May 2012
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I have moved this blog to http://roaminglibero.wordpress.com/. If you have a Wordpress/enjoy my ramblings (can’t see why you would!) do follow or read it, or follow @RoamingLibero on Twitter. Many thanks all for reading my nonsense on this blog.
March 2012
3 posts
6 tags
Manager of the Year? Manager of the Last Three
On the opening day of the League One season at the start of the 2009/2010 season, Norwich City, freshly relegated from the Championship, were given a less than royal welcome by Colchester City, falling to a 7-1 annihilation at home. It may only have been one game, but the steady slide looked to be the Canaries’ destiny. In the starting eleven for them that day were Grant Holt, Wes Hoolahan...
13 tags
Arsenal Restore Pride But Fall Short of the...
Following Arsenal’s embarrassing showing in Milan three weeks ago, Arsene Wenger described them as “shocking” and claimed they had “2% or 5% chance” of qualification. One expletive-filled rant, a magnificent comeback against Tottenham and a win as scraped as a frosty windscreen in the depths of winter against Liverpool later, he had changed his tune somewhat,...
9 tags
'You Can Take Your "Shifting Balance of Power",...
Note: I wrote this in the week, but due to internet complications I have been unable to publish it. It felt a shame not to do so, and I so enjoyed writing it. I made some amendments based on this week’s game:
I have been professing all season that this Sp*rs are tremendously over-rated and crumble whenever they come under any pressure. Also, that they will fall apart come late February....
February 2012
2 posts
7 tags
The Only Man For The England Job
Since the resignation of Fabio Capello, the English media has gone into overload, even by its own impressive standards, as to who will take on the biggest job in world football. They have decided that the next man, whomever he may be, must be a proud, patriotic Englishman and they have overwhelmingly labelled everyone’s favourite wheeler and dealer, newly cleared of his tax evasion charges,...
11 tags
A Weekend of Contrasts
Upon reflecting on the last weekend of football, it is difficult not to acknowledge that it was far more eventful than the average weekend’s dosage of the game. It was always going to be so, with the opening fixture of it coming in the form of Manchester United vs Liverpool, which in itself is always a feisty encounter, but the rivalry was to be exacerbated by the Suarez-Evra incident. I...
January 2012
4 posts
8 tags
Putting the Injury Crisis Into Context
It is easy for a team to simply put poor form down to an injury crisis. It has been a long-standing excuse at the Arsenal to put our failures down to our excessive injuries. Personally, I attribute the collapse of the 2009/2010 season to the injuries of Robin van Persie, William Gallas, Thomas Vermaelen, Johan Djourou, Aaron Ramsey, Andrey Arshavin and especially Cesc Fabregas - who was beyond...
10 tags
Gooners: Calm the Fuck Down
No, it is not all going swimmingly at the moment at the Emirates. We are fifth and out of the Carling Cup, trailing the Scum by 10 points and four points off fourth. We lost Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas this summer. Jack Wilshere, Bakari Sagna, Andre Santos, Abou Diaby, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson have all been long term absentees. In the shorter term, Francis Coquelin, Thomas Vermaelen and...
7 tags
Dalglish Is Dragging Liverpool Down
Liverpool are a fascinating case to observe. They were the club who ruled English football through the seventies and eighties and now are pining for a return to those times, clinging in vain to the reputation they created. Roy Hodgson’s appointment was supposed to signal yet another renaissance for the club, though with the ownership situation, the fans impatience and the new owners’...
6 tags
Oh, Wondrous Day!
In March of 2007, Arsenal played the second leg of a Champions League knockout round tie against PSV Eindhoven. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, they had a tough ask ahead to score two against the Dutchmen. An hour in, we needed something special. Our record goalscorer was on the bench and he entered the pitch in our hour of need. We went ahead through an Alex own goal; extra time beckoned. Until...
December 2011
2 posts
5 tags
Fan Piece: The Return of the King
It looks like Thierry Henry is coming back home to the Arsenal. The euphoria of it all seems to have pulled the blinds down on my rationality purely because it will be so brilliant to see him back. During his first stint, he became our record goalscorer with 226, as well as 92 assists to go with them and for a time was the most lethal and deadly striker on the planet. With him we won the double of...
