Paradise Lost?

“Did you play in the Garden of Eden?

Were the goalkeepers gloves to you tossed?

Because it seems to me, you’re the reason,

You’re the reason why Paradise Lost!”

                             - Paradise Lost – Half Man Half Biscuit

It seems like it was only yesterday that me and my mates were sat in the pub watching the Emirates Cup, bemoaning the lack of investment and arguing about Samir Nasri, where has the bloody season gone?  I suppose I’m getting to that age now that you start to mislay things, like keys, pens and football seasons, or is it the brain utilising some sort of coping mechanism.  You don’t really need those keys, someone will let you in.  Is what you need to write really that important?  Oh and by the way, Arsenal are still shit!

I first started to suspect things were going to go wrong when the 2011/12 kit was revealed.  There beneath the crest was boldly emblazoned the word “Forward”, what were we thinking?  Pedants will no doubt point out that we did go forward, we did move up from fourth to third, but is that the sum total of our ambition these days?  Are we destined to go from nondescript season to season hopefully catching a few crumbs from the top table?  No doubt people will point to the disastrous start to the season we had but, unless I’m missing something, the start of the season is still part of the season.  The season doesn’t wait for you start playing well before it starts!  I know, I know we had the summer of discontent and uncertainty, but surely there are people at the club employed to plan for this, (Gazidis yes I’m looking at you), and yes we had injuries, but all clubs have injuries its part of the game.  Its sport, weird shit happens!  We missed, in my opinion, our best player (Jack Wilshere) for a whole season, we played without any full backs, but on the other hand we got a whole season out of Robin van Persie and look what he achieved.  Its sport weird shit happens!

Depressingly we go into next season in a worse position than we went into last season, unless three crucial things happen.  Investment, divestment and better luck with injuries.  Let’s examine these one by one.

The current squad need significant reinforcement, not to mount a title challenge, but to maintain a top four finish next season.  The likes of Spurs, Liverpool etc will all strengthen their squads and we will have to do the same simply to maintain the status quo, the addition of Podolski is indeed welcome, but we would need the likes of M’Villa, Llorente etc just to keep 3^rd place, and that includes keeping van Persie!  Effectively we need another Sczezsny, another Vermaelen, another Wilshere and another RVP, a whole new secondary spine of the team equally as good as the primary one and even that wouldn’t guarantee us the Premiership!!  We’ve seen City spend close to a billion pounds to win it just once and they will have to spend again just to defend their crown, we are not in their league!

Arsenal have the 4^th highest wage bill in the league and yet we have a very rigid wage structure, how can this be?  Put simply we have too many passengers, our squad is too big, we have too many players out on loan, now I know we are investing for the future but there can be no room for sentiment here, we desperately need a cull, even if it costs us money in the short term.  There can be no more room for sentiment.  Underperforming and injury prone players need to be got rid of, sharpish!  We fans know who they are so I presume the club know as well.  Pay the higher achievers more and if you can’t cut it then ‘bye!!

Football today, is a 14 man game.  Your substitutes need to be impact players who can change a game from the moment they step on to the pitch.  Ideally you would need a sub of equal ability to cover every position but that is just too damn expensive.  Successive seasons have seen us have crucial players out injured with inadequate cover, now some of these injuries have been down to sheer bad luck, but the prolonged recovery times surely point to an arcane and traditionalist methodology, maybe we should be looking at Cryotechnology and other radical treatments that other sports like rugby have embraced.  That being said referees need to give the players more protection as well, how many times this season have we seen the opposition stop our counter attacks by kicking our players with impunity.  Oh yeah we also need luck!

In my opinion we need all three of the above to be implemented to have any hope of success next season.  Sadly we’ll fulfil one maybe two but definitely not all three, so realistically the best we can hope for is a good cup run, the Champions League or the FA Cup maybe, certainly not that other fecky competition, unless our kids win it for us!!

Football is immediate, and therefore it’s very hard to judge a whole season of it, you have to break it down into game size chunks to get a proper context.  So on that note thank you Arsenal for Chelsea away, Spurs at home, the second Milan game, the return of the King, van Persies volleys, Song’s assists, Arteta, Sagna’s header and the sheer Goonerness of our keeper.  I can’t wait for next season when we’ll win the treble!!

