Wenger Out, Wenger In: Is The Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

Arsenal's 3-2 victory over Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup was a tale of two halves. Despite dominating possession, Arsenal found themselves down by 2 goals going in to the half. The booing at the Emirates was loud and the angst of Arsenal fans on Twitter filled my time line...with many "fans" directing their anger at manager Arsene Wenger and calling for his head.

Whatever Wenger said to the team at half-time worked. They came out and took control of the game and within 16 minutes were on top 3-2. They then held on and ran out the clock to secure victory and their place in the 5th round. Cheers were heard at the Emirates and true fans were filling my Twitter time line with positive statements and telling the "Wenger out" brigade to shove it.

RVP turns the jeers to cheers

In essence, the division among the fans mirrors the two halves of the fixture...one half poor and one half great. Personally, I am disgusted at the vile things supposed Arsenal "fans" are saying about one of the greatest football managers ever. (Check out my last post for more specifics on the two types of fans.) Wenger has brought so much to Arsenal over the last 15 years and to see him treated with such disrespect is disgusting. There is definitely a spoiled "what have you done for me lately" contingent that call themselves Arsenal fans. These folks need a reality check.

These two tweets were my favorites of the day and represent exactly what I'm talking about with regards to the split that currently exists between Arsenal fans:

ArgentoTD
Well done AFC for getting it in from somewhere #InArseneWeTrust. I bet it was a Twitter of 2 halfs on here earlier. #COYG

Sydneyzw
@Piersmorgan I beg to differ I think there is a group that want Wenger out and a group that says #InArseneWeTrust. All fans want trophies.

Rather than go on and on, I thought I'd let the words of actual Arsenal supporters show the divide that currently exists. So here in their own words are the two halves of Arsenal fans:

The "Wenger Out" Crowd

markbennett2011
Only gonna play football now, no more watching/supporting. Can't take this bullshit anymore #arsenal #WengerOut


JoshuaSweeney
Quality finish by Bent. Arsenal are a shambles. As always #WENGEROUT


j_bamford
Absolutely nothing about today's game lends support to the Wenger apologists. Quite the opposite. #wengerout #afc


karimboularbah
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa #wengerout HT

BarnysArmy
The worst thing about my weekend is being an #Arsenal supporter, this shit is devastating. Hate to say it, but it's time. #WengerOut


JohnnyMartinAFC
There's literally no excuses any more #WengerOut


EdinGooner1
#arsenal #arsenallive enough is enough this, is going to far we need to win something #timeforchange #wengerout out out out


Bylesie27
#arsenal #Afc this is bollocks!! Wenger your a complete cunt, just fuck off out of out club now. It's embarrassing. So glad I gave up my ST

dspsjs
#Arsenal Now do you AW backers see he has lost the plot. Time to move out. #wengerout


ajo_R
You can say what you want, but we are in fucking misery again with Wenger.... #Arsenal #wengerout


Wazza_86
@mjallenjune what is happening to us?! It's a shambles!! #wengerout


Lee_Sherminator
Wenger has to go after this game, he is an actual disgrace to AFC #wengerout


DiscoDan142
Fucking terrible do the right thing and resign!!! Your taking us in one direction! Your time is up! #wengerout


rmhfootymerch
I agree with everyone on my time line enough is enough & 7 years without a trophy with our club is not good enough #WengerOut


Lapsy09
4th loss in a row?? #WengerOut


MattNewman93
Same old shit #Arsenal #WengerOut


HazhirAmir14
@MessiMinutes fuck this. I'm supporting Barca #wengerout


ShjBoySalim
4th defeat in a row #Wengerout #WeNeedAMiracle


jackthirlaway
I've had enough of this rubbish, time to jump on the band wagon #WengerOut


Sam19Yannis
@MaxBakerDFW #WengerOut I'm officially done and I'm 100% serious this time, not Arsene the board

ChalireDickens7
Would happily buy Wenger a one way ticket to France #Wengerout


grizzlybaz
Oh FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!!! Switching the radio off now, can't be arsed listening to another #Arsenal humiliation #WengerOut


taoyung
Safe to say Arsenal are out of the FA Cup...#Wengerout..??

