Manchester United vs. Arsenal: Match Review

Manchester United routed their title rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford to knock the Gunners out of the FA Cup in the fifth round proper. The Luis Nani-inspired drubbing was only Arsenal's fourth defeat in all competitions this season, and manager Arsene Wenger will be hoping that his team can bounce back before an important midweek Champions League clash with AC Milan.

United, on the other hand, will be going into their Champions League match against Lyon full of confidence after annihilating their nearest rivals. Wayne Rooney scored the opener after just 15 minutes, and Darren Fletcher added his first of two four minutes later. Luis Nani scored the other goal, which, in addition to his two assists pinned him as the man-of-the-match.

Lineups: Manchester United: Edwin van der Sar; Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra; Luis Nani, Oliveira Anderson, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher; Wayne Rooney, Ji-Sung Park

Arsenal: Jens Lehman; Justin Hoyte, William Gallas, Kolo Toure, Armand Traore; Emmanuel Eboue, Cesc Fabregas, Gilberto Silva, Alex Hleb; Eduardo, Nicklas Bendtner

Both managers made five changes to the squads that played in the Premier League last week, with Arsene Wenger choosing to blood some of his younger players while Alex Ferguson rested his big guns Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez ahead of this weeks Champions League matches.

This game seemed to suggest that Manchester United have greater strength in depth than the Gunners, as they got off to a blistering start with the help of Portuguese winger Luis Nani. United scored their first after a corner from the young star was flicked on by countryman Oliveira Anderson. Wayne Rooney was on hand to head the ball past Jens Lehman as United grabbed the lead.

It was 2-0 only three minutes later after Darren Fletcher met a cross from the brilliant Nani. The midfielder headed the ball home off of Arsenal defender William Gallas to double United's lead.

Rooney could have scored a third and a fourth for the home side around the half-hour mark but he twice failed to test Lehman after some good work by his teammates set him up inside the penalty box.

Manchester United made it 3-0 not too long later without Rooney's help, when Nani latched onto a long pass from Michael Carrick. The Portuguese playmaker side-stepped Justin Hoyte before notching a deserved goal with a low drive into the corner.

An impressive first half performance from United looked to have set the result of the match beyond doubt, but Alex Ferguson's stars wanted more, coming out strong in the second half.

Lehman was forced into two saves before Emmanuel Eboue was sent off in the 49th minute after a bad challenge on Patrice Evra. The sending-off only furthered Arsenal's problems as victory began to look impossible.

Lehman saved another shot from Nani after some good work by Evra, before Rooney wasted yet another chance to test the German keeper.

Eduardo had Arsenal's first real chance of the game after the Gunners launched a counter-attack in the 64th minute. A cross from Cesc Fabregas met the Croatian striker in the center of the penalty box, but the striker was uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal, heading over the top.

Anderson then poked an effort wide of goal before Darren Fletcher scored his second of the night after a cross from Nani.

United could have scored more goals, but a superb showing from last season's Premier League champions was enough to prove to any doubters that they are still very much in the chase for the Premier League title.

Wenger Cautious About Arsenal Exit Rumors

Key squad members at Arsenal such as Gilberto, Mathieu Flamini, Lassana Diarra, Abou Diaby and Jens Lehmann have all been linked with moves away from the Emirates during the January transfer window. However, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted to being cautious over allowing anyone to leave.

The Gunners will be missing first-choice center back Kolo Toure, as well as Emmanuel Eboue and Alex Song for much of January and February as they fight for glory in the African Cup Of Nations. This means that Arsenal will be facing a shortage of defenders during these months.

Wenger feels that although Arsenal have a fairly large squad, due to the volume of competitions the Gunners are still fighting for, there is no need to unload any players.

"At the moment, I have to take care of the season," he declared. "We are in a good position and want to win every competition.

"You need a big squad and what looks a big squad can quickly look very short.

"At the moment we have not too many injuries, but with the number of games we play and the intensity of the games we play, I have to be cautious not to let too many players go."

Burnley vs. Arsenal: Match Preview

Arsenal travel to the Turf Moor on Sunday to face Championship side Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup.

