A Gooner in Montreal

Adebayor, Cesc, Nasri, RVP - Who's next Arsène?

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:48:28 -0400

Two goalless draws, misfiring new strikers, a Mancunian Van Persie wondergoal. All the ingredients are there for the overzealous pessimism that has surrounded Arsenal in recent years to thrive as we settle in this new season. The Premier League has only been back for two weeks and already that one irrational thought is ringing in the back of Arsenal fans’ minds: “What if Arsenal actually never score again without Robin Van Persie?”. Naturally the goals will come, but what will be more interesting to see is who will be taking charge of the scoring responsibilities.

Montpellier: the last miracle?

Mon, 28 May 2012 23:47:07 -0400

It’s been a week and still even Rémi Gaillard can’t quite believe it. Who would have thought at the start of the season that Montpellier, the 13th budget in Ligue 1, would end up lifting the trophy for the first time in its history. The southern city is a cultural and university center in France and has celebrated sporting triumphs in handball and rugby, but never football. Promoted to Ligue 1 just two seasons ago, René Girard’s side defied the odds by finishing above big-spending Paris Saint Germain. With Manchester City leading an analogous enterprise as PSG and winning the Premier League, no one outside the French capital could complain about the success of a club focused on the development of young players and a sustainable budget.

Turn the clock back to 2007; Montpellier was in an abysmal state and fighting against relegation to the National league – the third division in France. That’s how far they have come, out of nowhere, very much in the image of their emblematic striker Olivier Giroud who was playing for Tours in Ligue 2 just a year ago and is now looking to book his place for the Euro with France. Montpellier’s victory was nothing short of miraculous and set the stage for a thrilling season. If you enjoy such underdog stories however, you may have to wait a while before it happens again in France.

Thierry Henry: In Search of Lost Time

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:23:38 -0500

Anyone who follows football knows the amount of emotion that the sport can bring in a split second. From total despair to intense euphoria, every fan is ought to have experienced his fair share of hair-raising moments. What happened at the Emirates yesterday however transcended all these feelings. Seeing Thierry Henry warm up wearing the Arsenal colors was already a nostalgic treat every Gooner could savor. His match-winning goal however was out of this world and truly of fairytales. Much like a taste or smell that can resurrect forgotten memories, witnessing his so familiar trademark finish brought me back to a time I thought was lost, a time when I first became interested in football because I heard this Frenchman was ruling the pitches of England.

A miraculous week for French clubs in the Champions League

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:00:14 -0500

A miracle. That’s exactly what Lyon needed to go through to the knockout stages of the Champions League after disappointing in the five first games and scoring only on two occasions. To qualify, Les Gones not only needed Ajax to lose, but also had seven goals to catch up on the Dutch side. As if that wasn’t hard enough, Lyon’s goalscoring form had been worryingly poor, especially away, and when Dinamo Zagreb managed to hold them at 1-1 at half time, Marseille looked to be the only French club going to the last 16. We thought we had seen it all when Didier Deschamps’ men came back from 2-0 to win at Dortmund yesterday. Clearly not. Seven goals in 30 minutes, including four from Bafétimbi Gomis, allowed Lyon to unbelievably secure second place in Group D.

A Year with Laurent: Only the Illusion of Success?

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:34:10 -0500

Les Bleus wrapped up 2011 with a 0-0 draw at home against Belgium, an unconvincing performance that unsettled many critics in France. Just over a year since taking the top seat, the grace period and overall optimism linked to Laurent Blanc’s appointment have clearly evaporated. There is no talk of getting rid of the former Bordeaux coach of course but the consensus is evident: France is not playing good enough with the player it has. It is true that France seemed to lack pace and presence in the final third against Belgium and even during the win against the USA. Yet, Blanc’s men have just booked their place into the Euro (without going through the playoffs) and are currently defending a 17-game unbeaten streak. So which is it? Is Blanc fulfilling his promises or was 2011 only the illusion of a successful year for Les Bleus?

Fighting the Power Shift - Arsene's Last Struggle?

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 02:38:00 -0400

Football clubs do enjoy their deadline drama it seems. These last couple of days have been so hectic it has become difficult to keep track of ~~my Twitter feed~~ every single deal, and the transfer window is not even closed yet! We can expect more signings in the next 24 hours that could shape the rest of the season, notably in the Premier League with much of the attention focused on Arsenal. The Gunners have been incredibly busy since their humiliating defeat at Old Trafford, getting their hands on Park Chu Young from Monaco while waiting for Andre Dos Santos and Per Mertesacker to follow the South Korean to North London. Arsene Wenger has had a very worrying start of the season, to say the least, and Arsenal’s top four spot is already severely threatened, only three match-days into the new campaign. Whether this new found taste for spending is a reaction to this weekend’s loss or part of “Le Plan” is irrelevant, however after Manchester City’s performance at White Hart Lane, it could very well be Wenger’s despairing attempt at saving Arsenal’s seat in the Champions League.

