An Apology To Arsene

I would like to apologise for being the only Arsenal site not to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our Lord, Wenger, yesterday. In all honesty I felt that everybody had said all there was to be said about the great man. Others captured perfectly what we already know, that we are extremely fortunate to be living through the Wenger era, in exactly the same way that my Dad considered himself blessed to have witnessed the Chapman period.

My only 'meeting' with 'Le Boss' took place at the end of the last game at Highbury. I had observed him making his way round three sides of the ground shaking hands with those fortunate enough to be in the front rows on the way. As he approached the North end of the East Lower, my home for the day, he came within yards of me and then stepped back to the pitch to avoid the photographers. I was not about to miss my opportunity and called out to him. He came straight over, "Thank you", I said, "for everything you have done for Arsenal". He shook my outstretched hand, smiled and moved on.

It was not an ordinary smile, however. He seemed genuinely moved by the emotion he witnessed that day. Then it dawned on me. Arsene Wenger is, I think, totally smitten with the passion that supporters here have for their clubs. He has remained here for ten years largely because the challenge he set himself to develop our club has been so appreciated by Arsenal fans. The sense of fulfillment he experiences is beyond what he expected when he first arrived in North London.

Of course I am being extremely presumptious, but I genuinely believe that the love affair between the intelligent and studious orchestrator of our finest decade, and the myriad of personalities who make up the Arsenal fanbase, is a mutual affair. The look of incredulity he wore on his face that day in May will long live with me. He thought he had seen the depth of passion that anybody could feel for a football club, but he saw something else that day. He watched grown men cry for the loss of a spiritual home, and I would like to think he finally appreciated his place in Arsenal history that day.

Once again I say, "Thank you, Arsene".

Spurs In New Food Scare

You couldn't make it up! Listeners to TalkSport yesterday afternoon were treated to the real reason behind our friends and neighbours poor start to the season. Asked to comment on Tottenham's early season struggles, their new defender, Pascal Chimbonda, apparently observed " our mayonnaise has not yet set".

Now forgive me for perhaps being less than reverent but under the circumstances is it wise for Pascal, a member of the extremely healthy Wigan side firmly beaten at Highbury on the last day of last season, to be responsible for such verbal diarrhoea?

What are the nutritional staff at N17 doing these days if runny salad dressing has been added to the players diet sheets (yes, I said sheets!) alongside lasagne of unconfirmed origin. It must be a matter of concern to the coaching staff that their laxative, sorry, lax defense could be due to too much movement at the back!

Goonerholic sends his best wishes to our closest rivals and hopes they will soon be able to recover at their own convenience.

Reasons To Be Cheerful

All things considered that was a very good night's work against Porto. Let's not kid ourselves that the opposition bore any resemblance to the side that lifted the trophy just over two years ago. Nonetheless they were the first to admit that they could not live with the quality of their hosts football last night. Manuel Ferreira, the beaten coach, admitted "Arsenal are a team with the ability to change a game very quickly. Their play was really fast and we could not keep up."

On the pitch it was a delight to see Henry head home an Eboue cross for the second succesive match. Alexander Hleb produced a calm and classy finish early in the second half and that was sufficient to maintain a one hundred percent record thus far. The only cloud, and what a cloud, was the injury to Gallas, The man's quality shone through again last night. Get well soon William.

Off the pitch there was precious little to moan about either. One of the major talking points recently has concerned the clubs threat to eject spectators who stand during matches. Those who, like me, were next to the visiting supporters last night would have noted with interest that next to no effort was made to keep them on their seats. Nobody doubts it is a contentious issue. As one who enjoys a good sing-song, but has also taken his octogenarian father to a game where he could not physically stand up every five minutes, I can see both sides. Fair play to the stewards, at least in blocks 22 and 23 who saw the funny side and enjoyed the light hearted banter that ensued when they were compelled to ask for some of us to comply with the requirement.

And whisper it softly, but it seemed less congested heading for the tube station after the game. As at the Zagreb game I left a minute before the end for fear of missing the last train home and comfortably made it. A couple of people from my neck of the woods waited for the final whistle and did catch that last departure, but a friend from Wales failed, so it may well be related to which station you choose. I hate missing even a minute so it's final whistle at night games for me from now on, as long as the Met continue to keep the queues moving.

