The Come Back Curry Still On The Menu

Arsenal do it again. Go behind early in the game and come back in the last 10 minutes to finish off the game which they should have won 30 minutes before.

We certainly showed character today in the way we came back. Bendnter came on and really shook up the team superbly and every gunner owes a thanks to him for the win. He brought on a real physical presence to the team, something we lacked all throughout the game. Immediately giving us the aerial attack we needed. I wont be surprised if this fellow becomes a regular starter late on this season.

But one man I simply have to talk about, the one man who was criticised heavily last season, the one man who did so much and yet got stick, the man who should have and would have won the Man Of The Match Award today, ALEXANDER HLEB. Alex managed to control the game through and through with his dazzling skills and amazing runs. He was unlucky to have not got a Penalty early on in the game but that didnt stop the Belarus International. He continued on in the game delivering some absolutely fabulous passes and more importantly the goal that one us the game. He showed superb composure in the box and what a turn and what a finish, Alexander Hleb pretty much shut the mouths of his criticisers after this match.

And there are the other players in the team. Players like Toure, Gallas, Sagna and Clichy. The defense was great today excpet for 1 or 2 occasions where a lapse of concentration caused a bit of trouble. Fulham managed to play some good football and could have caused total damage to the team if it wasnt for these guys. Amazing job from them not just defensively but going forward also. Sagna seems to have really made the right hand side solid.

Fabregas was pretty invisible at the start, not really doing much like he usually does but in the 2nd half, wow just wow. The young lad stepped up his game to a great level, delivering amazing pin point passes and when I say pin point, I MEAN PIN POINT. Great precision and great foresight from the young lad.

Then you have RvP, Rosicky and Flamini. Three of them had a great game to be honest but simply couldnt cut the rough edges. Flamini seems to have become an amazing player now to have on the team, Im extremely glad we didnt sell him to any other club. RvP and Rosicky had the most no.of chances and I wouldnt say they spurned them, but I would say they should have really scored them. But great Penalty from the Dutch winger, sending the keeper the wrong way.

Overall very good game from Arsenal. The finish was spectacular and I feel this has been a perfect start to the new season, we should go on and control this season and take ourselves to glory yet again.

Now over to the Fulham game. Fulham showed strength this game really. They werent weak and didnt try to sit back and defend after scoring which is something I really admire about teams. Their defense was really really good and so was their combined attack force. They played some good football and really threatened often. Despite a loss for them, I really feel Fulham fans shouldnt be disheartened as their team seem to have become a lot better since last.

MATCH GOALS AND HIGHLIGHTS

The History Of The Great Club Arsenal

Arsenal Football Club began life when a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team in late 1886.

The Club played under the name of Dial Square. Their first match was a 6-0 victory over Eastern Wanderers, on December 11th, 1886. Soon after, the name Royal Arsenal was adopted and the Club continued playing in friendlies and local cup competitions for the next few years. In 1891 the Club turned professional and changed its name to Woolwich Arsenal, finally joining the Football League in 1893.

Following the First World War, the First Division was extended to 22 teams and Arsenal was voted into the top division, a position it has held ever since.

During the 1930s Arsenal won five League Championships (including a hat-trick) and two F.A. Cups and had some of the game's greatest players on its books: Alex James, Ted Drake, Cliff Bastin, David Jack, Eddie Hapgood and George Male were just the pinnacle of one of the greatest sides ever to play in the Football League. Sadly, manager Herbert Chapman died in 1934, but others continued what he had started and only the war stopped Arsenal in its tracks.

In 1947, Tom Whittaker became manager and more success followed. Arsenal were Champions in 1947/48 and 1952/53; F.A. Cup winners in 1950 and runners-up in 1952.

The '60s provided little in the way of silverware at Highbury, with two losing appearances in the League Cup Final in 1968 and 1969 being the closest thing to success. However, the decade did witness Bertie Mee's appointment as manager of the Club in 1966 and in the following decade he was to achieve one of the most significant landmarks in Arsenal's history.

In 1970/71 Mee took the Gunners to the League and F.A. Cup 'Double' for the first time, coming from behind in the Cup Final to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley. Later in the decade, Terry Neill took Arsenal to three consecutive F.A. Cup Finals, winning the 1979 game 3-2 against Manchester United after a truly memorable last five minutes.