Anna Lvova

As I explained in the last interview with Chris from Germany, I find it particularly fascinating to find out how people from other countries ended up supporting the Arsenal.  Those of you that follow Anna on Twitter already know what a passionate and knowledgeable Gooner she is, but for those of you who don’t this paragraph from her piece for the Arsenal Collective (referenced in the first question) explains it better than I ever could;

“So here I am. Living thousands of kilometres away from North London. Putting on my red and white t-shirts on for matchdays. Singing Arsenal chants in front of my television. Gaining grey hair, fraying my nerves, going insane, jumping for joy, laughing, crying. Not many things in my life give me that rollercoaster of emotions! And you know what? I wouldn’t trade it for anything”

Why Arsenal?

http://www.thearsenalcollective.com/the-memory-bank/2011/10/21/from-russia-with-love.html I think this pretty much explains it!

I was on a plane going to Moscow from my honeymoon in summer 2000 and I bought a sports magazine to kill some time during my flight. There was a huge Arsene Wenger interview in it, which blew me away. The way he spoke about football in general and Arsenal in particular, it really moved me. I got home and made sure I sit down and watch an Arsenal game just to see what this team he talked about is. It was love at first sight.

Earliest Arsenal memory?

Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final of 1995 against Sampdoria. I was a student in Malta and I lived around the corner from a pub. The landlord was a huge Arsenal fan. The night of that game he made me pour myself my own drinks behind the bar and get my own cigarettes simply because he couldn’t get his eyes off the TV screen. I actually stayed on to watch the match with him and his pals even though I wasn’t planning to.

First game?

See the above question.

Favourite player (all time)?

Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires

Favourite player (current)?

Jack Wilshere

Highest point?

Invincibles season

Lowest point?

CL final 2006. Never rewatched that match ever again, And probably never will

Sign any 3 players?

M’Vila, Kagawa and Akinfeev

Sack any 3 players?

Almunia, Squilaci and Mannone

Highbury or the Emirates?

Emirates

You can follow Anna on Twitter @MadRuskiGunner.

Also can I just remind you that Andrew Allen is looking for your contributions to the Memory Bank on the Arsenal Collective, so if you’ve got a story to tell, avail of this chance to tell it to the Gooner community.

Chris from German Gunners!

Since I began this project the one aspect I’ve found fascinating is the varying reasons people began supporting the Arsenal in the first place.  Aside from the obvious reasons of geography and family tradition, there is the more tenuous sense of an identification with an ethos, an idea, whether it’s style of play or a sense of what the club represents, it’s an intangible thing that’s implied in the various answers.  It’s as fleeting as an idea, but what a powerful idea it is!  I find it oddly comforting to think that after a miserable away defeat to Stoke someone in a far off place is acutely sharing my pain!

Flying the Arsenal flag in Germany are the German Gunners and Chris, main man behind their 

excellent blog, joins me in the hot seat today

Why Arsenal?

That's a tough one right at the start. It's hard to explain why you support a team as passionately as you do I guess. As I'm from Germany and didn't grow up in the area it must be something different that attracts me. Of course the attacking football is always an argument but not the main one for me. Most important for me is that Arsenal is a club with principles. They just do it in style with a friendly and local touch to it while being a worldwide operating club. Know where your roots are and act based on them. I guess that's what fascinates me most.

Earliest Arsenal memory?

The earliest must be a Uefa cup group stage match against Gladbach in 1996. I saw it on TV at my grandma’s house. But the decisive moment, even if not the earliest was Arsenals match against Borussia Dortmund in the 2002/03 Champions League season. I'd been to the Westfalenstadion a lot that time as Dortmund is my local club and I still live nearby. Once I saw them play my passion for Arsenal hasn't stopped.

First game?

First game was the one in Dortmund. My first match in Highbury came slightly afterwards against Bolton in the unbeaten season. A 2:1 win with me sitting 6th row behind the goal. My dad and I bought the tickets from a sport event agency online and weren't sure if we would get the tickets until we checked in, to our London hotel, and the concierge gave us our tickets. Never been so nervous in my life before. That was also my first visit to London, with many more to follow.

Favourite player (all time)?

