THEO. As he’s played more football, and as the season has gone on, he’s gotten better and better. He’s now looking confident enough to start regularly, has started scoring goals and making an impact on games
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Squid Boy –
A lot of candidates all over the park. The full-backs deserve a mention due to their consistent awesomeness, as does Ade for stepping up following the departure of Thierry and the prolonged absence of Robin. But it’s the central midfield that has really sparkled for us this year. Had Mathieu decided to stay then he’d be in the running, but he’s done a bunk so his mate CESC gets my vote. Although his goals dried up as the season progressed he remained the heartbeat of the side throughout, despite obviously being knackered these last few months. Just as between 1999 and 2002 this was Vieira’s team, and 2003 2006 it was Henry’s team, now it is Cesc’s team. Long may it continue.
Mean Lean –
In different circumstances I would have given you another name, but greed has stripped a certain someone of this award in my book. So, I shall give this to someone who has come on leaps and bounds this year and is in my very biased and humble opinion the best left back in world football right now, Gael CLICHY. There were questions marks over his head when another disloyal member of our club left to join another London club. CLICHY has grown from strength to strength and practically owns the left side of the pitch in 99% of matches he plays in.
Iron Man –
ADEBAYOR – The man is the marmite equivalent of footballers with Arsenal fans it seems. Half laud him, the other half think he’s a waste of space. Usually, I’m in the latter camp. His misses at Old Trafford, Anfield and the home game against MILAN have me convinced he’ll never be the world class striker we all want. However, you cannot argue with 30 goals this season. Without his goal-scoring, we’d be absolutely nowhere near the top of the league. The midfield haven’t contributed enough and so much has rested on the big man’s shoulders. Honorable mention: Cesc – Added goals to his game. Will only get better next season.
James Poplett –
Emmanuel ADEBAYOR. Honourable mentions go to SAGNA, CLICHY, Fabregas and FLAMINI, but without a doubt ADEBAYOR was the stand out player of the season for me. He’s a player that most thought of as an untalented donkey that would scuff a few goals and not do anything of note. He ended up being one of the three stand out players in the Premier League this season, along with Torres and Ronaldo. Commentator’s now talk about him as if he is among the best strikers in the world, and this is only his second full season with Arsenal, and his first one of great success. He has continued to improve throughout the season, and you can only think he’ll get better. He’s scored 30 goals in 40 starts in all competitions, and has shown the ability to score goals in pressure situations as well as score goals with his head, as well as poacher goals, cool Henry-esque finishes, he has the lot and will only get better.
BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Squid Boy –
Given the youthful nature of the squad and the fact that so many experienced names have departed in recent years, the candidates for this are pretty much the same as for the player of the year award. Ade deserves a mention after his transformation from just an outlet as a target man, to a powerful goalscorer. Mathieu again is in the running because of his emergence as a bona fide energetic central-midfielder. Even Manuel has established himself as a reliable keeper. But SAGNA is my choice. Last summer when we signed him people wondered why because we already had EBOUE (ha!) and Justin. He took to the Prem like a duck to water and even had to cope with the untimely passing of his brother. His value to us is illustrated by the chilling fact that since he went off injured at the Bridge, we conceded 11 goals in the next four-and-a-half games. Best right-back in the world.
Mean Lean –
I cannot ignore him anymore unfortunately. Mathieu FLAMINI was seen as a squad player, a utility player who was there to fill in gaps and work for the team when we called upon him but Gilberto’s absence and unfitness provided the Frenchman with the platform to boost his wages, I mean show off his talent. His energy, will to win and tough tackling was part of the reason why we started the season so well. He would have grown to become a legend with the club had he seen the bigger picture, it is a shame that he will find himself on the fringes of the MILAN squad in about 6 months time.