The Gunners also reached the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup Final, with a team that included Graham Rix, Frank Stapleton, Pat Rice, David O'Leary and Liam Brady. In the summer of 1986, former midfield star of the 'Double' winning team George Graham became manager and another spell of success followed.

The catalyst for future triumphs came in 1986/87 when Arsenal became the inaugural winners of the Littlewoods Cup. It was the first time the Club had won the League Cup in any of its guises. League Championships followed in 1988/89 and 1990/91; the domestic Cup 'Double' in 1993 and, finally, the Cup Winners' Cup victory against Parma in 1994.

Graham's departure from the Club was followed by a brief spell at the helm for Bruce Rioch before (in September 1996) Frenchman, Arsene Wenger arrived at Highbury, becoming the Club's first ever manager from outside the British Isles.

In 1997/98, Wenger's first full season at Highbury, Arsenal achieved the domestic 'Double', for the second time in the Club's history. The Frenchman also picked up the Carling Manager of the Year Award. A tremendous season was rounded off perfectly for French Internationals Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires as the Gunners stars played their part in France's victorious World Cup campaign.

The Club also said goodbye to striking legend Ian Wright, who left Arsenal as record goalscorer with 185 goals in all competitions. 1998/99 saw Arsenal win the Charity Shield but finish runners-up in the Premiership and the following season they recorded a similar Charity Shield/runners-up combination.

With Thierry Henry, Davor Suker, Silvinho, Oleg Luzhny and Stefan Malz joining the Club, 1999/2000 started well with the Charity Shield victory over Manchester United but finished with disappointing defeat in the UEFA Cup Final at the hands of Galatasaray.

But the summer did see success for Arsenal's French contingent, current players Patrick Vieira ,Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires were all involved in France's Euro 2000 success, along with former stars Manu Petit and Nicolas Anelka.

More international stars, Pires, Lauren, Wiltord and Igors Stepanovs, joined in time for the 2000/2001 season, and once again Arsenal pushed Manchester United hard in the Premiership, finishing second for the third consecutive year.

The Gunners also made it to the Quarter-Finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time, but were eliminated on the away goals rule by eventual finalists Valencia.

The season was to end in disappointment again, as Liverpool turned around a 1-0 deficit to beat the Gunners 2-1 in the first ever F.A. Cup Final held at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Another busy summer of transfer activity at Highbury has given reason for optimism for the 2001/02 campaign. Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Francis Jeffers, Richard Wright and Junichi Inamoto have been added to the squad, but most of the headlines belonged to England centre-back Sol Campbell, who arrived at Highbury following a nine year spell with north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

2001-02 Saw the Gunners write a new chapter in their illustrious history with a third 'Double'. We clinched the F.A. Cup in style with a 2-0 win against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium. And won the Title at the sweetest of venues, Manchester United's Old Trafford.

The 2002-2003 saw dissapointment for Arsenal, losing out to Man Utd after leading the table for a long part of the season, there was consolation in winning the FA Cup at Cardiff.

Arsenal bounced back in 2004 clinching the league with plenty of points to spare from 2nd placed chelsea and reaching the quarter finals of the Champions League. The went on to write even more history as the team that remained unbeaten through the whole 2003-2004 season.