14 tags
The Toughest Role in Professional Football
It is not one whose immense difficulty is recognised enough, primarily because it is so rarely in a position to be recognised. The substitute goalkeeper plays rarely and must use these occasional matches to make a lasting impression on their coach and their teams’ supporters. The nature of the goalkeeping position means that rotation is not a regular occurrence in league games, as it is with...
November 2011
1 post
8 tags
The German Invasion Is Nigh
Before World Cup 2010, the Germans had captain Michael Ballack ruled out of the tournament due to an injury sustained in the FA Cup Final, adding insult to the further injury of first choice stopper Rene Adler. This led to many, myself included, to review the remaining squad and come to the conclusion that they were nowhere near ready. The likes of Mesut Özil, Thomas Müller and Sami Khedira...
October 2011
1 post
6 tags
Modern Football Needs Characters Like Mario...
So many fans of the game have experienced something of a disenfranchisement with the game they so adored since the game became awash with money. This is, in part, down to the players this new cash has created. The modern footballer comes in all manner of different forms. The fact that the monogamous family man is almost a prized entity is a rather depressing state of affairs, to say the least.
...
September 2011
20 posts
4 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Wolverhampton...
In: Jamie O’Hara (permanent deal after a loan last season), Roger Johnson and Dorus de Vries. Out: Marcus Hahnemann, Greg Halford, Steven Moyoukolo (loan), Andy Keogh (loan) and Stefan Maierhoffer. Analysis: a largely uneventful summer for Mick McCarthy. Marcus Hahnemann was shown the door and replaced by Dorus de Vries, but it’s doubtful he will see a lot of gametime with Wayne...
4 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Wigan Athletic
In: Ali Al-Habsi (permanent deal after loan last year), David Jones, Albert Crussat, Shaun Maloney and Patrick van Aanholt. Out: Jason Koumas, Steven Caldwell, Antonio Amaya, Daniel de Ridder and Charles N’Zogbia. Analysis: not a fantastic summer for Wigan, but not completely bad. Ali Al-Habsi was instrumental in keeping them in the Premier League last season and confirming him as their...
6 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: West Bromwich...
In: Gareth McAuley, Billy Jones, Ben Foster, Marton Fulop, Zoltan Gera and Shane Long. Out: Giles Barnes, Abdoulaye Meite, Gianni Zuiverloon, Scott Carson, Dean Kiely, Boaz Myhill, Pablo Ibanez and Marek Cech. Analysis: productive summer for West Brom. Gareth McAuley and Billy Jones have arrived from Ipswich and Preston, respectively, both add depth in the centre back area. As Scott Carson was...
7 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Tottenham...
In: Brad Friedel, Iago Falqué (loan), Emmanuel Adebayor (loan) and Scott Parker. Out: Jonathan Woodgate, Jamie O’Hara, Kyle Naughton (loan), Robbie Keane, Wilson Palacios, Alan Hutton, Peter Crouch, David Bentley (loan) and Jermaine Jenas (loan). Analysis: one question will define this season for Spurs: were the right to keep Luka Modric? They resisted a bid of £40,000,000 (way above his...
7 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Swansea City
In: Michel Vorm, Danny Graham, Wayne Routledge, Leroy Lita, Jose Moreira, Gerhard Tremmel and Federico Bessone. Out: Dorus de Vries, Darren Pratley, Cedric van der Gun, Albert Serran, Gorka Pintado and Yves Makabu Ma-Kalambay. Analysis: three goalkeepers in one summer for Swansea, following the sales of two. Michel Vorm has looked to be a fantastic signing in the three games he has played. The old...
9 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Sunderland
In: Ahmed Elmohamady (permanent after a loan last year), Connor Wickham, Ji Dong-Won, Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson, Wes Brown, John O’Shea, David Vaughan and Nicklas Bendtner. Out: Boudeweijn Zenden, Jordan Henderson, Cristian Riveros, Steed Malbranque, George McCartney and Anton Ferdinand. Analysis: for the last few seasons, every summer has been an excellent for Sunderland, the early...
