Please turn up on Wednesday, Arsenal

Liverpool away on Saturday the 8^th of February didn’t quite go to plan. We were absolutely hammered – especially in the first 20 minutes when we went down by four goals.

Defensively, we were shambolic, we couldn’t defend set pieces, we couldn’t defend in open play, and we couldn’t even string five passes together (in the first 20 minutes). Our concentration levels were horrific and we created naught. It even P*ssed down with rain as we exited the ground. Overall, it was a terrible day!

This can now go two ways:

1. We fold against Manchester United on Wednesday night and our season falls apart with an all too familiar February destruction.
2. We beat Manchester United and the Liverpool result and more importantly performance is forgotten and our confidence level goes up.

Make no mistake about it – the game on Wednesday night is ‘Huge’. For me, it’s one of the biggest games of our season and it’s often said that games can define our season and I really believe this game is one of them.

It is not decisive in terms of, we can lose and still recover but for our mental state and confidence, I fear losing the game could have massive consequences on the rest of our season. We really need to get a result on Wednesday – an offensive and fluent performance will be good but a result is essential.

I know it sounds a bit cliché but this is a time where we really should stick together. Yes, we all wanted a striker in the window but we can either moan about it or just get on with it and back who we have.

I made a promise to myself that if we are in a title race at the turn of the year, I will remain positive, use that annoying voice I have at matches with encouragement and keep backing and supporting this football club and I have no plans to back away from the promise.

I hope the team and manager have the same commitment – it has become a rarity to see a player like Mertesacker looked so shaken as he was at Anfield. He has the mental strength to come back and be a real leader along with Arteta and co to get the spirit up and go again on Wednesday.

We have some really good players, and I mean really good. There was no logical reason as to why we vanished for 20 minutes at Anfield. The manager has come out and taken blame and perhaps the team selection was questionable but when you concede from two set pieces within minutes of the start of the game, you know something has gone wrong.

The loss of Walcott and Ramsey has been huge – Walcott for his pure pace and ability to get in behind and stretch and game and Ramsey for his drive and box to box nature. I tweeted after the Southampton game that one of Ramsey, Wilshere and Rosicky must play in the centre of the park and perhaps we can add Chamberlain to the list if we are really stretched but first choice must be Wilshere or Rosicky (while Ramsey is out) for their drive and ability to change the pace of the game. Wilshere has been struggling for fitness for a few years but gave it a go second half at Anfield but I just wonder if Rosicky, who is having a terrific season, may be in contention to play in the middle of the park on Wednesday.

Whoever plays will know they have a massive job on and if we can lose the mental aspect of not quite playing at the level we know we can in big games and can beat Manchester United with a certain Dutchman in the team then it may just begin another run of results which we desperately need to keep our season on track during a very tough run of fixtures.

I believe, I always believe.

Up the Arsenal.  

Time to regroup and come back stronger

Before I can find the part where it says the score I read about Per Mertesacker 'blasting' Mesut Ozil in a 'bust up' in every newspaper this morning.

For someone who was on the moon yesterday and did not watch the game would have read about this ‘bust up’ before they knew the score – there for me is the problem.

Despite being very disappointed at losing a massive game, it had nine goals and a neutral would have loved every minute – but the focus is on a player ‘blasting’ another.

For me, it’s a bit of a non event. People that take it seriously clearly have never played sport, ever. I’m by no means any sort of a sportsman but just playing five a side every week has got me fired up and I’ve had words with someone on my team. That is sport. There is nothing wrong with showing passion on the pitch.

Jack Wilshere was caught sticking a finger up at the City fans after getting some abuse – he shouldn’t have reacted and I am sure the club will accept the ban and he will learn from it.

The game generally was frustrating because every time we looked liked we were in the game, we lost a goal. The third just after half time was a daft goal to give away and we gifted City it. The fourth goal started when a foul was given to City which was very soft. Sagna used his body to out muscle Nasri (same way Kompany did to Flamini moments earlier and the ref let the game play on) which was ridiculous. The ref / lino on our side had a shocker with the pen shout and the ‘offside’ goals.

Manchester City are an awesome team and their home record shows how strong they are. It wasn’t the best day in the office but Arsenal now have eight days to recover and regroup which I am sure they will do and come back to go again. Home form is absolutely vital and it is very important we continue to compete and win these. 