Below is the unbeaten run record:
36 win 13 draw 0 lost.
Date Score Skinny
---- ----- ------
May 7, 2003 Arsenal 6, Southampton 1 Pennant, Pires hat tricks
May 11, 2003 Sunderland 0, Arsenal 4 Ljungberg hat trick in FA Cup final
Aug. 16, 2003 Arsenal 2, Everton 1 Henry, Pires score in season opener
Aug. 24, 2003 Middlesbrough 0, Arsenal 4 Three goals in the first 22 minutes
Aug. 27, 2003 Arsenal 2, Aston Villa 0 Campbell breaks 0-0 tie in 57th min.
Aug. 31, 2003 Manchester City 1, Arsenal 2 Two 2nd-half goals erase 1-0 deficit
Sep. 13, 2003 Arsenal 1, Portsmouth 1 Henry penalty kick salvages a draw
Sep. 21, 2003 Manchester United 0, Arsenal 0 Man. U.'s van Nistelrooy misses late PK
Sep. 26, 2003 Arsenal 3, Newcastle 2 Late goal wins it after losing 2-0 lead
Oct. 4, 2003 Liverpool 1, Arsenal 2 Help from Liverpool own goal
Oct. 18, 2003 Arsenal 2, Chelsea 1 Henry scores winning goal
Oct. 26, 2003 Charlton 1, Arsenal 1 Henry scores tying goal
Nov. 1, 2003 Leeds 1, Arsenal 4 Two more from Henry
Nov. 8, 2003 Arsenal 2, Tottenham 1 Pires, Ljungberg score two late goals
Nov. 22, 2003 Birmingham 0, Arsenal 3 1-0 lead through first 80 minutes
Nov. 30, 2003 Arsenal 0, Fulham 0 Fulham rides early season momentum
Dec. 6, 2003 Leicester 1, Arsenal 1 Last-minute Leicester goal by Hignett
Dec. 14, 2003 Arsenal 1, Blackburn 0 Bergkamp scores lone goal
Dec. 20, 2003 Bolton 1, Arsenal 1 Another late goal prevents victory
Dec. 26, 2003 Arsenal 3, Wolves 0 A double from Henry
Dec. 29, 2003 Southampton 0, Arsenal 1 Pires 35th-minute goal
Jan. 7, 2004 Everton 1, Arsenal 1 Fourth draw in last seven matches
Jan. 10, 2004 Arsenal 4, Middlesbrough 1 Henry, Pires, Ljungberg all find net
Jan. 18, 2004 Aston Villa 0, Arsenal 2 Two goals from Henry
Feb. 1, 2004 Arsenal 2, Manchester City 1 Arsenal benefit from another own goal
Feb. 7, 2004 Wolves 1, Arsenal 3 New club record of 24 games unbeaten
Feb. 10, 2004 Arsenal 2, Southampton 0 Another double from Henry
Feb. 21, 2004 Chelsea 1, Arsenal 2 Vieira, Edu overcome 1-0 deficit
Feb. 28, 2004 Arsenal 2, Charlton 1 2-0 lead after four minutes
Mar. 13, 2004 Blackburn 0, Arsenal 2 Henry scores PK, Pires adds insurance
Mar. 20, 2004 Arsenal 2, Bolton 1 Arsenal preserves 2-1 halftime lead
Mar. 28, 2004 Arsenal 1, Manchester United 1 Saha late goal earns draw for Man. U.
Apr. 9, 2004 Arsenal 4, Liverpool 2 Henry hat trick leads comeback
Apr. 11, 2004 Newcastle 0, Arsenal 0 Lehmann's great save preserves draw
Apr. 16, 2004 Arsenal 5, Leeds 0 Henry hat trick, 150th career goal
Apr. 25, 2004 Tottenham 2, Arsenal 2 Arsenal seals championship with draw
May 1, 2004 Arsenal 0, Birmingham 0 Birmingham outplayed but hangs on
May 4, 2004 Portsmouth 1, Arsenal 1 Reyes scores second-half equalizer
May 9, 2004 Fulham 0, Arsenal 1 Lone goal on Fulham 'keeper giveaway
May 15, 2004 Arsenal 2, Leicester 1 Comeback completes undefeated season
Aug. 15, 2004 Everton 1, Arsenal 4 No letdown in season opener
Aug. 22, 2004 Arsenal 5, Middlesbrough 3 Overcome 3-1 2nd-half deficit
Aug. 25, 2004 Arsenal 3, Blackburn 0 Tie league unbeaten record at 42 games
Aug. 28, 2004 Norwich 1, Arsenal 4 Three early goals secure record
Sep. 11, 2004 Fulham 0, Arsenal 3 Three late goals in nine minutes
Sep. 18, 2004 Arsenal 2, Bolton 2 Bolton twice comes back to tie
Sep. 25, 2004 Manchester City 0, Arsenal 1 Lucky bounce helps Cole's game-winner
Oct. 2, 2004 Arsenal 4, Charlton 0 Henry back-heel highlights shutout
Oct. 16, 2004 Arsenal 3, Aston Villa 1 Pires double leads comeback

Arsenal unbeaten record was broken by Manchester united when they lost 2-0 at the Old Trafford Stadium.


