"Rambo's" Reincarnation

                 It was early June in the year 2008 when a young Welsh lad from Cardiff, a Manchester United fan who considered Ryan Giggs as his idol decided to join Arsenal despite it being confirmed that he had met officials from Man Utd as well as Everton. The reason was pretty straightforward - Arsene Wenger’s impeccable record of polishing ‘rough-diamonds’ into World beaters. The above reinstated my faith in Arsenal having the Best Youth Development Policy, at least in England and that Arsene Wenger was the best in the business at cherry-picking and nurturing the youngsters. I finally did have something to brag about at home, with my brother, Tanmay being a Man Utd fan.

THE GROWTH   

                The young Welshman who goes by the name of ‘Rambo’, was cut out for big things at a very young age at Cardiff City. The fact that he was scouted by some of the best Premier League clubs bore evidence to this precocious talent. He was scouted and even approached by a Welsh Rugby team in his younger days! Terry Burton, a former Arsenal player and coach, who was(at that time)Assistant Manager at Cardiff City and was instrumental in Ramsey’s growth, recommended him to Arsene Wenger. The rest is history.

Ramsey signs for Arsenal after rejecting a club he supported, Man Utd

                Aaron Ramsey, a Central Midfielder, who according to Wenger is, "An offence-minded Roy Keane", started developing at Arsenal in typical Wenger fashion, i.e., making substitute appearances in the Premier League and Champions League and being a regular starter(as well as the Key Player)in the Carling Cup. He scored his first goal for Arsenal in their 5–2 victory away against Fenerbahçe in the group stages of the Champions League becoming the fifth youngest scorer in Champions League history, and only the second player born in the 1990s to score a Champions League goal. Subsequently Ramsey started more games next season, growing in confidence and stature with every game. Wenger started speaking of Ramsey in press-conferences as "a player with a fantastic engine, good build, good technique and good vision". Ramsey made his début for the Wales national football team aged 17, breaking the record as the youngest Welsh international.

Ramsey scoring against Fenerbahce - Wales Captain at the age of 20

THE UNFORTUNATE

                It was the 27th of February, 2010. Ramsey had started establishing himself in the Arsenal XI. On that day, Ramsey was given a start against the ‘rugby- like’ physical Stoke City at The Britannia Stadium. In the 66th minute of the match lightning struck, life came to a kind of stand-still for ‘Rambo’. No, ‘it wasn’t a tackle, it was a scythe’ by Ryan Shawcross which caused a double fracture (broke his fibia and tibula)in Ramsey’s lower leg. Everyone on the pitch could not believe their eyes on seeing the dreadful sight. Shawcross, too realized his folly and had tears in his eyes while getting off the pitch. It was a sense of ‘Deja Vu’ for the Arsenal fans, having already endured Eduardo’s double fracture. And what was more frightening was the fact that Eduardo was never the same player after the horror injury! Arsenal.com was flooded with ‘hope’ messages for Rambo. Even I prayed for his recovery and hoped that he would come back strong!

The 'Sorry Sight' - The 'Double Fracture'

THE RETURN

                Slowly, but steadily he started walking without crutches and returned to training in October, 2010. He started playing for the Reserves and got sent on Loan to Nottingham Forest and then to Cardiff City to regain match fitness.

                The special ‘return’ moment arrived. On 1st May, 2011 Ramsey scored the winner against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium, marking his first goal for Arsenal after returning from the horror injury. And what an opponent to score against!

THE FALL

                The ‘mental scars’ of the injury were more difficult for Ramsey to overcome than the physical ones. He seemed to be afraid of venturing into 50-50 tackles. He seemed to lack the incisiveness, the sharpness, the crispness in his passing. The lack of confidence and the dent in his bravery were the obvious reasons for the above. It was not as if Ramsey had ‘lost’ the skills. It was more about the ‘mental scars’ being too deep, making it uncomfortable for Ramsey to play confidently. His first touch started deserting him, his pace, too was not top-notch. He was being held guilty for losing the ball to the opposition pretty easily. His final balls started going astray and his Shots weren't going on Target.

                The Arsenal fans started losing patience with this Welshman (I didn’t). Ramsey started becoming the ‘average’ Arsenal fan’s favourite scapegoat. They started getting onto his back. He began getting a lot of stick from the fans and once was apparently heckled when he was getting ‘subbed-off’. That is not what Ramsey would have asked for, a year into his recovery. Ramsey needed the support of the Management as well as of the fans, more than ever before. He got pretty much none from the fans and partial from the Management. Partial because he was given playing time on the pitch but was more often than not deployed on the Right-Wing, which is certainly not his natural position. In fact once, the Arsenal team-sheet was tweeted out and many fans straight away responded by saying Arsenal will lose because he is starting. Absolutely madness! This started drawing absolutely frustrating comparisons with the perennially back-passing, ex-Arsenal counterpart, Denilson. He endured a particularly frustrating first half to the 2012-13 season.