TPettifer0304
4 defeats in a row? #spendsomefuckingmoney #wengerout


lewymalone
Glad I'm missing this fucker #wengerout #afc

The "In Arsene We Trust" Loyalists


Frimponged
This win is very good for our confidence. Also where are all the Wenger haters now? I don't see anyone screaming #WengerOut now. Dumbasses.

AFCMarc73
We stuck together as ONE...Up The Mighty Gunners! #InArseneWeTrust. Night all

princesssaraheq
@piersmorgan Actually not everyone was booing the players off. Some of us were getting behind the team for a better 2nd half  #InArseneWeTrust


matthewdoddsey
all fans calling for wengers head should be very careful what they wish for #inarsenewetrust


henrytt3
A very welcome return for Arteta and Sagna. A brilliant second half performance that has rightly silenced the doubters. #AFC #InArseneWeTrust


JamaalQuailey27
Just got back from the Arsenal, great game! #bouncebackability #inarsenewetrust


londonn87
@samuelj29060 I love Arsene #InArseneWeTrust


BSTURGE1986
#InArseneWeTrust take back my comments from early. Very angry at the time!! #goonerpower


Elliot_Flowers
This is why I'm an Arsenal fan! #InArseneWeTrust


johnny_marsh42
arsene wenger you fucking genius, I'm sorry for ever losing faith .#inarsenewetrust #theprofessorcomesgoodagain


Z4YNAB
Two nil down 3 nil up. We're gonna win the FA Cup!! #InArseneWeTrust


Neloversion
RT @TheGoonerArmy: Dear Beliebers, do u mind loggin out of twitter for a couple of mins? We're trying to get #InArseneWeTrust trending


MissGoonerAFC
You guys have absolutely no idea of what it's like to be a Manager and what it involves...#InArseneWeTrust That's all I have to say.

dinkarnold
The Professor gave #AFC a test and they fucking passed with class! #InArseneWeTrust


Hairil90
We never give up..have faith and the boys will surely repay your faith...#InArseneWeTrust #GoonerPower


toby_hs
Brilliant second half performance. Sorry was the "Arsene Out" at half time  #inarsenewetrust


JanViskoper
Wenger doesn't have to justify his actions to anyone! He is a legend! #InArsenewetrust #AFC


lotamaster
By the way dumbasses we went 2-0 down to 3-2 WITH NO SUBS. Still criticizing? #InArseneWeTrust COYG


MimiGooner 
Just allow those negative Gooners who said Arsene out etc. Enjoy the victory. Those people will feel like fools whether they admit it or not.

The_North_Bank
The boo boys around always make me laugh. Spent whole of first half whining and spent the whole of second half squiming #supporttheteam


Bosscielny
"Fans" who find joy in Arsenal losing to prove their point are a disgrace to the club, the other fans and more importantly, themselves.

positivegunner
So all of you who tweeted me and asked if I can find anything positive about this...do I need to find anything more positive than this comeback?

Gooner_Keyz
Fuck the doubters. #inarsenewetrust


ArranK
Hope that silences all the narrow minded people calling for wengers head #genius #InArseneWeTrust


LjMcCann4
Great come back from the boys what fighting spirit! #InArsenewetrust #AFC


goonergurl20
FUCKYOU WENGER HATERS!!!! #InArseneWeTrust


tmann14
I don't want to say I told you so but look at my tweet at half time...#IToldYouSo #InArseneWeTrust #ILoveYouArsenal


TomMaggsAFC
All Anti Wenger people, He changed the game with his team talk, Walcott was immense, Ramsey was superb #InArseneWeTrust


mo_telford
@piersmorgan start supporting and stop your moaning! You embarrass yourself every week! #inarsenewetrust

BhavishMenon
Hopefully all those who wanted Wenger out just after 1st half can rot in hell now...#InArseneWeTrust


dbarham88
Form is temporary, class is permanent! #LeaveItYeah #inarsenewetrust #AFC


JordyVanderkley
RT @GIGIHOSNY: No other manager Could've turned a game Like This #InArseneWeTrust


Bad877
I Love Arsene Wenger for everything he's brought to our club, including the high expectations of the plastic fans. #InArseneWeTrust

Fan Loyalty - Die-Hard or Fair-Weather?