In the 121 years since it's foundation,Arsenal has won;

League Champions -- 1931,1933,1934,1935,1938,1948,1953,1971,1989,1991,1998,2002,2004

League Runners Up -- 1926,1932,1973,1999,2000,2001,2003,2005

FA Cup Winners -- 1930,1936,1950,1971,1979,1993,1998,2002,2003,2005

FA Cup Runners Up -- 1927,1932,1952,1972,1978,1980,2001

League Cup Winners -- 1987,1993

League Cup Runners Up -- 1968,1969,1988

European Fairs Cup Winners -- 1970

UEFA Cup Runners Up -- 2000

European Cup Winners Cup Winners -- 1994

European Cup Winners Cup Runners Up -- 1980,1995

UEFA Champions League Winners/Runners Up -- 2006 cool.gif
Arsenal FA Cup Finals
1927 Cardiff City 0 - 1
1930 Huddersfield Town 2 - 0
1932 Newcastle United 1 - 2
1936 Sheffield United 1 - 0
1950 Liverpool 2 - 0
1952 Newcastle United 0 - 1
1971 Liverpool 2 - 1 aet
1972 Leeds United 0 - 1
1978 Ipswich Town 0 - 1
1979 Manchester United 3 - 2
1980 West Ham United 0 - 1
1993 Sheffield Wednesday 1 - 1 aet 2 - 1 aet
1998 Newcastle United 2 - 0
2001 Liverpool 1 - 2
2002 Chelsea 2 - 0
2003 Southampton 1 - 0
2005 Man Utd 0-0 (5-4 on penalties)

League Cup Finals
1968 Leeds United 0 - 1
1969 Swindon Town 1 - 3 aet
1987 Liverpool 2 - 1
1988 Luton Town 2 - 3
1993 Sheffield Wednesday 2 - 1

European Finals
1970 Fairs Cup Anderlecht (Belgium) A: 1 - 3; H: 3 - 0 (4 - 3 agg)
1980 Cup Winners' Cup Valencia (Spain) 0 - 0 aet; lost on penalties
1994 Cup Winners' Cup Parma (Italy) 1 - 0
1995 Cup Winners' Cup Real Zaragosa (Spain) 1 - 2 aet
2000 UEFA Cup Galatasaray (Turkey) 0 - 0 aet; lost on penalties
2006 UEFA Champions League Final Barcelona (Spain) 2 - 1 lost in second half
Other Arsenal Statistics and Records

* 17 appearances in FA Cup Finals is a record.

* 10 FA Cup wins is bettered only by Manchester United(11).

* One of two clubs to win the League Cup and FA Cup in the same season. The other is Liverpool.

* 5 European Finals is equalled by Leeds United and bettered only by Liverpool (9).

* 77 consecutive years in the top division (up to 2003). Everton are on 49 years.

* Have won the League Championship and FA Cup (The Double) in the same season (three times: 1971, 1998, 2002). The other double winners are Preston North End (1889), Aston Villa (1897), Tottenham Hotspur (1961), Liverpool (1986), and Manchester United (1994, 1996, 1999).

* One of four clubs to have won the League Championship three years running (1933, 1934, 1935). The others are Huddersfield Town (1925, 1926, 1927), Liverpool (1982, 1983, 1984) and Manchester United (1999, 2000, 2001).

* 13 League Championships is bettered only by Liverpool (18) and Manchester United (15).

* Arsenal's total of 26 Domestic and European Trophies is bettered only by Liverpool (38) and Manchester United (30) .

* Went Unbeaten in All 38 domestic matches in the English Premier League in the 2003/2004 season.


Currently,Arsenal is at 8th place with 11 points and a game in hand which means if Arsenal wins the game in hand Arsenal wlii have only have 2 points difference with money-rolled club Chelsea and the current leader Manchester United which they both have earned same point in Premiership.Arsenal has the new 60,000 capacity stadium,namely Emirates Stadium replacing the historical Highbury stadium which leaves a lot of sweet memory for Arsenal fans.

I hope Arsenal will produce even more great football for us and nurturing more football players into super football players such as Henry,Fabregas and many nore which I couldn't list then all.

The current Arsenal's home,Emairates Stadium.

Eduardo da Silva signs for Arsenal

So then, we have finally signed a player after all this time and im pretty sure that nobody expected it to be Da Silva in all honesty as i know i didnt. All these names flying about like Anelka, Tevez, Torres etc etc and then Arsene pulls out a signing that pretty much everyone was aware of.