Looking hapless

THE RISE

                Finally the Almighty decided to show some mercy towards this hard-working Welsh lad. Abou Diaby got injured(very unfortunate)and Jack Wilshere too started showing inconsistency with his match fitness due to his recurring ankle injury. This made Wenger give a consistent run to Ramsey in the centre of the park. Ramsey responded to this, and how!

Aren't they phenomenal shifts put in by Rambo!

                Rambo started churning out combative and industrious performances every match. Taking advantage of Mikel Arteta’s discipline in the ‘Deeper-role’, Ramsey started dictating the tempo of Arsenal’s play. He started making the ‘Box-to-Box Midfielder’ role his own. The bite in his tackles started returning(has the highest % sucessful tackles in the Premier League), his passes got crispier and his undoubtedly phenomenal Work Rate(take a look at the heat map above) gained prominence. The way he distributed the ball reminded me of Michael Carrick – Neat & Immaculate! Always there to press and close down when the opposition is on the ball, not afraid to tackle and always there in a position to receive the ball. He acted as a perfect ally to his two midfield counterparts. He managed to win over the Arsenal fans and also silence some of the ‘boo-boo’ boys by his tireless displays in the midfield. Ramsey has been nothing but superb in the last few weeks for Arsenal and has won praise from both Arsene Wenger and pundits.

Ramsey won Arsenal Player of the month for April

                According to me he was one of the MoTM candidates in at least 5 of the last 7 Arsenal matches.I think he more than deserves to keep his place in the Starting XI even after the likes of Wilshere and Diaby return. I feel very proud for Aaron. When everyone slated him, I loved him. When everybody likes him, I love him even more! And that is the reason I am proud of myself too for having kept faith in this guy’s talent.

                Let us not forget the guy broke his leg as a 19 year old. For a centre midfielder, whose job it is to get stuck into tackles, to break their leg and come back, takes a lot of mental strength.

Ramsey might not be the most technically gifted, but he's definitely one of the most passionate and fans should really get off the guys back, especially when it's undeserved.

Aaron ‘#Rambo’ Ramsey

(P.S.- By the time you have read this I hope Rambo has again contributed immensely to an Arsenal victory over Wigan taking us closer to Champions League qualification and his MoTM ratio increases to 6/8!)

Who Is To Blame?

        It is early December, almost mid-way into the football season. The Barclays Premier League seems to have found it’s worthy contenders and Arsenal doesn’t feature in those (once again)! Doesn’t the above picture send alarm bells ringing? At least since 2003(since I started following Arsenal)I have never seen Arsenal being 10th at this point of the season. This has been a VERY POOR start to a season according to Wenger standards as well. This is the LOWEST POINTS TALLY FOR ARSENAL AFTER 15 games under Wenger!

Arsenal's Form Guide- Not Impressive!

        After the hard-fought 1-1 draw against Man City at the Etihad, it’s been a terrible downhill for Arsenal. What has followed is-
Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea (EMIRATES)
West Ham 1-3 Arsenal (UPTON PARK)
Norwich 1-0 Arsenal (CARROW ROAD)
Arsenal 1-0 QPR (EMIRATES)
Man United 2-1 Arsenal (OLD TRAFFORD)
Arsenal 3-3 Fulham (EMIRATES)
Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham(EMIRATES)
Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal (VILLA PARK)
Everton 1-1 Arsenal (GOODISON PARK)
Arsenal 0-2 Swansea (EMIRATES)

It means P:10 W:3 D:3 L:4 GS:15 GC:14. Points = 12/30. And it’s not that Arsenal has been unlucky not to win, Arsenal’s performances have been consistently poor. Arsenal were lucky to get a victory even against a hopeless QPR(remember Arteta’s slightly off-side goal). It could probably have been a different story in the North London derby had Adebayor not got sent-off!

       To be very honest and frank(straight from the heart)Arsenal does NOT currently seem like a Top 4 contender let alone Championship contenders! I have enlisted some issues which according to me are reasons capable of explaining Arsenal’s current woes(in decreasing order of their impact on crisis creation)-
1)MR. ARSENE WENGER- Some of the Emirates faithful have gone from “Wenger Knows Best” to “Wenger, You don’t know what you are doing” and some even going to the extent of saying, “#WengerOut”. Okay, He created the club; he created the best playing philosophy at Arsenal, etc. Agreed! But currently I am of the belief that Arsene doesn’t have solutions to the problems at hand. His claims of a 4th placed finish being equivalent to a “Trophy” give a feeling that Arsenal fans and the team share different ambitions!