Mesut Ozil has been a talking point and he has been in and out of games recently but has produced some moments which have created goals. I have no doubt there is much more to come and anyone that saw him play regularly in Spain will know this is probably only his first gear. Like anyone else (can cost 4m or 40m) who comes from a foreign country to play in England takes time to settle and Ozil is no different. For me, he is our man and I’ll continue to back and support him – not clapping fans is a small issue for me and all I care about is him giving 100% in the next game and trying to influence the game and help get three points for our club.

I know it sounds a bit cliché and Wenger like but it really is time to stay together and stay behind the team. The last few seasons, all I’ve wanted is it be up there rather then ten points behind wishing we were involved – the rest will do us good and I have no doubt the team will be back and ready to go a week on Monday for another HUGE game.

Up the Arsenal.

#ThankYouSachin

Not bad for a 40 year old eh?

I know every blog piece I have ever written is on Arsenal but I just had to put a few thoughts on paper for the great Sachin Tendulkar.

I first got into cricket on a trip to India in 1996 (I was 8 years old) – the cricket world cup was on at the time and a match between India and Pakistan meant India was a ghost town with everyone indoors watching their country play. I kept hearing the name Sachin Tendulkar and I was curious to know who this man the Indian public were speaking so highly of actually was. I started watching the world cup and it ended with Sri Lanka beating Australia in the final.

I was hooked. I came back to England and took a keen interest in the game. Being a British born Indian, I was always keen to follow both, England and India but the name Sachin Tendulkar always made me think of the people in India and how much they adored him – Cricket was their religion and Sachin was like their God.

I followed Sachin’s career from there and watched videos of his innings from his younger days – his first class century for Yorkshire was pretty special but his first ever test century at the age of 17 was just wonderful. You could see it then how special he was and how good he could be.

Supporting Arsenal under Arsene Wenger always makes me analyse sportsman behaviour and Arsene would have loved Sachin; he conducted himself in what was seen as the correct way. He loved cricket and spent hours and hours practising to make his game perfect. Bad headlines and Sachin Tendulkar were never linked and he was loved and respected all over the world.

Several of Sachin’s innings will always remain with me – the first is the way he took on the great Australian bowling line up in the Middle East to win the Sharjah Cup for India.  He scored 134 from 131 deliveries and he was simply superb. Not many people have dominated Shane Warne like Sachin did that night.

Remind yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GY0gGWs4J8

The second innings I remember very well was in 2008 against England. He scored a ton under pressure and won the game for his country. This was a special innings in particular not only because India were chasing 387 on a day five pitch but because of what happened in the days leading up to the test match.

The city of Mumbai had suffered the heartache of a terrorist attack just days before this test match and to the credit of both teams, in particular England, both teams put on a fantastic test match.

"By no means am I saying this will make everyone forget what happened in Mumbai but I'd like to thank England for coming back and playing Test cricket and we've witnessed a wonderful Test match - people are enjoying cricket the way it's meant to be. What happened in Mumbai was extremely unfortunate and I don't think by India winning or me scoring a hundred, people who have lost their loved ones will feel any better. It's a terrible loss for all of them and our hearts are with them, but whatever manner we can contribute to making them feel better we'll make that effort." Said Sachin.

This was a 35 year old man who was born in Mumbai and was very proud of his country – his dream was to make people happy and during times of suffering, he was determined to at least try and put a small smile on the faces of everyone in Mumbai by scoring runs to win a game for India….and Sachin, you certainly did that.

England captain Kevin Pietersen said: "Who can write Sachin Tendulkar's script any better? The man from Mumbai came in and scored a sensational hundred today. He batted like a superstar. We tried everything we could but unfortunately he just came good. The boy played well."

The final time Sachin played in England, he made 91 on a day five pitch and the applause he got when he walked back into the pavilion is something I will never forget. I was sitting straight down the ground and as Sachin walked back, the entire ground got up and everyone there knew this was the final time they would see him step onto the field as a player in England.

He is a special man who has had the pressure of a nation on him – a nation that always expects to win. I saw it for myself in 1996 and again when I visited in 2004. Sachin Tendulkar stayed at the top level for 24 years and did it with such grace and humanity. People ask the question whether Sachin or Lara was the better batsman but that’s like asking about Messi or Ronaldo or Pele or Maradona. Some questions just do not need answering - Lara and Tendulkar were both world class players and I am glad I got to see both play many times.

Sachin deserves all the credit he is getting and all the praise is justified because he was that good. One hundred hundreds, most runs in test cricket, most runs in one day international cricket and a world cup are just some awards that belong to Sachin. There will never be a player like him.

#ThankYouSachin #Legend.