Ill be honest, i dont know a great deal about our new signing but im sure we will hear alot more about him once the new season is up and running. The 24 year old moved from his native Brazil to Croatia at the age of 15 and as well as making a name for himself at club level in Croatia, it seems that getting the chance to play for the Croatia national team has also done the 24 year old more good than bad. He enjoys a prolific record at international level with seven goals from 12 games for his adoptive country, including a header against England in their 2-0 Euro 2008 qualifying defeat in October. Also last season for his club Dinamo Zagreb he was the top scorer in the Croatian domestic league with 34 goals in 32 games which again is a great record no matter what league you play in. His total goal scoring record for Dinamo Zagreb before he left for North London stands at 71 goals in 100 games.

The fee was rumoured to be around the £16m mark but it now looks like its around the £8m mark which if you compare to what he has done for his club and country, then thats a bargain. Darren Bent worth £16m ?!, Dont make me laugh !

Of course there is no way that this man can fill the boots of Henry as he has not been bought into the club for that reason, it proves that Wenger sees this man as a very good striker that can give us some extra quality up front if needed. Maybe he will become a all time great of Arsenal and only time will tell but its far too early for that sort of thinking.

Here are a few vids of our new man in action -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfXGOGzEAwk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nREh1bD0HsY

Bakari Sagna to Arsenal ?

With fierce speculation in recent weeks, surrounding the future of Bakari Sagna, Arsenal are understood to be leading the chase for the French International's signature, who is priced inthe region of ₤6 milllion. His chairman revealed earlier this week that "Sagna has a deepdesire to play in England and he genuinely wants to wear the Arsenal shirt". For those who are not aware of who he is, he was voted the best right sided full back in Ligue 1 last season. He is extremely versatile, being able to play all across the back line. He recently won his first cap against Georgia in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. His only triumph as a professional came in 2005, when he won the Coupe de France with Auxerre.
Now many Gunner's may be bemused as to why Arsene is spending his time chasing afull back rather than a striker to replace the recently departed, Thierry Henry. Manyquestion's have been raised, do we really need a rightback when we already have two ? Could Eboue be moved to right midfield? He may be used for cover on the leftside, with Traore deemed too inexperienced to be 2nd choice leftback. Could it be as simple as him being bought in to add squad depth, afterall championships are won on strong defences. Wenger may feel that constant defensive injuries over the last 2 seasons, had hindered our chances to compete, and a good versatile defender is his number 1 priority.
I would prefer he is bought in for squad cover because with Eboue going away for African Nation's duty, he may prove vital. Armand Traore is still extremely young, so it would'nt be wise to use him as the 2nd choice leftback, so Sagna again could provide cover. This would also avoid having to move Gallas, out of his preffered central role.
If he is the first of many new signings at the Emirates, I would be more than glad to seehim come through the revolving doors, but if speculation is true about Arsenal's finances being restricted, I would be extremely concerned that the money is not put to better use. With Wenger returning from holiday sometime next week, we should have a better understanding of our current activities.

Future is bright, Future is Arsenal

With the recent departure of Henry finally concluded, Arsenal enter into a new era with more questions asked than answered. With doubts still raised about Wenger's future, many predict the start of a downfall for the Gunners. Fabregas could also follow through the exit door, if Le Proffesor decides to move on. Not to forget the American Kroenke's, speculated takeover. Things look pretty dull at the moment, especially with our ever annoying inactivity in the transfer market. The possibility of not fighting for the title for 3 consecutive years would be hard to digest for a Gooner.

A top striker has to be a must if we are to compete for the title. Many have been touted for Henry's replacement, Babel and Torres being the most prominent names. Even old boy Anelka has been linked with a return. But no doubt will it be a hard thing to replace the goals that Henry gave us. We defnitely need a clinical striker to finish our infinite chances, and a natural left winger to balance our team.

But the real question is are we in such a desperate state? Personally, things are going reasonably well for our club. We have just succesfully moved into our new home. The huge income increase will move us towards ths summit of the rich European spenders. We will be a self sufficient team without the need of external finances, and no reason to give in to Kroenke's supposed takeover plan's. No longer will we have to sign undercover talents, although Wenger's love for kid's cannot be overlooked.

Regarding his contract extension, Wenger has a past history for signing his contract just before it expires. Why would he possibly want to leave, maybe Dein was an extremely influential person, but the freedom Wenger has at Arsenal, is uncommon for a manager at other clubs.