I accuse Wenger of the following-
     i)TACTICAL RIGIDITY-This according to me is the major drawback of Wenger. He has not experimented with different formation, has never tried to mix things up. I think there is NO PLAN B in case PLAN A(the intricate passing game)fails. Even when he chose to play without a striker against Swansea(which he should never have)he stuck to the same formation with Gervinho playing as the striker! The stubbornness of Arsene Wenger to tweak his tactics(Example-He could have played with a False-9 against Swansea if he had planned to give Giroud a rest)is one of the reasons why we are not looking threatening in attack. Arsenal’s play has become too predictable and hence other managers have been able to study and deploy counter-tactics which are preventing Arsenal from creating good goal-scoring opportunities. All of this due to Wenger deploying the same tactics time and again. That’s where great Managers come into the picture who learn to change with time, change with opposition.

     ii)POOR TRANSFER POLICY- The age-old accusation held against Arsene Wenger is his inability to hold onto the club’s best players. Also he is a very thrifty customer when it comes to buying established World Class players. I agree he has usually made pretty good signings(this year included too)but they are not equivalent to the outgoing talent, i.e., INCOMING TALENT << OUTGOING TALENT. Also as he is unable to keep his best players the new signings act as replacements (who’ve got big boots to fill) and not as supplements to strengthen the team further. Hence that causes a lack of good back-up talent (especially at GK, LB and CF).

Not yet replaced- Missing him!

2)LACK OF QUALITY BACKUP- I personally don’t think we have the depth in our squad required to seriously challenge for the title(as was pointed out at the beginning of the season to me by my friend and fellow Gooner, Ayush Shah. You were SPOT ON!). The fact is simple, every year we lose our best players and replace them with usually half decent but inferior replacements. The result is a gradual but inevitable diminution in the quality of the team. We virtually don’t have a 2nd keeper, 2nd Left-back and a 2nd striker! Also we don’t seem to have another player like Cazorla who can seem to create magic out of nothing. Hence Cazorla is forced to play every game. Cazorla and other players like Arteta, etc. have been playing 2 games a week for the past 2 months. Due to the lack of good backup these players are forced to play in spite of them being jaded and them having heavy legs. This could be a reason as to why these players are not able to give their best week-in week-out.

Do these players deserve being Arsenal FC backups?

3)PLAYERS- The lack of commitment as well as confidence of the players is showing on the field especially when Arsenal don’t have possession. Arsenal players are not closing down the opponents often as should be the case in our kind of play. The players are not showing the kind of bite and fight required from champion teams. Players don’t seem eager to regain possession which is of paramount importance, tactically speaking. Arsenal is the kind of team which loves to enjoy the lion’s share of possession and dominate the game, creating several goal scoring opportunities just by keeping a lot of the ball. Especially against Swansea the lack of urgency to regain possession was evident.

Possession statistics show a 'DIFFERENT' Arsenal than I know of!

Also some very key players seem to be terribly out of form. Our own talismanic Thomas 'Verminator' Vermaelen has been pretty out-of-sorts. The ever-reliable Vermaelen is making one mistake too-many. Probably the pressure of captaincy is not bringing the best out of him. Lukas Podolski too is not able to stamp his authority on the game. He, sometimes seems to be lost in the game. To make matters worse, the young Aaron Ramsey who needs to regain a lot of lost confidence is played out of his natural position because Wenger is too stubborn to tweak his tactics!

We want you both to regain confidence. We need you'll!

4)BOARD-The club can be characterised, in my time as a fan, as regularly building a decent team only to demolish it through lack of ambition, investment call it what you will. It seems as if Ivan Gazidis and Arsene Wenger don’t seem to be on the same page. Wenger had identified Hazard, Mata, Lloris, etc. much before they got sold for hefty sums. They did not adorn an Arsenal jersey just because the board supposedly pulled out of these deals at the last moment. Wenger publicly make a statement that is now one of his most famous as manager of Arsenal. “Imagine the worst situation – we lose Fabregas and Nasri – you cannot convince people you are ambitious after that”. It’s true, you cannot convince people you are a big team if you constantly lose your top stars. But this wasn’t Wenger talking to the fans; he’s talking to the board itself. I’m convinced that he was making a sly dig at the board.

Culprits? I would prefer David Dein instead!

So those are the problem areas which I have identified and I believe are the root causes for Arsenal’s consistently poor and embarrassing performances in the last month! That's NOT the ARSENAL I RECOGNIZE AND HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH!

(P.S.- Please discuss your views on the above. Do let me know if you agree/ disagree with my point of view. Also I would love to know what according to you are the reasons for Arsenal’s consistently poor performances!)

Season Thus Far - So Far So Good

       18th August it was. It was the 1st day of the Barclays Premier League and I was discussing about the potential title contenders with my brother (a Man Utd fan). As usual Arsenal was not included in his contender’s list and as usual I said that it’s going to be Arsenal’s season to savour. I really had that intuitive feeling that Arsenal would succeed despite Van Persie’s departure. I thought that we had all our bases covered and had done good and early business in the transfer market.

  And the two weeks that followed made me question my decision to include Arsenal as one of the favourites. Two nil-all draws(but heartening displays)brought to the fore the clichéd line of “Same old, same old Arsenal.” I started wondering where our goals would come from after seeing Giroud struggle in front of goal. Alex Song leaving Arsenal was very difficult for me to digest as that left a very big void to fill with no clear-cut DMs in the squad. I never considered Diaby to be a good player. I always considered him to be very fragile and dead-wood for the team(and that was my biggest mistake). The Walcott contact situation frustrated me. Things couldn’t get any worse.