The Pride of Lancashire, who have been under the management of former Falkirk boss Owen Coyle since late November, will likely face an understrength Arsenal side, as Gunners boss Arsene Wenger tends to blood young players in England's cup competitions.

Burnley, though, will be well aware of the threat, especially after an impressive young Arsenal side defeated Blackburn 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the Carling Cup last month. The Arsenal squad, who's average age was under 20, showed some impressive determination to beat Blackburn in overtime.

Wenger has stated that the squad to face Burnley will be a mix between the fringe players of the Carling Cup and the full squad which are currently in first place in the Premier League.

Jens Lehmann, who has long been linked with a move away from Arsenal, has been tipped by Wenger to be involved in the clash.

Arsene Wenger was tight lipped about the rest of his squad, although Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, who will leave soon after the match for the African Cup of Nations, are set to feature along with Bacary Sagna.

"I can’t really tell you too much about the team at the moment because I have to check my players," said Wenger.

"I think Jens Lehmann will be involved. But Kolo Toure, Eboue and Sagna will all play. A few of the players who featured all over Christmas will be rested and a few will come in. It will be a mixture.

"We do have a little problem with Adebayor on his hamstring but, if really needed, he could play. Robin van Persie is still injured and will not be involved. But it is very short for him now. The next deadline could be Birmingham or just after."

No matter who is involved, Arsenal will be confident of a victory, keeping the Gunners in the competition so they can continue to blood their pool of up and coming talent.

Wenger Sticks With Youngsters For Blackburn Clash

Arsene Wenger will continue to blood his youngsters in the Carling Cup, even against the tough opposition of Blackburn. The Arsenal coach feels that playing a young squad will not only increase the experience of Arsenal's fringe players, but also allow the Gunners' senior squad a chance to rest during period congested with fixtures.

"The Carling Cup is more of a squad game, because we decided as a squad to go for every single trophy. Many players that didn't play against Chelsea will play at Blackburn on Tuesday night," the coach told Arsenal.com

"My expectation is to qualify and go into the semi-finals, because we want to come back as well as we did last year and as well it is a good opportunity for my squad to show how strong the players who didn't play against Chelsea are.

"I believe in them, and it is good (for the fringe players) to show me 'we knock at the door and we want to play in the first team'.

"We use the competition for our players to grow up - but not only to grow up. It is also to show they are good enough to play in the Champions League and the Premier League.

"I believe as well what is fantastic is to see these players respond under the pressure of Premier League teams, and you can detect who is ready and who is not ready."

Wenger has named the following squad for Tuesday's clash:

Lukasz Fabianksi, Justin Hoyte, Philippe Senderos, Alex Song, Armand Traore, Abou Diaby, Gilberto, Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo, Vito Mannone, Gavin Hoyte, Lassana Diarra, Neves Denilson, Henri Lansbury, Fran Merida, Nacer Barazite, William Gallas

Arsenal Rumors: Bendtner On His Way Out

Arsenal's young Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner could be on his way out of the club. The 6 ft. 4 in. front man performed admirably in Arsenal's preseason fixtures after returning from a season long loan to Birmingham.

The few games that he played during the Summer prompted me to write an article comparing the talents of Bendtner and the prodigal Englishman Theo Walcott. In that article, I stated that Bendtner could be an even more prolific striker than Walcott has been slated to become. Bendtner is good in the air, towering over most defenders; but he also has strength and skill on the ball.

With his great size comes a great amount of strength, and his dribbling in the preseason fixture against PSG was what really caught my eye. As he is one of our greatest talents, I would be heartbroken to see him playing for any other team.

However, the incredible form of Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie has kept him out of any first team action so far this season. Due to this lack of first team chances, he has stated that he may seek to play for another club.

"It's obvious that I don't want to sit on the bench for two years.

"There might be problems with my form in a few months, but I might also get more playing time.

"I will stay at Arsenal to fight for my chance and in case it doesn't work, I will join a different club permanently."

Let's hope that he is given some chances, so he stays at Arsenal. Let's also hope that Arsene Wenger was right when he said that Bendtner would not be leaving the club.

Almunia vs. Lehmann: Round Two

In a previous article I argued that Jens Lehmann should be Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper. Other than his early blunders this season Lehmann has always been a sound 'keeper for Arsenal, and two errors are not enough to forget about a man who has spent four years with our club. When I polled the readers of this blog, however, the results differed from my beliefs - 58% of readers claimed that Manuel Almunia was the better keeper.