While Wikipedia is not considered the most credible source on the planet, I am turning to it for a couple of simple definitions:

Fan loyalty: is the loyalty felt and expressed by a fan towards the object of his/her fanaticism. Allegiances can be strong or weak. The loyalties of sports fans have been studied by psychologists, who have determined several factors that create such loyalties. Fan loyalty can be threatened by team actions.

Fair-weather fans: Fans who only follow their team when they are winning.

Die-hard fans: Fans who follow their team no matter they are winning or losing.

I have turned to these definitions as recent events for the teams that I support have been pretty abysmal and fan loyalty is definitely being tested.

Arsenal have lost 3 straight League matches (2 of them to weaker opponents) and the club is currently fighting for a top 4 finish which has been a given since the '95-'96 season. Weaknesses in the squad have been exposed and fans are starting to vent their anger at each other. I personally find both situations sad. As a fan of the club, I am definitely bummed that they are not as strong as they have been in the Arsene Wenger era. However, I am also bummed to see the nastiness of some fans towards the team, the manager, the players and each other when things go bad. (One example is the "fan" who threatened to "murder" Aaron Ramsey following last week's terrible loss to Swansea and another is the name calling Twitter "conversation" that I just saw in my time line between 3 Arsenal fans).

I have no interest in judging how others should feel or show their support for a team. I am just questioning those that turn so nasty when things don't go their way.

English Football and American Baseball have very little in common but when I look at the New York Mets in comparison to Arsenal I see a glaring difference in fan expectation. The Mets have a 50 year history of underachieving. Mets fans have to have thick skin as we live in the same town as the Championship buying entitled Yankees. The 2012 baseball season hasn't even started yet and everyone is predicting last place for the hapless Mets...yet the fans remain loyal to the club (not the owners though who have further tarnished the club by their personal association with Bernie Madoff). Mets fans would be thrilled to not finish in last place. Yes we want the team to win, but there are 30 teams in the league and only one can win the title. The fact is that 29 fan bases will be left disappointed.  Most teams have their ups and downs. We live with the Mets and sadly lose with the Mets. Mets fans just keep hoping for that time when they will be on top. It will be that much sweeter when it happens.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans expect trophies and a top 4 finish no matter what. I will always support Arsenal and I want the trophies and championships for the club as well. However, no team has a divine right to win everything. (Yes, even the Yankees). Arsenal have been a shell of themselves this season and yet they are in 5th place out of 20 teams. Overall that is pretty damn good. I can only imagine how hard it is to be a fan of teams such as Wigan, Bolton, Leeds, Blackpool, West Ham, Blackburn, etc. Yet, they have loyal fans that put up with the ups and many downs of the clubs they support. 

Don't even get me going on the New York Jets who haven't been to the Super Bowl since 1969. It would be easy to just turn on them and support the Giants who always seem to find a way to win. That would be easy...but it would also be seen as being a "fair weather fan" rather than a "die-hard".

I choose to remain a die-hard fan and support my teams no matter whether they are winning or losing. I'd prefer winning but die-hard fans don't always get the choice.

The Return of the King...Thierry Henry Adds to His Legendary Arsenal Status

The King returns

Thierry Henry! There's nothing else to say. The name says it all.

Arsenal's all time leading goal scorer left the club five years ago to sign with Barcelona and has since moved on to New York and the Red Bulls. His heart, however, has never left North London and he is still and will always be revered by the Arsenal faithful.