Iron Man –
FLAMINI – Last summer we going to sell him to Birmingham. Fortunately for him, Gilberto took too long to recover from the Copa America and FLAMINI stepped up and performed brilliantly in the middle of the park. There’s no coincidence in the fact that after FLAMINI went off against Liverpool we weren’t the same team that night. Honorable mention: THEO – I’ve been a doubter for a while but the last few months of the season tells me we have a star in the making
James Poplett –
The obvious choice for this would have been FLAMINI. A player always on the fringes at Arsenal since his arrival in 2004, on the verge of last season, ended up being our most consistent performer from midfielder and a real spark on the pitch. However, his decision to go to a club without Champions League football, who we dicked out of the Champions League with a sterling performance, to double his wage packet, has tained my memory of him and I wish to forget about him as soon as possible. Therefore, i’ll pick THEO. As he’s played more football, and as the season has gone on, he’s gotten better and better. He’s now looking confident enough to start regularly, has started scoring goals and making an impact on games. He’s still inconsistent but that will improve with age, and in the final third of the season he’s developed into a player that most of us would be happy to see heavily involved in the first team next season. And for that reason he is deserving of this award.
DISAPPOINTING PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Squid Boy –
DIARRA. Not because of his performances which were top notch but because he was a moaning and impatient little git. EBOUE runs him very close. The man had regressed from an excellent defensive and attacking right-back in the run to the CL final in 2006, to a moaning right-back with a decent cross in 06/07, to a moaning, diving right-midfielder with no end product in 07/08. I’ve often stood up for him this season, but it’s hard defending the indefensible. I still believe he has the talent to prove us wrong, and we definitely shouldn’t be booing him. Honourable mentions go to Robin’s thigh and Rosicknote’s “muscular imbalance”.
Mean Lean –
Emmanuel EBOUE. Without a shadow of a doubt has been our most inconsistent.. infact consistently wasteful player. I wrote an article about him after the Emirates cup victory against Inter MILAN, explaining that he can be our Aaron Lennon. He looked pretty impressive that day but unfortunately he has got worse as the season has gone on and not better. What makes it worse is his utterly pathetic play acting. It is horrible. I still think the guy has potential but I do not want to watch him starting matches anymore.
Iron Man –
VAN PERSIE – It’s too easy to say EBOUE and for my money a lot of the criticism he gets is over the top. RvP, as we are constantly reminded, has potential to be one of the best footballers in the entire world. But how long can we keep saying this? The guy has serious fitness issues and is fast becoming a detriment to the team. The “If VAN PERSIE was fit” excuse is getting old and if he cant string together a run of 15-20 consecutive games without getting crocked again next term then I honestly believe Wenger should question his worth to the team.
Honorable mention: HLEB – How many times has been fluffed a pass/shot and you’ve thought “If only that was Pires”. If he leaves, at NO TIME next season will you ever mourn his loss. Since September, has brought nothing to the table yet again this season. 3 seasons is far too long for him to be still ‘adapting’.
James Poplett –
There have been undeniable let downs in the squad this year. EBOUE has had an awful season, managing zero goals playing in an attacking position for the majority of the season. But it is an unfamilar role for him, and it’s not his fault that he’s clearly not good enough in that position, it’s Wenger’s fault for playing him there. HLEB managed a mere two league goals as one of our main attacking threats, but having scored five league goals in his entire Arsenal career before this season, it can hardly have dissapointed us. My choice would have to be GALLAS. While still a quality defender, it’s his performance as captain which is dissapointing. It was a decision that raised many eyebrows when Wenger appointed him as captain, but when the first two thirds of the season went so perfectly no one had any reason to question it. It seemed that having a player that wanted to win at all costs was good for the youngsters, rather than a captain that might try and be everyone’s friend, but as soon as things started going wrong Gallas’ lack of leadership skills became all too apparent.
GOAL OF THE YEAR:
Squid Boy –
ADE’s second versus the Spuds at the lane in the league. The perfect end to the perfect day. Cesc’s second in the 7-0 hammering of Slavia Prague was my favourite ‘team goal’. Every Eduardo goal is worth a shout because of the finesse of his finishing.
Mean Lean –
I am also going to have to go with ADEBAYOR’s second at White hart lane. I didn’t realise how good the goal was until I watched the replay with my throat red roar from shouting and beer all down me. Not only the fantastic strike but the way he set himself up was pure genius.