Nonetheless, with Lehmann on the verge of a return from injury, I maintain that the German hothead should be Arsene Wenger's number one. Almunia is a great backup, and he has produced some good performances in Lehmanns absence, even holding clean sheets for 5 consecutive games prior to last Sunday's clash with newly promoted Sunderland.

However, a clean sheet does not verify the skills of a goalkeeper. Our defending has been very solid this season, and many of the teams we played against were admittedly wasteful with their chances. The truth of the matter is, Almunia has not been forced to make many saves - and he has not made any saves of the caliber of a world-class keeper like Crazy Jens.

In fact, Sunderland's second goal was very stoppable, and in my match review I even mentioned that I thought Lehmann would have made the save. Our defense was partially at fault for letting up the pressure on Kenwyne Jones, but I still feel that Almunia should have at least gotten fingers to Jones' header.

Not only does Jens have the better reactions, but the German is also more experienced and is better at dealing with crosses and long balls. While he may be a bit volatile, Lehmann is by far the oldest and most experienced player on a young Arsenal team which needs a backbone. Also, whereas Almunia is often seen completely missing punches, Arsenal fans could always feel assured when Lehmann went up for a ball in the box.

As the best of Arsenal's keepers, Jens Lehmann deserves the starting berth against Bolton after the international break. At the very least, doubters should watch to see how he plays for Germany over the weekend before shastily tossing him out in favor of Almunia.

Whomever is chosen to play against Bolton, they better play well, as rumors state that Arsene Wenger is looking into buying Robert Green or Almenning Jarsteina in January.

Usmanov Still Interested in Arsenal Takeover

Alisher Usmanov, the disliked Russian billionaire who has been linked with Arsenal takeover talks, has finally admitted that he is interested in taking over the club.

The Metalloinvest and Red and White owner had previously stated that he only wanted to raise his stake to 25% of the club (he currently owns 23%), but he has now admitted that he would jump at the chance to launch a takeover bid.

Any takeover would likely be hostile, seeing as how the clubs board of directors (who together own 45% of the club) has stated that they will not sell their shares for at least one year. However, Usmanov says that he would only buy at a reasonable price, and if Arsenal's top shareholders agree to sell.

Having already bought David Dein's shares at market price, and other shares at far over their value, it seems as though the Russian businessman may be planning a takeover quite soon.

He is unlikely to succeed though, as Arsenal are currently the second biggest earners in club football, thanks in large part to the new Emirates Stadium. Without a need for Dein's money, and with a frugal manager Arsenal don't seem to be in any danger of becoming the next Chelski.

I was wrong about Alex Song

Maybe I was wrong about Alex Song. And I'm not just saying that because it rhymes.

Song was brilliant in the center of defense alongside Philippe Senderos in yesterday's game against Newcastle. The two held out against a strong Newcastle frontline of Shola Ameobi, Alan Smith, and reported Arsenal target Obafemi Martins; managing to keep a clean sheet (thanks in part to Senderos' clearing off the line).

The Cameroonian was strong in the air and didn't seem to set a foot wrong throughout what was certainly the best Arsenal game of his career.

Perhaps Song is better suited as a central defender than a midfielder. His performances in the midfield have been abysmal thus far (Fulham anyone?) and he doesn't have the pace nor talent to fight for a spot against the likes of Fabregas, Gilberto, Flamini, Diarra and more in a congested midfield.

I have hopes for the lad now. Maybe Wenger can pull off another Kolo Toure, converting a decent player into a fabulous center back. If we keep playing Song in our backline (in the Carling Cup of course) we might just have the impenetrable defense we've been lacking.

Speaking of Wenger, the gaffer wants to play Song at center back as well.

“Don’t misjudge Alex Song,” he told Arsenal TV Online, “because he is a great player.”

“I feel he was misjudged in the Fulham game last year where we had a nightmare first half. He was involved in it so everyone thought he was to blame but I didn’t think so. He moved out to Charlton where he had some great games.

“We believe he is a quality player and I personally believe he can make it at centre back.”