Alot has been made of Henry's exit, one thing is the notion that other supporters have that we are now only half the club we were when we had Thierry. I'd say that is absolutely ridiculous, we have proved many times in the past that we are capable of beating the best without our former talisman. So many teams have proved that you can still be successful even if your most potent forward is let go. I'm sure Owen was missed when Liverpool won the European Cup, or Milan's recent triumph even though Shevchenko was sold. Even our most firece rivals Man Utd proved many doubters wrong by winning the league even without replacing Ruud Van Nistlerooy.

One thing is for sure it that our players have to step up most importantly Van Persie, Hleb, Rosicky and Cesc's finishing. If the first can go through the season without injury, I fully expect 20+goals and at least 10+ from our two wingers, added with the potential goals from Ade, and a new forward we will look in good shape. Without the need of feeling intimidated by our only World class player who has now left , they will definitely feel less pressure to impress and no longer feel inhibited to perform. I do believe with a good natural left winger and an experienced striker who can finish, we should aim to atleast compete the title and win the FA Cup.

We also have immense potential in our team, most notably in Diaby and Denilson. Diaby has shown glimpses of immense quality and an attacking side that would even put the great Vieira to shame, although his defending needs improving. Denilson on the other hand, has a certain grit about him, which is is'nt usually found in a Brazilian. He may not be an intimidating presence, but his willingness to get stuck is evident, it doesn't finish there. He also has an excellent range of passing skills, especially his long ball passing which I feel is the best at the club. With Fabregas, Diaby and Denilson in the heart of our midfield for the coming years, I have no doubt that we will be back to winning ways very soon.

- THIS POST IS ENTIRELY CONTRIBUTED BY OUTLAW MEMBER

Wenger - Staying or going ?

So Arsene Wenger has one season left at the moment and he could be on his way next summer (if you believe all the rumours). The board has to give this man what he wants, they just have to. What Arsene has done for the club is stunning in everyway and there is no way we can let him walk out on us with what he has achieved. The man is a genius and simply sensational. Of course, what he has done on the pitch is amazing and he has turned us into a football team that everyone loves to watch in the premiership with some great attacking football. The trophys that he has bought to Highbury since he arrived is fantastic aswell with us winning Premier league in 1998, 2002 and 2004. The F.A Cup in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2005. The FA community shield in 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2004. Manager of the year in 1998, 2002 and 2004 and also the Amsterdam Tournament in 2005. He has also made us runners-up in the premiership in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005. Runners-up in the F.A Cup in 2001. Runners-up in the F.A community shield in 2003 and 2005. Carling Cup in 2007, uefa cup final in 2000 and the Champions league in 2006.

The players that he has bought to the club is a god-send aswell including players like Fabregas (who ?), Toure (who ?), Vieira (who ?), Petit (who ?) Eboue (who ?) Anelka (who ?), that was not even heard of the the average football fan across the world and he turned these average players into fantastic world class ones and thats something that Arsene has a big talent at, spotting potential talent and turning them into fantastic players to set the world alight.

With Arsene, its not just what he has done on the pitch, but off it aswell. Arsene helped the club get the move from Highbury to the stunning 60,000 Emirates stadium and also told the club that we needed a new training ground aswell and we got one of europes best at London Colney. He also changed the way the club dealt with the fitness side if things for the players and now he gives then strict instructions of what not to eat and how much to train and when to do so and this has shown on the pitch.

We cant let this man leave the club as he is important than any players leaving the club as they can be replaced but i know one thing and that you can never replace Arsene Wenger. The man is a legend and if it means the club has to break every wage structure we have in place then so be it. This man deserves everything and if the worst did happen and he did leave next summer, then it just would not feel the same anymore.

Note to board - Whatever he costs/wants, let him have it.

Can the Midfield make up for Henry's departure?

Not surprisingly, Henry's exit from the club is the main topic of conversation at the moment. Our fantastic Frenchman has finally gone after giving us 8 wonderful Years, and quite simply i feel honoured to have watched him in action playing some of the best football you could ever wish to see.

But can our bunch of talented midfielders make up for the loss of Henry? Gilberto was our highest scoring midfielder last season, and as we all know, he is a defensive midfielder. We also know Tomas Rosicky, Alex Hleb and the fabulous Fabregas are excellent players, but last season they didnt score anywhere near enough goals compared to what they should have done, considering the amount of chances we create. Rosicky scored 3 league goals, whilst Fabregas and Hleb were even more disappointing scoring 2 each. I firmly believe Fabregas and Rosicky can score 10 league goals each next season, whilst its not going too far to say that Hleb should be aiming for at least 5 goals as the minimum.