Henry salutes the fans

So, when the MLS season ended Henry returned to London. His intention was to stay in match shape during the MLS off season by training with the Arsenal first team. It wasn't long before rumors started to build that Henry would return to Arsenal on loan until the start of the new Red Bulls season. Then last week, it became official. 

Henry shoots

Henry is now 34 which for a football player is considered "old". Despite losing a bit of pace, he still possesses more talent and skill than most players ever will. Plus, Henry's presence at Arsenal alone is enough to lift the club and its fans.

Henry scores

Then came today's FA Cup 3rd round match versus Leeds at The Emirates. Henry was named to the squad and started the game on the bench. Just the sight of him warming up made the crowd go nuts.

Henry celebrates

As too often seems to be the case, Arsenal were dominating the possession, but their finishing was awful. The crowd had been chanting Thierry Henry's name throughout the match and it was inevitable that he would come on as a sub.

1-0 to The Arsenal courtesy of Thierry Henry

Henry came on in the 68th minute along with Theo Walcott. Ten minutes later a brilliant pass from Alex Song found Henry who coolly slotted home the only goal of the game.  The crowd went nuts, the commentators were yelling and Henry showed such exuberance and joy that I'm sure many fans (even big tough guys) shed some tears. Seeing Henry salute the fans and immediately run over to hug Arsene Wenger was amazing. It was better than any Hollywood movie. It's as if whatever higher power there is out there is a Gooner. It was truly written in the stars. It was one of the greatest Gooner moments in recent history.

Henry celebrates the victory

One thing that does need to be addressed is the vitriol coming from the inevitable "haters" (mostly from Spuds fans). Comments such as "it's only Leeds" and "Arsenal were lucky to win" were interspersed with hundreds of tweets from happy Gooners. What these idiots seem to be missing is that this was a celebration more about welcoming back a hero than simply beating Leeds.  It is a feel good story that was magical and brought happiness to so many. It is worthy of a massive celebration.

The script was written

Here's the goal and what the press had to say about the return of "the king" Thierry Henry.

BBC Football - Arsenal 1-0 Leeds   
The Guardian - Thierry Henry Revils in 'dream' return to Arsenal against Leeds United           
Guardian Blog - Fans go wild for Thierry Henry, the genius who writes his own scripts
Daily Mail - It was written in the stars...Henry's sensational return to Arsenal in pictures
Red Bulls website - Photo Gallery: Thierry Henry's Return To Arsenal

The Sun - Deja Voom Arsenal 1 Leeds 0
The Sun - Nobody Does It Better, Thierry

Henry celebrates with the boss

Telegraph - Arsenal 1 Leeds United 0
Daily Express - Arsenal Boss Arsene Wenger In Dreamland At A Legend's Return

ESPN - Henry Makes Hero's Return

ESPN Written in the stars - Written In The Stars
Telegraph - Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger says 'it was like a dream' when Thierry Henry scored winner 
Daily Mail - Arsenal 1 Leeds 0: Va-Va Boom! A classic touch, a clinical strike. King Henry reigns again
Daily Mail - Henry Savours Magical FA Cup Moment After Netting Winner on Stunning Return to Arsenal

The Festive Holiday Period Brings Upsets and the Return of Thierry Henry

The festive holiday period and all the fixtures that it brings has come and gone. There were a lot of upsets and some crazy games. One lesson that I learned is don't laugh too hard at the failure of others as it may come back to haunt you. However, it is fun to see mercenaries, dirt bags and arrogant overpaid prima donnas lose and even get humiliated.

My favorite results from the holiday period:

12/26

*Chelsea 1-Fulham 1 - Clint Dempsey scores to give Fulham a point at Stamford Bridge.
*Liverpool 1-Blackburn 1 -  A Charlie Adam own goal at Anfield gave last place Blackburn a point.
*West Brom 0-Man City 0 - Crisis in Manchester. Overpaid millionaires fail to score.

