Nine Jimmy Rimmers – Arsenal and Football

Arsenal
Thanks to the helpful damage control supplied by Wolves and Liverpool, Arsenal come out of this weekend with a better Premier League position than we started with – or deserve.

We are damaged though: the team will be shell-shocked by the massive reversal of fortune which also writes the half-time team-talk of any manager trying to get back into a game against us.  We have exposed our mental fragility again, shown how thinly spread our talent is in places and we wait on the assessment of Djourou’s injury.

Manchester United
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s unconvincing invincibles finally got found out after a run that seemed fuelled by more by luck and sheer willpower than than outright talent.  They too wait on crucial injury news  -on Rio Ferdinand.  United and Arsenal have been polls apart this season: one with deep reserves of willpower to cover lapses in talent, the other with the flair to win enough games to cancel out the mental lapses.

Chelsea
The world’s most expensive striker has the world getting on his back already after a quiet debut.  The criticism is very harsh for one game played in an unfamiliar line-up but there you go – most media, old and new is locked onto a habit of instantaneous, cut’n'dried assessment.  Torres has talent and will show it again, but for the moment he wears the number 50,000,000 on his back and people want some payback.  The cash that Chelsea have splashed may turn it around but they still look the most vulnerable of the tip four.

Manchester City
They had another steady weekend, demolishing West Brom without looking exciting.  They’ve played a game extra of course and they still aren’t entirely convincing.

More to come
Is this the final top four – for all its frailties?  Or can Spurs and Kenny Dalglish’s reinvigorated Liverpool batter their way in.  Is it Man Utd’s to lose?

I don’t think either issue is settled yet.  There are more twists left in this weird season!

I’ve posted my first thoughts on the game. What did you think?  Who is your Arsenal man of the match?

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Arsenal’s strong financial results, published today, report record profits of £56million.  The accounts also point to a successful financial year ahead, as they state that the property arm has now paid off its debts and still has significant assets to realize in the future.

We’ve gone through some lean years on the pitch and there have been plenty of moans of frustration from fans.  And, it has to said, some brainless whinging from some.  But well-planned, sensible investment is now paying off and, although we haven’t had the silverware we want, we haven’t fallen out of the ‘top club’ league in the process.  We’ve still been in the Champions League every year, reaching the final.  So no silver, but no Armageddon either.

Don’t forget as well, that while this heavy-lifting has been going on, we’ve seen massive, unencumbered investment at two big competitors: Chelsea and Manchester City – and still we’ve stayed in the top four.

At the same time, Liverpool and Manchester United have saddled themselves with massive debt-financing deals.  Whilst Manchester United have almost certainly got a strong enough income stream to sustain those debts, it does look like there they are restraining the clubs ability to invest on the same scale as before.  Liverpool are deep in trouble.  Cut-off from Champions League income they seem unable to finance their current structure, let alone invest.  The cup loss by their second-choice players to Northampton illustrates how thin their squad is now.  It could get worse too.  There is a serious chance now of a bank-brokered fire-sale which could also involve advance sale of branding and sponsorship (draining off several years of future  income) and maybe even more player sales.

What of UEFA’s new financial regulations?  They will have some effect but I’m yet to be persuaded that it will be major.  Partly because of the poor record football regulators have when in comes to implementing such new rules.  But I may be wrong and, if so, that will strengthen Arsenal’s position relative to its competitors even more.

If the new regulations do bite, then I fully expect Chelsea and Manchester City to wriggle free.  Both have owners who can afford to turn the debts into equity.  Liverpool’s problem will have to be addressed long before UEFA even think of closing in.  Wachovia and Royal Bank of Scotland (prop. the UK Taxpayer) have to decide soon on whether to roll the loans over again or pull the plug.

So off the pitch the season is starting as well for the Gunners as it is on the pitch.  All a bit much for some Arsenal bloggers to fathom I expect!

With the clock ticking, not to mention an increasing injury list, Arsenal need to close the deals on Schwarzer and Squillaci.  Arsene Wenger obviously believes that many footballers are over-valued and, in an objective analysis he’s probably right, but there are times when any club or any business has to pay the going rate to get the assets they need.

Arsenal’s time is now.  We are used to being outspent by Chelsea and Manchester United – and still competing.  Now we have to contend with Manchester City and Tottenham spending big as well.  This could be a crucial season for Arsenal and we need a squad that is big enough and has some experience woven in with the young talent that we have in plenty.