  But yes there were some positives for sure. Cazorla was playing like a man possessed. Diaby was slowly but steadily imposing himself on the game(and hence proving me wrong). Podolski was playing with a lot of conviction(PODOLSKI = ARSHAVIN-2009esque + DEFENSIVE BACK TRACKING). Arteta was playing the typical Deep-Lying Playmaker’s role showcasing his defensive discipline and his passing range. Most importantly Arsenal was defending as a team. Arsenal was able to keep a clean-sheet at the Britannia Stadium against Stoke. Gibbs was finally playing to his potential, churning out consistent performances. The STEVE BOULD effect was showing.

  The stage was set. An all important match for both teams who have somewhat lost their ways and are in their quest to regain lost glory. Arsenal vs Liverpool at Anfield. The game was very lively. Arsenal creating more chances. Cazorla pulling the strings, Arteta and Diaby dictating tempo, Podolski’s pace and darting runs threatening the Liverpool defence. Then came a typical swift counter-attack, a move initiated by the determined Podolski who after finding Cazorla continued his run and finished the move with a sweet, trademark, powerful left-footed strike. Arsenal scored a second. This time Podolski returning the favour to Cazorla.

  The chief architects of the victory were Abou Diaby, Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and above all the ENTIRE DEFENCE. I do not remember the last time Arsenal kept three consecutive clean-sheets. Suddenly Arsenal started seeming like a well-oiled unit, with the players combining well and the defence staying organized.

       The talks of Cazorla and Podolski seeming to have played together since ages started surfacing. Diaby’s injury woes were behind him and the first few games showed how vital he could be in the Arsenal setup. Arteta continued to show his brilliance in the center of the park. Gervinho finally started showing glimpses of his ‘FINAL’ products!
  Southampton was thrashed 6-1 at the Emirates. A very comfortable match indeed for Arsenal, harassing Southampton with their highly intricate play, TIKI-TAKA style!

THE CATALYSTS OF CHANGE-
1)STEVE BOULD and the DEFENCE-  Arsenal’s defensive record is 13 goals better than last time. The same side who were vulnerable to a Peter Crouch header or a Stephane Sessegnon counter attack has taken a large leap. Explanations for this improvement are numerous but the most convincing is also the most obvious: Steve Bould, Arsenal’s new assistant manager. Those who believe that Arsenal have forgotten the basic principles of defending would certainly feel reassured by Tony Adams’s description of his old centre-back partner. “Steve doesn’t take chances,” said Adams. “Calm, strong, determined, never loses a header. Rock solid. Get the ball and give it. End of story.”
A No-Nonsense player in his times seems to be very vocal and no-nonsense during the training drills. A “KHADOOS” as you would call it in Mumbai lingo.

Steve 'KHADOOS' Bould

The elevation of Vermaelen “VERMINATOR” to the captain’s role has made him responsible. I see him as the ideal captain, highly vocal and commanding. Jenkinson and Gibbs have improved their defensive attributes too. Mertesacker finally seems to have adapted to the pace of the Premier League. And we are yet to see Koscielny and Sagna in action! Licking my fingers at the prospect of seeing them in action!

2)SANTI CAZORLA and LUKAS PODOLSKI- These signings have been like a breath of fresh air at the Emirates. Nobody had expected them to do so well at such an early stage. They both seem to have adjusted to the Premier League very quickly. This must be attributed to the Creative freedom given by Wenger to these players.
Cazorla has been highly influential for Arsenal. Virtually all the attacks go through him. Some Arsenal faithful even suggesting that he is playing better than Fabregas. A typical Spanish midfielder, diminutive, hugely skilled, possessing brilliant vision and passing range and an eye for goal as well, but highly underrated. "Cazorla has gained the respect of everybody very quickly. Cazorla is humble, he loves the game and that is what you want from every football player," Wenger said. He is playing the role of an attacking lynch-pin to perfection.

Cazorla - Attacking Lynch-Pin

Podolski has taken over the mantle from van Persie and is slowly becoming a fan favourite with fans chanting, “Lukas Podolski, he scores when he wants!” His work rate has been nothing sort of sensational. He is proving to be very dangerous in the final third with his ‘Lethal PREDATORY instincts’. His fearless running at defences at a threatening pace are proving to be too hot to handle for opposition defences. His tracking back to help the defence every now and then is proving to be critical.

Prince Poldi - The Lethal Predator

In short Santi and Price Poldi have been nothing sort of sensational. Their link-up play in particular makes people wonder how long they have been playing together for. It seems like a partnership made in heaven.

