Thought I’d give you my thoughts on the squad as I see it.

Goalkeepers:- Arise Sir Wojciech Szczesny, love the guy, great character, years at the top ahead of him, and you can see Wenger’s view on him, playing him for weeks at the end of the season with injuries. That also shows you what Wenger thinks of the rest, Almunia and Fabianski are well on my chop list. Mannone managed to embarrass himself on his only appearance of the season. All 3 need to go. A keeper with more experience is needed to, work with Chesney and give him the experience, aswell as providing realistic cover.

Clear out:- Almunia, Fabianski, and Mannone
Get in:- Experienced Keeper, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Craig Gordon, or how about Marton Fulop?

Defence:- The back four on paper is great, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, and one of Kieran Gibbs or Andre Santos. The trouble is those options were available, especially in recent weeks, and they’ve still flopped. Koscielny has been immense and Vermaelen is a top class defender. Sagna has it all too. Perhaps the left is slightly weaker defensively but they give a great option going forward. Hopefully if they can go into the season fit they can get some rhythm and forge great partnerships. Defensively we seem to be nieve and I’m not sure how we can combat it, rumours of NO defensive training seem farcicle, and hopefully Steve Bould is allowed to stamp his type of defending onto the back four.

Mertesacker still needs to prove himself for me to call him a real first pick centre half. He is slow on the turn and against the very best or the very quick I think he will be found wanting. His professional nature and experience though will see him through and I think he’ll be good first cover for TV5 and LK6.

The other senior defenders, Djourou and Squillaci, they have been a joke! Luckily Squillaci has been away from the team and only really played in the Carling Cup. For me both need to go!

The younger lads, Jenkinson has been excellent, rocky at the back, but experience will see him right. He has great pace, great determination, and you can see he is one of us. Ignasi Miquel looks the real deal. Really like him and if we can’t buy a centre back I’d rather see him in as fourth pick that the other two numpties. Nico Yennaris has also made a break through at right back, again I’d rather see him get the chance than Djourou treading water out there. I think the kid has a great future!

Clear out:- Djourou and Squillaci
Get In:- A centre back, maybe a punt on Steven Caulker or Angelo Ogbonna, or revisit the Jagielka link!

More on our midfield and forwards tomorrow, today the press are making as much of they can out of the Wenger/RvP meeting and the silences that has followed it. The bollox they come out with hey? RVP talks crisis, Van Persie’s Arsenal future hangs in the balance as talks end in deadlock, outgunned!, ‘Ambivalent’ Van Persie’s contract talks with Arsenal break down, PURE SPECULATION! Don’t believe it!

Young jack is also to go under the knife again this week, this time on his knee, sorting out one of those niggles, but apparently he is still on target for 9th July when the squad get back together. The team as it stands already excites me for next season, if fully fit, and midfield three of Wilshere, Song, and Arteta, it could destroy a lot of teams. Get well soon Jack!

Wilshere has been fighting Arsenal’s corner as Talkshite tried to dull down yet more of Wenger’s achievements, calling The Invincibles just another team, this was after Arsenal’s unbeaten title-winning team were voted as the Best Team in the Premier League’s 20 Seasons Awards. The fact of it is, Cit£h won’t do it, you can think they will all you like but they won’t, that shows you how good these boys were. This Durham guy is a joke, giving him air time is what he wants, but can you imagine being a puppet for a radio producer, arguing to a script every day, poor lad, one day he’ll get his own voice!!

I hate to stick up for players at other clubs but come on, Ferdinand? Even more puzzling Micah Richards? Downing ahead of Adam Johnson………. fuck me! I felt after the last World Cup there should have been a big clear out but to make sudden changes this close to the Euro’s is plain stupid. This squad will flop and won’t make it through the group stages, and a lot of the players out there are hard to support.

