SBNation.com User Blog: Learn2Leaf

"No, it's not out of reach, of course not," Redknapp said, when asked about pipping Arsenal to...

Learn2Leaf — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:12:29 -0000

"No, it's not out of reach, of course not," Redknapp said, when asked about pipping Arsenal to third. "I still think we'll finish above Arsenal - bring it on, Arsene!" ~ Good Ol' 'Arry putting his foot in it again.

Henry apologizes for swearing at a fan.

Learn2Leaf — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:18:56 -0000

Henry apologizes for swearing at a fan.

Meanwhile, reports of an Arsenal fan running around telling everyone he knows in giddy tones that "GOD SWORE AT ME!" go underreported.

MK Dons boss Rombison to Mancini: STFU.

Learn2Leaf — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:32:33 -0000

MK Dons boss Rombison to Mancini: STFU.

I have a new hero today. Moments after QPR snatched a vital tying goal against League One side MK Dons, their gaffer had a run at Roberto Mancini, who recently bemoaned that he didn't have enough players to win the league, urging for more money. He correctly called Mancini an "embarrassment."

Just call him the Lovely Left Foot

Learn2Leaf — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:26:05 -0000

Just call him the Lovely Left Foot

Want to watch all 42 of Robin van Persie's goals from 2011? Of course you do. What a stupid question that is. Big thanks to LumixGoalsTV (@LumixGoals) for this lovely tribute.

No matter the highs or lows you experience while supporting your team, there is always some fan...

Learn2Leaf — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:22:34 -0000

No matter the highs or lows you experience while supporting your team, there is always some fan more idiotic than you. It may just be a game, but for some, it is permanent. via Dirty Tackle - go visit them, they are delightfully inane.

Wenger: The Ox ready for Euro 2012

Learn2Leaf — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:00:29 -0000

Wenger: The Ox ready for Euro 2012

Good Ol' Arsene believes with the ban of Rooney for the group stage of Euro 2012, AOC could be his replacement. Sounds good to me, kind of like another young, promising Arsenal teenager who was brought along for a major international competition which did nothing for him because the shock appointment led to ZERO minutes played. What could possibly go wrong?

I really wish players would not say these things.

Learn2Leaf — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:01:52 -0000

I really wish players would not say these things.

Just cue up your inane summer reading nine months in advance.

4 Games, 11 Yellow, 3 Red

Learn2Leaf — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:59:07 -0000

4 Games, 11 Yellow, 3 Red

I know fair play really doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but this is Big Sam Territory! Wenger has to put a cap on this.

Qatar one ups Man City

Learn2Leaf — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:29:42 -0000

Qatar one ups Man City

Seriously, couldn't £138 billion just about cure world hunger?

Media Spun: Last Minute Panic Buys or Time of Business

Learn2Leaf — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:08:49 -0000

Everyone and there football obsessed dog (who cheers for Wolves, naturally) is having their say and one phrase seems to pop up when it comes to Arsenal's last day transaction: panic buying. Wenger was so spooked by the 8-2 "tie you up, bend you over, the secret word is 'banana'... not" thrashing at the hands of Manchester United, he finally opened his wallet and bought every warm body available to him who wasn't teen. Seriously, little breakdown on the quality of players, the strengths and weaknesses addressed and whether or not anyone, other than fans, truly agree with his moves.

Instead it is the death of the Wenger policy - buy cheap and young, build for the future - and a final omission from Le Professor that the media was correct all along. You need to buy and buy big. Well, I'm not buying it any more than I bought the idea that the dark day in Manchester put Wenger anywhere near the exit door.

First off, I'll agree to one point - Wenger firmly put youth policy on the back burner this deadline. From Mersacker and Young, who are 26, to the loaned Benayoun, who is 31, these are older, established players with a lot left to give. And given the crop that was loaned or shipped out, the oldest being Bendtner at 23, it does suggest Wenger knew he needed experience and quality to move the team forward in the battle for 4th+ this season is going to be. However, it isn't the death nail in his philosophy either when you take into account signings, such as Joel Campbell and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the sheer volume of loans Arsenal are a part of (Vela, Bendtner, Lansbury, Sunu, Campbell, Pedro, Bartley). The youth depth is alive and well. The older signings, to me, appear an adjustment by Wenger that the youth isn't ready this time around (unlike when Fabregas came through after Vieirra and the whole team responded after the departure of Henry).

But what about that word, panic. Are these truly panic buys? Well, one couldn't say he splashed the cash, truly, spending roughly 30 million on five players, which wouldn't have gotten the team two Narsi's by Manchester City pricing, which dominates the market. Some may question 10mil for Arteta, who surely has seen his greatest days already, but for a creative midfielder on deadline day, you aren't going to do much better.

Wenger also addressed most of the teams concerns in the last two days. He strengthened the weakest of defenses the team has seen in a long time with Mersacker and, maybe more importantly, Santos; plugged the gaping hole in the creative midfield with Benayoun and (wonderfully) Arteta to help the Ramsey, Wilshire, Song connection along and even gave us one more option up front to go with RvP, Walcott, Gervinho and (yes) Chamakh. All the deficiencies highlighted by Man Utd were impoved upon with probably some of the better players available. Is this panicking?