Cazorla + Podolski = The Deadly Duo

3)EMERGENCE OF ABOU DIABY-After his long injury hiatus Diaby said, “All I wanted was to play again. I am born with a strong temper. I never give up. Maybe some people would have given up in my position, but it was out of the question for me. I had some very difficult moments, some days when I was depressed when it was tough, but even then, I always kept faith. I always told myself that some people were in a worse position than me.” That is the determination we need from an Arsenal player.

Diaby - The Complete Midfielder

 "I do not need to be reassured by Diaby," Deschamps told reporters. "I saw him play at Arsenal. Obviously he has a lot of qualities. This is a complete midfielder, able to do everything, including scoring. Of course I prefer to have him at my disposal." And yes Diaby is turning into a complete midfielder, imposing his huge frame on the game, a player who was supposed to be "languid, elusive, and athletic" and that he could either "dribble past opponents or slip passes to team-mates". Diaby also was supposed possess "superb touch" and "excellent close control". I doubted all of that. But finally he has shrugged of his injury woes, is showcasing all of the above ‘supposed to’s’ and is proving me totally wrong(and I am happy for him). His partnership with Arteta is proving to be extremely vital for the team.

Mikel Arteta - Epitome of Consistency

        There is anticipation (of silverware or at least a genuine challenge)in the air. The players are playing with freedom and confidence. In short things are looking good for Arsenal. My optimistic ambition is finally taking a realistic shape and I do genuinely feel that THIS IS GOING TO BE ARSENAL’s season. I know it’s probably too early to jump to those conclusions, but I just cannot hide my enthusiasm. Only Time will tell.

The Catalysts of Change

         And by the way a crazy fact for you’ll- THE LAST TIME ARSENAL WON 6-1 AGAINST SOUTHAMPTON, IT HAD JUST STARTED THEIR 49 MATCH UNBEATEN RUN.

The Arsenal Invisibles..

                I have affection towards simplicity. I have affection towards those characters that play their roles to perfection with total nonchalance. I have affection towards those players who prefer to remain in the backdrop, playing selflessly for the name on the front rather than the name on the back. These are the players who are not preferred for interviews, commercials or photo shoots, but usually are amongst the first names on the team sheets because their silent work makes the team tick.

                I prefer music to dance. As in I hate the Bollywood stars who gain the limelight by dancing away to the tunes of music composers. Some people are even unaware of the identity of the music composers. So in short I have a liking for people who prefer to stay away from the limelight and continue to slog it out (sometimes without credit from fans or the media).

                And these kinds of people are present in all walks of life. These are the silent mechanisms which make an engine tick. And surely there have been several underrated players to have donned the Arsenal jersey.

                So here I present to you the ‘ARSENAL INVISIBLES’, a list of the 5 most underrated Arsenal players (according to me)-

1)GILBERTO SILVA- The Invisible Wall

He was signed by Arsenal for a meagre 4.5m from Athletico Miniero after his heroics in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He was appointed as the Defensive Anchor Man to sit in from of the defence. His defensive work was undoubtedly top notch. I would even go to the extent of saying that his defensive work was better than Vieira. He forged a brilliant partnership with Vieira in the centre of midfield. His exploits were usually overshadowed by Vieira.

He was an integral part of the ‘Invincibles’ playing 32 matches out of 38. After the historic season it was discovered that he had a fracture in his lower back. This is when Arsenal’s performance started dipping. Arsenal lost to Manchester United after a run of 49 unbeaten games(Silva was absent). Call it coincidence or whatever. But I personally think his work rate was unparalleled.

Gilberto is often called "the invisible wall" in Brazil. His play often goes unnoticed as he positions himself between the two centre backs and the rest of midfield, breaking up opposition attacks before they gather momentum. As Arsenal and Brazil are both attack minded teams, he offers cover for attacking wing-backs and other midfielders who have a poor record of dropping back to help the defence. Having Gilberto Silva on the pitch was equivalent to having 2 players. His work rate was so high. He usually dropped back into the centre of defence whenever Kolo Toure made a darting forward run. He would just step back and provide a very effective cover.  Gilberto's style of defending is unlike that of normal midfield enforcers, rather than tackle a player, he is more likely to shadow him, thus pushing him back. As a result, he has an unusually clean record for a defensive midfielder: he has twice gone 45 games or more without receiving a single booking during his Arsenal career. A highly astonishing fact given he plays the ‘Dirty Player’ role. He is more likely to offload the ball frequently to more creative players close around him, such as Cesc Fabregas (He has a lowly 7 assists in 6 seasons at Arsenal). But that doesn’t bother me because he played the role which he was given to perfection. The only thing he lacked was flair. But that he covered up with his work ethics and discipline.

DEFENSIVE COVER.

Gilberto’s best quote- "It's much more responsibility for me but I'm very confident I can do my best for the team. I am the oldest in my position but it doesn't matter who I play with because they are good players."

2)RAY PARLOUR- The Unsung Hero

Do you remember him?

He was nicknamed ‘The Romford Pele’, which was given in an ironic sense of humour due to his solid performances but his unglamorous image. Isn’t the above enough to prove that he was tremendously underrated.

