Gunnerrific

I have a new Fabregas wallpaper up in the wallpaper section. Even though Fabregas is down, he’s not out. I’m long overdue for a Fabregas wallpaper anyway, so the comments say.

But first, a limerick.

There once was a man named Fabregas,
who hit with his foot a magic pass.
Received deftly by Walcott,
in the defense, finds a weak spot,
and as for the goal, it was pure class.

Now that you endured that, I dare you to do better. It’s harder than it looks.

The new Fabregas wallpaper I made is really simple. I found a very high quality Fabregas photo on Flickr, via Fid aka Theo, with the Creative Commons license attached. The preview:

Fabregas, pure class

Check out the new wallpaper here, or the rest of my wallpapers here.

These guys seem to think that Baptista’s latest comments indicate that he will be leaving soon. While I certainly can understand Julio’s comments about wanting play time, I think he must also realize he has no future back at Real. He wasn’t doing well in Madrid and has had a meager start with the Arsenal. However, there is certainly more promise for him at the Arsenal than at Real. Surely he sees this.

There are all sorts of reports about Henry and various unnamed people calling him ‘big-headed’ and ‘difficult to pay with’. I like how any shmuck can step forth to talk about a football star who is basically a celebrity. Why is this considered news?

BREAKING NEWS:

An unnamed American has come forth to the defense of Theirry Henry during the crisis at The Emirates. “Thierry is a fantastic player on and off the pitch. He is a delightful man whose skill is both impressive and plentiful.” The American wishes to be unnamed and uncredited.

END OF BREAKING NEWS.

In the days leading up to Porto away there is certainly some nervousness added back into the mix. With Henry out due to that ridiculous yellow card in Moscow, this match will certainly be a sizable test to the squad. The line-up against Tottenham looked particularly strong and I really wouldn’t mind seeing it again. A 4-4-2 would work well against Porto, assuming that (once again) we can keep up the consistency in the back-line.

Tomorrow there is a huge test for Barcelona as they face a must win situation against Werder Bremen at the Camp Nou (all my Real talk from above had me writing Bernabeu as the cunt in the comments so kindly noted). I’ll be sporting my Germany scarf all day in support of Klose’s side. I know that might be hard for you Brits to swallow, but I’m a Yank, so you’ll have to excuse me. It’s all for the Arsenal.

I’ve updated the Wallpaper section with yet another desktop treat. Enjoy take two of the gunners in arms, this time entitled The Arsenal. It’s a much simpler, classy desktop that I offer now than the previous version. Please enjoy.

Oh and if you’re in for a laugh, give this a read. It’s largely hilarious.

ARSENAL!

In my last wallpaper post someone argued that there were indeed better Arsenal wallpapers out there. Touché. I will accept that challenge and rise to it. The desktop wallpapers that I like the most are a simpler and classier breed than the high-effects and showy variety that are out there. Call it the difference between a message driven independent movie and a Hollywood blockbuster.

Given that though, I realize that I should work to appeal to all types. So today I have a new wallpaper for you, ‘Gunners in Arms‘. I hope you enjoy it.

Today there is the usual negative backlash in the media and blogs all about. I had a touch of it yesterday. I don’t know that I want to talk any more about the merits of a draw against a poorly performing Newcastle at home, so I won’t. Let’s just look ahead to Tuesday.

Freddie Ljungberg will be struggling to be fit ahead of Tuesday’s clash with the German giants while Robin Van Persie is in doubt. There are reports that his foot “doesn’t look good”, but nothing more than that. Our increasing number of injuries never ceases to amaze me. Robin has been playing exceptionally this year, especially in the first half before he took injury. Hopefully the injury isn’t too terrible and he can have a speedy recovery.

Arsene Wenger went to extra lengths to explain why he started Henry on the bench. I see his point, but I have to disagree. Henry is a professional footballer, if he is needed to play in 4 games in 2 weeks, then he should be capable. And I think he is. He’s not as young as a Rooney or Cesc, but players should be able to play in this many games. Sometimes Arsene comes across a little too overprotective of his players. In Freddie’s case, just because someone hasn’t played a full match in 4 weeks doesn’t mean he needs extra training before playing again. Just take a look around at how some of the other coaches handle situations like this.

That being said I’m no football coach and Arsene seems to be doing a fine job at it.

CSKA Moscow secured the title in the Russian league after a win on Saturday. This however comes amidst escalation of rumors and accusations of match fixing amongst teams and referees.

Many Russian bookmakers refused to take bets on certain matches, saying their outcome was pre-determined, while CSKA’s main rivals, Spartak Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg, accused the army side of benefiting from favourable refereeing decisions.