4 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Stoke City
In: Jonathan Woodgate, Matthew Upson, Wilson Palacios, Cameron Jerome and Peter Crouch. Out: Abdoulaye Faye, Ibrahima Sonko and Eidur Gudjohnson. Analysis: squad improvements and bolstering was on Stoke’s agenda this summer, and the objective was achieved with much success. Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson came in on free transfers and are both very astute signings. Especially Woodgate,...
4 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Queens Park...
In: Jay Bothroyd, Kieron Dyer, Danny Gabbidon, DJ Campbell, Bruno Perone, Joey Barton, Luke Young, Armand Traore, Jason Puncheon (loan), Shaun Wright-Phillips and Anton Ferdinand. Out: Gavin Mahon, Peter Ramage (loan), Pascal Chimbonda, Leon Clarke and Kaspars Gorkss. Analysis: players a-plenty have arrived at Loftus Road and there’s little doubt they are advances on what was, but questions...
3 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Norwich City
In: James Vaughan, Richie de Laet (loan), Steve Morison, Elliott Bennett, Bradley Johnson, Anthony Pilkington, Kyle Naughton (loan) and Daniel Ayala. Out: Matthew Gill, Luke Daley, Jens Berthel-Askou and Steven Smith. Analysis: the Canaries have not brought in any proven Premier League players - except possibly James Vaughan, who has always played in fits and starts in the top division. Richie de...
6 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Newcastle United
In: Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan and Davide Santon. Out: Sol Campbell, Kevin Nolan, Wayne Routledge, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton. Analysis: a summer of upgrades on Tyneside, in the main. Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton were shifted in favour of Yohan Cabaye and Sylvain Marveaux (assuming the latter takes on Barton’s role as the main creative player). Signing the...
10 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Manchester...
In: Phil Jones, Ashley Young and David de Gea. Out: Edwin van der Sar, Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves, Bebe (loan), Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Gabriel Obertan. Analysis: all incoming business completed on July 1st, all outgoing completed a week later (bar Gabriel Obertan’s move to Newcastle). Transfer season ended before it really began for United, but they’ll hardly object. All...
9 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Manchester City
In: Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic, Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri and Owen Hargreaves. Out: Jerome Boateng, Patrick Vieira, Felipe Caidedo, Emmanuel Adebayor (loan), Dedryck Boyata (loan), Roque Santa Cruz (loan), Shay Given, Jo, Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Analysis: a surprisingly well thought out approach from City this summer. Rather than firing money at any position it seemed was not...
9 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Liverpool
In: Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Doni, Jose Enrique, Sebastien Coates and Craig Bellamy. Out: Paul Konchesky, Milan Jovanovic, Sotiris Kyrgiakos, Emiliano Insua, Christian Poulsen, David N’Gog, Joe Cole (loan), Alberto Aquilani (loan) and Raul Meireles. Analysis: a lot of money spent this summer, some of it wisely, some foolishly. Start with the wise purchases - Jose...
4 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Fulham
In: John Arne Riise, Marcel Gecov, Pajtim Kasami, Zdenek Grygera, Bryan Ruiz and Orlando Sa. Out: Zoltan Gera, Eddie Johnson, John Paintsil, Diomansy Kamara, Pascal Zuberbuhler, Jonathan Greening, David Stockdale (loan) and Carlos Salcido (loan). Analysis: one of fairly few teams to have a relatively successful transfer season. Mainly dead weight shifted and replaced by younger or more...
5 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Everton
In: Royston Drenthe (loan) and Denis Straqualursi (loan). Out: James Vaughan, Mikel Arteta, Yakubu Ayegbeni and Jermaine Beckford. Analysis: a largely uneventful transfer season drew to a cruel end for Everton when Mikel Arteta joined Arsenal, though on the same day, they finalised the loan deals for Royston Drenthe and Denis Straqualursi, so it was not all bad for the Toffees. Almost all the same...
7 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Chelsea
In: Oriol Romeu, Romelu Lukaku, Juan Manuel Mata and Raul Meireles. Out: Michael Mancienne, Yuri Zhirkov, Slobodan Rajkovic, Gael Kakuta (loan) and Yossi Benayoun (loan). Analysis: two very vital flaws were addressed, but some still remain. Oriol Romeu comes in as a backup to Jon Obi Mikel and with Michael Essien out for six months, he should get a fair number of games. The fact that Barcelona...
