DOSSIER: IS WENGER ATTEMPTING TO INSULT THE EPL OR ATTEMPTING HISTORY AGAIN

If you ever wondered why Arsene Wenger’s priority over the summer was to get a striker, I guess the game against Manchester United and Monday’s game against Chelsea would have been the final pieces in your jigsaw, if not; maybe you were not just looking.

MATCH STATS

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR	MANCHESTER UNITED	ARSENAL
SCORES	1	0
POSSESSION	40.5%	59.5%
SHOTS ON TARGET	2	2
SHOT ACCURACY	40%	33.3%

GIROUD RATED GOAL.COM’S Flop of the match.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR	ARSENAL	CHELSEA
SCORES	0	0
POSSESSION	59.5%	40.5%
SHOTS ON TARGET	2	4
SHOT ACCURACY	61.4%	38.6%

If the need to bolster the striking force of the erstwhile league leaders was not obvious before the game on Monday, I am sure even the blind can point it out as the reason arsenal could not take their chances and why although it was a game against one of the big teams, it was two points dropped rather than one point gained.

Arsenal’s frustration in going forward in the game against united is further exposed by the fact that their best combination of passes in their nearly 60% control of the game was between Koscielny and Vermalaen whereas Manchester United had their best combination in Valencia and Rooney.

Giroud’s criticism in the Man Utd game can start from the goal van persie scored, he was flat footed in the duel and although running towards the ball gave van persie some advantage he allowed van persie leap over him to put David Moyes’ charges one goal up. He continued the game showing how poor he can be with off the ball runs, not trying to get behind the Man Utd defence line when arsenal was in possession limiting arsenal to the same number of shots on target as their opponents even though they had 20% more of the ball. Furthermore arsenal put in more crosses in the game than united and had more success with their crossing accuracy than United but the wastes of the crosses got even worse when he was joined by want away Nicklas Bendtner. In the Chelsea game which is the most recent show of shame from a forward player hoping to lead his team to the title, Giroud’s criticism can start anywhere really.

GIROUD AGAINST CHELSEA

TOTAL PASSES	PASSING ACCURACY	DUELS WON	AERIALDUELS WON	Goal.com PLAYER RATING
31	64.5%	43.8%	30%	2/5

Arsenal attempted a total of ten shots in the Manchester United game twice as much as the red devils. Only two of those shots were credited to Giroud. In fact Arsenal is now third in the league’s goal scorers’ chat only to Man City and Liverpool. Of all the 33 goals scored so far only 7 [21%] have come from a Giroud. Liverpool who are the next best to City in the league with points have scored 42 goals with 19 [45%] of them coming from, you guessed right Suarez.

Wenger really is insulting the premier league by attempting to win it with a striking combination of Giroud and Bendtner or if you prefer I say Giroud and Podolski.

Let us take a look at what strike partnership have delivered the league in the last 5 years.

YEAR	CLUB	STRIKE PATNERSHIP	TOTAL LEAGUE GOALS
2013	MANCHESTER UNITED	ROONEY & VAN PERSIE	12+26=38
2012	MANCHESTER CITY	AGUERO AND DZEKO	23+14=37
2011	MANCHESTER UNITED	CHICHARITO & BERBATOV	13+20=33
2010	CHELSEA	DROGBA & LAMPARD	29+22=51
2009	MANCHESTER UNITED	RONALDO & ROONEY	18+12=30

For the sake of doing an estimate, if we assume that Giroud would find the net in the remaining two games of the first round of matches. That would bring his tally to 9 for the season and if he enjoys the same form he had at the beginning of the season sometime during the second round of matches he would have 18goals by the end of the season which would be match to the poorest goal haul by a league winning team’s top scorer [Ronaldo in 2009].

The days of the defensive woes are definitely over with Arsenal sitting as the second best defence in the league so close to midway in the season. Save the Man City game Arsenal have kept it tight at the back and are far more stable at the back.

If Wenger really intend to carry on his title challenge, end arsenal’s trophy-less run and above all consolidate the presence of arguably the best creative midfielder in the World, he should really consider changing the attacking options for the rest of the season. Giroud not only fall short with his finishing but also with his connecting the team together in leading the attack. The team has a number of options which includes Theo Walcott and Podolski who arguments can be made for about some prolific record in the past. Sanogo is largely unproven and Bendtner is struggling with confidence.

Every other striker who would be fit the pursuit of Arsenal this Season is cup tied in the Champions league, a safe attempt for the while would be Lewandowski to drive home the title challenge and put the squad in a good position for the season to come. A wild card would be to loan Adebayor for the rest of the season to help with the title push and the Champions league as well. To reposition Arsenal, a major attacking option is needed as soon as can be added.

REMEMBER ME SERIES

Tough face, tough tackles, a tough hairstyle, mr hard man in person. Standing 6ft 3inches high is a man who has taken tackles, even the hard ones so personally that he travelled through Europe carrying this same tackles in his 'pouch'.