We have ten days to buy a keeper and a central defender.  I think we need another defensive midfielder as well to cover Song but I’m losing hope on that one.

Time to get moving and pay what it takes.

Two days after the Nasri news it is announced that Frimpong has done his cruciate ligament in training and will probably be out for most of the season.

Are Arsenal just unlucky?  We seem to be getting through players very quickly during this lead in to the new season.  This new injury also highlights that we are very light on defensive midfielders.  Who will cover for Song, given that Diaby doesn’t stay put when he does it and Denilson bounces of determined forwards?

At least there is more encouraging news on the central defender front with the move for Sebastien Squillaci looking fairly likely.  The fact that Sevilla withdrew him from the Champions League game suggests that they think an agreement on price is a distinct possibility.

French TV channel Canal+ would have us believe that Sebastien Squillaci is heading from Sevilla to Arsenal.   If true, this is slightly disappointing given that Squillaci is 30 years old and we have been linked with more exciting prospects over the summer.  But we do need another central defender and the clock is ticking.  Would he be fit enough to put in enough games?

Squillaci has played over 300 top flight games for the likes of Monaco, Lyon and Sevilla and 20 games for France.  If he’s fit enough, he’s good enough.

It’s easy to feel pessimistic about Arsenal’s goalkeeping situation.  Ths whole thing seems to badly handled. We have four first-team keepers.  But nearly every Arsenal fan believes that none of them are up to the job.  Various hints and quotes from Arsene Wenger suggest that he feels much the same.  Two may be up to task in the future.  Two must be feeling thoroughly demoralised by now.

But it is still possible to be an optimist.  There are still nearly two weeks to go until the end of the the transfer window and according to various reports there are still several options out there.

Mark Schwarzer  -  This has been the story that just won’t go away despite the best efforts of Fulham.  Schwarzer clearly wants a move.  Arsenal clearly want a keeper.  Fulham probably couldn’t turn their noses up at a sizable wad of cash.  Still a possibility.

Shay Given  -  It is clear that City see Joe Hart as the future.  He has the talent and motivation of the motivation of  the England jersey.  Mancini saying that he hopes Given will stay but will understand if he doesn’t want to, must tell the Irishman all he needs to know about his chances of first-team football.  Still a possibility there.

Maarten Stekelenburg  -  Ajax have cashproblems, according to their financial director Jeroen Slop. Which has to mean they are open to offers.  Stekelenburg is an experienced, international goalkeeper.  Still a possibility there.

So, three experienced international keepers out there. Thirteen days until the window slams shut.  Come on Arsene, Ivan, give us optimists a reward!

One week to the new season. Three weeks to the end of the transfer window. I’m quite an optimist but even I don’t think Arsenal are ready yet. The friendlies just seem to confirm the strengths and weaknesses of last season. That is to say, great going forward but too weak and disorganised at the back to avoid dropping points.

Chamakh looks good and Wilshire is clearly ready for the big league. Nasri is looking great.

But at the back it’s same old same old. We need another mature, experienced, imposing central defender and a goalkeeper who is more than just an agile shot-stopper. They need to good at reading the game and being in the right place. They need to take charge and organise.

There are loads of exciting rumours out there, but the clock is ticking. Just hope a couple of them are true.

Barcelona fans have been shocked to see video footage of their hero Cesc Fabregas in an Arsenal shirt, just days before the new season kicks off.

Sources at the club say that they accept the explanation that this was the result of a rather poor taste joke by surrounding Arsenal players, despite appearances that the smiling Fabregas may have gone along with the stunt.  Some sources even claim that he put the shirt on himself!

The Spanish player’s sixth cousin by marriage, Total Fabricacion, said “he is clearly being held against his will and may have been drugged since leaving as an eight year old”.  He urged the Catalan club to call in Interpol to return Fabregas to Barcelona.

In his post-match interview today, Wenger says that Frimpong isn’t going out on loan. So why is the 18 year old defensive midfielder staying rather than getting match experience out on loan? Because he’s going to get it at Arsenal?

Plus, when Djourou came on today he played defensive midfielder rather than central defender!

Maybe this means that a new defensive midfielder to provide cover for Song isn’t on the cards. Maybe I should go to bed now!