He played instrumental roles in the famous Double winning squads of 1999-2000 and 2001-02. And just to remind you he was adjudged Man of the Match in both the FA Cup finals. His 30-yarder in the 2002 FA Cup final against Chelsea to open the scoring for Arsenal is remembered till date. He was not a great goal scorer but a scorer of great goals.

He was a loyal servant to Arsenal for 14 long years. Parlour continued to enjoy success with Arsenal for another four years (winning another Double in 2002), but generally received little acclaim in the media compared with many of his more illustrious Arsenal team-mates, especially as he was almost constantly living in the shadow of Patrick Vieira for much of his time at the club. Despite having won 3 Premier League crowns, 4 FA Cups, 1 League Cup and 1 European Cup Winners’ Cup with Arsenal and having played 464 games for a top-end club like Arsenal he was capped ONLY 10 times for England. That is how much this great was undervalued.

In short he is an "unsung hero" and praised as a "fans' favourite" for his high-energy performances.

3)FREDRIK LJUNGBERG- The 17th Best Dressed Man in The World

Why I gave that intro? He is still known more for his ‘Sex-appeal’ than for his footballing skills!

What do you know about him except for the fact that he had funny coloured hair? Do you remember he had a bright red stripe in his hair?

It was not extravagance or something of that sort. He had done it to show his loyalty to the Arsenal fans. He was the perfect anti-thesis of Arshavin. He was not a burden during defence. He was brilliant in attack and was equally good at tracking back and helping the defence. He was a perfect wide-man who gave his all for the team. He was so versatile that he could comfortably play on either wing, in the centre of midfield or even as a second striker! He was one of the few players who Arsene Wenger signed without seeing him play LIVE. Isn’t that fact enough to justify his pedigree?

VERSATILE

He usually had to live in Pires’s shadow. He got his first break when Pires had suffered an injury. He only established himself after the departure of Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars. He also had to overcome rib injuries and migraine bouts. The above was what made him strong and a very tough nut to crack for the opposition. He flourished under Arsene Wenger being part of the ‘Invincibles’ and an integral part of 2 Double winning squads. In all, he won 3 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups and 3 Community Shields with Arsenal.

Many people don’t know it (even I didn’t before doing the R&D for this post!) that he was awarded the PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE SEASON in 2001-02.

He endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful by his commitment on the pitch. The Arsenal faithful sang, "We love you Freddie, because you've got red hair, we love you Freddie because you're everywhere, we love you Freddie, you're Arsenal through and through"

So isn’t his worth underestimated?

4)TOMAS ROSICKY- ‘The Little Mozart’

A classical playmaker known for his skill and ability to orchestrate the midfield with his passing range. Arsene Wenger describes him as a player with “Remarkable Vision”.

His skill in undervalued by many because Rosicky hasn’t had enough time to display the skill due to his ‘Swarovski Crystal’ like delicate and injury prone body. After signing for Arsenal in 2006 he has had just 1 full season, 2011-12. And to be honest he has been superb for Arsenal this season. Everybody talks about Robin van Persie single handedly carried Arsenal on his shoulders. But nobody talks about the number of goals created due to Rosicky’s skill. He had the responsibility to orchestrate the midfield after the departure of Fabregas, and he proved that he was worthy of it by putting in action-packed performances day-in and day-out. He may not be having that many goals and assists, but I am sure that there are uncountable instances when he has provided the assist to the assist!

When healthy (there’s the rub isn’t it?), Rosicky provides energy, pace and intelligence to the team that few others can. He is quick thinking, attack minded and has the ability and vision to deliver sublime, defence-splitting passes. He's a great decision maker and is not afraid to take a crack at goal. In addition, he does not shy away from the tough tackle, getting nasty when necessary, and helping out defensively. He too is very versatile and can play in any of the attacking positions available on a football pitch.

Whereas many praise Wilshere for his committed tackling, Rosicky's slide tackling has always been sublime, yet overlooked by most. Standing tackles require a strong build, which neither Wilshere nor Rosicky have, but the slide tackle, however, is more about timing and accuracy, therefore it is sensible that players such as Wilshere and Rosicky use it. Rosicky meanwhile has never gotten a red card (to my knowledge).

Hopefully, these points have shown that Rosicky has been vastly underrated, by media and fans alike, and it is my hope that he gets the recognition he deserves, instead of the bashing he gets. The benefits of playing him - brilliant close control and passing technique, excellent awareness of where the space is in the final third, quick one touch passing, powerful long range shooting, as well as fine leadership skills (he is a well respected figure in the dressing room) and bags of experience will certainly help us in ending that damning trophy drought.

5)LAURENT KOSCIELNY- St. Laurent(For the die-hard Gooners!)