We have Chambo and Theo in the squad, young Chamberlain hasn’t ever played for the England team but it’s fair to say he has caught the eye and has that extra something that can turn a game. I hope he gets a chance to shine, it’d be a huge boost for him, and Theo, well he simply has to start. Our second top scorer, our second top assist maker, he has the talent to win games on his own, he may need to!

I sound very unpatriotic, I wish I wasn’t, but it’s just these lads, especially the Chav ones, are hard to support!

The main Arsenal talk surrounds RvP, we can’t go a summer without the press circling on one of our players, Vieira, Henry, Cesc………. now of course RvP. Of course it doesn’t help we keep selling our top players but it’s going to be a long summer! Loads of news sources have been saying that the captain met at the managers house today at 10.30am to discuss a new deal…….. where do they get it from?

My opinion he will stay! Whether he signs a new contract, well that depends who taps him up, and how much someone else is prepared to pay him. This summer hopefully will prove a test of financial fair play.

I was lucky enough to play at the Arsenal today for the second time this month. Loved it! Thanks o2!

Have you ever seen a team that can be so good and so bad from week to week? It didn’t help when the two most creative players in our midfield were sold and Wilshere spent the whole season on the sidelines. After the start we had and the loss of players Wenger has pulled off a master stroke to get us to third.

We can sit comfortably knowing we have secured champions league football whilst the shadow dwellers have to wait nervously for the final at the weekend. We also know we are qualified for the group stage and that means Le Boss shouldn’t um and are over our signings, for once we can get them all done early! Can’t we?

It’s funny though, Cit£h may have won the league but their lack of class makes Chel$ki look worthy champions. Big Head Na$ri has not celebrated his league medal he’s taking it as a chance to have a pop at us, he can’t talk about anything but Arsenal! You can see though Na$ri’s overall popularity is going the way of Cashley and Greedy, they will never be the world stars the think they should be, plain and simple NOBODY likes them. You gotta love this piece on How to be a hypocrite – by Samir Na$ri! As Frimpong said we shoulda left his fat head in the south of france…………

As for Tevez and his sign, do I give a fuck about Fergiescum, no, is hold up a sign saying RIP FERGIE fucking ridiculous, yes! Classless cunts the light blue oil scum! You won the league, enjoy it yourselves, don’t worry about how everyone else is doing!!

More tomorrow…………

I for one am happy to see the back of the pain and anguish that our team has put us through for the last nine months. Some terrifying lows and astonishing highs, but all in all a difficult season.

We definitely had a bit of luck yesterday, with the West Brom keeper playing like a Gooner  – Two of the goals were solely down him, and we did our best to prove that we could be as bad at the back, but they just won the ‘shit off’ as they let in the third.

The comparisons with the Norwich game were there for all to see : An early goal by Yossi, and then we bumbled around at the back to find ourselves 2-1 down – Yes, the first was offside but every time we had to defend I was watching my dodgy stream through my fingers ; We are an absolute shambles at the back, and have been all season long. Steve Bould is gonna have to work like a dog on this shower!

I can now look at the league table for the first time since we were down in 17^th position back in August – I have avoided it ever since ; Of course I have known where we were in the table, but the numbers of games lost, goals conceded etc were numbers I could not bear to check on.

An amazing finish at the top of the table too, and the ironic thing is that right now Emmanel Eboue, Andrei Arshavin and Samir Nasri all have Championship medals, despite how they are viewed by Gooners everywhere. I kinda wanted United to win it, but it was quite funny for them to get fucked up by another team scoring a late winner for a change. We say goodbye to Bolton andBlackburn, which is of course good news for the travelling fans ; Enjoy the Championship, hope you never come back.

I will wait til the coming weeks to analyse the season as a whole, so we can just enjoy third place for now, safe in the knowledge that we have finished above our local rivals for the SEVENTEENTH season in a row.

Mind

The

Gap

More to be announced . . . . .