4 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Bolton Wanderers
In: Darren Pratley, Nigel Reo-Coker, Chris Eagles, Tyrone Mears, David N’Gog, Tuncay Sanli (loan), Dedryck Boyata (loan) and Gael Kakuta (loan). Out: Jlloyd Samuel, Joey O’Brien, Tamir Cohen, Johan Elmander, Ali Al-Habsi and Matthew Taylor. Analysis: a good summer for Bolton, in terms of comings and goings. Chris Eagles and Tuncay are good enough for the starting eleven, Reo-Coker, Mears, Pratley...
5 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Blackburn Rovers
In: Myles Anderson, David Goodwillie, Radosav Petrovic, Bruno Ribeiro, Simon Vukcevic, Yakubu Ayegbeni, Scott Dann and Jordan Slew. Out: Zurab Khizanishvili, Phil Jones, Maceo Rigters, Benjani, Nikola Kalinic, Brett Emerton and El-Hadji Diouf. Analysis: the big transfer of the summer for Blackburn was the sale of Phil Jones to Manchester United for £16,500,000. He will be a loss, but the windfall...
5 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Aston Villa
In: Shay Given, Charles N’Zogbia and Alan Hutton. Out: Nigel Reo-Coker, John Carew, Robert Pires, Moustapha Salifou, Brad Friedel, Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and Luke Young. Analysis: far more a summer of loss than gain for Villa. They lost their prize asset, Ashley Young, to Manchester United, but did not re-invest in a replacement. Their other star player,...
8 tags
Premier League Transfer Analysis: Arsenal
In: Carl Jenkinson, Gervinho, Ryo Miyachi (granted work permit after signing last year), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Park Chu-Young, Andre Santos, Per Mertersacker, Yossi Benayoun (loan) and Mikel Arteta.
Out: Denilson (loan), Carlos Vela (loan), Gael Clichy, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Eboue, Samir Nasri, Armand Traore and Nicklas Bendtner (loan).
Analysis: while vital flaws were addressed, Arsenal...
August 2011
11 posts
14 tags
La Liga Preview
Yes, yes, yes, Real Madrid and Barcelona will take the top two spots, but in what order?! The same order as last year, because Barcelona are just unstoppable. Barring a long term injury to Lionel Messi, nothing will stand in their way. Especially now as Thiago Alacantra is coming through after a strong Under-21 tournament and the protracted arrival of Cesc Fàbregas have strengthened their midfield...
5 tags
Fan Piece/Poem: Dear Mr. Nasri
note: this started as an actual attempt at an article but when I saw words here and there rhyming, I adapted it into a poem (semi-inspired by Gunnerblog’s remix of Eminem’s Stan). Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.
Dear Mr. Nasri,
I remember you saying it wasn’t about the money, well looking back that, it all seems rather funny, while your outstanding talent is...
7 tags
Goodbye, Cesc Fàbregas
We all knew it would eventually happen. It was always only a matter of time until Cesc Fàbregas re-signed for Barcelona, but we, as Arsenal fans, cannot begrudge his move and our memories of him should not be clouded by his departure.
For the record, I believe he has made a huge mistake in returning now. He’s always going to be second in line to Xavi Hernandez and Andrès Iniesta (despite...
7 tags
What Change is Needed at Arsenal? - Re-visited
Upon the 2010/2011 season’s end I wrote this article on the potential change at Arsenal. I stated, in the main, that it was far more a case of minor tweaks rather than mass overhauls, but the transfer window does not appear to have progressed along the lines Arsenal and Arsène Wenger had wished.
Goalkeepers: What I suggested: Wojciech Szczesny to be handed the number one role, with Lukasz...
9 tags
1. Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea, 4th May 2002
To understand why this game holds such a significance in my eyes, I must take you back to 13th May 2001, the day of my first ever proper match. I had been to testimonials and youth and reserve games, but never a first team match and occasions don’t come much bigger than the FA Cup Final. As a wide-eyed 5 year old, the 7 hour drive from North London to Cardiff passed by in a flash, but there...