Must be Robert Pires with no doubt. He was doing the magic when I fell in love with Arsenal and he's an Arsenal legend for me. The way he ran towards goal flicked the ball into the lower corner, unbelievable.

Favourite player (current)?

Jack Wilshere. He's Arsenal through and through. He feels the same way as we fans do about the club. He won't give up on Arsenal no matter what. Besides he's a quality player.

Highest point?

First match in Highbury against Bolton. It’s not about the result or the opponent. It's about the memories I have when I look back. To be at the clubs ground for the first time, to absorb the atmosphere in and outside the stadium will be the moment I will never forget in my life, and always remember when I step out of Arsenal station.

Lowest point?

Champions League final loss. Still devastated.

Sign any three players?

Götze, Messi, Sven Bender. All midfielders but I just admire those three. Götze is the next big thing in Germany and Europe I think. Would be great to have him in our team. He can cut a defence into pieces in a heartbeat. Messi is obvious. Bender probably isn't on every ones shopping cart. He's Dortmund’s defensive soul in midfield. High work rate with a killer pass if needed.

 

Sack any three players?

Almunia,Squillaci,Denilson. All three to be sacked for real this summer I guess. 

Highbury or the Emirates?

Wow that's hard to decide. Highbury was special as I have been to my first Arsenal home match there. It also had the certain feeling you expect from a football ground in England. Close to the pitch, located right in the neigbours backyard and stuff. But I must say I do like the Emirates a lot. It's getting Arsenalised more and more and it's a really beautiful stadium. As most of the games I have been to have been at the Emirates I'll go with the Emirates, although it's a tough one!

.

You can follow Chris on Twitter @Germangunners and don’t forget to check out the blog German Gunners.

Tom Acres

A busy week on here and we start with the inimitable Tom Acres.  I’ve been following Tom on Twitter for ages and he is one of the most intelligent and erudite Gooners out there.  Some of you may know him as part of the team that brought us the Optimistic Gooner podcasts but our great club, being what it is, has sucked all the optimism out of them and they’re now reincarnated as the Arsing Around podcast!  Nevertheless they continue to bring us all the latest news, gossip and opinion with the same intelligence and humour that is their forte.  Anyway enough out of me and on with the serious bit...

Why Arsenal?

My dad grew up pretty much down the road from Highbury and went to every home game, with his dad and his brother, so Arsenal has been rather rooted in the family. I just picked up from there really, even though my dad hadn’t been able to go to games as regularly since he got married I would probably have still been disowned if I had chosen another team! But even without the family ties I was quite easily attracted to Arsenal; the shirt, the stadium, Dennis Bergkamp, loved it all.

Earliest Arsenal memory?

Well I first remember getting into football properly for the 1998 World Cup, when I was 5, and my first Arsenal memory was Tony Adams lifting silverware at Wembley, I’m just not sure if it was the FA Cup or the Community Shield!

First game?

I know I was taken to a game when I was 5 or 6 but I can’t remember it off the top of my head, but the earliest game I have memory of going to was against Ipswich at Highbury in I think 2000, perhaps 2001. I distinctly recall Richard Wright playing against us and having a bit of a stormer, and I’m fairly sure Dennis Bergkamp scored. I think the final score was 2-0 Arsenal.

Favourite player (all time)?

It’s got to be Bergkamp; he was the name on the back of my first shirt and I loved the number 10, but even at a young age I could recognise what an awesome player he was. It’s difficult to single out one player considering I grew up during an era in which Arsenal were winning trophy after trophy and had so many quality players, but Bergkamp always stood out. Even though I often think I didn’t appreciate the great players as much as I should have when I look back now, I always remember stressing out about Bergkamp’s contract situation and quizzing my dad as to why we would only ever offer him a 1 year deal! Fantastic player, wish we could’ve seen him at the Emirates a bit more!

Favourite player (current)?

I try and avoid the obvious choices even though until last season it had been Fabregas. This season I would have to go with Laurent Koscielny and Mikel Arteta. I love Koscielny as a player, and part of the appeal I think comes from the fact that most neutrals, pundits and journalists still associate him with the Carling Cup gaffe and think he’s rubbish. He just goes about his defending so efficiently and effectively, and I think he’s probably the best defender at the club. Arteta has just held the midfield together this year, and again I think he’s unappreciated and undervalued by many. Keeps us ticking, seems like a real top bloke as well and has scored some cracking goals. Love the hair, too!

