The Weekly World - #1

Another anti-climatic season draws to a close; the Premier League saw few surprises, save for Roberto Martinez' Wigan Athletic side finally failing to beat the drop. 

If you look hard enough, you'll find an article out there on a Montenegrin chap called Stevan Jovetic, but to avoid jumping on the bandwagon and for fear of repeating anything that a population close to that of China has already said, in this, once weekly article we're going to cover some of the more obscure and entertaining stories from the world of football that have caught my ever-so-easily distracted eye.

The joys of twitter know no bounds: every man and his dog seems to know more than the next, especially on players that most have never heard of (and the rest know from their extensive FM Careers), so a few tweets from our well-informed friends with "connections" shouldn't go amiss.

#JohnCrossOUT

And if The Mirror's man  (who's best story last year was how Carl Jenkinson could move to Manchester City) isn't to your liking, here's some more of your favourite in-the-know-tweeters on what's happening at The Arsenal.

"ITK Wars" / "tweef"

 Turns out Arsenal are being linked with a number of "top, top quality" players, but so far Arsene Wenger appears to be up to his usual tricks in the window, signing (almost) unknown youngster Yaya Sanogo from Ligue 2 outfit Auxerre on a free transfer. Recently recovered from a broken leg, this France U20 international (just called up) has a fantastic record this season, scored in his goodbye game for the Burgundy outfit and is thought to have turned down plenty of other clubs for the chance to work with The Professor. It's officially "medical time."

Across the pond and Manchester City are teaming up with the New York Yankees to create what will be the 20th MLS "franchise", controversially named New York City Football Club.
You can follow their twitter account here. 
Sheikh Mansour's latest business venture seems to have ruffled a few feathers, especially since the Red Bulls are 1) actually based in New Jersey and somewhat paranoid about what this will do to their fanbase, 2) legally bound to the energy-drink-laden name, hindering the marketing opportunities that the new "City" will be sure to take advantage of. 
It's certainly provoked a mixed response from the locals:

In other "news" everyone's favourite Arsenal fan, Piers Morgan received a personlalised picture message from Robin van Persie which he'll no doubt have framed and sitting on his mantle piece before the night is over.

From one **** to another, the photo (which included a sarcastic "thank you for your support") was sent directly from the Manchester United Press Office, who wrote on the back of the double-sided note: "Robin wanted you to have this."

It goes without saying that he doesn't care about Arsenal fans'reaction and that i'll have to wash my hands after finishing this paragraph. What's more worrying is that Piers will feel a sordid sense of pride at having received such a message from such a moron.

Not wishing to leave it on such a sour note, here's a 2011 smash hit by Matze Knop for you to get all hipsterfied to. It's called "I wanna be like Jurgen Klopp" and the song was created to celebrate the 1st of 2 consecutive league titles that Klopp brought back to the Westfalenstadion.

Subscribe to my youtube channel and follow me on twitter, and until next time - have a great week!

Big Coq Is The Answer

Being an Arsenal fan hasn't been easy off late.  Most of us are frustrated with the inconsistent results and nervy performances. The problems in the squad are clear and there for everyone to see.

The one that jumps out  is the lack of depth on the bench, especially in the striking department.
Chamakh on loan to West Ham means we only have Olivier Giroud as an out-and-out striker, while Walcott's self confessed desire to play ST still needs time and consistent level of performances there.
We're not going to get drawn into discussion about our striking options.
We need one more world class striker, just going to leave it at that.
What I really want to talk about is the midfield. Going by the general reaction of the fans and the shouts of wanting a DM in the squad you'd think we really lack options in midfield,  not on the bench.
With the January Transfer Window almost coming to a close we are seemingly unlikely to see more than one addition, we must look towards the options we already have.
A similarly unsung hero to Aaron Ramsey, and another who divides the opinions of the Arsenal faithful - could Francis Coquelin be the player to balance our midfield?
Coquelin arrived at Arsenal in 2009 from French side Stade Lavallois as a young technically adept player, just the way the Arsene Wenger likes to buy them, spotted by Gilles Grimandi while on International Duty with France at the U-17 EURO Football Championship.
He made his debut for Arsenal in a 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United in the League Cup. Games after that were few and far between for him for the first couple of seasons, mainly due to injuries - after which he was loaned out to FC Lorient for the 2010/11 season.
Francis Coquelin was predominantly deployed at RB early on in his Arsenal career as an effort to build his defensive capabilities in tight areas, improve touches and work on his already impressive passing.
A very similar situation to how Aaron Ramsey was used as a RW this season to better his development as CM. There is no doubt Arsene Wenger sees him as a DM but will he have a part to play in the squad for future matches remains to be seen.
Unlike the pure Defensive Midfielders who like to screen the defense, Coquelin is a versatile player who can double up as a box-to-box midfielder when need be. He is a brilliant ball winner in the middle of the park, and possesses the vision to play a defense splitting pass too, something Arsenal have lacked of late.

