Arsenal – Same Story, Different Season

Yes, Real Talk Football highlights yet another Arsenal related post, but over these past two weeks, the North London side have played in some career defining matches let alone season defining ones! They are the relevant topic at the moment, and unfortunately, it’s not in the manner most Arsenal fans had hoped for.

Arsenal last night tumbled out of the FA Cup, exiting their third cup competition in just 2 weeks, after Arsene Wenger was tactically outclassed by his old foe Sir Alex Ferguson, in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.

A goal from Brazilian full back Rafael, who was playing out of position in an unfamiliar right midfield role, as well as striker Wayne Rooney who doubled the lead (who evidently was scoring his 9th career goal against Arsenal) to help Manchester United to a well deserved win.


Some fans will try to claim solace in the fact that Goalkeeper and Dutch veteran Edwin Van Der Sar was voted Man of the man as Arsenal had a spell where they tested the 41 year old on a total of nine occasions. This however, would ultimately be clutching at straws, as the prospect of a domestic double is that which Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Arsenal fans would have craved, as just rewards for their stellar attacking performances this season.

Regrettably, the story was an all too familiar one for Arsenal fans. The North London side’s passing was superior to Manchester United’s, with a total of 88.4% passing success rate. They also had more attempts on goal, with 15 in total, and the away side even dominated possession, with 60% in total, yet they ended up on the losing side.

Manchester United on the other hand, played the perfect counter attacking game and are now unbeaten in their last eight meetings against Arsenal. The United formation allowed Wayne Rooney to drop into the midfield, and act as the outlet, as well as the link between the midfield and Javier Hernandez, who was playing as the sole striker.

Countless times Arsenal had the ball in the Manchester United final third, and lacked any sort of determination to get on the score sheet. They lacked the creativity of Cesc Fabregas, the pace of Theo Walcott, and dare I say it; the directness of Nicklas Bendtner.

Every time Samir Nasri, or Andrei Arshavin had the ball in the wide areas, they would ignore the overlapping fullbacks and play a ball square, while Manchester United simply pounced to break up possession and look for the direct ball into the channels, and up the pitch. With Arsenal’s shaky defence, United always looked the more likely to capitalize on their chances.


I understand that Arsene Wenger wants to win trophies the right way, his way, with his philosophy of building up a team from scratch, nurturing young potential into world class players. This is fair enough, but there is no shame in spending a bit of money on that final piece of the puzzle. Fans and pundits will still respect you, as you have established this great squad, but you still made the right strategic move by buying proven quality.

Ultimately, it was clear to see that there is still a distinct lack of leadership amongst the Arsenal team. None of the players play with their heart on their sleeves, take the game by the scruff of the neck when it’s required, nor do the players outside of the first eleven seem to deputise capably when the opportunity arises.


In the goalkeeper position, it is no secret the problems have had since German Jens Lehmann left in 2008. Current occupier of the Number One shirt; Manuel Almunia is a great shot stopper, I believe many football fans will agree on that, as on the rare occasions where Arsenal have been "under the kosh" he has made some fantastic saves. Nevertheless there is always an underlying belief that Almunia, or even Fabianski, is an accident is waiting to happen, and when this mistake occurs, it hardly comes as a bombshell.

Just Imagine if Arsenal had a world class consistent goalkeeper playing throughout the entire season? Where would they be? My guess is higher up the table and further in the cups then they are. Names such as Edwin Van Der Sar, Petr Cech or even a Joe Hart prove this statement.


Experienced individuals such as the Tomas Rosicky are clearly not worthy of their first team chances, with the Czech Republic international evidently a shadow of his former self. Another elder member of the squad; Sebastian Squillaci, has failed to impress during his first season in the Premiership, and already looks expendable.

Midfielder Abou Diaby has been very poor this season, both injury-wise and form-wise, and his performances still struggle to convince fans that he is the right man for the job.

Meanwhile fellow centre midfielder Denilson is a very frustrating player indeed, while he is comfortable on the ball, his passing and defensive responsibilities abandon him at critical occasions.


Finally, and for some the most disappointing performer this season; is Russian Andrei Arshavin. He has managed 11 assists this season, but that is the only thing he has produced. He is nowhere close to the form he first showed during his first year at the Emirates. He himself has admitted his form has been poor, but it seems every time the Russian is on the field, he’s more concerned whether he has left the iron on at home, rather than how to beat his opponent.

The biggest fall from grace this season, has been Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh. The 26 year old scored 11 goals in his first 21 games for the club, until the beginning of December where he has appeared in 17 matches, and only managed 1 goal.

This is an amazing drop in form, with the striker himself blaming fatigue/tiredness. We are in March, and it begs the question if, and not when, the Moroccan will regain his form, and whether it will be too little too late for Arsenal.


