It is time...

There are two things that Arsenal management have to consider. The first is to force Arsene Wenger to change his philosophy and to go out and buy a big name forward or two, and a holding midfielder (all of whom need to be over the age of 28 and have some good experience for club and country). Or the second….. Sack Arsene Wenger.

I hate to say that, and can’t believe that I just did. BUT – I am an Arsenal fan, not an Arsene Wenger fan. It is NOT ok to beat most of the table but to continuously lose to Chelsea and Manchester United.

Arsenal has become a damn day care and it is blatantly obvious. The Emirates provides care to young potential stars who eventually leave, only to get bigger contracts and to play for clubs that have a better chance of winning a trophy.

It was fitting that one of those young studs, that grew up through the ranks of Arsenal and provided years of faithful service to the Gunners dealt out two assists against his former club (Ashley Cole). It is also fitting that another such player, Anelka, has blossomed into a phenomenal strike partner to arguably the best forward in football, Didier Drogba.

It is time for Arsene to either change philosophy or step down. Eduardo? Should be playing for Derby or Hull City. He has no right to step on the field with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Arshavin and William Gallas. Carlos Vela? Denilson? Abou Diaby? Really? Thank god Ebou didn’t get on the field. Here’s some advice: if a player does not get recognized to play for his national team, why play him? Also, why have more than ten of those players on your team?

Arsene, your philosophy worked. It worked when you had the fiery Patrick Viera, the once solid Sol Campbell, the phenomenal Thierry Henry. It worked when you had the genius Bergkemp, the beloved Tony Adams and the tricky Pires and Ljungberg. Why? Because they had experience, because they had the will and ‘power’ to win. That is why Ashley Cole flourished, that is why Flamini, Hleb and other young Gunners looked good, because they had the right influential players to help guide them. The right mix of young raw talent and experienced, finesse-type players with the will to win, helps win trophies.

There is no one on the current Arsenal roster that can step up and be that dominant leader. Fabregas is great, but he needs to be nurtured, he needs the right team mates to help him reach his potential, the potential that will one day mesmerize the footballing world.

Today, Drogba was seen getting in the face of his team mates, Cech was yelling at his defense, Terry was face to face with the referee demanding better calls. They have the determination, they have that extra push to seek a victory. Arsenal? Too young, too inexperienced. When Eduardo turned the ball over practically every time he touched it, no one demanded more out of him. When Arshavin stood around and watched the ball drift two feet away from him, no one demanded more. When the youthful Walcott made ill-advised passes, no one put his arm around him and said “hey, why not try this?”

You know what will happen next? I do.. Fabregas will leave, Vermalean will leave, Arshavin will leave, Walcott and Persie will probably struggle a little more and then eventually leave too. This is what has happened the past few years, the players that have the class and potential realize that their careers will suffer at the Emirates and will leave. And do I blame Hleb, Cole, Flamini, Adebayor, Toure? Do I point figures at Viera, Henry and Pires for leaving? Most certainly not! Hey – want more money and a better chance of winning? Yepp, makes sense to me.

The premiership is a battlefield. The likes of Eduardo, Nasri, Rosicky, Vela, and Traore do not belong in the physical Barclays. Eboue, Bendtner, Diaby deserve a few minutes. But just a few. It is sad that Fabregas, Persie, Arshavin, Clichy, Sagna, Song and Gallas have to play with these chumps.

I admire Arsene Wenger, but I am an Arsenal fan. The time has come to change. Part ways, move on. Arsene is a great coach, but this whole “hey let me find a young stud and nurture him” belongs at the Neverland ranch with the late Michael Jackson or at the Vatican with those sketchy Roman Catholic priests. Get a clue, we look like little boys against the Red Devils and the Chelsea Blues. If you don’t see it yet, let a devout Arsenal fan help you. It is time. Spend some money or leave.

And once again… we have nothing good to say about the French.