Now I know the domestic Russian league has it’s own officials and governing body and is therefore susceptible to such misanthropes. Thus, it would be completely unreasonable to suggest that the Spanish referee’s decision to discount Henry’s goal and award him a yellow card for a nonexistent hand-ball was influenced from some outside factor. But it makes you wonder…

One can only hope that the Football Union of Russia, UEFA, or FIFA step in and handle this like with Italy. Except this time no one should back down when the teams complain about punishment being ‘too severe’. The way UEFA backed down on the punishments to the Italian clubs was pathetic. They almost got off scot free for committing the worst offense in football.

Real Madrid scampered too quickly release information stating that they were entirely complicit with David Beckham leaving training for Tom Cruise’s wedding. Big deal. It doesn’t really matter either way, everyone can tell that this Real Madrid contract isn’t going to work out.

What about the fact that the Beckham’s attended a party hosted by Hollywood’s elite? Maybe David and Posh were looking for some input onto what life in Hollywood is all about and securing some friendships for the future. If that were really the case this L.A. Galaxy rumor looks all the more realistic. He’s not doing much to discount it.

I’ve uploaded a new wallpaper image today. It features Henry again in a fabulous pose while applauding the crowd. It’s pretty basic but I hope that everyone is enjoying these wallpapers. I think they are by far better than some of the other crap that’s out there. I hope I’m right. The Best Arsenal Wallpapers on the Internet… yeah…

The only thing that could have made Sunday any better was if Chelsea and Mancehster United had lost. Tottenham and Newcastle both lost which was absolutely fantastic, but those teams aren’t really putting up much of a fight to begin with. Hopefully some losses for the top two will come sooner rather than later.

Freddie Ljungberg was named Sweden’s player of the year today. Good for him. Hopefully we’ll see him on the pitch in Sunday’s encounter with Newcastle and he can score a goal to celebrate. He is reporting for International duty on Wednesday and if we’re lucky he won’t pick up another injury. Damn that International duty.

In other news Wenger has finally spoken about his spat with Pardew. He has stated that he regrets the confrontation and even went so far as to say he should have shaken hands with Pardew after the match. I pretty much expected this sort of reaction. He reacted the way he did for a very legitimate reason, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t wish he could take it back. It’s just unfortunate that Mr. Pardew could cause that sort of reaction out of our generally well behaved manager.

Many of the players, including Henry, have been talking about how important the win over Liverpool was for the team. Indeed even Arsene has stated that this win has been the build-up of an internal struggle for the team itself. No amount of media buzz or build-up will help matters, it’s just a matter of the team coming together to win.

There’s still no talk of action against West Ham for the coin-throwing-cunt incident. However this article does mention that the F.A. is trying to buckle down on the situation. I can’t imagine fans throwing things at players in any American league… and if it did happen that fan would get fined and banned for life most likely. The arena for a football sporting event is a bit bigger than that of the NBA or other sports though, but hopefully the F.A. can find a way to catch these wankers.

Flamini has come out to say that he wants a more central role in the team and is even asking to be a regular start in that position. I don’t know that I’m really opposed to the idea, but with Fabulous, Gilberto, Hleb and Rosicky, and Ljungberg… I can only see him in an alternate role coming in when necessary. That being said though, he performed quite well in the match against Liverpool and I think he deserves a shot. If he continues to perform like that, I think it would behoove us. He was quite well composed in the ATVO interview, check it out. Behoove means to be ‘proper for’ just in case you were wondering.

And finally, does anyone remember the incident between Toure and Lehmann during the game against Moscow (or was it Everton?). If so, please speak up. I recall Lehmann screaming at Toure, and in return Toure shoving Lehmann, and then it went back and forth. I assume the incident was resolved internally and the two are chums again, but it’s never fun to see two players on the same team fighting with each other during a match. Especially gunners. If you recall this spat or have any other insight into it, speak now or forever hold your peace. It seems to have faded away into the night and I want to seek some closure.

Thierry Henry has enjoyed an ilustrious and successful career as a footballer. Highlighted with magical goals at Arsenal F.C., Thierry Henry exemplifies what the modern football professional should strive to achieve.

Henry scores goals with a frequency and tenacity that few possess. Be it graceful lobs, powerful cannons, hefty volleys, or perfectly aimed rollers, all of his goals are a joy to watch. The one that stands out most in my mind is the goal against Manchester in 2000 at Highbury, where he flicked an oncoming pass up in the air with his back to the goal, turned, and lobbed a beautiful dipping and curving ball into the back of the net. It’s these types of goals, coupled with his deadly accuracy, that make him a player that the world wants to watch.