Arsenal have a brilliant starting eleven, with an attacking prowess and technical ability other teams crave for, but the lack of character, and die hard attitude, which some would call “a winning mentality” is a frailty and a burden Arsenal need to eradicate if they are ever to get over this so called “allergy to silverware”.

Let me know what your thoughts on Arsenal are? What is the cure for Arsenal’s "allergies"?

Manchester United fans, how do you feel? Do you guys see Arsenal as serious contenders, or mandatory challenger? Leave a comment below, and let me know.

Real Talk Football

Arsenal vs. Barcelona – A Great Contest or A Gulf In Class?

Last night Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League after a enthralling and tiring two legged battle with the side widely regarded as the best team in the world.

The first leg took place just over three weeks ago, with Arsenal coming from a goal down to beat Barcelona 2-1 at the Emirates.

Since then, Arsenal played 5 matches, drawing with Sunderland and Leyton Orient, and then subsequently thumping Orient in a Cup replay. They also beat tricky opponents Stoke, and infamously lost the Carling Cup final to Birmingham City. In the lead up to the return leg in Spain, Arsenal’s form was out of sorts, with one eye was seemingly focused on this game during these domestic games.

As for Barcelona, they played four domestic matches, winning all four. They beat two very tough opponents in Athletic Bilbao and Valencia, while achieving mandatory victories over RCD Mallorca and Real Zaragoza. This would give them perfect momentum heading into the tie.

On the night, in which I’m sure you have all seen by now, Barcelona won 3-1 on the night (4-3 on aggregate) thanks to two goals from star man Lionel Messi, and a goal from Xavi Hernandez. Arsenal’s only goal came through a Sergio Busquets own goal.

Reading the score line, one would assume that the game was a close tie, however the stats would suggest otherwise as Barcelona were dominant, occupying 69% of possession, leaving Arsenal with a season low 31%. Barcelona also had 20 attempts on goal, while Arsenal couldn’t muster a single attempt on or off target. Barca subsequently ran out deserved winners.



Where did it go wrong for Arsenal?

I mentioned the term “stage fright” before Arsenal’s 2-1 Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham City. I was concerned that because the players hadn’t played in a final for some while, the lack of experienced individuals throughout the team would struggle to impose themselves on their opposition. This for me was the reason they lost they Carling Cup final, and were unable to deal with the pressure tactics used by Birmingham.

I must admit, before this tough trip to the Camp Nou, I was concerned a scared Arsenal (similar to the team that were easily beaten last year) were going to show up. However I think that Arsenal took the confidence from their first leg victory and carried it on into this game, and didn’t look nervous or overwhelmed.

Although Barcelona dominated possession, Arsenal defended very well. They were not in control of the game, and while Wojciech Szczesny (and then Manuel Almunia) had to make a few saves; they were not barraged with shots.



The first goal which broke the deadlock came late in the first half, after a lapse in concentration from captain Cesc Fabregas, which allowed Lionel Messi to be played in, and then score an exquisite goal. Fabregas giving the ball away in the manor he did, was not out of keeping with Arsenal’s performance. They had a distinct lack of possession, and while they defended astutely, they had no outlets, and subsequently no chance.

The lack of pace throughout the team was evident, and this added to the lack of opportunity to keep possession. Players like Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky were anonymous throughout the game, while Cesc Fabregas failed to get on the ball, and therefore unable to dictate the tempo of play as he usually does.

The high pressure from Barcelona forced Arsenal into making mistakes, and the Gunners were quickly caught on the back foot, and with the “parking the airbus” tactics like Inter Milan’s then boss Jose Mourinho did last year not in Arsenal’s DNA, a goal from Barcelona was inevitable. If you look at the “Player Influence” maps below, it shows how high up the pitch the Barcelona players were, and how deep (and under pressure) Arsenal were.




Onto the controversial Robin van Persie situation, I believe it was very poorly managed by the Arsenal management and team, the Dutchman lost his rag in the first half after an altercation with Eric Abidal and Dani Alves. Twinned with his well known troublesome temperament, the Barca players continued to wind him up, however being sent off for kicking the ball 1 second after the ref blew his whistle for offside was shambolic.

Overprotective refereeing was evident throughout the whole game, and when the sending off came about, Arsenal were level on the night and ahead on aggregate. So they have every right to feel aggrieved.

The final rubbing of salt into Arsenal’s wounds was Dane striker Nicklas Bendtner missing that big opportunity with less than five minutes to go, in which he failed to make the most of a Barcelona lapse in concentration.

Some Arsenal fans have pushed the blame on him, and told me he is “useless” and so on, but the Dane has saved Arsenal with his goals in the past, and would be an easy scapegoat ignoring how poor they performed throughout the match.