Poll Results: Almunia should take Lehmann's jersey

Surprisingly enough, the readers of this blog decided that Manuel Almunia is the best of Arsenal's keepers. It seems as though Jens Lehmann's blunders (and temper) were enough to turn Arsenal fans away from the angry German.

Results: Who deserves the number 1 jersey at Arsenal?

Jens Lehmann - 42%
Manuel Almunia - 58%

I have to disagree with my readers here. As I stated in my last post on the topic, Manuel Almunia is far too inept at making positional decisions. He may not be as error prone as the Germany number 1, but he also doesn't make the same world-class stops as Lehmann. Crazy Jens may be getting older (and angrier) but his presence in the back is more assuring than Almunia's in any situation other than a back pass.

I'm interested in knowing, why do you guys think Almunia is better?

Arsenal linked with three youngsters

The summer transfer window ended with the surprise last-minute signing of Lassana Diarra from Chelsea. Apparently the excitement of this move was not enough to quell rumors linking Arsenal with other players for the January transfer window.

Talking Soccer today linked Arsenal with three youngsters who are in the vein of players that Arsene Wenger would sign.

The first of these is Diego Capel, a 19 year-old Spaniard. The Sevilla midfielder has been filling in for the injured Brazilian Adriano (not the striker), and has made quite a name for himself in the few games he has played. With an £8 million release clause in his current contract, it seems as though Arsenal may be keen to sign him in January.

Apparently Greek defender Socratis Papastathopoulos is also on Arsene Wenger's wishlist. The 20 year-old AEK Athens defender caught Wenger's eye while he was scouting out Diego Capel in Sevilla, and has now been linked with Arsenal.

Marko Arnautovic, an 18 year-old striker playing with FC Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie, is yet another youngster to be linked with Arsenal. The 6 ft 3 in Austrian wunderkind is reportedly being tracked by many European clubs including Arsenal and Chelsea and the bidding could begin as soon as the next transfer window.

While I normally try to avoid articles which aren't well backed-up, the fact that there were three players being mentioned over at Talking Soccer made me bite. While the veracity of these claims is certainly questionable, at least this may foreshadow in small part the events of January's transfer window.

Justin Hoyte to fight for a spot at Arsenal

Arsenal right-back Justin Hoyte has stated that he would like to stay and fight for a place at the club, despite stiff competition from Bacary Sagna, Emanuel Eboue, Lassana Diarra and Mathieu Flamini.

The 22 year-old made nearly as many appearances as Eboue last season, but it seems as though he will be missing first team chances this season as new signing Bacary Sagna has been a rock at right-back. Hoyte showed some good team spirit, telling Arsenal TV Online how the competition would do good for the team:

"Yes the competition is tough but it is the same as last year with Emmanuel Eboue playing and Mathieu Flamini in there sometimes too. Competition is good for us and good for the team. Hopefully I can work hard in training and break into the team. I just want to play as much as I can."

The youngster will have a hard time breaking into the first team as long as Sagna is injury-free, but if Sagna remains injured, Hoyte is just as likely to be played in his place as anyone else. It's great to see the talented 22 year-old speak well of his teammates after Jens Lehmann's mutterings about how he is the most mature of Arsenal's goalkeepers.

It may benefit Arsenal if Hoyte is played against Tottenham at White Heart Lane as his optimism would certainly help the team. He himself is hoping to book a starting birth on Saturday:

"It is very important. Ever since my youth days that was the one game we looked forward to. It is important for the fans and you just want to win it."

Click here for a preview of the Tottenham vs. Arsenal game

Jens Lehmann injured again

In my last post I stated that Jens Lehmann would be eligible to play, after returning from injury. However, it seems that Lehmann has suffered from a reaction to the elbow injury he picked up in Germany's 2-0 win over Wales in Euro 2008 Qualifying last Saturday.

Timo Hildebrand is going to replace Lehmann for Germany's friendly against Romania which is to be played tomorrow. It is also unsure whether Lehmann will be fit in time for Arsenal's London derby against arch-rivals Tottenham. However, he was never guaranteed a spot in the game anyways, following his high profile errors and Manuel Almunia's decent performances.