Gooners with hang overs across Broad Street early on Sunday morning were not ready for the day ahead, not expecting the rollacoster, a 90 minute demonstration of our season, up, down, lower,back up, and eventually just about good enough!

It all started so well, Loanee Yossi putting us ahead, it wasn’t in quite the same style as last week, RvP popped an un-dangerous ball over the top but the former Totts keeper let it roll across his body, I’m not sure if he realised Yossi was steaming down on him, Yossi nipped it off him and tapped it home.

Six minutes later they were level. It was totally unjust. 3-4 yards at least offside. It was so far offside the lad Shane Long virtually stopped and tapped the ball home without realising he was scoring. He didn’t even celebrate. Awful officiating, any repercussions? No? Oh, okay carry on!

To be fair Shane Long was superb, and now we know we’ve won I can say, he played well for a striker against us. Arsenal showed that despite 9 months of practice they have learned fuck all and went behind on 15 minutes! A simple ball in the air, their lad won it, and volleyed it home without really being tackled. FUCKING DEFEND!

It was the first moment many gooner had taken their seats in an away game. Even at Old Trafford we stood for 90 minutes, but this was it, we were in real danger of finishing below the scum who were having their bellies tiggled by Martin Troll!

Arsenal finally decided to wake up and Rosicky and Benayoun worked tirelsey to keep the ball and move it forward for The Arsenal! Before the half hour Arsenal were level. The magnificent Song won the ball back, Santos picked it up took a touch, turned outside, and from 20 yards fired it home (via a touch from the keeper), this games simples!

It was all Arsenal and the pressure told 10 minutes into the second half, RvP swung in a corner, their keeper punched it backwards, and Koscielny volleyed it home! Remember the name Marton Fullop, that gut has had a huge impact on this season and of course next! BOOM!

It was a fucking nervous finish, Arsenal went into cling-on mode, corner after corner at the far end, Chezza making saves, Song being at his best, blocking and winning the game for Arsenal! West Brom were not giving this up! Pat Rice was going mental on the sideline in his final game, JENKINSON WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING, was muttered a few times, I believe Wenger and Rice even had a cuddle for good measure. Then a huge moment in our season, the ball dropped for WBA in the box, a the triggered was being pulled Gibbs flung a blocking tackle in front the keeper the ball out. Chezza flew to ruffle Gibbs’ hair, we were there! THIRD!

Of course, of course we’d have hoped for more, but on 28th August, on 2nd October, through the whole of January you would never have believed this was possible. At the end of the day, we’ve tried to fuck ourselves, but come through and shown some steal to seal the deal! Job done! Shadow intact!

Arsenal: Chesney, Jenkinson, Kos, Verm, Santos (Rambo 80), Song, LeCoq, Rosicky (Theo 46), Benayoun, Gervinho (Gibbs 67), RvP. Subs not used: Flapianski, Djourou, Chambo, and Chamakh.

Goals: Benayoun 4, Santos 28, Koscielny 54.

Att: 26,358.

The great news is that Chesney will be between the sticks, I’m not sure who started the injury fears, but I wish they hadn’t! That took years off me but Wenger confirmed the Pole is okay! Despite his mistake against Norwich he really has been a god-send this season. I’m not sure where we’d be without him.

Many gooners are out already in Birmingham, enjoying a few bevies in Reflex no doubt! All this while I’m sitting on my sofa after being ebused by having to watch a dog win a “talent” show, life is good no? Who would want to check out Legs 11 Broad Street anyway?

I fully expect Arsene to be jumped on for saying

First of all in England you have a 25-man limited squad number. Secondly the financial situation all over Europe is really bad and in some countries they have other worries than football. Therefore I expect it to be quiet.

Of course the boss was stating the obvious about a way of life, not that just Arsenal will be quiet, but hey why not have a dig at the boss, take your shot. Of course we could be boring and have sealed third place two weeks ago, but hey, who needs boring?