Where did it go right for Barca?

To put it simply, Barcelona played their own game. They were at home, so they already felt confident, and if you watch La Liga you can see that Barca does this week in, week out. Dominate possession, dictate the tempo, press profusely, rotate the players, and subsequently beat the opposition.

In this match, the full backs were valuable assets to the Barcelona attack. Dani Alves is widely regarded by some as one of the best footballers in the world, let alone the World’s best full back. He was superb last night, and as noted on the player influence maps from earlier, he pushed so far forward, that even if Arsenal managed to regain possession and use Samir Nasri as an outlet on the left wing, he was too busy tracking Alves who ended up playing like an out and out right winger. This neutralised the Nasri attack, and often leaving left back Gael Clichy isolated against both Alves and Pedro.



On the other flank, Adriano was selected ahead of Maxwell, and he was doing exactly the same tactics as Alves. Bombing forward and offering support to both Iniesta and Villa. Adriano had no problems against Rosicky, who was off the pace for most of the game, and at one point in the game, the Brazilian even hit the post.

With part time centre backs Abidal and Busquets occupying those key positions on the pitch, they were never really troubled. With this revolutionary/crazy 2-1-4-3 Barcelona formation, Javier Mascherano played the Sergio Busquets role whereby he drops in a third centre back, which allows the full backs to bomb on with such freedom as they do.

In midfield, the two maestro’s Andres Iniesta and Xavi both dictated the play as expected, with Iniesta completing 97 out of 105 passes (92.4% success rate) and Xavi, as usual, the top passer on the pitch completing 120 out of 133 attempted passes, with a 90.2% success rate. The only Arsenal player in the top ten lists of passers, came in at tenth place, was Englishman Jack Wilshere. Talisman Cesc Fabregas was 14th on the list.





Football can seem simple sometimes, you keep the ball, you can’t concede. If only it was as simple as that, but the way Barcelona play, they make it look this simple. Arsenal are fantastic at the passing game, but Barcelona are great.

Another factor which undone the Arsenal side was Argentine star Lionel Messi. For around 30 minutes the Barcelona number 10 was very quiet, and wasn’t as instrumental in the attacks as we’re use to seeing. However his influence in the game grew more and more as he decided to pick up the ball from deep and started to run at the Arsenal defence. This caused the Arsenal players to drift out of position, and meant midfielders were often dragged back covering, and out of position. Another inevitable situation, whereby it was sooner rather than later Messi would break through and get an attempt on goal.


The final element which Arsenal couldn’t comprehend with was Barcelona’s pressing game. This was at its highest level I’ve ever seen in the last 5 meetings between the two sides. Every time Arsenal regained possession, they were either too indecisive in their passing, dwindling on the ball too long, and before they knew it, they were under pressure from two to three Barca players. This caused Barca to regain the ball high up the pitch, and therefore they have possession closer to the opponent’s goal, and subsequently creating more chances.

Pundit Jamie Redknapp made a great point in the Sky Sports wrap up show, saying “the other reason they press so well is (because) they’re fresh, they pass the ball so well, they protect it, they retain the ball, (and) they’re never tired. So when they lose it, they’re still fit, still sharp, they close in packs and swarm all over you”.

A great description to the sheer brilliance, and hard work put in by Barcelona. All these elements factored into Barcelona’s comfortable victory over the Gunners.


Final thoughts on the game

For me, Barcelona are the favourites for the trophy, as they were in the beginning of the tournament. They are still the team to beat, and the team no one else would like to draw in the next round. They can also be impressed with the versatility shown by Sergio Busquets, and him taking on his new centre back role with enthusiasm and commitment.

Arsenal on the other hand, needs to regain composure and their focus, and after a bad two weeks, they need to concentrate on the Premier League title race. Barcelona is still on course for a treble, and it would not be wise to bet against them in all three competitions.

Finally it’s not all doom and gloom for Arsenal fans, tireless midfielder Jack Wilshere is going to be a phenomenal player. He didn’t look out of place against that Barca side, and is a future Arsenal captain.


Also Laurent Koscienly is a very promising defender with lots of potential and with this unexpected prolonged run in the Arsenal first team (all season) he can be proud of what he has achieved so far, however he is some way off the finished article, but fans can take solace from his performances in the two legs.

Lastly, it’s obvious I haven’t gone into too much depth regarding the Robin van Persie’s red card. Although it was an appalling decision, it remains to be seen whether those 11 men would have actually beaten that Barcelona team, considering Barca dominated all over the pitch.

It’s a disappointing end to Arsenal’s campaign, but maybe it’s time for Arsene Wenger to just ease up on his stubbornness, and possibly look to strengthen to squad for times like this when experienced winners would be vital in these predicaments.