8 tags
2. Arsenal 4-2 Wigan Athletic, 7 May 2006
If you look out from the window in my room, you see huge, very nice looking, apartment blocks. How 5 years can change things. Back in 2006, I could look out and see the North Bank and if a tree at the end of a neighbour’s garden was cut down, one of the goals was visible. My first game at Highbury came in 2001, in a fairly drab 1-1 draw against Bolton and 5 years later, I would be present...
10 tags
3. Arsenal 2-1 Leicester City, 15th May 2004
Arguably Arsenal’s finest ever side; arguably English top flight football’s greatest ever side; Arsenal’s “invincibles” of the 2003/2004 campaign was finished off with a win over Leicester City at Highbury. I believe that the attendance, of 35,419 was Arsenal’s highest attendance at the stadium since the introduction of all-ground seating. This was because those...
12 tags
4. Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona, 16th February 2011
No one gave us a chance. Following on from last year’s thrashing at Barcelona’s hand, everyone assumed this was just another chapter of the same story and that a weaker Arsenal would get a more brutal beating from a stronger Barcelona.
Only this year there was a little more nouse about Arsenal, and far fewer injuries. Last year, there was no Robin van Persie, an injured William Gallas...
11 tags
5. Arsenal 2-2 Barcelona, 31st March 2010
In almost 10 years of going to matches, I’ve seen the Arsenal lose and draw a number of times, but I’ve never seen them so thoroughly outplayed and destroyed as when they met Barcelona in March 2010; and yet they still came away from the game with a draw.
It was the two teams’ first meeting since the 2006 Champions League Final and the game marked the first reunion of Thierry...
The Summer Break and My 6 Favourite Games
I’ve found myself with very little to write about this summer. Despite speculation being rife as the plague, actual transfer activity has been relatively sparse at the top end of the European game, and as a 16 year old fan, I’m in no position to reveal exclusive transfer stories, so finding something to actually write about has been something of an uphill struggle.
I wrote some pieces...
9 tags
6. Arsenal 7-0 Everton, 11th May 2005
It was a warm May night in Highbury, and Arsenal were already confined to second place and Everton had confirmed their fourth place finish, much to their delight. With Arsenal looking towards their FA Cup Final clash with Manchester United 10 days ahead, it had the potential to be a pointless contest between two teams who had no reason to try.
I’ve seen many excellent Arsenal victories...
June 2011
4 posts
8 tags
Andre Villas-Boas's Appointment Means Abramovich...
Where have we heard this before? A young, smooth talking, handsome Portuguese manager has come from success at Porto to arrive in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to take charge of Roman Abramovich-owned Chelsea. But André Villas-Boas, though he bares similarities to José Mourinho, is not simply a diminished version of the real thing - he is an entity unto himself, and an extremely...
9 tags
European Football 2010/2011 Awards (Italy, Spain,...
Best team: Barcelona. Easy choice, but this team is just phenomenal. Possibly the greatest team of all time, beaten just twice in La Liga and dropped a grand total of 18 points through the entire season. Champions League finalists boasting the likes of Daniel Alves (despite his tendency to throw himself to the floor), Xavi Hernandez, David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi. Wonderful team.
...
3 tags
It's Not the Right Time for Cesc Fàbregas to Leave...
This is, of course, working on Fàbregas’s own words that he would only leave North London to return to Catalunya. For himself, above the wishes of his current employers and his possible future home, staying where he is now is by far the best possible course of action.
The Arsenal Captain has only just turned 24. Already a magnificent playmaker, he still has room for improvement. In terms of...
1 tag
Dispelling the Myths About Barcelona
I’ll start by admitting that is a slightly misleading headline - what I’m trying to convey through this is that this Barcelona team really are that good. The greatest club side of my lifetime (though that isn’t saying a lot as I’ve been alive almost 16 years. They do though, trump Arsenal’s invincibles, on the grounds that Barcelona would win in a match).
Some of...
May 2011
3 posts
3 tags
Arsenal End of Season Awards
Warning to anyone who cares, this is possibly the most biased thing I’ll ever write.
Best player: Robin van Persie. He may only have played for half of the season, but in that time, he was phenomenal. Samir Nasri was also brilliant until February when he began to fade slightly, while Jack Wilshere was excellent until the fatigue set in around April. But van Persie carried Arsenal almost...