John Terry misses again and Ireland scores 

12/31

*Chelsea 1-Aston Villa 3 - More dropped points for Chelsea & "the new special one" Andre Villlas Boas.
*Man United 2-Blackburn 3 - At home, Fergie & boys lose to last place Blackburn. A very enjoyable result.

Fergie increases his gum chewing after loss to Blackburn                  

01/01

*Sunderland 1-Man City 0 - Happy New Year big time! My favorite result. Mancini must have wanted to tie that scarf a bit tighter.

Ji Dong gives fans of every other team something to cheer about

01/04         

Newcastle 3 - Man United 0 - My second favorite result. Not only did Newcastle rip United apart and expose many flaws in Fergie's team, they played one of the best all around team games that I have ever seen.

Demba Ba scores and Phil Jones will score for the other team later

As for Arsenal...drawing with Wolves 1-1 was somewhat annoying. They then went on to beat QPR 1-0 and I was confident that they would easily beat Fulham. Well, here's where karma got me. Up 1-0 with about ten minutes left in the match, Arsenal threw away the lead and the game. While I would like to blame Sebastien Squillaci (who actually came on as a sub when Johan Djourou was sent off after a soft second yellow card), there was plenty of blame to go around. Outside of Robin Van Persie, the rest of the team seems to have forgotten how to score. Walcott looked lost, Ramsey made a lot of bad passes and Arsenal's back line is in shambles with injuries to Sagna, Santos, Vermaelen, Gibbs and Jenkinson.

The return of the king

Some good news was delivered to Arsenal and the team's fans this holiday as the rumored return of Thierry Henry for a six week period was confirmed. Just having Henry around the team is enough of a boost to hopefully drive the team forward. Sagna, Wilshere and Gibbs are expected back soon and hopefully Wenger will bring in some talent during the transfer window. #COYG.





     
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Bankruptcy could be good news if it gets rid of the Wilpons

As for the Mets...well there isn't much to say. The only good thing to happen to the team lately is that everybody's favorite mascot, Mr. Met, was profiled in the New York Times.

Also, there is speculation that the Wilpons may file for bankruptcy. You know your team is in trouble when filing for bankruptcy is treated as good news.

As for the baseball, pitchers and catchers officially report to Port St. Lucie on February 15th. Whether we're ready or not, Spring Training is coming and so is the season.

The face of the New York Mets...not Bill Clinton...it's Mr. Met

NY Mets: The Fans Get Ponzied - Arsenal: Some of the Kids Are Allright

When Fred met Bernie

 Add New York Mets fans to the list of victims of Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme. The trickle down effect of the Wilpons' dealings with Madoff are evident as the franchise cries poverty and lets the best player to come out of the organization in years leave due to money. I could go on and on at how disgusted I and other Mets fans feel, instead here's a reprint of the article that I wrote for Bleacher Report when the Jose Reyes news first broke:

Today is a very sad day in a history of sad days for New York Mets fans. While many supporters remained hopeful that Jose Reyes would re-sign with the team, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Reyes has left for the newly named Miami Marlins.


Along with a lucrative contract, the Marlins offer Reyes the opportunity to play for a team on the rise. In addition to Reyes, Miami has signed closer Heath Bell and are making a push for the much-coveted Albert Pujols. The Marlins are making it clear that they want to build a winning team and attract more fans to their new stadium.

Back in New York, it's the opposite. The Wilpons are making it clear that they cannot afford to compete due to their financial problems with the Madoff scandal and a number of ridiculous signings they are still tied to. In addition to still paying out the contracts of recent flops Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, the Mets just began paying Bobby Bonilla the $1.19 million he will be collecting from them for the next 25 years.

The Mets tried to convince their fan base that they were a potential playoff team last season. Nobody bought in to that one. It was obvious that the 2006 team that was supposed to become a dynasty had not materialized, and the "rebuilding" process has been in place since 2009. The Mets are the only team that have to rebuild on a rebuilding project. It's mind boggling.