I am not one to be telling a man the calibre of Arsene Wenger what to do, but all his hard work he has put into Arsenal is being undone by this trophy drought, and many fans I have spoken to, have expressed these facts.


What were your thoughts on the game? Who are your favourites for the Champions League? Leave your comments below and let me know.

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Real Talk Football

Can Arsenal Win The Premier League?

This weekend was an intriguing indication of how much of a rollercoaster ride the Premiership season has been so far. It was also a clear sign that nothing can be taken for granted, nor can any outcome in the Premier League be guaranteed.

We learned that Manchester United is truly not the unbeatable wrecking machine they have been deemed as, after their unbeaten run came to an end against relegation contenders; Wolverhampton.

We also learned that no matter how many goals Arsenal are winning by, they can still be caught. While Manchester City are still in the title hunt, Tottenham are outsiders, while defending champions Chelsea are surely out of the race altogether (lagging 10 points behind league leaders Man United).

Despite losing to Wolves this weekend, it’s clear that Manchester United is still the strongest side in the Premiership, hence still the team to beat. Today we look at their closest rivals and nearest challengers; Arsenal, who despite their capitulation against Newcastle, and losing 5 games this season, they are only four points behind United, and are the nearest challengers for the Premier League title.



Experience

Arsenal has had this same batch of players, training and competing together for the last 3-4 seasons. Rarely do you see more then 4 or 5 first team squad players joining or leaving the club in any given transfer period.

The spirit and harmony amongst the group is stronger than in previous seasons, while those tricky away games which Arsenal were renowned for struggling with and losing, are no longer evident this season.

Examples of this include the 3-0 victory away to Birmingham City, a 3-0 victory over Manchester City, a 2-1 win over Blackburn and another 3-0 victory against West Ham, all places where Arsenal had notoriously struggled in last season (a 1-1 draw with Birmingham, a 4-2 defeat to Man City, 2-1 defeat to Blackburn and 2-2 draw with West Ham which damaged the Gunners title challenge last season).



With the team growing collectively, individuals have improved and progressed to take a greater responsibility and establish themselves as top quality players. Some of the instrumental figures in their campaign this season are as follows:

Alex Song

The defensive midfielder has been an unsung hero this season, and has come on leaps and bounds in the last two years at Arsenal. The 23 year old Cameroonian international has now matured into an all round midfielder, who has moved on from just “a ball winning midfielder” to a midfielder who wins the ball from the opposition and distributes efficiently in order to start attacks. Similar to what made Claude Makélelé such a World Class midfielder during his time at Real Madrid and Chelsea.

His stats so far this season support his improvement; last year he played 27 Premier League games in total (he’s played 22 times so far, this season) and has significantly improved his contribution to the team. The first improvement is his goal contribution with 4 goals, compared to the solitary single goal he scored last season.

Also an improvement in his defensive statistics have shown that Arsenal have conceded an average of 0.17 goals per game this season, compared to an average of 1.15 goals per game last year. He has also only received 4 yellow cards and 1 red compared to the 10 yellow cards he collected last season.



Samir Nasri

The French international was left out of France’s World Cup squad, which was too many people’s surprise, and this omission subsequently benefitted Nasri and his performances this season. The Frenchman has been in blistering form this season, scoring 9 goals in 21 appearances, compared to the 2 league goals he scored last season.

The 23 year olds dribbling skills, technique, and pace has all been key to his performances this season. He scored vital goals in the victories over Manchester City, West Brom, Aston Villa and Fulham.

Nasri’s excellent form has not gone unnoticed, with him collecting the Barclays PFA Player of the Month award for October, December and January of this season, and there are murmurs he could already be a candidate for PFA Player of the Season.



Robin Van Persie

After reaching the World Cup final with Holland, the Dutchman made a slow start to the season, which was hampered by an ankle injury that forced him to miss two months of the campaign. He has now managed to maintain a run of games which has taken his goal tally to 8 in 14 appearances, with 5 assists.

The 27 year old scored his first ever Premier League hat trick against Wigan, and has now reached the consistency he desires. He will be vital in Arsenal’s title challenge going into the final third of the season.

Arsene Wenger

The intelligent Frenchman has seen and been through it all during his 15 years in England. He is one of the most experienced managers in world football, and has the knowhow and understands the requirements needed in order to win the Premier League title. He needs to keep his players focused and motivated in order to push on for the final title challenge, as it’s no secret to any Arsenal fan, that in the past four seasons, it’s been the month of February which has seen them falter in the title race. With this more experienced group of players, they are more than capable of winning the league this season.



Fixtures

With 13 Premier League matches left to play, Arsenal has 7 home games to play compared to Manchester United, who have 6. Manchester United still has to play Chelsea twice, local rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as a visit to the Emirates to face Arsenal.