Many ask if Arsenal were able to sign five players in two days, why did they wait until now? While it is easy to point to 8-2 as a driving force, how could anyone think that the 2-0 loss to Liverpool or even the dour 0-0 at Newcastle were equally as panic inducing? When you look at it, Newcastle is a team Arsenal need to beat and Liverpool main competition for CL and better. A visit to Old Trafford is always the next thing to a loss in any season, could the manner truly impact of the actual result Wenger's head?

I disagree. Humiliating as it is, it truly cannot drive one man (well, group, really) to change overnight. These deals had to be in discussion for a while. We've been on Mersacker for months and after the sale of Clichy, one considers it mind-boggling that Wenger couldn't have been pursuing someone to strengthen the position. I suspect it is more likely that the deadline deals were just the price of doing business - teams holding out to the final days to get the best price or convince players to stay. While I am generally surprised by the speed the Arteta deal came about, particularly with it not being in the media a lot, overall, these deals were made when they could. While none were the big name replacements fans wanted, there is no indication that those deals were even available and until I hear they were, I am inclined to believe that what we ended up with were the best options without offering to buy a new team for Lille in exchange for Hazard. Teams may have been able to squeeze some extra coin from Wenger, but the prices don't suggest it was much.

Or maybe I'm wrong; I'm certainly no insider. But when I look at the quality of players, many would make most teams in the premiership, and when I look at the price paid, I can't help but wonder if the real question is not whether or not Wenger "panicked" but why didn't teams take the "panicking" Wenger to the cleaners?

The (Falling) Kings of North London

Learn2Leaf — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:14:33 -0000

A diminished and fragile side strolled into Old Trafford this Sunday and were shipped for eight goals by the reigning champions, a continuation of the painful stretch Gooners have suffered through. After all the years of success, the warnings of "falling from the Big Four", Arsenal suddenly find themselves in a true state of crisis, struggling mightily at the opening gate due to injuries and fleeing starlets. They oft say "misery loves company." Well, it seems we don't have far to look to find our bedfellows.

A short jaunt from the empty Emirates Stadium, another Manchester side was rolling over our neighbour and hated rival. City pushed five past Spurs, on the back of the in form Dzeko and the re-energized passing of new boy Narsi (I'll let you simmer over that for a bit). Although not ultimately as embarrassing, Tottenham looked nearly as lost as Arsenal, facing many of the same problems: a want-away midfielder, shaking defense, uncertain transfers. For the past few seasons, the noise out of White Hart has been how Spurs have caught Arsenal, ready to challenge for titles, trophies and the coveted Champions League. One Carling Cup and one season in the CL seemed to prove them right. But lately, I've wondered if it isn't just that Tottenham has risen to Arsenal, but Arsenal has fallen to them. But there is a more personal reason for these thoughts.

My father grew up in North London. As a boy, he played full back (as he tells it, a pure hacker at the position, which I'm sure meant exactly what you think it does) and so one of his favourite players was Roger Byrne, English and Manchester United fullback. Because of this, his first fandom fell in with Busby's Babes. Tragically, the Munich Air Disaster led to the death of my father's favourite player and burgeoning connection with Manchester United. Following this, for reasons never truly explained (and despite the one and only Bobby Charlton), he swapped clubs for the closer by Tottenham Hotspur.

An odd choice because his father was a Chelsea man and his elder brother a Gunner, which is the way it still stands. We have a complex family. When English Football became an interest of mine, I needed only my seldom seen British uncle's coaxing and a day watching Dennis Bergkamp on his television set to be sold. And thus began probably my favourite part of football - having it out with my dad over our rivalry.

Of course, it is all incredibly good-natured, as I deride the inconsistent Spuds and he denounces players who play like Arseholes. But yesterday, something different happened. After wresting the phone away from my mum, he simply said, "I hope things go better for North London tomorrow." No egging on about lost Gunners, no jeering at not having scored a goal, but simple understanding between two fans of struggling teams set to take on most pundits picks for champions - one Manchester or the other.

It has been a long while since the Kings of North London has meant so little. Over the past season, Arsenal had been a perennial challenger, a force in England with trophies, if not assured top four, to lay claim to the that title, while Tottenham a team eager to knock them off their perch, searching for ways to gain the edge in the table and on their North London rivals. Even when Tottenham were midtable, defeating Arsenal was a trophy onto itself (and they rarely got that either!). But now, both teams are suffering big, early set backs. If Modric does indeed leave, Spurs will have a taste of the Arsenal exodus, particularly if you couple that with Berbatov's departure a few years back. Injuries are biting both teams. And now, both have suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of the, debatable, new seat of footballing power, Manchester. (In Spurs' case, two defeats.)

In a month, Tottenham, who currently sit last in the table, hosts Arsenal, who sit 16th but with the worst goal differential, in the first leg of the classic North London Derby. Each has three games and three transfer days to improve their outlook on the table: Swansea, Blackburn (A) and Bolton for Arsenal; Wolves (A), Liverpool and Wigan (A) for Spurs. Either could have new players, new managers or no change at all. But it could be on of the lowest ranked North London Derbies in years, and while I will never give up the chance to put my boots into the Spuds, this year, it feels a little more like kicking the face in the mirror.