Can’t thank Eric Beard enough for giving me this...

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:35:55 -0400

Can’t thank Eric Beard enough for giving me this opportunity. A dream come true to be able to ask questions to an Arsenal legend like Dixon. Also, Lee’s reaction to hearing my name is priceless haha!

afootballreport:

Like Liverpool in Istanbul, The Podcast Makes A Comeback! iTunes...

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:28:36 -0400

Like Liverpool in Istanbul, The Podcast Makes A Comeback! iTunes / Soundcloud / RSS

After a two-month period of soul-searching and not having nearly enough time for weekly hour-long recording sessions, the A Football Report podcast is back with a new, fresh format. The podcast, now hoping to be about 25 minutes in length, will focus heavily on interacting with you via Facebook, Twitter, and email. On this podcast Ulysse Pasquier, Oliver Sparrow, and Eric Beard talk about the importance of the Europa League, Manchester United’s fantastic season so far, Arsenal’s not so fantastic end to their season and recent change in ownership, and the Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

A game Barcelona deserved to win, but should they have?

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:13:28 -0500

Ignoring the result, the first leg between Arsenal and Barcelona at the Emirates was everything we had hoped for. The amount of precision in both teams’ passing and control made the game a joy to watch for anyone passionate about football, Gooner or Culé. Although not lacking the excitement and controversy, Tuesday’s match was somewhat disappointing in terms of the quality of play with only one team coming out of the gates. Indeed, the first half couldn’t have been more one-sided with waves of Messi-led attacks leaving Arsenal gasping for air. Sadly, the turning point of the game wasn’t the Argentinian’s genius touch to set up the first goal, or any other piece of football magic but a jaw dropping decision form the referee instead. The second half looked promising with the Gunner’s unlikely equalizer bound to open up the game and yet we barely had time to say “game on” before Mr. Massimo Busacca made the conscious decision to end the contest by sending off Robin Van Persie.

Carling Cup Final: Arsenal and Birmingham face-off for some much needed silverware

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 10:56:04 -0500

There will be much more than just golden statuettes distributed on Sunday as Arsenal will look to end their 6 year trophy drought against Birmingham in the Carling Cup final. Arsenal’s lack of silverware since 2005 has been a talking point in the press - for what seems like forever for us Gooners - and yet it will be Alex McLeish who will have the task of ending the longest winless run with Birmingham lifting their only major trophy back in 1963. Puts things in perpective doesn’t it? However Arsene Wenger has evidently felt under pressure this season breaking off with his nonchalant attitude toward the League Cup and lining up stronger sides. The Gunners will be eager to silence the critics but will first have to get past a strong Birmingham side and do so without the injured Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas.

Arshavin and Bendtner - Should Arsenal fans Love or Hate?

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:09:31 -0500

Arsenal fans have been increasingly frustrated with the duo’s performances in the recent weeks, especially following their important involvement in the Gunners’ two-game cup ties against lower-league clubs Leeds and Ipswich. Arshavin and Bentdner have indeed not had the best of seasons so far with most of theirs last appearances in the league coming from the bench. The humiliating defeat at Portman Road in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final hence resulted in a furious backlash from angered Gooners, directed especially towards Bendavin (let’s just hope that name doesn’t stick). I believe however that their style of play makes them especially easy to target and scream at from your couch - and I’ve done my share of that - but looking at the big picture, is all this criticism justified?

Walcott inspires Gunners against out-of-form Chelsea

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:38:47 -0500

Arsenal ended on Monday night their calamitous recent record against the Blues with a significant 3-1 win at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger’s players had to overcome the psychological pressure of having won only two of their last 18 matches against Chelsea in all competitions. Goals at either end of half-time from Song, Fabregas and Walcott allowed the Gunners to do just that and keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the Premier League. It was however important team changes from Wenger that led to a rather unusually inspired defensive performance by Arsenal to stop the likes of Didier Drogba, previously with 13 goals in 13 appearances against the North London club.