Time to catch up with some much needed sleep, and finally get over that last pint of London Pride at Paddington. Until tomorrow my friends.

Unleashing the Beast?

With just twenty-four hours to the Gunners Champions League clash with Porto speculation is rife that Julio Baptista may be let loose on the 2004 winners.

The on-loan Brazilian has only featured from the bench thus far but Wenger has confirmed his time is close. "It is more adaptation to the pace of the game and the movement here - intelligence wise he has no problem, quality wise he is a big player,'' the Arsenal boss said.

Perhaps the different pace and nature of the Champions League will facilitate a first start for for the man who draws these admiring words from his new manager, "Once he is running with the ball, you just feel this guy cannot be stopped.

Wenger has long been an admirer of Baptista, and was close to agreeing a deal with Sevilla when he moved to Real Madrid last summer, citing the imminent acquisition of a Spanish passport as his primary concern.

Wenger would appear to have every confidence the player can kick-start his career at Arsenal after seeing chances become limited with Real. "Whatever they say about him at Real Madrid, Baptista scored seven goals having started 15 games. "His scoring record is fairly impressive. I expect him to adapt quickly.''

The selection of Baptista would give Arsenal options as far as formation is concerned. He could feature alongside Henry in a striking role, or as the advanced point of a five man midfield.

Of course it would not be a major surprise if Arsene was also trying to throw Porto off the scent. He may choose to leave 'the Beast' on the bench, but there is surely no better opportunity in the coming weeks to see what the big man can do?

Opportunity Knocks

Well, for an hour or so yesterday the signs were not good. Another limited opponent was in danger of frustrating Arsenal at their new home and rather than witnessing the blunting of the Blades (sorry, but everybody else used that line in their previews!) the assembled throng were in fact doing quite the opposite. Knives were definitely being sharpened.

The qualities of William Gallas were never in doubt, but it must have come as a surprise, possibly to William himself, when 'deadly volleying' was added to the list, and sixty thousand chests exhaled a collective sigh of relief. When, fifteen minutes later, Henry climbed for a most unlikely far post header to register the Gunners third goal eyes were being rubbed all around Ashburton.

There are signs that Arsenal are developing the options that many have accused them of lacking in the early weeks of the season. The variety was evident in a second half performance yesterday, barely a week after the much-maligned 4-5-1 formation was turned into a thing of beauty at Old Trafford.

If one follows the belief that we are in a four way fight for the Premiership, then the next 'big' game will be against Liverpool in November. Before then we travel to Charlton, Reading, and West Ham, as well as entertaining Watford and Everton. Not a tricky little trip to our 'bogeyland' in the north-west in sight. Fifteen points from those five games might be a lot to ask for, but surely not beyond Premiership contenders.

The next six weeks or so will tell us a great deal about the prospects for the rest of the season. Let's buckle up and enjoy the ride.

A Real Arsenal Legend Writes

The beauty of e-mail is that sometimes you can get back from a hard day in the office and an unexpected message brings happy memories flooding back. One such occurence has lifted me this evening.

I quote 'Perry Groves spent over a decade in the footballing spotlight and his new book “We all live in a Perry Groves world” highlights the life of a top flight footballer'. Yes, the flame-haired one has written his life story, which is to be published in October.

Perry Groves was a lightning quick winger who could also play up front. Starting his career at Colchester he joined Arsenal in 1986, as George Graham's first signing, for just £65,000. He became known as a "super-sub", coming off the bench, changing games and scoring important goals as well. I took to him straight away for no reason other than the first Arsenal team I can remember watching included his uncle, Vic, an early favourite of the young Goonerholic. In 155 games for the Gunners Perry grabbed 21 goals.

After his stay at Highbury Perry left for Southampton in 1992 for an astonishing £750.000 but only managed 15 games in two years and then he retired from the game. As a mark of appreciation George Graham persuaded the Arsenal board to send the first team to Colchester for a testimonial match.

He left a legendary song behind him which Gunners supporters still chant. "We all live in a Perry Groves World", which boomed out from the North Bank on many an occasion.