The easiest way to shut a few people up, win 5-nil tomorrow, and kick us off to a fun Summer. Lose and I’ll be depressed for at least 3 months! It’s a big game, it’s more than a game, it’s The Arsenal!

The squad is looking a bit battered, Theo could make a quick come back after his hamstring problem, but worringly, scarily, Chesney could miss the game, can you imagine it? I think it’s definitely time to the Lasagna out Le Cook!!

Jenkinson is still out so it looks like Coquelin will start at right back. The good thing is they have their own problems, Odemwingie, Thomas, Brunt and Gera could all miss the game, that would be a right TOUCH!

Our record goalscorer has had one scratched off today, down to 228 thanks to the dubious goals panel, what a bunch of jobs worths. How the fuck has it taken them 3 month to decide that! That goal was for us who stay till the end, the last Thierry goal, and some prick in an office wants to take it off him, fat boy Dann doesn’t want to be credited with it!

A HUGE WEEKEND AHEAD! FOOTBALL AND A PISS UP WITH A BUNCH OF 21 YEAR OLDS! WILL I STILL BE ALIVE COME MONDAY??!!

A few of the lads tweeted about their end of season BBQ at Shenley yesterday, boys – still one more game to go yeah? Of course the lads are on a training wind down, there’s only so much we can do this week, the main things is YOU GET THREE FUCKING POINTS!

Further to that the boys gave LEGEND Pat Rice a collage of pictures, how they managed to find 10 pictures of Pat without cones in it, I don’t know! Arsene Wenger also confirmed Pat was leaving on arsenal.com – Always the last to know hey boys?

Wenger also confirmed Steve Bould would take Pat’s place in the dugout. The boss said;

His qualities are that he has experience of the top-level game, he has managed here, he knows our football philosophy and therefore there will be a continuity

Interesting following the statement it also said ‘* A full statement on the backroom changes at Arsenal will follow in due course‘ interesting, more to come? Perhaps the cut backs will continue!!

As Juventus try and pipe up on RvP (why would he wanna go there!) our nut case of a chairman think not only will RvP stay, he will also sign a new deal, that worries me? Hill-Wood is about as out of touch as you can get but he normal airs on the side of being controversial so this is a positive step!

Let’s get the deal done hey?

No confirmed team news yet, check back tomorrow for that!

It’s Wednesday and I’m still pretty nervous for Sunday. We should do it because we’re better than West Brom but this season has been one of the biggest rollercoasters I’ve ever been on so you don’t know what to expect from Arsenal. Play like we did vs Man City and we’ll be fine but play like we did against Wigan and we could be planning a trip to PAOK Solonika. Now that doesn’t sound fun to me.

In all the hype surrounding the game there has been news that Yann M’Vila is 99% a done deal. Now like most Gooners I’m obviously very excited by this news but again like most Gooners I’ve never seen him play a game. A five minute Youtube clip is the best I’ve done but saying that if you put a highlight reel of my greatest power league goals then I’m sure people would be excited about me joining their Sunday league side. The difference though on this occasion is that M’Vila has had some fantastic reviews coming out of France, is already cementing his place in the centre of the French national sides midfield and pundits have likened him to Vieira and everyone still thinks I’m shit. With Lucas in the bag and the possibility of M’Vila before the team return to training for the 2012/13 season is excellent news. I still think we’re one player short in defence but with the emergence of Koscielny this season I’m pretty happy with TV5 PM4 and LK6. My doubt is Johan Djourou who I don’t believe is good enough but he’s happy for be our fourth choice and it might be very hard to buy a better defender who is happy to play when he’s needed.

So back to Sunday and our cup final vs WBA. The question I pose is do I wear fancy dress? My head says no but my heart says yes. Football is supposed to be an enjoyable experience and I love the final day of the season as much as the next person but is this game too important that I couldn’t wear an amusing costumer?

Anyways, try and enjoy the next few days. Five more days and this horrible season is over and let’s hope it ends on a high.

Enjoy.