"What Coquelin is doing is quite good, his qualities help the team to defend better. He has that ability to fly into people and win the ball back, and that's something important." - Arsene Wenger

With the likes of Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby he might have to wait a little longer to break into the 1st XI but the potential is definitely there.
With Coquelin included that makes 6 players in the Central Midfield area which Arsene Wenger has to choose from.
Having a further look at his performances as a DM, Arsenal have lost only one game in the Premier League this season in which Coquelin was used (start & substitute), the 2-1 loss to Chelsea in the recent game being the only one.


Arsenal's record in the Premier League with Coquelin featuring. (2012/13)

When rotation is needed his availability has provided an outlet for us. With Diaby's consistency being a perpetual 'IF' for us it seems Francis could make that DM slot his own in the coming years. I personally see him as a potential starter and the Boss' reluctance to dip into the market for another midfielder reiterates that point.  So, if AW decides to stick with Le Coq how could Arsenal lineup?

Possible Formations:

While not differing from the already in place 4-2-3-1 system a few possibilities as to how and where Coquelin can be deployed.

This is just a prototype system where we can drop Diaby for Coquelin.  Also either of Santi Cazorla or Jack Wilshere can play in the #10 role. Very unlikely to happen, but for arguments sake here Coquelin sits just in front of the defense, not pushing too forward, which gives Arteta the freedom to roam forward as the CM. This formation can also double up as a make shift 4-1-4-1. Coquelin acts as the ball winner and sits back to break up counter attacks.

This is perhaps the most balanced system Arsenal can deploy in terms of personnel available. Mind you it doesn't mean it's the most effective as we saw against the loss to Chelsea a few days back where the team didn't turn up at all. It has it all, a box-to-box midfielder in Diaby, a Defensive Mid in Coquelin and a false winger in Cazorla. As we saw in the second half against Chelsea this team turned up to play some of the most brilliant football reminiscent of the old Arsenal.  Also the exclusion of Arteta from the lineup while he's available  doesn't seem to be possible.

The recent slump in form and consistency in midfield can be chalked up as a direct result of the injury to Mikel Arteta. He has been the anchor in our midfield, directing the play  and his loss has been felt as seen in our performances. While we could argue the need for a strong defensive midfielder with a physical presence one can not rule out the importance of  a ball winner in midfield. Look towards what a splendid job Sergio Busquets does for Barcelona, what Alex Song did for Arsenal. They are different players to Coquelin but they are ball winners. My point here is that with a little game time and molding, Francis Coquelin could be the answer to the midfield problem. Someone who is disciplined and does his job by the book.

He definitely has the ability to succeed for this team and I can see the Boss putting his trust again in youth rather than bringing someone in. When the team needs a different approach to a match or when rotation is needed during a tough period of the season he should be played.  A starter for the FA and Capitol One Cup games for sure.

With a little effort from both player and manager I can see Le Coq being that strong Defensive Midfielder this team lacks.

Today's guest blog was written by @manasgunner - worth a follow!

More Than Just a Goalscorer

Today's guest post comes from the ever-superb Zaheer Shah - who takes an in-depth look at what it means for Theo Walcott to play upfront for Arsenal.

Has he got what it takes?

Whenever Arsenal and strikers are involved, a certain model needs to be met. We have never bowed into thinking the likes of Darren Bent were the saviours, because anyone with half a brain will know that in our team, we don’t have players who just score goals. We have always had players that contribute heavily in our build up play, whether it be Henry, Adebayor, Bendtner, Chamakh or Giroud (that isn’t to say the likes of Chamakh are brilliant, but it’s undeniable that he links the play fairly well). It is now time for Theo Walcott to develop into a player who doesn’t just suit the high line defence but can be a striker of all circumstances. I’ve long been of the thought that he simply doesn’t have the attributes to play that consistently in OUR system. His impressive hat trick vs Newcastle doesn’t change my mind simply because we saw what can happen in the first half.