Arsenal still has to welcome Liverpool and Manchester United to the Emirates, and face a tricky trip to Tottenham at White Hart Lane. However of their remaining 13 fixtures, 6 are against teams currently situated in the bottom half of the Premier League table, compared to Manchester United who have to play 5 teams currently in the bottom half of the table.

So on paper, it would favour Arsenal in this fixture list, but as I stated earlier nothing in the Premiership can be taken for granted, but this is just an example of the games still left to play for each side.



Squad Players

Whereas Manchester United have squad players such as Javier Hernandez, Park Ji-Sung, Anderson, as well as the experienced individuals Ryan Giggs, Wes Brown and Paul Scholes, Arsenal’s squad players haven’t been up to scratch, with Wenger relying heavily on his first eleven, and that’s been the reason they are not heading up the Premier League table at the moment.

Czech international Tomas Rosicky, hasn’t been the same since returning from his 18 month injury spell, and his below par performances have angered many Arsenal fans. For an individual who has such an impressive touch, and creativity, he hasn’t scored a league goal since January 2010. For an attacking midfielder this just isn’t good enough.



Fellow midfielders Denilson and Abou Diaby have both been criticised for a lack of up-tempo to their games, while the latter has struggled with injuries which have hampered his progression at Arsenal.

Summer signing Sebastian Squillaci has also been the subject of much criticism, and has been at fault for many of the sloppy defensive performances, while the side has conceded 20 goals in the 15 appearances he has made this season. His immobile and lackadaisical performances have angered many fans, while there were calls for Wenger to sign a new centre back during the January transfer window, which subsequently came and went without a single penny spent by Wenger.



Now with Johan Djourou out for a month, with yet another knee injury, and Alex Song currently sidelined, the Gunners are desperately short at centre back. Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen is needed back as soon as possible. With the poorest defensive record of the top four, Arsenal need to sure up defensively if they are to challenge for the Premier League title.

Finally there have been concerns over the goalkeeping department for the past year and a half, with Lukasz Fabianksi given the number one spot, he had been in impressive form this season, and had finally started to come good. Fabianski now has subsequently had shoulder surgery, and is out for the rest of the season.

Now the promising young and fellow Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has taken over as Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper. He is a player with the all the attributes to make it at the highest level, but his performances have been tarnished by some shaky defending in front of him.



Chances?

For me, it is between Manchester United and Arsenal for the Premiership title. Manchester City are not too far behind, they have great individuals, but are not the complete package yet. Plus I feel City manager Roberto Mancini’s tactics of nullifying bigger and better opponents rather than attacking them and attempting to take three points is ultimately their downfall.

Manchester United has the more experience squad, who have been there and done that before. They also have young talented players to bring in, who can add that unknown quality against opponents (such as Rafael, and Javier Hernandez). However United have the trickier fixtures, and face two difficult games against Chelsea, and still have to face title rivals Arsenal. They will also have one eye on the Champions League, in which they are expected to progress quite far into the latter stages.



Arsenal on the other hand, has had very good away form this season, and has shown that they can beat any team at the Emirates. This will be necessary in order to pick up as many home points as possible, and beat their title rivals.

Arsenal has a young, hungry squad, who have a point to prove. They also have the Carling Cup final to look forward to, which can act as a benchmark for them this season, and they can collect that silverware that has eluded them for the past five seasons, should they beat Birmingham City.



There is of course, a long way to go, and plenty of football still play. But as we reach the business end of the season, should Arsenal collect the first possible trophy of the season, it could instil a much needed winning mentality which can act as a basis for them to push for the title, but for now it’s in Manchester United’s hands, and they are justifiably considered the title favourites.

Real Talk Football

Real Talk Football News – 24/11/2010

Since so much has happened in the past week, here’s a little update of what had been happening in the Football World.

We start with Arsenal, who went on to lose to Sporting Braga last night after they collapsed against Tottenham at the weekend. However Arsenal like to make things difficult for themselves in the Champions League, but should qualify from the group. Also they are just one win off the top spot, so all this negativity surrounding Wenger needs to be eased. A few players need to pull their weight more, but it’s not the end of the World.

Onto everyone’s favourite trouble maker; Luis Suarez. The talented Uruguayan has received a seven match ban for biting opposition PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal. The video of which can be seen below.



Wayne Rooney made his long awaited return for Manchester United, in a dull 2-0 win against Wigan. The striker apparently returned a stone lighter. Interesting to see how the England striker performs from now on.

Also Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey played 45minutes for the reserves on Tuesday afternoon against Wolves. The 19 year old broke his leg against Stoke in February. The first big step on the road to recovery which is welcome sign from many football fans.