I look forward to the publication, by John Blake, on the 16th October. Given some of the simply absurd tomes that have been published recently (yes I do mean you Ashley!) it will be a real pleasure to read a true Arsenal legend writing from the bottom of his heart, rather than the heart of his bottom.

The Ashburton Experience

As anybody who has ever moved house will know, this can be the most traumatic of experiences. A great deal of effort has been put into your abode and then, for whatever reason, you move upmarket, and the experience is not always without its drawbacks.

So it is also with Arsenal's move to Ashburton Grove. For a couple of years we watched with growing excitement as this magnificent structure started to climb towards the North London sky. Yet during the closing weeks of last season it seemed the vast majority of the support was clinging desperately to the Highbury experience. We went to watch 'the last North London derby at Highbury', 'the last Champions League game at Highbury', and ultimately we all shed tears like newborns as Wigan came to close the curtain not just on a season, but on ninety-three years of Arsenal history.

The Ashburton experience started for a few with a Members Day during which the sun shone down on a glorious green pitch and a scarlet wall of extra large and comfortable seats. There was no real Arsenal branding to be seen, but we satisfied ourselves that the final touches were still to be added. The catering was rediculously expensive, but we knew the caterers has paid a small fortune for the franchise so that was not really a surprise. All things considered the verdict was positive.

Then came the reality of the Bergkamp testimonial, the first Premiership match and Champions League qualifier. Now you could reasonably have anticipated some of the teething troubles with the booking systems. In a few short weeks the box office faced the huge demand for Wigan and Champions League Final tickets, they had to move from the Highbury offices to Drayton Park, and then establish systems that would cope with sixty thousand allocations per game instead of less than forty thousand.

More worryingly you would have thought that clear systems for the flow of spectators would have been in place. The model for the new development clearly showed a dependence on public transport to bring the majority of spectators both into and out of The Grove. The required improvements to local stations hadn't happened though, and the final whistle of Bergy's testimonial brought the inevitable, as crowds queued, in fact completely jammed the route, from Arsenal station to the north bridge. Subsequent matches have brought precious little improvement as the local constabulary struggle to refine their 'crowd flow' models to the stations. As I discovered at the Zagreb game if I am to make my final train home after a night match I have to leave before the final whistle, much to the anger of some of the fans around me.

Which brings me to another issue, and one that Arsenal have no immediate solution for. Any home move will bring with it new neighbours. There is already an uneasy existence at many clubs, not just Arsenal, between the established supporters and a newer breed of fan. At Highbury groups had historically managed to group themselves together. The Clock End stood, the East Lower moaned, and the North Upper clapped politely! Now at Ashburton they have turned up to find they are intermingled. Imagine the season-ticket holders turning up to the Villa game and finding their new neighbours to be the last person on earth they would watch a game with!

And the story turns a sort of half circle. Still there is no sign of Arsenal 'branding' inside the stadium. What was at first glance a magnificent bowl is still a series of red tiers separated by grey concrete. Strangely the service at the premium priced catering outlets is not quick enough to satisfy the numbers who desire half-time refreshments, and still there is no solution in sight to moving sixty thousand people home in a timely fashion at the final whistle.

None of these things is insurmountable, and I'm sure that the club will act quickly to resolve the issues that it has direct control over. Ashburton Grove will become as symbolic, as iconic, to the current generation as Highbury was to older Gunners, but for now don't blame those who are pining for their old neighbours, and their smaller, cosier home.

Beeb Bunglers At It Again

Just a brief comment today on the Beeb's latest effort to drag football through the mud.

You'll remember a few weeks back that the Newsnight team tried to drag the good name of Arsenal down for alleged illegal payments to a Belgian feeder club. You'll also doubtless recall that in their thirst for sensation they omitted to disclose the rules that Arsenal had broken. The subsequent investigation by the Football Association found no such breaches, and cleared the Gunners of any wrongdoing.

Well in a one hour special tonight the Panorama team have taped a plant counting fifty big ones on a hotel bed in preparation for giving it to a 'top Premiership manager'. Surprise, surprise, the aforementioned boss fails to make an appearance. They arrange for the plant to meet Sam Allardyce to discuss a transfer for Jay Jay Okoche, and surprise, surprise, Allardyce doesn't turn up.