And that's that...like the Goodfellas scene where Joe Pesci is whacked

What seems to be lost in the news that Jose Reyes has been signed by the Marlins is the fact that the Mets could have traded Reyes last summer and received value back for him. Just like they did with Carlos Beltran. Instead, he remained and played great for the Mets down the stretch. Reyes won the batting title, but in the end, the Mets finished 25 games behind the Phillies and eight games under .500. They should have traded him for prospects.

In looking at the chatter on Twitter, it's pretty obvious that Mets fans are fed up. How much suffering can one fan base take? Long before allowing one of the franchise's most popular players of all time to walk away without even pretending to make an offer, the Mets served up two hearty doses of heartache to their fan base:

2007: The Mets lost 12 of their last 17 games. They went in to the last game of the season tied with the Phillies for the division title. In a must-win game, Tom Glavine gave up seven runs in the first inning and put a cherry on top of one of the worst collapses in baseball history.

2008: The Mets held the division lead by 3.5 games with 17 left to play. They then went 7-10 the rest of the way, surrendering the division to the Phillies and finding themselves tied with the Brewers for the Wild Card spot going in to the last game of the season. In what was to be the final game at Shea Stadium, the Mets came up short yet again, and Milwaukee went to the playoffs.

As if that misery wasn't enough, fans that could handle it sat through what was supposed to be an amazing tribute to Shea Stadium. As Tom Seaver threw a pitch to Mike Piazza and they walked off the Shea Stadium field together stunned and inconsolable, fans looked on. It was the perfect symbolism for the Mets season.

The Wilpons better have a plan in place to earn back the money they've lost because they are not going to make it back in ticket sales. I have a feeling there will be plenty of empty seats at Citi Field for the near future.

I will always remain a Mets fan, as it's in my DNA. However, I am not going to support the current ownership that has continually made it clear that they have no regard for their fan base and paying customers.

Meet the Mets

______________________________________________________________________________'

Thank God for Arsenal.  While lots of Arsenal fans are upset at the club's 6 year trophy drought, Arsenal are a team that has always fielded a competitive team since I began following them in the mid 90's. I can't say the same for the other team that I support. The Mets haven't won a championship since 1986 and they are not looking good for the future. In fact, they are the laughingstock of baseball.

Anyhow, Arsenal have rebounded from their early season "crisis" and now sit in 5th place above Liverpool and Newcastle.  Their form has been impressive and the new players have fit in well and made the squad more solid. 

With Arsenal being the first English club to qualify for the final 16 of the Champions League and win their group, their game in hand at Olympiacos was basically an afterthought. It gave Arsene Wenger the opportunity to rest the bulk of the starting eleven and give some playing time to many of the younger players and some of those on the fringe.

Fabianski was awful

I recorded the game on my DVR and eagerly sat down to watch the match last evening. All I can say is wow.  I couldn't believe that this was Arsenal. They were getting bullied all over the field and their ball possession and passing was poor.

Granted most of these players have not been given sufficient playing time and have not played together.  However, defensively the team were shocking.  Djourou, who I like, was awful...Santos was way off his game...Squillaci, get rid of him now...and even the Verminator made a few mistakes.  They weren't the worst part of the defense, however.

Lukasz Fabianski started in goal and was horrible. He looked like a guy that had never played in goal before.  He allowed Olympiacos a rather simple first goal as he was caught completely out of position. When he had to be replaced in the 25th minute due to injury, I secretly welcomed the switch. That phrase be careful what you wish for comes to mind today.

Mannone was even worse

Vito Mannone made Fabianski look like David Seaman. I actually found myself embarrassed for the team and felt pangs of pity for the Arsenal fans that spent money to travel to Greece and support the squad.

On the positive side, Yossi Benayoun provided some much need experience in midfield and did score Arsenal's goal with a nice strike. Ignassi Miquel and Tomas Rosicky looked solid in midfield after coming on as second half subs.