While Lehmann is confident that he is still Arsenal's number 1, Arsenal fans have been less sure of this, and at 37 years-old he doesn't have that much time left in his Arsenal career. Arsenal have recently been linked with Celtic's Artur Boruc and Bolton's Jussi Jaaskelainen, both of whom are arguably better keepers than the out of form Arsenal 'keeper.

I'm not sure if Wenger should start Lehmann over Almunia, but I would like to get him back from injury to at least spur some competition between the two. Let's all send him get well cards.

Gallas and Sagna to be back in time for Tottenham clash

Arsenal captain William Gallas has stated that he is hoping to be fit in time for Saturday's derby against London arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The French international missed our last 2 games due to a groin injury but his recovery is going well and he is likely to return for Saturday.

Gallas' return will be welcome by Arsenal fans, as we have played the last few games with a makeshift back line, and would have had to play Gilberto as a central defender again next week. Philippe Senderos will miss the game due to a red card against Portsmouth and Johann Djourou was loaned out to Birmingham by Arsene Wenger, leaving us with only light cover in the central defense.

Even with new signings Bacary Sagna and Lassana Diarra we haven't had enough cover in the back line and ended the Portsmouth game with Gilberto and Flamini playing in defense after Senderos' red card and an injury to Sagna.

Sagna is also likely to return in time for the Tottenham clash, as is Jens Lehmann who may or may not start the game over Manuel Almunia. This should come as good news to a defense which had not conceded many goals, but had given up far too many chances.

Arsenal Chairman to meet Russian billionaire

Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood has claimed that "the major shareholders have no intention of selling and wouldn't welcome an offer." However, he has publicly stated that he is going to meet Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who has reportedly been contemplating an Arsenal takeover move.

Usmanov, who recently bought David Dein's 14.58% share in Arsenal, seems to be interested in taking over Arsenal, despite the fact that the club's Board of Directors (which controls 45% of the Arsenal's shares) has stated its unwillingness to sell.

Hill-Wood explained why he would be meeting with Usmanov saying, "We will have a dialogue with any principal or major shareholder. If they've got some sensible proposals we'll listen to them." Disregarding the possibility of a takeover, I'm not quite sure what type of proposals these would be.

However, I think that in the unlikely case of a foreign takeover of Arsenal, we would benefit greatly. Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea have all benefited from overseas money, and I think that Arsenal could do the same. While we have a lot of promise this season, if we were to add a few experienced world-class players to our squad we could become the best team in the world.

Arsene Wenger Promises Arsenal Trophies

Now that Arsene Wenger has finally signed his new deal many are hoping to see Arsenal compete for some major silverware for the first time since 3 seasons ago. Wenger is among these, and feels that with the backing of the club's board of directors he can help Arsenal to some serious silverware.

He assured Arsenal.com that he has the board's backing saying, "I have had many moments when I have felt down because we have lost a big game, but I never ever had any doubts that I did not have the support of the club"

He went on to tell the fans how he was always going to sign a new deal, as he loves the club. Furthermore he claimed to feel a responsibility to "deliver silverware" and help the team go as far as it could.

"I have been entrusted with complete freedom to implement and execute my plans on what will make the team successful.

"That means I have a responsibility to the fans to deliver silverware and also a responsibility to the players to help turn our potential into prizes. I want to achieve the maximum with this team and it is young and very ambitious as well, and I feel I share that ambition with my team.

"That is one of the reasons, as well, that I wanted to get a taste of how hungry this team is first before I definitely go for it. I love the job I have at Arsenal – I love to win and I feel I can win with Arsenal. They are the main reasons [I signed].

"My heart is tied to this club, so signing a new deal was always my intention."

While we all knew that Arsene was doing his best to help Arsenal's players reach their potential it is great to hear him promise silverware and profess his love for the club. I know you can never judge by the first few games of a season, but if we keep playing as we have been (minus the Lehmann errors) we may be getting that silverware sooner rather than later.

Lassana Diarra signs for Arsenal!!

The official Arsenal FC website, Arsenal.com, has released an article which officially states that Arsene Wenger has signed Lassana Diarra from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee. This comes as a surprise deadline day signing after Arsene Wenger earlier claimed that he would not sign any new players. Wenger, however, does have a reputation not only for making signings on the last day of transfer windows, but also for conducting business in secret.