Holland, England and Italy all had strikers playing in their elite leagues feeling the tackles even after the conclusion of the very game I play against them. One of the fiercest faces a striker would look to whehhhvn trying to score an opposition, I played for the best clubs in the country and in fact the continent at my time, got any clue yet?

First name is really Jakob, maybe that won't help.

These days I am a coach in the same game at a club in a place I'd call home. I got in trouble with Nandrolone during my playing days. Did you also say what's that?

TRIBUTE TO A PRICE PAYER- ANDRES ESCOBAR

Have you ever heard of another chance? This guy did not get any glimpse of it, he passed on at 27 and that's the mildest way to represent the 'cold' blood murder of a very soft man but tough tackler who no doubt was one of the best players for his country during his playing years. Fondly remembered by his alias 'the gentle-man' of football. Many children in the part of the world where I grew up would not find out that scoring an 'own-goal' during a football game is not called escobar and that escobar is just the name of the football player who has paid the highest price for scoring an own goal (OG). So while I was confused on whether to call this write-up 'players who payed cheaper prices' or 'these ones were lucky because they escobar went ahead' or 'players escobar's life paid ransom for', I said to myself why not make it a tribute to Andres Escobar himself.

Andres Escobar

It was said that he was murdered because of the own goal he scored against his nation Columbia while representing them against USA, this own goal was believed to have caused financial losses to some powerful drug-lords, so they sadly took his life to draw even.

This write up compiles a list of players who despite scoring many own-goals during their career, they stay alive and sometimes still get the support of the very club they self destruct against.

1. Pascal Cygan: If you find an Arsenal fan who absolutely loves Cygan, +1 this article on google plus. On a real though after taking the lead through Thierry Henry's 16th minute penalty, Arsenal seemed content with this narrowest of advantages and paid the price when the perennially hapless Pascal Cygan diverted Loukas Vintra's long-ranger into his own net with 16 minutes remaining. The game ended in a draw and nearly cost Arsenal in the Champions League that year but the magic of another chance would mean that Cygan went on to be a part of the 'Invincibles' squad, covering up in left back position due to injuries to the left backs of the day. He later moved on to Villarreal and is still alive today.

2. Jamie Carragher: Gerrard was Mr Captain Fantastic and this man was Mr consistent. Carragher was almost always available for selection during his playing days, despite scoring aa number of telling own goals wearing the red colors of Liverpool. Being allowed to live on even after so many errors made him go on to achieve a lot with Liverpool and England including going on to becoming the holder of the club's second highest appearance record.

3.  Jérôme Boateng: scored an own goal in a Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen. This was the winning goal, and had it not occurred Bayern Munich would have ended the season undefeated in the Bundesliga. He still rises to applaud from many Bayern fans and he scored the winning goal for them in a champions league game against Manchester City later on.

This list can go on and on but the idea is to remember Escobar while letting everyone remember that if given the chance, someone who absolutely makes a mess of everything can go on to be extremely useful.

AMAZING IS ABNORMAL

Normal things happen to normal people, Outstanding starts from abnormal.

Having graduated from the university as a mechanical engineer, Adaka had trekked the entire length and breadth of Port Harcourt’s Trans-Amadi Industrial Estate in search of a job to no avail. At the last count, he felt his curriculum vitae (which only had his industrial training of six months as the only working experience) had graced almost every receptionist’s inbound tray in all the companies there. His uncles who had promised him jobs after school came up with many excuses or at least told him he would be contacted if anything came up. Three years down the line, no call from any uncle had graced his cell phone.

One Sunday morning, some Bible-clutching­ folks had come to preach to him. They listened to him as he narrated his woes and came to a conclusion. “What is happening to you is not normal. You need prayers,” they said. So Adaka prayed and fasted in the hope of breaking the spell of doom from the village and yet the sky was still dark as haunted cave.

Broke and flustered, Adaka decided not to think like a normal graduate. He decided to drive a taxi. He printed business cards with some money a friend of his casually threw at him during a party, and shaped up the few nice shirts he had and set to work, driving one of his uncle’s fairly used Toyota Carina which he willingly gave to him, at least to show his hospitality to a struggling young man.

Adaka hit the streets, driving his taxi with glee, handing out his business cards to mothers who needed kids to be dropped at school, business men who needed drops at the airport or to be waited upon at functions. Nine months later, Adaka had three mini-Hiace buses, his own office and was planning to wed his girlfriend of five years!

A normal Nigerian graduate in our times is the one who thinks the money comes from working in an oil company and going to offshore rigs even if he or she studied Shorthand as a course.

A normal graduate is the one who thinks mechanics are lesser beings.

A normal Nigerian graduate is the one who thinks business is just buying and selling and it is for brains that couldn’t withstand the rigors of academic labors and so decided to do boy-boy apprenticeship.