Meanwhile Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain wasn't given much service up front, but he did exert his strength and skills when given the chance.

In the end, the result was unimportant and the match was a great learning opportunity for the team.  I just hope Wenger took stock of who passed the test and who was not up to the challenge and needs to go.

It's back to the league this weekend as the Gunners host Everton and hope to keep moving up the table.

Benayoun and Miquel celebrate Arsenal's only goal

That Was Then This Is Now: Arsenal Make The Pundits Eat Their Own Words

Less than two months ago every story being written about Arsenal was a negative.  Whether it was a crisis, a team in decline or Arsene Wenger needs to go everyone was writing off Arsenal while lauding the likes of Man. City, Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.  Just six weeks later and we're seeing headlines such as Arsenal Best of English Clubs.

Captain Van-tastic has led by example

Match day 5 of the Champions League group rounds has come and gone and the only English club to have clinched a place in the round of 16 is the "crisis club" Arsenal.  In fact, not only are they through, they have clinched the top spot in their group with a game in hand. Meanwhile the Sheikh's loyal subjects at Man City are praying for a miracle to go through, while both Chelsea and Man U are not guaranteed anything with one game to go.

Arsenal have won 5 straight league matches and have moved from an early season low of 17th up to 7th and level on points with Liverpool and Chelsea.  Robin Van Persie has continued his prolific scoring run and with Vermaelen back in the fold, the defense is getting tighter and the newer members of the squad are gelling with the rest of their teammates.

Chelsea defeated at Stamford Bridge as RVP Nets a Hatrick

While nothing has been won yet and there's still plenty to play for, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal have not only qualified for the Champions League round of 16, they have done so for the 12th straight year...a very difficult thing to accomplish that consistently.  Personally, I am sick of hearing the tired complaint that "Arsenal haven't won a trophy in 6 years". Birmingham has and now they are in England's second tier.  Portsmouth won a trophy 3 years ago.  Since then they have gone in to administration and are currently 18th in the Championship.  I'd rather be Arsenal than either of those clubs and others like them.  Yes Arsenal have come close and failed but they keep challenging at the highest level year after year while fly by night teams come and go. 

Arsenal are the only English team to secure a place in the round of 16 so far

Man City, Tottenham and Liverpool may currently sit above Arsenal in the EPL table, but 2 of them are not playing Champions League football.  Meanwhile, the one that is, Man City, is probably on their way out and only got there by buying every player under the sun and running up a record one year loss of 194.4 pounds.  Of course trophies are what every fan wants for their club, but I think having a highly competitive team year in and year out is a major achievement that only several top flight teams have been able to do.

Anyhow, just for laughs here is what the media was reporting 2 months ago and how their tune has changed since:

 NY Times          September 14       The Worst of Times After Years of Success

                           November 23        Arsenal, Leverkusen and Apoel Advance

Fox Soccer         October 2             Once Proud Arsenal is a Club in Crisis

                           November 23        CL Review: Arsenal Best of English Clubs

The Telegraph     October 3           Arsenal Crisis Worsens After Bacary Sagna is Sidelined

                                                       Until January with Broken Leg Sustained Against

                                                       Tottenham

                          November 25        The Train Wreck Days are Over and Now Arsene Wenger,

                                                       at the 'Club of His Life', is Prospering Once More

Alex Song and Robin Van Persie score against B Dortmund

The Guardian    September 27       Arsenal Injury Crisis Threatens To Derail Season, Says

                                                       Arsene Wenger

                          November 24        Arsenal Provide Hard Evidence in Case For Champions

                                                       League Defence: Arsène Wenger's team have a solidity at
                                                       the back that United, City and Chelsea must wish they
                                                       could summon themselves

Daily Mail        September 18          Wenger in Crisis!  It's Arsenal's Worst Start For 58 Years