They secretly film a relaxed conversation with Harry Redknapp who confesses he has 'always fancied Toddy!' and persuade Kevin Bond to promise to discuss prospective deals with his manager at some stage in the future.

The only covert film that really makes for compelling viewing is when Frank Arnesen (yes, Chelsea did not tap him up to leave Tottenham, honest guv!) talks of offering bonus payments worth £150 thousand over three years to a fifteen year old who may fancy cutting his ties to Middlesborough. However the film is brief and cut in such a way that you have to query how much hard 'evidence' of wrongdoing the BBC team have.

Now don't go accusing me of being naive. Of course football is far from being whiter than white, we all know that. What the BBC are doing however is attempting to pull off sensational scoops on the cheap, and it shows. Evidence could easily be argued as circumstancial or non-existent., the outrageous product of wannabe agents loose tongues. If stupidity was a crime then tonight Sam Allardyce would be posting bail for his son. He would not be alone though. The BBC would also be rescuing some of their employees from incarceration, or maybe they wouldn't bother.

'Blame Wenger' and Other Animals

It has been a fascinating day to be an Arsenal fan. Walking into work on a Monday morning with a spring in the step has not been a regular occurence of late! There is something predictable but comforting about the first half hour in the office. Everybody skirts around a game that didn't affect the allegiances of the assembled throng before the local team gets a mention. 'Did you go to the Town game then Ian?' This morning I am going to be the one who breaks with the niceties first and everybody knows it. 'Good point for your boys at home to Fulham' I mention as an aside to the office Spud. He is floored and knows it.

More fascinating though is the interaction between Arsenal fans on this wonderful world wide web. This is the morning that the 'they can do no wrong' faithful have been waiting for. No matter which site or forum you choose to talk all things Arsenal, there has been an undercurrent during the opening weeks of the season. Human nature decrees that a large number of people will react to every single dropped point in true 'knee-jerk' fashion. We have all seen them in the last few weeks, through large chunks of last season even.

Depending on who you choose to believe the blame for this seasons slow start can be firmly laid at the door of Wenger because he hasn't replaced (insert name here), he won't pick (insert name here), and he must be the only man on the planet who rates (insert name here). Alternatively, the problem has been purely down to Henry and how ironic that when he has not been available we have looked invincible. Don't forget the affect that Cole and Reyes have had on dressing room morale.

I have really tried not to get on the 'I told you so' bandwagon today. If I give vent to that feeling of superiority then I am just as guilty of the 'knee-jerk' as any of the occasional critics. As an Arsenal fan I just pray that the performance at Old Trafford will give the team the confidence I feel has been lacking. I hope the spirit that they must have generated as a team will survive a long string of matches, starting with Sheffield United on Saturday. Please let the interplay and fluency of a developing midfield be allied to a return to form of the deadliest number fourteen on the planet.

I have a feeling I am not alone in those wishes, and if they come to fruition the people who think differently to me but share my love of Arsenal will be apportioning the praise to Wenger, to Henry, and of course thanking their God that we parted company with Cole and Reyes!

Adebayor My Lord, Adebayor

I have waited a couple of hours before composing my thoughts on the defeat of Manchester United at Old Trafford. I didn't want to write anything in the warm afterglow that followed the final whistle, and perhaps overdo the celebrations.

Let me backtrack four hours. I arranged to meet the man who runs the finest independent Arsenal website to watch what I feared would be a familiar contest. Early in the first half my worst fears were confirmed. Graham Poll saw fit to book Crazy Jens for having the temerity to pick the ball up in his own box. I have to confess at this point that I confided in my companion for the day that Poll would stop at nothing to ensure United would emerge triumphant at the end of the day. I had not of course expected to have the legs cut from under my argument when the hapless official awarded us a penalty for Adebayor's strange lack of balance prior to the arrival of a clumsy Kuszczak challenge. Before I say justice was done by the subsequent Gilberto slip, and Kuszczak save, let me point out that if this penalty had seen Arsenal go two goals clear, then it would have been justified by the posession figures. For any visiting team at Old Trafford to have had, at half-time, sixty-two percent of the ball, would have spoken volumes for their quality.