This secret was not as well kept as some of his others though, and I in fact wrote an article about the possibility of Lassana Diarra coming to Arsenal not too long ago. The 22 year-old Frenchman will be a welcome addition at the Emirates as he can play both in the midfield and in defense. We now have plenty of cover at right back, and even a replacement for Gilberto if necessary, as Diarra is a fairly competent defensive midfielder - although he prefers to be played as an attacking midfielder (where we already have enough options).

Lassana Diarra is a great new signing, and I am very happy to hear that Arsene went forwards with this signing, as I was worried about the thin cover of our backline, and especially about an injury to Gilberto. Diarra should be far better as a defensive midfielder than Mathieu Flamini was. I hope to see great things from him in a few years time.

Who was Arsenal's greatest signing this summer?

Are Arsenal really going to miss Henry this season?

There is no doubt that Thierry Henry was one of the most beloved and influential players ever to grace Highbury (and Ashburton Grove for a few games last season). His pace, creativity, and clinical finishing made him the best striker ever to play for Arsenal - and for many, the best striker in the world. While many doubted his leadership skills, there were none who could doubt his incredible talent. However, after spending a good part of last season injured and scoring only 10 goals, Henry's departure to Barcelona came as no surprise.

It was a huge blow to Arsenal, and many people claimed that Arsenal's spot in the top 4 would come to an end without our talismanic striker. Others fooled themselves claimed that our strikers would do better without the pressure on Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor. It was clear to me though, that our front line would struggle, despite the incredible class of Robin van Persie. Without Henry to take penalties and free kicks, we were sure to score less off of our set pieces, and there would be no Henry to conjure up magnificent goals out of nothing.

However, van Persie has been doing an excellent job at filling his shoes, both this season and last. His strong left foot makes him a huge danger on free kicks, and his tendency to score from long range is reminiscent of his departed partner. I even think that van Persie has a good chance at taking the golden boot from Chelsea's Didier Drogba this season. However, it is unlikely that he will be as prolific a striker this season as Henry was in his seasons with Arsenal.

Who, then, will pick up his mantle? Not new signing Eduardo, but rather our midfielders. While I was initially disheartened by Henry's departure, my hopes for our team were lifted up by our pre-season friendlies and our first three matches of the season. In the first three games of the premiership we have scored 4 goals - 2 from van Persie, one from Hleb and one from Fabregas. In our Champion's League qualifier away against Sparta Prague, Hleb and Fabregas scored the only goals in a 2-0 win. In the return leg, Fabregas struck again as did Tomasz Rosicky. This newly found striking power in our midfield comes as a relief after next season in which Hleb and Rosicky scored only 3 league goals each and Fabregas scored only 2. Fabregas is currently our top goalscorer! Who ever thought we would be saying that?

I will have confidence in our ability to become champions if our midfield continues scoring goals. After all, our invincibles season saw a large amount of our goals come from Pires and Ljunberg.

Do we need a new striker? If so, who should it be?

Despite having bought Eduardo da Silva and having brought Nicklas Bendtner back from loan this summer, many fans believe that we need another striker to deal with the loss of Thierry Henry. With Arsene Wenger claiming that he wants to play with two strikers, some believe that we need to sign a new striker. Arsenal has been linked with Obafemi Martins, Robinho, and former Arsenal man Nicolas Anelka amongst others. With Bendtner performing admirably during the pre-season and Eduardo looking comfortable in an Arsenal jersey, as well as the fitness of Robin van Persie and Adebayor, I think we are pretty set on strikers. I don't think that we need to bring in any new strikers, and I will go through each of the three men above telling you why they don't belong.