                                                        But The Manager Claims: I'm Not Worried About My

                                                        Future 

                         November 24          Van Persie Leaves Wenger in Awe As He Fires Gunnners

                                                        in to Knockout Stages

Express             September 10         Arsene Wenger: My Hell

                          November 24          Arsenal 2 B Dortmund 1: Wily Old Arsene Wenger Gets

                                                         His Own Way

BBC Sport         September 9            Alan Shearer On Why Arsenal's Problems Are Not Over

                                                          Yet

                          November 24          Arsene Wenger Shocked by Arsenal Reaching Last 16

                                                         Before English Rivals

Alex Song runs through Borussia Dortmund

Independent     September 18          Defensive Shambles Deepens Arsenal Crisis

                         November 25           Arsenal Back On Song After Summer Woes

The Sun           August 23                 Antonio Di Natale Thinks Arsenal Are In Deep Crisis***

                       November 24             Has Arsene Wenger Turned Corner? Arsenal 2

                                                         B Dortmund 1                   

                        November 24            Alex Song: Why Are You So Harsh On Arsenal?**

Football Talk  October 7                  Arsenal ARE In Crisis...Wenger Has To GO!

                       November 24            Who'd Have Thought It Would End Up Like This?

Just Arsenal.Com September 18       Wenger Is Leading Arsenal To Mid-table Mediocrity

                             November 25       The author has not posted a new article since October

I also discovered this website wengerout.com which has not been updated since October 5th. 

***Di Natale and Udinese were easily dispatched by Arsenal 

 **Alex Song was a beast in Arsenal's win over Dortmund.  His run to set up RVP's first goal was
   insane and his defending and midfield presence were massive throughout the entire 90 minutes.

Up the Gunners. Come on Arsenal.

Theo Walcott is teaming well with Gervinho and Van Persie

       

Arsenal in Crisis? Crisis Has Been Averted

As recently as one month ago the term crisis was being used regularly by the media in describing Arsenal's start to the 2011-2012 season. Since the team's loss to Spurs at the beginning of October, Arsenal have won four straight Premier League games, beaten Bolton to advance to the next round of the Carling Cup and defeated Marseille at the Velodrome to put the Gunners atop their Champions League group. The only "blemish" in this otherwise winning run was a 0-0 Champions League draw this past week with Marseille at The Emirates. Arsenal have moved up to 7th place in the EPL table and are now level on points with Liverpool with just goal differential separating the two teams.

Rambo gives Arsenal a victory in Marseille

Captain Robin Van Persie has been on fire scoring 8 goals in Arsenal's last 4 EPL games and deservedly picking up the league's Player of the Month award. While it may just be a coincidence, Van Persie's form and leadership have been outstanding since the departure of former captain Cesc Fabregas. It's almost as if Van Persie needed the added responsibility to step in to the spotlight. Whatever the reason, Van Persie and the team are gelling and positivity has returned to the Arsenal camp.

October Player of the Month and the first to
 reach 10 goals this season

Arsenal's 5-3 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend may be remembered as the game where confidence was finally restored to the team. Despite going behind twice to the Blues, Arsenal took control in the second half and shocked Chelsea fans and players alike. Seeing John Terry on his ass while Robin Van Persie scored the second of his three goals was fantastic. Likewise, Theo Walcott's amazing goal saw the speedy Walcott fall down and still run through four Chelsea players to score a wonder goal.




This weekend Arsenal easily defeated West Brom 3-0 despite not being at their best. It could be a coincidence, but with Vermaelen back and partnered with the in form Koscielny Arsenal did not concede a goal. In fact, Vermaelen even contributed a goal of his own.

Arsenal have already played Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool and their upcoming EPL matches are against lower table teams. Meanwhile a number of the current top 6 clubs will be playing each other. If they continue to play as they have been, Arsenal have the chance to continue their upward move.

Oops

As for the Mets, the off season is looking dismal as the post Bernie Madoff era continues. With the Wilpons looking to slash payroll and Jose Reyes seeking a big free agent contract, hopes of keeping Reyes in Queens are fading. For all the gory details, check out my latest article at Bleacher Report.