In relegation battle news, West Ham have mutually terminated (if you will) the contract of Avram Grant’s assistant Zeljko Petrovic after he was branded out of touch and arrogant. His influence on the squad must have been a negative one, and his role was ended following the 3-0 defeat this Sunday.

He came out today though, with some heavy criticism of his own stating that; "Everybody has great words for the Premier League but it is a myth. The Premier League is a c*** league, it is nothing.” He went on to add "In truth the level is shocking. Every team has just three good players. If you take those players out of the teams then there are only players left who would not be playing in the bottom team in Holland. The Bundesliga is far better."

To be honest, no one even really knew this guy was here so I don’t think anyone cares he left, or what his opinion is.

Finally, FIFA have posted their 10 nominees for “FIFA Puskas Award 2010” which celebrates the best goal from last season. There are ten wonder goals on the FIFA website, which can be viewed here; but this is my favourite. Take a bow son!

Arsene Wenger’s Injury her Player

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger gave his usual injury update ahead of tomorrow’s game against West Ham United, at the Emirates.

Speaking on Thursday afternoon to Arsenal TV Online, the Frenchman started by confirming that left-back Kieran Gibbs will be out of action for weeks after suffering a knee injury sustained in the easy Carling Cup win against Newcastle on Wednesday.

According to the Frenchman, the youngster will undergo further tests this morning with the Gunners hoping to have the 21-year old back for the busy Christmas period.

Wenger also gave an update on the fitness level of long-term absentees Robin van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen and Aaron Ramsey. The striker and Welshman are expected to be back to full training very soon but a return date for the Belgian is yet to be set.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and midfielder Abou Diaby will also not be involved against the Hammers as they are respectively recovering from an elbow and ankle injury.

On Thursday, Wenger said:

We lost Kieran Gibbs last night. That is the bad news.

It is a medial knee ligament strain. It needs to be checked on the scan tomorrow but it will be a few weeks.

We have nobody else back from Manchester City. Van Persie and Vermaelen are still out. Ramsey and Almunia are not ready. So it should be a similar squad to the one that played at Man City.

But Van Persie and Ramsey are very close to coming back to full training now. They should be back in the group at the end of next week.

Of course we should not set the same [recovery] time to Ramsey as Van Persie. Aaron will need a longer period to be completely match-fit for the first team. But Van Persie is not far away now.

Manuel Almunia is maybe one to two weeks away. With Vermaelen, it is difficult to set a fixed time because his Achilles improves slowly.

Most Promising Footballers in the World - No.1

Earlier this year Real Talk Football highlighted 5 of the most promising young footballers in the world. Now, we bring you part two; bringing 7 of the most promising players to watch out for in the 2010/11 season and beyond.

To start with, and in no particular order; Arsenal's local lad...

Jack Wilshere



Club: Arsenal
Age: 18
Position: Attacking Midfield/Centre Midfield
Claim to fame: Capped at England senior level aged just 18

Prospects:
One of the most promising English players for some time, a left footed tenacious central midfielder, who can operate both out wide as well as in an attacking role. He has already played 25 times for Arsenal, scoring 1 goal for the club, and destined for great things under the tutorledge of boss Arsen Wenger. He impressed last season on loan at Bolton, while many suitors wished to take the 18 year old on loan this season. However due injuries in the Gunners midfield, he has established himself as an Arsenal regular this season, as well as making his international debut for England against Hungary in August.

Check out the video below, for more:

Real Talk Football End of Year Awards

Real Talk Football End of Year Awards

Here’s Real Talk Football’s 1st Annual Premier League Awards



Player of the Season

Winner: Didier Drogba
Runners up: Wayne Rooney
Honourable Mention: Carlos Tevez

The Ivorian has been sensational this season for Chelsea. At 32 years of age, he is still instrumental in Chelsea title win. He scored 29 goals this season, collecting the Golden Boot ahead of Wayne Rooney.

Rooney however has been sensational this season, was unlucky that injuries hampered his and United’s title campaign, but he has been the stand out performer nevertheless.

As for Tevez, since his transfer from Man United to Man City, he has been excellent also this season. Expect a strong World Cup from the Argentine.



Young Player of the Season (Under 23)

Winner: Joe Hart
Runners up: Cesc Fabregas
Honourable Mention: Gabriel Agbonlahor

Birmingham City’s on loan goalkeeper Joe Hart has been a cut above the rest this season, and at the age of 23 he is already amongst the top 5 goalkeepers in the Premiership. Will either return to Man City to compete for the number one jersey or switch to one of the top teams in the Premiership.

Arsenal’s midfield maestro had been the driving force behind the Gunners title drive, but ultimately thanks to injury he and his side fell short. An excellent display against Barcelona in the Champions League capped off his season. He scored 15 goals and 15 assists in the league this season.