Iron Man –
ADEBAYOR vs SPURS – The quality of the turn and shot was incredible. Not been matched by anyone (not even Ronaldo) all season. Also, lets put the goal in context: Last minute, Summer’s afternoon, Sh!te Hart Lane, come back from a goal down, £16 million Bent has just missed a sitter, 3-1, Game Over!
Honorable mention: Eduardo vs Man City – A sign of things to come when he’s fit again.
James Poplett –
ADEBAYOR vs SPURS away. A truly unbelievable goal, as good as we’ve seen from any Arsenal player for a long time. To set up the volley with such speed and deftness of touch, and then to unleash a shot like that within the blink of an eye that rocketed past Robinson in goal, fabulous. And a brilliant way to finish off a wonderful game for us.
ASSIST OF THE YEAR:
Squid Boy –
I have created this category solely to include THEO’s scintillating run and pass against the Scouse in the CL. While the run was out of this world, the timing and weight of his pass proves that the boy is maturing fast. HLEB’s delayed pass for Cesc at the same ground in the league is also worthy of note.
Mean Lean –
There was only one assist of the year, I think you could probably use this for Champions League assist of the year. THEO WALCOTT should have given us fans one of the most memorable moments in our lives at Anfield.
Iron Man –
HLEB vs Liverpool – Perfect timing, perfect weight, perfect pass.
Honorable mention: THEO vs Liverpool. To describe his pace as electric doesn’t do it justice.
James Poplett –
Alexander HLEB setting up Fabregas’ goal at Anfield earlier in the season. He showed great control and skill, before then showing great awareness and patience to ignore one run from an Arsenal player, keep the ball, and then play through a different Arsenal player in a better position, leaving them with nothing to do other than the finish, truly excellent play. A great assist and a great goal.
MATCH OF THE YEAR:
Squid Boy –
In terms of pure drama and madness, BOLTON AWAY is a shoe-in for me (largely because I was fortunate enough to be there). For all those bemoaning that this bunch of lads has no backbone, it was the perfect riposte. In terms of technical quality, the obvious winner is the history-making victory at MILAN.
Mean Lean –
ASTON VILLA AWAY. I am not even talking about the whole match. The first half was probably the best football I have ever seen. The speed and sharpness of our football was beyond breath taking. It was so good that the only way Villa could stop us was to injure our players. HLEB was absoultley amazing on that day *sniff
Iron Man –
MILAN away – Best performance and result of the season. The boys went out with the mentality that they were better than MILAN and they showed it without much trouble. The fact that it was a record-breaking victory makes it that much sweeter.
Honorable mention: Man Utd 2-2 at Emirates. The two best footballing sides in the country showing their class. Fantastic drama at the end.
James Poplett –
Has to be the MILAN game. I went into it with very little optimism. We were playing a formidable Champions League side, one that Manchester United really struggled against at the San Siro last season, and we had Eboue and Diaby on the wings. But it was the best 90 minutes of football we’ve played in a long, long time. We outclassed a European heavyweight for the entire game, and rather than concede the inevitable goal against the run of play like we usually do in Europe, we scored two excellent ones to record a famous win, and it was no less than we deserved. The young side was wonderful that night, and that was to be the last good memory of the season.
BEST MOMENT:
Squid Boy –
BEATING SPURS AT THE LANE. Once again I’ve picked this because I was present, but also because it was so similar to the game there last season except this time we didn’t give a goal away at the death, we scored one. That was the moment when the players began to believe, and it sent us top for the first time in three years.
Mean Lean –
Destroying MILAN in their own back yard. We were so dominante against them that it was almost a joke. I felt like we were the best team in the world at that point, and it felt good. It should have taken us onto better things. Ah well, we will be back.
Iron Man –
The comeback against SPURS at White hart Lane
Honorable mention: Beating Chelsea for the first time since forever!