Romance, Architecture, Liberty, The French kiss, Good wine, the Tour De France, a disgustingly ugly accent and the menage a trois are all glorious hallmarks by which every Frenchman can hang their chapeau. Well, minus the accent. But for all you bluecoats, here’s another famous trait for ya: your ability to piss the world off.

The Stade De France, or ‘Stade De Fraud,’ as it should be referred to, was the site of an extremely controversial goal that has now generated a whirl wind of speculation for the FIFA governing body. Anyone who saw the game has to be infuriated with the cheek of Thierry Henry in handling the ball not once, but twice, in setting up William Gallas’ winning goal.

The Irish were dismayed, and Robbie Keane’s outburst, shredding FIFA’s authority was well justified. Ireland did file an appeal to replay the game, which, Thierry Henry admitted, was the “fairest solution” to the controversy. But as expected, FIFA denied Ireland of a chance at justice. The final score is simple: Ireland were cheated out of a trip to South Africa.


Not just the Irish mob, but all football fans should be furious.

What makes football such a pure sport is the fact that it is the most democratic sport on the planet. You don’t have to be six-foot-tall, you don’t have to run the 100 meters in less than 12 seconds, you don’t have to be able to bench press 250 pounds and no, you don’t have to be able to bend it like Beckham. There is no other sport where six year old boys, female college students and black-lunged grandpas can all play against each other in a competitive manner. Football, like love, is a universal language. The equality of the game is magnificent in that every nation grows up playing the sport. It’s a purely democratic game where common sense and unselfishness thrive.

The world cup is the quintessence of the sport and a great example of why football is just remarkably beautiful. Every nation has a shot to make the tournament and to win it. Every culture, every country and every race find common ground and turn their attention to this tournament, making it the most widely-viewed event in the world.

But, FIFA’s refusal to use replays and the decision to deny Ireland’s humble appeal is threatening the foundations of the integrity of the sport. It’s shameful and embarrassing to say the least.

I am a huge Thierry Henry fan. As an Arsenal faithful, he has been an icon and arguably one of the best footballers of all time. He is an ambassador of the sport known not only for his stunning goals but for his fight against racism throughout Europe and for campaigning racial integrity for all leagues across the world.
But his handling of the ball is just unforgivable. At such a big stage, a world cup qualifier, what he did was nothing short of blatant cheating. In the post-game interview he said that the “ball hit my hand.” Sorry Ti Ti, but that is a lie. Henry down right handled the ball, caressing it gently down to his feet so he could cross it to Gallas. It was no accident, and it did not hit his hand, he consciously handled it.

Yes, it is Martin Hansson’s (the referee) fault for not noticing the handball, but that’s only part of the issue. The fact is that Henry, being a house-hold name, and role model was just un-classy. Sadly, he has completely tarnished his once formidable reputation by this unforgivable act.
After the ball hit the back of the net, Henry celebrated the goal while the Irish hung their heads in dismay as the incompetent Swedish referee let the goal stand. French media and former French greats blame the referee. Fair enough, but Les Bleus, I hope there are a lot of boo’s ringing your ears when you get to Johannesberg.

But there is a larger picture. It is the same argument that football associations of smaller European and South American countries as well as Asian and African countries have been making for years, much before any one who reads this post was born. Football, meant to be a democratic sport, is held in the hands of the powerful European based FIFA. Keane was right when he said “of course Platini is happy, France are in the World Cup.”

Once again, the European elite get all the luck that they need and this is something that needs to be looked at. It’s not just about who wins the pick to host the next World Cup nor is it about the unfair seeding system per continent. It’s about the sport, and how every country deserves a fair chance. Sorry Ireland, but FIFA has ruined the dream to play in the World Cup, not just for many of the Irishmen that took the pitch that day, but for the nation as well. Every footballer dreams of playing in the World Cup, and because of the decision of a few corrupt leaders, it will be another four years before this opportunity comes back around. Now how fair is that?