Most Improved Player of the Season

Winner: Alexandre Song
Runners up: Bobby Zamora
Honourable Mention: Gareth Bale

The Arsenal holding midfielder was the most important component to the Gunners title challenge this season. He has came on leaps and bounds considering how average he had been in previous seasons, and could be considered for Arsenal’s player of the year. His role in the team, helped add some much needed bite to Wenger’s side, breaking up playing, using his strength and most impressively improving his passing. Should expect a new Centre Midfield partner next season to help his cause.

Fulham striker, Bobby Zamora gets the runners up spot, since he has laid to rest the ghosts of previous seasons, as well as the criticisms from his own fans, so much so he is expected to be named in England’s preliminary World Cup squad. He scored just 8 league goals this season, but managed 21 in all competition and was deemed as important to Fulham, as the White Pele is to Manchester Untied.

Since January, Welshman Bale significantly improved his form, becoming an option at both Left Back and Left Midfield/Winger. He scored the winner against Arsenal and was subsequently Spurs best player this season, helping them reach the Champions League.



Underachieved Player of the Season

Winner: Joleon Lescott
Runners up: Steven Gerrard
Honourable Mention: Stephen Hunt

Lescott signed to Manchester City for £22 million, and has played 18 games in all competitions. He left Everton in very unceremonious circumstances, after they subsequently helped turn him into an England International. Now he has again suffered from knee injuries, and subsequently lost his place to Vincent Kompany at Centre Back. Again, they paid £22 million... In a Recession...

Stevie G, Liverpool hero, has been below par this season. The sale of Xabi Alonso meant he has to move from Attacking Midfielder/Second Striker, into Centre Midfielder which ultimately brought down both his goal and assist tally, while Liverpool crashed out of both the Europa League and Champions League. Expect him to make a mends at the World Cup.



Team of the Season

Winner: Fulham
Runners up: Chelsea
Honourable Mention: Birmingham City

West London dominate the collective rewards, with the Premier League Champions wrestling the Premier League title from Manchester United, while Roy Hodgson’s Fulham side started playing in July and have now reached the Europa League final. Unbelievable considering they beat the likes of defending Champions; Shaktar Donetsk, Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, Juventus and Basle to reach the final. Considering the squad and players they have, again it’s a fantastic achievement.

Honourable mention to Birmingham City who was promoted last season, and subsequently ended up finishing comfortably in 9th place. On to bigger and better things next season? Who knows, but a great achievement none the less.



Most Disappointing Team of the Season

Winner: Liverpool
Runners up: West Ham United
Honourable Mention: Portsmouth

Only one winner really. Liverpool as stated earlier, dropped out of the Europa League and UEFA Champions League without a whimper, while ending up finishing 7th in the league (the last Europa League spot). Financial failures off the pitch, still no plans for a new stadium and a manager who tactically gets it right against Manchester United, but wrong against everyone else! Torres is injury prone, Gerrard looks fed up, Carragher looks old, and Aquilani looks a waste of money. A freshen up is really needed.

West Ham United have well documented problems regarding both the manager and the owners, as well as financial difficulties, and Squad injuries meant the Hammers found themselves embroiled in a relegation battle. They ended up finishing 17th, just one place above the drop zone, with Zola expecting to leave this summer.



Most Exciting Prospect of the Season

Winner: Phil Jones
Runners up: Nikola Kalinic
Honourable Mention: Landon Donavon

Forget Chris Smalling, Phil Jones of Blackburn Rovers at the age of 18 years old, has played 9 games this season and has earned him rave reviews, most noticeably from the likes of Arsene Wenger and manager Sam Alladyce. He made his debut against Chelsea this season, and signed a 5 year contract with Blackburn just last week. One to watch for the future.

Another Blackburn player, who again is highly rated and is expected to show big things next season, both for his club and country, another one for the future within the Rovers ranks.

Despites Landon Donovan being 28 years old, his spell with Everton displayed his potential and highlighted his ability for playing in the Premiership. Expect David Moyes to reignite his interest again this summer.



Comeback of the Season

Winner: Richard Dunne
Runners up: Kolo Toure
Honourable Mention: Darren Bent

On Richard Dunne’s inclusion into the PFA Team of the Year

“The Irish defender suffered heart break when the hand of Henry put the Republic of Ireland out of the World Cup, but he steadily recovered to help his side reach both the League Cup Final and Carling Cup Semi Final. He has also helped Villa challenge for the Champions League spot, while Martin O’Neill’s men are more likely to qualify for the Europa League. No failure none the less, while more of a personal achievement for Dunne himself, as he was ousted from Man City in favour of Kolo Toure, Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott. Dunne is now respected as one of the most improved and most consistent defenders in the Premiership gaining acknowledgement from both Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.”