We continuously looked for hopeful balls over the top, struggled to maintain possession due to a lack of options centrally and simply could not make the ball stick up front. Walcott done a man marking job on Perch and Coloccini and always waited for the through ball to arrive. As John Barnes stated, “With Theo Walcott, he’ll either score a goal or give the ball away” and considering we are a team known for possession football we can’t afford to do that. So we’ve come down to this, here are some things I’d like to see Walcott and Arsenal improve on before he convinces me that he can be a full time striker for us.

1) Learn to come short

This is the most important. A lot of quite frankly, tactically naive, fans seem to think that because Walcott is quick, him standing on the shoulder for 90 minutes will ensure that he scores a bucket load every game because it probably works on FIFA. That couldn’t be more the case, as described earlier we have always had strikers who are comfortable with the ball at their feet when the tempo of the game isn’t 100mph, so if he learns to come short it allows our midfielder to play an extra lateral pass and bring others into play. Building our possession from the back and through the pitch is critical for us to win matches, we’re not going to win matches playing the counter attack, we just don’t have the defence to soak up that kind of pressure. If he stays attached onto defenders then receives the ball to feet, the defender isn’t more than a couple of yards away and will undoubtedly muscle him off. However should he come deeper before sprinting off, he poses the opposition defenders a problem, either they go with him and leave a massive hole for the wingers to exploit (or get beaten by a turn-and-go from Theo) or they leave him alone and allow him to pick up a free pass. 

2) Don’t be one dimensional 

A lot of the runs made by Theo are insanely basic. Half turn, half a yard ahead of the defender and go. He is better than this and needs to learn to make runs that crosses paths with other players which will lead to them being able to take advantage of space left by Theo. This is something he doesn’t do enough, coaches will tell you that your runs don’t always have to be for yourself and if Theo learns to drag players across the pitch rather than always taking them towards goal, other players will benefit.

Lastly, Arsenal you don’t get away with it either.

3) Don’t always look for Theo and press the ball higher

Too many times in the first half we looked for Walcott when the ball just wasn’t on, this shows the team is either buying into “Walcott can win any foot race, lets put it in any space for him to chase” or are not being given enough options through midfield which starts at the strikers. We need to learn to play through midfield and get ourselves into a position first and foremost to play Theo in, AND THEN look for the passes that will get him on goal, not just lumping it at any given opportunity. Lastly, there is no coincidence that our attacking performance improved in the second half because we were winning the ball in higher areas of the pitch and instantly Newcastle’s defenders dropped because of the pace of Theo, Chamberlain and Podolski in behind and that is how we imposed our dominance. Do more of this and we will see the best not only of Theo but of our other attackers.

I’ve said on previous occassions how I feel about Walcott up front but for the sake of Arsenal doing well, I want to be proved wrong. However I still feel there is a lot for Walcott to do, as many have pointed out that it’s only three games and Walcott is still getting used to it, the same argument can be stated that it’s only three games and in the bigger picture (something a lot of fans can’t seem to grasp because they only see Theo scoring and not possession being 75% in the away team’s favour) he hasn’t proved anything yet.

I’m always up for a discussion and will accept any intelligent arguments, intelligent is the key word because I’ve seen some stuff today where it just boggles my mind. Anyway, thanks for reading, please share it around because I wrote this wholeheartedly. See you guys on Twitter. COYG.

By Zaheer Shah

Arsenal vs Manchester City Preview

Today's guest blog post comes from Down Under! 
Big Arsenal fan Jake, (of Jake's Opinion fame) gives us the lowdown on today's big Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.

This afternoon at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal take on the reigning champions Manchester City. 
These games always hold special significance, whether it be the fact that City enjoy buying Arsenal players, or that it may well see an end to a title challenge, or even spark one. 
Arsenal’s new-look attack with Podolski, Walcott and Chamberlain may cause a few problems for City. 
The speed of Walcott, the trickery of Chamberlain and the ruthless power of Podolski can at times, look at breathtaking when it all gels together. 
City on the other hand, have had a solid year, despite falling out of the Champions League with not a single victory in Group D. 

A few stats to prepare for the huge game:

• In the past five meetings between these two teams, there has been 4 red cards.
• In their past five visits to the Emirates Stadium, Manchester City have failed to score a single goal.
• City have conceded a higher proportion of goals from outside the box than any other team in the Premier League (26%).
• City have allowed the opposition just 56 shots on target against them this season, the fewest in the top flight.
• Arsenal players have made 12 individual errors leading directly to goals this season, by far the most of any team.
• Arsenal has received just 17 yellow cards and one red card in 20 league games this season, the fewest cards in the Premier League.