Those of you who have been following the Gunners for as long as I would have approached the second half knowing only two outcomes were possible. I shared with my friend the certain knowledge that one goal WOULD decide the outcome. Not COULD, you understand, but WOULD! Either the home team would suddenly discover a glimpse of the form that had taken them to the pinnacle of the Premiership in the opening weeks of the season, or justice would prevail.

Then came that moment when all became clear. No, not then, the goal had yet to arrive. I mean the moment Ferguson conceded he had been tactically outsmarted by the better man on the day. United withdrew Rooney and Scholes, their heavyweight reputations. The introduction of the lightweight Carrick and Solskjaer confirmed that the tide was well and truly in the visitors' favour.

Adebayor's finish from a moment of Fabregas magic was no more than Arsenal richly deserved. In the last year or so we have been used to returning from the north-west having been kicked out of contention. This was the day that Wenger's latest incarnation proved that they can produce the goods in a hostile environment without resorting to the clog.

This was the day that Wenger strangely emulated George Graham. Remember May 1989 at Anfield? Graham resorted to a 5-3-2 formation in the title decider, and yet used it as a platform to assume an attacking dominance when it was most needed. Wenger achieved this with his variation of a 4-5-1 formation today. Don't believe me? Think back to which half of the pitch Eboue and Gallas were in when shown in close-up today. Tell me who was doing most of the attacking prompting, the invisible Rooney, or the sensational Rosicky.

It has been a difficult start to the season, but today tells us that Arsenal have the quality to get results anywhere, against anybody. Let us hope that consistency is close behind.

A Pizza The Edge Is Missing

For nearly a decade the giants of North London and Manchester locked horns as each others fiercest rival. However with just twenty four hours to go until United and Arsenal meet at Old Trafford a strange calm has broken out.

As Chelsea try to gorge themselves at the Premiership's top table a strange and unexpected mutual respect has broken out between Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. These are two men who were born to be winners, and both posess a special single-mindedness that dictates they will never be the closest of pals. But each knows that Abramovich's billions have changed the nature of their meetings.

Wenger seems relaxed and jokey in his approach to the match, joking about the catering — “we get food and maybe pizza, I don’t know”. There is a school of thought that he will plump for a five man midfield as he seeks to turn around a nervous, winless start to the league campaign.

"I think it is a transitional period for Arsenal because they have lost big players like Vieira, Bergkamp, Pires and Ashley Cole," Ferguson said. "We have lost big players in the past and you have to be patient and prepare for the next stage of development." This is not the usual verbal sparring we have come to expect from the combatants.

The psychological edge that both men sought for so long is no longer deemed to be crucial to the outcome. There is a lamenting taking place that the likes of Keane and Vieira will no longer be the focal point of the 'two tribes'. There is, however, still sufficient bite in both camps to ensure a fiercely competitive contest tomorrow. Perhaps it is Wenger who makes the most telling observation, “A game between Arsenal and Man United that is not committed will be a disappointing game,” he said.

Arsenal Safe From Takeover?

Thank you, Arsenal Holdings plc, for quickly putting down rumours of a takeover. It must be said however in the hours between the Sun revealing the 'news' and the denial being issued there was mixed reaction.

Whilst the vast majority of Gunners had already decided they needed to see a more reliable source for these tiresome claims, some were openly considering the options should external investors appear, waving their 'loadsaroubles' in our faces.

The fact that even a relatively small number of Arsenal fans should have considered the possibilities should be of concern to the board. I don't personally know the major shareholders, but the impression I am given by those who claim they do are that Messrs Dein, Edelman, and Fiszman are Arsenal men through and through who will not sell their soul, or our club.

For now the holding company have acted quickly enough to plug the rumours. There is still that nagging doubt for so many, however, that modern day football is a business, and everything has a price. There are those of us who appreciate hugely the difference between the way that Arsenal are currently run when compared to Chelsea, Manchester United, and to a lesser degree, Tottenham. Let's hope the prospective returns are sufficient to keep the current 'Arsenal men through and through' in place for some considerable time yet.