Highest point?

Although I don’t think I appreciated it or understood the significance of it as much as I should have at the time, I would have to go with the Invincibles. If I was picking an individual moment then things like Arshavin vs Barcelona, Sol in the Champions League Final, Lehmann’s penalty save in the semi-final and Henry’s solo goal against Spurs would be clear choices for me, but it’s difficult to imagine a higher point that Arsenal have been at since I’ve been following, them than an unbeaten title winning season!

Lowest point?

Champions League Final, by far. It is to this day the only time I’ve cried watching football, and also the only time I’ve seen my dad shed a tear full stop! There have been family bereavements and the Champions League Final remains the only time I’ve seen my dad cry. Once again I don’t think I appreciated the journey we went on to reach the final, but when we lost it I was gutted. Just thinking about it now, especially seeing as we’ve got nowhere near close to winning it since, makes me want to have a little cry to myself!

Sign any 3 players?

Tough one, if we’re talking fantasy football then you’d have to go with people like Messi and Ronaldo! Realistically speaking I think M’Vila seems like someone who would fit in really well, especially considering Song’s development into a more attacking player has contributed to our poor defensive record this season. I’m really happy with Podolski but wouldn’t begrudge another striker coming in, difficult to put a name on it, though. I love Shinji Kagawa and Mario Goetze at Dortmund, and do think we could’ve done with a better creative midfielder this season, but then I think that man is probably going to be Jack Wilshere!

Sack any 3 players?

It seems a bit pointless to list players that we all know will probably be going like Almunia, Denilson and Squillaci, but I suppose they’re obvious choices for a reason! We certainly have a lot of deadwood to clear out.

Highbury or the Emirates?

All the fantastic memories and trophies from when I was about 5 up until the age of 14 come from Highbury, but most of the games I’ve been to have been Emirates and Arsenal’s record when I’ve been there is pretty great! I think it’s a fantastic stadium, and it’s filling up every season with some great memories, we just need a trophy presentation or two for it to really feel like home. Emirates Cup doesn’t count!

Good stuff Tom and don’t forget you can follow him on Twitter @dartfordgooner or Arsing Around @ArsingAround.

She Wore!

When I first started this experiment I had a short list of ideal participants (most of whom I got) that I ideally wanted to take part.  She Wore were one of the first names on that list.  While they can be occasionally controversial and you may not always agree with their forthright views, there’s no denying their in-depth knowledge of the history and ethos of our great club.  The She Wore website has news, opinion, a message board and great features like the A to Z of players linked to the club this summer.  Anyway enough of the hyperbole, let’s get down to it...

Why Arsenal?

No choice really, I come from a long line of Arsenal supporters, some of my Great-Grandparents were Arsenal fans and I have a few distant relatives that have played for the 1st team.

Earliest Arsenal memory?

Sadly it was watching the 1980 FA cup final at my Granddads house, I was 7 years old and the tears started when Trevor Brooking scored. My Granddad gave me a swift slap round the head called me a big girl. I've only ever cried twice since over The Arsenal.

First game?

It was 1985 and the 2nd leg of a League cup game, was no more than 20,000 in the ground as we were a few goals up from the away leg. Was pretty much one of the most boring games I have ever been to, but the sight and smell of Highbury as I walked up the stairs to the Northbank just had me hooked. It felt like I was instantly at home.

Favourite player (all time)?

Paul Merson was a shining light in a lot of George Graham’s sides, he could pull out a piece of magic and knew where the goal was. To me he was like one of us, he clearly had his demons with drink, drugs and gambling, but he was a working class lad with a lot of talent and enjoyed it, he always seemed to have a smile on his face. I can still tell you the pub I was in and who I was with the day the News of the World ran the article Wenger had sold him.

Favourite player (current)?

Chesney. Last year the Islington boys club hosted a boxing night at the Emirates, Vs an Irish select boxing team, Chesney was there signing autographs and standing for pictures all night and enjoying the boxing. At one point between rounds he jumps into the ring gets the round card and walked around. About 20mins later he climbs up again grabs the comperes microphone and starts up "Stand up if you hate Tottenh*m". He's one current player I look at and think to myself, yeah that lad really cares.