A normal Nigerian graduate is the one who thinks sitting in an air conditioned office is a mark of success and prestige. He or she thinks the connection to success only lies in the fat hands of Aso Rock or House of Assembly occupants and so they press for their signatures in exchange for a few romps in classy hotels.

A normal Nigerian graduate is the one who thinks being a politician is the passport to financial prosperity for his next ten generations.

A normal Nigerian graduate is the one who wants his salary to start at N500, 000 per month, probably as a compensation for the many months JAMB, ASUU and NYSC connived like thieves to make them lose productive portions of their lives.

A normal Nigerian graduate is the one who sees a marked demarcation between what is studied in school and how talents and passions can add value to humanity and in turn foster financial posterity.

So a Nigerian graduate who graduated from a Nigerian university thinks the way a normal Nigerian graduate thinks and also does what every other normal Nigerian graduate does – give up and stay home, cry about the government’s wickedness, feed off uncles, relations and parents who pity him while waiting for that manna to just fall.

When all else fails, he resorts to attending all-night vigils in many churches, having been convinced by normal thinking Bible clutching religious blokes who tell him “You need spiritual deliverance from demonic powers from your village.” In the hope of a providential divine stroke of luck, he panders to their whims.

Many Nigerian graduates do not realise that it gets to a point where they have to look away from the usual norms and do what may seem unpalatable to many but has the potential to become a global enterprise. They don’t just think of looking within to that God given intrinsic value that can provide opportunities for them to bless lives and be blessed in return. They just don’t think of looking at their vicinity and devising means to dispose neighbors’ refuse for a fee. They just don’t think of driving a taxi and putting creative edges to it. They don’t think of developing apps on their borrowed laptops even when they studied computer engineering. They don’t think of making grandma’s goats reproduce many kids they can eventually groom and then sell and expand as an Animal Scientist . There are so many ways not to think normal but the normal Nigerian graduate has a problem with abnormality

REMEMBER ME SERIES

Blonde curly hair, two-footed, ability on both wings, eight years in Juventus, any familiar chord struck yet? Jersey Number 11 jersey for Juventus for many years, ex winner of  Ballon d'or award as European player of the year as well. NO not Zinedine great great player as well anyway. Seen as a replacement for Zidane in fact when Juventus splashed out 41Million Euros. A Czech republic player and four (4) times Czech footballer of the year. Possessing the ability to surge through defences with power and making best of defence combinations look so clueless at times. Remember me now?

I enjoyed so much success in my time with the old ladies and I was with the club when the Calcio poli crisis struck. Played for Czech republic in Euro 2004 up to the semi finals when we got beaten by eventual winners, Greece. Any Ideas?

  There yet? If no, well its Pavel Nedved. Not been gone for long but it feels like forever. He also enjoyed a good playing time with Lazio from where he moved to Juventus. A truely great footballer. Below are some of his moments in pictures.

Nedved with his ballon d'or award

Taking a shot at real madrid goalie and Hierro could only look on

Up in the air with Nesta

Twisting and turning Cannavaro

On international duty

The only way to top a rocket on the field of play

Through Barcelona's defence

Nightmare to defenders

Remember That name always... Nedved

Next week I would bring to your remembrance a player who was a nightmare to many strikers. Played in England, Italy and Holland. Thinking cap on...

REMEMBER ME SERIES

I am Greek yea, we do not only exist in history, we play football, in fact we won the Euros in 2004, the Last team to be crowned European champions before almighty Spain. I captained the side in later years, I am not Charisteas I scored the opening goal in the Euro 2004 tournament, a 25 yard cracker as we started our double over tournament hosts, Portugal, hey guys, remember me?

Oh yes I scored against Ricardo and we beat the Portuguese team that featured C.Ronaldo and Figo. Any ideas yet? I remember playing alongside friends of mine like Basinas, Nikopolidis and so on. Do you even remember any of us? I am fondly compared to an 'old guy' called Domazos because of my style of play, i'm sure he was better. I have spent my years playing for Panathinaikos, Benfica and Internazionale (the one many of you just love to call Inter Milan) where we won the copa Italia in 2005. These days I wear the number 14 shirt for Fulham a football club in London and we play in the premier league. Hello guys do you remember Giorgos Karagounis at all?

Its me. Remember me? Remember me.

Captain Karagounis

Karagounis celebrating winning Euro 2004 with fellow compatriots

Karagounis during His Internazionale days

Karagounis displaying his Fulham Jersey in 2012

Next week on this series I will feature a Turin Legend with an intriguing Alias. Start guessing from now. 

BRIDGING AT AN EXPENSE

There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it.

A switch-man sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switch-man was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. 

If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man’s strength.

Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. “Daddy, where are you?” His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, “Run! Run!” But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. 

He took a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and none aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.

Now if you comprehend the emotions which went this man’s heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?