get set for a free kick? What advantage does the attcking team gain from this?

The skill involved in taking the quick free kick is something that should be preserved in the game. Why not give the advantage to the attacking team.

Henry's misplaced passion.

2007-02-16T08:48:00.000-08:00

I have noticed over the last year in particular that a certain outstanding and world class player has not always acted in the most ambassadorial manner. In my opinion this is largely due to the veteran status which has been placed upon him in this youthful Arsenal side.

Whilst some may argue that he should not have been made captain of the club, I find it hard to believe that there really was many other options. There were surely options available at the time but Wenger had by this time formulated his new planand was busy constructing a new side which in time would be able to challenge the new Chelsea. There were candidates such as Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell, a distinctly native influence but for various reasons one was not of sound character and the other was coming to the end of his career in the top tier of the top flight in the premiership. Henry was the right age and coming into his prime and was the only real choice for captain. Gilberto Silva has proved an able deputy in the times Henry has not been available due to injury or other reasons. Henry was the talisman who would bring Wengers kids through to their prime years. Nobody can question Henrys love for Arsenal. He has spurned many overtures to leave the club, not all moves away from Arsenal have been outstanding successes and many pundits feel the football in other parts of europe can be more lucrative and appealing.

However, (and Henry may take the lead from Wenger somewhat in this area) the way in which Henry has conducted himself in certain situations has been less than admirable. As an Arsenal fan I have been somewhat bemused at Wengers constant and erratic behaviour towards match officals and opposing managers. Wenger is impatient for the kids to develop their potential and has become a talking point in the football world. The usual calm demeanour has been replaced by a man sometimes possessed and consumed by the tactics of other teams and managers. Whilst fans and media dont like it, teams will try to waste time and will try to gain an edge in the course of a game. Wenger has become distracted by the other teams tactics as they look to gain an edge against an Arsenal team which may be bullied now but soon will be the best around and able to handle all situations. Being an older brother it is like when I realised I could no longer harrass my younger brother as he grew up into a man.

Henry has at times been a great captain, giving credit to teammates that have done well, but like Wenger he has been impatient for potential to turn into fruition. While he is still in his prime he wants to win more trophies the champions league being the top prize on his wish list. He has frowned at teammates who have tried to do the right thing but it has not come off. I am sure his fellow players have been in awe of him as he is the finished product while they learn the game. Last year was the worst season Arsenal has had and is likely to have for many years to come, it was a tense time and Henry did not cover himself in glory, I could excuse last year but this year and particularly recently Henry's behaviour has mirrored that of Wenger's taunting Gary Neville in a rousing come from behind victory and most recently the Wigan keeper. This is Henry's misplaced passion.

It should be realised that teams who waste time only serve to hinder their own game and very often pay a heavy price for not playing in the proper manner. Henry doesnt need to get involved, he should watch tape of how Gilberto Silva conducted himself during his tenure as captain. Arguably playing much better than he has ever done and leading by example. Passion is always in the game but it has to be channelled in the right way.

Rooney can thank Lee for his athlethicism.

2007-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

During the Tottenham-United game about widway through the first half and with united getting annoyed by the way the game was going, Wayne Rooney adopted a familiar shape and the red mist decended. He had just been fouled in his estimation and the ref gave nothing. With the fury he had, he launched himself full throttle into Lee and but for Lee's awareness to jump out of the tackle and run down the left sideline where Ronney did catch up to him and did foul him and did get a yellow card for his troubles. However if Lee had not been able to jump out of it Rooney would have connected with him full on and surely would have received a red card. Just like to old days. It seems Rooney has not learned from his mistakes and is certain to be sent off again in the near future. When the red mist decends...

EPL referees are playing for their jobs.