Highest point?

Anfield 89, still gutted out of the 2 games we played at Anfield that season I was at the other!  (although that was one mad night as well). We were originally due to play Liverpool over Easter and due to the mate I went away games with being away that Easter with his family we didn't get tickets and then when the game was rearranged we couldn't get any. I ended up watching the game indoors with my mother, who supplied me with a few cans of lager and that was the 2nd time I have ever cried over The Arsenal.

Lowest point?

Has to be that semi final in 1991, I was sat with my brother, we rarely sat/stood together, him and his mates liked it by the dugouts in the east lower and by then I was in the Clockend, that side deserved to win the double, they lost one league game all season (out of 42) and that was away to a very poor Chelsea side and let in just 18 league goals. Still don't know what happened to us that game and it still hurts!

Sign any 3 players?

Any? Messi, Ronaldo and Yaya Toure.

In real life, Baines, Cisse and M'villa.

Sack any 3 players?

Diaby, Almunia and Chamakh.

Highbury or the Emirates?

The Emirates is a great ground, comfy seats, nicer toilets, it’s the perfect football ground really, but it hasn’t and never will have that feeling I had every time I entered Highbury, it broke my heart when we left, that place was magical, I can still smell it and the last game was the third time The Arsenal has ever made me cry.

Told you it would be a bit special.  You can follow them on Twitter @SheWore or like them on Facebook here.

Jim Condon

Today we’re off to the Peoples Republic of Cork to chat with my old Twitter buddy Jim Condon.  Those of you that follow Jim will know him for his eclectic taste in music and his acerbic humour, particularly when he’s MBM’ing Match of the Day or Jools Holland.  Equally at home discussing the 4-4-2 or obscure American prog rock I knew he’d make a great interviewee for Your Arsenal and sure enough he didn’t disappoint.  Enjoy!

Why Arsenal?

Having arrived in Ireland in 1978 at the tender age of 13 from the USA I wanted to fit in with everyone else at school and so I had to pick a team. Instinctively, I knew Man United and Liverpool weren’t for me. A brief flirtation with Aston Villa followed before I (thankfully) opted for Arsenal. I am sure it was the large core of Irish players who were there at the time and the fact that they had reached the FA Cup Final that year as well.

Earliest Arsenal memory?

Possibly the lost cup final of 1978 but what really sticks in the mind is the “5 minute final” of 1979. I had an awful time at the dentist that day. My mouth was in bits, my gums stitched up and black, ichor-like blood was drooling from my mouth. This meant I had to watch the game lying on the opposite side to my wound but when Sunderland scored the winner I jumped up like a loon, sprayed the whole place with said horrible blood and promptly collapsed back onto the couch in shock! This was to establish pattern of me falling over at pivotal Arsenal moments through the years exactly none of which were ever again dentistry related!

First game?

As Ray said earlier, living in Ireland it is a bit tough to get to games regularly with the expense and travelling etc but my first game was a Champion’s League group game against Ajax at Highbury in Dec 2005. A 0-0 draw with both teams qualified so no high jinks but a very young Cesc Fabregas warmed up in front of us and waved up at us and the rare sight of Mart Poom as the sub keeper!

Favourite player (all time)?

A seriously tough question as, being the great club The Arsenal are, there have been so many but I will always go for Dennis Bergkamp. He was the catalyst for the success of the Wenger era I believe even though it was Bruce Rioch who bought him. A wonderful combination of a devilish edge touched with genius.

Favourite player (current)?

Obviously Robin Van Persie is attracting all the plaudits and rightly so but I really admire Bacary Sagna. A beast of a player. Very talented of course but when the need arises he can defend and put a boot through the ball…and the oppo too!

Highest point?

The win at Anfield in 1989. Watching those Scouse dicks have the soul knocked out of them and us winning the title on their patch. I watched it at home on TV and when Michael Thomas scored I jumped up, fell to my knees in the front room and tore the arse and both knees out of my jeans!

Lowest point?