When Arsenal signed Laurent Koscielny for £10 million from French side Lorient in the summer of 2010, eyebrows were raised. Over the course of his debut season, it seemed that many formed the opinion that he’s not a very good defender. This is probably because alongside the woeful Sebastien Squillaci and the occasionally error-prone Johan Djourou, Koscielny was part of poor defensive showings. Of course, the Carling Cup final incident wouldn’t have helped either – a horrible mix-up with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saw Birmingham lift the trophy in the dying seconds.

Inconsolable after Carling Cup Final

Come 2011, Laurent has undoubtedly been Arsenal’s most improved player. His rise has been meteoric to say the least. I would even go to that extent that I would prefer him ahead of Mertesacker and Vermaelen too! He has been very solid at the back and his consistency has been rewarded with a French Cap.

However, those freak incidents should not affect people’s judgement of Koscielny, although inevitably they do. If you watched Koscielny closely, you’d see countless perfect interceptions and tackles; he’s excellent aerially as well as on the deck. He is stronger than he looks. He scores important goals too. Communication may be an area in which he lacks, but he makes up for that with a combination of physical and technical prowess. For example, a couple of times against Dortmund he played a BVB player onside, yet managed to recover and put the player off each time. He quite clearly has the infamous mental strength that Arsene always goes on about.

I still don’t quite understand how some fans don’t rate Koscielny higher. I’ve been banging on about him for months (it hasn’t just been me in fairness) and some people are only just realising how good he is when he’s playing with a good partner. It’s a wide perception that he struggles in the air, but that’s actually not true; he came up with several brilliant headers against Dortmund, as per usual in fact. Perhaps it’s his brilliance on the deck that makes his aerial ability seem less in comparison.

                These are the players that make a team tick. These are the players who perform consistently day-in and day-out. These players have the ability to enter into opposition team-talks on a regular basis rather than tabloid spaces! Just that somehow they manage to evade the limelight(A bit like Rahul Dravid). And they perform selflessly for the cause of the team. Some of the above may lack the flair but they more than make up for it with some special qualities.

                                                        HATS OFF TO THESE GUYS!

(Disclaimer- Any more Underrated Arsenal players in your mind? Please let me know by commenting below.)

Walk Down Memory Lane..

          I started supporting Arsenal since 2003(I was 9 years old then) and have been a Gooner since. The reason for me to start supporting Arsenal was very simple. A computer game called ‘FIFA 2003’is the reason. It was kind of the first football video game I started playing. The logo of Arsenal with ‘The Gun’ appealed to me. It was like love at first sight!

          And a particular competition in European football which has fascinated me very much since 2003 is the ultra-prestigious UEFA Champions League. The aura of the competition beats everything. The format is super-exciting too. The Best from Europe are pitted against one another. I don’t think it needs more introduction.

DREAM COMBO

          So combining the above fascinations, walking down memory lane, I stumble upon some ‘DREAM’ matches played by Arsenal. These are the matches which make my stay till 3:30 a.m. in the night fruitful and satisfying. The excitement keeps you awake.

          So here I present to you 6 of my most cherished Champions League matches played by Arsenal (which I have witnessed on TV since 2003)-

1)

Historic venue! Historic match! Historic significance! Legendary players!

2 months ago Internazionale had thrashed Arsenal 3-0 at Highbury. It was due to Inter’s magnificent counter-attacking play. That day Thierry Henry had said, “When we go to the San Siro, we would like to implement a similar brand of football.” And how!

Arsenal became the first English team to taste success at the San Siro. Thierry Henry certainly played one of the best games he has ever played in the Arsenal jersey. He was instrumental in all the 5 goals scored by Arsenal. Arsenal hurt Inter on the counter. Blistering pace on the left wing disturbed the Inter defence all night! Never has an Italian team’s defence ever been breached in such fashion. Ripped apart to shreds!

In John Champion’s (PES commentator) words, “That night T. Henry was as close to perfection as you will ever see from a striker. You could have picked any defender from any time in history and pitted him against Thierry Henry. And I am sure Henry would have terrified him that night!”

ICONIC MOMENTS- Thierry Henry’s 2^nd goal & the Emphatic-ness of the victory.

2)

This is where it all started. Our famous run to the 2006 finale began here. This is when the team gained the belief that they could go all the way. No one had given the young Arsenal team a chance against the intimidating ‘GALACTICOS’. But Arsenal silenced all doubters wrong due to a magical goal by the magician himself “TH 14”!

Arsenal bamboozled Madrid in the first half, wasted 2 clear cut opportunities. Arsenal finally got the lead just after half time. Good pass by Fabregas to Thierry Henry. And ‘HE’ does the rest. Goes past 3 defenders with his pace, skill and strength and a perfect finish past Casillas. Perfect goal! Arsenal steam-rolled Madrid at the Bernabeu and in turn became the 1^st English team to defeat Madrid at the Bernebeu!

ICONIC MOMENTS- Thierry Henry’s goal and the Arsenal faithful singing, “ADIOS, ADIOS” in the end!

