Just Arsenal News

The Spine of the Team by AH

One thing that was noticeable this season and in fact in a lot of the previous years is that our squad doesn’t have many outstanding players that the rest of the team can revolve around. Last year we had Van Persie, and that’s all in my opinion. Before then Van Persie and Fabregas, maybe Nasri. But is this good enough to be a successful team? .......Read the full article here

Where is the Love? by JM

I sit here on a warm African winter afternoon, my tele switched to ESPN classic. They have a vintage Arsenal game going and im glued as if it were live. Its Highbury….Its Sol Campbell, its Vieira, its Bergkamp, its Thierry… its an Arsenal routing of Manchester United. The fans are in ecstasy, the commentators in awe as the purrr with lavish praise on the impeccable machine that was Arsenal… Im in Arsenal heaven for a moment there.. .......Read the full article here

Six Reasons Why Arsenal Can Dominate English Football Next Season by FD

Recent years have been frustrating for followers of Arsenal. The trophy drought has been bad enough, but we’ve also had to endure the regular exodus of our best players and the apparent reluctance of the powers-that-be to compete with the other top clubs on an equal footing. Yet, at last, there appear to be some solid grounds for optimism. A combination of events elsewhere and the seeds of something stirring at home might just be pointing to a period of Arsenal resurgence ahead. Here are six reasons why the coming 2013/14 season could be one to finally reward the patience of all Gooners. .......Read the full article here

Are we trying to buy the wrong Man U striker!? by DG

If you buy any paper today you will be inundated with rumours, reports and speculation that Arsenal are set to launch a sensational bid for Wayne Rooney. If these reports are to be believed (and when did a tabloid paper ever get a transfer rumour wrong…) then Wenger will make a bid of £25 million pounds for the 27 year old. I have no doubt that Rooney would score a hatful of goals for Arsenal – he has always scored goals for United even when playing through one of his ‘off’ seasons. However, if we’re going to make a £25m bid for one of their strikers, should we really be looking at Rooney? .......Read the full article here

Well what a crazy week for English football! It seems that all THREE of Arsenal’s top rivals for the League are changing their managers this summer. We all know about Ferguson, and today it is on Sky Sports that Man City are in talks with Manuel Pelligrini to take over at the Etihad next season.

Then of course we all know that Jose Mourinho is going to Chelsea – and so all three of them are going to be going through a period of upheaval as the new managers settle in. .......Read the full article here

The Arsenal winger/striker Theo Walcott has reached his target of 20 goals this season, despite lapsing in and out of form all season, and he capped it off with the winner against QPR after just 20 seconds this weekend.

Arsene Wenger was asked why he thought Theo has suddenly improved this year and the Gunners manager says that it is simply because he has learned to shoot the ball on target! Wenger said: ““He’s more mature in his finishing,”

“Against QPR he scored a bit of a similar goal to the one against Man United. It’s a short backlift, he makes good runs and he’s calm now in front of goal. .......Read the full article here

In the second half of the season, many Arsenal fans were clamouring for Lukas Podolski to be given more time on the pitch, then when he was finally reinstated to the starting XI, the calls started for him to be given the chance to replace Giroud as the out-and-out centre-forward.

Now the fans have finally got what they want but, but after two matches as the main striker, suddenly Podolski is making Giroud seem like he is a natural goalscorer! So the experiment doesn’t seem to have worked and Arsenal are struggling to score goals again. Many pundits have been trying to excyuse Podolski with the rumours that he is set to have some surgery on his ankle in the close season, but Wenger denies that and has vowed to give Podolski time to develop in the central role. .......Read the full article here

What do Arsenal need this Summer to be title contenders by CJ

Arsenal are 18 points behind Man Utd and 5 points behind Man City, however both teams have a game in hand on us so the question is realistically how far, in footballing terms, we are behind Man Utd and Man City.

Last week’s game against Man Utd showed us that this current group of players under this current manager have the desire and the quality to compete with very best – but don’t have the required mentality that’s needed to win a major championship. United had nothing to play for and in that 1st half we absolutely dominated them. We were quicker to the ball, we were closing them down and were passing the ball quickly and accurately, but then Man Utd showed why they were champions and why we are not even contenders right now. .......Read the full article here

Robin is in our dressing room at the moment. Because our food is better in our dressing room than in their dressing room! People who play together for five, six years [get on with each other]. …… Look, at the end of the day we decided to sell him. We are rivals. You want us to make a guard of honour and to respect the champions, then you have to accept as well that respect exists after the game. You want to give absolutely everything during the 90 minutes and after the game you can still talk to each other.

Wenger speaking after the Man United game. .......Read the full article here

Match review and player ratings. Arsenal vs Man Utd by Neil S

Arsenal entered the game knowing that a win was massive. A draw would leave most Gooners unhappy and a loss may cause a riot.

Arsenal started the game brilliantly. Walcott shocked everyone by scoring a goal before anyone noticed the game hasd started! Looking like the best side on the planet for half an hour. I was stunned by how good we actually were.

However, Sagna lost the plot and gifted United a goal. Firstly, his terrible pass to Judas and to add to that his amateur challenge on Judas. .......Read the full article here

I wish I had a penny for every time there was a comment on JustArsenal saying that “Arsene Wenger sold Man United the title” as I would be a very rich man right now! There is no doubt that Robin Van Persie has scored very many crucial goals for the newly-elected Champions, but Wenger thinks that United would have won the title even if Van Persie hadn’t gone to Old Trafford.

Wenger said: “United have won 20 championships and they won a few without Robin van Persie. No, the difference is that City have dropped off,” .......Read the full article here

Van Persie’s return by Dan S

There’s a cruel irony that Robin Van Persie’s first game as a Premiership Champion should come against his former employers of 8 years.

His former Arsenal team-mates having to give him a guard of honour is hard enough, the fact our former captain may now score the goals to cost us a top 4 finish would be rubbing it in our faces.

Some managers in games where a player could be signalled out for abuse from fans choose to leave said player on the bench but such has been the Dutchmen’s professionalism that if he doesn’t start on Sunday it is more likely Sir Alex Ferguson’s desire to field his fringe players from now till the end of the season, rather than any worries that his top goals scorer is not mentally tough enough. .......Read the full article here