2007-02-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

The standard of officiating in the english premier league is at best, average, maybe above average.
Last Sunday I watched a key premiership game Tottenham at home to Manchester United, the day before the game Chelsea had just cut the gap to 3 points with a facile victory at Charlton. I settled down to the game not really knowing who I wished to win the game. There are many factors related to this in my own personal world. First and foremost I am an Arsenal fan and wish any/all results to help the cause of the gunners. I have become tired of the Chelsea show for the last 2 years and after Ashley Cole's departure to Chelsea to "win trophies" as he put it, I had been hoping for one of two things to happen... either Arsenal surge to the top of the league with a fantasticly weird combination of results which would see Man Utd and Chelsea lose an extraordinary amount of points over the next 12 games or LET MAN UTD WIN IT. The latter being the more likely given their huge points and goal difference advantages.
Marc Clattenburg had been a referree I had a lot of time for. Almost every game I had seen him take charge of I had marvelled at the extreme amount of control mixed with calming of the players to diffuse flash points which can all too often occur in the premiership. Such calmness was immediately taking out yellow cards when the crowds in the stadiums wanted blood red cards. Talking to players asking them to play football and not go over the top.
The game started out fast and furious but controlled, Scholes fouled in the first minute and was excused, he would later foul three more times and each one on their own warranted a yellow. Had the referree lost his memory? Scholes was a lucky boy and escaped the whole game without a card. Later in the half Larrson was taken from behind and went down in the penalty area, Clattenburg said No Penalty, immediately after the incident and for many moments after the united players charged up to him and went to work on the referree. They constantly questioned his decisions and when one of the united players got booked they pointed back to where a Tottenham player had tackled a united player and wondered why they did not get a card. After previously watching Clattenburg be strong in other games I felt sure that he would remain that way, but on the stroke of half-time a united cross was half cleared and it fell to Ronaldo. He took the ball in full flight just as he had done at Middlesboro and forged between Malbranque and Lee, just like boro moving at such speed there was negligible contact and Ronaldo was only too happy to fall to the floor. Clattenburg was not strong enough to deny United a second penalty appeal and as Ronaldo got up to take the spot kick he gave his fellow professional player a look as if to say "it wasnt me...it was the ref who gave it". Ronaldo knew it was not a penalty, united needed to win to maintain the gap to Chelsea and in the end united won 4-0, pundits will say that they won so handsomely that the penalty decision was not the game breaker. I am not so sure about that. We will never know the answer to that.
Every referree is assessed on his performance by an official of the referrees, we know that it is a hard job to do with the speed that a full blooded EPL game brings and with the stubborness of the footballing powers to implement video replays of controversial incidents. All that I ask is that the referrees stay impartial and dont allow big named players to influence their judgement. Uriah Rennie used to be a premier league referree and after some high profile mistakes he is now in the championship taking games like West Brom and Preston. Be warned Mr. Clattenburg.

Carling cup final represents the contrast between the present and the future.

2007-02-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

In a sense the carling cup final of 2007 represents and highlights a classic discussion point in the different philosophies of the clubs.

In the one corner you have the mighty Chelsea a club which in large measure has been transformed from a top six side to now be the elite in the premiership having won the major trophies for the last 2 years. A club that has had a limitless (until recently) financial backing which enabled Mourinho to buy players in the manner similar to a gamer would assemble his side in a video game. Chelsea play a very tight defensive game which is based on their defense and built on keeping clean sheets and conceeding very few goals and on the other side getting that 1 goal that will give them victory. Mourinho is an inspirational coach and his players will follow his results orientated approach.

Then on the other side of the carling cup final there is Wenger and his Arsenal, who until Abramovich came seemed to be taking on the mantle of the dominant side of the new century. They had gone an entire season unbeaten in 2004 and looked to be a team that would remain strong for 3-5 years. It remains a debatable point if Chelsea's new found power forced Wenger's hand or not. It is unclear if at this point Wenger came to change his vision due to the new Chelsea that had come about. However and this part is factual, Wenger knew that he could no longer bid against Chelsea if they wanted the same player. During his time at Arsenal Wenger rarely got into bidding wars with any other clubs. And so whether by design or otherwise Wenger relinquished the next 2 or more years to the "stronger" clubs and set about deconstructing his existing side (casting off Vieira,Edu,Keown and numerous others) and assembling his new aquisitions. Fast tracking the footballing education of such players as Fabregas and Van Persie and signing relatively unknown players who over the last 2 years have grown up the hard way in the premiership. They have lost a lot of games away from home and indeed Arsenal and Wenger were very lucky last season to finally grab 4th place and a champions league berth. This was the lowest league finish Wenger and Arsenal had ever achieved and now with players fast maturing and mixed with some experienced players they will face Chelsea a team that could be called the finished product. It is the classic established versus the young upstarts.

For Wenger the beauty of all this is that time seems to be on his side. He will play a very youthful team, a team that has gotten to the final beating West Brom,Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham. The onus will be on Chelsea to see off the younglings, to show them who is top dog and to send the message that they will not relinquish their crown of top team just yet.

However as they square up to each other just before the whistle blows to start the game, they will recognise the reality of what is to come, the future of english football.