3)

It was supposed to be a home-coming match for Patrick Vieira. It was supposed to be the first match in which the 2 great Arsenal midfield generals were pitted against each other. It was Fabregas vs Vieira. The Gunners vs The Old Lady. Arsenal vs Juventus at The Highbury.

It was the match in which the Arsenal youngsters played with maturity. It was the match in which the youngsters came off age.

It was the match in which a star was born. His name was Cesc Fabregas. This was the stage he particularly chose to declare that he was ready to take over the reins, become the driving force of the Arsenal midfield engine (Against his contemporary Vieira). He bossed the midfield, dictated the play, played with passion. In short he was superlative that night.

Juventus were literally blown away by an Arsenal side which played with verve and invention. Arsenal played sublime football, balanced in all areas, frustrating the Italian League leaders. Outplaying them in all departments.

ICONIC MOMENT- Pires dispossessing Vieira and Fabregas scoring the goal with the return ball.

ICONIC MOMENT IN ITSELF.

4)

I remember it as perhaps one of the greatest match Arsenal has played since the departure of Henry. This match was special due to the lethal nature of the opponents especially in the Champions League. AC Milan are kind of a specialist Champions League knock-out rounds team. So it was supremely special to be able to beat them in their own den, the intimidating San Siro!

It was Arsenal’s raw pace which disturbed the old (but experienced) legs of Milan. The directness of the play, swiftness on the counter were pillars on which ‘MISSION SAN SIRO’ was accomplished.

But the star man on the field was definitely the unheralded Mathieu Flamini, the same guy who left Arsenal for AC Milan barely 4 months after this match. He played so well, that AC Milan bought Flamini based on his performance in this match ONLY. (Actually Arsenal lost him on a free due to him not renewing his contract) His defensive work was top notch in this game. A perfect DM’s game. A perfect foil for Fabregas, an ideal safe platform for Arsenal to build their swift attacks on.

ICONIC MOMENT- The perfect Counter-Attack by Arsenal leading to the second goal.

5)

It was billed as the battle between two of the most attractive-football playing teams. It was a battle between two teams who were the best exponents of the ‘Tiki-Taka’. It was the Arsenal vs The Mighty Catalans.

I personally cherish this game, not for the football but for the ‘CHARACTER’, ‘GUTS’, ‘DETERMINATION’ and ‘BELIEF’ to come back from behind to secure a win against Barca. Overly so, because a star announced his arrival on the world stage in the grandest of fashions. He not only proved that he is the future but also the present. And that star was undoubtedly JACK WILSHERE.

Jack Wilshere dominated the centre of the park. He fought and that too successfully against the best in the business against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta. He also managed to evade the dirty boy, Busquets on several occasions. His passing, sudden burst of pace in the centre of the park and intelligence irritated Barca and made the world notice this young prodigy’s precocious talent. A Star was well and truly born during this match.

ICONIC MOMENT- Wilshere, a 19 year old Arsenal Academy graduate bossing the midfield against the best in the business.

6)

Again a match against Milan. But this time the only item on the menu was- ‘ATTACK’ as Arsenal had to overturn a 4 goal deficit. Arsenal fought like brave hearts. 

Each player gave more than his best. I feel all players were playing at 200%. There was nothing to lose. This game reminded me of one of my mother’s sayings, “If there is intent, everything is possible."

Arsenal went all-out attack and was unlucky not to take anything away from this game (result wise) except for the tremendous growth in stature of ‘The-Ox’. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain showed the whole world what he is made of. He made everyone stand up and take notice of his talent. He showed the world that he can do a hell lot with the ball apart from running with it. He showed tremendous pace, dribbling, close control and an ‘Under-Development’ passing range. He played with nonchalance. Not afraid of running with the ball, dribbling past opponents like child’s play. Whenever he got the ball, a shiver ran down the AC Milan defenders’ spines! He was so electrifying.

ICONIC MOMENT- Oxlade- Chamberlain’s magnificent run down the right flank to earn a penalty.

          So that was a list of my favourite Champions League matches Arsenal have featured in. Apart from this one thing I noticed was, each time we defeated a ‘Big’ team, a youngster always stood up wanting to contribute to the victory against the Elite to be counted amongst the Elite. Every ‘Big’ Champions League night a new start was born!

THESE NIGHTS WERE THE NIGHTS WHEN THESE YOUNGSTERS BECAME HEROES

          Also each match showed that a team needs to be consistently good(over a period of 90 mins at least)in all departments to be considered a Champion team worthy of winning the illustrious Champions League.

          The aura of the Champions League still remains intact. The magic of the Arsenal Football Club still amazes me. Hopefully the readers(especially GOONERS) can proudly say after reading this piece, “PROUD TO HAVE WITNESSED THE MAGIC OF ARSENAL!”

PROUD TO BE A GOONER!

(P.S.- All the videos are MATCH HIGHLIGHTS. And I would like to thank my friend, my junior in college and a fellow GOONER- Rishabh Sirdesai for suggesting the above post topic. Thanks bro.)