James Poplett –
Beating CHELSEA at home was a wonderful night. Gallas scoring a the
winning goal with Cashley dropped on his arse by Fabregas just before the final whistle, it was about as good as it got, given that we hadn’t beaten them in several attempts.
WORST MOMENT:
Squid Boy –
It’s amazing, in a season where we’ve lost a mere seven games (and in only four of those were we properly trying to win), there are so many bad memories. The whopping defeats at the Lane and Old Trafford are contenders because it’s never nice when your closest rivals spank you. Of course the CL exit still rankles because of the way we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. But there is only one winner (for lack of a better term): THAT FATEFUL DAY IN BIRMINGHAM. The combination of Eduardo’s injury, and then turning things around so heroically, before giving it away at the end, was too much to take. I was a broken man that day, as I can imagine many of you were.
Mean Lean –
This is a difficult one. The Birmingham match was probably the most emotional I have been in game for a while, I was angry more than anything else but what crushed me was the defeat to LIVERPOOL to practically end our season. ‘Not after Theo’s assist, we can’t lose this!’ I kept saying to my mates.
Iron Man –
EDUARDO – There are much bigger things in the world than football
Honorable mention: Carling Cup Semi
James Poplett –
Close call between the BIRMINGHAM away game and the LIVERPOOL Champions League game. Both had me as upset as i’ve ever been as an Arsenal fan. Eduardo was a player finally beginning to show his ability, and getting to a level of quality when commentator’s and fans were genuinely surprised when he missed a chance. Then we lost him, and our season, to one terrible challenge. We were flying high, and that one game was the beginning of the end. To have an injury as horrific as that, and then concede a last minute penalty to see our lead cut, it seemed to be too much for some of the players and we never really recovered in the league. We went on to win one of the next seven games.
The Liverpool game was the most ridiculous and heart breaking game i’ve ever sat through. Barely had I finished jumping around the room, overjoyed at a stunning goal that pulled us back to an unlikely lead, and the referee had given a ridiculous penalty. It was at the kop end, and it meant the scouse bastards got their usually Anfield fairytale, but I was just about ready to go up there and burn the damn place down. Thank god they finally got what was coming to them in the semi.
CHANT:
Squid Boy –
WE LOVE YOU ARSENAL, WE DO, OH ARSENAL WE LOVE YOU. Nuff said.
Mean Lean –
Adebayor!.. Adebayoorr. Give him the ball, and he will score! There was a period in the season where that song was being sung so many times thanks to his goal contribution. The Anti Ade gang should be ashamed of themselves.
Iron Man –
During Newcastle in the Carling cup “DIARRA OOH-OH-OH, DIARRA OOH-OH-OH! HE LEFT THE CHELSEA SCUM, COS ASHLEY WANTS HIS BUM”
Honourable mention: “YOU’LL NEVER BEAT THE ARSENAL” After our thoroughly undeserved equaliser in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi. Unfortunately it didn’t prove true in the end.
James Poplett –
“We’ve only got one Song!”.
WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT SEASON…:
Squid Boy –
In no particular order:
1. Carlos Vela on one wing and THEO on t’other.
2. Eduardo’s rapturous reception when he returns.
3. A full season from RvP. If it happens, we’ll be Champions
4. Lady Luck wearing a yellow ribbon in the merry month of May.
Mean Lean –
A mostly injury free, successful season. It is the only thing we need.
Iron Man –
The Quadruple!!!
James Poplett –
Hopefully, Wenger’s summer signings. He’s made it clear that intends to buy two to three players and he knows who he wants, so it could be an interesting transfer window. It’s clear where we need players, mainly wingers that are better than Eboue and less injury prone than Rosicky, and a central midfielder to replace Flamini, and if he can sign players of the right quality in those positions then we could go into next season with an improved side, with the important players we already have with one years more experience behind them. If we can sufficiently replace Flamini, the side won’t have been weakened, and given that we were only one key victory away from winning the league, it’s safe to say that this side is capable of winning the league, given a little more time. Hopefully next season will be when it all clicks into place. But for how many years have we all been saying that?
EXAMPLE OF AD POSITION