You only have to look at Manchester United to see how goals from midfield can be the key to a great season, as Cristiano Ronaldo bagged 17 League Goals last term from a wide position. Of course our fantastic seasons in the past were helped massively with Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg scoring 15+ goals each, and whilst Ljungberg is still at the club, he has seriously dipped from the superb form he has shown in previous years. As a result of our goal-shy midfielders, our forwards are feeling the pressure even more to score the goals, but if our midfielders begin to score the amount of goals they are capable of, i feel next season we can still be a force to be reckoned with, despite the loss of our marvellous former Frenchman.

So what do you Gooners think, can our midfield finally show their potential and score the goals to take the weight off our strikers next season? I believe so.

Transfers - Is the Future Still Bright?

Arsenal have over the last 3 years removed all their experienced players. Big names and influential players like Sol Campbell, Vieira
, Pires, Ashley Cole, Lauren, Reyes, Edu etc. have been removed from our team. Our team is built with U-23s and is struggling to cope up with the competition of other teams. And now our club's golden talisman Thierry Henry was sold to Barcelona for a meager amount of 16m. Arsenal FC have hit rock bottom and will crumble like Leeds.

And this would be the biggest April Fools Joke in years.

Arsenal are at the moment one of the best teams in the Europe and even with the departure of Thierry Henry still a very formidable team. We can all trust in Arsene Wenger to bring in a replacement who will more than fill the shoes of Thierry. A thing he has been doing for so many years now. The likes of Gael Clichy replacing Ashley Cole, Vieira - the big super Central Midfielder, was replaced by the small boy called Fabregas who more than well lived up to expectations. Edus departure saw the emergence of Gilberto Silva, who now leads the Brazil National Squad into field.

Its just a matter of time before we know who is going to replace Thierry Henry. The most discussed player at the moment is Anelka, who might return to Arsenal after 11 years away at several clubs.

Lets look at the transfers of other clubs now. Manchester United's signings of Nani and Anderson have been hailed as super transfers and that United are showing real scope and intentions of winning. Unfortunately what most people cant see is that these 2 players are nothing else but replacement. Giggs and Scholes have been an integral part of the United squad for many years now. They are getting old now and simply cant perform like they could 4 years back. Alex Ferguson saw this and realised that they had to be replaced soon. Hence we saw the arrival of Nani to replace Giggs and Anderson who will be trained to play a CMF position to replace Paul Scholes.

Lets look at our team. Is there any player who is any where near the age of Scholes or Giggs? Does anybody really need replacing? Our youngsters are tremendously experienced and are world class. Most of our U-21s have more on field experience than 30 year olds in other teams. We have no need to be worried or tensed by the United transfers. They dont threaten us in any way and in no way are they showing scope more than we are.

Now Chelsea's signings of Ben Haim and Pizarro have hardly been hyped. Can anybody tell why? Yes everyone can. Chelsea are yet again into their signing act where they sign several players. While Ben Haim can be considered a very good signing, Pizzaro seems just a random signing for Chelsea who have more than enough firepower up front. We are not Chelsea to offer players that much money and keep signing players despite good availability.

Now lets go a bit back in time. Everyone remembers Arsene Wenger saying that he was going to sign 'super-super class players' soon. But slowly that news has been changing saying that these players signed will have super class potential. Was it just a ploy by our genius mastermind to get his counterparts in other teams spending? Or is he really going to do something he hasnt over 10 years and make a big buy? We can tell that its not his type and he wouldnt do that.

I look at our squad and see our team. A very young squad. A very experienced squad and still a World Class Squad, this team will achieve what most teams are still planning to do in 6 years.

I look forward to the next season and wont be disappointed even if just sign 2 players and 2 very young players. Its Arsene Wengers quality that will find these players and train them to become true greats.

Thierry Henry - Arsenal legend

So after 8 years with us, Thierry Henry has played his last game for Arsenal. The bloke is a Arsenal legend and nothing can change that. What he has done for the club on a whole and not just on the pitch but off it aswell is amazing and he is one of the reasons why since he has been at the club, we have played some of the best football the premiership has seen.

In 1999 he joined us from Juventus for £10.5m and the rest is history. Simple as that. He has set the premiership alight and in my opinion (and not a biased one) he is without doubt the best foreign import that has graced these shores.