Samir Nasri: a Tale of Two Goals

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:49:08 -0500

If you haven’t already, you should definitely listen to this week’s AFR Podcast in which our writers led a very interesting discussion with guest contributor Andrew Weber (editor of ArsenalFCBlog.com and FootballNomad.com). One question that was raised is whether Arsene Wenger should consider selling Cesc Fabregas in the light of very promising - and sometimes even match-winning - performances from Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri. With the Arsenal captain’s injury problems, Nasri has indeed taken over the responsibility of bringing goals from midfield, becoming the Gunners’ top scorer in the league this season after the win against Fulham. However, the two goals from the French playmaker were not only brilliant in their execution, they show just how different Nasri is from Fabregas. I therefore believe Wenger should keep both players and build a team around them as Samir Nas-a-ri is quickly becoming the kind of player Arsenal have been missing since Robert Pires.

Sagna leads the run past Everton as Arsenal go second.

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:33:40 -0500

By Ulysse Pasquier, writing from Montreal

Arsenal were arguably this weekend’s biggest winners as they defeated Everton 1-2 at Goodison Park to go second in the Premier League, just two points from Chelsea. While the Gunners benefited from the Blues’ poor performance against Sunderland, they still had to find the resources to overcome a spirited Everton side. The game itself had a very different dynamic to the 1-6 thrashing we witnessed on the first day of last season as David Moyes’s players proved to be much more challenging to beat. Goals from Bacary Sagna and Cesc Fabregas allowed Arsenal to take a commanding lead before an 89th minute strike from Tim Cahill halved Everton’s deficit to set up a thrilling end to the game. While it wasn’t the best performance from the Gunners, they went home with three deserved points and they will have Lukasz Fabianski to thank for the win.

We lose together, we win together. We´ll do it. Keep the faith.

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:40:00 -0400

We lose together, we win together. We´ll do it. Keep the faith.

Arsenal need the Carling Cup

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:34:55 -0400

The Gunners went through to the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup for the eighth consecutive season with an impressive 4-0 win against Newcastle at St. James’ Park. Krul opened the scoring just before half time with an unfortunate own goal while strikes from Walcott (53th, 88th) and Bendtner (83th) rounded up a very promising night for Arsenal. While Wenger kept true to his policy of using the competition to give opportunities to younger and second team players, I couldn’t help but notice how strong this Arsenal side was compared to other years. I believe that this is not only a sign of the much improved depth of the club’s squad but it also shows how increasingly important the Carling Cup is becoming for Wenger.

"Another dimension" - Perfect start for Cesc and Arsenal

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:04:09 -0400

Arsene Wenger couldn’t have hoped for a better start to the Champions League as Arsenal put six past an uninspired Braga side at the Emirates on Wednesday night. “The Portuguese Arsenal”, as they are called for their similar home colors, were given a painful introduction to the competition and could do nothing against the Gunners’ pace and quality passing. It was an almost perfect performance from the entire Arsenal team and goals from Fabregas, Arshavin, Chamakh and Vela ensured they ended this first day in Europe with three points.

Arsenal Injury List Adds Two More

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:27:46 -0400

matchcentre:

These can’t just be coincidences. RvP is injury prone to begin with, but I’ve been asking myself if the problem doesn’t come from the Arsenal medical team, or the way training sessions are conducted…I don’t know. Wenger has spoken about this before and said that since the injuries were all of different nature , it had to be bad luck. It indeed makes you wonder what Arsenal would be capable of with a healthy squad…Drogba get injured already!! (just kidding)

Headed for trouble...: A French Problem at Arsenal? Gunners sign Sebastien Squillaci

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:51:38 -0400

Headed for trouble...: A French Problem at Arsenal? Gunners sign Sebastien Squillaci:

I completely agree with the first part of your answer. I think Squillaci is a great signing and in no way am I saying that the World Cup incident was HIS fault. I was merely pointing out that it may not be the best strategy to go only after players from France and Ligue 1, which seems to be what Wenger is doing this year (Koscienly, Chamakh, now Squillaci), especially with the number of French players we already have at Arsenal. Here’s why:

I don’t think you can just blame Domenech and the FFF for what happened at the World Cup. I am French and as sad as it makes me to say it, the problem was much more deep-rooted than that. French Football and French players have been hit by what happened in South Africa, whether they were or not in the squad. I am therefore saying it would be wise not to accumulate French players. I wasn’t talking about a single player in particular but rather what the trend that is going on at Arsenal could lead to.

I’ll be sure not to ever say anything bad about Squillaci, I can see he’s your sweetheart :). How did you become a fan of him?

Fabregas stays! Football prevails

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:44:48 -0400

philosofooty: