The (Oh) Man City Full 9

While Arsenal's title hopes were over sometime in August, the thrilling 1-0 defeat of (Oh) Man City at Emirates Sunday was especially sweet in oh, so many ways: extinguishing the English career of ridiculous human being Mario Balotelli, likely sticking a fork in the cooked potato that is Roberto Mancini's Manchester stint, and helping Manchester United prove that a club built on obscene debt is always superior to a club built on obscene wealth...er, wait a minute.

1. Who is the bigger fool? Mario "Why Me?" Balotelli, or the manager who signed him,  not once, but twice, and has given him a very long leash for nor obvious reason?
2. A: Mancini is old enough to know better.
3. Did I mention that Man City lost even though deploying former Arsenal stud buckets Samir "I just wanna trophy" Nasri, and Gael "Theo Walcott of the Defense" Clichy? Write when you get the trophy, guys!
4. So, Samir, how's that working for you? It would be churlish of me to mention that in 2011 you faded earlier than the team did, but you didn't exactly put your stamp on Sunday's match, did you? Or, the season.
5. The shine seems well and truly off the coaching legend of Mancini. the rumbles are starting to, well, rumble that he may be on his way out of Etihad. Commentators and former players are noting that he really wasn't all that at Inter, after all. It's hard not to question the ability of a manager whose squad has imploded as spectacularly as (Oh) Man City. 
6. Mancini claims he didn't see the leg-assault on Alex Song, but perhaps he didn't need to, in order to see that Balotelli was a liability to his team as long as he remained on the pitch. As the game went on, I kept hoping and praying that Mancini left the striker on the pitch. Though, while some (namely, me) are childishly focusing on Balotelli, it would be harsh to blame him entirely for what was a team effort to not win, assisted by a coach who got his tactics all wrong.
7. For those who insist that a deft man manager like Ferguson might be able to teach responsibility to Mario while coaxing the freakish talent he possesses, go on with yourselves. Ferguson would never waste his time on a basket case project like Balotelli.  
8. Perhaps Why Me? might want to issue and apology to Alex Song whose leg he very nearly broke? Or Bacary Sagna, whose legs, for some reason, he seemed to want to break. Fascinating, at halftime to see a parade of Manc players walk by the back-knacked Balotelli without acknowledging him. The only player to talk to him was Arsenal's Sagna who seemed to be encouraging, despite the mugging he'd endured from the Italian.
9. In non-Man City news, Tottenham lost today. Holy crap, Arsenal might actually finish third. What an odd game, this football is! Call it 9.5, but Mikel Arteta's game winner was sweet; not just for the finish, but the way he barged in to steal the pass near the center circle, after 87 minutes of hard work. Arteta was one of several Gunners with outstanding efforts. 

Late to the Houston Full 9

Due to a busy weekend and busier week, I'm slow to pitch up a post-Dynamo Full 9, but here goes:

1. Nice of the authorities to authorize work-release for the Houston 11 so they could play a game of...er, run around on the pitch while hitting anything in green. I kid. The new look Houston team plays a bit more football than the battering rams in orange of previous seasons, but they still like their cheap shots. Hard to believe they made it to the finals last season...
2. I know it's not a popular opinion in Section 119, but I continue to think that Brad Evans does not suck. 
3. Baldomero Toledo. Raises the question, is he the poor man's Ricardo Salazar, or is Salazar the poor man's Toledo? I hate to complain when he called the rare (and spot-on) penalty for the tough love on Ianni as he rose to head home a corner, but he suffers from much of the same ineptitude of Salazar: allows far too much violent play, while whistling the occasional light foul, doesn't allow a game to flow and buys so much bad acting you know he's a huge Adam Sandler fan. 
4. Did Fernandez really dive on the foul before he got booked? El Flaco has looked very good this season, but he has got to avoid becoming El Fake-o.
5. I'm liking Marc Burch. He's a much better defender and passer than Gonzalez.
6. Gspurning. A couple of good saves in the match, and continues to show good ability to distribute the ball from the back.
7. Montero a near perfect 9 of 10 on the Underwhelmo-meter.
8. Ianni has been strong. Kudos to the little giant for addressing the mental side of the game and being open about it. Perhaps he can make a referral for Fredy...or get some matches and some gas and light a fire under his ass. 
9. Not excited to see Zach Scott deputizing for the injured Johansson, but damn it, if the little train that could that is Scott didn't have a decent game. His dogged play is downright irrepressible, with a high workrate and a game that appears to have grown over the off-season. I'll need more evidence than a single game, but it appeared his weak passing abilities may have evolved a level, as well.

Full Points at Goodison

Arsenal hang on to survive 1-0 at Goodison Park and with Tottenham drawing against Stoke, go a point clear of the Spurs for third place. Amazing.

1. Ramsey. Just. Not. Good. Enough.
2. Early goals. They're much nicer when we're scoring them.
3. Everton was level at 31 minutes. AR made a shocking bad call with Trenthe easily onside. It was a  game changer as Everton was getting themselves back into the game, scrapping on defense, stringing together possession and building closer and closer to Arsenal's goal. The linesmen continued to have a shocker, not getting the offsides decisions  correct until mid-second half. Unlike Theo, they then got things going the right way in the latter period.
4. Decision-Making. Not just the linesman. Arsenal followed a very bright opening 15 minutes, abandoning incisive passing for silly give-ups in their own half, allowing Everton to stem and reverse the tide. Some silly passing from Song, and another dangerous pass from Song, but Everton failed to punish them.
5. The Disappearing Lad. Theo Walcott got off to a bright start and looked as if he might be ready to have a cracking game. It lasted 10 minutes or so. Didn't do dick afterwards. His best second half move? Walking off the pitch.
6. Tactics. After the initial Arsenal tide, David Moyes moved Fellaini up behind the lead striker and dropped Cahill, which paid immediate and lasting impact. Fellaini had a major impact on the game from this point on. Arsene never really countered. 
7. Tactics, Pt. II. I understand making a defensive substitution late in the match with a 1-0 lead, but the way he's played this season, can Djourou really be considered a defensive move? Just kidding DJ, you know we love you.
8. Koscielny seems to be getting a lot of props for his play this season. Mercy me, I think he deserves it.
9. Three points. Though Arsenal rarely got back out of 2nd gear after the opening minutes, this was an end-to-end game for large parts and quite entertaining. That and three points totals a fine evening.

Full 9 Season Opener

Fantastic season opening match Saturday night. The weather cut us some slack and although it was cold, it was comfortable and dry, as the Sounders pounded Toronto 3-1, courtesy a good team effort and the hat trick heroics of young David Estrada.

1. E is for Excellent. E is for Estrada. Finally, we have a forward who combines talent, speed and work rate with finishing. He was as lively throughout the match as Montero wasn't. His off-the-ball movement is excellent, and the reason he is getting so many good chances. In three games, Estrada has looked like a real gamer. So far in 2012, No. 16 has two-thirds of our goals. Kind of makes you wonder about some of the mugs who've played on our frontline while Sigi was trying Estrada out as a midfielder and defender.
2. Ricardo Salazar is an ass clown. Seriously, this guy has been hands down, stone cold incompetent in every match I've seen him ref. Saturday, he called the game like it was a WWF showdown. Sigi took Mauro off late in the game because he realized that TFC was gonna try and break him, and Salazar wasn't going to protect him. That he's considered one of the MLS' best referees, speaks volumes to the refereeing problems in the league. Plenty of examples of his incompetence throughout the match; the most egregious might be the leg battering of Mauro Rosales mid-shot in the box late in the 2nd half. Should've been a booking and a shot on the dot. Which leads to...
3. MLS' rugby play. Rosales out for a couple of weeks now due to the bad tackle and non-call against TFC. We saw it last year as teams targeted Rosales, recognizing they didn't have the players to acutally  counter his class. Sounders have seen their skill players hacked off the pitch far too many times. We are not the only club to have lost a star player to the whack-a-mole defensive tactics of the MLS. Referees have got to clamp down on the violent play targeting skill players. If not, it will hamper the entertainment value of the league and the long-term growth of the MLS. 
4. Diving. TFC resorted to some grievious simulations during the match, and Salazar showed there was no fake he wouldn't buy. When Ryan Johnson took a flyer near midfield, he should've been shown a yellow card. From where I was it did not look a foul, but when a player does the extreme starfish jump that's your clue that they're faking. Any human who is actually tripped and is falling, will use their arms to break their fall.
5. Captain Mauro. This guy is a class above everyone else. He shredded TFC all night long, and made the attack hum. He works hard on both sides of the pitch. Sounders fans are lucky to be able to watch a player of this caliber in the rave green.
6. El Flaco. Another player who worked hard on both sides of the ball and impressed himself on the game. He terrorized the fullback on his side and set up Estrada's goals nicely. My only complaint is that he is still a bit of a diver and pulled a mortal injury/miracle cure late in the second alf that was cynical.
7. Montero is gonna drive me nuts. I counted three positive involvements with the game. The rest of the time he was a bystander.
8. Seattle fans. Wow, 38,709 fans in attendance. That is amazing.
9. Gspurning. While we haven't had enough time to fairly judge his shot-stopping ability (and throw out the 6- loss as an aberration, and the 6 goals a team effort rather than resting on the shoulders of the keeper), see the Austrian adding an improved ability to distribute the ball from the back. He's good with the ball at his feet, and can throw or punt the ball about anywhere he wants to. 

Full Crackin' 9

1. Brilliant cracking game between Arsenal and Newcastle. Arsenal looked the fox in the henhouse for most of the game, and did well enough during the inevitable ebb tides. Plenty of shots taken and enough to think they should've been up several goals by the end. Vermaelen performs the smash and grab at the death (or thereabouts, minus the Dutch buffoonery). And now, we're just one thin point behind a wobbly Spurs. 
2. RVP. The legend continues. 44 goals in the last 45 Premiership matches. Amazing.
3. Neither Verm or Gibbs covered themselves in glory on the Newastle goal. Vermaelen with the giveaway in the center of their defensive area. Gibbs with his positioning to allow BArfa in, then diving past him to allow him to get the shot on his favored left foot. Nonetheless, both did much to atone for the early mistake.
4. Great response to equalize after 53 seconds
5. Whose a big bald clown? Howard. Webb.
6. The only thing saving Hatem Ben Arfa from being a useless idiot would be that left foot, I guess. Call him a useful idiot, then. 
7. Is it me, or does Laurent Koscielny lead the league in knocked heads?
8. Bacary Sagna had another very strong game. Man, did we miss this guy.
9. I never thought I'd utter these words: "No, don't sub Rosicky out!"

First Match Sounders Full Nine

I watched this one from the safety of my TV room, but found plenty to enjoy in the Sounders 2-1 opening leg Champions League quarterfinal victory over Santos Lagunas

1. The new look Sounders look pretty good. Even the Miami Vice Super Cyan jerseys looked better than I thought they would. The club played a very fluid, confident game. Great link-up play, movement off the ball, and a competent defense, aside from the narcolepsy on the Gomez goal
2. Naming Mauro Rosales team captain was second best decision after pulling out the checkbook to resign the Argentine.
3. Santos was not a light weight by any means. They were overrun in the first 20 minutes but progressively played their way into the game.  A couple of times they were able to string together
4. ...sadly, they too often resorted to diving and more bad acting than an Adam Sandler film festival
5. Fredy Montero looked Shagadelic in his new do. Fortunately, his play was much more attractive. I thought he looked lively and intelligent throughout the game. He showed more consistency and commitment than I've seen from him for an entire match.
6. Montero's ball for the first goal was a thing of beauty. Also, David Estrada acquitted himself nicely in the match. Aside from the opening goal, he was very active and caused the Santosian defense plenty of trouble.
7. Is it me, or does Brad Evans look a lot sharper?
8. It's too early to make pronouncements on Gspurning as he didn't have a tremendous amount to do, but he looked a capable replacement for Kasey Keller. Certainly, he seems to read the game well and is an avid distributor. Looking forward to seeing more of what he can do for us.
9. Sounds like some ex-Sounder is continuing his goodwill tour of the end of his career

On 6 September 2011, Ljungberg signed for Japanese club Shimizu S-Pulse.^[49] He left the club by mutual consent on 14 February 2012.^[50]

The Full Anfield Nine

1. Villain of the Game: Comcast. The DVR was prepped and set to record the Arsenal V. Liverpool tiltup whilst I slept, but when I woke up and stumbled out to the tv to watch, there was 1 minute of Ian Darke standing outside Anfield telling me what a cracking match i was about to watch...NOT! Never liked him much.
2. Villain of the Game, Part Deux: Luis Suarez. If Mark Halsey had taken the time to look underneath the Uruguayan's uni, he would find the man wearing Speedos. Two dive bomb penalties against Arsenal in two consecutive games. Unbelievable. Simulation is a stain on the modern game.
3. Robin van Persie. The game winner was a goal of unparalleled difficulty and beauty. Few strikers can execute a volley on the run, and from a tight angle, as well, as RVP.  Two chances. Two goals. Truly in a class of his own. I hope that 1) they either break the bank keeping him or 2) he ends up at Barcelona, where they'll know how to use his talents. 
4. Wojciech Szcszny. He made a number of saves in the game, but the penalty double-save was special. The kid's got moxie.
5. Can't ignore Alex Song. I've been critical of his defensive inconsistency in the past, but he's had a solid season so far. the problem is that he's turned into one of the best passing midfielders in the league. He has seven assists so far. Even more than the number - again, this is a defensive mid - is the manner. a handful of those assists have been laser-point, Cesc-like, scalpel open the defense passes. Pure talent. Given the lack of Cesc-ness in the midfield, it suggests a dilemma in moving Song upfield from his defensive duties, at least during points of a match.
6. Now that Lampard, Terry, Drogba, etc. have prevailed and ousted their 12-year-old coach, what next for Chelsea? The players have demonstrated that they run the team, at least as it goes with player selection...and coach selection. And Roman Abramovich has demonstrated that he is as short-term a thinker as an owner could possibly be. Who could step into AVB's shoes and succeed?
7. Are Arsenal still a crisis club? I am happy over the recent wins. Delirious even...but, a voice in my head is screaming that the deep rot in Arsenal still exists. The defensive frailty (e.g. a center back with the nerves of a chihauha - bonjour, Laurent!); a roster of midfield players who are happy to string meaningless passes together, if they could just string a few passes together, a strikeforce that consists of RVP, and...RVP; and tactical ineptitude and incompetent roster management. Yes, all those things are true...and yet, they're chasing 3rd place. What a funny game.
8.  Ronnie Montrose. RIP. Get on that bad motor scooter and ride.
9. Finally, Bobby McMahon sums up the coaching job market in England:
   

Vs. Sunderland (Arsenal Fan's Therapists Will Get Extra Work)

1. Alrighty then, here we go. Last chance to win silverware. Apparently, Sunderland's fans don't think much of this match as there are a massive number of empty seats in the stadium
2. Arsenal and Sunderland begin to run about on the sandlot at the Stadium of Light. Damn, that's a piss poor pitch.After the San Siro, though, perhaps it doesn't feel so bad to the squad
3. Damn, there goes another player down. Oh. no. SQUILLACI!
4. Where did we get the Arsenal medical staff from, London Clown College?! All the injury problems Arsenal have had with injuries over the years, you get a player like Coquelin coming on after a hammy whammy and you get 7 minutes of him before the hammer drops again.
5. Oooh. Sunderland smells blood as Le Coq goes off to be replaced by the Squid. (I'd be smelling goals, too, if I looked up and saw Squid and DeeJou in the back. Frankly, if they can't score on this defense they've got bigger problems). Wow, while I am a bitter, disillusioned Gooner, even I will admit there is a tidal wave of bad luck with injuries. Of course, the other side of that is that any problem can be dealt with, if you assess the factors at play and correct for them. Arsenal just seem to have injury after injury, season after season, and are not doing something right, when it comes to fitness. 
6. That said, Come on Arsenal! I do like Coquelin, but come on, he's not even a regular player yet. They can't fall apart because theylose him.
7. Arsenal's looking to me like the least incisive passing team in the EPL. Side-to-side passing. It's like they've studied the Barca playbook but lost the chapters on the final third.
8. Verminator or Vermin? Previously, our strongest defender, he's had two shockers in a row. The first half goal started with a poor decision to back pass to DJ, needlessly putting the hapless defender under pressure.
9. Ox caught flat-footed on the line, boot fumbles the own goal in. Ouch. That's a bit dispiriting. Sums up the whole mess of this season. Right, then. Off to see my therapist.

Random Nines Between CL and FA Cup

1. The first 30 minutes of the Barcelona-Leverkusen match raised the question of whether a team could hold 100% possession during a significant portion of a match. Seriously, it was like watching a Harlem Globetrotters-Washington Generals game, only not that close.
2. Carlos Puyol should be playing bass in a 70s classic rock band
3. I haven't been Per Mertesacker's biggest fan, but the thought of Sebastien Squillaci on the pitch again is almost too horrible to bear
4. It's open season on the Arsenal squad from former players. Keown. Dixon & Pettit.
5. Theo is supposedly out in the summer cull, according to the Mail, but I'll believe it when I see it. I stopped believing in Santa Claus and the Arsenal transfer window a few years back. 
6. Apparently, it's almost as fun being a Chelsea fan this year, as it is being a Gooner...
7. Martin O'Neill reckons he has the players to cause Arsenal trouble? Good one, Martin. Arsenal has the players to cause Arsenal trouble (see previous item) 
8. Switching to the MLS, I'm not an immediate fan of this trade. Don't know much about Johnson, though it doesn't appear that he's done too much consistently or recently. Throwing Fucito and Neagle into the pile for a striker of indeterminate value seems awfully high price to pay.
9. I'm still miffed that Sounders didn't get Seba back (letting the Whitecaps snag him instead). I'm skeptical that Eddie Johnson is the hard working, speedy goalscorer the squad needs. The comments I've seen around have noted that he's not known for a work ethic and is a few seasons beyond his peak. 

Nothing Big to Report Today...

Nope, nothing happening. Slow news day for Arsenal fans...Oh, damn. Might as well get this over with.

1. I haven't watched the game yet, but a friend inadvertently spilled the score beans earlier today
2. Alright, then. Tucked in for the disaster. First thing is that ESPN has got to do away with that ridiculous mini-pitch the announcers play on pre-game and halftime. Worst idea since the electric vuvuzela
3. Another bad idea is Ibrahimovic's facial hair. Yes, the Gunners looked bad but they didn't look that bad.
4. Was Rosicky ever good? I can't remember.
5. Speaking of useless, what in God's name do the endline officials do? I've yet only seen them make two kinds of calls: the wrong one and the complete whiff
6. Sadly, from just a footballing perspective, it's sad stuff that this Arsenal squad is in the Champions League, but the buccaneering Tottenham squad is not. 
7. Boring, boring Arsenal.
8. Dennis Bergkamp is nice about it, but pretty damn spot on as to Arsenal's failings
9. Today's WTF moment brought to you by Mega-Mouth

Now that I've had the opportunity to watch the Blackburn match on the DVR...

1. Official attendance was 59,643. If only. There weren't enough bin bags in North London to cover the empty seats. That'll show you, ya dirty dissenters.
2. Up until Morten Gamst Pedersen scored, I had no idea he was in the game
3. Three nice assists from Theo Walcott which means, of course, he won't do dick until April. He did show that he's still a decent track star. 
4. Alex Song is having a fair season when it comes to passing. Two delightful passes leading up to the first and third goals and a fair number quality passes throughout the match.  This is a much better use of Alex than last season's calamitous Attackin' Alex.
5. Ian Darke is the Frank Gifford of EPL announcing.
6. Speaking of The Darke One, during the match he commented that new signing Thomas Eisfield was a big fan of Tomas "Crockpot" Rosicky and would 'no doubt' be mentored by the Czech. If true, that strikes me as one of the most alarming things I've heard since Craig Bellamy teaching anger management to young players.
7. Coquelin continues to impress. Playing out of position at right back, he was solid in defense, good on the ball and looked to get up into the attack He had more than twice as many tackles as any other Gunner.
8. Szczesny is in the bottom three saves percentage in the league. Surely, a function of our defense than a true read of the Pole's performances (i.e. 8 goals against @ Ol Trafford)
9. I'm not a fan of divers. I strongly believe that a dive should merit a yellow card. Dive with more than a triple roll and the penalty should be a red card, or a cattle prod (better, both). But, wow, this player gives divers everywhere a bad name.

1. Thank Heavens for Blackburn! At least there is still one EPL team that plays with the "They're Invincibles" inferiority complex that more than half the league used to suffer from. I'll watch the match later on the DVR, but having watched previous Blackburn self-immolations against the Gunners, I know what to expect.
2. Cue wild "Arsene Knows Best" celebrations (until the next loss)
3. I guess the fan protest could've been better timed, eh?
4. Every douche has his day...
5. Does Wenger listen to the word-foolery that pops out of his mouth?! How about the lazy Russian giving a little respect to the fans by showing some commitment and work rate on the pitch?
6. Speaking of loosey-goosey mouth. Ol' 'Arry is doing the 'live by the mouth, die by the mouth' routine
7. Seattle's forward lineup leaves me underwhelmed. I would've been seriously whelmed had they beaten Vancouver to the punch and retrieved Seba from Philly. Oh, well. It's not as if speed and work rate up front is something we would want.
8. My new blog is going to be "Sh*t Arsene Says"
9. Robin van Persie. If our #10 isn't the league MVP, I'll eat my boots. We'd be near relegation zone without the Dutchman. Pure class.

Oh, Arsenal!

1. Amazing comeback against Aston Villa. Hooray, everything is great at Arsenal! What a genius is Arsene Wenger.
2. Oh, no. Another sad, listless draw/loss against a (historically) lower table team! Arsene Wenger is a stubborn old coot who has forgotten everything he ever knew about football (which wasn't much, since he just threw the ball out for Vieira, Bergkamp, Pires & Henry, the lucky bugger)
3. If it were possible f
4. Fortunately, the Gunners' silverware drought is over as they are certain to win at least one of the remaining matches this season
5. Does Le Profeseur ever listen to the sounds coming out of his mouth? every game's a cup final?! Players returning from injury are like new signings?! Madness. Sheer madness.
6. BTW, if a player returning from injury is like a new signing, does a setback equate to our star midfielder leaving the team to play for Man City?
7. Chris Foy really is a terrible idiot. That's not opinion. That's just fact.
8. Shocked to see cheerleaders at Bolton. Is this new? The MLS doesn't even have cheerleaders FGS.
9. Was Szczesny highduring wednesday's game? seriously, I don't recall seeing him play that nervously since his first league games with the club. He looked very uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, and invited trouble as if he were Fabianski.

Full 9 Exclusive

Breaking news. The Full 9 has just gotten a hold of Arsene Wenger's secret January Transfer Window Shopping List.

1. Get Jack Wilshere back from injury
2. Get Gervinho back from injury (bonus: teach him to finish)
3. Get Santos back from injury
4. Get Sagna back from injury
5. Talk to Thierry Henry about two more weeks
6. See what Kanu is up to
7. Get Andrei Arshavin's confidence back 
8. Talk about our sustainable business model
9. Reiterate pledge not to panic buy

FA Cup 4th Round

1. Wow. Best Arsenal game I've seen in quite awhile. Great fight back by the lads. And they actually created chances, for all the passing and possession.
2. Don't talk to me about the defensive mistakes on the goals. I just want to savor this one.
3. Fabianski still makes me nervous. If it weren't for David De Gea, he'd be the most nervous looking keeper in the Premier League.
4. Coquelin continues to impress. He's a tough competitor, good with the ball at his feet. Let's see more of him.
5. Rosicky looked lively. Turned back the clock to his pre-crockpot days.
6. Walcott. Meh. Full credit, though. Arshavin would've turned that shot high and wide.
7. Sagna's back! It was great to see Bacary get back on the field. Even better still, to see an injured fullback return.
8. Ox. Rocks. Arsene hasn't lost his eye for spotting rare talent (whether he's nearly ruthless enough to clear out the deadwood and busts is another matter). The key to subbing him out, it seems is to do at very late, with a lead, and with Thierry Henry.
9. Come on, Alex McL. Just because you're an ugly old mug, doesn't mean RVP committed a crime.

Time-Traveling pre-Aston Villa Full 9

1. Wojciech Szczeszny demands slavish, unquestioning loyalty to Wenger
2. Almost immediately, Alan Smith - who we all know loves to torment keepers - fails the young pole
3. Meanwhile, 'Arry Redknapp shows Arsene Wenger how the financial mastermind bit is done properly (or, improperly)
4. Nigeria tour? Possibly. Could a swoop for Kanu as Henry's replacement be far behind?
5. I have not yet watched today's FA Cup game. When I do, there will be another Full 9, hopefully, a positive, cheery, celebratory list.
6. BTW, if you say "FA Cup" by phonetically pronouncing "FA" as pha, it sounds like a description of Arsenal's defensive performances of the past several years.
7. Was aghast at the amount of space Djourou afforded Ryan Giggs last week, allowing the cross for the winning goal. After reading up on Ryan Giggs' extracurriculars, I'm realizing Johan was probably keeping a prudent distance from the slimy Giggs, given the Gunner defender was not wearing a hazmat suit.  
8. Dempsey, Ream, etc. sign that MLS talent is growing
9. Sadly, America lacks a ridiculous transfer rumour mill to compete with EPL

Where Have We Seen This Movie Before?

1. This match was all about Arsene Wenger's fading coaching abilties. Removing Ox after he'd been the best player on the field for 75 minutes and laying on a brilliant pass for VP's goal was a decision only the willfully ignorant could support. That the player he brought on was the footballistically-challenged Arshavin, only made what came next inevitable. ManU took the ball right at Arshavin - a player whose defensive play could best be characterized as more theoretical than actual - and bagged the game winner as easily.. well, as easy as Man U wins against Arsenal in the last 5 or 6 seasons.
   
   Sir Alex Ferguson owns Wenger. If the EPL was a prison yard, SAF would be a big guy named Killer and Arsene would be "New Guy". One could criticize particular players for their lack of quality and commitment, but more so, it was the fault of Arsene's transfer policy that has resulted in a team with more deadwood than a lumber yard. This club is going nowhere with Arsene Wenger. The past is the past.
   
2. Man of the Match: Piers Morgan for ripping Arsene Wenger a new, well, arsehole at halftime.
    
3. Man of the Match (on the pitch): Ox. Easily the best player on the field. His pace, energy, strength and sense of purpose shone brightly. The pass he laid on to van Persie could best be described as sublime. In fact, he is rather the polar opposite of the lil' Russian. Yin to Andrei's lazy yang. Morgan kept referring to him as Walcott with brains. I'd add stregnth, as well. Where Walcott gets pushed off the ball like an old lady with a walker, Ox holds possession. Ok, his game wasn't perfect, but it was immense. We need more of this guy.
   
4. Midfield. As in, did we have one today? Man U overran Ramsey, Rosicky and Song all game long. This is Arsenal?
   
   
5. Djourou would be a fine Championship defender. No, he's not a fullback. I understand he's playing out of position, but he makes basic mistakes to layer on top of his leaden pace. (Either that, someone forgot to tell him that Ryan Giggs might not be the guy to allow to pick his pass into the box)
   
   I'm not sure if Yennaris was some kid Arsene saw outside the Emirates before the game, but he was miles better than Djourou, especially against the pace of United's wingers and Rafael.
   
6. As much as I think Walcott is a few yards short of a full pitch, full credit to him for bravely flying in to the box near the end of the game, and getting a whomping introduction to the forces of gravity (Head, meet ground). Brave stuff.
   
7. Van Persie. The striker had dick all to do all game, but his finish on the equalizer was delightful. That's why he's one of the world's best. Sure, he missed a sitter earlier. That happens. He's pure quality, though, and always a threat to score.
   
8. Just Kos. I'm not his biggest fan by a far mark, but Kos had a pretty good game. If he could just rid his play of the stupid decisions, he'd be a suitable center back. If we have fit fullbacks, I can live with Vermaelen/Koscielny pairing.
   
9. Rubber sharks. That's how dangerous the Gunners looked for much of the first 65 minutes. Seriously, part of the problem with Arsene's tactics is that we have no sharp point at the end of the spear. For much of that match, we were as exciting to watch as a turd floating in a swimming pool. Yawn.