Some of the football this man has produced is nothing short of breathtaking. He has become the all time Arsenal leading goal scorer with 226 goals in 364 games, won 2 league titles, 3 f.a cups and twice won the Barclays Premiership player of the season award aswell as football writers association footballer of the year three times in 2003, 2004 and 2006, european golden boot in 2004 and 2005, top goalscorer in the Premiership for four seasons in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006. In 2006, he became the first player to score more than 20 goals in the league for five consecutive seasons from 2002–2006. He is also currently third in the list of all-time English Premiership goal scorers, behind Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.

The amount this man has done for Arsenal Football club is fantastic and im sure that all gooners will never forget that.

Here is a Video of the man in action - http://footballocks.net/index.php/302/thierry-henrys-top-50-goals/

Ill end this post with a message for Henry, Thanks for the memories Titi, you have been a superb player for us and we wont forget it. Arsenal legend always.

Robin Van Persie: Ready to fly

For the past 3 seasons we have watched Robin Van Persie, and been absolutely amazed with the talent that he possesses. His lethal left foot, hes ability to dribble, pass, shoot, and most importantly, score.

But with the departure of former club captain Thierry Henry, the biggest question that every Arsenal fan asks about RvP is: "Will he be able to step up to the plate and become Arsenal's number one striker?"

I think he can.

He has the talent, and 34 goals and 10 assists in 110 appearances in an Arsenal shirt isn't bad for a 23 year old. In fact, it is very impressive. And the quality of the goals as well! (The goal against Blackburn, where he curled it past the keeper from the bar line will stay in my memory for a long time). Also, last season he was our top scorer with 13 goals. That is a very decent tally considering he broke his foot scoring the equaliser against Man United at home. This boy is ready to fly, and as long as he stays fit I believe we have our 20+ goal scorer a season without even looking into the transfer market.

Thanks for reading,

Cheese

Who is to replace henry ?

So Henry has left to go to Barcelona and now we have to replace him with someone, But who ?

We have been linked to plenty of strikers including Babel, Anelka, Owen, Bent, Adriano (no thanks), Huntelaar, Torres and god knows who else.

We need to get someone in to replace the outbound Henry and pretty fast aswell. Although the likes of Robin Van Persie and Adebayor will do ok for us in the coming season, we just dont have enough quality up front say if one gets a major injury for example. We have to buy someone and that is a fact.

My personal choice would be to go for Huntelaar as he has the quality that he has proved in holland and also has the age on his side aswell. He could be a very good signing for us if it did happen but maybe the only thing that is putting Wenger off is the so called £15m that Ajax want for him.

The favourite so far is Anelka from Bolton and he would be a good signing for us at £8m-£10m as he still has the quality and he has proved this in the premiership before, but its whether or not he has sorted his attitude out since his early days at Arsenal which was mainly due to his money-grabbing brothers, which he has since dropped as agents.

It looks like it is going to be Anelka from what alot of reports are saying and to be honest it would not be a bad thing as he is still a very good player and the price isnt exactly massive either.

It looks like Charlton think that its April fools day or something !, £18m for Darren Bent !?, Henry for £16m !?, I know which one i would choose thats for sure. Good player but not worth that sort of money in a million years.

Torres - Liverpool bound ?, Adriano - Cack ?, Owen - injuries ?.

It looks like Anelka could be coming back to Arsenal then if you believe all the reports as im sure we wont go for either, Owen or Adriano due to injuries and stupid wage demands etc and there is no way that Arsene will spend £25m + on Torres but he could be tempted to give them Reyes as part of the deal. We will just have to wait and see.

Center Forward - The New Arsenal Blog Site

A very good day to all.

Id like to give every single viewer, member and visitor a warm welcome to Center Forward, the new arsenal blog site.

I have noticed Arseblog off late have stopped allowing members because they find it hard to moderate the place with too many people. I hope this new blog will cater to all those people who want to join there and also those who are already members there.

I can guarantee you top class views, comments and expert opinions from various Arsenal fans and other clubs fans also.

Be sure to expect some posts from real Football Pundits like Steve McMahon and Shebby Singh both of whom have played Football at the highest levels.

May I also say that other club fans are also more than welcome to post and share their views in this blog about arsenal and even their club.


Hope you all have a very good time,
Shekdown.