Where else? The Champion’s League final. I watched the first half at work, left and we were 1-0 up. Got to the bar, ordered a drink and they equalised….poured the drink and they scored again. It was heartbreaking, I felt it was my fault!!

Sign any 3 players?

Vincent Kompany for defensive solidity alongside Vermaelen. Mesut Özil in midfield alongside Jack and Radamel Falcao from Atlético Madrid alongside RVP and Podolski. Goals there I’d say.

Sack any 3 players?

Almunia ,Chamakh and Squillaci. There’s three, and that didn’t take long to think of.

Highbury or the Emirates?

Highbury was a great spot and a fantastic ground for its time. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the club outgrew it and The Grove is a wonderful football stadium. I was there for the first proper game in July 2006 for Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial against Ajax and it was a super day.

Told you it’d be good!  You can follow Jim on Twitter @calexico65 .

Akhil Vyas

The last interview of the season and it’s a cracker.  Akhil was one of the first Gooners I started to follow on Twitter and he has a top to bottom knowledge of the club that is unparalleled.  Regular viewers of the Fans Forum on Arsenal Player, will know him for his insightful contributions and he writes with the same intelligence and passion in his terrific blog Akhil from Hounslow.  So without further ado on with the questions.

Why Arsenal?

My mum grew up in North London so all her family supported Arsenal and had been going to Highbury for years and that influenced me.  My dad’s side also supported Arsenal so it was an easy decision.  My dad himself wasn’t much of a football fan but I made him sign me up as a junior gunner and he provided the finance for me to go to games until I was able to finance myself!

Earliest Arsenal memory?

It was based around Ian Wright.  I remember his wild celebrations and just his liveliness (if that is even a word!)  He was always buzzing and he was the type of player any child would love.  He really made me fall in love with Arsenal.

First game?

It must have been 1994 and it was against Coventry and it was a goalless draw! That didn’t put me off though!

Favourite player (all time)?

Patrick Vieira. Even though Ian Wright was a major influence on why I fell in love with Arsenal, it was Patrick Vieira that I loved the most! I loved his leadership and the way he wore his heart on his sleeve and defended the club on the pitch. His battles with Roy Keane etc and the way he defended Reyes against the whole of the Man Utd team in that tunnel at Highbury was just epic.  He drove games at times and took games and changed them. He was well supported by others but I think he was immense in the middle of midfield and a proper leader.

Favourite player (current)?

Laurent Koscielny and Bacary Sagna.  Of course Robin Van Persie this season has been great and I am a big admirer of Theo Walcott but LK6 (as I like to call him) and Bac have just grown and grown over the last year or two, especially LK6.  I saw his first game at the Emirates against Milan in the Emirates Cup and he was superb, I believed he would become a quality player and I think he is nearly there. Sagna is just solid and always reliable. One of the best right backs in the country and maybe even the world and there is never any transfer gossip because he remains loyal to us. If these two and Vermaelen can stay together then I think the three can contribute to a title winning team.

Highest point?

Has to be 2004, unbeaten, immortal, and played with flair and style. We had power and pace throughout our team and we were so strong. Even if we went behind, we believed we would win. It really was a special time and one we probably should have enjoyed more!

Lowest point?

Champions League final last 15 minutes! Broke my heart. Can’t even think about it now, it still hurts.

Sign any 3 players?

Ah, what a tough question. I really struggle with these sort of questions because a few years ago, id have said a DM but then Song (who is more than a DM) came in and has been fantastic this season so I like to leave it to the manager! I’d like a creative midfielder in though, a Gotze type player but he will cost a fair bit! I think we sometimes struggle for creativity against teams that play very deep. A player who can play DM and CB may be useful too because there is no real cover for Song at the moment. If Fabianksi goes then an experienced number two is also needed. I hope Yossi stays too.

Sack any 3 players?

I like to leave this to others too but it’s hard to see a big future for Chamakh or Park (if he was any good, surely he would have played by now!), of course Almunia is out of contract so will leave too.

Highbury or the Emirates?

Highbury for the special loving place it was but in the modern day (and when debts are paid off) the Emirates is the future. I wouldn’t like to pick one because they are both unique, so I have to sit on the fence here….AGAIN! Sorry!

Follow Akhil on Twitter here, @10Akhil.