Runner up Kolo Toure had a more consistent season this year, after becoming disillusioned at Arsenal. He came under scrutiny for his poor performances last year, while finally making his move up north to new found money bags, Manchester City. However the Ivorian was instilled as Club Captain and despite having up to four different centre back partners such as Joleon Lescott, Dedryck Boyata, Vincent Kompany and Micah Richards, he filled the boots of Richard Dunne amicably. At the age of 29, and with a 5 year contract, Toure will definitely be around for years to come.

Despite flopping at Tottenham, and having many a differences with Harry Redknapp, Sunderland striker Darren Bent scored 24 goals this season, and is a dark horse to be on the plane to South Africa. A great turn around.



Signing of the Season

Winner: Thomas Vermaelen
Runners up: Carlos Tevez
Honourable Mention: Sol Campbell

The Belgian centre back has received many plaudits this season, and has undoubtedly been the most consistent, reliable and best defender in the Premiership. Another relatively unknown singing by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger at a fee of £10 million from Ajax. At 24 years of old, he has already adapted well to the English game, and is definitely one for the future still. He also chipped in with 7 goals this season.

When Manchester City came into all this money in January 2009, it was seen as somewhat of a shock to everyone. The signing of Robinho got the ball rolling, signing for £32.5 millions, but it was the big money move for Carlos Tevez, prying him away from rivals Manchester United, is where you had to begin to really take them seriously. Tevez scored 23 times in 34 matches this season, driving on the Citizen’s charge for the Champions League, while ending up finishing in 5th place, and establishing himself as the key man for Manchester City.

Big Daddy Sol. When he signed for Notts County, everyone thought he must be getting a big pay check and look to wind his way down to retirement. But after just one game in League Two, he left the club by mutual consent citing “broken promises”. One month later, it was confirmed that Sol Campbell became one of the select few players Arsene Wenger has ever resigned. A lot of people laughed at the North London clubs decision, and equally criticised the signing. However the 35 year olds experience, and natural ability, shows that he hasn’t missed a step and is still capable to play at the highest level. With Gallas and Vermaelen’s injuries, it is evident that he was the best player in a somewhat poor defence. The latest speculation links him with a new one year contract, and even a trip to South Africa.



Worse Signing of the Season

Winner: Benni McCarthy
Runners up: Alberto Aquilani
Honourable Mention: Patrick Vieira

As mentioned in my West Ham post. Signed for £2.5 million, and played just four times. Scoring; Zero Goals. Terrible.

Alberto Aquilani, deemed the invisible man by the British press, signed (injured) from AS Roma for £20 million, as a direct replacement for that man again, Xabi Alonso. He didn’t really play much, 18 games in all competitions, scoring just the once. If Benitez leaves in the summer, I expect the Italian to follow him out the door as well.



Goalkeeper of the Season
Winner: Joe Hart
Runners up: Pepe Riena
Honourable Mention: Mark Schwarzer



Defender of the Season
Winner: Thomas Vermaelen
Runners up: Patrice Evra
Honourable Mention: Branislav Ivanovic



Midfielder of the Season
Winner: Frank Lampard
Runners up: Cesc Fabregas
Honourable Mention: James Milner



Striker of the Season
Winner: Didier Drogba
Runners up: Wayne Rooney
Honourable Mention: Carlos Tevez



Manager of the Season
Winner: Roy Hodgson
Runners up: Carlo Ancelotti
Honourable Mention: Harry Redknapp

The Fulham manager, again highlighted on this list, has transformed the Cottagers from relegation battlers into one of the trickiest teams to face in the Premiership.

Highlights this year include a 3-1 win over Liverpool, a 3-0 win over Manchester United, as well as the successful European campaign; Hodgson is surely the front runner for the England Job in the next few years.



The former AC Milan manager left Italy to take the reins of West London billionaires Chelsea. In his 1st season he has rejuvenated players such as Florent Malouda, Yuri Zhirkov, Alex, Paolo Ferreira, while leading Chelsea to the Premier League title in his 1st season, and an FA Cup Final, while banishing memories of the special one. Next aim for the Italian, the Champions League.



Finally Harry Redknapp. With most of his off the field problems being left, well, off the field, he managed to take Tottenham from second bottom, to a fourth place finish in the Premiership and therefore the final Champions League qualification spot.



That’s it for the 2009/10 Premier League season, which saw many ups and downs. Up next football wise, the Europa League Final, Champions League Final and then The FIFA World Cup.

That was the Real Talk Football Blog's 1st Annual awards, sign in and leave a comment below giving your opinion. Let me know who you think should be on the list and who shouldn’t.