Previous meetings between the two sides show that it looks to be another tight affair, with only one game in 2010 having more than two goals and being decided by more than 2 goals. Every game since has either remained a draw, or had a 1 goal winner.

It’s going to be a great game, with Arsenal looking to climb up the table and Manchester City aiming to catch up to leaders Manchester United.

Jake's Tip: Arsenal 2 Manchester City 1

An Alternative Look at Arsenal's Transfer Targets

'Tis the Season to be trolled and sent up the Falcao Garden of Golden Dreams. 

The BSM grow more disgruntled every day and the WOB will undoubtedly use AFC not signing any of the players below as yet another reason to fill your twitter timeline with tomfoolery. 
We can expect to be inundated with "this star's coming, that deadwood's going" headlines for the next month or so - and to avoid sounding like a broken record, new names will be drawn out of the Mirror Football hat every Monday. Whilst Arsene has said that we "may be looking at two players, plus a loan for Henry", we've sort of been here before. With that in mind, (to save you half the bother) i've written a 2-part summary of some of the top names that have been linked with the club in what's bound to be another Sheikh dominated January Transfer Window. This is the first. 
First on the list has to "£6m Dutchman Klaas Jan Huntelaar"; a goalscorer who has flopped on the big stage at both Real Madrid and AC Milan, this 29 year old FC Schalke 04 striker has 5 goals in 14 Bundesliga games this season. He's famously in the last year of his contract, and his agent seems to be hard at work to engineer an offer; should be available cut-price. 
England's recent debut boy Wilfried Zaha, 20, who could still play for the Ivory Coast, is a winger slash attacking mid with a fair bit of flair up his rather lanky long sleeve. Plays for Crystal Palace in the nPower Championship and of yet, has 4 goals in 18 games this season. 
Moroccan international Adel Taarabt, QPR's "creative spark" is a controversial 23 year old attacking midfielder who has 2 goals (+1 assist) in his 9 Premier League games this season. As 'Arry's just turned up at Loftus Road, one can only summise as to the comings and goings that could take place over the next 6-8 weeks. Adel seems to have a reputation for making a nuisance of himself, will Arsene find a place for him? 
Fernando Llorente, Spanish International Forward, 27. Has one goal so far, which came in his only full, 90' minute La Liga appearance. Has been involved in what i can only describe as a "most troubling situation" with his current club, Athletico Bilbao. Look out for a post on the "Walcott-syndrome" that a fair few of these players are suffering from. 
Adrian Lopez, attacking midfielder/forward, 24. Plays for Atletico Madrid and has one goal in 12 starts this season (all competitions). He's the back-up to the man-God that is Falcao, and he's another player that's been making demands; some of them slightly outrageous - my favourite of which is probably "i want to play football." 
Hatam Ben Arfa, attacking midfielder, 25. Plays for Newcastle United and has 2 goals and 2 assists in his 12 Premier League starts so far this season. If you've seen him play, you know why we're "in for him." Whether we're actually going anywhere near making an offer is yet to be seen, and probably depends on Theo's situation. 
Radamel Falcao, striker, 26. Plays for Atletico Madrid and has an impressive 11 goals in his 12 La Liga starts this season. Those are the stats. Keep dreaming. Chelsea seems the likely destination unless City do some moving around. We'd almost certainly be looking at a minimum of £40m and that, is where this one ends. 
Uruguay's Edison Cavani, striker, 25, Napoli. Has scored at an incredible rate this season with 15 in 14 games (all competitions). Napoli's ever-so-slightly eccentric Chairman recently quoted as saying, "he's not leaving. Unless we get £70m offer." Moving ever so swiftly on. 
Stewart Downing, Liverpool who has just the one, solitary Europa League goal to shout about this season. I can only pray that us being linked with this Liverpool winger - i mean, left back - is a media mockery, something started on twitter, no doubt. Keep your nonsense, IKOs.
Isco, 20, Malaga. has had a brilliant term so far, with 5 goals and 3 assists this season (all competitions). This one's probably me dreaming myself, but.. he's amazing on FIFA, so sign him up Arsene! Or you're out! ;) 

That's about all for now - hope you enjoyed a light-hearted look at some players who probably aren't coming anywhere near the club. 

If you need more, I've made two youtube videos covering the Transfer Talk (see below) and i'll undoubtedly write another one of these shortly, specifically covering Abou/a half decent lump we can stick in the middle.