Aside from the goals, Henry exhibits a style of play and swagger that is unmatched. With deft flicks on the ball and quick turns past opponents, he is both graceful and stunning with his carefully practiced technique. He’ll pass the ball to himself without hesitation, slow play for the offense to catch up, and take on three or more defenders at once. Although his grace and skill have come under fire again, confidence remains high that he will once again find ways to impress.

Off the pitch, Thierry enjoys a calm and relaxing lifestyle that most footballers seem to avoid. He is rarely in the tabloids with nasty rumors and he is not the type to be involved in a pub fight. Too many players today exhibit this off-the-pitch behavior but Henry is cultivating a team of pure class. He is happily married with a young daughter and still finds the time to dominate the pitch.

Henry is also a masterful celebrator of goals. He often glides through the air with his arms out like wings, flying through the yelling and chanting of the Arsenal crowd. He also exhibits a passion, determination, and anger that get a crowd going be it at the game or in front of the television.

Thierry Henry is not a diver. He never has been and it looks like he never will be. Only once has the man actually dove, and afterwards he admitted it, explained it, and realized how wrong it was of him. It’s class like this that the modern day footballer should strive to possess, regardless of situation. Recently, Henry was yellow carded and stripped of a crucial goal in an away match in Moscow. Upset, absolutely, but he did not lose his cool during the match, yelling and crowding at the referee as another player might have (Chelsea… I’m looking at you).

In the last year we have seen Henry take on the captaincy for the gunners. He has handled this new role well, having never really acted as a leader before. While working with a very young but talented team, his leadership has been absolutely invaluable in upholding the standard of quality at Arsenal F.C. He has been widely criticized as of late, and although some of it may be warranted, we must not forget what he has done for the club. He deserves captaincy until he feels unfit for it.

The future is looking bright for Henry. Although Arsenal have faced problems in the last couple of games, we must remember that this Arsenal side is one of the youngest (the youngest?) in the Premiership, and Wenger is fostering talent at an age, pace, and quantity that hasn’t been encountered before at this high of a level. Arsenal will continue to perform well, win or lose, and in the years to come our club should hope to see some of the most beautiful and successful football in the world. This young and injury-ridden team made it all the way to the Champion’s League Finals. They then played 80 minutes one man down with one goal up against the competitor, Barcelona. Given that, we should rally behind Henry and hope to see his quality goals, skill, and leadership flourish.

To that end, I present a new wallpaper devoted to Henry. Enjoy it.

In a side note, a special thanks to atomicShed of Flickr for the fantastic centerpiece photo. I edited it heavily, but he deserves some kudos for this and all of his great Arsenal photos. He’s also got a great website with a good Highbury Salute photo set. He’s also got a fantastic image here, maybe I’ll do something with that one too.

Tomorrow I’ll have a much less Arsenal-patriotic post with some thoughts on what we could try to alleviate our current situation.  Come on you gunners!

I’ve uploaded a new wallpaper today. Take a gander.

It’s a basic Arsenal emblem with a lot of extra flare. I added a shaded red background for dramatic effect. The emblem itself has a golden sheen to it which I think comes across quite well. Download it and show it with pride!

It’s been quite a slow news day so I’ll just have to settle with recapping previous events. Manchester United and Chelsea are tied at the top with the exact same record thus far. Rooney had a hat trick at Bolton, so he is back in great form which should worry the rest of the league. Chelsea still find ways to get goals regardless of the opposition or style of play. If Manchester United and Chelsea keep stomping over other teams like this, the title race will only be between the two of them. We only have a couple of games to win to be caught up, but we can’t do that without resolving these stray goals and finishing problems. Goonerboy sums it up well.

There has been a swarm of rumors around Steven Gerrard leaving Liverpool. The news sites say that all sorts of teams are interested, and that Rafa and Gerrard are even fighting. This is just what Liverpool need while being at the middle of the table and having problems winning matches. Rumors like this always hurt a team and can have a direct impact on performance. I for one would love to see Gerrard at Arsenal, but I don’t know that he is really going to leave Liverpool any time soon. I know I’m only perpetuating the rumor mill by mentioning it, but I don’t like that stories like this top the headlines on slow days.

And finally, Arsene has recently stated that he isn’t worried about discussing a new contract with the club. I don’t really know what to make of this, other than it is what it is. I can’t imagine the club without him, so I hope he’ll stay. I don’t think he would leave because the Frenchman really seems to enjoy life at the club and in London.

We’ve got Moscow at home Wednesday. Here’s hoping we don’t finish that match with 5 strikers on the pitch!