March 2012
13 posts
It will always mean more to see a homegrown hero...
I was taken to 2 games at Highbury in 1976/77, aged 10 and was going as regularly as money permitted on my own as a teenager. I was getting to a good amount of home games in 1980/81 with money from a paper round etc but I was on my own coming from SE London. My mates were not Gunners but I did not care. It made no difference to me because once I got to the North Bank we were all there for the...
Prepare for realism and park the 'Fantasy'
If you are regular readers of my blog you probably know 2 things for certain about me by now. One is that I am an eternal optimist and the other is that I believe in real scouting for the right players to fit OUR system. This does not necessarily mean buying the biggest priced young talent looking for a big money move to the Premiership.
Before I move on to the major element of this blog I...
The Future's bright, the future's Dutch Orange!
Happy Sunday after another sweet victory and a clean sheet yesterday at the Emirates. Seven straight victories and 3rd place or better firmly in sight.
Delighted today to welcome back Austin Ellinor, better known to most of you as @Frimponged with a guest post on another huge Dutch talent we should be looking out for in 2012/13. Austin, like Kyle Embecilio is from the Netherlands so I asked...
The Biggest signing of the Summer
I have been away most of this week and therefore have had no time to write since Monday’s rant so I must apologise in advance for a lack of originality today. I am not sure how many of you read Ray Parlour’s interview with Goal .com on Wednesday but it set me thinking about one of my first ever blogs which I wrote on July the 3rd last year. I wrote it when Nasri and Fabregas were still Arsenal...
Just exactly how many young Superstars do you...
Just to let you know in advance that this is an angry piece and my arguments may not sit well with you all but please hear me out. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about how we might need to shuffle our pack this summer till comply with the 25 player and there is not a huge debate about which players we need to show the exit door to make way. The following week I wrote again about the madness...
Our Hopes in their hands!
Once again I am delighted to welcome a new guest blogger to ‘1nildown2oneup’ This particular guy has encouraged me as a writer since my early days at Gunnersphere.com and gave me the confidence to believe in my ability and that if I went on my own I would gain an audience. He has been proved correct and I thank him @yorkshiregunner for his support most Friday’s on...
Finishing 4th is not an option as Nigeria Expects
Many of you will know that I have written previously about the proposed Arsenal pre-season tour of Nigeria and of the fanaticism of the club’s Nigerian fan base, estimated at 30 million people. However I think the subject is worth of revisiting as there have been developments since I wrote this piece for O Posts in January....
2 Left back feet!
As ‘1nildown2oneup’ becomes more established I do hope to have more guest bloggers from time to time. I hope soon to be moving to a more effective home site, offering me feeds to the main Arsenal news reels and you the ability to comment etc and this will give both myself and guests a stronger platform. Ronan Kilduff has been a staunch supporter of my work since...
Remember Rocky - Interview with Ryan Rocastle...
The past few days I have been suggesting we all change profile pictures to ‘Rocky Rocastle’ until the 31st March as a mark of respect to an Arsenal Legend who died tragically young at the age of 34, on that date in 2001. Many readers have done so but many younger fans are not so aware of David Rocastle and what he meant to this great club, and those who watched him, in my case from...
Craziness of modern squads - I hate 33 & come in...
As a forty something gunner who has seen many peaks and troughs supporting our great institution, one of the things I still struggle to come to terms with is the size of squads in the modern game. The Arsenal I first watched and loved was the Terry Neill side of the mid to late 1970s and for every season with one or two exceptions I knew the team and who would play every week, and I could name...
Is it still a fantasy to win the league with...
You guys tell me you like the scene setting introductions so here goes. Alan Hansen was wrong and out of touch as early as 1995 on MOTD, and for some inexcusable reason he still has a job on the same show. Most of you will know that it was Hansen who famously said that it was fantasy for Ferguson to believe he could win the league with youngsters, having sold 3 of his talismanic stars and top...
Return of the 'Bac'
Aside from the obvious, goalkeeping expolits and that of our skipper the performance of one player yesterday and last week stood out for me
Bacary Sagna said: “Cesc is a great player. He was one of our best players but that’s part of football.”
“Every season we start a season and some players leave at the end of it. That’s what happens and I just want to wish him good...
Before we get too excited about the summer what do...
We are all rightly in buoyant mood ahead of a weekend jaunt to Liverpool, fresh from an emphatic derby victory and initial exciting news about Podolski. I am extremely confident about our Premier League campaign between now and May. We have Santos and Wilshere to return in March and in case you have not got your crystal balls handy no need to worry. I have already done the BBC Predictor and we...
February 2012
11 posts
By luck or good judgement the future could be a...
On occasions in football either through luck, good judgement, adversity or a combination of the 3 a coach or manager can stumble upon a winning formula, when least expected.
Many of us will remember the World Cups of 1986 and 90 when the late Sir Bobby Robson turned potential disasters into winning success stories. In 1986 he was deprived of his two most experiences and influential players in...
Bundesliga Player of the Year 2011 good enough for...
I have a theory which I have touched on before because it affected Samir Nasri. The theory is that Wenger has never truly liked a dribbler in this central Midfield, (and I don’t mean cry-baby.) My view is that when Wenger refused to select Nasri at the head of the midfield trio for the Carling Cup Final little Samir knew he would always play wide if he stayed.
Even when he bought in tricky...
Once an Arsenal man always an Arsenal man is not...
I along with many others have suggested that if Arsenal are to stick with the current manager there has to be a shakeup and a new approach to the coaching at the club. Only a few weeks back I proposed Stevie Bould (not claiming credit here,) for a promotion from his role with the youth team and the press are reporting this is likely to happen when Pat Rice retires at the end of the season....
Time for a re-Distribution of Income, Wealth &...