Obafemi Martins - Rumors about the transfer of the 22 year-old Nigerian have been abundant, in large part because of the £13 million buy out clause in his contract. Even now, it is rumored that Arsenal have placed a £9 million bid on the player, although it is unlikely that Big Sam would accept such an offer (even if it were true). At 22, Martins would be a typical Wenger buy (although he has already proven himself in the Premiership with 13 goals last season in 36 league appearances. While he is an excellent player, he is not the type of player that Arsenal need right now. At 5 ft 7 in Martins would be short even for Wenger's current team of midgets. While he is good in the air he has little to offer that can't already be gotten from our current strikers. He may be better than Adebayor and Bendtner right now, but Bendtner has great promise, and in my opinion Adebayor doesn't deserve a starting spot anyways.
Edit: Obafemi Martins is not going to leave Newcastle

Robinho - Robinho plays as a winger or a second striker more than an out-and-out striker. Arsenal don't need a second striker (as we have Hleb who is brilliant playing in that position) and while we do need a winger, we don't need Robinho because of his price tag. While I wouldn't mind seeing Robinho at Ashburton Grove, I don't think that he would warrant the huge price-tag that Real Madrid would be sure to slap on him. A player like him (someone selfish) would be appreciated, but with such a huge price tag and small frame (5 ft 9 in) I would rather see Morten Gamst Pederson or someone similar join us.

Nicolas Anelka - I don't think we need too much of an explanation why Anelka shouldn't rejoin Arsenal. The former Arsenal man was rumored to be Arsene Wenger's first choice as a replacement for Thierry Henry (I'm not quite sure why), but his sulking attitude would make him more of a liability than anything else. He showed us in his two seasons at Arsenal that he is a great player, but his attitude is the type that rips a team apart - not what Arsene Wenger wants.

So there you go. I don't think we should buy a striker, although a winger would be a welcome addition to our squad. However, I don't think that we should be splashing Chelski-like amounts of cash on players like Robinho (unless of course Abromovich decides to buy Arsenal).

What do you think? Do we need a new striker? Who should Arsene be going after?

Wenger to sign a new deal!

As I checked NewsNow.co.uk last night I was surprised to find an article similar to this one (I don't remember exactly which it was which I first read) stating that Arsene Wenger, Arsenal's manager since 1996, has agreed to sign a new 3 year deal worth a total of £9 million. Following all of the rumors that Wenger was going to leave after this year, it was great news to hear. Stability is always important at a club, and having a manager who is destined to leave often affects the way a team plays.

However, with all of the rumors, I had already given a lot of thought to the effect that Wenger's resignation could have upon the club, but I hadn't yet decided whether it would be a positive or a negative. Now don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate Wenger's contributions to the club, and he is without a doubt the most successful manager that Arsenal has ever had. However, after successive 4th place finishes in the Premiership and a lack of summer signings, many Arsenal fans (admittedly including myself) began to doubt his ability to lead the club to silverware. His lack of experienced signings has been troubling and has lead to two fourth place finishes being labeled as 'gap years' for the young guns to gain some experience. However, despite these two gap years, many football pundits believe that Arsenal will lose its place in the top 4 to the likes of Everton, Newcastle, Manchester City, or the hated Spurs. While I firmly believe that we will retain our position in the Champion's League spots, this is a bit disturbing, and many people place the blame on Arsene's unwillingness to sign established players at a premium.

Not all of Wenger's transfers are viewed in this negative light however. Many people agree that Wenger is the best manager at scouting out upcoming talents, signing Vieira for £3.5 million, Pires for £6 million, and Freddie Ljunberg for £3 million. While many people are upset about his frugality, it is impossible to question the fact that when he does spend money, he spends it well. Even this summer, the signing of Bacary Sagna has done much to bolster our back line, Lukasz Fabianski looks to be one of the brightest goalkeeping prospects for the future, and Eduardo may add the clinical finishing that our squad was missing last season.

However it is not his signings that make a fan want to keep Wenger. It is the mesmerizing brand of football which his clubs play that first attracted me to Arsenal, and it is this same football that would be sorely missed at Ashburton Grove if Wenger were to leave Arsenal. While he may not sign any big names, he has certainly made many lesser known players stars, and his brand of football has made Arsenal the big name when it comes to attractive football. Rarely relying on long balls, Arsenal's slick passing make Arsenal the most entertaining team in the Premiership. While silverware would be a welcome addition, I will stand by Arsene Wenger as long as he continues to fit players into his mind-numbingly beautiful style of football.

What do you think? Is it worth playing attractively and missing out on silverware? Is it possible to win and play beautifully? Is Wenger the right manager for Arsenal?

Edit: Update on Wenger's new deal