This blog is not designed to give hide controversial opinion, but more to look at tactics, players, potential transfers, from a personal perspective. Depressing as situation is therefore it will endeavour to retain positivity for the great club we all support.
Depressing and sadly predictable this season that the press seem to wish focus as much on Robin van Persie’s unwillingness to discuss...
Assistance from the fullbacks please!
NOT GOING TO WRITE ABOUT THIS WEEK AS OTHERS WILL DO IT BETTER.
Today I want to look at how crucial in the modern game it is for full backs to contribute in offensive play and at the same time demonstrate why allowing Clichy to leave was the correct decision. This is not Clichy bashing but it is relevant to my argument. Yes we all liked Gael as a player who gives 100%, has a phenomenal fitness...
Luuk de Jong - The Second most talented Dutch...
Introduction – Most of you who have read me at Gunnersphere and O Posts know I like to suggest the occasional potential signing in my articles. However since I have launched my own blog I am also keen to promote good younger writers, particularly where their knowledge is greater than my own. When I have identified potential talent in the Dutch Eredivise, a league bursting with young exciting...
Super Joel Campbell - Next off the Lorient...
Whether the Arsenal of 2011/12 evolves into a 4,4,2 for next season, whether RVP stays or goes, I am sure we all agree that Chamakh and Young do not appear to be the answers we seek. The very fact that that it has been the young Henry we have turned to in recent weeks and not the Young Park, I think tells us all we need to know. I would argue that in Gervinho and Theo Walcott we do have 2...
Statistics, probabilty, history & a settled...
This year’s title is a 2 horse race and don’t let any misguided Spurs fan at work or in the pub tell you any different. It is between the 2 Manchester sides and I know this because of history and probability with almost complete certainty. So please read on and arm yourselves with the facts for those annoying misguided tiny tots, but let’s also look at a few serious pointers for the Arsenal.
To...
Defensive Decisions key to success at Sunderland
There has been huge focus from blogs and on twitter this week on the performances of our front 3 against Blackburn which after 7 goals is not surprising. There have been two primary themes for this discussion, leaving the usual financial debate to one side. The first revolves around the decision facing Wenger with regard to his wingers when Gervinho returns from Africa. The second emerging from...
The Return of 'Little Mozart'
There had been rumours of Tomas Rosicky returning to Germany but I feel they were only ever rumours, although I have little doubt Wolfsburg were interested. The reason why I never paid much heed was because I was convinced that Wenger still saw Rosicky as very much integral to our squad and his plans. Rosicky himself was interviewed in his homeland before pre-season training on July 1st
“I...
'Change' and much needed 'Rest'
Good morning all and welcome to my first blog not written for another site. No change in style for those who have followed me @gunnersphere but guess here I am my own boss. I wanted to name the blog ‘Remember who you are’ but this name had been taken so I opted for ‘1nildown2oneup.’ I am sure most of you know that in 1987 a Charlie Nicholas inspired Arsenal side won George Graham’s first trophy in...
January 2012
3 posts
3 tags
MOTIVATION, COACHING AND NEW SIGNINGS
One can only wonder what was said at half time on Sunday to transform the form and performance of a team, who were not playing badly but lacked urgency and cutting edge. Some claiming inside knowledge will tell you that Arsene Wenger said very little and allowed his skipper to do the talking. This may well be the case, but if it was then the passion and belief exuding from Robin van Persie had...
4 tags
CAN WE LEARN FROM THE 1998 DOUBLE WINNING SYSTEM...
It is my firm belief that the failure and near misses of the past six years actually really go back to 2006 when we left Highbury. Not because we left the spiritual home of football, although the smaller pitch did help, but due to the gradual change to a winning formula.
The 1998, 2002 double winning sides and the 2004 ‘Invincibles’ were all made up of 4-4-2 formations and it is only...
WHY I WISH WE ALL STILL LIVED IN A PERRY GROVES...
Football and footballers have moved on from the era in which Perry Groves played for ‘The Arsenal’ as George Graham, who signed Perry from Colchester, always called our great club. In many ways things, have improved and this is mostly down to Sky Sports and the money that has been injected by television, but you do sometimes wonder if we the fans can possibly connect with our heroes the way we...
December 2011
4 posts
4 tags
IS THE REASON FOR THE SHORT-TERM HENRY SOLUTION...
So much will be written about the return of Thierry Henry and rightly so, but I would like to look at this amazing story from a new angle.
There are many reasons in my opinion as to whyArsene Wenger may only opt to strengthen the forward line with Henry in this window. The obvious one is that the Henry loan spell will neatly coincide with the absence of Marouane Chamakh andGervinho for the...
4 tags
A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR NEW SUPER SUB
It has become very apparent, both from his team-mates tweeting and his managers and captains comments since his 87th minute winning goal against Aston Villa in midweek, that Yossi Benayoun is a very popular figure at Arsenal.
Robin van Persie said that the Israeli has been on fire in training and bursting for his opportunity in the startin line-up, but equally it is obvious from his own...
5 tags
WHY OUR NEW BOY SHOULD SEEK GUIDANCE FROM...
This article, unlikely many of mine, will be short and to the point and is based solely on what appears to me to be simple logic. Of course I am not a qualified coach, merely an observer of all things Arsenal and a passionate fan, but the following argument is compelling for me at least.
Problem…
I love Gervinho, or at least I think I love what I think he could and should be, but he is...
3 tags
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RYAN ROCASTLE – SON OF...
It has been an historical week for our beloved Arsenal. With statues of legends unveiled and a multitude of Gunner heroes honoured before the Everton match last Saturday, but for us middle aged Gooners it was also a time to remember the legend who could not be there.
David ‘Rocky’ Rocastle graced our team in the late eighties and early nineties, winning two titles and a League Cup under George...
